OzikoroThe Trans-Atlantic Legacy: The Biafran Influence on Jamaican Jonkonnu Music and Cuban Carabali Rhythms
Abstract The music of Jamaica’s Jonkonnu and Cuba’s Carabali reveals a rich legacy influenced by the Biafran Africans forcibly relocated to the Caribbean during the transatlantic slave trade from 1700s to 1830s. Instruments, rhythmic patterns, and cultural practices reflect an indelible connection among Biafra (present-day Nigeria), Jamaica, and Cuba. This article delves into the historical…