Grenada

Coordinates: 12°07′N 61°40′W / 12.117°N 61.667°W / 12.117; -61.667

Grenada (ⁱ/ɡrᵻˈneɪdə/; French: La Grenade) is an island country consisting of Grenada itself and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Grenada is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela, and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" because of the production of nutmeg and mace crops, of which it is one of the world's largest exporters. Its size is 344 square kilometres (133 sq mi), with an estimated population of 110,000. Its capital is St. George's. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada dove.

History

French colony (1649–1763)

In 1649 a French expedition of 203 men from Martinique led by Jacques du Parquet founded a permanent settlement on Grenada. Within months this led to conflict with the local islanders which lasted until 1654 when the island was completely subjugated by the French. Those indigenous islanders who survived either left for neighbouring islands or retreated to remoter parts of Grenada where they were marginalised—the last distinct communities disappeared during the 1700s.

Grenada (1810 ship)

The Grenada was a 408-ton merchant ship built at Kingston upon Hull, England in 1810. She made four voyages transporting convicts from England to Australia.

Career

Grenada was sheathed in copper in 1816.

Under the command of Andrew Donald and surgeon Emanuel Lazzaretto, she left Sheerness, England on 8 May 1819 with 152 male convicts, passengers and cargo. She arrived at Sydney on 21 October. No convicts died on the voyage. Grenada sailed from Port Jackson on 27 December, bound for Calcutta.

Grenada left Portsmouth, England under the command of Andrew Donald and surgeon Peter Cunningham on 9 May 1821 with 152 male convicts, passengers and cargo. She arrived at Sydney on 16 September. No convicts died on the voyage. She left Port Jackson in December with cargo and passengers for Batavia.

Under the command of Alexander Anderson and surgeon Peter Cunningham, she left London, England on 2 October 1824 with 81 female convicts, passengers and cargo. She arrived at Sydney on 23 January 1825. No convicts died on the voyage. Grenada sailed from Port Jackson on 27 March, bound for Madras.

Granada (song)

"Granada" is a song written in 1932 by Mexican composer Agustín Lara. The song is about the Spanish city of Granada and has become a standard in music repertoire.

The most popular versions are: the original with Spanish lyrics by Lara (often sung operatically); a version with English lyrics by Australian lyricist Dorothy Dodd; and instrumental versions in jazz, pop, easy listening, flamenco or rock styles. Other versions in English also exist (one with lyrics by Al Stewart, and one with lyrics by Robert Musel and Edward Lisbona) but these are less common. An Italian version was written in 1954 by Enzo Luigi Poletto. There are also versions in German and in other languages.

The song has been covered many times. Popular versions include those by Frankie Laine, Jorge Negrete, Mario Lanza and Frank Sinatra. In Italian by Claudio Villa and, in German, by Fritz Wunderlich and Spanish pop-duo Baccara.

The song was much favoured by theatre organists in the UK, because it provided an opportunity for showing off the organ's tuned [harp, glockenspiel, etc.] and non-tuned [castenets, tambourine] percussion.

Music of Grenada

The music of Grenada has included the work of several major musicians, including Eddie Bullen, David Emmanuel, one of the best-selling reggae performers ever, and Mighty Sparrow, a calypsonian. The island is also known for jazz, most notably including Eddie Bullen, a pianist, songwriter and record producer currently residing in Canada. Kingsley Etienne, a keyboardist, while the Grenadan-American Joe Country & the Islanders have made a name in country music.

African dances brought to Grenada survive in an evolved form, as have European quadrilles and picquets. Some of the most popular recent dances include Heel-and-Toe and Carriacou Big Drum and Quadrille, with popular dancers including Willie Redhead, Thelma Phillips, Renalph Gebon and the Beewee Ballet.

Independence in 1974 launched a Grenadian national identity which was exemplified in the calypso of the time, which tended to be intensely patriotic. More modern calypso performers have experimented, using political commentary and poetry to expand the possibilities of Grenadian calypso. Indian influences have also changed the sound of Grenadian calypso.

Culture of Grenada

Grenada's French colonists brought along their culture, as did the African slaves they brought across the Atlantic for agricultural work. The combination of these cultures is what you will find on this island. Indians have also influenced the island culture in more recent years.

With the passing of the Slave Trade Act 1807 by the British Parliament and the subsequent Abolishing of Slavery, indentured labor from India was procured at a very large scale.

The first ship, named nickor Jeremiah,departed from Calcutta, India on January 27, 1857 and arrived a few months later on May 1. In all 3,206 East Indians arrived in Grenada by 1885. Only 380 of them returned to India. The Indians made many contributions to Grenada. Indian Arrival Day was celebrated last year for the first time since the centenary celebration in 1957.

The Indians later on assimilated with the existing Africans, Europeans and other ethnicities intermarrying with each other. This very much influenced the culture and cuisine of Grenada.