Coming Up in May!

May starts soon and summer is just around the corner. That means mangoes galore, poincianas blossoming, steamy beach and river outings, and more parties and live concerts. We look forward to meeting up with all our clients, but a special shout out to all the Jamaicans, whether first, second or third generation, coming home for the holidays.

The next few months will be packed with events. We love that for Jamaica 🙂 Below are a few events happening over the next few weeks that we’re highlighting and recommending you check out. Don’t worry, our next post will have a refreshed list.

Taino New Year – May 26

History keeps revising itself. First they said Arawaks, now we say Taino. First they said they were all killed by the Spanish, now we know that Taino people are still with us. Want to learn more and clear up the confusion? Then go to the annual Taino celebration of the New Year and Rainy Season. This year’s theme is “Areito: Celebrating 1,424 years in Yamayeka (Jamaica)”. There will be performances, storytelling, children’s zone, food, music, and more. The event takes place in Woodside, St. Mary, the location of sites sacred to the Tainos. To learn more, visit www.yamayeguani.com.

Wine and Soul – Month of May

From Avant Academy of Music and Johnny’s Live Productions comes “Wine and Soul” for the month of May. Wine & Soul is a weekly live music series which takes place on a Wednesday evening from 8:30 pm to 11:00 pm and is hosted by Jamaican musician Seretse Small. The evening is a celebration of Afro-descendant musical expression, from Jazz to various genres of Jamaican music and American Pop and R&B. The lineup includes major Jamaican singers and instrumentalists such as Harold Davis, Marjorie Myrie, Cat Coore, Earl “Chinna” Smith, and Dean Fraser. To view past events, click here.

The performances happen at Johnny’s Place, 35 Dunrobin Road, Kingston, also known for comedic and theatrical productions.

The cover is an affordable J$2,500 per person. To purchase tickets or to find out more, Whatsapp 876 260 1637 or call 876 667 3377.

Dubbing 62 Exhibition – Ends May 12

This exhibition titled “Dubbing 62: Side A: Babylon + Zion” presents a visual narrative showing the evolution of independent Jamaica through music. The works focus on the changes in Jamaica from multiple perspectives, physical, political and economic, as heard through the music of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The art is that of Matthew McCarthy, a well-known muralist and painter and the works are created by Kerry Chen. The exhibition can be seen at 10A West Kings House Road in Kingston. Updates can be found on IG Narrative Curatorial (@_narrativecuratorial) • Instagram photos and videos

Artworks by Matthew McCarthy

What’s Coming Up for Jamaica Cultural Tours

Starting this June we will be exporting our walking tours to Ocho Rios! While Ocho Rios is a vibrant, booming big little town, most visitors are content to lie on the beach. We will be offering alternatives to those visitors who want to know a lot more about the culture and history of the town and Jamaica. We’re excited!

The next super interesting product we will be offering will be a special excursion for Jamaicans returning home for the summer. We will be creating a trip that looks in depth at the history of the people who came. We say out of many one people is our motto but how much do we know about those people, starting from the earliest inhabitants coming right down. We’re going deep!

Stay close so you can learn about when we launch these two new offerings. Feel free to email us at info@jaculture.com or Whatsapp us at 876 540 8570 to learn more.

Blessings,

Karen