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Jamaican Soul

Renee S. Gordon

For a brief orientation on what is most wonderful about Jamaica and its people one need look no further than the Jamaica National Flag. It was designed by a committee of the Jamaica House of Representatives and first flew on August 6, 1962, Jamaican Independence Day. The three colors and four triangles used in the design are representative of the nations' past and future. Two green triangles on the top and bottom stand for the hope of the people and the country's agricultural bounty. The gold swaths that separate the triangles embodies the wealth of natural resources and the sunlight that bathes the island in a gilded aura and the two black triangles symbolize the people and their legacy of strength and creativity.

All of these qualities can be found all over the island but to visit Kingston is to explore the most culturally diverse and culturally rich area in the country. Situated on the southeastern coast of the island the Jamaican capital is also its largest city. Kingston was founded on July 22, 1692 after an earthquake and tsunami destroyed Port Royal, leaving more than 2,000 dead and the survivor's were forced to relocate. Port Royal was established in 1518, 174-years before Kingston, but Jamaica's biography begins long before that.

Jamaica is part of an extensive string of volcanic mountains that line the bottom of the Caribbean Sea with mountaintops that, in some cases, rise above the water and form islands. Jamaica rose and submerged several times during its formation and limestone covered vast areas forming caves and hidden rivers. The entire Caribbean is referred to as the West Indies with Jamaica being one of a subset of islands known as the Greater Antilles.

The Arawak, or Taino, Indians arrived on the island around 2,500-years ago from South America. They settled along the shoreline and fish became a dietary staple. They grew cassava, cotton, tobacco and vegetables and named the island Xaymaca after its chief resources, "wood and water." On May 4, 1494 Christopher Columbus sailed into what is now St. Ann's Bay on his second voyage but was unable to land. He sailed on to Discovery Bay where he landed and claimed the island for Spain. Jamaica for the next 15-years served as a provisioning base and point from which the Spanish could mount conquests. Columbus named the island Santiago, St. James, but the original name is the one by which it has always been known.

Governor Juan de Esquivel and a group of settlers founded Sevilla la Nueva in 1509 followed by other small villages. In the 1520s St. Jago de la Vega was developed as the first capital with trade and government functions taking place there. Esquivel was responsible for the earliest slave trade when he immediately began enslaving the island's indigenous people and sending them to Hispaniola and Spain and retaining some to labor on the island. Eventually, when the Arawaks and indentured servants proved inadequate as workers the Spanish turned to African slavery as cheaper and potentially providing an endless supply. The chief crop of the island, and most of the Caribbean, was sugar, a crop that was so labor intensive that the life expectancy was extremely short for workers.

King Ferdinand granted permission for Christian blacks to be transported from Spain, not Africa, to Jamaica as slaves in 1501. Africans were not brought into the colony until an asiento, a contract, allowed importation of 4,000 blacks annually from Africa over a 4-year period. King Charles I signed it in 1518 and by the early 17th-century the island's population was 50% free and enslaved blacks. It is estimated that more than 1-million slaves were transported to Jamaica directly from Africa before the slave trade ended in 1834. British forces landed in Jamaica on May 10, 1655 under the leadership of Admiral William Penn, father of Pennsylvania's founder, and General Robert Venables and claimed it for England.

The Jamaican Assembly first met in Kingston in 1755 but, curiously, documents fail to tell us where. In 1814 the Assembly moved to Hibbert House and the government purchased the structure in 1872. Headquarters House, as Hibbert is now known, was the Legislature's home until 1960 when it was relocated to George William Gordon House. Hibbert House now houses the National Trust of Jamaica and the 2-story Flemish-bond residence has been extensively remodeled. http://www.jnht.com

The house, a masterpiece of 18th-century Jamaican architecture, was constructed by Thomas Hibbert to win a bet as to which of 4 planters could build the most stunning mansion. The prize was the hand in marriage of the town beauty. Hibbert came to Jamaica in 1734 to protect his family's interests in the slave trade and he became personally wealthy doing it. He won the bet in 1755, declined the marriage and formed a relationship with his beautiful, educated, enslaved housekeeper Charity Harry. Charity and Thomas had 3 daughters, all well educated, one of whom was an art student of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Hibbert continued to own nearly 1,000 slaves on his plantation properties. Charity was at his bedside when he died.

Gordon House, the Jamaican Parliament, Building, is located adjacent to Hibbert House. The 2-story. L-shaped, contemporary building is named in honor of national hero George William Gordon. Born of an enslaved mother and a planter he became a self-taught lawyer, landowner and political activist who urged resistance by the underprivileged. He was charged with insurrection and treason in relation to his supposed role in an insurrection at Morant Bay. He was executed on October 23,1865.

George Stiebel, Jamaica's first black millionaire, built Devon House in 1881 on the foundations of St. Andrew Parish Church's rectory. Stiebel was the son of a black Jamaican housekeeper and a German Jew. He left school at 14 to become a carpenter's apprentice and in his 20s his father gave him money to help him purchase a ship to engage in trade. He soon purchased more ships and engaged in legal trade as well as gun running. In the 1850s he was aboard one of his ships when they sank washing him ashore in Venezuela. He became a peddler there and accumulated enough profit to become a gold trader and purchase shares in a gold mine. Rich once more he returned to Jamaica and bought 99 properties because the law did not allow ownership of 100.

The Jamaican Georgian Devon mansion is a consistent recipient of TripAdvisor's "Certificate of Excellence" and has been visited by numerous international luminaries including Queen Elizabeth. Heritage Tours are offered on weekdays and include 14 of the 24 rooms. The rooms are fully furnished and highlights include an elegant staircase in the vestibule, the Ballroom adorned with an original Wedgewood ceiling and the Sewing Room featuring a staircase that could be pulled up hide an upstairs gambling area. Outbuildings have been repurposed to serve as Courtyard Shops. Both the food and libations are renowned and National Geographic designated Devon House the "4th Best Place to Enjoy Ice Cream".

Lady Musgrave Road links many of the heritage sites but not Devon House. When George Stiebel constructed the mansion Governor Lord Anthony Musgrave's wife took umbrage at having to ride pass the home of a black man. Her husband had a road cut for her, Lady Musgrave Road, so that she would not have to feel humiliated. http://www.devonhousejamaica.com

National Heroes Park is one of the most visited of the 36 National Heritage Sites in Kingston. The area was once the site of the Kingston Race Course and on August 2, 1838 a large celebration was held here in recognition of the total eradication of slavery and apprenticeship. In 1973 it became the National Heroes Park and monuments were erected to honor the island's seven heroes, Nanny of the Maroons, Paul Bogle, Alexander Bustamante, Marcus Garvey, George William Gordon, Norman W. Manley and Sam Sharpe. Bustamante, Garvey and Manley are interred there.

In July of 2003 Laura Facey's controversial Redemption Song statue was dedicated in Emancipation Park. Two 7-ft. bronze nudes, a male and female, stand facing each other looking skyward. The dome-shaped base is etched with Garvey's words that were incorporated in Marley's Redemption Song, "None but ourselves can free our minds".

Although slavery officially ended in the 1830s the underprivileged and disenfranchised failed to gain opportunities. In 1914 Garvey established the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and Back to Africa movement. In 1930 Ras Tafari Makonnen, Haile Selassie, ascended the throne of Ethiopia and was viewed as the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Garvey. It is believed that Leonard Percival Howell founded Rastafarianism in 1935, he wrote the first book on the subject, The Promised Key, and he is recognized as the first Rastafarian. Originally one of Garvey's most important followers he deftly blended the teachings of Garvey, veneration of Haile Selassie and inspired preaching to grow the number of followers.

The most famous Jamaican and Rastafarian is Robert Nesta Marley, OM. He was born in 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica but his life is well interpreted in Kingston where he spent the majority of his life.

Jamaica's Central Housing Authority erected government housing on 200-acres in the 1940s called Trench Town. Renters were provided with water, electricity and a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities for a nominal fee. Apartments consisted of one or two 10-ft. by 10-ft. rooms. Trench Town Culture Yard (TTCY) area was part of the "U" block of homes, 16 rooms with 16 families, around a communal courtyard. It was here that 11-year old Bob Marley and his mother moved in 1956 and it was here that his legend began.

Bob Marley was taught to play the guitar by one of the residents, Vincent Ford, the Wailers were formed here, he and Ford composed No Woman No Cry and he recorded his first album, Catch a Fire. In 2007 TTCY was granted protected National Heritage status. http://www.bobmarley.com

Guided tours are regularly scheduled and are a wonderful experience. Several of the rooms form a museum that exhibits photographs, artifacts and makes clear the fact that a number of noted musicians, activists and artists lived here, Marley was merely the most famous. On exhibit is Marley's first guitar. Two rooms of particular note are Ford's room, outfitted with a bed, walls covered with Biblical scripture, his personal Bible turned to psalm 68 and the kitchen that was used by Bob Marley as a bedroom featuring his original bed. Marley's father, Captain Norval Marley, was a white Englishman in his 50s and his mother was 16. He never met his father and, as an adult, he sought out his English family but they refused to acknowledge him. Captain Marley's photograph is displayed.

 

In the courtyard guests can take pictures with a statue of Marley and the remains of his first car. Marley's early recording studio still functions and if you visit on a recording day you are welcome to enter the studio and watch. http://www.trenchtowncultureyard.com


The Bob Marley Museum is part of a complex that includes a theater, recording studios, cafe, exterior art exhibits and Marley's home from 1975 until his death from cancer at the age of 36 in 1981. The house was purchased from his manager and retains original bricks, marble steps and sashes.

Guided interior tours are 1.5-hours and showcase Marley's awards, honors, career, personal items and lifestyle. Tours begin with the biographical murals on the exterior and the statue in front of the residence that includes portraits of Garvey and Selassie. Also highlighted are his favorite spot to compose music and the place on the porch where he held interviews. Showcased areas inside the museum are a room wallpapered with articles that relate his career from 1973 to 1981, a stage backdrop, bedroom in which he died, his kitchen still filled, with his personal utensils and the studio in which he recorded 3 albums. The last stop on the tour is a visit to the rehearsal room where the assassination attempt was made on his life in December 3, 1970 accessed through the yard. http://www.bobmarleymuseum.com

Bob Marley founded Tuff Gong International in 1965 and gave the enterprise his nickname. It is a full-service, state-of-the-art recording studio and tours can be arranged. tuffgong.com

Three of the most important anchors of Jamaica's culture and heritage are the richness of the language, the cuisine and the music. These unique aspects of the island's traditions will be a focus of our sojourn as we continue in Kingston and then travel to Port Antonio for experiences that take us deeper into the island's legacy.

Colorful speech is found throughout the island and even though English is the official language Jamaican Patois, or Creole, is heard everywhere. It is this combination of English and African that resulted from the need for the English to communicate with the enslaved and for communication with each other. Many of the words migrated into the language when there was an African designation and the slaves either preferred to use it or there was no comparable word. In the 1950s the Rastafarians introduced their own linguistic variations based largely on their belief system as well as creating new words and reggae music uses this language, symbolism and philosophy to both entertain and promote social awareness.

The same year Columbus anchored in Jamaica he brought sugarcane cuttings from the Canary Islands and set into motion a series of events that would impact the world economy forever. By the 1600s molasses, a residue of the boiling of the sugar cane to create sugar, the most important Caribbean product, had become a problem. A pound of molasses was leftover from two pounds of sugar and some planters turned to dumping it in the sea because so much was left. It is believed that around 1620 on Barbados they began to use the residual molasses to make alcohol.

Rum's first documented mention dates from 1652 when rumbullion is referred to as kill-devil, a distilled molasses drink. The general consensus is that rum is an abbreviation of the English word "rumbullion" meaning a big commotion and within 2-years nearly 1-million gallons was made yearly in the Caribbean. It would become an important trade item, often used in lieu of hard currency, and a crucial factor in the 3rd leg of the triangle trade. In the 1800s Jamaica became the leading rum distillers with 148 distilleries in 1893. Today Jamaica's six distilleries produce the greatest number of varieties of rum internationally and by 2016 Jamaican rum will have attained the prestigious GI certification indicating that its quality and characteristics are directly attributed to its place of origin.  

Nassau Valley's Appleton Estate was first cited as a rum-producing estate in 1749 106-years after the Appleton Estate was granted to the Dickson family. The geographical features of the valley, spring water, limestone hills, climate and the fact that Appleton controls the process from the "cane to the cup" have made the Jamaican Appleton Rums famous. In 1845 a non-family member purchased the estate and in 1916 J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. became the owners.

Joy Spence was appointed the Master Blender in 1997, the first female in the spirits industry to attain this position worldwide. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree with First Class Honors, a Master of Science degree with Honors and the highest final exam scores ever achieved by any student at her university. 

Tours of the Appleton Estate in Nassau Valley are offered as well as Spirits training at the JWN Academy in Kingston.  The Kingston Academy offers blending classes by pre-arrangement that include a film and comprehensive information on Appleton Rum qualities and production. http://www.jwnacademy@camperi.com

You have not eaten in Kingston if you have not dined at Scotchies Tree New Kingston, a true Jamaican experience. Diners eat in thatch-roofed gazebos set in an outdoor garden surrounded by lush foliage and exotic flowers. Scotchies' menu reads like a list of all of the dishes that are unique to Jamaica and Caribbean culture and visitors have the opportunity to watch the food being cooked on a traditional wood-smoking grill. The restaurant is most famous for its delicious jerk chicken and pork. Historically West African Coromantee hunters roasted wild pigs in pits using a blend of seasonings and spices that were unique and largely kept secret. Later Maroon communities commonly used this method of cooking. Other favorites served here are steamed fish, roasted breadfruit and the national dish, ackee and salt fish. The ackee is the fruit from a West African tree, "Akye Fufo", brought to Jamaica in the 1700s.

 

The next stop on our cultural and heritage tour is Portland Parish, approximately 60-miles from Kingston on the northeastern coast of the island. It is far less urban than most of the other parishes and allows visitors to experience Jamaica's raw beauty from the 7,402-ft. Blue Mountains down to the shores of the sea. The capital city, Port Antonio, was established in the 1680s but the parish dates from 1723.

Jamaica's first inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site was the Blue and Jim Crow Mountains. They cover 33% of the island and are home to 200 bird and 500 plant species and are increasingly renowned for the famous Blue Mountain Coffee. Views of the mountains are terrific as you pass along the road. http://www.bluemountaincoffee.com

You know you are in Portland when you reach Dickie's Best Kept Secret, a restaurant cut into and built along side the cliffs. Owner Dickie Butler built it by hand and crafted most of the furnishings. The restaurant has several levels and a set of steps that lead to the beach. An experienced chef, Dickie cooks all the food and reservations are mandatory. The food is so fresh that when making your reservation if you specify fish they go out and catch it. Dinner here is a bucket list experience.

Port Antonio is credited with being the "Birthplace of Jamaican Tourism", an outgrowth of its once being the "Banana Capital of the World".  It was a shipping port for bananas and the inspiration for "Day-O", or "The Banana Boat Song" and it is said that tourists hitched a ride here on the banana boats arriving from the US. http://www.portantoniojamaica.com

American film star Errol Flynn gets some of the credit for increasing the region's popularity when in 1942 he was forced by a storm to anchor his yacht on the island. He traveled to Port Antonio by motorcycle and was captivated by its unspoiled beauty. He moved here permanently in 1950 and the rich and famous flocked to the area.

Rio Grande River Rafting as recreation, introduced by Flynn, is a tourist magnet. Rafting tours are approximately 2-hours long and are poled by raft captains. Originally the bamboo rafts were used to carry bananas from the interior to the seaport. Visitors are transported through stunning scenery on 30-ft. long rafts that seat two. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were known to spend the entire day rafting the river valley using 4 rafts, one for them, one for food, one with a bar and one with musicians. Feel free to duplicate the experience. explorejamaica.com.jm/rio-grande-rafting-jamaica

Trident Castle, in Turtle Crawl Bay, is the sole castle in the entire Caribbean. The Austrian Baroque structure was built in the 1980s for a German Baroness but ownership subsequently passed to the Levy family. It can be rented and the list of international celebrities who arrive on the property via helicopter for a secluded villa vacation inspires awe. The castle is as photogenic as it is legendary. castleportantonio.com

Jon Baker of Gee Street Records founded GeeJam Recording Studio in Port Antonio in 2000. Tours of the state-of-the art studio, designed to provide the complete production process, can be arranged. Recording took place at all hours and performers began staying in bungalows on the property and today Geejam Hotel is a much-awarded luxury boutique resort. This is one for the glitterati but specials are available online. geejamhotel.com

The Blue and Jim Crow Mountains were designated a UNESCO site based partially on their place in cultural history as an area of sanctuary and sustenance to the Maroons fleeing colonial rule and slavery. The indigenous Taino Indians were the first to seek refuge in the mountains, followed by slaves. "Maroon" is derived from the Spanish word cimarron meaning "wild", used to describe those who fled and fought back.

When the English conquered the island in 1645 they commanded the Spanish to surrender all their goods, including their slaves, and vacate the island. Some Spanish and many of the slaves fled into the hills and waged a guerilla campaign. The Spanish formally turned Jamaica over to the British in 1655 and the island became a lucrative slave-trading center. Although money was generated from the trade the enslaved and Maroons exacted a cost. Between 1680-1785 more than 600,000 slaves were imported, there were 16 slave rebellions before 1813, uprisings in 1816, 1823 and 1832 and by the 1820s more than 2,500 runaways were documented annually. The Maroons, refusing reenslavement, became a well-trained, organized fighting force and because of their location in the hills they could strike any plantation and their mountain fortress was difficult to attack.

Nanny of the Maroons, a warrior, leader and priestess, now one of Jamaica's National Heroes was enslaved on the islands. It is believed she was a member of the Ashanti Tribe from Ghana and she was brought to Jamaica in the late 1680s. By 1720 she and her brothers had escaped and she had established a settlement in the mountains. Once there the Maroons established an Afro-centric community that maintained traditional African customs and values. After numerous attempts to overcome the settlement the British signed a treaty with Nanny's brother over her objections and Nanny and her followers moved to another site and established New Nanny Town in 1739.

New Nanny Town was closely guarded and once anyone crossed the Black Rio Grande River they were watched. If they reached Watches Hill an abeng, a cow horn blown from the side that can be heard over 10-miles away, was used to sound a warning. The abeng functioned as a war horn and method of communication. It continues to be played at festivals, funerals and community assemblies. The name comes from the Akan word for horn.

New Nanny Town, now Moore Town, is 11-miles from Port Antonio and continues to be inhabited by descendants of the original Maroons. A colonel and a 24-member council govern the town. The current colonel, Wallace Sterling, has served voluntarily for over 20-years. Guided tours of New Nanny Town can be arranged or visitors can embark on a self-guided tour. The Cultural Center should be the first stop for information, to view a small display of artifacts and to purchase crafts. Guided tours offer an opportunity to see a call and response music and dance performance specific to Moore Town Maroons. Two drums, Kromanti, are anointed with rum, as both a gift to the gods and to lubricate the skins. One drum plays the rhythm and the other is used for improvisational beats. The drums and songs are more than 250-years old.

The highlight of a visit to Moore Town is a stop at the Bump Grave, where Nanny is interred. A stone monument has been erected, inscribed and placed on a stone patio with an inset of an abeng imbedded in the ground. http://www.mooretown.weebly.com

Goblin Hill Villas is situated on picturesque San San Bay in Port Antonio and offers 12-acres of accommodations, beaches, tennis courts, a pool and exotic flora and fauna. Villas are fully furnished and are staffed with a housekeeper who, in addition to general housekeeping duties, will prepare meals. The panoramic views here are stunning and Goblin Hill has been listed as being "the best place to watch the sunset". http://www.goblinhill.com

Club Kingston at the Norman Manley International Airport gives visitors a chance to extend their trip just a little more. For a fee guests can avail themselves of departure services including open bar, bountiful buffet, business services, video games, shower facilities and special boarding privileges. Noted Jamaican artists' works decorate the Club and a variety of reading materials are offered. This is a particularly good choice if you have a long wait for your flight. vipattractions.com/club-kingston.php

Now is the time to start planning your visit. http://www.visitjamaica.com

                                                          

JOY'S COCKTAIL, created and enjoyed by Master Blender, Joy Spence, herself.

1 part Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

3 parts ginger ale

Slice of orange

5 drops Angostura bitters

Orange peel (garnish)

Squeeze the orange slice into a lowball glass, and then drop
it in the glass and muddle it. Add ice, build in remaining
ingredients and stir.

   

 

 

 

 


 

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