Jamaica’s National Heroes: Sir Alexander Bustamante
Sir Alexander Bustamante was born William Alexander Clarke on February 24, 1884 in Blenheim, Hanover. Along with his cousin, Norman Washington Manley, he is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Jamaica. [caption id="attachment_7536" align="aligncenter" width="371" caption="Sir Alexander Bustamante, circa 1960"][/caption] As a young man, Bustamante was restless and traveled extensively between 1905 and 1934, going from Panama to Cuba and the U.S. He tried his hand at a variety of jobs, including hospital attendant, police, beekeeper, and dairy…
Read more »
Happy Thanksgiving!
Food is an integral part of our lives. And on Thanksgiving, we give thanks with one of the biggest feasts of the year. Thanksgiving isn't an official holiday in Jamaica though some Jamaicans who've returned home have brought the tradition with them. What we have that's similar is harvest. At the harvest, members bring produce to their church to receive a blessing from the priest. [caption id="attachment_7513" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Honey bananas[/caption] These bananas are called honey, because they're naturally sweet,…
Read more »
Budget Airline, REDJet, Lands in Jamaica
On Monday, November 21, REDJet, the Caribbean’s first budget carrier, landed at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport. [caption id="attachment_7500" align="aligncenter" width="488" caption="REDJet"][/caption] With tickets priced as low as US$9.99 and increasing in increments of US$10 as seats are sold and departure dates approach, the airline could shake up air travel in the Caribbean. Speaking at the launch, Ian Burns, REDJet’s chairman and chief executive officer tried to allay fears that the low cost carrier will draw passengers away from established…
Read more »
Jamaica’s National Heroes: Norman Manley
Norman Washington Manley was born in the parish of Manchester on July 4, 1893. He was a Rhodes scholar and athlete, soldier (First World War) and lawyer. During the labor unrest of 1938, Manley identified himself with the cause of the workers and donated time and advocacy to the cause. In September 1938, he founded the People's National Party (PNP) and was elected its president annually until his retirement in 1969. [caption id="attachment_7494" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="Norman Manley"][/caption] Manley and the…
Read more »
Jamaica’s National Heroes: Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica’s first National Hero was born in St. Ann’s Bay on August 17, 1887. He was the youngest of eleven children born to Marcus Garvey, Sr., and Sarah Jane Richards. Garvey’s father, whom he described as “severe, firm, determined, bold and strong, refusing to yield even to superior forces if he believed he was right” influenced him greatly. The elder Garvey had an extensive library where young Marcus learned to read. [caption id="attachment_7487" align="aligncenter" width="458" caption="Marcus Garvey"][/caption]…
Read more »
Soulful Sundays: Millie Small
Before Millie Small was catapulted to fame in 1964 with the hit song, My Boy Lollipop, she had been part of a duo in Jamaica that had some minor success. [caption id="attachment_7482" align="aligncenter" width="481" caption="Millie Small"][/caption] She went to London in 1963 to record My Boy Lollipop, the song that put both her and Island Record on the map internationally. My Boy Lollipop reached number on the UK and US charts and was the first hit song for the Chris…
Read more »
Weekly Photo Challenge: Breakfast
A Jamaican breakfast is usually a pretty substantial meal. It can consist of any of the following: boiled green banana, fried plantain, dumplings, Johnny Cakes, roasted breadfruit (when in season), Festival (a Johnny Cake made of flour and cornmeal), avocado (when in season) and yam with either steamed fish, ackee and saltfish, callaloo or callaloo and saltfish, corned beef, sardines, etc. Sometimes, there might be porridge made from oats, cornmeal, banana, plantain, peanut, etc. [caption id="attachment_8163" align="aligncenter" width="715"] Ackee, saltfish, dumplings,…
Read more »
Jamaica’s National Heroes: George William Gordon
George William Gordon was born in 1819 to a slave mother and a planter father. In 1834, the year slavery was [caption id="attachment_7468" align="alignright" width="132" caption="George William Gordon"][/caption] abolished (on August 1st), he was elected to the House of Assembly for the parish of St. Thomas. He was 23 years old. Gordon was also a leader of the Native Baptist Movement. The termination of slavery brought freedom and the right to vote but the majority of the black population did…
Read more »
Travel Photo Thursday: Firefly Estate
Firefly was the name British author, Sir Noel Coward gave to his vacation home in Jamaica. Located on the north east coast of the island in the parish of St. Mary, Firefly was once owned by the pirate and former Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, Sir Henry Morgan, who is said to have used it as a lookout -- the property has a commanding view of the harbor. [caption id="attachment_7455" align="aligncenter" width="628" caption="Coward's View: Statue of Noel Coward at Firefly Estate"][/caption] [caption…
Read more »
Jamaica’s National Heroes: Paul Bogle
Paul Bogle was born free about 1822 in Stony Gut, near Morant Bay in St. Thomas. He was a Baptist deacon and landowner. On October 11, 1865, thirty-one years following the abolition of slavery in Jamaica, Bogle led about 300 men and women to Morant Bay Courthouse, in protest against poverty and injustice and a lack of confidence in the authorities. [caption id="attachment_7449" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="Paul Bogle"][/caption] The community had a number of grievances. Small farmers had been hit hard…
Read more »
