QUELBE 

The Folk Music of the Virgin Islands

By: Dimitri L. Copemann 

The musical groups who traditionally perform Quelbe music are rightfully named Quelbe bands. Quelbe is a vocal and instrumental style of folk music that is native to these islands, although there are other similar and closely related styles of folk music to be found throughout the Caribbean. While it is often used synonymously and inaccurately with the term quadrille. They are not the same. To be precise the quadrille is a European dance form and Quelbe is a local music.

The Quelbe is best described as a synthesis of Africa and Europe in the Caribbean (the Virgin Islands in particular), expressed through the language of music and shaped by the social conditions of life in that region during the 18th and 19th century. This was at a time when the enslaved Black people were denied their own music and dance by their slave masters and added their rhythms, melodies and other musical elements to it. The mixture of African and European music, led to the creation of new, native style music, known today as Quelbe.

Musically speakng, Quelbe comes from a fusion of bamboula rhythms and chants cariso songs and melodie, mixed with the old European military fife and drum music, and the various quadrilles, minuets and jigs. Another important factor in its creation was the type of instrumentation used, and the playing styles of those self-taught musicians, who played mostly homemade instruments. Its sound and nature reveal a rural style reflected the rustic character of its origin. This is especially, since most of the Black population, from whom it came, lived on sugar and cotton plantations in the country.

The fife and drum bands are the forerunners of the Quelbe bands.  They were quite possibly the first native musical ensembles in the lands whose origin may date back to the slave era.  These ensembles were basically percussion or rhythm bands with an addition of homemade bamboo flute.  Stylistically, they were probably influenced by both European military fife and drum corp in the islands during colonial times, and by memories of the African flute, drum and percussion ensembles prevalent throughout West Africa.

The colonial government in the islands at the time, usually retained the services of military fife and drum corps, who performed for a variety of military, civic and social functions.  It is possible that local Blacks were influenced by these military musicians and their martial music, but would certainly create their own native style.  Originally these bands consisted of a homemade flute, a homade bass drum, and homemade or European-made snare drum, sometimes with various percussion added.  When these native fife and drum bands began expanding the size and instrumentation of the ensembles, and to adapt the musical structure of the European quadrilles and jigs, Quelbe music and Quelbe bands were born.

The quadrille, which is a version of the 18th and 19th century French 'contredanse,' was brought to the islands by the local European planters who sought to emulate the aristocratic  atmosphere of 19th Century Europe. Becoming popular among both Black and White populations of the islands, these dances and music forms helped to engender new, native forms.

If the Quelbe is a product of the fusion African and European music, then it would be fair to say that both cultures supplied much of the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic structures and patterns that make up the Quelbe.

Yet, throughout this mixture, the African elements clearly dominate. However, Quelbe would actually become a distinct musical form and style when the first native or indigenous songs were composed by some anonymous individual or group.

It should be noted too, that many carisoes eventually became or evolved into Quelbe songs when the musicians expanded and embellished the older carisoes, and adapted them to the instrumental, ensemble styles.

When the fife and drum bands expanded by adding one or two guitars, which provided a wider harmonic base and added a more sophisticated sound, it became a different type of ensemble, a Quelbe band. These early Quelbe bands, which traditionally performed the music for the local black quadrille dances, featured a flute, one or two guitars, a steel triangle, a tambourine, a squash (a dried gourd with serrated sides that is scraped with a wire pong) and a bass drum. Of course, there were many variations of this ensemble form that developed their own unique styles and sounds.

Although it may seem strange, when these bands played for the formal quadrille dances, their music was called quadrille music but in reality they were playing Quelbe songs. These were locally composed songs that could express humor, satire, cynicism, moral virtues, social commentary, protest and revolution.

 Around the beginning and early years of this century, the 'pipe,' a cylindrical metal tubing (sometimes an exhaust pipe for a car), that is bent at both ends and blown, replacing the bass drum. The small banjo also became part of the ensemble. This classic ensemble formed a pomp-flute (European-made), one of two guitars, a banjo, a steel triangle and a squash. The pipe was to remain unchanged until the late 1960's and early 1970s.

In the late sixties, the alto saxophone was introduced into the folkloric Quelbe bands, and has now practically replaced the flute as the lead instrument. Later in the seventies, the electric bass guitar replaced the 'pipe' and has added a modern and sophisticated sound. Around the same time, the drums made a re-entry into Quelbe in form of the modern conga drums, all of which had a significant effect on the music. However, despite  the use of electric instruments and modern amplification, Quelbe music and Quelbe bands still retain their original rural and percussive character and texture.

Today, while we may know the current and contemporary names associated with Quelbe, many, if not most, of the original creators and purveyors of this musical tradition, are unknown of forgotten.

Sadly, not even half of them have ever' been rewarded' or documented. My research has revealed that there were many more old cariso and Quelbe songs that have been already lost and many more will be lost if something is not done to preserve them. The problems that have plagued our local folk traditions are the same ones that have beset many other folk traditions in other places, survival and continuity. Apart from the needed government recognition and support, a serious effort should be made towards integrating Virgin Islands folk culture into our education system. (This has been accomplished by the passage of Sill No. No. 25-0056 to designate Quelbe as the official music of the Virgin Islands by the 25" Legislature of the Virgin Islands on December 17, 2004). This is the route we must take in order to preserve and perpetuate our dying folkloric traditions.