British Virgin Islands - Music and Performing Arts
- By Smithsonian.com
- Smithsonian.com, November 06, 2007, Subscribe
A sailboat approaches the The Baths on Virgin Gorda. (British Virgin Islands Tourist Board)
Each May, the islands host the BVI Music Festival, a four-day event that features both local and international talent. Local folk music is called Fungi (also, "scratch"), and it is similar to Jamaican mento. Scratch bands often incorporate a squash, washboard, or tambourine; congo drums; string instruments such as the ukulele or banjo; and a saxophone or flute. Scratch music evolved out of the slave era and scratch bands often perform Quelbe, indigenous folk music that is the official music of the Virgin Islands. Also popular here are reggae, calypso, and soca.
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Comments (2)
Here's a very complete rundown on the performers at the bvimusic fest
http://www.bvimusic.com/2011/05/25/a-complete-guide-to-stars-on-the-beach-bvi-music-fest-2011/
Posted by BVIMUSIC on May 25,2011 | 10:16 PM
It might be called Quelbe in the US Virgin Islands but it isn't in the BVI, no such thing here! Fungi bands play fungi music, simply that. It has more in common with the scratch band music from Anguilla and St. Kitt's than it does with Jamaican mento. Steel bands (commonly called 'pan') are also very popular. There is another kind of music you don't mention, brass band. This is very much the modern music of the BVI and USVI. A brass band is a big band that plays an ultra-fast rip-roaring version of soca. Fantastic music to dance to (so is fungi).
Posted by lilly on January 17,2010 | 09:50 PM