If you’re in the Bahamas (especially on Cat Island) keep your ears open for rake-and-scrape. It’s a percussive music with the beat being driven by scraping an old knife blade along the teeth of a handsaw. A rake-and-scrape band is formed by drums, box guitar, concertina, triangle and accordion (with usually a bottle of rum nearby).
Some people say rake-and-scrape was born on Turks and Caicos, where they call the music “ripsaw.” Others theorize that rake-and-scrape was played to imitate the sound of the güiro, a Dominican and Haiti percussion instrument; another theory has African slaves inventing the ripsaw to imitate the sound of the shekere instrument.
On Cat Island, during June's Labour Day celebration, musicians go all out in a Cat Island Rake and Scrape festival.
Pour yourself a shot of rum, Click HERE for a sample of authentic rake-and-scrape, and be magically transported to a Caribbean beach.
