President Obama In Jamaica

- Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to set foot in Jamaica since 1982 -- and made some time for the late reggae legend Bob Marley Wednesday -  April  8,2015. Very few would have previously known that he was a fan of The late  Robert Nesta Marley but he still has albums of Bob's songs from way back in his youthful high school age.

. .President Barack Obama visited the Bob Marley Museum with tour guide Natasha Clark, on April 8, 2015, as .he managed to squeeze in some fun in between meetings with Jamaican and Caribbean leaders on his trip to Jamaica this week -- from paying homage to reggae star Bob Marley to practicing his own Jamaican accent. He showed how much he had mastered some of the Jamaica language and accent when he greeted the Young Jamaicans who gathered at the University Of the West Indies to have a dialogue with him. using the well-known Jamaican slang" Wha a gawn" (What is going on).( what is happen)to a roar of applause from the young minds who felt as if he was a son of the soil and one of them.

There is a lot of speculation as to why the President of the United States is visiting Jamaica on his ways to the Summit of the Americas. It has no strategic position of any interest nor is it of any economic value.The  conclusion  is that Since China is investing so much in Jamaica it behooves the USA to make its  presence be more dominant in the country and  the region at large

President  Obama In Jamaica

  Could the USA see the opportunity to benefit economically from Chinese productions in the region?  Benjamin Rhodes a White House deputy national security adviser said, "We, in looking at the region, saw that a number of the (Caribbean) countries had significant energy needs, . "At the same time, the United States has significant resources, not just in terms of our own energy production, but also in our energy infrastructure, in our ability to work with countries that have formed cooperative solutions to promote energy security."Or could it be said that it was covering it;s back.

Whatever the reasons are for President Obama's visits he now knows that he is loved in Jamaica and this was conveyed to him by Jamaica's Prime minister Portia Simpson Miller. He enjoyed his visit to the island and he showed his gratitude to the many who had lost their lives in world wars fighting  for freedom by laying a wreath at the cenotaph

.President Obama spent approximately 20 hours on Jamaica soil and boarded Air force I at approximately 5:27 PM with Air Force 2 winging its way into the sky at approximately 5:30 pm.

Goodbye, President Barack Obama . Jamaica Loves you." ONE LOVE"

History of Hanover

 Jamaica culture

Jamaica historical sites
  
reggae Music

Special yearly events

Traditional dance

Sandy Bay writers

traditional dance 

The maroons of Jamaica

Festival in Jamaica

Talk Jamaican

Link to us

Sandy Bay Local Stops

 Check out the food

take a video tour of Jamaica 

Real estate sandy Bay

Jamaica Rum Cake

 drape making Course 

from a Jamaican decorator on line

Jamaica Music

Jamaica music

	Why not Listen to Reggae music as you work	Download DVD and watch them on your computer

When you visit the island check out the Jamaica music, such as our traditional, dances, like Kumina, mento, bruckings, pocomania, reggae, Bob Marley music, maypole, myal, quadrille, rock steady, ska, calypso. Sandy Bay Primary and Junior High School perform the pocomania dance for the Jamaica festival.
Do you have an interest in learning how to make money online to supplement your salary, if you do have one in these times of terrible financial crisis you may take a quick look Here! If you are not satisfied there are many programs on this site that will help you just spend some time and visit other pages such as affiliate programs
The heritage of Jamaica's Music and dance is kept alive

Jamaica has a rich culture of music and dance. This culture is kept alive by the many cultural competitions held yearly by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Schools are encouraged to participate in the cultural activities and competitions held by this organization yearly. Speech, in the form of poetry and storytelling, drama, music, and dance form part of their yearly programs.

Jamaica has a rich archive in the form of the late cultural icon. Louise Bennett-Coverley’s work.
Many people and groups have been instrumental in keeping this rich culture alive in their research works such as Joyce Campbell, Olive Lewin, Rex Nettleford, Edward Seaga, Wilmot Dawes, and many others. The Jamaica information service has also documented a number of articles that relate to Jamaican culture.

Here is your best Jamaica culture guide
Jamaica music and dance Reggae music

Reggae music is said to be unique and original Jamaican and was born in the 1960s right after the short-lived ska and rock steady which are also Jamaica’s more recent traditional music and dance.
Reggae is said to have its birth in Western Kingston by the late superstar Bob Marley who put reggae music and Jamaica on the world stage.

Somewhat slower than the rock steady it has a characteristic heavy repeated bass. One of its most prominent features is it's offbeat,  unlike any other musical form. The lyrics gave messages from the poor and centered around political, economical, social, and religious oppression all intended for the powers that be to awaken their consciousness.


Buy Bob Marley Music and other products here Listen to and select reggae music

Jamaica music Mento

Mento is a traditional dance in Jamaica that is still played in some North coast hotels in Jamaica. It is said to come about somewhere in the time of the early slavery and Plantocracy system and remained dominant up to the 1950s.It came out of a mixture of British and African music.

Mento is a type of music that the slaves used to jeer their Owners. It also addresses their struggles, politics, society, environment, sexuality, and their hopes. Songs that were too sexually explicit were banned.

Mento music was found in every parish in Jamaica and was recognized just as how the calypso is recognized in Trinidad. The instruments that accompany mento dancing are usually the rumba box, fiddle, maracas, banjo, flute, guitar, and drums.

Find more information on Jamaican Music

Jamaica music and dance Kumina

Kumina is one of Jamaica's traditional religious dances said to have its origin in the Congo.
It is believed to come with the slaves from Africa in the 1800s and has three basic characteristics singing, drumming, and dancing.

The drums are seen as the most essential instrument since they are used to control the spirits. The practitioners believe in the existence of three spirits, the powerful God, or the sky and air spirit, the earth spirit, and the ancestral spirit.

When they dance the dancers can reach such a state that they become inhabited by one of the spirits who help to solve problems they may encounter. The sky air spirit is the most powerful and one is said to have that spirit during a Kumina session if he seems to be leaping uncontrollably. He has to be guided by the other dancers to prevent him from getting hurt. If one dances very near to the ground he is said to be possessed by the ground spirit.

However, the Kumina dance is really to ask the ancestral spirit to abide. To give health, prosperity and protection. Kumina is danced to celebrate achievements such as births, and weddings. It is also danced at wakes for the dead to give speed and good passage to the other world.
Jamaica music and dance

Kumina is said to be used to cast evil spells and the dance is used to force the spirit to do the dancers bidding. At a Kumina session, the spirits are fed with white rice, curry goat, calaloo, and ground provision cooked without salt. Candles, fowl’s blood, coconut, rum water sugar, and cream soda all these aids to carry the spirits and also protect them from harm.

<

Specials colors are worn for various occasions. black and white mourning, green and white for thanksgiving, Two of the most prominent ancestral spirits believed to be king in Africa are Famous and Comfe. Read more on jamaica-music and dance

Jonkunnu or Burru
Jonkunnu (John Canoe) is another of the traditional Jamaican dances of African origin. It is performed mainly at Christmas time. The dance features characters all males whose movements match their roles. These characters are Pitchy Patchy, Devil, Horsehead, Cowhead, Actor Boy, Belly Woman, Warrior, and Wild Indian.


Gerreh and Dinki-Mini
Both dances are of African origin of the wake tradition usually performed after the death of a person, and up until the ninth night after the death.


Bruckin' Party
This traditional dance was performed in the past mainly to celebrate the anniversary of Emancipation from slavery on the 1st of August, 1838.
This dance is mostly found only in the parish of Portland.


Ring Games
Traditional Ring Games were played not only by children but also by adults as they portrayed happenings in a community anf often mimic situations that are often taboo.



Revival
Revival is a religious ritual resulting from an Afro-European syncretism - the mixing of African and European cultures.It is regarded as a spiritual dance


Tambu
Tambu groups are found mainly in Trelawny. Tambu today is performed mainly for entertainment. There are some similarities of this dance to other Caribbean islands. Continue reading more on Jamaica music and dance