In 1840's Saint Lucia the tides have turned for Black women on the island. Abandoning the plantations that enslaved them, they took to the streets as sex workers taking agency over their bodies. White priests ventured not into the depths of the countryside to indoctrinate the Christian faith, and so in the enclaves of the countryside, African spirituality prevails. Here we uncover an obsessive man who seeks the help of an Obeah man to conquer an infatuation, which leads to murder.

Mid episode music by the people of Oleon, Deanery Saint Lucia, near Mabouya Valley

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Drawing on the observances from writer Charles Day, we look at the beautiful traditions of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, in the 1850's and how illegal slave trading assisted in African cultural preservation in Carnival, and so much more.

Link to Charles Day's book - Five Years Residence in the West Indies : https://archive.org/details/fiveyearsreside02daygoog/page/n269/mode/2up?view=theater

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Continuing of our interpretation of Charles Day's book - Five Years in the West Indies, we head to Saint Vincent to hear a detailed description of an Igbo stilt walker, jumbles, life of indentured labourers and much more about Caribbean customs we still have today,

See Below for further reading notes :

https://thevincentian.com/a-brief-historical-overview-of-the-portuguese-in-st-vincent-and-the-grenad-p20809-133.htm#:~:text=Between%201845%20and%201850%2C%20about,only%20one%20or%20two%20years.

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Reading excerpts of Charles Day's book - Five years the West Indies, this highly racist account of life in the Caribbean unintentionally captures the beauty of Black people in the Caribbean.

Show notes for references:

derogatory US, West Indian 

• A white person, especially a man.

Mid 18th century from Ibibio and Efik (m)bakara ‘European, master’.

Music via

on YouTube.

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In our second instalment of the Junkanoo Jam series, we take a look at Junkanoo in the Bahamas.(see Jamaican Junkanoo in part 1) The largest Junkanoo parade in the world, glitzy, glamorous, large and in charge. But what are the fundamentally African roots of Junkanoo in The Bahamas? Let's see where underneath the gold and glitter are sparks of resistance.

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Touching on many topics, from how descendants of enslaved Africans in the Caribbean worshipped Mami Wata/ Mama Dlo, danced the 'Calenda' and Bele, and how rain was conjured out of nowhere in the heights of droughts.

Excerpts from the book 'Obeah and Witchcraft in the West Indies' by Hesketh J Bell.

Featured Kalinda music by : Red Drum Drumming - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMwyhjknOAk

Bele Music from Martinique by : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IslellMtIz8&t=464s

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Junkanoo is an African centred festival found across many areas in the Caribbean, Central America and even parts of the USA. Found specifically during Christmas time, like much of our masquerade it is rooted in resistance, African spiritual and cultural practice and anti-colonial intent. Dying in some areas and flourishing in others. For part one of our Junkanoo Jam Sessions we head to the root of Junkanoo - Jamaica. Here we uncover the history and spiritual significance of a dying Jamaican Christmas time culture.

Kenneth Bilby Essay:

https://brill.com/view/journals/nwig/84/3-4/article-p179_1.xml?language=en

Featured Junkanoo music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owJ_iy_79d8

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