Burning Cane by Gerald McCollam. Photo is licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC 2.0
Acoustic Meditation by Jason Shaw (AudionautiX.com). Song is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution: CC BY 4.0
Home is where the cane is. Oftentimes, I have found myself going out of town and realizing the immediate sense of comfort upon returning to my hometown. The smell of sugar cane, the sounds of the semi trucks, and the miles of sugar cane fields all provide a country aesthetic.
Seeing pictures of sugar cane burning reminds me of the rich history, culture, and tradition in my community. It reminds me of unity, struggles, and strives. It also reminds me of what an agricultural community’s history, present, and future.
I was conflicted about whether to include a dramatic, alarming song to reflect the effects of burning sugar cane and how it might be perceived at first glance, but decided to present it differently. I instead present it with a sense of calm and hope.
The photo can be of winter and cozy days in the country. While, at first glance, a photo of something in nature burning might be alarming, I chose to add a calm folk song to shift the feelings toward a reflection on the process of sugar cane harvesting and agriculture. I hope others can relate to the culture in their own hometowns or get a glimpse into the country.
Home Is Where the Cane Is by Jazmin Jimenez. Licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
This work is a derivative of IMG_9945 by Gerald McCollam, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC 2.0 & Acoustic Meditation by Jason Shaw (AudionautiX) licensed under Creative Commons Attribution: CC BY 4.0
Both works used were combined to complement each other for a class assignment. IMG_9945 was renamed to “Burning Cane” to better explain the photo, and the song Acoustic Meditation was compressed using OnlineConverter.com to meet the audio upload requirements.