Culture and Customs of Jamaica

Jamaica is known widely for its beautiful beaches and the reggae music scene, but there is much more to this Caribbean country. "Culture and Customs of Jamaica" richly surveys the fuller wealth of the Caribbean nation, focusing on its people, history, religion, education, language, social customs, media and cinema, literature, music, and performing and visual arts. Jamaican Creole and the education system, which are not often discussed in volumes aimed at a general audience, are also examined here. Students and other interested readers will witness the unveiling of this complicated and unique country within this volume. Indispensable for the its insights on the making of modern Jamaica.

Written by Jamaicans the island receives needed attention in this work. The history of Jamaica is well covered, from pre-Colombian times through slavery, to the impact of social activist Marcus Garvey, and the relatively new state of independence. Rastfarianism to Revivalism are covered as Jamaica's multitude of religious denominations is outlined. Various topics such as geography, demography, climate, cuisine, and the visual and performing arts are detailed. Accompanied by a chronology, this magical country comes to life in this wide-ranging volume. Anyone with an interest in Jamaica and its culture and customs will be indebted to the authors for their timely presentation. Students and general readers will find this volume indispensable.

MARTIN MORDECAI is a former Jamaican career diplomat and civil servant, now resident in Toronto as a freelance writer and photographer, and businessman./e

PAMELA MORDECAI, is an independent scholar and poet who has written over a dozen books in language arts for high school students and has edited anthologies of Caribbean literature./e She is publisher of Sandberry Press, a small press devoted to Caribbean literary publishing, which operates out of Kingston Jamaica and Toronto, Canada.