Jonkunnu
is Jamaica’s 1st traditional and longest dance form of African descent
still being practiced in Jamaica
up to this day. This dance form is a both a Masquerade form and Myal. This dance
form is a buildup of music, dance, mime and symbols. Originally this was mainly
practiced at Christmas season when the slaves had break on Boxing Day, they were
forced to perform this art form as entertainment for their plantation owners
and other associates of the plantation
This dance form went through three phases or stages in Jamaica.
The first was the early years of introduction and adaptation known as the pre-Set
Girl era from the 1650’s- 1770’s, at this time the only characters were of
their African background the Cowhead and Horsehead. The next era was followed
in the 1770's by the addition of a European feature, the set girls. Set Girl
era was of European influence when they began to have different classes/
categories of workers on the plantation. These new races influenced the
characters and life and status on the plantation and cultures started to mix
again so the new characters added were the Jack-in-the-green, Set girl, sailor
boy, devil house Jonkunnu and actor boy. The third stage came after
emancipation and it was this masquerade which shows the British influence most
clearly. This era was influenced by the breaking up of slavery and the entering
of freedom, but by this time we had
already been programmed to look at life as white was superior and blacks were
inferior so at this time blacks emulated the life they should be living or the
dream life is that of the whites so the Jonkunuu at this time was adapting to
the different races and influences in
society where there were a few tribes from Africa that had people coming to Jamaica
in search of work too, who brought back a sense of our African culture back in
the Jonkunnu and the introduction of the characters pitchy patchy, belly woman,
beggar Indian chief, and policeman.
To me Jonkunnu definitely played a big role in the early forming
and shaping of our Jamaican identity for it was the first means of actual
socialization of the slaves from all these different tribes together, they got
to mix culture and adapt and learn from and together from the first stage
through to the second stage where there where different eauropean influences
more culture mixing but more culture shocks also and acceptance and rejection
but understanding eventually up until the final stage where there were free
black men and free white men all working and being paid and at this time there
was still high levels of segregation, but it only really boosted the lower
classes to gain ambition and rise up! And I think its that what makes us
jamaicans so determined and to conquer whatever it is that we achieve to do in
this world and we will always excel for we defeated slavery on our own been
colonized more than once and now we are styl here making impact on the greater
world.
NATIONAL IDENTITY & THE ARTS journal Entry #1 Entry #1 Kyle Mclaughlin
IN week 1 of the course, we covered a few topics under the heading "What Is Identity" & "What Role Does the Arts Play In Shaping a National Identity". We also touched texts from Mirror Mirror, Inward Stretch Outward Stretch & Caribbean Cultural Identity: The Case of Jamaica. National Identity is basically the deception of a country as a whole, en compressing its culture, traditions, language, and politics. Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. The phrase "Actions Expressed Through the Arts" as explained by Prof. Nettleford is stating from my point of view thatthrough the arts we can tell what is going on and what used to happen in different stages of time and life, it can be used to depict stories to bring change and upliftment etc., the message definatley gets elivered. the Proffesors example on Bob Marley and Rastafari translates to : Bob Marley's musical lyrics carries the doctrines and values of Rastafari, soif one wanted to seek knowledge on the topic of Rastafari, Bob Marley music would be an ideal place to start. My translation of the phrase : the Hon. Lousie Bennett did most of her works in jamaicas native tongue over the long years of her poetic and performing life, "Patois", ( She was also an advocate for making our native tongue to be apart of our own national identity too) so naturally you would listen to or read works done by her if you wanted to know about Jamaica's native tongue. Week one was all about learning what is , factors towards national identity and how the message is carried on throughout the generations , and that's was through the arts.
Today we talk about the transition in the music forms inn
Jamaica and how it affected the people and how the people affected the music. We
start our musical journey into history from the 1960’s when Jamaica gained independence
from British rule. We start with Mento, leading on to Ska music, then on to
Rocksteady, then Reggae and ending in Dancehall.
Mento had a lot of instrumentals but most Mento songs had
vocals. The lyrics are typically a lot of fun generally portraying all the
issues, large and small, of life in Jamaica. They had a lot of songs about
Jamaica itself, some described Jamaican foods and recipes, and there were a lot
of songs about various fruits -- just one way that Mento gave you a real slice
of Jamaican life in the 1950s. All manner of relationships between people are
explored, as is the problematic and comic relationship between man and animal.
Though there a few serious or sad songs, the great majority were happy and
positive.
Ska used elements drawn from Jamaican Mento, Revival and Rastafarian
drumming, plus some rhythm and blues, boogie and swing. At this time most of
the early studio musicians were trained instrumentalists, and a lot of the
music was purely instrumental. These musicians were the innovators behind the
Jamaican music to come. Ska developed in
downtown Kingston around 1960 to 1966. It took a while for it to be accepted by the middle and upper classes,
for this music’s audience were mainly the Jamaican ‘Rude Boys’. Lyrics were
mainly about the social concerns of the country at the time. This music represented
the lower class in the beginning. The Rude Boy’s that listened were rebellious
out of work and reacted against economic tensions. Rude Boys often lived
outside of the law. Ska lyrics at the time reflected the life and times of Rude
Boys. Some examples include The Heptones' 'Gunmen Comin to Town', Desmond Dekkers'
'007 Shanty Town' and Prince Busters' 'Judge Dread' who handed out 400 year
sentences to Rude Boys.
By 1966 in Jamaica many audiences had grown tired
of the Ska beat and tempo, at this time the beat of Ska was slowed and Rocksteady
was born, and lasted from 1966 to 1968. Rumor
has it that it was a particularly hot Jamaican summer that led to this more
easygoing style but the real reason the continuing influence of American
R&B. By the mid 60's R&B was developing into the smoother soul styles
of like Motown, but Jamaican musicians responded to this with their own slower
smoother styles. The most renowned hit of the Rocksteady era was 'The Tide is high'
by The Paragons. In the 80's this was covered by Blondie and was one of their
biggest hits. The influence of another religious revival, Rastafarianism led to
further musical developments of Ska and Rocksteady and reggae was born.
Reggae’s music style originated as a development of Ska and Rocksteady.
Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat,
known as the skank. Reggae is usually slower than Ska but faster than Rocksteady.
Since the arrival, Reggae music has been Jamaica’s emotional
outlet, to express thoughts and feelings about life, love and religion. Reggae
music is created with incredible amounts of soul and pride, It is more than
just music, it is a way of life for those who live in Jamaica and Jamaicans
around the world. Reggae’s era was from 1969 to 1983.Currently in Jamaica, Reggae is very soulful, it’s a powerful
social force that represents the pressures of everyday life and struggle,
putting them into words that describe, reveal and persuade the people that
listen to its powerful messages. The origins of Reggae derived from
confrontation and struggle, it’s based on freedom and never giving up. This
type of music has proven to bring crowds of people together, while uniting a country
and political party at the same time. This has been evident in Bob Marley uniting
two political parties in Jamaica, at The One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica
before he died. He also showed his music definitely united Jamaica and taught
us to appreciate ourselves as who we are and he even demonstrated the power of
reggae an the message it brings with the influence over in Zimbabwe. Bob Marley was honored by Zimbabwe’s
1980 Independence celebration because his music had given inspiration to
freedom fighters in the bush.
Dancehall in the beginning in the late1980’s
early 1990’s, was way more than music studios, record shops, and street corners
and anywhere the music is played, it extends to the inner cities that that
forces the elements for this musical form called Dancehall. It’s in the inner
cities that the vibes are built; the harsh realities provide the genesis for
the creative juices. Each sentence in a song represents an aphorism of inner
city life, which is easily recognized by the main participants. All the
different themes displayed in the music, are a reflection of the life lived,
reality of most of the Dancehall artists. The harsh realities of inner city
life are not the only influence that is manifested in the dancehall music. From
then until now, most of our dancehall artiste do not have
a first degree or a high school diploma, so this means actual good
substance isn’t present in dancehall music, what Dancehall is today same way is
just about petty social issues hype and fashion and drugs. The whole issue of
controversy sells may be an alternative for producing a good song. However when
two dancehall artistes find themselves in a lyrical war it is guaranteed to get
air play; what are the other benefits of insulting each other repeatedly to gain
popularity and what whim of fake faith and power. This is the sole factor of
dancehall music today, “mix up”. This shows exactly what is going on in
Jamaica at the given time whenever the Dancehall track is made. Vybz Kartel did
the song Clarke's and instantly the price and the sales of these shoes sky
rocketed.
After doing all the reading I have
done and knowledge gained within being a young producer and a fan of Ska,
Reggae and Dancehall I can safely say that with all the forms discussed they
all had the power of uniting the people, definitely influencing the listeners
and fans and vice versa for throughout all they represented life in jamaica and
issues wether it were the petty issues or it was real serious issues of
poverty, crime and violence, poverty and such.
Mento represented a time of coming
together, for it dominated that time in the 1960’s when Jamaica gained
independence and everybody was happy
with each other, happy to be a Jamaican , we became proud to be a Jamaican the
and started to accept our own Jamaican Identity. Ska came in for the Rude Boys
in the inner cities, depressed of their socio-economic statuses and elements
against them taking to live a life ‘badness’ to survive. Ska music was theirs
to let loose and appreciate. Ska ended in in 1966 where Rocksteady took over
for two years because the people got tired of hearing the beats and tempos of
Ska music. It was also a time where we were getting exposed to the happenings
overseas and the influence of American music groups like Motown, and styl mixed
with our African roots in the instruments catering to the same masses. Reggae
came in off the same African drum heartbeat as of its predecessors and this was
in a time when the country had already gained independence and time had been
passing and the country had been really depressed and Revival was prevalent and
Rastafari was growing so the drums
started to beat and the baseline followed for the country needed unity again in
the time of darkness and depression due to poverty and politics and losing of
faith in themselves to go on reggae had to be the voices of and to the people
of Jamaica to get them back in the peace love and faith frame of mind again.
Reggae had the hearts of the masses of the country but there was still a
minority that couldn’t attach themselves to the reggae music officially and
dancehall was created representing the inner city life and levity, but this
time it wasn’t from a revival or Rastafarian side this was just from the
depressed I got to survive by any means necessary frame of mind people uneducated
people, to where it is now, still influencing the uneducated but in addition
the youths of society where the topics are just about ‘badness, mix-up, weed,
degrading females, bashing of gays and promoting violence, if its hot off the
press and current they will sing about
the governments and last but not least the Hype of whats happening in the
different social circles’.
In week two of the National Identity and the Arts class, we
covered a few topics. I wasn’t present for the actual class, but I was filled
in on the topics and areas covered. This week we went back in time, back to the
days of slavery in Jamaica. The main topics covered were “The Influence of
Slavery & Emancipation in shaping a Jamaican Cultural Identity.
We started out by running through the cultural practices on
the plantation, discussing the lifestyle of the “Slave & Slave Driver”
(Slave Master) on the plantation, and then moving along to the “Hidden Arts”
practiced amongst the slaves. The final topics covered were Pre & Post
Emancipation & Cultural Practices & last but not least we ran through
“Themes of Slave Retention in Jamaican Culture”.
Slavery had been abolished many years ago, but up until this
day we as Jamaicans can’t seem to let go of a lot of the practices and ideology
of societal status and behaviors instilled in directly and indirectly by the
“Superiors” on the and in the plantation.
One prevalent theme of slave retention in Jamaican Culture
today is that of Race & Ethnicity. In the days of slavery, it was said and
respected that the ‘lighter the complexion, the higher you are in the eyes of
society, thus making the Caucasian man the most superior.
Slave retention can definitely be identified in all forms of
our arts in Jamaica, especially in our local music. Example: Vybz Kartel’s song
“From Dem Look Pon ME”. Here are some excerpts from the song showcasing the
racial issue from slave retention mentioned earlier; 1. Di gyal dem love off me
white cute face 2. Di gyal dem love off me bleach out face. This all goes back
to the days when the slaves actually believe that the lighter their complexion
the better chance they have at surviving in the greater world for it had been perceived
that white is superior ad black is inferior. The artiste Vybz Kartel who
produced these lyrics regarding skin lightening are practices he does indulge
in and had been doing so for over 10 years, and the reception he receives from
the people of Jamaica on the topic had been a positive response in most cases
for most of the fans of the artiste given are also indulging in skin lightening
too. It is really very easy to get caught up in the skin lightening mode trying
be as clear as the “superiors”, for every time u hear the song you just want to
buy yourself sum skin lightening cream and start the process right away, for it
had been retained subconsciously thus the reason the act of skin lightening
feels so right.
Vybz Kartel Before & After Skin lightening
It has been proven that a percentage of the people
participating in skin lightening , actually received a large boost in self-esteem
and confidence , for “the lighter the complexion the higher you are on the
social scene, thus proving slave retention still lives today among us. I’m really
proud of myself in accepting all my perfections and imperfections of my
physical self, and really don’t care to really please society, but always trying
do my own thing and think out the box.
TRODDING WITH DJSTEPS: KINGLY TRIBE OF JUDAH: STRAIGHT FROM THE BIBLE Jacobs Blessing - Gen. 49:8-12 "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemi...
