U.S. Virgin Islands
odd: label: Introduction
content: The U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory and a multicultural American society in the Caribbean Sea. Its culture reflects the continuity of African and European traditions, their creolization, or amalgamation, into new forms in the crucible of intense political and economic interaction, and the influence of more recent immigrants from Puerto Rico and the eastern Caribbean. Yet within this cultural diversity, Virgin Islanders recognize a unity born of intimate island community life. Despite many challenges, folklife is still a creative resource in the lives of many U.S. Virgin Islanders. Virgin Islands' folklife is the legacy of generations who brought cultural traditions from Africa, Europe, and elsewhere; adapted those traditions to meet local needs; and combined them with those of other cultures in vibrant and useful new forms. Although unique, the development of traditional culture in the Virgin Islands has been affected by the same historical movements and social practices that have shaped other Caribbean societies. The styles and traditions distinctive to the Islands are what Virgin Islanders call their native culture. In the context of Caribbean creolization, the concept of native is thereby given a new meaning. Native culture here means an emergent, contmuously evolving, local creole culture that is distinct from similar cultures of other islands. This native culture absorbs and reworks cultural practices that came and are still coming from both outside and within the Caribbean.

The Festival program was researched and designed by scholars and community members of the three islands making up the U.S. Virgin Islands, in collaboration with the curator and Office of Folklife Programs staff. Local researchers suggested an interesting strategy for interpreting traditions of the Virgin Islands to create a public program. This was to identify "cultural touchstones" or historical points of reference that are still useful in understanding the present. The big yard, the marketplace, and public celebration were selected as meaningful cultural touchstones to all three islands. The big yard developed in urban neighborhoods of St. Thomas as shared area behind row houses where workers lived. The big yard was the setting for everyday activity, casual or planned meetings, storytelling under the tamarind tree, laundering, cooking, children's play, and gossiping. While the big yard shapes the private world of the home, the marketplace is at the crossroads of commerce where people sell and trade, throw words, preach, campaign and catch up on events of the day. Its values are public; its gestures and jests may be broad. Socially inclusive and temporarily transforming, celebrations join domestic and public spaces and bring the islands together, whether it is carnival on St. Thomas, the Day of the Kings Festival on St. Croix, or Emancipation Day on St. John. Festival visitors could encounter the diverse traditions of the U.S. Virgin Islands through these three touchstones.

Olivia Cadaval served as Curator, with Flora Boynes-Spencer as U.S. Virgin Islands Supervisor, Anna Mae Brown-Comment as U.S. Virgin Islands Coordinator, Claire Raker as St. Croix Liaison, and Betz Robb as Program Coordinator. From the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park Service, Jacquelyn Clendinen and Denise Georges served as Assistant Coordinators and Gilbert Sprauve as General Advisor and Researcher.

The U.S. Virgin Islands program was made possible by the Honorable Governor Alexander A. Farrelly, the Office of the Governor, the 18th Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the Department of Economic Development and Agriculture, Division of Tourism, Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Virgin Islands Council on The Arts, Paradise Motors, Inc., Little Switzerland, Virgin Islands AT&T, West Indian Company Ltd., Caribbean Host, Caribbean Safewater Lab., Caribbean Shell Seekers, Sea Breeze Car Rental, Tropex, Inc., and other corporate sponsors.
label: Fieldworkers
content: Edna Mae Belardo, Violet Bough, Janet Burton, Brent Cantrell, Andromeda Childs, Bradley Christian, Jacquelyn Clendinen, Glenn "Kwabena" Davis, Delta Dorsch, Anastasia Doward, Cassandra Dunn, Dorothy Elskoe, Gene Emanuel, Lorelie Esannason, Denise Georges, Lois Hassell-Habteyes, Catherine Hiebert-Kerst, Myron Jackson, Stanley Jacobs, Ruth Moolenaar, Mario Picayo, Leslie Reovan, Verne Richards, Eulalie Rivera, Jewel Ross Sage, Karen Samuel, Daniel Sheehy, Mary Jane Soule, Maurice Thomas, Rufus Vanderpool, Leona Brady Watson
label: Presenters
content: Violet Bough, Irvin "Brownie" Brown, Leona Bryant, Janet Burton, Bradley Christian, Andrew Connors, Delta Dorsch, Anastasia Doward, Dorothy Elskoe, Gene Emanuel, Lois Hassell-Habteyes, Catherine Hiebert-Kerst, Myron Jackson, Ruth Moolenaar, Karen Samuel, Daniel Sheehy, Gilbert Sprauve, Rufus Vanderpool
label: Participants
content: Performance Traditions

Blinky & The Roadmasters, scratch band  -- Blinky & The Roadmasters, scratch bandAnselmo Clarke, squash, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsNorman Edwards, trap drums, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsMilton "Meg" Gordon, bass guitar, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsIsidor "I.G." Griles, triangle, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsCyprian "Zip" King, guitar, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsSylvester "Blinky" McIntosh Sr., alto saxophone, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsIra "Baker/Dormis" Samuel, alto saxophone, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsLloyd "Perico" Thomas, conga, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Calypsonians

Kenneth "Lord Blakie" Blake, calypso, composer, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Ashley "Ashanti" George, calypso, agriculturist, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Camille "King Derby" Macedon Jr., banjo ukulele, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Cariso Singers

Ethel Mcintosh, 1907-2006, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Leona Watson, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Carnival Traditions

Cecile "Dallars" George, 1914-, drumming, carpentry, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Willard John, 1951-,  -- moko jumbie -- , Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Clement Cain Magras, 1949-, storytelling, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

John McCleverty,  -- moko jumbie -- , St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Milo & The Kings, brass and calypso

Anthony Crooke, bass, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Emile "Milo" Francis, keyboards, leader, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Nya "Cocky" Francis, drums, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

James Gerard, vocals, bass, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Herman Lynch, conga, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Roy Malone, 1934-1998, guitar, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Ira "Dr. Sax" Meyers, saxophone, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Rudolph Thomas, vocals, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Collins Wesselhoft, trumpet, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Pleneros de Santa Cruz, plena  -- Pleneros de Santa Cruz, plenaNicolás "Colilla" Encarnación, 1924-, guitar, Fredriksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsAmador Felix, 1935-2005, bongo, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsSalvador "Salva" Fragosa, 1944-, cuatro, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsGuillermo Munoz, guitar, cuatro, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsFrancisco Sanche, pandereta, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsMarceleno Santiago, 1910-, pandereta, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

St. Croix Heritage Dancers, quadrille  -- St. Croix Heritage Dancers, quadrilleBradley Christian, 1956-, quadrille calling, masquerading, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsTheresa Douglas, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsAnn Doute, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsGeorge Fachete, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsGordon Finch, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsPatricia Forup, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsPrudence Morris, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsMarcus Mulligan, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsRobert Pennyfellow, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsCraig Wells, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsYvonne Williams, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsPatricia Willson, dancing, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Storytellers

Delta Dorsch, 1921-2005, storytelling, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Eulalie Rivera, 1909-2009, storytelling, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Ector Roebuck, 1935-2009, storytelling, games, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Elmo Roebuck, storytelling, games, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Rufus Vanderpool, oral histories, North Star Village, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights, scratch band and quadrille  -- Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights, scratch band and quadrilleKenneth Buntin, guitar, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsEldred "Edgie" Christian, banjo, vocals, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsStanley "Escascolay" Jacobs, 1941-, flute, saxophone, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsRobert "Bobby" Jacobs, conga, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsLawrence "Thrushy" Mason, squash, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsBeneth Smith, bass, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin IslandsChristian "Te" Thompson, triangle, steel, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Occupational Traditions

Kenneth Broome, 1922-, carpentry, furniture making, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Reginald Callwood, 1935-, stone masonry, Cruz Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Richard Callwood, 1931-, woodcarving, caning, toy making, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

James Dalmida, 1927-2001, fishing, Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Anthon O. Emanuel, 1926-2005, broom making, masonry, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Elmira Farrell, 1934-, herbal medicine, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Eddie Fay, gardening, charcoal making, Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Arnalda Kennings, carpentry, construction, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Joe LaPlace, 1927-2004, fishing, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Oscar McGregor, fishing, fish pot making, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Wendell Nibbs, 1931-2001, herbal medicine, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Iantha Jackson Peets, 1920-1999, herbal medicine, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Arona Saunders Petersen, 1908-1995, herbal medicine, oral histories, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Gabriel Whitney St. Jules, 1930-, charcoal making, gardening, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Sanderilla Thomas, 1911-1999, market woman, storytelling, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Will Thurland, 1933-, carpentry, inlaying, caning, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Crafts, U.S. Virgin Islands

Felicia Emelda Caines, 1918-2004, basketry, herbalist, Coral Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Dorothy Danet, 1921-2005, basketry, hat weaving, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Aline Kean, 1902-2006, toy making, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Louisa Kean, 1905-, crochet, embroidery, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hillary "Baga" Rezende, steel pan making, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Foodways

Helmie Leonard, 1932-1997, baking, cooking, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Louise Samuel, 1936-, native foods, beverages, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Evarista Santiago, Puerto Rican cooking, Kingshill, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Carnival Troupes

Birds in Ecstasy, University of the Virgin Islands

Cool Session Brass

Elskoe and Associates, Let's Dance

Hugga Bunch

Imagination Brass

Jesters as Mask Array

Moko Jumbi 'n' Fren Dem

Mungo Niles Cultural Dancers, Inc.

Out of the Woodwork

The Racketeers
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1990 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1990, Series 4
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials