Part II:
The music of Julia Hydes

We start a brand new series this month with part one of Natasha Kozaily’s thesis for her BA in Music, focusing on the music of Julia Hydes.

John Blacking said music is ‘humanly organised sound’ meaning we are as essential in the creation of music as music is to us.

Music, both in production and reception informs and reflects certain human behaviours. It is deeply rooted in culture, just as food, dress or language.  Therefore it is in music that we can find the answers to questions we all ask ourselves: Who am I? Where am I from? And where am I going? As a Caymanian it is only natural that I begin the discovery of my own identity by asking the question, what is Caymanian music? 

This question is far from simple and can be the topic of research and investigation for years. When I first asked myself what Caymanian music was, I immediately thought of the current musical-political debate that has been a part of the music scene in Grand Cayman.  It is an ongoing debate that finds its self in all aspects of Caymanian society today and one that stems from the question of identity.

What is it to be Caymanian? In regards to the issue of Caymanian music, everyone has their own ideas, but I will briefly outline a few predominant views. Some believe that Caymanian music is anything that sounds ‘Caribbean’ like reggae or calypso. Others believe that Caymanian folk music is the true representation of Caymanian music. Another general viewpoint is the belief that if music is composed by a Caymanian then it can be considered ‘Caymanian music’.

And finally there is the opinion that Cayman does not have a native music or culture and that everything is an import.  While, my aim is not to examine these viewpoints or attempt to define Caymanian music within these pages, I believe that Caymanian music cannot be defined in such simple terms and that music is just as complex and diverse as the society we live in today. My search for Caymanian music starts at the very beginning with the mysterious and unstudied traditional folk music of the Cayman Islands.

While growing up in Grand Cayman, I don’t remember ever hearing a kitchen band play or listening to Caymanian folk songs. While studying music in high school I learnt about the history of western classical music and even the traditional music of India or Africa, but never about the music of my own country.  This may be due to the lack of research and resources or a lack of interest in the musical traditions of Cayman. This project is a gift to the people of the Cayman Islands. 

Many theorists such as Philip Bohlman have highlighted the idea that through the study of folk music we can not only find the origins of all musical genres but the common origins of the human species or of all cultures as well.  Why does folk music so often exist in confined repertories and cultures and as a genre of “national music”  These speculations lead many ethnomusicologists to debate and evaluate the importance of their work and areas of study.  In return, I ask myself the same questions:  why am I interested in studying Caymanian folk music?  Why is it important?  There are many theories and problems regarding the purpose of the ethnomusicologist which several persons have tried to define. Alan Merriam, in Purposes of Ethnomusicology: An Anthropological View, outlines a few main concepts which I feel reflect my passions and reasons for the study of Caymanian folk music.

In Merriam’s ‘White Knight’ and ‘Duty of Preservation’ concepts, the ethnomusicologist’s purpose is to defend the music of ‘others’ and preserve the music of the folk as it is fast disappearing in many non-literate societies. Western cultures often view the ‘others’ music as inferior and unworthy of study. As an ethnomusicologist and due to my personal investment in this project as a Caymanian, I see myself as the ‘White Knight’ whose duty it is to aid in the conservation and study of this music before it diminishes.

A final incentive for this project, which I have always been a firm believer in, is the concept of communication. Alan Merriam divides this concept into three different approaches: firstly, music as a form of communication between and among people, second, music as a reflection of the values, goals and attitudes of a people, and thirdly, ethnomusicology as an agency of international understanding. To understand a people you must understand their culture.

Ethnomusicology is the study of music in culture and therefore provides an outlet to communicate and understand a people through music.  Through her music, Miss Julia Hydes communicates her story and the story of the Cayman Islands and their people. By writing this project in an outside institution, I am communicating this exploration of her music to a foreign audience. These modes of communication enable national and international understanding among people. Through the study of folk music we have limitless learning potential about ourselves, others and our shared humanity.

It is upon this basis of preservation and communication that I begin my search in uncovering what there is to learn about the people of the Cayman Islands through Julia Hydes and her Music.

It is my wish that this project will help the people of Cayman to better comprehend, recognise and cultivate their own musical heritage.

While I have made the decision to limit the focus of this ethnomusicology project on the study of Julia Hydes and her music, it is also my hope to direct interested readers to other literature.

Other scholars and musicologists may ultimately explore and generate the more broadly inclusive panoramas that the subject of Caymanian folk music requires.

Editors Note:  Natasha Kozaily is a young Caymanian musician, singer–songwriter and painter.  For more info visit www.natashakozaily.com