Knowing the history of the Caribbean region goes a long way toward understanding its

people. Each island has a unique cultural identity shaped by the European colonialists,
the African heritage of slaves, and the enduring legacies of the native Indian tribes. This
rich history and its lasting influence is set against a backdrop of crystal clear waters and
perpetual sunshine.

Although not largely written about, Caribbean culture has arguably been preserved more by
the authentic voices of "intuitive scholars": artists, farmers, merchants, and traders--
educationally deprived, perhaps, but quite learned in the cultural heritage of the island
nations. They are the region's best oral historians and cultural preservationists.

The Caribbean lifestyle is undoubtedly a product of its tropical setting. The music,
architecture, attitudes and customs have all, in some way, been shaped by the physical
landscape and climate. The cultures of the Caribbean countries are a blend of colonial
mainstays and pervasive influences by major ethnic groups of the region such as East Indians
and Africans.

Barbados, a former British colony, retains enough British traditions to be called"Little

England." Antigua, while offering a more laid-back attitude, still observes old British
customs.

On the other hand, Jamaica retains few of the colonial customs, relies heavily on pre-colonial
heritage and is passionately self-sufficient. Jamaica also boasts a successful democracy and
maintains a peaceful existence in the Caribbean. Its residents run the gamut from staid
English aristocrats to vibrant Rastafarians.

Aruba, once a Dutch possession, only retains slight Dutch influence today. The U.S. Virgin
Islands, purchased from the Dutch in 1917, mainly have an American feel with a few
lingering elements of Dutch culture.

The Dominican Republic is largely underdeveloped except in the capital of Santo Domingo, a
city teeming with two million people. It is a sparsely populated, mountainous country whose
past is riddled with political turmoil.

In contrast, nearby Puerto Rico is the most modern island in the Caribbean. Spanish and
American influences are apparent throughout this island abounding with high-rises and
traffic. Guadeloupe remains a French possession. There are some African influences here, but
French customs, culture, and language prevail.

Languages
Creole languages are nearly two hundred years old.  They came about during the first slavery
era in the Caribbean. Creole is a"patois" language that is a varied combination of African
syntax and European lexicon, or words. It evolved out of necessity, as slaves had to
communicate with the European plantation owners. Derivations include French Creole, with
regional dialects in Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Dominica and French Guyana;
Papiamento, a Dutch, Portuguese, English and African blend; and Patwa in Jamaica.
Because the Creole language was associated with the poor labor class, parents would often
forbid their children to speak it. In recent times, however, more people are appreciating and
recognizing the historical importance of the language, its linguistic appeal, and its significant
place in local culture.

African Heritage
Old African culture and customs influence much of the religious worship, artistic expression,
rhythmic dancing, singing and even ways of thinking in the Caribbean. Spiritual practices
such as Junkanoo in the Bahamas, Santeria in Cuba, Voodun in Haiti, and Rastafari in
Jamaica are African-influenced movements that have Caribbean origin but a worldwide
following. Reggae music and jerk cooking are also Africa-inspired gifts to the world from the
Caribbean. In the Eastern Caribbean Soca Tradition, for example, the limbo dance ritual has
its roots on the slave ships that came to the colonies on the horrific"Middle Passage."

Music and Dance

Music has been central to Caribbean culture since the days of slavery, when it was a mode of
mental survival and a form of recreation. Today there is a ubiquitous Caribbean soundtrack; it
plays on city streets, in natives' homes and at special festivals - at Carnival people tirelessly
dance for days. It is characterized by a natural, easy rhythm and multiple ethnic influences,
particularly the African drum beat.

Dancing everywhere in the Caribbean is an energetic melding of lower-carriage movement,

shuffle-stepping, and swaying hips. In Santo Domingo, shoeshine boys may drum their
boxes, while working musicians hone new beats all the time. There is a complex cultural
blend to be heard in nearly every musical style found in the Caribbean. In Trinidad, Indian
sounds round out the melodies of Calypso, while in Cuba and Puerto Rico, the Latin beat
feeds the salsa rhythm. The vocal styles of modern rap can be heard throughout Jamaican
dance halls.

Native Culture
Most of what we know about the earliest inhabitants of the islands comes via word-of-mouth.
Relatively little of their culture was recorded during the settlement period. What we do know
from these Spanish records is that the Taínos were perceived to be extremely kind and
generous.

Although the Taínos were quickly taken as slaves, they left a number of lingering traits that
they transferred to their Spanish oppressors. Taíno heritage can be found in island foods and
language, as well as in the smoking of tobacco and even the popularity of the hammock.

Taíno Life

Spanish recordings tell us that the Taíno were short people with dark skin and black hair. The
Taíno would flatten their children's' heads while they were infants by tying boards to them,
and this caused their faces to be wide, but it also toughened their bones. Taíno skulls are even
reported to have blunted and broken Spanish swords.These precautions and defenses against
weapons did not make the Taíno any less friendly to Columbus and his explorers. He even
noted the fairness of their trades with the islanders they met on Hispaniola. However, the
Taíno attitude toward theft promoted fair trade - thievery was the most heinous of crimes.
Thieves were slowly pierced with a pole or pointed stick until they died. While on some
islands the Taíno were decorated with gold, Columbus presumed there was far more gold
than there was. In fact, much gold was imported from South and Central America as trade
items. However, because the native people saw no special importance for the gold, they
traded it for beads and other trinkets from the Spanish. Religious prophecies among the
Taínos told of a day when strangers would arrive wearing clothing and carrying thunder and
lightning, and so they believed that the Spanish were these gods. They themselves did not
wear much clothing, and unmarried girls were most often nude. Typical clothing was made
from palm leaves, flowers, and short cotton skirts.

Living Spaces

Taíno huts were designed with a tall pole in the center and smaller poles around it, and walls
were made of wild cane that was tied together, while the roof was a grass and palm leaf
thatch. Although these huts may seem frail, they could hold up to hurricane-strength winds,
meaning islanders wouldn't have to replace their homes after a bad storm.Inside these huts,
hammocks (called hamacas by the Taíno) served as the main piece of furniture, and wooden
stools were another mainstay. Cotton production was just beginning, and Cuba and
Hispaniola traded with Jamaica for cotton, sometimes in bright colors, for their hammocks.
The Taíno leaders were called"caciques" and they would live in the largest of these huts.
Most often a cacique's hut would be rectangular instead of circular, differentiating this
leader's home from the others.

Taíno Edibles

The Taíno were known to eat lightly, and some wrote that the food the Spanish ate in a day
could have sustained the Taíno for a week. However, their foods influenced the meals of the
Spanish settlers as well. Seafood - particularly shellfish and fish - cassava, maize, and fruits
made up a majority of their diet. Birds, iguanas, and manatees would also have served as
meals for the islanders, with salt and pepper as the most important seasonings. Cassava and
maize were distilled into potent drinks. The Taíno had specific methods for growing their
crops, and each gender and age had his or her own role to play in the growth of these
important plants. Children were mainly in charge of keeping birds from taking the crop. 
Hunting was also important, and the islanders had a number of ways to hunt birds. Waterfowl
were entrapped in the most complicated method - hunters would float downstream, hidden,
and drown birds in a special sack designed for the purpose. Meanwhile, fishing was often
carried out by the help of remora, sucker fish, in a method so effective they could land
manatees and sea turtles.

Leisure and Entertainment

A passion for song and dance is just one part of Taíno culture, while sports and even smoking
were popular pastimes as well. Interestingly, sports were so popular that we know much of
how it was played, and smoking tobacco was, of course, something the Taíno passed down to
the Spanish. Taíno gave their song and dance the name areito, though some were done by
only women or men, while others were performed with both genders dancing together.
Special occasions, such as the marriage of a cacique, were appropriate times for these dances.
The game batos was popular among the Taíno and was played, much like soccer, in two
teams. The teams would hit the ball with many parts of their body but could not use their
hands. Scoring was based on when the ball hit the ground. From time to time, different
villages even played against one another in this game. The Taínos also gave us their
words"tabaco" and"cohiba," though the tabaco was the pipe from which they smoked the
cohiba (tobacco). The Spanish had never seen tobacco, and at first thought that the Taínos
were walking around with small firebrands in their mouths, though it was simply a tightly
rolled bunch of tobacco leaves.

Religion

The Taíno believed that the Spanish were gods, but the Spanish were not aware of the Taíno
religion until much later. Only Hispaniola's practices were documented, though they seem to
have been typical of all of the Caribbean's Taínos. They did have a creation myth, and a
supreme god and goddess, but their primary interaction with the spirit world seems to have
been through zemis. The word zemi, however, could refer both to spirits or their carved
images - and even certain items believed to have magical powers. However, since they were
wood carvings, few zemis still exist.  The priests often encouraged the people to believe that
some of these zemis could speak, and the zemis were celebrated in festivals. While priests
were healers, zemis were often considered to be the cause of many illnesses. In the afterlife,
the Taínos believed in a place known as coyaba, where they could live without droughts,
hurricanes, or sicknesses and the people spent their time feasting and dancing. It's easy to see
the many ways in which the Taíno influenced the early Spanish settlers, and therefore life in
the Caribbean. Their food and words are the most important and lingering influences on
Caribbean culture.

The culture of the Caribbean has grown and taken shape because of the people whose voices
have been heard throughout generations.