While there are some 40 plus cays that make up the Turks & Caicos Islands, only eight of them are inhabited by people. The Turks & Caicos natives are called 'Belongers' or 'Turks & Caicos Islanders', and are either descendants from African slaves who were originally brought over to grow cotton and work in the salt industry, or have immigrated from the neighboring countries. The local population mixes harmoniously with a large expatriate community of British, American, French, Canadian, Haitians, Dominicans and Scandinavians, giving the islands an international influence and unique culture.
Artists in the Caribbean are blessed with an environment ripe for inspiration and in Turks & Caicos the sparkling turquoise waters along with the colorful characters of the local population provide even more drama and stimulation for sketches, paintings, drawings and craftwork. Oil and watercolors are the two most widely used techniques of the local artist. With the colorful influence and broad styles of neighboring Haiti and the Dominican Republic, a new style of Turks & Caicos art is emerging to further define the scenes, themes and subject matter for young and upcoming artists as they capture the culture on canvas.
The national music of the Turks & Caicos is called 'Ripsaw Music'. Another name for this type of music is ‘Rake ‘n’ Scrape’. The basic instruments used are the saw, the goatskin drum, and the hand accordion, also known locally as the Constentina, hand-made maracas and the acoustic guitar. The main instrument featured is the ordinary carpenter handsaw found in any hardware store. The saw is held with either end in a number of ways to produce a bend in the center of the blade. A metal scraper, usually a long nail, a fork or knife or a screwdriver, is raked and scraped over the teeth of the saw to produce a unique percussive scraping sound, this action is called 'Ripping the Saw'. Bending the body and ripping the saw in time with the beat of the music produces a wobbled overtone. This gives the characteristic sound of ripsaw music.
