Prepárense

A much younger Gato Barbieri recorded a rather free interpretation of this Astor Piazzolla composition on his The Third World. Featuring the unforgettable Charlie Haden, the incomparable Lonnie Liston Smith, and the unsurpassed Rosswell Rudd, we actually prefer the older cover. Nonetheless, this straight interpretation from Gato's later years is pure delight. His talent and unique voice cannot be denied. 

Boricua

"Boricua" is one of the interesting early attempts by Astor Piazzolla to fuse tango and jazz in a Jazz-Tango quintet.. As the title of the piece suggests, this early crossover attempt involved instrumentation typically associated with the Cuban and Puerto Rican influences in Latin jazz. Jason Borge mentions it as an interesting piece, and it certainly is. Perhaps one of the few from this group that is worth hearing. 

The Best of Gato Barbieri: A Personal List

Over two months after his Gato Barbieri's death, I am still awe-struck by his music, particularly his output in the 1960s and 1970s. Barbieri was, in my humble opinion, one of the most intriguing jazz musicians in the avant-garde and Latin Jazz worlds. This is part of the reason Eric Dolphy and Archie Shepp, among others, intrigue me, since they straddled the jazz avant-garde and bop worlds. Bringing South American indigenous instrumentation and even, at least a few times, the tango, into his jazz vocabulary was a bold risk. I believe that somewhat raucous and unruly combination of styles, sounds, and musicians usually succeeded, especially with the accompaniment of polished musicians like Lonnie Smith. Furthermore, prior to going his own way in the 1970s, Barbieri proved himself more than capable in avant-garde circles in Europe, even collaborating with Don Cherry and Abdullah Ibrahim with spectacular results, not to mention his presence in seminal works by Carla Bley and Charlie Haden. Unfortunately, after 1975, Barbieri's commercial route lessened my interest in his music, but that fiery, passionate voice of his remained ever-present in his later musical forays. So, in light of his passing, here is a personal "Best of Gato Barbieri."

1. Complete Communion by Don Cherry for an introduction to Barbieri's work with a fellow jazz legend. Cherry's long composition is suite-like and fueled by Eddie Blackwell's busy drumming (at times hinting at Cherry's interest in "world music", but perhaps sounds a little too similar to Ornette Coleman's work at times, especially around 13 or 14 minutes in). After ten minutes into this rather lengthy composition, El Gato gets his time to shine and it's stunning, as well as a second solo later. In the past, I have compared Barbieri's saxophone style to Pharoah Sanders, but he's in a category of his own. 

2. Nunca Mas for the pathos of Barbieri's tenor and the bandoneon of Dino Saluzzi. I have yet to hear a better, sweeter tribute to Barbieri's native Argentina. Saluzzi's bandoneon sounds perfectly at home while Gato wails his heart out. Barbieri also recorded a version of this with a similar large ensemble featuring a variety of South American instruments, almost matching "Encuentros" in its intensity. 

3. Lluvia Azul is worthwhile just to hear Barbieri's passionate take on more conventional Latin Jazz. While not likely to shock fans of his earlier music with the 1960s "New Thing" in jazz, all the pieces come together beautifully here: percussion, lilting piano, an organized ensemble, and non-static, surprising directions that gradually build themselves into something larger than the sum of all its parts. Barbieri's supported by an excellent horn section. Barbieri also recorded this live.

4. Encuentros, an aptly titled song, is what led me to think of Barbieri as the "Pharoah Sanders" of Latin Jazz or Latin America. Combining Brazilian rhythms in a large ensemble playing numerous native South American regions, "Encuentros" brings together Brazil and Spanish-speaking South America, Afro-Latin America and indigenous influences in a way I have never heard elsewhere. Gato was at the intersection of the "Third World" quite literally, in this musical tribute to Latin America.

5. Maria Domingas was written by Jorge Ben, my favorite Brazilian singer. Naturally, I adore Gato's take on a classic in Brazilian samba, plus Lonnie Liston Smith and Stanley Clarke to keep things grounded. Gato even tries a little singing in that utterly unique, yodel-like manner Jorge Ben does. Brilliant.

6. Yesterdays has been a favorite ever since hearing Billie Holiday emote the standard. Gato does it justice while Lonnie Liston's comping and Ron Carter on bass don't hurt. Playing standards in a Latin vein does not always succeed, but this is one of the successful examples, especially in the combination of Gato's softer, sentimental side with unbridled passion and vibrato.

7. La China Leoncia Arreo La Correntinada Trajo Entre La Muchachada La Flor De La Juventud is another number bringing to mind Pharoah Sanders or the "world music" phase of other spiritual and free-jazz artists of the 1970s, especially in Barbieri's shrieks and weeping saxophone. Again, unlike most Latin Jazz, "Amerindian" insturments like the charango and drums are used with special effect. Unlike my "Encuentros," this isn't cluttered, either.

8. Vidala Triste makes the list for featuring significant vocals from Gato and prominent acoustic guitar in a simple yet mysterious romp.

9. Brasil is propelled by Nana Vasconcelos playing his heart out on berimbau and Smith's piano chops. This is not your lounge-jazz bossa nova at all, which is refreshing, since the song builds up slowly from the slower tempo to a frenetic pace while Gato soars, alluding to his freer period while remaining melodious.

10. Yo Le Canto A La Luna, by Atahualpa Yupanqui, is another lyrical tribute of sorts to Argentina and one of the great songwriters who honored indigenous heritage. Jazzy accompaniment by Smith, Barbieri's smooth singing is not bad at all, either. For an idea of the source material, Yupanqui's is a great place to start.

11. Carnavalito is another Brazilian-flavored song, but does not comprise on Gato's tenor driving the entirety of the song, including higher register skronk calling back to his 1960s days. Vasconcelos is back on berimbau, a deceptively simple while Gato straddles between jazz avant-garde and Latin Jazz.

12. Cancion del Llamero/Tango is noteworthy as an early foray into Latin music, or Gato standing at the corner of the Third World. Featuring Charlie Haden on bass, The Third World captures Barbieri in a transitional phase, but it's hauntingly beautiful. The trombone is awkward, but gives it a multilayered texture. Anastasio Quiroga's original version, just vocals, is equally beautiful. The "Tango" part of the equation sounds like Piazzolla's Prepárense, which was also recorded by Barbieri several years later, again. It's a pity the two never recorded together.

13. Fiesta is where Barbieri went for a more commercial sound, embracing funk, soul, and popular music. While an entertaining number, and musically speaking, more interesting than a lot of popular music of the disco era and beyond, it's just not the Gato whose earlier work speaks to me. This, oddly, sounds like like Harlem River Drive with a Latin beat.

14.  El Arriero, composed by Yupanqui, is a rollercoaster ride with a brilliant percussion section backing Barbieri with some dissonant squeals and honking.

15. Parabola, by Alan Shorter, brother of Wayne Shorter, wrote a fascinating song that, well, like a parabola, moves up and down. Muhammad Ali, not the boxer, drums assertively over walking bass and Barbieri's solo takes my breath away. Although this kind of composition sounds like something Grachan Moncur III would have written, the sidemen make it unique, especially Muhammad Ali's propulsive polyrhythms.

16. India for its austere beauty. Written by a Paraguayan, Gal Costa also sang the song.

17. Girl in Black (Para Mi Negra), the highlight for the soundtrack of Last Tango in Paris. Sensual, lush soundscape again reflecting the influence of the tango. Oliver Nelson, who I love for his 1960s classic exploring the blues, did an excellent job arranging this.

18. Hotel Overture, from one of Carla Bley's ambitious projects in the 1970s, is a favorite for Barbieri's brief yet soul-stirring solo in a cacophonous overture for Bley's lofty jazz opera. With a whiff of Ellington and Mingus, Bley's jazz orchestra's are usually rewarding. Carla Bley is rightfully highly regarded as a composer and arranger, but sometimes a little goes a long way for those unable to listen to the entirety of Escalator Over the Hill. This overture will suffice.

19. Latinoamérica is just an adorable Brazilian-influenced tribute to Latin America. A "cute" Latin Jazz song like Charlie Parker's Little Suede Shoes or Marion Brown's La Placita, this is another avenue for Gato's sensitive, emotionally restrained side to express itself with enough cavaquinho to last a lifetime.

20. El Gato because I am a cat lover and a fan of Oliver Nelson. Barbieri is, as one might expect in a song named after him, introspective while Nelson's horn arrangement responds to his call. Nelson's solo is less adventurous, within the bop realm, yet interesting to hear the contrast in Gato's tenor versus his alto.

21. Last Tango In Paris Jazz Waltz stands out from the famous soundtrack for it's clave rhythm and overt jazz character.

22. Michelle as an early example of Gato's 1960s avant-garde years and a lovely tribute to his wife. Just a trio with bass and drums, allowing Gato to blow us away in a free-jazz song that is still structured and accessible, albeit 19 minutes too long for some ears.

23.  Viva la Quince Brigada from Liberation Music Orchestra's suite of Spanish Civil War songs is a showcase for Gato. Haden, Bley, Don Cherry, and just about everyone else participated in this landmark recording of left-wing, anti-imperialist jazz.

24. What Will be Left Between Us and the Moon Tonight? is similar to Hotel Overture and is unmistakably Carla Bley, but from her Tropic Appetites. Barbieri, or "Unidentified Cat," solos over what would not have been out of place on some of his own Latin American-inspired records from the same era as this exotica suite encompasses various African, Indian, Asian and Latin moods.

Last Tango in Buenos Aires

Gato Barbieri blowing away while the endless tango accompanies him for a song of utter beauty. 

Encontros

I miss Gato Barbieri so much that even his more standard Latin jazz fare is more precious than ever. While lacking more of the extreme playing you might expect from his work with Don Cherry, Alan Shorter and others, Barbieri's Latin-inspired music is usually capable of taking Latin American folk styles, songs, and rhythms into interesting directions. This number, a cute song with what sounds like a Brazilian beat, forays into some of Barbieri's famous honking without disrupting the melody. 

Nochero Soy

Living the night life with one of the best of tango. The tango obsession continues!

Milonga del Angel

Beauty is a rare thing. Bask in the pulchritude. 

Tango Negro

A lovely tango that celebrates African cultural influences in tango. He even names specific African 'ethnic groups' that influenced the comparsas, Carnival celebrations, and rhythms of candombe, milonga, and tango. 

El Tango

As I expand my Argentina playlist on Youtube, I want to share this interesting Robert Colescott painting that alludes to the black origins of tango. More Argentines who think black people in their country died out in the late 19th century should see this painting, as well as read Robert Farris Thompson.

La Trampera

A lovely milonga that reveals the influence of Cuban habanera and Afro-Argentine styles in Argentina's popular music. Indeed, I am more drawn to milonga than tango these days, and this lively number with its Afro-Latin and Afro-Caribbean traits (the product of Afro-Argentine, Afro-Cuban, and European influences) amazes me due to Argentina's supposed reputation as a white country. Thanks to Robert Farris Thompson's excellent book on the tango for opening my eyes (and ears) to the beautiful music of Argentina. 

Milonga and Tango

Been trying to get into more music from Argentina and Uruguay these days, especially since the history of tango and milonga is rooted in the Afro-Argentine and Afro-Uruguayan experience. I've devoured the music of Brazil and Colombia, why not expand my musical tastes to include tango, milonga, and candombe? My problem in the past with milonga and tango was how European the music was, European to the point of inducing boredom. But jams like the above 'milonga' is full of passion and at times quite moving. The tension of the piece and "Latin" rhythms reflecting African influences are quite moving. Indeed, it's quite similar to some Afro-Caribbean music, such as art music or classical composers, or rhythms like the habanera.

Juan Manuel Rosas and Afro-Argentine Candombe

 

 Afro-Argentines played a large role in the caudillo government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, who responded to the needs of the Afro-Argentine community, appeared at their societies' festivals and, if I remember correctly, his white daughter even participated in their dances! As a patron of the Afro-Argentines of 19th century, postcolonial Argentina, his government, ruled non-democratically as a strong man, required patron-client relationships with certain segments of the population. In this case, his rule in the 19th century led to patronage for Afro-Argentine societies, which, at the time, formed perhaps 1/4 of the entire population of Buenos Aires and were visible minorities in other areas of the young nation. Afro-Argentines would offer military support, receive special protections and privileges, and some of their 'ethnic' associations (cabildos de nacion) receiving funding from Rosas. I have been meaning to write a critical overview of Afro-Argentine history, and, one day, shall write more extensively on the role of Argentinos de ascendencia africana en la historia de Buenos Aires. 

The African Diaspora in Rio de la Plata: Uruguay and Argentina

The African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere, Part 2

One of the most important things we should push for within the Americas is for clear census data detailing our numbers in each state in the hemisphere. With that data, we can also analyze it for similar trends in poverty, lack of black leadership, and hopefully destroy the invisibility of the African diaspora in so many Latin American nations, including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, and Central America. I will endeavor to give a list of the total population of African descent in the Americas below using data from wikipedia:

Total population of the Americas: 910,720,588 (July 2008 est.)
From conservative estimates, the Afro-descended (of Middle Passage descent, not recent immigrants from Africa) population of the Americas (USA, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and South America) is about 183,708,067. Out of the total population estimate in 2008 of 910,720,588, this would be about 20.2% of the entire human population in the Americas. Since data is lacking in so many countries or Afro-descended peoples are undercounted, I am quite sure that it's at least a few million higher than what I have written here. Furthermore, if one were to go by higher estimates for people of African descent than I've used for nations like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Peru, and a few other nations, then the population is at least a few millions higher than my rather conservative estimate of 183,708,067.

Another total population estimate I found using wikipedia's African diaspora page is 178,588,078. The total population of the Americas according to that page is 919,547,596, which means that the proportion of people of African descent in the Americas would be 19.42%, a little lower than my estimate based on a 2008 estimate for the entire Americas. I believe both my guess and this estimate for the total population of African descent in the Americas is off, probably by a few millions.

Regardless, it's interesting that people of African descent are only about 1/5 of the entire population of the region given that, until the late 19th and 20th centuries, most people who crossed the Atlantic to settle in the Americas were Africans doing so against their will. The largest forced migration history, the Atlantic slave trade created the Black Atlantic world as well as drastically shaping the racial composition of the Caribbean, coastal South America and Central America, and the southern United States. If mortality rates were not so high in so many slave societies and there were more balanced ratios of males and females of African descent, the black population of the Americas would undoubtedly be much higher. When Europeans crossed the Atlantic in vast numbers during the late 19th and 20th centuries, the developing Industrial Revolution and advances in medicine allowed for, I suspect, greater access to medicine and fewer deaths, especially infant mortality. Moreover, many Latin American nations wishing to whiten their societies, encouraged and offered incentives for European immigrants in order to stem the social decay they associated with biologically inferior African and indigenous peoples, unfit for any modern democracy. Ironically, the other aspect of the whitening ideology was to have them mix with black and indigenous peoples and improve the morality and cultures of the nations they came, too.

1. United States of America: 42,020,743 African-Americans

2. Canada:  836, 912.2 (about 2.5% of total population)

3. Haiti: 9,719,932 total population with at least 90% or 95% 'black.' So about 9, 233, 935.4 people of African descent if one uses 95% as the estimate for 'blacks'

4. Dominican Republic: total population estimate of 9,927,320 (November 2011) and 73% mixed, 11% black giving us a total of 8338948.8 for people of African descent.

5. Cuba:  census of 2010 indicates the population was 11,241,161with estimates of Afro-Cubans ranging from  33.9% to 62%. Range of estimates varies because census data is based on how Cubans self-identify

6. Puerto Rico: 3,706,690 and As of the 2010 Census, 75.8% call themselves white, 12.4% are black, 0.5% Amerindian, 0.2% Asian, and 11.1% are mixed or other. It's estimated that 46% of the island has African descent, however, even though only 12.4% self-identify as black, which is about 459, 629.56

7. Mexico: Estimates vary, but a group of Black Mexican activists estimate the population of Afro-Mexicans at about 1 million, but there are no official figures. They have petitioned the Mexican government to include a category for people of African descent on the 2010 census. Total population in 2010 census was 113,724,226, the Spanish-speaking country with the greatest population in the world.

8. Martinique and Guadeloupe: 862, 924 with over 90% of the population of both islands being of African descent/black, so about 776, 632.

9. Jamaica: 2,868,380 (2011 est from CIA World Factbook). Majority of African descent, with 91.2% black. So about 2,615,962.56 people of African descent

10. Barbados: 284,589 (July 2009 est.) and about 90% black

11. Trinidad and Tobago: Blacks/African/Afro-Trinidadian 37.5%, mixed 20.5% out of a total population of (July 2011 estimate)1,227,505. About 460,314.375 'black' if one excludes mixed people of Afro-Indian-Trinidadian descent and mixed black/white people.

12. St. Lucia: 156,260 with 93% black and mixed.

13. Dominica: 98% Black and mulatto of a total population of 71,293

14. Guyana: 30.2% black and 16.7% mixed according to 2002 census, out of a total population of 751,223. So perhaps a total of 352,323.587

15. Suriname: According to the 2004 census, Suriname had a population of 492,829. About 41% are of African descent, giving a total of about 202,059.89

16. Brazil: About 50.1% identifies as Afro-Brazilian, including pardos and pretos. 14,517,961 'blacks' and about 82,277,333 pardos or 'brown' multiracial people. That is 96,795,294 out of a total population, according to a 2010 census of  190,755,799. About 50.7% of the nation is Afro-Brazilian or "black" if we define black very broadly. The largest black population in the hemisphere and the second largest black population in the world after Nigeria!

17. French Guiana: 231,000 and about 66% black or mixed, so a total of about 152,460.

18. Panama: total of 3,405,813 and about 14% black, so 476,813.82 people of 'black' ancestry, although a much higher proportion of Panama's population likely is of African descent.

19. Belize: Total population of Belize is 312,971. About 25% Kriol and 6.1% Garifuna/Afro-Amerindian. So perhaps an African-descended population of 97,021.01 but probably higher given the multiracial majority of the small nation.

20. Honduras: Estimates of people of African descent in Honduras vary widely, from 100,000 to 320,000 (1.8 to 5.8 percent of the country's 5.8 million people in 1994). Today, current population estimate in 2010 is about 8,249,574 and, using a low estimate of 2% for people of African descent, the 'black' population in Honduras would be about 164,991.

21. Guatemala: 13,824,463 from a July 2011 estimate for the total Guatemalan population. Perhaps 1-2% is of Afro-Guatemalan heritage, so, using a lower estimate of 1%, the black/mixed population would be 138,245 for people of African descent.

22. Nicaragua: 2010 Census estimate of 5,891,199 for total population of Nicaragua. With about 9% of the population being Afro-Nicaraguan, many of West Indian descent, Nicaragua's black population is somewhere around 530,208.

23. El Salvador: 5,744,113 according to a 2009 census. Due to laws banning the immigration of blacks into the country in the 1930s, Nicaragua's black population is very small and does not include large West Indian or even Garifuna communities, meaning that the small population imported during the slave trade era has mixed with the mestizo majority and indigenous peoples. Thus, although African heritage and influences are present in El Salvador, the numbers of people who self-identify as Afro-descended people is very small and unknown. However, estimates of 10,000 enslaved Africans imported during the colonial period indicates that African contributions to El Salvador and the genetic profile of El Salvador exist. About 86% of the natio's population of likely more than 6 million people is mestizo, with a portion of that population also having African ancestry.

24. Costa Rica:  2011 census counted a population of 4,301,712 people. The black population is concentrated in Limon and largely of West Indian descent. Perhaps around 2% of the population is of West Indian and African descent, according to a census from 2000. I estimate that around 86,034 of Costa Rica is of African descent, although, the proportion is probably a little higher.

25. Colombia: Estimates range from 4.4 to 10.5 million Afro-Colombians, with the higher estimates being that nearly 18-20% of Colombians are Afro-Colombians or of partial African descent. This is nearly 1 out of 5 46,366,364 Colombians. Afro-Colombians are mostly concentrated on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, as well as in cities in the southwest, Antioquia, and Bogota. Their numerous contributions to Colombian culture include cumbia music, one of the most popular forms of Latin American music.

26.Venezuela: 2011 census gives a total population of 27,227,930. Those of African descent who identify as "Negro/negra" are only 2.8% of the population according to the census, and 0.7% as "Afrodescendiente." If a conservative estimate were to combine these two categories, then about 3.5% of Venezuela is "black" and about  952,977.55 of Venezuelans are black. However, the population of Venezuela of African descent is likely higher, especially since 49.9% of Venezuelans self-identified as "moreno/a" on this same census, which could include mestizos and mulattoes. The network of Afro-Venezuelan organizations that pushed for inclusion of Afro-descended and black/negro categories on the 2011 census estimated that there are more than seven million Venezuelans of African descent, so the census data and the estimates of Afro-Venezuelan organizations clearly indicates a huge gap...

27. Ecuador: A total population of 14,483,499 according to a 2010 census. Nearly 7.2% are of African descent, so there are at least 1,042,812 Afro-Ecuadorians.

28. Peru: 29,496,000 people from a 2010 estimate and at least 2% are of African descent (some claim 5-10%), giving us a total of 589,920 Afro-Peruvians whereas others estimate 2,000,000. The census data in Peru does not include race so it's really impossible to get an accurate number for people of African descent in Peru, who are mostly concentrated in the coastal lowlands and Lima. A famous Afro-Peruvian was Maria Elena Moyano one prominent person of African descent assassinated by Shining Path in the 1980s.

29. Argentina: The "whitest" country and most "European" in Latin America began as a colonial and early independent nation with significant black populations in Buenos Aires and other areas. Indeed, the population of the city was nearly 1/4 black or Afro-argentino until the mid-19th century, and by the end of the 19th century, hordes of European immigrants completely shifted the racial makeup of the city. George Reid Andrews has done extensive research on Argentina's black population, if anyone cares to do more research. 40,091,359 is the total population as of the 2010 census, which is the first in over a century to incude data since the late 19th century. Unfortunately, no census since 1887 has included blacks or Afro-Argentines as a separate category, so the population of African descent in Argentina is still unknown. The indigenous population of Argentina, based on self-identified people in the 2010 census was 955,032. A nivel población, la cantidad total de personas que se autoreconocieron como afrodescendientes es de 149.493, es decir  un 0,4 % de la población en viviendas particulares." The Afro-Argentine population according to those self-identifying as such in the 2010 census is about 149,493 or 0.4% of the population living in private homes. 92% of those identifying as Afro-Argentine were also born in the country, not abroad or migrants.

30. Uruguay: A 2006 study found that about 9.1% of Uruguay is black or of African descent. They concluded that would be about 300,000 people of African descent, black and 'mixed.' That would be, if we apply the 9.1% to the current population, still around 300,000 Afrodescendientes. Most of the black population is concentrated in Montevideo, where their candombe music is well-known.

31. Paraguay: 6,454,548  according to a 2009 estimate, perhaps 1% if is African descent. In 1990, the population was reported to be 150,000, but not enough data has been done to document their numbers. The Joshua Project found 68,000 more recently.

32. Bolivia: The total population is around 10,118,683 and there are at least 30,000, mostly in the Yungas region. Many were imported during the colonial period to work in the silver mines of Potosi. "The last census to list a black population separately was the 1900 census, in which 3,945
Afro-Bolivians were officially counted, out of a total population of just over 1.8 million (some
0.2% of the total population)." Assuming there are at least 30,000 Afro-Bolivians, then their proportion of the total population is only 0.3%, but that's assuming 30,000 is the total number of Afro-Bolivians.

33. The Bahamas: 316,182 and about 85% black according to the CIA world factbook. So about 268,755 blacks.

34. Curacao: 142,180 according to a 2010 census. Majority of African descent. The combined population of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao, Aruba, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Bonaire) is likely 200,000 with probably a majority, 85%, being mixed blacks out of a total estimated 2008 population of 225,369. Thus, the black population of the Netherlands Antilles is probably somewhere around 191,564.

35. Antigua and Barbuda: 81,799  and 91% black, so about 74,437 blacks.

36. Bermuda: 64,268 and about 61.2% black and mixed, so the total population of African descent is likely around 43,188.

37. British Virgin Islands: 83.4% of a total population of somewhere around 28,000 is 23,352.

38. Cayman Islands: About 60% of African descent if not more out of a total population of 54,878.

39. Chile: 15,116,435  from the 2002 census. The Afro-Chilean population is more difficult to discover.  Groups of Afro-descended people are demanding a category for them in the 2012 census. The Afro-Chilean population is mostly concentrated in Arica in the north. The Afro-Chilean Alliance's preliminary results from 2009 or 2010 found over 8,000 Afro-Chileans in Arica and other parts of the north of the country.

40. Grenada: 108,419 and 94% of African descent, so 101,914 people.

41. Montserrat: 5,164 and mostly of African descent.

42. St. Kitts & Nevis: around 90% of 51,300 of African descent. At least 46,170 people of African descent.

43. St. Martin: 36,824 on the French side of the island, predominantly of African descent. The Dutch side's population was incorporated into the Netherlands Antilles.

44. St. Pierre & the Grenadines: 104,574 and at least 86% of African descent. 89,934 people of African descent, but probably higher.

45. Turks & Caicos: 44,819 and at least 90% black. 40,337 people of African descent at least.

46. United States Virgin Islands: 109,750 and at least 80 if not 90% of African descent. Assuming it was only about 80%, then 87,800.

47. Saint Barthélemy: 8,902 but 90-95% of European descent. French Caribbean.

48. Anguilla: 13,600 with at least 90% being of African descent, 12,240.