摘要：Barrouallie, a fishing community on the Caribbean island
of St. Vincent, has a unique cultural heritage associated
with its history as a whaling centre. As a way to alert
townspeople of a successful catch, Barrouallie whalers
sang occupational songs known as ‘shanties’ while rowing
their whaleboats to shore. A product of diverse cultural
influences, the shanties of Barrouallie may be viewed as a
sub-genre, distinct from the more general body of sea
chanteys, the work songs of international 19th century
merchant seamen. As a mode of expression - not merely
a work song -a shanty could function variously as
entertainment, satire, and advertisement. While economic
and cultural changes in this developing island nation did
not favour the continuance of shanty singing, a revival of
interest in Barrouallie’s whaling traditions began in 2001,
with particular attention to shanties and the generation of
men who recall the role and significance of these songs in
the local whaling enterprise.
This 21st century renaissance of a maritime music
tradition among living practitioners represents a
remarkable survival that deserves greater recognition.
Through the performance and recording of shanties, The
Barrouallie Whalers have been interpreting and
publicising Barrouallie’s whaling heritage for an
international audience since 2001.
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