Music / Dance
(Ripsaw)
Ripsaw Music: The Heartbeat of the Turks and Caicos
The Sound of Ripsaw Music
The Instruments of Ripsaw Music
While the saw is the focal instrument, Ripsaw music also features a lively ensemble of traditional instruments that combine to create a full, rhythmic sound. These include:
- Goatskin Drum: Providing a deep, resonant bass rhythm, the drum adds a foundational layer to the music.
- Hand Accordion (Constentina): This hand-pumped accordion, known as the Constentina locally, provides melodic accompaniment and enhances the overall sound.
- Hand-made Maracas: These rattles are created from materials such as gourds or shells and add a crisp, sharp percussive element to the beat.
- Acoustic Guitar: The guitar completes the ensemble, playing both rhythmic and melodic roles to keep the music grounded and full.
The Legacy of Lovey and Corry Forbes
A Cultural Celebration
From Our Blog
The Cultural Significance of Junkanoo
Written by Layton Lewis To understand the importance of Junkanoo and its cultural impact on the Turks and Caicos, we must first learn about what this artform truly is and its history. To be precise the exact origin of Junkanoo to this day is unknown, but its roots can be traced back to West African
Junkanoo
The exact origin of Junkanoo is not known, but it dates back to the early days of slavery, when the Christmas and New Years holidays were the only times slaves were given any recreational freedom. In the early days, Islanders would wear old clothes painted with bright colors or they would tie colorful strips of ribbons and cloth to their clothes along with other costumes made from cardboard and crepe paper.
In these costumes they would dance to the rhythm of the goatskin drums, cowbells and other handmade percussion instruments, they went house to house singing songs and performing for money, food, candy and drinks.
These days Junkanoo is more organized. Groups from different settlements would compete against each other for the most outrageous costumes or the best drummers and rhythm section. The costumes have become elaborate, depicting different themes and characters.
Junkanoo happens throughout the year for public holidays and local events. Visitors can see the biggest Junkanoo celebrations on the early morning of New Years Day in particular.
The most popular dance sytle in the Turks & Caicos is “winin” also known as “Wine-up” or “The Wine”. To “wine” is to gyrate the hips from the waist in a circle in the time to the beat of the music being played, usually Rip-Saw, Soca or Calypso. More stylized dances such as the “Shati,” which is a waltz dance and the heal and toe polka combine a mix of European and African heritage and are preferred by the older generation. The “Conch Style” is a local dance that is done by stepping and hooking one foot behind the ankle of the other in time to the ripsaw music.
