A fun afternoon

I had never heard of Island Space Caribbean Museum until less than two weeks ago, when I went to a storytelling session there. (https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2024/03/reflections.html?m=1). 

But as we say in Jamaica, "what nevva happen in a year happen in a day."

So here am I two weeks later, at a pleasant event where students who learned to make traditional musical instruments from scratch over a one week period, exhibited their skills. 

And I learned a lot. For example, I never knew the ubiquitous banjo was originally made from gourde (calabash) and dried goat skin. And I also learned about a similar West African musical instrument called Akonting.

Akonting in the middle. It has 3 strings. Banjo, 4.

Some instruments made by the students.

The leader of the workshop Professor Shawn Harris, formerly of Ashe, a well known Jamaican cultural group.

Two members of the audience 

          A fellow St. Elizabethian, Don Parchment, photographer.

Alex Luther, Toronto. One of the leaders at the workshop.

The largest gourde I have ever seen. It is from West Africa and used as a drum.

Students demonstrate their skills.

Learning a Haitian voodoo dance.

Some other exhibits at the museum.

Good old Air Jamaica on display