SUMMER 2016
JAMAICA
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JAMAICA
JAMAICA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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THE HISTORY & CULTURE OF JAMAICA
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Robin Shandroff
Bar Hopping in Jamaica
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JAMAICA TODAY: A Modern Day Story
Robin Shandroff was born in Aberdeen, New Jersey. When she was a little girl, she wanted to teach, and she has always liked to write; she intended to take after her grandfather and be a famous poet. Since then, Robin has taught a wide variety of composition and literature classes to college freshmen in many institutions of higher learning. She currently teaches at St. John’s University, where she especially enjoys the spring semester of composition, during which students learn to write about literature by reading fantasy literature. She has a bachelor’s degree in art education, and a masters degree in graphic design.
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When she is not teaching or editing, she loves to read, paint, draw, do photography, listen to music, play with her two dogs and shop. She is passionate about her job and always gives it her all.
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The History &Culture of
JAMAICA Geography
Jamaica is an island in the West Indies, 90 mi (145 km) south of Cuba and 100 mi (161 km) west of Haiti. It is a little smaller than Connecticut. The island is made up of coastal lowlands, a limestone plateau, and the Blue Mountains, a group of volcanic hills, in the east.
In 1989, Manley was reelected, but he was replaced by P. J. Patterson. In May 1997, the government signed a “Ship-Rider Agreement,” allowing U.S. authorities to enter Jamaican waters and search vessels in order to fight drug trafficking. In 2001, violence between politically connected gangs escalated in Kingston, promoting fears that the tourist industry could suffer. In Oct. 2002, Patterson won his third term in office. In Sept. 2004, Hurricane Ivan, the worst storm to hit the island in decades, destroyed thousands of homes.
History
Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians when Columbus explored it in 1494 and named it St. Iago. It remained under Spanish rule until 1655, when it became a British possession. Buccaneers operated from Port Royal, also the capital, until it fell into the sea in an earthquake in 1692. Disease decimated the Arawaks, so black slaves were imported to work on the sugar plantations. During the 17th and 18th centuries the British were consistently harassed by the Maroons, armed bands of freed slaves roaming the countryside. Abolition of the slave trade (1807), emancipation of the slaves (1833), and a drop in sugar prices eventually led to a 4
depression that resulted in an uprising in 1865. The following year Jamaica became a Crown colony, and conditions improved considerably. Introduction of bananas reduced dependence on sugar. On May 5, 1953, Jamaica gained internal autonomy, and, in 1958, superheaded the organization of the West Indies Federation. A nationalist labor leader, Sir Alexander Bustamente, later campaigned to withdraw from the federation. After a referendum, Jamaica became independent on Aug. 6, 1962. Michael Manley, of the socialist People’s National Party, became prime minister in 1972.
Tourism Fuels Economic Growth
The Labour Party defeated Manley in 1980 and its capitalist-oriented leader, Edward P. G. Seaga, was elected prime minister. He encouraged private investment and began an austerity program. Like other Caribbean countries, Jamaica was hard-hit by the 1981–1982 recession. Devaluation of the Jamaican dollar made Jamaican products more competitive on the world market, and the country achieved record growth in tourism and agriculture. While manufacturing also grew, food prices rose as much as 75% and thousands of Jamaicans fell deeper into poverty.
In March 2006, Portia Simpson Miller of the People’s National Party (PNP) became Jamaica’s first female prime minister. In September 2007, the opposition Jamaica Labour Party narrowly defeated the center-left People’s National Party, 50.1% to 49.8%. The People’s National Party had been in power for 18 years. Bruce Golding took office as prime minister days after the election. Dozens of people died in the Tivoli Gardens section of Kingston in late May 2010 in clashes between police and supporters of drug lord Christopher Coke. When police entered the neighborhood to search for Coke, they were fired on by his supporters. About 75 civilians were killed. Coke was arrested in June and extradited to the U.S., where he will face trial. 5
Jamaica Today
A MODERN DAY STORY
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nown as the “birthplace of reggae”, Jamaica boasts a treasure trove of natural jewels and a colorful African vibe. Golden beaches, emerald mountains, turquoise seas, cascades, coral reefs, rainforests, rivers, and mineral springs are just some of the island’s enviable assets. Not surprisingly nature lovers will find plenty of things to see and do, from hiking and birding in the jungle to horseback riding along the beach and diving colorful coral reefs. Jamaica is also renowned for its many historic plantations where visitors can sample tropical fruits and tour the grand great houses. A picturesque view from one of Jamaica’s beautiful beachside resorts.
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Bob Marley
Usain Bolt
Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, and Port Antonio are the main tourist hubs. Visitors will find a variety of lodgings here ranging from large resorts, luxury villas, and boutique hotels to rustic guesthouses. Lively Montego Bay is one of the most popular resort towns with golf courses, restaurants, shops, galleries, and of course, hotels and resorts lining the beaches. Ocho Rios is the island’s major port of call for cruise ships, while Negril is famous for its long and lazy beach lined with clear waters and coconut palms. Ecotourists love peaceful Port Antonio thanks to its proximity to the spectacular Blue Mountains. In Kingston, Jamaica’s edgy capital, visitors can tour reggae legend Bob Marley’s former home and explore the city’s museums and historic sites.
Jam-packed with diverse attractions, no wonder Jamaica enjoys a reputation as a Caribbean hotspot.
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Unless you’ve been stuck in a mine shaft or visiting a distant planet for the past few decades, chances are you’ve heard of Bob Marley and Usain Bolt and can identify both as the most famous sons of Jamaican soil. Beyond reggae and track icons, however, there are many fascinating things less widely known about “Jamrock” that make this island of just 3 million people stand out. Here are eight things to know for starters:
James Bond’s Birthplace Ian Fleming conjured up and penned the thrilling international spy novels known the world over by their larger-than-life, womenand evildoer-conquering protagonist, James Bond, in Oracabessa, a sleepy village in the parish of St. Mary on Jamaica’s north coast. Fleming named his rustic property Goldeneye
after a World War II operation in which he’d taken part as an intelligence officer. An avid birder, Fleming took 007’s name from the American author of “Birds of the West Indies.” The first James Bond film, “Dr. No,” was filmed in Jamaica, where the villain’s lair, actually a bauxite storage facility owned by Noranda, is hard to miss in Discovery Bay. And later in the film, Ursula Andress walked out of the surf and into movie history at one of Jamaica’s most spectacular beaches, Laughing Waters, located just west of Ocho Rios, where cool river water cascades directly into the warm Caribbean sea. After Fleming’s death, his Goldeneye property was sold to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who has transformed it into Jamaica’s most exclusive boutique hotel and villa resort.
Roots of Banana Trade and Caribbean Tourism Jamaica gave birth to the global banana trade and Caribbean tourism. In the late 1800s, steamships began plying routes between the Northeast United States and the parishes of St. Thomas, Portland and St. Mary in northeast Jamaica. When these steamships began carrying passengers seeking relief from the New England winter on the southbound journey, Caribbean tourism was born. Steamship captain Lorenzo Dow Baker was a pioneer in the banana trade and served as president of the Boston Fruit Company, which later became United Fruit Company through
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a merger and more recently became Chiquita Brands International. The banana industry waned in Jamaica in the face of crop disease and larger, more competitive plantations established in Central America. Today the island’s largest banana grower is Jamaica Producers, a locally held company that targets domestic and international markets with a range of agricultural products.
Delicious Coffee
which is a registered international trademark like Champagne, and regulated by Jamaica’s Coffee Industry Board. One of the best ways to learn about and taste Jamaica’s coffee is with a farm or factory tour. The Twyman family’s Old Tavern Estate is an excellent option, offering visitors a trip back in time to the days of small-scale cottage industry production.
A Refuge for Exiled Jews and Religious Diversity Shaare Shalom Congregation in Kingston
It would be difficult to find a religion not represented in Jamaica, and where a church structure doesn’t exist, Jamaicans are inclined to erect a tent for pop-up service.
The Sharp family operates the neighboring Clifton Mount coffee farm with a slightly larger scale, more industrialized business. Mavis Bank Coffee Factory also offers tours. The buzzing factory buys its beans from thousands of farmers and is the largest industrial coffee processing and roasting operation in the Blue Mountains that opens its doors to visitors.
Westmoreland Parish Church
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is among the most prized, and expensive, in the world, fetching upwards of U.S.$30 a pound. High elevation cloud forests make for an ideal long growing season and slow maturation period for coffee berries, ultimately yielding beans with a strong, full-bodied flavor void of the bitterness typical of coffee grown in other regions. Japanese coffee connoisseurs are the leading buyers of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, 10
The iconic natural hairstyles associated with Rastafarians are anything but the norm on the island, where chemically treated straightened hair, extensions, weaves and wigs are the norm for women, and most men rock short-cropped coifs.
Pentecostals, Moravians, Catholics, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, Revivalists, Muslims, Hindus, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are all well represented, among numerous other faiths and denominations.
Marijuana is illegal in Jamaica Despite the ubiquitous posters of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh with burning joints dangling from their mouths, marijuana is still illegal in Jamaica.
Few Rastafarians While locked hair might be the most famous “do” associated with the island, Jamaican adherents to the Rastafarian movement make up less than 2% of the population, actually just 1.1%, according to the CIA World Factbook.
than any other country. The Anglican Church played a significant role during the slave period in maintaining order on the island and quelling discontent, while the Baptist Church, on the other hand, fueled slave uprisings ultimately leading to emancipation in 1834.
Jamaica became a refuge for exiled Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. The Spanish crown, which ruled the island between 1492 and 1655, took a more relaxed stance on religious freedom, or at least a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach. Kingston’s active synagogue attests to the island’s small, yet prominent, Jewish community today. Today Jamaica has more churches per capita
But its legal status is slowly evolving. This year legislation was introduced to decriminalize marijuana use and develop a regulated medical and recreational marijuana industry following similar U.S. initiatives in Colorado and Washington State. The movement to decriminalize has been led in the political sphere by Minister of Justice Mark Golding, who announced in June that people carrying up to 2 ounces of pot will only be hit with a small fine, rather than be charged, and the infraction wouldn’t result in a police record.
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Jamaicans with police records attributable to marijuana use charges will have their names cleared, enabling them to seek formal employment and travel visas.
This climatic diversity and abundant fresh water from subterranean springs and rivers crisscrossing every parish, affords the relatively small island excellent conditions for growing a wide range of crops.
Jamaica is More Than Sun and Sand
A hike up to Blue Mountain Peak is a great way to take a break from the beach and get a bit of a workout. On a clear day, the summit affords spectacular views of Kingston and the coastline of several parishes meeting the Caribbean sea to the East, North and South. The Blue Mountains also provide bird watchers an opportunity to spot many of the island’s 280 species, 30 of which are endemic.
Jamaican Food is Reason Enough to Visit the Island While the country may be known for its jerk seasoning, which features local agricultural products like pimento (allspice) and hot Scotch bonnet peppers, Jamaican cuisine has much more to offer and the island’s lively foodie culture may be the best representation of its national motto, “Out of Many, One People.” The original name Xaymaca, bestowed by its original Taino inhabitants, means “land of wood and water,” fitting for a mountainous island endowed with several distinct climatic zones, from arid near-desert conditions complete with sand dunes along the south coast to tropical rain forest in the northeast to high elevation alpine areas where nighttime temperatures fall below freezing in the Blue and John Crow Mountains. 12
The influence of Indian cuisine is hard to miss, and curried goat, shrimp, lobster or vegetables are staples. Of course the seafood is hard to beat, with escovitch snapper borrowing elements from Spanish cuisine, while the accompaniment of fried bammy, made from cassava root, couldn’t be more local, as it was a staple starch for the original Taino inhabitants.
The abundant fresh produce and quality of the ingredients on the island make it a natural manufacturing center for entrepreneurs concocting a wide array of sauces and preserves for the local market and export. Pickapeppa may be the most widely known condiment produced in Jamaica, but other more recent products on the scene, from Walkerswood to Belcour Preserves, are every bit as good. To get a taste of Jamaica’s best flavors, stop by Belcour in Maryland district in the Blue Mountains to sample mouthwatering chutneys, pepper sauces and preserves and
walk among citrus orchards, orchid gardens and the apiary, or spend a few nights on the town in Kingston to sample the island’s best restaurants. 13
Bar Hoppin g in Ja maica
Jamaica Is Closer Than You Think!
Climb aboard a bus and party like there’s no tomorrow! After a night out bar hopping, you’ll be able to say you’ve experienced the ultimate pub crawl.
Sunny Isle Jamaican Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is extracted from the meat of the Coconut the “old fashioned” Jamaican way. Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutritions for hair. This product is available at many retailers in the United States. Be sure to get your bottle today! 14
Non-Stop Service From Montego Bay to JFK, Starting 12/15
JAMAICA
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