Jamaican Slang EditorialTHE Blog for Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae, Rastafari, Real T’ing dem and Jamaica

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Wow! I just finished watching “Runaway Slave” and it was the truth…”natural ting”. This is the kind of documentary that students of Jamaican Culture, Jamaican Slang and Rastafari MUST watch. It is especially insightful for those wanting to understand the relationship between Africa and Jamaica. If you do not know, Repatriation is a very important word to rastas. Basically it means returning to the homeland or in this case, Africa/Ethiopia. Interestingly enough, the documentary starts of in Botswana,Southern Africa. Jesse Jendah (Congo Jesse) travels from Southern Africa to Bobo Hill in St. Thomas, Jamaica, showing the various living conditions of Rastafarians. The documentary provides a window into the ghettos of Cape Town, the cosmopolitan Market Street in Botswana, and Bobo Shanti in Jamaica.

What is really powerful about this documentary is the strength that Rastafari has around the world. It truly is amazing that people in Botswana are maintaining the same way of life as those in Jamaica. There really isn’t a ton of dialogue during the South Africa portion of the film, but there are some great shots of how people are living in Cape Town and other towns. The real heat comes when Congo Jesse makes it to Bobo Hill in St. Thomas, Jamaica.

For starters, the Jamaican Slang was taken to a different extreme! If you get a chance to watch any portion of this documentary, this is the part to watch. You hear plenty of Jamaican Slang/Patois and Rasta Lingo, overstand? Jesse interviews two Bobo Shanti priests about rasta in their lives and the state of African people around the world. Their feedback is consistent with the teachings of Rastafari, but the story of Priest Harold is the most interesting one. Before finding Rastafari, he was a “Badman” (Gangster). He cites Rastafari as his salvation. I really do not want to spoil the film, but I highly recommend this film. I plan to do a more thorough review of the documentary soon.

Until then…Blessed Love

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Yah Mon, Supermodel Kate Moss is learning to speak Jamaican Patois with Jamaican Slang and all. Kate has been learning patois during her periodic visits to Jamaica. Now, if you have a bankroll as long as Kate Moss, then your best choice might be going to Jamaica to learn patois for a few months, but most of us are not able to do that for that long. The truth is that even Kate could use some basic pointers on learning Jamaican Patois and Jamaican Slang when she is not able to zip to Jamaica. Learning Jamaican Patois is like learning any other language, it is vital to take advantage of your time in the county where the language is spoken, but you also need to continue training when you are back home to retain the knowledge and increase fluency. So is a list of the 6 Basic Steps to Speak Jamaican like Kate Moss and many Jamaicans.

1. Begin with the Jamaican idioms. The most noticeable aspect of Jamaican patois to a non-speaker is the heavy reliance on idioms. Idioms like “No one cyaan test,” which means no one can compete with a given person, use both the vernacular and the grammar of the patois. Learning a few of the idioms and their meanings will give you a context for advancing with the patois.
2. Learn the patois’ pronouns. Jamaican uses a system of pronouns that is based on the English pronomial system but differs significantly enough that it needs to be learned. Switch personal pronouns, for example, so “I” becomes “mi” and “me” becomes “I,” and replace possessive pronouns like “mine” with “fi” to start speaking the patois like a Jamaican.
3. Get the vocabulary. One of the most difficult parts of speaking Jamaican patois is the rich and dynamic vocabulary. Though infused with English, the system of Jamaican words is unique. You should learn Jamaican words and the many different grammatical uses that they have. The word “nuh,” for instance, means a general negative that includes “no,” “don’t” and “doesn’t.”
4. Get the tenses and aspects. Perhaps the most difficult part of speaking Jamaican patois is learning how to properly conjugate verbs. Jamaican’s system of verb tenses and aspects is completely different from that of English. Most importantly, you should master Jamaican’s version of the English “to be,” which is frequently left out of sentences or is replaced with a copular “a” or “e,” such as “Mi a di speaker,” to mean “I am the speaker.”
5. Explore inflection and pronunciation. Jamaican patois has a rhythm and lilt that comes from its blend of African roots and Spanish and French Romance languages. You can get a sense of the rhythms of Jamaican by listening to reggae lyrics. The spelling of Jamaican patois—”mon” for “man,” for example—reflects English words softened in pronunciation by Romance accents.
6. Become familiar with Rasta culture. Many Jamaican terms are drawn from the practice of Rastafarianism, a unique Jamaican syncretic religion that combines themes from the Hebrew Bible with the veneration of Haile Selassie, a former Ethiopian ruler, as a messianic figure. Again, reggae music is a good starting point for tracing the influence of Rasta on Jamaican patois. The Jamaican word for “God,” for example, is “Jah,” drawn from the biblical Hebrew “Yahweh.”

Remember, these are the basic steps to learning Jamaican Patois, but you have to practice, practice, pratice and study, study, study! To learn jamaican patois and slang visit www.jamaican-slang.com. SpeakJamaican.com is the home of the Rastaman Vibration, the definitive source on Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae and Rastafari…all essential to catching the Jamaican Vibe. To read the original article where these steps come from click here.

I was so excited when I came across this unique and special interview with Sizzla, the legendary and prolific rasta and reggae artist. Everything Sizzla touches is special and this is not different. Yes, I know he sometimes has fun and deviates from his core message, but you try to put out 10-15 albums a year about a few subjects…nuff said. This interview ranks up with the best that you can find. Sizzla, a Bobo Dread, breaks down Rastafari and its role in the world. You have to listen to this:

[YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8phWqHgaaS8]

Sizzla is legendary and has contributed so much music to the world in the name of Rastafari and Reggae Music. To learn more about Rastafari, Reggae and Jamaica. Check out the Rastaman Vibration!

Soon Come!

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

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

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