User:Empiresj1

[Collapse] Wikipedia is there when you need it — now it needs you. $3,540,613 Our Goal: $6 million Donate Now » [Expand] Support Wikipedia: a non-profit project. Donate Now » [Expand] Support Wikipedia: a non-profit project. — Donate Now Culture of Jamaica From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Jamaican culture represents a rich blend of cultures that have inhabited the Greater Antilles island, Jamaica. The original Taino settlers, followed by their Spanish conquerors (who were in turn conquered by the British), all made major contributions. However, it is the West African slaves who became the dominant cultural force as they suffered and resisted the harsh conditions of forced labour. After the abolition of slavery, Chinese and Indian migrants were transported to the island as indentured workers, bringing with them ideas from the Far East. The official national language is English, heavily spiced with local idioms and Elizabethan usage. The primary local language is patois, or Jamaican Creole.

Contents [hide] 1 Arawak (Taino) natives 2 Religion 2.1 Bahá'í Faith 2.2 Rastafari 3 Dance 4 Theatre 5 Literature and writing 6 Film 7 Sport 8 Woodwork, furniture, and metalwork 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

[edit] Arawak (Taino) natives The original inhabitants of the Caribbean region, including Jamaica, were the Arawaks, sometimes referred to as Tainos. While it appears that some Arawaks survived the arrival of the Europeans,[citation needed] there are no self-identified Arawak communities living as such in Jamaica, and recovering traces of their original culture requires sophisticated archaeological techniques.[1]

[edit] Religion By far the largest religion in Jamaica is the Christian faith. The Anglican Church, and the Church of God are throughout the country, and many old churches have been carefully maintained and/or restored.[1] The Rastafarian religion is a folk derivative of the larger Christian culture, likely influenced by Ethiopian Coptic culture. There are also a small number of Jewish synagogues in Jamaica, dating from 17th century. Elements of ancient African religions remain in remote areas, most of which practices are described generally as Obeah, Kumina or Pocomania.

[edit] Bahá'í Faith The Bahá'í Faith in Jamaica begins with a mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America being among the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to.[2] The community of the Bahá'ís begins in 1942 with the arrival of Dr. Malcolm King.[3] The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Jamaica, in Kingston, was elected in 1943.[4] By 1957 the Bahá'ís of Jamaica were organized under the regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, and on the eve of national independence in 1962, the Jamaica Bahá'ís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly in 1961.[5] By 1981 hundreds of Bahá'ís and hundreds more non-Bahá'ís turned out for weekend meetings when Rúhíyyih Khánum spent six days in Jamaica.[6] Public recognition of the religion came in the form of the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Howard Cooke, proclaiming a National Baha'i Day first on July 25th in 2003 and it's been an annual event since.[7] While there is evidence of several active communities by 2008 in Jamaica, estimates of the Bahá'ís population range from the hundreds to the thousands.

[edit] Rastafari An internationally known aspect of Jamaica's African-Caribbean culture is the Rastafari movement[citation needed] – particularly those elements that are expressed by reggae music[citation needed], and whose practitioners are recognized as distinctly Jamaican. The syncopated style of reggae arose from earlier ska rhythms. Bob Marley became a high-profile exponent of Rasta culture. His reputation as an innovative musician devoted to his faith has continued to grow since his death[citation needed], making him one of the more internationally famous Jamaicans, and a very successful recording artist.

Rastafari is a local culture loosely based on some selected teachings of the Old Testament. It has no documentation like a religion would have. Adherents generally believe in the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia as the true descendant of Solomon, and precepts are shared amongst followers as folklore.

Some Rastafari wear their hair in an untended, uncut condition called dreadlocks. Some also only eat food that is Ital (natural) where certain foods are avoided. However, like most local cultures, there are various strands of thought and practice rather than just one written dogma of the Rastafari movement.

[edit] Dance Dance has always been important on Jamaica - from colonial times until the present. Early folk rhythms and movements often enhanced Christian religious celebrations, or were associated with Christian 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.[8] 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).[8]

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.[8]

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, Olive Lewin, and Edna Manley are four Jamaicans whose influences on the arts - music and dance in particular - has been extremely important. Nettleford, Thomas, and Ivy Baxter formed the National Dance Theatre Company in the 1950s. 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. Soca music from Trinidad and Tobago is popular with most of the popular artists from Trinidad, but many soca Jamaican artist such as Byron Lee, Fab 5, and Lovindeer are famous but also represent Jamaican music.

[edit] Theatre Jamaica's earliest theatre was built in 1682. Several more theatres 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 enclosed outdoor spaces 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, Jamaicans began fusing music, humor, and dance into public theatrical performances. Although it took many years for true Jamaican styles to develop, eventually they became more prevalent than European works. Today's most popular theatrical form in Jamaica, pantomime, began in the 1940s as a fusion of English pantomime with Jamaican folklore. Another popular style, "roots" theatre, evolved in the 1960s and 1970s. These riotous bawdy tales full of sexual innuendo remain crowd favorites in Kingston's open-air theatres.

One artist involved in root plays is Winsome (code name), a Jamaican writer and producer chronicled in Deborah Thomas' book "Modern Blackness". Winsome handled all the publicity for her plays herself, and ended up putting them on in the rural areas surrounding Kingston - the city theaters refused to house her plays because of their controversial nature. In her plays, Winsome explores how sex, money, and power interact everyday for Jamaicans. In 1997, Winsome wrote and produced a root play entitled Ruff Rider, in which family, sexual abuse, love, work, and friendship all intersect. According to author Thomas, author of, “In all of her work, the sympathetic characters are those she portrays as struggling to balance their own pursuit of individual gain with ‘living well together’ with others. As they negotiage the fine lines between egalitarianism and hierarchy, her characters also contribute to the public debate regarding the gendered dimensions of respectability and reputation.”[9]

Other notable root play figures include Ralph Holness, Ginger Knight, Balfour Anderson, Michael Denton, Ian Reid, Paul Beil, Everton Dawkins, Buddy Pouyat and the late Hyacinth Brown. [10]

[edit] Literature and writing Derek Walcott, a Nobel prize laureate, born and educated in St. Lucia, 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 Mikey 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. Jamaican authors are always faced with the decision of writing in standard English for a huge world-wide audience, or in the local patois, for a much smaller, but more trendy, audience. Jamaican films with patois sound-tracks such as The Harder They Come require sub-titles for export to general markets. In general, the use of patois severely limits the potential audience for the otherwise universal Jamaican message.

[edit] Film Jamaica's film industry is not widely known, but it is growing. The Harder They Come, Shottas, Third World Cop, and Dancehall Queen are a few 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 James Bond film, Live and Let Die.

[edit] Sport Jamaicans, in general, have a large interest in sports. Cricket, football, dominoes, horse-racing are several popular sports. The Jamaica national cricket team competes regionally, and also provides players for the West Indies. The Jamaica National Football Team qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The Jamaican Bobsled Team has been a serious contender in the Winter Olympics, beating many well-established teams. Dominoes, which can be played by young and old together, is played everywhere. Also just recently the world's fastest man has been hailed from Jamaica, Usain Bolt, clocking 9.69 seconds in the 100 meter Olympic dash. He also beat Michael Johnson's world record in the 200m. Shelly-Anne Fraser also won the 100m.

[edit] Woodwork, furniture, and metalwork Jamaicans have a long history of fine craftsmanship in wood and metal. Jamaica was home to many excellent furniture factories dating from colonial times, and Jamaican "Georgian' furniture was exported to the metropolitan countries.

[edit] See also Music of Jamaica National Gallery of Jamaica Jamaican literature Rastafari movement Jamaican English Jamaica Independence Festival

[edit] References ^ Jamaica National Heritage Trust ^ Abbas, `Abdu'l-Bahá; Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, trans. and comments (April 1919). Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation. http://bahai-library.com/index.php5?file=abdulbaha_tablets_instructions_explanation.html. ^ Bridge, Abena (2000-07-05), "Divine rites - Uncovering the faiths", Jamaican Gleaner News, http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000705/News/News1.html ^ Bahá'í International Community (2003-07-25), "Joyous festivities in Jamaica", Bahá'í World News Service, http://news.bahai.org/story/233 ^ National Spiritual Assemblies Statistics, http://bahai-library.org/asia-pacific/Notes%20on%20Research/national_spiritual_assemblies.htm, retrieved on 27 November 2008 ^ Locke, Hugh C. (1983). Bahá'í World, Vol. XVIII: 1979-1983. pp. pp. 500-501, 629. http://bahai-library.com/books/bw18/609-635.html. ^ Bahá'í International Community (2006-08-11), "Jamaicans celebrate 4th National Baha'i Day", Bahá'í World News Service, http://news.bahai.org/story/468 ^ a b c The National Library of Jamaica (2003). Dances. Retrieved 17 January 2007. ^ Thomas, Deborah. Modern Blackness: Nationalism, Globalization, and the Politics of Culture in Jamaica. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2004. ^ Jamaica Gleaner News - ROOTS PLAYS TONE DOWN - Sunday | January 22, 2006

[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.

[edit] External links Jamaica National Heritage Trust Intriguing Facts about Jamaica Embracing their African roots -- More Jamaicans identifying with African culture — PoliticalArticles.NET Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Jamaica" Category: Jamaican culture Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since November 2007 | Articles with unsourced statements since January 2008ViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Move Watch Personal toolsEmpiresj1 My talk My preferences My watchlist My contributions Log out Navigation Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Search

   Interaction

About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact Wikipedia Donate to Wikipedia Help Toolbox What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Printable version Permanent link Cite this page Languages Français Lietuvių Português

This page was last modified on 9 December 2008, at 07:10. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Here are some notices:

Go to http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh199/purplerose49/CwjarjDdoutFbbc.gif please.

Go to http://www.earthshots.org/ please.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/UserDiscuss:Empiresj1#Add should be used to message me, unless you are a wikipedian. Wikipedians can us my talk. (talk)

HELP ME PLEASE

Please inform me on the best kind of page to create. This could be news, entertainment, or also other items. Please vote to tell me which is best for you.

BARNSTAR OF DILLIGENCE

WIKIANSWERS

WikiAnswers is a fascinating website. You'll find there are lots of fun things to do on the site as a member. You can ask questions, and research and answer questions, and you can also edit questions and answers, correct spelling and grammar mistakes, move them into correct categories, split alternate wordings, start or join question discussions, and add or edit links. With over 5 million questions and more constantly pouring in, there's always something interesting and fun going on! We want to help you get the most out of your wiki experience, so if you have any questions or need help, feel free to contact me or any Supervisor on our message boards.

WIKISITE AND JOINWIKI SITE

The url is http://www.wiki.answers.com

New members are always welcome to share their knowledge.

TELEPHONE