Bongo, Backra & Coolie: Jamaican Roots, Vol. 1

Jamaican folk music blends African, European and East Indian (in dialect: Bongo, Backra and Coolie) roots into something distinctly Jamaican. Kumina, a magico-religious cult of predominantly rural peasantry, includes invocation of and possession by gods and ancestral spirits aided by songs and drumbeats. Convince, another magico-religious cult that likely originated among the Maroons of the Blue Mountains, differs from kumina on two basic accounts: ghosts called “duppies” rather than gods do the possessing and convince music never uses drums. Yet, kumina and convince share similar lineage from African cultural practices. Also sampled here are examples of “Hindustani” music intended for dancing. These selections use the tabla drum, the “Indian fiddle” (a bowed three-stringed instrument) and a nasal vocal tone. Volume Two (FW04232) continues with Zion Revival, quadrille bands and fife and drum music.