In the amalgam of languages and cultures that is the Caribbean, it is almost impossible to reach complete agreement on the origin of any of the art forms that have emerged as distinctly Caribbean. In colonial times, the European masters naturally replicated their cultures in this new-found milieu, although they did make a few concessions to the presence and input of other communities – the indigenous ones they found on arrival, and those from Africa and from India in particular. In the postcolonial societies of the Caribbean, the newly independent states have found themselves faced with an intriguing cultural choice. On one hand, they can discard what was brought by the Europeans and stick to what they have produced themselves – often labeled “folk” or “local” to set it apart from the more established extra-Caribbean equivalents. On the other, they can retain Eurocentric values, traditions, and art forms, and in so doing risk giving the impression that they are renouncing their cultural independence. Naturally, it would be highly impractical for societies in the West Indies – still the familiar name for the anglophone territories referred to in our title – to attempt to choose one of the foregoing over the other. In reality, several values and traditions have come together to produce authentic, unique art forms that are both similar to those of Europe, and sufficiently dissimilar from them to be distinctly Caribbean or West Indian. Carnival fits this pattern, as does drama.