Culture of Jamaica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jamaican culture represents a rich blend of cultures that have inhabited the island. Spanish and British settlers, and West African slaves brought cultural elements, as did East Asian and Indian immigrants who came to the island as indentured servants.
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[edit] Tainos
The biggest areas of influence of the Taino Indians on Jamaica was in language and foods. In fact, Jamaica's name comes from the Taino name for the island, Xaymaca: the "land of wood and water." Other words include:
- Cohiba - the Taino word for tobacco.
- Tabaco - the Taino word for the pipe from which they smoked.
- Hamaca - the Taino word for hammocks, which they used as beds.
Foods included cassava, maize, waterfowl, and, of course, seafood. The Tainos' diet became the diet of the early Spanish settlers, and the native plants have remained over time, though iguanas and manatees are not a part of the current Jamaican diet.
[edit] Rastafari
The best known side of Jamaican culture is reggae music, and the Rastafari movement, who are recognised all over the world for playing what is a distinctively syncopated style that arose from another Jamaican sound, ska. Bob Marley, from Kingston, is doubtless the best known performer of this style. Not every Rastafarian plays reggae music, and not every reggae listener is Rastafarian.
Rastafari is a religion based on the Christian King James Bible. The Bible is read in an Ethiopianist fashion, and adherents believe in the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as an avatar of God, or Jah. Marcus Garvey and a back-to-Africa movement both inspired this religion.
Some Rastafari wear their hair in dreadlocks. Some also only eat food that is I-tal where certain foods are avoided. However, there is not a well-defined dogma in Rastafarianist.
[edit] Dance
Dance has always been important on Jamaica - from colonial times until the present. Early folk dances often served religious purposes, or were associated with religious holidays. More recently, dances have become associated with the music of Jamaica, particularly dancehall styles.
More than 30 distinctive Jamaican dances have been identified. According to the National Library of Jamaica, traditional Jamaican dances fall roughly under three categories: African derived, European derived and Creole.[1] The Africa derived dance tradition is divided into two types: religious dances and social dances. Religious African dances, such as the ritualistic Kumina, Myal and Pocomania, are integral parts of worship ceremonies. The aim is to bring the dancers into the realm of the spiritual and heighten their readiness for possession. This part of Jamaica's African heritage has mainly been preserved by the Maroon Communities. Social African derived dances include Etu, Quadrille and Maypole (originally religious but now mainly social).[1]
The Jamaican Creole dances integrate elements from both European and African cultures. Examples are Jonkonnu, Bruckin's, Revival, Pukkumina (possibly the best-known Revival (religious) style which still exists today) and Dinkie mini, a dance in the Wake Complex of traditional dances. Social dances that are European derived include those that accompanied work songs and ring games.[1]
Dance is also represented during the Jamaican Hosay, a Caribbean East Indian festival. Jonkonnu and Hosay are considered secular dances, despite the performance of Jonkonnu around Christmas time.
Dance theater is also growing in importance. Rex Nettleford, Eddy Thomas, and Edna Manley are three Jamaicans whose influences on the arts - and dance in particular - has been extremely important. Nettleford, Thomas, and Ivy Baxter formed the National Dance Theatre Company in the 1960s. Other important Jamaicans in dance theater have included the Tony-award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan (The Lion King on Broadway).
Dancehall, or ragga, music has inspired a number of dance styles as well. To understand the evolution of popular dance, it helps to understand the musical progression. Ska music, with fast beats, also had fast dances. The slow to rocksteady also developed slower dances, allowing dancers to stay on the floor longer. Reggae is associated with many things, including the Rastafarian movement, but influenced the newer styles. Dancehall music often creates its own dances based on moves in the lyrics of the songs themselves.
[edit] Theater
Jamaica's earliest theater was built in 1682. Several more theaters opened in the 1700s and 1800s, attracting performances by both professional touring companies and amateur groups. But performances weren't limited to official venues. Many took place in houses, stores, court houses, and any other space large enough to hold them. During this period, classic plays such as Shakespeare were most often produced. However, the Jewish and French communities became large enough to merit productions aimed at them, too.
After the abolition of slavery, black Jamaicans began exploring their roots, fusing music and dance into theatrical performances. Although it took many years for true Jamaican styles to develop, eventually they became more prevalent than Western works. Today's most popular theatrical form in Jamaica, pantomimes, began in the 1940s as a fusion of English pantomimes with Jamaican folklore. Another popular style, "roots" theater, evolved in the 1960s and 1970s. These bawdy tales full of sexual innuendo remain crowd favorites. Contemporary playwrights write in Jamaican patois, catering to all Jamaicans rather than an elite audience.
[edit] Literature and writing
Derek Walcott, a Nobel prize laureate, attended college in Jamaica. Other significant writers from the island include Claude McKay and Louis Simpson. Plays and works in Jamaican English, or patois, attract special attention. Louise Bennett, Andrew Salkey and Michael Smith have contributed to this phenomenon by writing works in patois. Ian Fleming wrote his famous James Bond novels while living in Jamaica. Jean Rhys is also well-known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea, which was set in Jamaica.
[edit] Film
Jamaica's film industry is not widely known, but it is growing. The Harder They Come and Dancehall Queen are two of the best-known Jamaican movies. However, many popular Hollywood movies have also been filmed in Jamaica. A short list includes The Blue Lagoon, Cocktail, Cool Runnings and Bond-flick Live and Let Die.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Music of Jamaica
- National Gallery of Jamaica
- Jamaican literature
- Rastafari movement
- Jamaican English
[edit] External links
- Island Thresholds, Peabody Essex Museum’s interactive feature, showcases the work of contemporary Caribbean artists and their exploration of identity, culture, and social justice.
- Jamaican Culture
[edit] Further reading
- Mordecai, Martin and Pamela. Culture and Customs of Jamaica. Greenwood Press. 2001.
- Hill, Errol. The Jamaican Stage, 1655-1900: Profile of a Colonial Theatre. University of Massachusetts Press. 1992.
