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Jamaican Culture

What is the Jamaica Creole?

Standard English and Jamaican Creole have many words in common. Note briefly the pronunciation and spelling of some standard English words are different in Jamaica Creole for example, 'wud' and 'word'. The grammar and sentence structure of the two languages are also different. Jamaican Creole is influenced by the Twi and Kwa languages. These where the languages of most of the slaves who came to Jamaica from Ghana in West Africa. In Jamaican Creole, tense are formed as they are in Twi and Kwa and not as they are in English. Also, in Twi and Kwa there is no distinction between male or female. This has been retained in Creole in the use of the word him for both male and female. Traces of African languages are strongest in Hanover and St Thomas and are mostly associated with the songs sung during the dances of African origin such as kumina and dinki mini.

Jamaican Herbs The traditional medicine is called folk medicine is called folk medicine. To the believers, good medicine is judged by the quatity( which must be nuff) the colour(preferably dark in colour) and the taste the more bitter, the better. The medicines are usally sold in a pint bottle.If the cork is deeply stained, then the medicne is accepted as good or strong. Names of Herbs Herbs grown in Jamaica ALFALFA(Basil) - Used as a blood detoxifier and nutritional supplement. Good for acid stomach, alcoholism, allergies, anemia, appetite stimulant, arthritis, cancer, cholesterol, cramps, diabetes, fatigue, fever, glandular problems, gout, high blood pressure, jaundice, kidney cleanser, improving lactation, radiation damage, ulcers, urinary tract problems, vitamin and mineral deficiency.

Garlic Garlic-uses as a Jamaican herb Garlic is one of the most valuable and versatile foods on the planet. Garlic belongs to the Allium family of vegetables which also includes onions, chives, shallots and leeks. Today garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement. Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation. One of garlic’s most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body’s immune cell activity.

Cerasee (Momordica charanta)a Jamaican herb used as blood cleanser •	Bitter melon–or Cerassee, as it is known in Jamaica–is one of the most commonly used Jamaican folk medicines. Brought to the island and cultivated by African slaves, it is used for diabetes, malaria, worms, colds and hypertension, and as as an overall health tonic. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in April 2003 found that bitter melon extract improved insulin resistance and raised glucose (blood sugar) in rats.

Khus Khus Black sage

Uses of the herbs Basil-Chopped and boiled is useful for mild nervous disorders and depression. John Charles For cold and gout Khus Khus Used for fragrance Black Sage for gout Garlic help with digestion and is used to heal cuts Significance of folk medicines Folk medicines are important to our society as individuals of a low socio economic background still rely on these herbs as remedies. There are certain herbs that are a part of our History and cultural heritage.

Jamaican Dances Dances of African Origin •	During the 1700’s and 1800’s planters and missionaries often described the dance movements of the slaves as being violent. •	Others describe the movements as athletic dances, exercises or even mad dances. •	Slaves often copied the movements of their masters and danced to the rhythm of their hands and feet, drums or whatever they could lay their hands upon to maintain a beat. •	Many of the dances created by our ancestors are still well known and performed.

Jonkunnu •	  Jonkunnu or John Canoe was named for John Conney, who was a very important chief in Ghana. •	Christmas time was one of the few times when slaves could gather to celebrate. •	They would dress up and put on masks so that no-one could recognize them. •	The dancers were usually men who often dress up as women with exaggerated features. •	 The main features were the Cow Head, Pitchy Patchy, King and Queen and Horse Head. Kumina •	Named for a similar dance which was popular in the Congo Basin in Africa. •	Performed at religious services, at wakes such as births and weddings. •	Involves singing, drumming, and dancers remember a dead person to prevent the spirit from haunting them. •	Men play drums, but the leader of the dance group can be either a man or a woman. Dinki mini •	A popular dance at nine nights or wakes or set ups. •	In some Jamaican homes, particularly deep rural areas, when people die, family and friends sit up all night for nine nights. •	They dance, tell stories, play domino games and sing. It helps to comfort the grieving families. Brukins •	A mix of African and European features. •	 It was first formed to celebrate the anniversary of emancipation. •	The dancers are divided into two groups- a blue group and a red group. •	The colours or the groups are reminiscent of the British flag. •	Each set tries to outdo the other in the dance by performing special steps and movements. •	The steps and movements are exaggerated, and special songs accompany the dance. •	Brukins parties are held mostly in Manchioneal and Kensington in Portland.

Dances of European Origin The Quadrille •	Members of the British upper classes used to dance the Quadrille in England. •	The colonizers performed this dance in Jamaica. •	The slaves later adapted it and performed it in their own way. •	It is a type of square dance in which men and women stand in lines. •	A popular folk song created to go along with the quadrille is “Moonshine Tonight, Come Mek We Dance and Sing.” •	Two lines from the song depict what the dancers are doing: ‘Ladies take curtsey, and gentlemen make a bow’. The Maypole •	In England, May Day was celebrated on May 1, to mark the beginning of summer. The maypole dance was performed on that day. •	Performers dance around the pole which has long ribbons attached to the top. Each dancer holds a ribbon. •	While performers dance, they weave the ribbons into patterns such as baskets and a spider. The dancers then reverse the movements until the plaits become untied.

The history of Jamaican music

Jamaican music epitomizes the life and culture of the people. If you listen to closely to the tunes of most of the Jamaican songs, it has a touch of European influences mainly British. However it is said that the rhythm of African origin and the blend is really Jamaican. Types of Music Mento music 1.Mento music is traditional folk music. This is played in the rural parts of Jamaica and is featured frequently at fairs and agricultural shows. This type of music is also found at hotels to entertain tourist. An example Hill and Gully ride 2.Folk Music These songs have been passed down from generations to generation. Folk music of the world is made up by ordinary people. So groups of people here also created work songs, dance music and musical games. You also find the Folk music and Mento music have similarities. Example Dis long time gal me neva see you 3.Calypso Calypso is a genre of Afro-Caribbean music that comes primarily from the island of Trinidad (though calypso is found throughout the Caribbean). Like most genres of Caribbean music, calypso is heavily rooted in West African traditional music, and was originally used as a means of communication between slaves, as well as a form of entertainment. example coconut woman. 4.Gospel Jamaican Gospel Music - One of the features of Jamaican music has been the prevalence of spiritually oriented recordings, the type that many Jamaicans refer to as gospel or religious songs. The phenomenon of which we speak emerged during the 1950s and was numbered among several popular Jamaican recordings that came close on the heels of the formation of Jamaica's recording industry. 4.Reggae Music In the sixties record shops and rum bars got sound systems. These systems belted out the music loud over Jamaica.

This meant that people who had no recorded player could hear it. Nowadays, reggae is our most popular music form. It has gone beyond the boundaries of Jamaica, due mainly to the efforts of Bob Marley. example one love Dance Hall Music is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. example tek weh yuhself, school youths.

Differences and Similarities of music back then to now 1.Back then music were mainly talking about love peace and work. However today it has changed because we hear songs promoting violence, sex and drugs 2.Back then music cause person to just dance but not go out of context with dancing but now a day music has cause person to get out of control with dancing even causing person to lose their life.

Reference Browne,W.(1998)Living together in Society.Kingston Jamaica. Publishers Carlong