Sweet Tassa Music of the Indian Caribbean Diaspora

Sweet Tassa Music of the Indian Caribbean Diaspora details the history repertoire and sociopolitical significance of tassa drumming in Trinidad Tobago The film profiles the life and work of noted tassa drummer Lenny Kumar and his family while also developing the notion of tassa performance practice as a metaphor for Indian Trinidadian cultural and national identity In the process the film traces tassas movement from India to the Caribbean summarizes its transformation in diaspora and speculates about its future Proceeding from analysis of tassa repertoire in Muslim and Hindu performance contexts the film explores tassas physical and conceptual transformations in diaspora and the ongoing push to make tassa a conational instrument alongside steel pan In this regard interviewees discuss the implication of tassa as foreigndespite more than 150 years of Indian presence in the Caribbeanand therefore unsuitable as a conational instrument alongside steel pan