Females and Festivities

There is a myth associated with the male contingent of the Caribbean population, that they are a gift to the women of earth. Music is often used a form of seduction for many cultures some may say that the Latin & Caribbean dance styles epitomise sensuality. There have been some fantastic musical releases related to both cultural celebrations and those in response to females, confirming the myth of men being gods gift to women (go to any place that plays salsa music and see first hand how this works in Cuba).

“Don’t Touch me Tomato” is classic calypso song released by the George Symonette Sextette in 1955 and covered by several different artists. This song is epitome of using food as a metaphor for women, but as it is originally sung by a male it does not immediately appear to offer any deeper meaning than simply do not touch any of my tomatoes. Essentially the denotive reading of this song is about people touching various fruits and vegetables common to the Caribbean region, yams, potatoes and apples, possibly in the local marketplace. With the singer requesting not squeezing of the soft fruits prior to purchasing. If we take the same song having it sung by a female an entirely different meaning is reached, below is a rendition of the same song by Josephine Baker.

The term please don’t touch me tomato can now be interpreted on a connotative level, being used a metaphor for the possibly inappropriate touching of females within the Caribbean culture, most likely at dancehall and clubs. The lyrics are setting boundaries for what is deemed acceptable within society and where the line is drawn, given that this was developed in the 1950s this may have changed somewhat in todays modern society.  To support the idea that this song is representative of the female form rather than purchasing tomatoes at the market, is the album cover by Duke of Iron. The use of the tomato placed on the delicate lingerie signifies the region of the female anatomy being referred to and the use of red as the background colour is also representative of the nature of the song, do not touch.

Music is essential during celebrations and festivities with food, music and parties going hand in hand. Within Caribbean culture the value of food is represented in music. Above we have an example of a popular Puerto Rican salsa song that is representative of the celebrations we all enjoy at the end of a long year of work, and the only way to celebrate is by eating an drinking. There is a connotation associated with rum in all Caribbean communities, that as soon as the rum appears the celebrations can officially commence. The relationship Caribbean locals have with rum could related to the connection Russians have with vodka or Australians with beer. It is integral part of the identity and culture and holds a valuable place in the hearts of the locals. Below we have another example of how rum and music work so well. Unfortunately the connotation associated with this particular track is referring the working girls during the trade period, all of the local girls advanced on the Yankees as the moved in the region looking to earn money. The lyrics paint a very clear picture of how these situations would have been played out in this time, and that a Rum and Coca Cola was a signal that the girls were working.