Summer Story II
“Come to the Jamaica..”
The land of reggae pop music… Blue Mountain Coffee Producers… And a running country that doesn’t miss a gold medal in track and field at every Olympics…
Jamaica is the third largest island country in the Caribbean. It contains high mountains, dense forests, valleys, and the sad history of our ancestors. On May 4, 1494, Christopher Columbus discovered the island while on his way to the island.
“The clearest sky, valleys, and fields that you can see with the naked eye make it seem like a peaceful island…”
The indigenous Jamaicans were Taino immigrants from South Africa, and as the Spanish and British occupation ruled, more and more Africans were enslaved and sold here. Farmland owners controlled the political power and treated them as slaves, harvesting many crops, such as sugar cane, barley, and husks. Together with slaves, they became a center for export or sale to Western European countries. As a result, the farmers gain the power of the government and amass a lot of wealth, but the slaves are forced to work hard, and when there are sad incidents of death or loss of a family member during forced labor, they flee to the mountains to live and start a life of unduly probation. made a living
One of the most difficult things about living in the mountains is eating.. Since it is a mountain, not the sea, it is discovered that if there is a fire or smoke, the entire family is killed. Deep in the mountains, there are many leaves, roots, and fruits of many spices, so wild pigs and chickens were caught and used for cooking, and a technique was developed to cook them without smoke by burning them. The secret recipe for the famous Jamaican Jerk today is to sprinkle various seasonings on the meat, marinate it, put it on a large leaf, bury it in the ground, and heat it. The taste of spicy, sweet and sour was nowhere to be tasted. It is said that the BBQ chicken that we usually eat originated from here.
In 1962, the Jamaican government gained independence from Britain after a difficult struggle, but it was not easy to develop itself as a long-time British colony, and the next generation of the rich and poor only worsened, and gangs and crimes only increased day by day. Was it an appeal for many years of pain? For a long time, the politicians and the people had a series of struggles, and they responded to the government with complaints of dissatisfaction and poverty. In order to live a difficult life with poverty, most of the people comforted their hearts by singing and playing soccer, and finally began to introduce reggae music to the world.
The king of reggae music, “Bob Marley”, attracted many young men and women with his unique yul-gok with a light and fast tempo that shakes social changes. His artistry was unparalleled, and he had a huge impact on world music culture as much as more than a Grammy Award.
Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica to a white British father (Cedella Booker) and a black Jamaican mother (Norval Marley). When he was six years old, his father returned to England and raised by his mother alone, and comforted him with music during those difficult times. In 1963, starting with a group consisting of Peter Tosh and Livingstone, he eventually formed a group called Bob Marley & Wailers and became more famous. Among them, the sweet song of “ONE LOVE,..Love is one.” captured the hearts of young men and women, and as it spread around the world, his genius for musicality became known. His hit songs include ” NO WOMAN, NO CRY” “THREE LITTLE BIRDS”… etc. His music is a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity, including legalizing marijuana, and his best-selling album “Legend” was released in 1984 after his death and has since become a best-selling reggae album. Unfortunately, however, he died at the young age of 36 after suffering from melanoma cancer. For his contribution to spreading his music around the world, the Jamaican government awarded him the Medal of Honor.
In addition, in Jamaica, continuous track and field and soccer are also emerging as national movements. The most famous Usain Bolt won gold medals in track and field three times in a row, so the Jamaicans are called a race by birth. Athletics is the most popular sport in Jamaica, and Jamaican sprinters are always active in any top track and field or soccer team in the world.
If you know the history, your perspective will change. When the mountain wind blows, you can hear reggae music somewhere…
Jamaica Story Continuation II
