Jamaica "to di world" – the global cultural influence of Jamaica

With a population of fewer than 3 million, the extent of Jamaican influence worldwide is no small feat. Jamaican cultural influences and presence are visible in music, cooking, western vernacular, sport and beyond. Yet how has a relatively small island managed to be so far reaching in its cultural impact around the world?

Jamaican cultural icons have transcended their respective fields to become household names. Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and many Jamaican musicians are internationally known and have achieved iconic status within the mainstream. Similarly, the Jamaican track team has become internationally recognised beyond just athletics aficionados and sports fans. In the UK, Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Sauce has become a product that can be found in many households and even BBC children’s programme Rastamouse has brought a Jamaican influence, albeit stereotypically, to a preschool audience. Jamaican influences have clearly touched diverse aspects of society.

Jamaica has always commanded a presence beyond that expected for its size. Jamaica was the first country in the British West Indies to gain independence in 1962. This was following Jamaicans voting to leave the short-lived West Indies Federation in a 1961 referendum. With the British empire no longer being sustainable, largely due to World War Two having taken its toll, the Federation was considered a solution by the British to achieve eventual decolonisation in the Caribbean. At the time, it was inconceivable that a nation the size of Jamaica, and the other smaller islands in the British West Indies, could be viable independent states. However, a year after the referendum, Jamaica gained independence with most of the other islands following suit in subsequent years. Throughout contemporary history, it’s apparent that Jamaica has never perceived itself as a so-called “small island”, as it often (somewhat disparagingly) refers to the other Caribbean islands as. That posturing too underlines the explanation for the extent of how far afield Jamaican culture has managed to be exported.

The Jamaican diaspora is key to understanding the wide reaching influence of Jamaican culture. Post-war emigration from the Caribbean largely found West Indians travelling to Britain, America and Canada. With Jamaica as the largest and most populous island of the former British colonies in the region, Jamaicans made up the majority of West Indian immigrants in their respective new homes and their culture was duly exported with them. In Britain, the sizeable Jamaican diaspora has meant its influence can be found even in commonly used British vernacular. Furthermore, Jamaican culture has often influenced those within the nations the diaspora finds itself in.

Jamaican influences in Black British music are well documented and have been throughout contemporary history. Reggae was not exclusive to Jamaicans or even blacks with acts such as UB40 experiencing success within the genre. Meanwhile, ‘undiluted’ reggae from Jamaica continued to thrive while reggae infused genres such as lovers rock provided an accessibility for audiences that had no connection with the Caribbean let alone Jamaica. Similarly, Snow, a white Canadian artist, was clearly influenced by Jamaican culture as reflected in his music.

The accessibility of the culture has underpinned the success of Jamaican cultural exports that have been embraced in unlikely places. I’ve seen reggae enjoyed by natives in Thailand and witnessed the authentic dancehall (and Soca I might add) scene in Germany where there wasn’t anything contrived in seeing daggering and the nuh linga along with hearing the German DJs speaking in patois. There’s also a vibrancy and welcoming nature that is intrinsic to Jamaican culture that makes non-Jamaicans compelled to experience it even without any connection to Jamaica themselves.

This infectiousness is extended to subsequent generations of the Jamaican diaspora and there’s a pride in the culture and heritage within those of the diaspora that were born outside of Jamaica. As a second generation Jamaican and Bajan, I don’t embrace the culture of one side of my parentage more than the other. However, Jamaican culture is probably what I am more associated with by others who know my heritage.

Within my generation of second generation Jamaicans, the culture is certainly championed as strongly and proudly as it would be by those born in Jamaica. And with the size of the Jamaican diaspora, the longevity and impact of the culture is almost a given. While there are larger diasporas with similar traits, said cultures struggle to transcend to the extent of Jamaica’s, despite the island’s relatively small size and population.

China, the South Asian subcontinent and many African nations to name a few, have sprawling diasporas with subsequent generations retaining the same pride in their heritage as those from Jamaica. Yet while their respective cultures are visible, their influence has not managed to permeate mainstream society in the same way. Perhaps their size affords them a degree of insularity that prevents this. But comparatively, it indicates just how much of an unparalleled impact Jamaican culture has worldwide. Only Latin America comes close with the influence it has largely on American society. Yet to compare a continent with an island the size of Jamaica merely compounds the argument.

Jamaica’s global influence will continue to thrive with its diaspora and the vibrancy and accessibility of the culture. The influence of Jamaican culture has meant it has now positioned itself to be championed by even non-Jamaicans that have no connection or heritage with Jamaica. With the extent to which that influence has already permeated mainstream societies, it’s likely to remain a feature of cultural globalisation for some time.