Jamaica American Culture

Jamaica is home to the reggae beat. The term reggae comes from a Jamaican phrase meaning “rags or ragged clothing”, it is used to denote a raggedy style of music that was rooted and grew in Jamaica. This genre of music includes Jamaican and American blues and R&B influences. The Jamaican music surrounds through survival revival sessions, ceremonies, nyabinghis, Maroon and Kumina possession ceremonies, and dances. Reggae music is one of the most popular music genres in the world, and mainly focuses on lyrics of love and peace. In 1492 Jamaica was discovered by Christopher Columbus. The Spanish followed Christopher Columbus to bring out the genocide of the islands original population. “By the time Oliver Cromwell’s navy wrested the island from the Spanish in 1670, they had been wiped out. (Broughton 521)” After they were wiped out, African slaves who had been armed by the Spaniards were
In songs this belief often sends a message to the American youth that is misunderstood. Rastafarianism began in the slums of Jamaica in the 1920s and 30s (Dubb). There is not a formal or organized leadership; many Rastafarians see Rasta as more of a way of life, and others see it more as religion (Dubb). This “religion” includes ritual use of marijuana, avoidance of alcohol, wearing hair in dreadlocks, and vegetarianism. Bob Marley is one of the most famous Rastafarians, and his reggae music gained the Jamaican movement recognition internationally. Bob Marley was born in Nine Miles, Jamaica in 1945. Marley’s was not scared to reveal himself because he did so through his music (Dubb). His music, reggae is religious and can be thought as calming. Listeners of Bob Marley’s music could be inspired to smoke marijuana because of the effects of the drug and how it makes the listener feel while music is being played. “Marley was said to smoke a pound of herb each week