Monthly Archives: July 2008

15 Reasons Why Jamaican “Patois” is a Language!

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More and more people are learning to speak Jamaican  Patois. People  in Portugal, Sweden, Norway,  England, USA and many more countries are  speaking  Jamaican or learning to speak Jamaican. So the question has to be asked why people are continuing to say that Jamaican Patois is not a langauge?  Well,  dey dun  noh! In the fifteen points below Karl Folkes has summarized the issues on why Jamaican Patois is a language. As a Jamaican educator and linguist Folkes worked diligently to have Jamaican Patois fully and officially recognized by the Jamaican Government. Check the reasons out and believe!!!

Fifteen points on “why Jamaican Patois is a language”:

1. Creole languages are in effect the modern languages of the world; and have evolved and developed with varying degrees of automaticity over the last 400 years.

2. There are more than 200 attested Creole languages in the world and represented in all continents of the globe.

3. Creole languages are popularly described as evolving from an earlier ‘Pidgin’, or putatively “less fully-developed form”. However, this is merely a linguistic theory framed within a Western European ideological worldview.

4. The majority of Creole languages (again, the term ‘Creole’ is of European origin, and therefore troublesome for several reasons) have their origins in African languages. Thus, while their vocabulary or lexicon may be largely European-based (with lexical contributions from the hypothesized ‘superstrate’ languages), their syntax or grammar is distinctly non-European, and certainly more closely African (a continent historically described as “the dark continent” and therefore genetically contributing hypothesized ‘substrate’ languages).

5. The Creole languages of the Caribbean Basin are essentially syntactically more alike than they are different in their underlying or deep structure, despite their surface phonological, morphological, and lexical differences.

6. Creole languages all adhere to linguistic standards. This means it is linguistically correct to speak of Standard English, as well as Standard Jamaican, Standard Haitian, Standard Sranan Tongo, etc., with these latter languages being separate languages and not dialects of English or Dutch.

7. These standards adhere to the rules of their own grammar, which makes communication reliable, uniform, and possible among speakers of the various Creole languages.

8. Creole is not the name of a language, but the family name of several distinct languages which include Jamaican, Haitian, Garifuna, Sranan Tongo — and, yes, Afrikaans (in South Africa) and Yiddish (in Israel and other countries around the world).

9. All human languages belong to language families: as examples English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish (to Germanic); Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese (to Latinate or Romance); Chinese, Korean, Japanese (to Sino-Sinnitic), etc. Languages which belong to the same language families can be expected to share similar phonological, lexical, morphological, and syntactic features; but they are different enough to be recognized as different languages, and not dialects of one another.

10. Languages, in general, are named after the countries that produced them natively: English(England); German (Germany); French(France); Spanish(Spain); Russian (Russia). Occasionally languages bear the name of ethnic or cultural affiliations. Thsis logically suggests that the language of Jamaica should more properly be called “Jamaican” — certainly not “Patwa” or “Patois” which is a derisive term that was spawned by Europeans within a a colonial imperialistic paradigm to describe and to maintain relations of inequity between ‘slave’ and ‘master’. These terms should no longer be used, certainly not in Independent Jamaica.

11. All languages, including Jamaican, started out in spoken form only. That is a natural course of linguistic development. The written forms came afterwards. More importantly, all spoken languages can — without exception– be represented uniformly in writing.

12. When a language is represented uniformly in writing (i.e., when there is uniformity in phonemic-graphemic correspondence, presdtige is given to the language around the world and literacy development of the speakers of that language is encouraged in the native language.

13. Most Jamaicans are bilingual to varying degrees in Jamaican and English. Of course, some Jamaicans are monolingual Jamaican, with a small percentage monolingual English (perhaps the British, Americans, or Canadians in Jamaica).

14. “Jamaican” is the native language of most of its speakers for whom English is indeed a second language.

15. It is psychologically uplifting and culturally empowering to be bilingual and biliterate!

To get your hands on the definitive book for learning Jamaican Patois, check out www.jamaican-slang.com

Do You Undertand “Overstanding”?

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Bredren and Sisdren, to speak Jamaican is to speak the language of the rastas, overstand? Yes…the word is overstand as opposed to understand and it is a key aspect to the way rastas communicate. Here is a great article by Unika Hypolite of Rasta-Reason.com about “overstanding”:

“Overstanding” is a play on words like many other words in the Rastafari Language. These play on words originated as a symbol of separation from the Western ideology and as well as a continual (I-tinual) remembrance of the struggle for emancipation.

It is overstood that when one communicates, they are communicating an idea to another individual. Ideas are created by men thus the idea cannot be superior to its creator; similarly to the concept (I-cept) held by the Islamic ideology that man cannot be God because God created man.

The Rastafari philosophy asserts that every man woman and child are equal (hence the term InI) therefore the individual who is receiving the information is equal to the communicator of the information and superior to the idea being communicated. That being said, one should not “understand” or stand under an idea; when they absorb and correctly perceive an idea they “Overstand” it.

Very insightful about the language spoken by the rastas. Well, I hope you overstand overstanding. For more information about Rastas and Jamaican language get The Rastaman Vibration at www.jamaican-slang.com

Top 5 Reggae Albums of the Modern Era!

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Writing about Sizzla’s Da Real Things really has me going…More Fiyah!!! Okay, I thought I would just post my Top 5 Reggae Albums. Not all of these are classics, well actually, they are, but they are also my five and I would to hear what others have to say, so let’s get to it:

1) Sizzla – Da Real Things: My previous post breaks this album down, but beyond that, it is a very special album for me.

2) Buju Banton – Til Shiloh: Wow! This album had me for years. The Nyabinghi introduction is classic and so are most of the songs.

3) Beenie Man – Bookshelf: The album is classic, but the riddim by the same name is also classic. Highly Recommended

4) Sean Paul – Stage One: This album might get a lot of criticism because Sean Paul is so mainstream, but the truth is that this album had hit after hit on it and they are all dancehall classics.

5) Bounty Killer – Nah No Mercy: This album is not for everyone, but it hits hard and is excellent for anyone looking to speak Jamaican.

There are so many albums that I have used to speak Jamaican and that are classic, but these came to mind and stand out.

Give Thanks,

Ras Zuke

What is a Classic Reggae Album?

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The question is rhetorical for me and could be for anyone that speaks Jamaican. Have you ever heard an album and it just touches you in a way that you cannot describe? Well, I have and it is a true classic as far as reggae is concerned and really music. No need to hold back, the album is called Da Real Things and the artist/deejay is Sizzla Kolanji! Before, I breakdown why this album is a true classic in all ways, shapes and forms, it’s important to know who is Sizzla Kolanji.

Sizzla, born Miguel Orlando Collins, is the most prolific deejay (Deejays are the artists or singers in reggae while selectas are the disc jockeys) of recent years. It is rare that you will hear a riddim that is not blessed with his presence. Sizzla, a Bobo Dread, started to get recognition in the late 90s for his unique style and conscious lyrics. Always a versatile deejay, Sizzla can be heard on roots tracks as well as dancehall (ragga) tracks. Presently, Sizzla has more than 45 solo albums and it would be a lie to say that all are classic, but several are classics such as Black Woman and Child, Praise Ye Jah and Royal Son of Ethiopia. Some of the albums have very similar sounds and one would have to question the detail each album is given before being pressed. For many of the albums, debate and discussion is warranted, but for Da Real Things…there is NO DEBATE!

Da Real Things is the best of the best from sizzla, reggae and all genres of music. It is one of those albums that you can put on play and not need to skip through any song. The album has an overall roots theme and it really gets to the core of who Sizzla is…a talented deejay that is a rastafarian and loves women especially his Mama. Speaking of Mama, Thank You Mama is arguably the best song on the album, if not the best. The lyrics paint real imagery and touch the heart of any mother. Have doubts? Play this song for your mother and watch the tears come down the side of her face. But, the hits do not stop there. Solid as Rock is just one of those songs that can be applied to any adversity you face in life. I was living in the Caribbean when I first heard this song. The bus that I was on was packed and there were several rastas on the bus. Everyone was smiling with a face of amazement. The riddim of this song seems like it was made especially for Sizzla even though other artists recorded tracks to it, none were as good as Sizzla. Another song that stands out is Woman I Need You. This song is the essence of Sizzla. He changes his voice multiple times in the song to compliment the melody and really pours his heart into the song. This a positive, upbeat tribute to women done in a masterful manner.

I tried to write about a few of the songs without spoiling the album. This album holds special meaning in my life because I remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it and then subsequently heard it 100 times after that…yea, I might be a fan. I had always been a fan of Sizzla Kolanji, but this put him up there with the elite in reggae music. Get this album, listen to it, learn to speak Jamaican and get into the vibes of this classic album. This is the definition of classic.

Praises to the Most High and Thank you Sizzla for your masterful sound/music,

Ras Zuke

Rastafarians take on Jamaica, the Caribbean and now…the World!!

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Okay…so maybe rastas don’t run Jamaica, but they might as well. The world is getting smaller and rastas have spread out of Jamaica to all corners of the world. I have met rastas in Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, England, even Belgium. Now, some of those countries are tropical places  with similar histories to Jamaica, but Belgium has a completely different climate and colonial history. And I hear that Rastas are even in Japan!!! So why are rastas popping up in random places around the globe?

For starters, we have to give thanks to the late great Bob Marley. Bob Marley is a legend and people all around the world connect with his music and struggle. His songs are easy to sing along to and memorize. I have friends in Brazil who do not speak English (nor Jamaican patois), but can sing the lyrics to every Bob Marley song and they have an understanding of what the legend is saying. Bob is the world’s most famous rasta and that has been tremendous for the rasta way of life.

Secondly, a core premise of Rastafari is standing strong in the face of adversity and this resonates with many people around the world. People in all cultures, societies and environments are held back from various opportunities based on their race, believes, culture, gender and thousands of other reasons. Rastafari is a way of life that gives the oppressed a voice and sense of peace. While living in Brazil, I was amazed at the number of rastas I met who lived in the favelas. They were always at peace and lived life according on their terms, despite being largely oppressed.

Another factor in the spread of Rastafari is identification. This is especially true in places with large Afro-Jamaican populations and large Afro-Descendant populations. Yes, there are rastas all over the Caribbean because Jamaicans have moved to neighboring islands, but also because there is a connection in struggle. Although each country that enslaved Africans, used different methods of enslaving and breaking down the slaves, there are certain connections that people of African descent have and Rastafari helps build on those connections. One of the major connections or experiences is a gaining a true knowledge of self and one’s past. Some people do not care, but Rastas do care and people that care tend to be drawn to Rastafari.

Finally, Rastafarians are about peace, love, knowledge and acceptance. These are core values for most societies, yet not enough people remember these values in their day to day life. Sometimes, we see rastas roaming around aimlessly amongst the world, but what might appear to be idleness is actually deep thought, analysis and isolation from negative influences brought on by Babylon (the oppressive forces of the world). The majority of the world is moving towards peace and that means the seeds of Rastafari will spread even more. I hope you will take the time to learn more about Rastafari, wherever you are…and remember, “yuh don’t haffi dread to be rasta“!

To learn more about Rastafari and the Rasta way of life, visit: www.jamaican-slang.com to get the definitive book on Jamaican culture and language.

Give Thanks,

Ras Zuke

Why all the Haters? Come on People, Speak Jamaican and Read Jamaican: The Debate to Translate the Holy Book into Jamaican Patois Continues

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People are haters when it comes to creating more resources for the masses to speak Jamaican. The good people of Jamaica are trying to make it happen…translate the Bible into Jamaican Patois, but like Buju Banton says, positive things always generate controversy. People in and outside of Jamaica are questioning the worthiness of the translation project. The project has been described as a waste of time, a waste of money and step in the wrong direction as far as the education system is concerned. Click here to read some of the letters sent to the Jamaica Gleaner about the Patois Translation project.

I hope that the project continues. Patois is truly something Jamaican and the world is ready to learn and hear the language. People make the argument that Patois is just a dialect, but I am sure English and many other languages were just dialects at one point. Sure, maybe Jamaican Patois does not have a ton of economic value, but does Swahili? Probably not! Yet, there are books already translated into Swahili and nobody is complaining at this point.  From an educational standpoint I think it is important that Jamaicans speak English well, but ignoring Patois is ignoring the culture and history of the island. In addition, there are many multilingual societies that never really are concerned with the fact that some people speak one language stronger than the other. Its exciting to know that Jamaican youth will grow up speaking two languages and ultimately, will have two thought processes when speaking. Bottom line, the more languages you speak…the better for your thinking process and ability to learn other languages.

So…I think Jamaica needs to get started on the darn thing and bring “More Fiyah”! Buju is right, positive things always generate controversy.

Does God Speak Jamaican?…Some People Think So

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One of the biggest debates in Jamaican and Caribbean Culture is whether Jah Rastafari is truly Jesus Christ or not. That is totally different blog topic and one worth discussing, but if some people get their way…you can Speak Jamaican and still praise the lord. The big linguistic controversy is the translation of the Bible into Jamaican Patois.

People are debating whether it is “right” to translate the holy book into a non-standardized language. Others claim, that the translation might result in passages being altered leading to misinterpretations. Finally, a few people want more Jamaicans to speak standard English instead of speaking Jamaican Patois.

The reality is most Jamaicans speak Jamaican Patois and the Bible is about the message, not what language it is in. All Jamaicans understand English, so if there are any misinterpretations or misunderstandings most people will get by. The exciting thing is that the message of Bible will be communicated to more people and such a happening will result in more people learning to Speak Jamaican.

How cool would it be to go to church and hear someone speak Jamaican Patois? Praises to the most High!!! To read more about the debate, click here.

P.S. -  I wonder if the translation is going to address Jesus as Jah Rastafari or Jesus?…but that is another Caribbean, Jamaican, and Rasta debate. Soon Come

Ragga (Dancehall Reggae) versus Roots

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I know that alot of people think that all reggae sounds the same, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, there are definitely some similarities among all of the types of reggae, but there are really two dominant forms of reggae that come out of Jamaica, Ragga aka Dancehall Reggae and Roots Reggae. So what are the differences?

To begin with, Ragga which I will refer to as Dancehall is largely played with digital instruments. Most of the beats which are called Riddims are made digitally. Dancehall has been the most commercially successful Jamaican music over the years. Many Dancehall artists have experienced cross over success with mainstream music. Artists like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killa, Elephant Man and many more are all examples of dancehall artists with some experiencing worldwide success. In addition, to artists known strictly for dancehall, some Roots artists also record dancehall tracks. Sizzla, Buju Banton and Capelton are roots artists who also appear on dancehall tracks. Dancehall is unique in that it draws on all aspects of Jamaican culture and is often the sound where authentic Jamaican Patois can be heard (to hear some authentic Patois on Dancehall Tracks, check out the JA Mixes). The subject matter in the songs ranges from politics in Jamaica, sex, women, violence, Jamaica or a new dance. Dancehall gets its name from the event or place where people go to hear ragga tracks and as the word implies, people dance! Many of the most popular dancehall tracks have dedicated dances with choreography. Recently, one of the most popular was dances was Pon di River, also a song by Elephant Man. In addition, to Pon di River, there is also a dance for Signal de Plane (click here to see the steps for Signal de Plane!) Dancehall tracks come out at a frenzying pace and some are classics while others leave much to be desired.

Roots reggae is the largely rasta influenced form of reggae. Many roots tracks are recorded with live instruments, although many are also digital. As mentioned before, some of the most well known roots artists who venture into the dancehall world are Sizzla, Buju Banton and Capelton. Other popular artists who focus almost exclusively on roots include Morgan Heritage, Ritchie Spice, Jah Mason, Anthony B, Luciano and many more. One thing to know is that many of these artists are also rastas. Sizzla, Capelton and Anthony are all Bobo Ashanti, a very unique and obscure sect of the Rastafarian faith. Most roots songs address issues such as Rastafari, Ganja, Jah, H.I.M (His Imperial Majesty), Africa, Jamaica and other realities that face the Jamaican people. As far as learning to speak Jamaican, Roots is important for understanding the roots, reality and culture, but is much more likely to have English lyrics. From a cultural perspective, Roots songs often have Nayabinghi sounds and other instruments of the Rastafari faith.

So is one genre better than the other? Absolutely not. I go in and out of phases. Sometimes, I want to listen to roots to relax and other times I want to listen to dancehall to get energized like Elephant Man. Dancehall is great to learn to speak Jamaican and Roots really gives you insight into the culture of Jamaica and Rastafari!