Creolisation

Creolisation

Creolisation started in the Caribbean, and refers to the blending of diverse peoples, languages, and cultures.

Derived from the term 'creole,' which historically referred to individuals born in the New World as opposed to African-born slaves, the concept of creolisation gained prominence during the Second World War. Scholars, including Martinique poet and politician Aimé Césaire, explored the complexities of Caribbean life, addressing cultural identity issues for black Africans within a colonial context.

Creolisation, in this context, can be connected to the concept of Négritude. Presently, the term 'creolisation' is sometimes employed to characterise the cultural intricacies of our contemporary world and the diverse societies that inhabit it.


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Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.