Caribbean
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Montserrat.
Montserrat.
Culture:
Montserrat — History and Culture. Montserrat, known as the Caribbean's own Emerald Isle, shares much in common with Ireland. Irish influence is evident in the surnames of many residents, the island's resemblance to Ireland's coast and the fervour with which Montserrat celebrates St Patrick's Day.
Cuisine:
Montserrat’s national dish is Goat water, a thick goat meat stew served with crusty bread rolls. Montserrat cuisine resembles the general British and Caribbean cuisines, as it is situated in the Caribbean zone and it is a British territory. The cuisine includes a wide range of light meats, like fish, seafood and chicken, which are mostly grilled or roasted. Being a fusion of numerous cultures, such as Spanish, French, African, Indian and Amerindian, the Caribbean cuisine is unique and complex. More sophisticated meals include the Montserrat jerk shrimp, with rum, cinnamon bananas and cranberry. In other more rural areas, people prefer to eat homemade food, like the traditional mahi mahi and local breads.
In the centre of Montserrat, Plymouth, there is a lot of agitation all through the year, due to the wide amount of tourists from all over the world. This is why there is a wide range of international cuisines, like Chinese, Indian, American, but the favorite ones remain the British, Italian and French. There are many restaurants specialised on seafood dishes, which range from simple and raw to complex ones, which are combined with these influences and create unique tastes and flavors. There are many seafood cakes, such as the lobster cakes, which are considered delicacies by the tourists – they contain mixed greens and tomato tartar sauce and they are served as snacks in the local bars. More sophisticated meals include the Montserrat jerk shrimp, with rum, cinnamon bananas and cranberry. In other more rural areas, people prefer to eat homemade food, like the traditional mahi mahi and local breads.
The visual attractiveness of the dish is important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Montserrat regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Montserrat dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.
Montserrat cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Montserrat cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Montserrat cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Montserrat is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine.
Music:
The music of Montserrat is influenced by Irish traditions, noticeable in the set dance-like Bam-chick-lay, and the presence of fife and drum ensembles similar to the bodhrán. Natives are also witness to the jumbie dance, the style of which is still strongly African. Instruments include the ukulele and shak-shak, an African instrument made from a calabash gourd; both of these are used in traditional string bands. Calypso and spiritual-influenced vocal choirs, like the Emerald Isle Community Singers, are popular.
Past pop stars include the soca bandleader Alphonsus "Arrow" Cassell, known for 1983's "Hot! Hot! Hot!". Calypso music is also popular, as are the vocal choirs Voices and the Emerald Community Singers are well known throughout the island. They perform at various special occasions, such as the December Festival, and throughout the year. The most famous modern string band from Montserrat is the Rude Boys String Band.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 88.4% Black & Mulatto
* 11.6% White, Asian, and Creole
People:
The population is predominantly, but not exclusively, of mixed African-Irish descent. It is not known with certainty how many African slaves and indentured Irish labourers were brought to the West Indies, though according to one estimate some 60,000 Irish were "Barbadosed" by Oliver Cromwell, some of whom would have arrived in Montserrat.
The island had a population of 5,879 (according to a 2008 estimate). An estimated 8,000 refugees left the island (primarily to the UK) following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; the population was 13,000 in 1994. The 2011 Montserrat census indicated a population of 4,922. In early 2016, the estimated population had reached nearly 5000 primarily due to immigration from other islands.
Languages:
English is the official language of Montserrat. They however speak a local dialect in informal situations and it is simply referred to as Montserratian English. Montserratian English has it's roots exclusively to the English spoken in Southern Ireland, also known as Hiberno English, with some influences from Gaelic and West African languages. They also use many words of Indigenous origin.
Religion:
Protestant sects have multiplied in recent times. Catholics were a strong religious group in the 1800s, but today the largest religious denomination is Anglican Protestant. The first church, built by Governor Anthony Brisket, was probably Anglican. Pentecostal churches are growing.
Sports:
Cricket is a popular sport in Montserrat. Players from Montserrat are eligible to play for the West Indies cricket team. Jim Allen was the first to play for West Indies and he represented the World Series Cricket West Indians. No other player from Montserrat had gone on to represent West Indies until Lionel Baker made his One Day International debut against Pakistan in November 2008.
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