Lectures

Organizers:

Date:

January 26, 2023

Time:

7:00 PM

Fee:

Free

Location:

Scol di Arte, San Nicolas

Two great Carnival Lectures by Dr. G. Richardson and Dr. C. Granger

Introduction
The University of Aruba’s Center for Lifelong Learning in collaboration with the Community, Research, Education and Development Project is organizing a Calypso, Steelpan and Carnival Heritage Project on Aruba and in the Caribbean Diaspora throughout January 2023. The overall aim of the project is to bring community awareness, appreciation and promote community engagement related to these popular and historically significant artforms on Aruba and the world. Calypso, Roadmarch, Soca, Steelpan and Carnival have played a significant role in the overall social, cultural, political, religious and economic development of Aruba in the 20th century. A series of engaging activities will be organized, free to the public, which include lectures by local and international experts, panel discussions, media engagement and performances.

Steelpan, Calypso and Soca in the bacchanal space: Pleasure as resistance
Presenter: Dr. Gregory Richardson
This public presentation will focus on calypso and soca in the carnival space and how it relates to pleasure and resistance. The lecturer will look at themes such as collective experiences in jam sessions, group dynamics in carnival, dance and performance, class, race, gender and more. Furthermore he will also look at phenomena such as the “sideliners movement” as well as play and breakaway.

Notes on the usefulness of performance in Aruba Carnival
Presenter: Dr. Charissa Granger
Music puts in place an infrastructure that shapes a philosophy of relation. Relationality is practiced in the way we play and perform, compose and arrange sound and finally in the ways we gather to make community, allowing people from different socio-cultural backgrounds to share. This presentation asks: Are we ready to examine the possibilities of popular Caribbean cultural practice in Carnival as an instrument for the distribution and dissemination of knowledge? In doing so, the presentation seeks to emphasize the importance of performance.

The evening will culminate with a tremendous performance by The Boys them Steelpan of the popular Friday happy hour in San Nicolas.

Caribbean snacks and refreshments are available

Dr. Gregory Richardson

Dr. Charissa Granger

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