Does anyone have any information about fiddling in the caribbean?  I'm specifically interested in the Cayman Islands but any part of the caribbean is interesting. How much fiddling is there, what sort of styles and where can I find some more info, sound tracks, sheet music etc??

Alan Lomax recorded a lot of music from the Caribbean, including some string bands: http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/audio-ix-session.jsp?d-49653-p=1

Here's one example:  http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=26154

There's some fiddle on this record too:  http://www.nonesuch.com/albums/west-indies-an-island-carnival

Edited by - DougD on 07/19/2012 19:00:13

Thanks!

I haven't heard anything, but the Cayman Islands are so small that it's doubtful there would be much.  However, I know that a lot of Jamaicans went there.  Of course, the Jamaicans danced the quadrille, so a lot of their fiddling must have been tunes for quadrilles. 

This is an interesting question.  In Jamaica, there is one area (St. Elizabeth Parish) which was largely settled by the "free coloured" part of the population who were never slaves.  They are mixed race, but probably tend to be more European than African.  There probably were fiddlers there.  However, it's doubtful that there are any today, although the elders might recall some. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqVW9Sx31-M

never thought to look towards the Mento. Follow the suggested links, withnall.

thanks for pointing me towards a whole wide open boulevard of sidetracks, Dan Gellert!