11/25/05

What Exactly is a Creole from Belize?


My friend Nyasha is in a band, Asiko. Great way to put her New York University legal education to use, I say. While surfing Asiko's website one day, I noticed that Nyasha describes herself as Creole from Belize. Since I had just attempted to define Creole, that ridiculously elusive concept here, I asked her "What do you mean by that?"

My question prompted this blog entry over at the Global Parish. Enjoy. (I'm that friend "Eddie." She fancies calling me by my middle name, for some reason. LOL.)

Oh and yes, I will review an Asiko performance as soon as I attend one.

While you're at the Global Parish, make sure to savor the gorgeous snapshots from her latest Belizean journey.

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7 comments:

Frank Partisan said...

I found this blog surfing Global Voices. It is quite lively, and interesting.

I know what a Creole is now.

I'm adding a link to this blog at my blog:

http://advant.blogspot.com/

Good luck with your struggle.

Alice B. said...

Thanks, Renegade Eye. Maybe I do know what a Creole is, after all. LOL. Will visit advant the first chance I get.

Mad Bull said...

Interesting little post. I guess creole doesn't just mean french-caribbean stff anymore, huh, now that Nyasha has shed some light on the Belizean interpretation. To me, creole means something mixed up, be it food, language or people. By mixed up, I mean the blending of two or more things.

But what do I know...

Alice B. said...

Madbull,

Agreed. If you look up Creole in Wikipedia, you find that several communities around the world call themselves (and are!)Creole.

Craig Bardo said...

My mother-in-law is from Belize. The church I attend has many Jamaican, Trinidadian, Belizian, Barbadians and a few Haitian members. Except for the Jamaican pijin, it is hard to distinguish from the patois of any of the folks from that region. I also find it interesting just how (I'm struggling to find the right word here) patriotic, nationalistic, provincial - anyway, how much they make the distinction. Although when it comes to eating - I choose Jamaican fish escaviche, rice and peas, brown stew chicken, oxtail, curry goat...and roti

Alice B. said...

Hey CB,

They make the distinction just like an african-american with roots in the south makes the distinction between themselves and a jamaican. Or better yet how a Nigerian relates to a Ghanean.

They may all sound the same from the outside but they have certain historical and traditional specificites from each other. I didn't use to be able to make the distinction between a trini and a jamaican accent but after having had good friends from both places, I now can tell them apart. It's all about training one's ear.

And when it comes to food, I don't think it's by coincidence that your favorite Caribbean dish is Jamaican. Jamaicans are somehow better than any of the other anglo-caribbean islands at marketing their food (and music) in the US. There is a local jamaican fast food chain here in New York (Golden Krust) but no such a thing for the other anglo-caribbeans or for Haitians.

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