Lifestyles on Dominica: Discovery

Discovering Dominica: Lifestyles

Population and Lifestyles

Communities

The population's origins stem from two ethnic groups: The first to have colonised the island were the Arawaks who were then exterminated by the Caribbean Indians. They went down along the coast of Venezuela, to Hispaniola and so they are the last descendents of the great pre-Columbian people! Dominica is the only place in the world that has a population of 3000 Caribbean Indians. They have survived thanks to the very nature of the island, which protected them from enemy aggression. Today, they live on a territory of 1800 hectares bordering the island's north-eastern coast. They own the land because the territory was granted to them in 1903 by Queen Victoria and no one other than them have the right to locate there. Most of the island is of Afro-Caribbean origin. There are 72,000 Dominicans and there are between 20,000 and 50,000 islanders who live elsewhere than in their country. In contrast with the French islands, there is no interbreeding and the white population is generally made up of Canadian, English, American or French expatriates.

Religions

As a result of colonisation, most of the island is of Catholic or Anglican faith. But you'll also find all of the religions that are common in the French islands: Evangelists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists, Our Lady of Fatima, and what is unique in the English islands: gospel-hall. Religion holds a very special place in the lives of the Dominicans and you'll see many people ***greeting God throughout the entire day. The people are very practising, and many people attend mass.

Culture

Dialect

Forced by the island's colonists, the Dominicans also have a dialect. This is a mix of Creole and English that allowed them to communicate amongst themselves, and the occupant wasn't able to understand them. It is sad that this dialect is perceived, in these very British islands, as a language used by simple "country folk". In the village of Marigot, there is a specific dialect called "cocoy".

Festivals and events

The Dominicans love to party, as a way to temporarily forget about the problems in everyday life, or for religious or family events. Dominica's heritage is rich and varied. It comes from successive cultures of ancestors from the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. Because it is isolated, it has been able to maintain many of its ancestral customs and some villages have developed their own style of dance or music. The island is divided into ten communities (or parishes) named after the saints that are honoured and celebrated all year round. The week that comes before the anniversary of the day of independence in November is the most cultural, and it encompasses all the traditions the island has to offer. Everything is respected to the letter, from the national Creole costume (the madras) worn on "Creole Day", down to the day of Creole cuisine, without forgetting to commemorate the day of independence. All of that is followed by the Creole Music Festival that brings together the biggest Creole music singers in the Caribbean. Traditional dances are performed such as the "bélé", that comes from western Africa and the “quadrille”, of French origin. "Jing-ping" or "shack-shack" bands often accompany these dances.

Carnival time!

The carnival on Dominica is considered to be one of the Caribbean's most spontaneous and original. The parades are correctly referred to as « mas » in Creole (for mascarade) and last two days in the streets of the capital. As for the festivities, these became well in advance and are spread throughout the entire month of January. « Mas Tent », for example is a Calypso competition that takes place every Wednesday and Friday evening. Its purpose is to select participants for the Calypso King contest. « Band splash « is a concert organised each year by the most popular artists and provides a preview of the season's hot songs and albums! Many other festivities take place just about everywhere on the island: There are dance contests, beauty pageants and little miss pageants… Captivated by the wild rhythms, visitors and Dominicans alike let themselves go with the festive atmosphere.

Emancipation Celebrations

Each year during the entire month of July, until the first week in August, the National Council works along with the « old mill « cultural centre in organising this festival. Its purpose is to honour to the island's ancestors through theatre, dancing, poetry and percussion instruments. Although this festival is very entertaining, its vocation is to educate both the young and old. During this time, the 4th National Day of Hiking is organised. It is called the « NEG MARRON HIKE », the brown negro hike. The idea is to rediscover the trails that the slaves used to take.

World Creole Music Festival

This festival is held on the same day as « Creole Day «. This is the local event that gets the most publicity internationally. It federates Dominicans and visitors alike. During these three nights of festivities, wild rhythms from around the world can be heard in succession in the capital. The event attracts musicians come from all corners of the world, and they'll help you discover the beat of « lypso » and « bouyon «, compas from Haiti, zouk from Martinique and Guadeloupe, African « soukouss », Louisiana's « zydeco », Cuba's salsa... The event also covers a lot of other topics, such as Creole cuisine, customary outfits and other costumes from days gone by.