Chinese in Jamaica
The Chinese started to arrive in Jamaica on July 30th,1854. By the year 1930, four thousand emigrated to Jamaica. In the next 6 years and additional 2,000 arrived. Compared with the African-Jamaican population and even with the number of Indians, the figure was relatively small but the Jamaican Government, facing economic pressures of the depression […]
Work Songs
With the dawn of the 19th Century came the cries of the Napoleonic war to the flames and carnage of the Haitian revolution and in Jamaica to tarrying rumours that slaves brought by fugitive French planters were planning an uprising. More than one thousand were transported. This followed conspiracies in Kingston in 803 and in […]
Christmas Market or Grand Market
Christmas Market or Grand Market as it was also called was held on the morning of Christmas Day. These special markets occupied the front doors of legitimate business who were closed for the holiday in the town or village square. No public or private transportation was allowed into the special part of town that the […]
John Canoe or Jonkonnu Parade
The John Canoe (Jonkonnu), which links music and dance, mime and symbol is an early traditional dance form of African descent that still survives in Jamaica. The mask has a central place in African religions, and it may be that JohnCanoe, a masquerade form, and myal, a possession-healing form of religion, were closely allied in […]
Jamaican Pantomimes
Jamaicans pride themselves on their sense of rhythm, their love of laughter and their loose-limbed style. It’s a reflection of the many cultures blended into one unique style, a marriage between the Old World and the New. We boast that we make drama of everything. An old Jamaican phrase advises that “we tek bad sinting […]
Jamaican Weddings
Weddings are considered grand family occasions. In the rural parishes the entire community helps with the wedding preparations. The older women giving last minute instructions to the young bride is a very common way of life. In rural communities a large booth made of coconut leaves and bamboo is built and decorated with flowers. The […]
Belief about Birth and Deaths(Old Wives Tales)
In the days of slavery we learn from our ancestors that whenever a woman had a baby both baby and mother were kept in doors for 9 days. The midwife “Nana” who delivered the baby would tie the placenta and navel string put it in a secure place. Three days after the baby’s birth these […]
Jamaican Culture – An Overview
Culture is the way of life of a people and includes, customs, practices, beliefs, superstitions and food. All this lead people to act, think and behave differently from other people in other cultures. The Jamaican culture is a great example. These customs lead people to act, think and behave differently and make them distinctive. The […]
Eric ‘Monty’ Morris – 1 Minute Jamaican Music Biography
RawHTML: Eric ‘Monty’ Morris helped the Jamaican music scene move forward when he took lyrics from traditional Folk and Mento songs and applied them to the new Ska style. A good friend of Derrick Morgan, Eric started recording just after Derrick. His work with Prince Buster included the song ‘Humpty Dumpty’ which saw Buster selling […]
Its time to go home
Well, I think it’s time for me to go home. This year is not going well. I have extra classes, a much smaller room and I really think everybody at school is in a big conspiracy to get me out of Marine Biology. Let me tell you what happened. I had a field trip yesterday […]