November 2020 - Caribbean Hindustani

Deyas: A Product of the Konhaar or Potter Tradition

November 10, 2020

It’s Divali time once again! One of the most popular thing this year round is the deya or small earthen pots used as lamps to celebrate the festival. But during this period the Konhaar or Potter who mass produces these are never highlighted. The word Konhaar is the Bhojpuri term for the Standard Hindi word Khumbhaar meaning potter. In the Indian tradition, this was a caste or profession that was passed down through families. A tradition that bears evidence in the popular names of families that run pottery shops of the Indo-Caribbean tradition in Suriname, Trinidad and Guyana.

This tradition of the Indo-Caribbean experience is very under represented in the research material that covers Caribbean history. Often we find research on the pottery of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, but seldom this pottery tradition that was brought by Indian indentured immigrants is seldom enocuntered. The artist, Mr. Ricahrd Rampersad of T&T, is one of the few individuals who have actually covered the Konhaar tradition in Trinidad & Tobago during his post graduate research at the University of the West Indies in his masters thesis “Memories In Mud: Probing The Material Culture of the Pottery Tradition in Central Trinidad”. He looked at various families in Chasevillage and Charlieville, Trinidad who still practise this tradition and continue to make a livelihood of it while keeping the tradition alive.

These are among the many Indo-Caribbean traditions that we explore here at Caribbean Hindustani.

Here is an excerpt from the documentary done by Pavan Marhe of the Netherlands on the Indian pottery tradition in Suriname: https://www.facebook.com/983078648560376/videos/677406363192100

Please see:
http://www.rampersadart.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM3vNzTPWzJcA9hgcEXlMIA

Encouraging Chutney Music

November 6, 2020

Jason Sookram, also known as DJ Floops, founder of ChutneyMusic.com is an open-minded entrepreneur with the desire to bring all genres of Indo Caribbean music to the world, from classical taan to soca spiked chutney. Mr. Sookram was born on February 2^nd of 1984 to a simple working-class family of San Fernando who motivated him to do well academically. His love for music started in early years listening to the melodic voice of Mohammad Rafi from older Bollywood films which is father well-loved. He was also surrounded by Trinidad’s own unique style of classical Indian music known as ‘Taan Singing’ for which he developed a place of honor, as well as the other styles of local music specifically chutney.

During his school days, Jason attended a school where many of his peers were of Afro-Trinidadian or partly Afro-Trinidadian heritage, and by building friendships with them, his love for music broaden as he was exposed to various genres of Afro-Caribbean Music which he began to explore and enjoy. Jason’s passion was not only in music but also in academia.

In academics being an accountant and later a charter internal auditor (2015), he embraced business and finance, utilizing these skills as well as the creative nature that he began thinking outside of the box. Later, having achieved his MBA in Finance (2018) his hard work was not without notice as he was awarded the Sever Award. Mr. Sookram’s dream now was to run his own business; however, destiny chose to rekindle Jason’s passion for music.

In August of 2010, he was asked by some friends if he could DJ to which he reluctantly agreed. Thinking his work was mediocre, he was stunned to see the praise that followed earning him the name Dj Floops. He was greatly encouraged for his Dj skill and the concept of DJ and Business working together was formed. He pursued DJ education to refine his abilities. He also began to write, compose, and sing. In 2013 he won 2^nd place in Petrokaiso Chutney Competition for his song, ‘Damini’, a Chutney Soca song that he composed utilizing some Caribbean Hindustani words. His song was well-received, having double entendre and innuendoes. One would need to have an understanding of the Caribbean Hindustan words to fully understand.

In 2015 he achieved another hit with his song, ‘World’s Greatest Show’ though, this number did not play on words as ‘Damini’, it did very well. In 2016 he started to venture into instrumental music. Jason Sookram’s fame was growing and many people as of 2017 recognized him as the ‘Chutney Man’. He realized during those seven years the status of Chutney Music was looked down upon when compared to other forms of music in Trinidad. Mr. Sookram decided the face of Chutney must change and in response, he launched ‘https://chutneymusic.com/’ to encourage not only chutney music but the other forms of Indian music found in the Caribbean. An example of this is the translation in the song ‘Gunga Gana’ that he collaborated with Caribbean Hindustani to be more appealing and gain a wider audience.

Dj Floops’ desire is to promote Indian music, culture, and unity. It is then the goal of Caribbean Hindustani and Chutney Music to work together to promote the unique Indo-Caribbean culture that many proudly identify as West Indian.