Versatility in Caribbean Music - Introduction

Versatility is the ability to adapt to many different activities. This can also mean that a person has many different skills or qualities. When it comes to music in the Caribbean, versatility is seen throughout the different aspects of the music industry.

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In the book Tour de Force, the theme of versatility was compared to a multipurpose Swiss army knife but for the purpose of this blog, versatility will be compared to toothpaste. The picture above shows toothpaste. When looking at this, you automatically think of brushing your teeth. But toothpaste has many different uses. It can be used to clean teeth, polish jewelry, clean shoes, minimize acne and the list goes on. Like toothpaste, musicians of the Caribbean can have many uses or job titles. Versatility can be seen in Caribbean musicians because many of them have separate jobs from their main musical career. Many musicians have other musical or non-musical occupations to support and sustain their careers in music. These separate jobs are used to pay for instruments, studio time and other necessities for both their musical careers and personal sustainability. Being versatile as a Caribbean musician can be described as a necessity. According to Tour de Force, having an entrepreneurial mindset is an asset to a Caribbean musician. This book used Mozart as an example of a person who was versatile while being a musician because he had other occupations besides from being a composer. 

Video taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzwlOa14U4E

 A Caribbean artist who has shown he is versatile is Julien Believe. The Bahamian artist has shown his versatility through his music as well through his entrepreneurial ventures. The video above shows Julien Believe discussing his vision and how he brought it to life. Julien Believe launched his line of wines with various flavors called Believe Wines. He is an amazing example of a musician who has shown he is versatile and can do things outside of music. The above video shows he is both musically talented and invested into his business. 

Along with being versatile through occupation, the theme of versatility can be seen in the music of artists. In one song or performance, so many different things can be happening at once. Many musicians sing, dance, and play multiple instruments all while performing.

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This combination can show how versatile an artist is. By using multiple instruments, a musician can combine a variety of sounds to make one song that sounds amazing. In the image above, a Caribbean musical group is performing live showcasing their multiple instruments.

 Video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZWZWV8hGyk

 An example of musicians combining instruments is in the song Jolene by Kes the Band. In this song, you can hear that different instrument coming together. You can also hear these instruments create the rhythm and tempo that goes so well with the melody and lyrics of the song. In addition to this, you can hear the different changes in the voice of the singer which helps relay the overall tone and message of the song. Also, in this music video there are so many different people who look different in the way they are dressed, their complexion and other visual differences. This shows inclusivity which can be a branch of showing how versatile people can be. By doing all of these things, the musicians are showing how versatile they are. Therefore, the theme of versatility can be seen in the music of an artist or artists.