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Welcome to Strictly Facts a guide to Caribbean history and culture. Hosted by me, alexandria Miller. Strictly Facts teaches the history, politics and activism of the Caribbean and connects these themes to contemporary music and popular culture. Welcome to Strictly Facts a guide to Caribbean history and culture, the podcast where we explore the rich cultures, histories and identities of the Caribbean. I'm your host, alexandria, and in today's episode we're diving into a part of Caribbean multiracial identity and ethnic identity that we sometimes overlook, especially Dougla. Dr Hossain, in our last episode, described herself as a proud Dougla woman and I thought why not explore that term more? Dougla, what does it mean, where does it come from and how has it shaped Caribbean identity, especially in terms of mixed ethnicity? When we think about ethnic identities in the Caribbean, we often think of the labels that stem from the various historical in the Caribbean. We often think of the labels that stem from the various historical, racial and cultural influences that have shaped who we are. For centuries, the Caribbean has been a melting pot of sorts of different peoples indigenous communities, the region's original inhabitants, enslaved Africans, european colonizers, asian indentured servants and several others, colonizers, asian indentured servants and several others. Duggala is just one of the many terms that encapsulate this rich and complex mix of ethnicities. So what does Duggala mean?

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Duggala is a term primarily used in the Caribbean and diaspora, particularly in countries like Trinidad and Tobago, guyana and Suriname, to describe individuals of mixed African and Indian descent. The word itself has roots in our colonial histories of enslavement and indentured servitude and reflects the union of these two historically subjugated groups. The origins of the term are somewhat debated, but it's generally thought that Duggala is derived from the Hindu word Duggala, which means double or mix. However, historically, there has been some contention about the meaning of Duggla. Once used to deride mixed-race people's legitimacy, it has not always been seen as a positive word and to that point, as we continue to move and migrate, it has sometimes been used now, in modern day, to describe the joining of other mixed race groups, not just Afro-Indian people. What makes Duggala interesting is how it contrasts with other terms that describe mixed ethnicity in the Caribbean.

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Historically, the Caribbean has seen an array of complex identities and labels. In some contexts, terms like mulatto someone who is of mixed African and European descent or mestizo, of African and indigenous descent, have been used. These terms often carry heavy connotations of racial hierarchy, with European ancestry being considered superior in many societies and they aren't as popular in today's world. But Dugla doesn't quite fit into that same framework. It is a term that in many ways has been reclaimed by the people of mixed African and Indian descent as a point of pride, despite its earlier negative connotations. It signifies a blending of cultures, two of the most prominent racial and ethnic groups in the Caribbean. In that sense, the word itself has evolved from something potentially derogatory to something that can carry empowerment and pride in its multicultural roots. In some ways, dougla offers a sense of solidarity, as it acknowledges both African and Indian heritage, in the same breath lifting up those who are descended by historically marginalized people in a racially divided society. While the term has been used in a variety of ways, today it is overwhelmingly serving us as a reminder of the fusion of cultures that have made the Caribbean what it is today.

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You might be wondering how does Douglas show up in Caribbean popular culture? I'm always looking for those, as you all know. So whether it's woven into the fabric of the region's music, literature and even politics. I'm here to give you some examples. One of the most significant places where we see the influence of Dugla is in our music. Of course, artists have long acknowledged and celebrated the fusion of African and Indian musical traditions, creating rhythms and melodies that blend these two cultures into something entirely unique. In fact, the fusion of African and Indian rhythms gave rise to the distinct sounds of Trinidad, especially when we think of Calypso and Chutney Soka.

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Many of these music styles celebrate the Dougal identity, acknowledging both African and Indian cultural roots in their melodies and lyrics. A great example of this is the 1961 song Split Me in Two by Trinidadian-Kalepsonian Cletus Ali, whose stage name is none other than Mighty Duggla. In it, he aptly describes the mutual understanding of Duggla's motherlands when he sings if they sending indians to india and africans back to africa, well, somebody please just tell me, were they sending poor me? I am neither one nor the other. Six of one, half dozen of the other. So if they sending all these people back home, for true, they got to split me in two. The song was so important that Mighty Duggla won the Calypso Monarch with the song in that year.

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Additionally, the 2021 book Duggla in the 21st Century, adding to the mix by Sue Ann Barrett and Aaliyah Ranjit Singh, bring us into the modern day. In it, they explore contemporary notions and complications of Dugla identity, like skin color, hair type and much more. To wrap things up, the term Dugla represents more than just a simple description of someone with mixed African and Indian heritage. It symbolizes the rich history of cultural exchange, adaptation and survival in the Caribbean. It acknowledges the blending of two distinct worlds African and Indian and highlights the Caribbean's ability to create new, unique cultural expressions. It has also become a tool for empowerment, offering people of mixed heritage a way to embrace both sides of their identity in a region built on diversity and interconnection. And with that, I hope you gained some tremendous insight in our episode today in terms of the meaning and significance of Dugla as an ethnic identity and how it has shaped Caribbean culture, both past and present.

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As always, thank you so much for tuning in. Be sure to subscribe to Strictly Facts on your favorite podcast platform, share with a family member or friend and definitely be in more conversation with us in terms of the diverse and fascinating histories and cultures that make us who we are. Until next time, I'm Alexandria, and this has been another episode of Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean history and culture Little more. Thanks for tuning in to Strictly Facts. Visit strictlyfactspodcastcom for more information from each episode. Follow us at Strictly Facts Pod on Instagram and Facebook and at Strictly Facts Pod on Instagram and Facebook and at Strictly Facts PD on Twitter.