What did the French contribute to Trinidad?

What did the French contribute to Trinidad?

Most of the settlers were French, and French influence became dominant. Many slaves were brought in from the other colonies and from Africa. Plantations were established, production of cotton and sugar began, and trade increased markedly.

What foods did the French bring to Trinidad?

The Afro/Creole foods which is a mixture of African and French cuisine similar to New Orleans, the French Caribbean (former and current) islands like stewed meats, pelau (mixed rice with meats of your choice) vegetable rice, baked bread, and cakes plus many other foods.

What language did the French bring to Trinidad?

With the French came the French and French Creole languages. Trinidad was socially and culturally “colonised” by the French from 1783.

Which type of music is associated with Trinidad Spanish heritage?

calypso music
The island nation is also the birthplace of calypso music, which has its roots in African folk songs, but with a heavy influence from the French, Spanish and British who settled on Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso music was long sung in Patois (a French dialect) before shifting to English.

How long was Trinidad a French colony?

France colonized Tobago during the seventeenth century. France occupied the colony from August 1666 to March 1667. On 6 December 1677, the French destroyed the Dutch colony and claimed the entire island, before restoring it to the Dutch by the first Treaty of Nijmegen on 10 August 1678.

What did the British bring to Trinidad?

After Trinidad became a British colony in 1797, the plantation development begun by the French settlers continued. British planters arrived from the older colonies, often with their slaves, and British capital helped to expand the sugar industry.

What are some French places in Trinidad?

20 Places in #Trinidad & #Tobago with French names

• Le Coteaux.
• Bon Accord.
• Mome Dior.
• Petit Valley.
• Filette.
• Mone La Croix.
• San Souci.
• Grande Riviere.

What does patois mean in French?

The term patois comes from Old French patois, ‘local or regional dialect’ (originally meaning ‘rough, clumsy or uncultivated speech’), possibly from the verb patoier, ‘to treat roughly’, from pate, ‘paw’ or pas toit meaning ‘not roof’ (homeless), from Old Low Franconian *patta, ‘paw, sole of the foot’ -ois.

What is the most popular instrument in calypso music?

Steel Drums To make these instruments, which are also called pans, experimenters began to hammer and tune the bottoms of drums or oil drum lids to create different pitches. This steel drum is still the most widely-recognized instrument of Calypso music and is played with rubber mallets.

What kind of music does Trinidad and Tobago listen to?

Music of Trinidad and Tobago. The music of Trinidad and Tobago is best known for its calypso music, soca music and steelpan ,and a few who listens to dancehall and reggae. Soca internationally noted performances in the 1950s from native artists such as Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow.

When did the French come to Trinidad and Tobago?

In the late 18th century when the French plantation owners and their Creole slaves came to Trinidad and Tobago, they brought with them a life style of “joie de vivre” to their plantations. At that time, the French held many balls at the Great Houses where they enjoyed doing many of the courtly dances of Europe.

When did Calypso become popular in Trinidad and Tobago?

The French brought Masquerade Balls to Trinidad which were mimicked by ex-slaves after Abolition of Slavery, and calypso competitions at Carnival grew in popularity, especially after the abolition of slavery in 1834. Calypso drew upon African and French influences, and became the voice of the people.

What kind of instruments did the Trinidadians use?

These steelpans or pans are now a major part of the Trinidadian music. The first instruments developed in the evolution of steelpan were Tamboo-Bamboos, tunable sticks made of bamboo wood. Tamboo-Bamboo bands also included percussion of a (gin) bottle and spoon.