Frank J. Korom

The multivocalic rite known as Hosay in the Caribbean developed out of earlier practices originating in Iraq and Iran which diffused to Trinidad by way of South Asian indentured laborers brought to the Caribbean by the British from the mid-1800s to the early decades of the twentieth century. The rituals are important as a Shi'i religious observance, but they also are emblems of ethnic and national identity for Indo-Trinidadians. Frank Korom investigates the essential role of Hosay in the performance of multiple identities by historically and ethnographically situating the event in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Caribbean contexts. Hosay Trinidad: Muharram Performances in an Indo-Caribbean Diaspora is the first detailed historical and ethnographic study of Islamic muharram rituals performed on the island of Trinidad. Korom's central argument is that the annual rite is a polyphonic discourse that is best understood by employing multiple levels of interpretation. On the symbolic level the observance provides esoteric meaning to a small community of Indo-Trinidadian Muslims. On another level, it is perceived to be representative of "transplanted" Indian culture as a whole. Finally, the rituals are becoming emblematic of Trinidad's polyethnic population. Addressing strategies used to resist integration and assimilation, Hosay Trinidad is engaged with theories concerning the notion of cultural creolization in the Caribbean as well as in the general study of global diasporas.

Muharram Performances in an Indo-Caribbean Diaspora

Hosay Trinidad

The Anthropology of Performance is an invaluable guide tothis exciting and growing area. This cutting-edge volume onthe major advancements in performance studies presents thetheories, methods, and practices of performance in cultures aroundthe globe. Leading anthropologists describe the range of humanexpression through performance and explore its role in constructingidentity and community, as well as broader processes such asglobalization and transnationalism. Introduces new and advanced students to the task of studyingand interpreting complex social, cultural, and political eventsfrom a performance perspective Presents performance as a convergent field of inquiry thatbridges the humanities and social sciences, with a distinctivecross-cultural perspective in anthropology Demonstrates the range of human expression and meaning throughperformance in related fields of religious & ritual studies,folkloristics, theatre, language arts, and art & dance Explores the role of performance in constructing identity,community, and the broader processes of globalization andtransnationalism Includes fascinating global case studies on a diverse range ofphenomena Contributions from leading scholars examine verbal genres,ritual and drama, public spectacle, tourism, and the performancesembedded in everyday selves, communities and nations

A Reader

The Anthropology of Performance

Arjun Appadurai

Margaret A, Mills

The authors cross the boundaries between anthropology, folklore, and history to cast new light on the relation between songs and stories, reality and realism, and rhythm and rhetoric in the expressive traditions of South Asia.

Frank J. Korom

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