Wednesday, May 21, 2008

PM Bruce Goldring on BBC's "HARDTalk"

If the Jamaica Gleaner are Jamaica Observer are fair indicators, Jamaicans are standing by their prime minister while awaiting the international backlash. What will come next? How can people with alternative sexual orientation possibly count on protection by rule of law after the homophobic sentiments expressed by Jamaica's new prime minister Bruce Goldring in his BBC interview with Stephen Sackur, aired Tuesday, May 20, 2008? How he can he bring the murder rate under control while tacitly condoning the discrimination of such a sizeable segment of the population? BBC has posted the Goldring interview on in three installments on Youtube, but this topic is treated in the third - check out the comments for common Jamaican sentiments.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Blue Mountains Kumina


This video of a Kumina group was shot by faculty of the University of Indiana at Ambassabeth Cottages, high in the Blue Mountains.





To learn more about the history, geography and culture of this region, I recommend the following books. Start planning your own visit and learn from the farmers of Bowden Pen, St. Thomas.

  • Bev Carey (1997) The Maroon Story: The authentic and original history of the Maroons in the history of Jamaica, 1490-1880 (Gordon Town: Agouti P, Maroon Publishing House).
  • Kenneth M Bilby (2005) True-Born Maroons (University of Florida Press). Jamaica Gleaner review.