Obama's Impact In The Caribbean (Crank This During Lunch!)

cross-posted to jack & jill politics

We received this email from Amanda yesterday. Check it out, and get someplace where you can crank up your speakers, your woofer and your tweeters!

I've become an avid reader of JJ politics in the last few months, mostly because of my support of Barack Obama. One of the things I've found striking about this whole race and Barack's candidacy is how deeply invested and passionate black people around the world have become in this. I'm not even American (I'm from Barbados) but I have been following the race intensely, as has nearly everyone else here in the Caribbean.

In fact, I just came across this song yesterday from one of Jamaica's biggest dancehall stars, Mavado. It's actually a remix of a huge hit he has right now. Truth be told, most of Mavado's music is gangsterish posturing but it just goes to show how deep Obama's impact is.

I also decided to included the youtube video of the Mighty Sparrow's 'Barack the Magnificent'. Now, the Mighty Sparrow is from Trinidad and regarded as the greatest calypso singer alive - he's quite at the other end of the spectrum from Mavado - he's 73, sings a completely different style of Caribbean music, lives quite at the other end of the Caribbean in the other main cultural power of the West Indies.

I found it pretty amazing because you can't get two more different Caribbean artists than Mavado and Sparrow- they are also about two generations apart- Sparrow could literally be Mavado's grandfather. Not only that, music is social commentary in the Caribbean- especially calypso. When we sing about you - 'yuh reach'. And when we're singing about someone who's not even West Indian - yuh really reach.

Obama really is crossing boundaries. We want this as much as you do.

Bless up,
Amanda

Here's Mavado's We Need Barack

And here's Mighty Sparrow's Barack The Magnificent

Thanks for sharing these Amanda. All I can say is I really want some roti and a peanut shake right now!

Comments

[Lee Coles]

"Spah-row!" Nice to see the living legend lend his considerable influence to the candidate. Though known as a calypsonian, his slow ballads must be heard, to truly appreciate his voice.