Art & History of Caribbean Islands

Interested to know about the art & history of Caribbean Islands With more than 35 exotic destinations, the Caribbean Islands offers a wide array of tropical isles for all type of vacationers. Beach-lovers will be captivated with the long stretches of white sand beaches in most parts of the Caribbean. A study of art & history of Caribbean Islands reveals the fact that the region is known for its casual lifestyle and laid-back attitude. The history of Caribbean Islands is marked with bloodshed, slavery and genocide. But the culture of Caribbean Islands has withstood time’s ravages – instead of closing down to imperial powers, Caribbean Islands has simply co-opted these powers and developed into one of the richest blends in the whole world.

According to the Caribbean Islands history, for hundred of years these islands were inhabited by three main native tribes – the Ciboney, the Arawaks, and the Caribs who gave the island its name. The history of the Caribbean took a striking turn when Christopher Columbus was the first European to step on these shores.

Originally, Spain claimed the entire region as its own part. But this decision became a cause of displeasure to the islanders who lived there, as well as to the other major European powers. Bloody battles stormed over the Caribbean Islands within a few years with Spain, Denmark, France, England, and Netherlands. All of these claimed various islands as their own and fought for it. In the meantime, the native tribes in the islands were being wiped out along with their culture and way of life, thus changing the culture of Caribbean people forever. Slavery started in many parts of the islands, thereby replacing the native cultures with the culture of those who were carried down from Africa.

This new Caribbean culture thus became ever-changing by getting mixed with the imperial European forces. Finally, the fighting stopped and almost all of the islands settled down. Although slavery was very much present in the coffee and sugar plantations, most of the warring ended and each of the European powers etched out their own cultures on their respective Caribbean islands. Caribbean Islands’art is very much reflected in history of the islands in their traditional music, dance and food of the region. Calypso, soca, reggae, zouk, and many other music styles were born in the different islands of Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad. The artistic influences in the islands reveal the fact that the two famous artists, Camille Pissarro and John Audubon, share the Caribbean as their birthplace. Though their artistic styles are typically not of the region, still they influenced a lot in the development of Caribbean Islands.