The People

The People

In Jamaica, smiles beam from faces in hues ranging from rich coffee to condensed milk-sweetened cocoa. These warm faces bear physical features that are seldom duplicated. There are small noses, proud noses, strong chins, blue eyes and dark ones too, full lips, fine mouths, corkscrew curls and unruly locks. To appreciate these shapes and shades, and to understand our rich history and heritage, is to think on a global scale.Offering handshakes, hugs and hearty hellos, Jamaicans are naturally warm, friendly and entertaining. Often our humour cannot be contained by simple smiles, and breaks loose into contagious bouts of laughter and gesticulation. We seldom cry, choosing to laugh instead at whatever comes our way. Reggae pulses through our veins, giving us an innate internal rhythm that fuels our abounding energy and creativity. Our complex past, marked by slavery and the struggle for independence, has made us proud, resilient and strong. We refuse to be restrained, choosing instead to break the boundaries of our small island, gaining worldwide recognition in areas like music and sports.They have transformed the ways, traditions and customs of our foreign ancestors into something so special it could only be Jamaican. We've mixed and mingled, breaking down barriers, to become one people out of many, living one love.