An Exploration of the East Indian and African Music Traditions in Trinidad and Tobago: The Case of Mungal Patasar and Pantar

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, we present a case study of Mungal Patasar and his band, Pantar to explore syncretism between jazz and local music traditions in Trinidad and Tobago. We discuss the nuances emerging from the interactions between East Indian and African music traditions as we delineate the ways jazz diaspora is performed within this context. The overall findings of this study demonstrate that a perspective of Trinidad and Tobago’s national identity through ethnicity is re-articulated in Patasar’s work, not from a purist approach, but where the foundations of African and Indian ethnic identities remain intact.