African Diasporic Retention: Carnival

 

 

I
 
Unit: Iron Age
Theme: Carnival

Introduction

 The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term describes the process of dispersal and the dispersed ethnic population. The African Diaspora has been formed by the movements of Africans and their descendants.
 
 
II
 
Learning Objectives 

  • Understand carnival as an expression of African diasporic history
  • Explain the meaning of the terms circum-Atlantic memory and socio-cultural density
  • Gain an awareness of the meaning of  the society of the spectacle
  • Experience carnival dance choreography

 III

Main Lesson

 Carnival, the merrymaking and festivity that takes place in many Roman Catholic countries in the last days and hours before the Lenten season. The derivation of the word is uncertain, though it possibly can be traced to the medieval Latin carnem levare or carnelevarium, which means to take away or remove meat. This coincides with the fact that Carnival is the final festivity before the commencement of the austere 40 days of Lent, during which Roman Catholics in earlier times fasted, abstained from eating meat, and followed other ascetic practices. The historical origin of Carnival is also obscure. It possibly has its roots in a primitive festival  honouring the beginning of the new year and the rebirth of nature, though it is also possible that the beginnings of Carnival in Italy may be linked to the pagan Saturnalian festival of ancient Rome.

 

 1

 
 
Havana




Question 1

 What is you impression of Havana's carnival in 1961?

 

2

 

 



 Haiti 1977
 
Question 2
 
What is your impression of Haiti's carnival?
 
 
3

 

Bahia
 
Question 3
 
Why is Bahia's carnival important for Afro-Caribbean culture?

 --------------------
 
 
 4
 
 
 
 
New Orleans
 

 
https://youtu.be/8v4GM67KxhU
 
Question 4
 
Compare and contrast the experience of mardi grass between the people in the two videos above.
 
 
5
 




 Question 5
 
Compare and contrast Trinidad and Tobago's carnival with the rest seen in class.
 
 

LINK
 
 
Question 6
 
What is circum-Atlantic memory? 
 
----------------------

Go to the link below; scrawl to page 306 and read below "Carnival at Last" all the way to page 307, first paragraph. 
 
 
6
 

LINK:

Questions 7

1. Acording to Benitez Rojo,  carnivals are above all "concentrations of paradoxical dynamics by virtue of which the world becomes a travestying mirror." Using the video and the reading, explain in one paragraph what you think Benitez Rojo meant.

3. What do you think about the concept of socio-cultural density posed by Benitez Rojo?

 

 

8
 

Rio Carnival / Brazil 2024




LINK

Society of the Spectacle by Guy Deborg

Question 8

According to Deborg, what makes the spectacular society vulnerable? 

 

IV

 A Note to Remember

The African diaspora has left traces of their religious, cultural and social practices all over the continent. Carnival is one of the events that illustrates the impact that African cultures have had on Westernized culture since its insertion.

 

V

Case Study

Katherine Dunham


Katherine Dunham (1909 - 2006) was a world famous dancer, choreographer, author, anthropologist, social activist, and humanitarian. Born in 1909 during the turn of the century Victorian era in the small town of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, she became one of the first dance anthropologists, started the first internationally-touring predominantly black dance company with its own codified dance technique, became one of Hollywood’s first African-American choreographers, and authored many scholarly books and journalistic articles on dance and in the Caribbean.   


 

Katherine Dunham On Dance Anthropology

Question 9

Why is Dunham and important example of a dancer who saw dance as a subject of study.

 

VI

Activity 1


Students choose an Afro-diasporic carnival dance to study and turn into a movement phrase.

 

Brazil / Bahia

Trinidad-Tobago

Haiti

New Orleans

Cuba


Activity 2



Students learn and dance comparsa steps accompanied by Michael Pluznick and Friends :

basic

cross

turn



VII

Journaling


VIII

Glossary

ascetic: characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline  and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

comparsa: A comparsa is a group of singers, musicians and dancers that take part in carnivals and other festivities in Spain and Latin America. Its precise meaning depends on the specific regional celebration.

Lent:  Lent is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry.

Saturnalia: Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through 19 December. By the 1st century B.C., the celebration had been extended through 23 December, for a total of seven days of festivities.

Diaspora: A diaspora is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently reside elsewhere.

Mardi Gras: It is also known as Fat Tuesday, the final day of Carnival before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods in preparation for the fasting season of Lent.

 

IX

Sources

 

Katherine Dunham. https://www.dunhamcertification.org/katherine-dunham-bio

Katherine Dunham on Her Influence on American Dance. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200003839/

Carnival: Pre-Lent Festival. https://www.britannica.com/art/Fastnachtsspiel



X

Students' Work




Students making up, record and post your phrase using the music in the video.


 Make Up Work

Nick Marino 2/29

Havana's carnival in 1961 was a blast, showing off the city's lively vibe and strong cultural traditions, even amid political tensions.

Total party vibe, probably packed with energy, music, and vibrant traditions.

It's a big deal for Afro-Caribbean culture, showcasing rich traditions, music, and celebration in a huge way.

They were certainly different with one being mainly positive and the other being mainly negative for varying reasons 

It's a massive, colorful party with fantastic music, wild costumes, and non-stop dancing. It's the ultimate celebration of Caribbean culture!

"Circum-Atlantic memory" refers to shared experiences among people of African descent across the Atlantic, shaped by slavery, colonialism, and cultural exchange.

Benitez Rojo thinks carnivals are like big parties where the world's quirks and contradictions are on full display, turning everything into a funhouse mirror of reality.

Benitez Rojo's idea of socio-cultural density is all about how cultures are super intertwined and rich with different stuff.

Guy Debord thinks the spectacular society's weakness is that it depends too much on surface-level stuff and passive consumption, hiding the fact that people are actually feeling disconnected and unhappy.

Katherine Dunham saw dance as a subject of study, blending her expertise with academic research to explore its cultural dimensions.

 

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