Folk music of Antigua and Barbuda

During the era of the French colonial rule, Africa slaves were banned from celebrating in Carnival which continued so long, secretly at the home. The Afro-Caribbean style of drumming, dance and song known as Benna developed. After then, the Antiguan and Barbudan folk music became more subjugated by Trinidadian calypso and steel pan.

The most forms of the modern Antiguan and Barbudan music are not from the island, and they are imported from France, the United Kingdom, United States, Jamica and Trinidad. The colonial dance styles like the highland and the fling and quadrille remain popular in African way. Because of the loss of the Antiguan traditions which was credited by lack French colonial past (French islands of the Lesser Antilles recall much African derived music and dance), the effect of the powerful Codrington family, a relatively combine African ethnic identity, also the lack of African settlement after their top of slavery importation and the British military presence at Shirley Heights and a modern history of unstable economy and government.

During the old time of Christmas festival was culturally important in celebration, which substituted in 1957 by a Trinidadian in spired carnival. The then Antiguan Christmas festival includes many elements that have been accepted into the modern carnival.

The Christmas festival traditions comprise the music and dance, a special thing that is related to masquerades and iron bands. The dancers wear banana leaves and animal horns that took part in the John Bull, while carolers paraded with long poles covered in laterns, known as the carol trees, song followed by the concertina. Stilt dancers in robes, called the Moko jumbie, Jumpa-Ben or long Ghosts, which is also common and were accompanied by kettle and bass drums, fife, triangle (cling-a-ching) and the boompipe made from the plumbing joint one meter long.
Benna (or bennah) is an exciting Antiguan folk music was introduced by the following ban of slavery. Songs are usually focused on the shocking and coarse rumours and gossip, and were in a call and response form with a leader and the audience.

•culled from www.culturetrip.com