The topic about culture is popular in Grenada media again with the recently elected National Democratic Party into Government to govern the country. During the period of the Grenada revolution the same topic about culture was popular but it was all wrapped up in Socialist-Marxist discourse, instead of creative citizen’s freedom of expression.
After the demised of the revolutionary government, the traditional form of governance multi-party politics was restored, and former Prime Minister Nicholas Braithwaite told Grenadian youths to go back to their culture.
In the early post revolutionary period Grenada experience a revival in the art form of calypso and soca music culture to a higher level.
Some new calypsonians and soca singers made their name know in the music world on the stage where Caribbean carnival celebration is held annually. For example, popular calypsonians such as Ajamu, Inspector and Black Wizards are the most active historical names to mention as artistes and also legends.
For the last four decades there is a large increase in visitors coming to Grenada for the annual August Carnival celebration that has its own unique of the popular Jab Jab Masquerades culture that attracts visitors global.
The Jab Jab masquerades culture attracts carnival lovers, historians and others who have an interest in African cultures in the Diaspora.
Now with this new NDC government in office, and the country needs for tourism dollars as part of the growth in the economy, it seems as though the administration is trying to revive various cultural activities to the fullest.
However, I can see some challenges ahead in the restoration and modification of culture and the cultural industry, knowing that Grenada is always politically divide, even when it is not general elections time.
The new cultural industry will faced multiple problems based on who will be managing the industry. What kinds of cultural production will be favoured by the influential class, knowing that persons who are involved in Grenada’s culture are not united as citizens on the sister islands of Carriacou & Petit Martinique, where the differences of classes and locations are not a major social issue in terms of showing any kinds of artificial prejudice.
On mainland Grenada there are so many different kinds of social and political prejudice, I am wondering how and what kind of methods the government will introduce to bridge the social divides for a creative industry to succeed as part of the economy.
I am wondering how long again it will take for Spice Mas’ Corporations (SMC), to respect traditional masquerades that they continue to exploit in advertisements to promote Grenada carnival as the most unique in the Caribbean.
