Grenada's King Ajamu
If you spent Christmas in Grenada or Trinidad you definitely heard Parang music before. If this will be your first Christmas in Grenada then you are definitely going to hear it, and maybe even love it.
Listen to a few Parang tunes and in no time you will be caught up with the latest scandals, juicy gossip, and comedy in the island for the past 12 months.
I don’t know the origins of Parang, maybe it’s Trinidad. But in Grenada, it’s really the sister island of Carriacou that have perfected this cultural tradition. In fact, there’s the Annual Parang Festival in Carriacou. Three days, of rhythms, rhymes, rum, and drop dead laughter, as Parang entertainers of all ages take to the stage to see who will be crowned the top Parang artist in Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique.
The Parang performers from Carriacou are good, they’ve been doing this for a long time. Here is a YouTube video with some Kayaks in a Parang practice session… it’s only about 60 seconds:
In recent years we have seen a resurgence of Parang music on the Mainland (Grenada). Here’s a brand new big hit for the 2011 Christmas season, a real nice Soca Parang track from Original Waters & Jungie Ranking.
If you are keen to learn about the old fashion Parang vibes or want to get a flavour or some original Grenadian parang music Click here to learn more about Carriacou Parang Festival
If you ever attend a Parang show it will he helpful to have a Grenadian nearby to translate and put things in proper context, otherwise you just might not get the punch lines… there is a whole lot , of Grenadian history, politics, culture, and peculiarities mixed up in the Parang music that sometimes it can sound like a foreign language to an outsider.
Parang music is one of the things that gives me the Grenadian/Caribbean Christmas feeling. I grew up listening to Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby “dreaming of his white Christmas”. And to be honest, hearing them at Christmas time do evoke some special childhood memories. But the fact is a “White Christmas” or “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” just do not make sense in a Caribbean context.
It’s good to hear Parang making a comeback, and I am happy that the
Entertainer Tallpree
younger Grenadian generation will grow up listening to authentic Grenadian/Caribbean music that they can relate to.
Here’s another great Parang song for 2011 from Tallpree and a favourite from King Ajamu
So go get yourself a cold beverage and tune into some sweet Grenada Parang, or grab Osprey Ferry and head up to Carriacou this coming weekend for the real deal.
Article inspired by grenada-beaches.com
