Beat the Drum & Break the Silence: Constructing a collective new ethnic identity for Curaçao through the Tambú

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether the traditional, from origin African, style of music can be used as a cultural point of recognition for the Curaçaon society so that a collective ethnic identity can be constructed for the island’s inhabitant. A collective identity wherein every Curaçaon citizen can identify themselves with can help the island to grow pass the tradition of a constant feeding of mental slavery. Mental slavery has rooted particularly within the Afro-Curaçaon community due to the social position this community developed from which links them to slavery history; something that has been viewed as a reason for shame and a necessity to adopt different customs and behaviors to survive. A traditional music such as the Tambú, directed inherited from the African slaves, which endured many forms of repression and oppression, has been sauntered in many ways, forbidden even and treated as a criminal activity, and which yet knew how to survive all these harsh circumstances, can help bring together a society that is still too much defied by the ethnicity of an individual instead of being defied by culture and history.