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Month: June 2017

The Sounds of Cuba

The Sounds of Cuba

After Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the beautiful island of Cuba and the subsequent colonization by the Spanish, it was not long until the island’s original inhabitants were eliminated by disease, confrontation, exploitation or outright execution. With the end of the Indians came the beginning of African slavery, and consequently, the birth of Cuban music. Throughout the Caribbean and the New World, African slaves and the music and dance traditions they brought with them were the source of key components that…

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Some Cuban History

Some Cuban History

In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first voyage to the Americas, first reaching land at the Bahamas after which he sailed south to Cuba, arriving on October 28 at Bariay on the eastern tip of the island. The inhabitants of the island at the time included the Guanahatabey, Ciboney and Taíno, who were Arawak tribes that had migrated from South America. Although they greeted the Spanish peaceably, it was not long before they were wiped out by diseases, to which…

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Cuba!

Cuba!

About 93 miles south of Florida’s Key West, lies a fascinating island nation with a turbulent past, a cautiously optimistic future, and a present that sparks the imagination, curiosity and wanderlust of most any travel enthusiast. Images of dimly lit colonial cities pulsing with rumba music by night, flamboyant splashes of color and glistening sugar white beaches by day, 50s era antique automobiles and slowly decaying architecture connecting us to bygone days and burgeoning food and hospitality scenes showing a…

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Frogmore Stew, Benne Wafers, Low Country Cuisine and the Sea Island Sipper

Frogmore Stew, Benne Wafers, Low Country Cuisine and the Sea Island Sipper

The ‘low country’ cuisine of the Sea Islands is influenced by Gullah/Geechee traditions and history. The slaves brought brought from Africa to work on the rice plantations were often selected based on their knowledge and experience in rice cultivation. During the 1700s and up to the civil war, South Carolina was the country’s largest rice producer. Rice, therefore, is a main staple in the Gullah/Geechee cuisine, along with shellfish, fresh fish, and fresh vegetables. Ingredients in Gullah/Geechee cooking are strongly…

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The Golden Isles, Cumberland and Tybee – The Sea Islands of Georgia

The Golden Isles, Cumberland and Tybee – The Sea Islands of Georgia

  Let’s move on down the coast to the state of Georgia. In a previous post, we explored the history and sights of Jekyll Island. Jekyll is one of the so called ‘Golden Isles’ of Georgia, to  which Sea Island, St. Simons Island and Little St. Simons Island also belong. But first, a little bit about some of the islands near the stately city of Savannah. Tybee Island, is a part of the Savannah metropolitan area and for a time…

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Kiawah, Hilton Head and the Coastal Islands of South Carolina

Kiawah, Hilton Head and the Coastal Islands of South Carolina

The coastal islands of South Carolina include Atlantic barrier islands as well as inland islands formed by surrounding marshes, rivers, estuaries and inlets. Some lie within the city limits of Charleston and Beaufort and have an urban character. Some have been developed with tourism in mind, while others remain private gated communities. The group known as the Sea Islands begins north of Charleston with Bull’s Island, which is part of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Bull’s Island is undeveloped, but…

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