Differences And Similarities Between Jamaica And The United Kingdom

The official language of Jamaica is English, but those who stay in rural areas speak patois. Patois is a creole dialect with West African, Spanish, and French elements. The language today reflects the history of the country and its interaction with diverse mixture of cultures from many ethnic, and social backgrounds. The local language is a reflection of a history of contact with variety of speakers, but the official language remains to be standard English (Pryce, 1997). However many Jamaicans

Burton (2015) in her Journal, ‘Globalisation and Cultural Identity in Caribbean Society: The Jamaican Case,’ however points out that Jamaica has a unique culture and this has shaped how that countries adapts to the effects of colonialism and even globalisation.

Cultures and traditions differ all around the world. The Bahamas is an outstanding place to stay for vacationing. What people don’t realize is the Bahamas is not only a honeymoon get away. People live in the Bahamas where they celebrate holidays, and follow traditions. Something as simple as marriage, holidays and the geography is different in the Bahamas than it would be in the United States. The United States and the Bahamas are very different but very similar at the same time.

The people who live in Jamaica also vary from the people of the United States greatly. Jamaica is approximately 90.9 percent African, while, on the other hand, in the United States Africans are considered a minority only making up roughly 12 percent of all people in the United States. Even though, the official language of Jamaica, and the language taught in their schools, is English, matching the language of the United States, the vast majority of Jamaicans speak Patois in their everyday life. “Patois is an English-based Creole language with West African influences. The pronunciation and vocabulary of Jamaican Patois are significantly different from English, despite heavy use of English words or derivatives. Jamaican Patois displays similarities to the Pidgin and Creole languages of West Africa, due to their common descent from the blending of African substrate languages with European languages” (Jamaican Patois). Patois is as well the language used in nearly all popular local music in Jamaica. Additionally our tour

Reggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. It is known for the heavy and strong emphasis on the bass within the background beat. Reggae was perceived as a kind of music used to express feelings about the social, political, and economic hardships in Jamaica during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was performed by musicians from black ghettos who used unhurried beats to make a style of music of their own. Reggae became an important part of the lifestyle of many Caribbean islanders; expressing a sense of pride of their Caribbean culture.

The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, ska jazz, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's music culture is a fusion of elements from neighboring Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago (calypso and soca).

The Jamaican language is predominantly American-English; however another language that could be spoken is Patois/Jamaican Creole which is English-based. The Patois language can be very loud when

In many ways the Jamaican accent resembles Cork a southern Ireland accent. Jamaican Standard English is grammatically similar to British Standard English. The language also merges American English and British English dialects.

Jamaica 's original inhabitants were the Arawak Indians, who called the island Xaymaca, meaning either “land of wood and water” or “land of springs.” Columbus landed on the island in 1494. The Arawaks were decimated within a few decades by European diseases and the harsh life settlers imposed on them. The Spanish occupied the island until 1655, when it was captured and colonized by the English. By the late 17th century, the English had established sugarcane plantations and were importing large numbers of slaves from Africa. Some slaves managed to run away and establish settlements in the mountains, some of which remain today; called Maroons, descendants of these runaway slaves enjoy some political autonomy. Slavery was abolished in 1838. Jamaica remained under nominal British rule until it gained full independence in 1962. Jamaica is a very interesting country to research; the location, geographic features, population, climate, language, tourism and the way the people dress have the most interesting facts about this country.

Jamaica is a land of diverse cultures. It has a number of different racial ethnic groups .The largest group however is the blacks or Africans so 'Jamaica’s culture' is predominantly black. Interwoven is also the European culture which these blacks learnt from their former white slaves masters. You will find Indians living in Jamaica also. Many Indians came to Jamaica as indentured servants and stayed, they too have an input in the Jamaica’s culture.

His growing style encompassed every aspect in the rise of Jamaican music, from ska to contemporary reggae. Marley’s lyrics lifted spirits and united nations. Robert Nesta Marley is put on a higher thresh hold that any before him, he stands on the podium as the greatest musician in this century. Through reggae Marley lives on influencing many well known bands today. Marley sang of love and above all else “Jah” a god in one of the many religions worshiped in Jamaica. The religion most commonly associated with Jamaican culture is Rastafarianism. This group of free spirited natives known as the Rastafarian’s belive in the spiritual use of marijuana, known to this island as “Ganja”. They speak Patios, pronounced (pa-twaa), an extreme Jamaican slang of the English language. Rastafarians live off the land and worship freely in the green mountains of the inner island. From an economic stand point Jamaica is generally a poor country with an average family income of 2,000 dollars a year. As a result Jamaican people rely heavily on the precious U.S. dollar brought in through tourism. Jamaica’s number one source for trade is Bauxite. The mineral rock Bauxite is rich within the rocky coast of the island. Although the overall status of Jamaican society remains poor, the abundant source of fish, fruits, and spices keep the natives well fed. Curry goat and Akki (saltfish/eggs) fill the bellies of Jamaicans everyday. Among my favorites are jerk pork and

With that said, Jamaica’s core cultural values include: Family, Religion, Respect, and Education. Respecting your elders is nothing to play with and it is expected of you. Religion includes church service, celebrating Christmas and Easter. Jamaicans in general loves dancing, especially to reggae music. One of my favorite Reggae Artist is Mr. Robert Nesta Marley aka (Bob Marley). Entertainment, Fun, Laughter, Sports, and Partying are also a part of our culture. Usain Bolt sums it all up. People who are not of the Jamaican culture, will think that he is a show-off because of his personality. But, that is who we are as a people, happy and fun loving. Baking traditional fruit cakes, and making holiday sorrel drink is intoxicating to say the least. Fruit cakes, also known as black cake is an all occasion cake. It’s used for weddings, birthday, Christmas and whatever. It not only smells good but it is so delicious. Made of fruits such as raisin, currants, prunes, cherries, mix-peel, spices, rum and wine. Most people blend all these ingredients together and have it marinating from January until December. Traditionally, during the Christmas holidays when someone visits family or friends, they are offered a slice of fruit cake with a glass of sorrel. So

     Jamaica is a tropical island, located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Around the coastlines are beautiful beaches with crystal clear blue-green water. In some respects, this is the majority of what people know about Jamaica. In this orientation text you will better understand Jamaica’s history, the people who live there, the many different religions, geography, and governments that have ruled the land.

Columbus discovered Jamaica on May 5, 1494, one year after he heard of the existence of the island. However, the true history of Jamaica begins with the African-Jamaican people who came to the island twenty years after the English took control from the Spaniards. The history of Jamaica can be broken up into different time periods, which were defined by watershed moments or events. Jamaican history begins with the establishment of the native islanders called the Tainos who inhabited the island for hundreds of years before the discoveries of Columbus. (JNHT 1)

The music of Jamaica began five centuries ago, when Columbus colonized the land of the Arawak Indians. This dates the start of oppression by first the Spanish and then the English in this area of the Caribbean. Blacks were brought in as slaves by the English, and although Jamaica has had it's independence since 1963, the tension of authority and control still reigns. Jamaica is a story of injustice, international influence, ineffective governing, and unequal distribution of wealth; all of these elements provide a solid base for the theme of oppression and the need for a revolution and redemption in Jamaican music. Reggae in particular reflects these injustices, and the feelings, needs and desires to change the lifestyle that Jamaicans have historically lived. Reggae music has two meanings. It’s generic name for all Jamaican popular music since 1960, West Indian style of music with a strongly accented subsidiary beat. Reggae can also refer to the particular beat that was extremely popular in