Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2018 | Page 322

Photo Credit: Pure Grenada
Parang
Parang music in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite
Martinique is synonymous with the Christmas
season. It belongs to the villages on the island
and is accompanied by music of the string
bands. The bands’ music alone, however, does
not constitute Parang. The essence of this
tradition is the songs, its cadence and lyrics. may have been surreptitiously observing
the ones who inspired the song’s lyrics,
hopefully to note their possible discomfort,
would reluctantly shift to more note-worthy
espionage, as no one seems to be negatively
affected by the stories unfolding in song - it’s
just Parang, as usual.
In small communities, where “everyone
knows everyone”, gossip is commonplace.
And, Parang music puts year-long village
gossip to music. It is usually humourous and
not intending to offend, thereby generating
immense laughter during performances. But,
some of the songs can sometimes take on a
serious tone, with social and political issues
being expressed, oftentimes to the discomfort
of the subjects who may be in the audience.
But the light-hearted musical delivery dulls
the seeming rancour, and the songs upbeat
tempo, combined with the festive Christmas
atmosphere, results in the inevitable eruption
of laughter, on every occasion. Eyes that Gossip is not all they sing about, however.
They also perform songs about Christmas and
Caribbean Christmas traditions.
Visitors to the island would find this event to
be a great opportunity to socialize with locals
and immerse themselves in the culture of
the island. Although the neighbouring island
of Carriacou is the mecca of Parang with its
annual Parang Festival, mainland Grenada
also has its own bands, so you may choose to
travel to Carriacou, or seek out some of the
performances in Grenada. Regardless of the
venue, you will find it pleasantly entertaining.
Parang, Parang!