Post # 6: Jamaican/West Indian Diaspora

During week six's class we discussed the influx of Jamaican and West Indian culture into Britan following World War II. As huge numbers of islanders immigrated to the UK to fill positions left vacant by soldiers, they brought traditions from their homeland into an increasingly diverse United Kingdom. These traditions included food and celebrations, but also longstanding forms of media and communication.

Because of the history of slavery in the West Indies and the lack of public education it entailed, the written word was not the strongest form of communication for those emigrating to the UK. However, letters became a very important mode of communication between families living in Britain, and those that remained on the islands, illustrating the importance of "small" documents as a form of diasporic media. As our guest speaker Yvonne--a second generation Jamaican Briton--stated, only small percentage of these immigrants were literate. Other members of the community relied on one or two people to read and write their letters to and from their homeland.

Another form of diasporic media with roots in Jamaican culture is the "call and response" style of song, where messages were transmitted using catchy tunes and rhythms. This tradition, while seemingly out of date in our world of instant communication, manifests in much of the popular music produced by Jamaican and West Indian Brits. Artists ranging from reggae groups (like Steel Pulse) to hip hop (like Slick Rick) have incorporated traditional musical communication methods into their songs and performances.

Steel Pulse, "Steppin' Out"--the bridge before the chorus works as a call and response between the lead singer (who is Jamaican British) and the backup singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hdlPzBlil4&feature=PlayList&p=AB203BD9A73F66CA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=76