Jamaican Culture

Jamaican Culture

His ancestors from Africa, Europe and Asia have helped shape Jamaica, and make it the multifaceted mosaic of international customs and traditions it is today.

* Art
Over the years, this relatively small country has produced a seemingly infinite number of outstanding artists. Some of our most famous are Edna Manley, renowned sculptor and painter; Albert Huie, our foremost landscape painter; Cecil Baugh, master potter; Kapo, the most prominent of our self-taught artists and Alvin Marriot, realist sculptor. The list is impressive and endless, growing each day as new artists burst onto the Jamaican art scene.
When visiting Jamaica, take a tour of our colourful art arena. Browse the numerous galleries, showcasing our most treasured pieces, or look out for the newest talents as you wander the streets. You too, may be, inspired.

* Dance

They have "Jamaicanised" traditional European dances, such as maypole and quadrille, performing them to the sounds of our homegrown "mento" music. Similarly, dances such as the "gerreh", the "dinki-mini" and "ettu" reflect our African heritage, but are also satirical commentaries on plantation life. These dances form the backbone of modern Jamaican dance forms. Local clubs and HQs, reverberating with pounding beats of Dancehall music, are breeding grounds for new dance moves. Jamaicans and visitors alike are barely able to keep track of the many new dances that surface at a rapid pace.

* Music for Work and Entertainment

Work songs have their roots in the slavery period. They were used to pass messages and gossip, but also to lighten the load of daily chores. Often a "singer man" led workgroups by singing a line, which the others repeated. Many slaves were unable to read, so this call-and-response scenario also characterised community gatherings such as wakes and funerals.
Games are an integral part of Jamaican life, and it is common to see young children at play engaging in these singing games. Usually, they stand in a ring and accompany their singing with clapping. The energetic nature of the games makes instruments difficult to use, so they are often sung a cappella.

* Religious Music

The eclectic mix of European- and African-influenced religious groups and their syncretistic offshoots results in a multitude of ceremonies and public expressions of faith. Among the most popular forms are Kumina, Pocomania and Rastafari. Rasta music is characterised by drumming and chanting; the Revivalist groups, to which Kumina and Pocomania belong, also use drums, often suspended from the hips or upper arms, and offset by rattling tambourines and shakers. The sessions usually involve all-night vigils with singing, accompanied by musical instruments, thumping and heavy rhythmic groaning.