BigCulture | find things Jamaican

I have been trying to come to grips with what really defines the Jamaican culture. Obviously the answers will depend on how much exposure one has to the culture or perhaps whether or not you are a Jamaican, where were you born or where do you live.

So is it the food or the music or simply just living or breathing the Jamaican “air”. I decided to ask a few of my Jamaican friends both in Jamaica and abroad and I was surprise at the answers they gave. These answers dispel the notion that I have harboured all these years!

I begin with the definition by Wikipedia “Jamaican culture represents a rich blend of cultures that have inhabited the island. Spanish and British settlers and West African slaves brought cultural elements, as did East Asian and Indian immigrants who came to the island as indentured servants”. Well most of my friends agreed with Wikipedia’s definition but they all felt this was such a lame statement that did not express the brand power of the Jamaican culture.

In the end the true meaning of the Jamaican culture lies in its people. All the music and cultural pieces have been created by Jamaicans to form was is today a unique culture.