Like Me, My Windrush Grandparents Are Loving Beyoncé's Step Into Country Music

Image Source: Aaliyah Harry/Getty

It's Good Friday, and my family have all gathered together at my grandparents for our annual fish dinner. Our gatherings are often filled with amazing food, laughter, and good music. As I walk into the living room, I can hear the faint sounds of country music playing from their record player. I usually catch my grandad softly humming and swaying along in time to the music.

For as long as I can remember my grandad, Justin Moore, has loved country music. The genre has pretty much always been the soundtrack to their Caribbean household alongside Soca and Reggae. When I was young I did find his love for country music a bit surprising, but as I grew up I learnt that that the Windrush Generation — the Caribbean community who settled in the UK from 1948-1971 — have deep links to country music.

My grandad was born in St Lucia, a tiny island in the Caribbean, where country music is adored. Whilst many Caribbean islands love Country, St Lucia undoubtedly has the most devotion to the genre. Wether it's blasted on the radio or sung at the top of people's lungs during karaoke, country music is huge a huge part of their culture. There are even buses named after Jim Reeves songs and there was an annual St Lucia Country music festival which ran from the early 90s to 2017. However, the beloved country songs are mostly from the 1950s and 1970s; Hank Williams, George Jones , and Tammy Wynette are the favourites. It's all about the country classics in St Lucia and new artists hardly get any attention - which is why I was so surprised that my grandad was so open to listening to "Cowboy Carter".

"So, Beyoncé's making country music now? That's a good idea," he said over Easter. I took that comment as all the confirmation I needed and pressed play on "Cowboy Carter". When the opening song "American Requiem" started playing, his eyes grew wide and he nodded along to the beat. I played my grandad the full album throughout the day and he was impressed.

The standout songs on the album for him were "Blackbird", "16 Carriages", "Texas Hold 'Em", "II Most Wanted", and "Levi Jeans." However, nothing could compare to when he heard the first few notes of "Jolene." His face lit up as soon as the song began and it was almost like he was transported back to hearing the original Dolly Parton version as a young boy. He sang along to the chorus with delight as he took in Beyoncé's new spin on one of his favourite country tracks.

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I've always wanted to know why he had such a connection to country music, and this moment provided the perfect opportunity to talk about it. He recalled his time as a young boy in Soufrière, which is a village in the southwest of the island. "Things were hard growing up, my dad was a fisherman and I remember him being out for long hours just to make sure we had enough for my siblings and I to get by," he remembered. "As a young boy, we would go to church and in unison we would all sing God-fearing country songs at the top of our lungs. Country music was a form of escape and the lyrics were always hopeful and linked to our Christian faith." He tells me that country music is still mostly prevalent in the south of the island, where there are many poor communities that have strong ties to Christianity. This also mirrors the community in the southern areas in the US, where country music was birthed.

However, there are also many similarities country music has to Kwadril, the traditional music from St.Lucia. Kwadril is made with similar instruments as country; the banjo and the fiddle can be heard throughout. the Texas-Two step also has similar steps as Kwadril dance. As Beyoncé has poignantly reminded the world through "Cowboy Carter", Country has deep roots in African-American Blues. According to The Smithsonian Institution, the banjo was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and North America by combining African and European instrument forms and has become a staple in country, folk and hillbilly music.

Despite the clear contributions of Black artists to the roots of the genre, research shows these artists have been shunned from much of the industry. The proof is in the statistics — only three Black artists have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1964. Through "Cowboy Carter", Beyoncé has shattered the glass ceiling that has held many Black artists back and my grandad seemed proud of her contribution to this.

When the Caribbean community came over on the HMT Windrush seeking a better life in the UK, they also brought their love and devotion for country music with them. "When I arrived in the UK, things weren't easy at first either," says my grandad. "There was a lot of racism and strife we were confronted with on a daily basis. Country music not only gave us that comforting feeling of being home but it was also music that helped us get through hard times." Over the years, I've watched my grandparents slow dance to hundreds of country songs holding each other close as they glided around the dance floor with such emotion - but now I get why they hold the genre so dear.

Beyoncé is my favourite artist of all time and by her taking the leap to country music and reclaiming the genre for the Black community, it has created a special moment and conversation with my grandad. As we are generations apart, there isn't much we can bond over — but "Cowboy Carter" has brought us together in a beautifully unexpected way. Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" has united generations through music and has reminded us all of the power that music truly holds.

Aaliyah Harry (she/her) is the associate editor at POPSUGAR UK. She writes extensively across lifestyle, culture and beauty. Aaliyah also has a deep passion for telling stories and giving voice to the voiceless. Previously, she has contributed to Refinery29, Grazia UK and The Voice Newspaper.