The recordings were made in August, 1962, by ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax. Lomax spent five days recording a wide range of traditional music and songs. On meter-high loudspeakers, Lomax played the music back to the artists recorded and then conducted both formal and informal interviews about the music and culture.
The material includes songs and music performed by Carriacouans to pass the time at work. He also recorded group and solo sea chanties sung by seamen to coordinate physical work, alleviate boredom, and express the homesickness that was often felt by sailors.
Lomax also included the music that Carriacouans performed to entertain themselves and each other, including “pass play” songs (a social music and dance performed by unmarried young men and women), waltzes, polkas, calypsos, and other string-band tunes, as well as polyrhythmic music played for quadrille dancing by solo violinists and accompanied by often virtuoso percussionists.
The collection was compiled and annotated by ethnomusicologist Dr. Rebecca Miller and features 33 re-mastered tracks from Lomax’s original stereo recordings.
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Author: World Music Central News Room
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