• “Make I see the gal them bruk out pon the floor” in Temperature by Sean Paul means when I see a girl get on the dancefloor.
• “Man a walk pon road and lick down innocent man” in Tour by Capleton means man walks down the road and kills an innocent man.

Fortunately, my wife is Jamaican so I can ask her to help me understand the words spoken in patois (Pat-wah). However if you don’t have that luxury, I have found 2 websites where you can learn the words.

One place that can help if you have trouble understanding some of the lyrics in Jamaican music is SpeakJamaican.com where you can learn the stories and motivations behind the lyrics of artists like Sean Paul, Beanie Man, Capleton, Tanya Stephens, Sizzla, Red Rat, Shabba Ranks, and many more.

I found another source at LearnJamaican.com that caters more to those who want to learn some of the basics of Patois that would be useful if you plan to visit the island. If you would like to learn beginners Jamaican Patois, you can download and listen to common greetings for free!

There is the Rebel Salute Music Festival that has been held the last 12 years. It has cultural roots music and focuses more on folk traditions. The crowd is large and patron of the event includes locals and international guests that show up each year. There is also the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival that is held early in the year at different locations. It brings a range of musical genres and it great for a blues or jazz lover. This festival caters to African, Cuba and reggae and has an international flavour in the tradition of jazz and blues.

International Reggae Day is a blowout festival. It is celebrated in July and hosts many talents, workshops and lectures featuring the late Bob Marley. It is broadcast all over the world. Montego Bay has the Reggae Sum fest in August. The best in reggae are brought together for a week of celebrations.



Tensing Pen, Negril, Jamaica

Jamaican economy has really changed since around 1945 when it was dependent on tropical agricultural products like sugar, bananas, coffee and cocoa. Since that time the island has become the largest producer of bauxite. Jamaica did suffer in the 80’s from higher local costs and lower world prices. Today, beverage exports such as Red Stripe Beer and Blue Mountain Coffee still remain as popular options throughout the world.

Although Jamaica has been identified among 23 countries on the US governments list for being major illicit drug producers and a transit country, it is now known more so as a major tourist center for North Americans. In fact, since 1983 tourism has been one of the largest sources of revenue for the country. It is worth noting that the economy has had issues with unemployment, less employment and not enough income, like most other countries throughout the world today.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Ever since Jamaica received $1 billion in International Monetary Fund money (IMF) and other credits, it seems that the country has experienced rapid inflation until the recent decade when the government brought in tighter money policies to bring down the inflation. Since then it has remained in the single digits.

In June, 2000 the government implemented a staff monitored program with the IMF for 2001-02 to reduce Jamaica’s debt and increase the foreign investments. The growth started to return weak at first but continued to rise. Remittances from expatriates accounted for 13.6% of the GDP in 2001. Jamaica’s economy seems to be stable enough to attract foreign investors, especially large hotel chains to continue to invest in the island. Therefore, Jamaica still represents an attractive investment option for many.

Crocodile in Black River, Jamaica

Jamaican Real Estate.net (http://www.jamaicanrealestate.net) supplies a list of reasons to consider visiting one of the largest parishes in Jamaica.

Enjoy visiting the Black River, which is another interesting place to visit while in Jamaica. The Black River is found in St Elizabeth parish and is famously known as the longest river in the country (33 miles or 53.4 km). The town of Black River can be found near the mouth of the river.

Boasting an estimated population of 148,000, St. Elizabeth has the greatest diversity of ethnic races in Jamaica. This parish is used mostly for excursions and is a base camp for travelers on the Black River on the way to the Great Morass. The Great Morass is a lovely tropical swamp with lots of wild crocodiles and mangrove trees. Tourists to this area can take a boat tour up the Black River and get a look at the wildlife and the indigenous villages.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

In these villages there are jerk shack restaurants with tasty spicy meats, which are barbecued to perfection so they retain that original Jamaican taste. Visitors that want an authentic taste experience of Jamaica should definitely visit the jerk shacks. Visitors should visit the Appleton Rum Estate, which is the home of some of the best tasting rum in the world. The distillery has produced rum along the Black River banks since 1749. Any visitor that likes liquor and spirits, and considers themselves connoisseurs, will love to have some brandy in Jamaica! 

Kingston, Jamaica at night

Someone looking for a place to live in Jamaica, or to own Jamaican real estate should consider Kingston because of its many advantages. It is the capital of Jamaica and can be found on the fertile plains of Liguanea. Located between the cays and banks of the eastern coast and the towering Blue Mountains, there are well over 500,000 people living there and it is bustling and growing every day. This makes it the largest English-speaking city in the Caribbean.

Kingston is a very modern metro area of Jamaica with Spanish Town, Portmore, and the major trade center of Port Royal which is the seventh largest harbor in the world. There were a series of disasters in Port Royal in the 17^th century including an earthquake and fire. These tragedies brought traders onto the mainland and established Kingston. This allowed the city to grow as a port. The waterfront has changed and the shipping has moved to Newport West.

All the amenities that one would expect in a large city are there. There are many places to shop and eat Kingston. A favorite spot of many is the Devon House – I Scream famous for its Ice Cream. Americans and Canadians will also recognize several familiar businesses including restaurants and banks, as well as products in local stores.

Although the residential real estate in the shantytowns (ghetto) receives publicity, there are many other very nice areas of Kingston to invest in real estate. The busy downtown and the mid town areas as well as the suburbs offer newcomers many choices of accommodation. New residents can also choose to live in a modern high-rise building with all the amenities like groomed gardens and soaring mountain backdrops. The Kingston hillside suburb of Beverly Hills has many luxury homes that rival that of Los Angeles’ architecture.