Frederiksted

What music is popular in Frederiksted? That depends on who you ask.

St. Croix is home to many imported styles of music. Calypso, Steelpan, Soca, Reggae, Rock, Jazz, and many more.

The major indigenous form of music is the scratch band (also called fungi band), which use improvised instruments like gourds and washboards to make a kind of music called quelbe. Quelbe is a form of topical folk song, and is the official music of the Virgin Islands. Quelbe is commonly performed by scratch bands, though their folk origin lays in individuals, who sang the songs in informal settings, celebrations and festivals.

Scratch bands are a distinctive form of folk ensemble; they have survived the decline of other Virgin Islander folk traditions, through adapting to newly imported instrumentation and songs, and becoming a part of a more general revival of interest in folk culture on the islands.

The music of scratch bands dates back to the days of slavery. The slaves on the islands used found objects to fashion instruments, such as by making strings out of twine salvaged from old sacks. Lyrics traditionally function as oral history, spreading news and gossip. Modern scratch bands play a wide range of dances, including calypsos, boleros, quadrilles, international pop songs, merengues, mazurkas, waltzes, jigs and other styles. They perform at church services, private parties, public festivals, local dances and fars, christenings and weddings, and also perform for tourists.

The scratch band tradition remains most vibrant on St. Croix, where the bands Bully & the Kafooners, Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights, and Blinky & the Roadmasters are well known. Scratch bands are less common on St. Thomas.

What about raggae you ask? Reggae has been flourishing in the Virgin Islands, especially on the island of St. Croix. The Virgin Islands reggae scene has achieved much popularity throughout the Eastern Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe. Prominent reggae artists from the Virgin Islands include Midnite, Dezarie, Army, Abja, Daga Don, Pressure, De Apostle, Niyorah, Bambu Station, Inner Visions, Sebattical Addah, Iba Wicked and many more. The reggae music of St. Croix has a distinct "roots" feeling and is strongly rooted in Rastafari.

Much of this text is from Wikipedia.com

Enjoy the video below. It features an interview with Jamesie on the Frederiksted waterfront.



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