Culture - Luxury villas in Portland Jamaica

Jamaica is as rich in culture as it is diverse in population. The national motto 'Out of Many ...... One People.' says it all.

Each of the nationalities that contributed to Jamaica's vibrant history brought with them the beliefs and traditions of the their home country.
Jamaican culture today is a brand new cloth uniquely woven from these many traditions.

As tourism is a major industry in Jamaica, the visitor is well catered for, and hotel and restaurant staff are generally friendly and efficient.

Music and African culture are very apparent as are old British colonial influences. Signs can be seen on the island claiming 'Jah lives', Jah being the name given to God by the Rastafarians.

Music

Jamaica reverberates to the soul-riveting sounds of calypso, soca (a soul-calypso fusion) and reggae. Music is everywhere.

Although its sound is timeless, reggae -- often called Jamaica's greatest export -- is a style of music with a fairly short history. What we think of as 'reggae' today is actually younger than rock 'n' roll, however its development stretches back hundreds of years and incorporates many of the same influences (African slave songs, popular tunes, big band, R&B) that helped shape rock.

Other music forms include Jazz, which is becoming more recognised in Jamaica and Rock Steady. Classical, though not widely popular, has its own audience. Gospel is not as established as Reggae but is very popular with a large audience.

Soca/Calypso has been adopted from the Eastern Caribbean. It has become very popular especially since the introduction of the Jamaica Carnival.

Language

Officially English is the spoken language in Jamaica but, nearly all Jamaicans, however, speak Patois. Patois is a unique Creole dialect that is a mixture of English and African with words from other languages occasionally mixed in.

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