Barbados: People And Society by newsdesk Though there are no noticeable sparks in the societal mood, the general environment cannot perhaps be termed as congenial. Undertones of income disparities and racial discrimination sour the social atmosphere. With a history of racial discrimination against the African community, there is a growing sense of pride for its Afro-Caribbean heritage in the contemporary Barbadian. An example of this is the music of the renowned Barbadian Calypso artist, Mighty Gabby, whose themes mainly revolve around the question of racial discrimination. Religion Majority of the population are Protestants out of which dominant strains are Anglicans, Pentecostal and Methodist. About 4% of the population is Roman Catholic. Language English is the official language on the Island. Culture and Crafts As Barbados was almost never involved in any of the colonial wars, there’s practically little or no influence of other cultures such as Spanish (except its name), Dutch or French though there are obvious touches of the ‘stiff upper lip’. Every day life in Barbados displays traces of North American culture. In general, music is an essential element of Barbados culture. Folk music involves traditional African drumming, a bequest of the African slaves who were imported to work at the sugar plantations. The music heritage is also influenced by Trinidadian Calypso music and more recently by reggae from the ghettos of Jamaica. The latter’s influence triggered off the birth of two new music forms – Spouge and Soca. Today, music is an important aspect of any celebration. At most restaurants, menus include food accompanied by music. ‘Crop over festival’ held mid-July, is celebration time among the Barbadians. The festival stretches over a period of three weeks of fun and merriment fog the atmosphere. Celebrations include calypso competitions, costume parades and fairs. Other major events are the Holetown Festival, the Oistins Fish Festival and the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts. The latter interestingly enough is held throughout the month of November and features talent competitions in dance, drama and singing. The festival commences on the last day of November, Independence Day, when the final competitions are held. Various international sporting events are also held through the year. Education With literacy rates almost touching a 100%, Barbadians have a reputation of being a very intellectually alive society. Novelist George Lamming and poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite are claims of Barbados’ cerebral heritage Barbados: People And Society by newsdesk.