Product Description
Chapters: Music of the Virgin Islands, Culture of the Virgin Islands, Flag of the United States Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands March. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 28. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The music of the Virgin Islands reflects long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists. Though the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands are politically separate, they maintain close cultural ties. From its neighbors, the Virgin Islands has imported various pan-Caribbean genres of music, including calypso from Trinidad and reggae from Jamaica. The major indigenous form of music is the scratch band (also called fungi band in the British Virgin Islands), which use improvised instruments like gourds and washboards to make a kind of music called quelbe. A Virgin Island folk song called cariso is also popular, as well as St. Thomas' bamboula. The quadrille is the traditional folk dance of the islands, and include varieties like St. Croix's Imperial Quadrille and St. Thomas' Flat German Quadrille. The Heritage Dancers are a respected dance troupe that perform traditional folk dances from the Virgin Islands and beyond. Virgin Islander culture is syncretic, based primarily on African and European cultures. Though the Danish controlled the present-day U.S. Virgin Islands for many years, the dominant language has been an English-based Creole since the 19th century, and the islands remain much more receptive to English language popular culture than any other. The Dutch, the French and the Danish also contributed elements to the island's culture, as have immigrants from the Arab world, India and other Caribbean islands. The single largest influence on modern Virgin Islander culture, however, comes from the Africans ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=920665 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Music of the Virgin Islands, Culture of the Virgin Islands, Flag of the British Virgin Islands, Fungi, Coat of Arms of the British Virgin Islands, Hiho. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The music of the Virgin Islands reflects long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists. Though the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands are politically separate, they maintain close cultural ties. From its neighbors, the Virgin Islands has imported various pan-Caribbean genres of music, including calypso from Trinidad and reggae from Jamaica. The major indigenous form of music is the scratch band (also called fungi band in the British Virgin Islands), which use improvised instruments like gourds and washboards to make a kind of music called quelbe. A Virgin Island folk song called cariso is also popular, as well as St. Thomas' bamboula. The quadrille is the traditional folk dance of the islands, and include varieties like St. Croix's Imperial Quadrille and St. Thomas' Flat German Quadrille. The Heritage Dancers are a respected dance troupe that perform traditional folk dances from the Virgin Islands and beyond. Virgin Islander culture is syncretic, based primarily on African and European cultures. Though the Danish controlled the present-day U.S. Virgin Islands for many years, the dominant language has been an English-based Creole since the 19th century, and the islands remain much more receptive to English language popular culture than any other. The Dutch, the French and the Danish also contributed elements to the island's culture, as have immigrants from the Arab world, India and other Caribbean islands. The single largest influence on modern Virgin Islander culture, howe...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=920665 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Domino by Karen Ellis
Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1990
"DOMINO teaches the chants, clap patterns and jump - rope songs of the Virgin Islands, with a cassette recorded on playgrounds of St. Croix by author Karen S. Ellis; the syncopated rhythms are irresistible, and some of the lyrics quite salty."

The Orff Echo, Fall 1990, page 44
"All material is clearly presented with precise and easy-to-understand directions for the games and dances. To maintain authenticity, the words of the songs are written in a mixture of standard English and Cruzian, the dialect of St. Croix. A glossary is provided to assist with unfamiliar words and phrases. Especially interesting is the author's account of her use of an Orff Schulwerk-based approach to teach language skills to the children in a small island town. The accompanying cassette tape, available separately, includes nearly all of the items in the book, most of it performed by the children themselves. No one should miss the priceless rendition of "Ding Dong."

Domino By Karen Ellis
The Midwest Book Review, May 26, 1990

An oversized paperback with spiral binging and a 35 minute audio cassette introduce both adult and child listeners to traditional children's songs and proverbs from the American Virgin Islands, providing a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention.
An oversized paperback and 35 minute cassette provides a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention. More than just another ethnic song collection, the tape alone holds merit, the paperback/tape package is recommended above each singly: the book is an essential enhancement to the tape, offering a political and cultural review of the Virgin Islands, teaching advice to teachers who may be considering the tape and workbook for classroom use, and illustrated musical instructions and score sheets for the tape's songs. The small black and white photos of the children at play are particularly intriguing."

Review of Book and Cassette "Domino" by Dr. John Rickford
Dr. John Rickford Ph.D (1997, Feb. 28) Dept of Linguistics, Stanford University

I recieved Domino, and was impressed both by the book and the tape. It was enjoyable for my wife Angela and I--the similarities with somany songs we knew growing up in Guyana were so striking, especially forAngela. (As your photos show, these clap patterns and circle songs are morepopular with girls than boys.) For instance, for "Brown Girl in theRing," we sing, "There's a Colored girl in the ring, etc"and end with "She likes sugar, and I like plum!"

WRT the"Congo Saw" proverb on page 22--I'm pretty sure this is the sameas the "Conguseh" we have in Guyana, meaning "gossip,"so the proverb really means that gossip is worse, more harmful than workingobeah. See the entry for _congosa_ in Allsopp's wonderful, just released_Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage_ (Oxford U Press).

Also, thewording for Mother Goose on page 39 seemed to us perhaps to be "Comelook a me ya" ("Come look at me here") but it wasn't soclear. This is a wonderful achievement, Karen, and the kids must have LOVEDthe attention and interest you showed in them and their songs. I bet theymissed you when you left.

Come-All-Ye, Vol. II No. 2, Summer 1990
Come-All-Ye, Vol. II No. 2, Summer 1990 A Review Journal for publications in the fields of Folklore, American Studies, Social History and Popular Culture. "It is a thoroughly delightful compilation, of interest tofolklorists, teachers and everybody else can enjoy it."

The Midwest Book Review, May 26, 1990
"An oversized paperback and 35 minute cassette provides a unique opportunity to absorb the culture and sounds of an area which has received relatively little attention. More than just another ethnic song collection, the tape alone holds merit, the paperback/tape package is recommended aboveeach singly: the book is an essential enhancement to the tape, offering apolitical and cultural review of the Virgin Islands, teaching advice toteachers who may be considering the tape and workbook for classroom use,and illustrated musical instructions and score sheets for the tape's songs.The small black and white photos of the children at play are particularlyintriguing."

Jim Cox Midwest Book Review ... Read more

Product Description
Working in Ibiza can be tough! Jennifer went there to work a season and ended up getting ripped off and screamed at on a seemingly daily basis. She still came away loving the island and has written a book about her experiences that all wannabe club staff should read. She arrived a self-confessed Ibiza virgin but as well as simply wanting to check out the legendary clubbing Mecca she was also there to write her MBA thesis! This meant sticking it out come what may, working as VIP manager of one of the major clubs to complete her research, where she found her slick attitude at odds with the huge clubland egos encountered. This take the form of highly entertaining screaming arguments when a range of dodgy characters try to show her who?s boss and how her reactions causes things to explode. Clubworkers will recognise all the elements she came across since greed, disorganisation and inflated egos are never far away when you scratch the underbelly of the club industry; particularly in the cut-throat world of Ibiza ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I'm about to save you $7...don't waste your time or money on this "book"
I traveled to Ibiza with my husband on a trip to Europe a couple of years ago.This book intrigued me since we really enjoyed our stay in Ibiza and I was hoping to get better insight into the culture of the nightclubs that are so prevalent there.

This text is the author's master's thesis that they decided to publish.It's poorly written, with little continuity or flow and really had no ending.Upon reading it you get to the end and wonder what just happened.

It amazes me that the author planned on spending the summer in Ibiza to study the nightclubs there, yet she didn't bother to learn anything about the culture or even the language.It's no wonder that she spent the summer butting heads with every male co-worker in the club she worked in.Though she attempts to drum up sympathy for her situation and blames her manager and co-workers for being immature and unprofessional, in the end, she is the one who appears unprofessional for going into a working environment without any preparation and a complete lack of respect for the culture and norms of the country.

Having spent time there and being a Spanish speaker myself, I know that it would be very difficult to work in Ibiza without knowing the language.Sure, you'd probably do fine with most tourists, but having a good rapport with your co-workers and your supervisors is most important if you're trying to have a good experience in another country. ... Read more

Product Description
British Virgin Islands has recently come to the attention to global strategic planners.This report puts these executives on the fast track.Ten chapters provide: an overview of how to strategically access this important market, a discussion on economic fundamentals, marketing & distribution options, export and direct investment options, and full risk assessments (political, cultural, legal, human resources).Ample statistical benchmarks and comparative graphs are given. ... Read more

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The British Virgin Islands (BVI) markets itself to international visitors as a paradise. But just whose paradise is it? Take Me to My Paradise looks at the many players in the BVI tourism culture, including immigrants working in a tourism economy, nationalists struggling to maintain some control, and the anthropologist trying to make sense of it all. The result is a richly detailed and accessible ethnography on the impact of tourism on a country that came into being as a tourist destination. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1125 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Countries and Their Cultures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 698 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Covers the broad range of popular religious culture of the United States at the close of the twentieth century. Beliefs, practices, symbols, traditions, movements, organizations, and leaders from the many traditions in the pluralistic American community are represented. Also includes cults and phenomena that drew followers, such as Heaven's Gale and UFOs. ... Read more

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An enlightening look at a unique and remarkable Jewish community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Historical Reading
Dr. Cohen presents a well-written account of the Jewish community of the Virgin Islands.I'm a direct descendent of Solomon Benjamin, a vessel merchant mentioned in the book and it was fascinating to learn more about my ancestry.Judaism generally is seen from a European-perspective.Since the Inquisition in 1492, many Jews found their way to the British West Indies, but little is written about their settlements, accomplishments and ways of life.This book shows a historical look at communities, both religious and economic. ... Read more

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In this provocative book Neville Hall offers a comprehensive study of slave society in the Danish West Indies. Covering the entire period of slavery in the territory--from 1671 to 1848--Hall focuses on slave rebellion andresistance and discusses the legislative system introduced to control the slave population. He also examines the life of the freedman, the complex relationship between cultural and linguistic development on the islands; and the unusually cosmopolitan character of the slaveowning class.

Edited by Barry Higman, this revealing study of slavery in the Dutch West Indies broadens our understanding of Caribbean colonialism.

Product Description
Using archival material and other existing sources, this book graphically documents the sexual exploitation of female slaves in holding pens on the West Coast of Africa, on slave ships during the Trans-Atlantic crossing, and on plantations in the Danish West Indies, now known as the United States Virgin Islands. In this book, Donoghue successfully demonstrates how under the Danish Slave Codes it was impossible to rape a slave. He notes that if a female slave died during her resistance to the sexual advances of any master, her owner was entitled to com-pensation by law. The author further notes that the diminishing slave population near the end of the eighteenth century triggered the development of a comprehensive plan for the breeding of slaves in the Danish West Indian colony. The blueprints included the granting of generous loans to planters to import female slaves of childbearing age. The book also provides compelling evidence that many females resisted exploitation by resorting to abortion, infanticide, poisoning, marronage and suicide.` "The theme is somewhat current, but Dr. Donoghue is on relatively new ground in his extensive exploration of the exploitation of slave women"Sir Howard Fergus, University of the West Indies "Donoghue breaks new ground with this deeply analytical and illuminating exploration of the exploitation of black women," The Daily Observer. "Donoghue shows the reader the true depths of the sexual exploitation of female slaves," The Avis. The Book received the highest rating of five stars by reader-reviewers of Blackwell's Online Bookshop. Eddie Donoghue was born on the small island of Montserrat in the Caribbean and lived for almost twenty years in Sweden. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and is currently a Researcher for the Legislature in the United States Virgin Islands. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Due For Review: a film in the making?
This is without a doubt the most logical of undercurrents, yet the most hidden aspect of slavery, surely obscured from history, and from the view of most white women. Few stop to think about it, and fewer still want to see the evidences of this reality. Yet, it may well be the essential part of slavery that women need to see because it is consistent with the reality that forms the emotionally charged fear that led to civil rights failures - the fear of retribution by the guilt and shame of men over the centuries of domination that could be the only possible reason for such heightened resistance to economic freedom. The passion not only to protect private stock, but also the possibility that their own women would be subject to such abuses is the only logical explanation of the fear that could have driven the giving of freedom and payment of minimal wages. The economics alone are insufficient to withstand scrutiny of reasons to perpetuate slavery sufficient to sustain a civil war.

a Caribbean history and tragedy
I think the title is deceptive. When one sees "Black Women/White Men," one would think of a collaboration. In fact, if black women are mentioned first, one would think that they are leading the dynamic. However, none of this could possibly be said about the legalized rape of enslaved African-descent women. The subtitle is more appropriate; this could have just been called, "The Sexual Exploitation of Female Slaves."

Then again, that assumes that the author had this as a main theme. This book barely covers that theme at all. This book was about the oppression of African slaves, period, one aspect of which is legalized rape. Because sugar cane cultivation involves heavy lifting and uses of dangerous weapons, the slave trade in the Caribbean was highly gendered, and gendered toward men. So naturally, the author talks more of the abuse against slave men, reiterating the silliness of the book's title.

I was expecting this book to talk about the Sally Hemings and Thomas Jeffersons of the Caribbean and I imagine that most readers would imagine the same. However, that history was quickly summarized in one page in the middle of this book. I really think the author gave this book its deceptive title, dare I say it, in order to appear like he's discussing a "sexy" issue.

When I think about colonialism, I usually think of it as solely a British, French, and Spanish phenomenon. So I was intrigued to be reminded that the Danish had empiric aspirations as well. However, this book stated that the Danish were never heavily involved in settling the islands discussed. The Danish West Indies became the American Virgin Islands, so this is Black American history and should be recognized as such, especially for those interested in African-American history like myself.

The book is riddled with spelling errors. I am not sure if that arose due to the author's use of English as a second language or the limited resources of the press that printed this book. The author quotes ad nauseam to limited historians and hisotrical figures. Now, to his credit, maybe little has been written about these islands and their histories. Still, after awhile, it feels like the reader is getting a skewed and strikingly incomplete examination of the topic. The author compares the Danish Caribbean situation to its French counterpart in Saint Domigue (aka Haiti). However, he barely mentions anything about the islands' Spanish-speaking neighbors. Surely this is due to a lack of understanding of Spanish on the author's part. With Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic all in this same area, it seems like a major fallacy to exclude them in a comparative analysis.

I am glad this book exists. However, it is second-rate and I predict that it will disappoint many as I was. ... Read more