May 14th, 2020.
Culture
ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES#2: JAMAICA
by Timoteo Freitas, Natalia del Bianco
What comes to your mind when you hear the word Jamaica? Probably you thought about Reggae. And yes, Jamaica is the birthplace of Reggae and also where Bob Marley and the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt were born. Located in Central America and the third largest island in the Caribbean, Jamaica is full of beautiful beaches and wonderful landscapes, in addition to a remarkable culture full of peculiarities.
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The official language of Jamaica is English, with influence both from England - for a long time Jamaica was a British colony - and from the United States, due to the proximity of the countries. In terms of grammar, it is very similar to standard English. But what can cause a little difficulty for non-natives is the strong accent. Jamaicans also speak a dialect known as Patois or Patwa. It is the Creole language based on English and African languages.
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Both English and Patois are used at the same time by the inhabitants of the island. However, English, as the official language, is spoken throughout the country for all purposes, whether in official documents, in schools, even for a simple conversation, while Patois is used much more in everyday communication. Anyway, the two languages ​​are closely linked. The following are some examples of Patois's words, some of them have undergone adaptations because of the English language: "Likkle" - little, "Fadda" - father, "Madda" - mother. And some expressions too: “Walk good” - Take care / See you later, “Wah Gwaan” - What's up? "Mi deh yah, yuh know" - this would be a possible answer to the past expression, it can be translated as 'I'm fine'.
Now speaking of tourism, Jamaica reserves activities and places for all tastes. Incredible beaches, with crystal clear waters and white sand, cannot be missed. The most famous places are Doctor’s Cave Beach, in Montego Bay; Frenchman’s Cove, in Port Antonio; Blue Lagoon, also in Port Antonio; city ​​of Ocho Rios with lots of nature to explore and Nine Miles, the city where Bob Marley was born.
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Some of these beaches, in addition to saltwater and sand, have waterfalls. One of them and the most famous is Dunn River Falls, in the city of Ocho Rios. Also, another amazing thing is Glistening Waters Luminous Lagoon, in Falmouth. What makes this beach so different is that it shines at night. It occurs because of microorganisms that, when agitated, release a substance that glows in the dark. As you can imagine, it is an incredible image.
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To get to know a little more about the culture of Jamaica, we brought you some suggestions for films, music, and books.
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First, we have the film “The Harder They Come” (1972), in which a young Jamaican goes to the capital of the country, trying to succeed as a reggae singer. There he ends up deceived by a music producer and gets involved with the criminal world. This is the first feature produced in Jamaica. The film “revealed” Jamaican music - more specifically reggae - to the world. The theme of the film, “The Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff, won a Brazilian version by Nando Reis, called “Querem meu Sangue”.
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In literature, Jamaican writer Marlon James is featured. He has won awards such as the best novel published in English, with his book “Brief History of Seven Killings”. It depicts an episode that happened in Jamaica in 1976: an assassination attempt against Bob Marley and his band and staff, just before a peace show in Kingston. Politics, social and racial conflicts are treated in the book with a certain amount of humor and through countless characters.
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In music, the most popular genre is reggae. Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Damian Marley are references for this musical style. We suggest that you listen to the songs “I Can See Clearly Now”, by Jimmy Cliff, and “Smile Jamaica”, by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
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