From Africa to the world. By: OluwaFunke Bayeshea
Research shows that some of the cultural traits worldwide today originated from Africa . Many people are unaware about this however, this post will mainly highlight the influence of Africa's culture on Jamaica.
Jamaica is popularly known worldwide for its language (patios), distinctive dance-moves, and reggae music but most of Jamaica’s culture is derived from Africa.
LANGUAGE
English is Jamaica’s official language, however; Africa plays a role in the way we speak. English evolved as the practical plantation language, but slave pidgin developed over generations to include a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish and West African Languages. Research shows that the Jamaican language is sometimes called Patois. The language reflects the struggles of slavery and ancestry from Africa as well as the European colonization and influence throughout history on the island of Jamaica. Although Patios is not the official language, it has come to represent the people, the culture, history and struggles of the lives of many Jamaicans. Despite the worldwide use of English, Patois continues to remain a crucial element in preserving traditions and past in Jamaica. Patios is loved by many across the world however, some Jamaicans deem the language very inappropriate for public speaking or office setting. They believe the language should be used openly during cultural celebrations or during an informal conversation. Some foreigners even incorporate patios into their commercials and movie production.
Jamaican dance moves can be traced back to Africa. Some of these dance moves include: Kumina and Jonkonnu/John Canoe. Kumina (also spelt Cumina) is a religious group, which originated in Congo, West Africa, and was brought to Jamaica by the free Africans, who came here between the 1840s and 1860s. Kumina is now mostly found in St Thomas and St Mary. This dance is performed for events such as: marriages, deaths or social success. Jonkonnu is a band of masqueraders which usually perform in towns and villages at Christmas time. The word Jonkonnu is derived from an African slave trader named ‘John Canoe’ in the 17th century. When the slaves did not have much freedom, they entertained themselves by hiding in the bushes and dressing up in hand made costumes. They would also dance and make music in the process. Although these dances are embraced and practiced by some, others regard them as evil, frightening and inappropriate hence, they are not fully appreciated.
It is believed that the Kumina can be used for evil purpose; for example, to make someone physically ill, because the ritual focuses on the ancestral spirits who share desire for revenge and justice while the Johnkunnu is frightening because the masquerades dress in costumes and inappropriate because unlike some parts in Africa where “obeah” (witchcraft) is practiced, most Jamaicans believe in God or other religious practice. Ironically, a recent article on the Jamaican Matey Groupie website about an email sent in by a Jamaican medical practitioner: Dr Sonia Davidson expresses her views on obeah and how health officials could incorporate it into their Ebola sensitisation exercise. She argued that, with no conventional medical cure for Ebola, it is not inconceivable that someone affected with the disease could seek help from indigenous traditional healer ( obeah man or woman). Dr Davidson also expressed that, about 70 per cent of the world’s population look to the traditional groups for their care, but the percentage of Jamaicans who visit these persons is not considered to be very high in Jamaica.
Jamaican music has a mixture of African and European roots for instance: Reggae music comes directly from Africa. African elements such as the call and response patterns are still incorporated in reggae music. According to research, The call and response pattern is used by most reggae artists today when they repeat phrases and interact with a larger group singing in harmony. Reggae music is frequently based on a repeating melodic and rhythmic pattern which remains steady throughout the song. Another feature of the music that is uniquely African is the heavy role of percussion in the music. There are usually many drummers in Reggae performances playing different and overlapping rhythms. These are African attributes that can be traced directly to African music. No doubt that Jamaica is very good and known worldwide for Reggae music as a result of legend Bob Marley however, it is important for people to know and appreciate the origin of reggae music and its strong connection to Africa because most people are not aware of that connection.
In
my opinion, culture appropriation may continue to exist hence it is acceptable,
as long as the history and symbols or origin of one’s cultural trait is not
disrespected. Other people’s culture should be acknowledged, appreciated,
understood and recognized.
https://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/marcus.html
http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/09/cultural-exchange-and-cultural-appropriation/
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20031019/ent/ent3.html
http://www.jis.gov.jm/ja50/v2/all/jamaica%E2%80%99s-heritage-in-dance-and-music-contd/