Afro-Irish Links

This project examines the shared cultural heritage of
African and Irish people commencing with the era of
slavery and indentured servitude, when these two cultures
worked alongside each other in the plantations. The triumph
of the human spirit ensured that music forms emerged from
these harsh experiences; traditions were retained and
modified to produce music that spoke of pain, exile and
reconstitution - a universal language that moves people
of all cultures. This book examines a number of studies on
these topics and features interviews with notable academics.
Topics covered include how the Irish came to be in the
Caribbean and why Montserrat is known as the "Other
Emerald Isle"; how the Jamaican Maroons retained African
traditions; and how the banjo became an integral part of
folk music in the Caribbean, Ireland and the remote
Appalachian Mountains. Supported by Heritage Lottery Fund.