Quelbe and Scratch Bands

Quelbe was named the official music of the Virgin Islands in 2003, and it comes from the scratch bands of the plantation era, so called because of the gourd scraper that keeps the rhythm. The ensembles were assembled from whatever could be found: a banjo or ukulele, a flute or saxophone, a washtub bass, a tailpipe from a car used as a horn, and the scraper. The songs are narrative and often sharply funny, commenting on local characters and events in a tradition that let people say in music what was awkward to say plainly, which is why the older numbers repay having someone explain them. Bands still play at weddings, festivals and community nights, and the Crucian Christmas Festival is the fullest showcase.

What you actually see

• The scraper - the notched gourd that gives the music its name and pulse.
• The homemade instruments - washtub bass, tailpipe horn and squash.
• The narrative songs - local stories and commentary set to dance rhythms.
• The Crucian Christmas Festival - the best chance to hear several bands.

When to go

Year-round at community events, with the highest concentration during the Crucian Christmas Festival on St Croix from December into January and at the other island carnivals. Cultural centres and the territory's heritage organisations post schedules; there is no fixed venue.

Honest expectations

There is no nightly show to buy a ticket for, so hearing quelbe properly means finding a community event or festival date. The older generation of players is thinning and the tradition is actively being taught to keep it going. Hotel bands often play soca or reggae and describe it loosely as local music, which is not the same thing.

Nearby

Christiansted and Frederiksted host the main festival events on St Croix.