Music has been an incredibly important part of West Indian Culture. In the past music has had a significant impact on my family and our way of expressing ourselves. No! I'm not saying that my family has a great singers, songwriters, instrument players or such, but what we had was a love for music. Music kept us together. Whenever someone was sad, happy or mad, we could’ve tell by the type of music that was being played .It was our way of celebrating.
I can remember Saturday mornings as child growing up waking up to Bob Marley and the Wailers or Eric Donaldson. When dad was mad at mom, I remember hearing "No Woman no Cry" by Bob Marley on replay. On Sundays, my dad will gather all the records after church and Sunday dinner played loves songs and Gospel music. Dad and mom will dance as I sat on the couch giggling. As music evolved my parents and family interest in music withered but mine evolved.
As I travel from country to country my choice in music became more rounded. I listened to the music I grew up listening to when I was sad and I missed my parents but I was also listening to what my peers were listening to .In the 1990s it was Nsync, Michael Jackson, Aaliyah and all the popular music then, that was playing on my Walkman. By early 2000s I found myself listening to anything that will make my mother mad. Music from artist such as Korn, Metallica, Kiss and Marilyn Manson were played on the Cd player and was not my mom style in music or any adult in my family. Looking back, I think it was my way of dealing with puberty.
Today as a mother and wife,