JAMAICA, March 6, 2005: (HPI note: This is an old but still interesting report.) East Indians first arrived in Jamaica in 1845. The majority of this first wave of immigrants were indentured labourers followed by both professional and merchant groups in later years. Professionally, Indians are prominent in the medical professions as well as in the jewellery and appliance business sectors. Culturally, the process of East Indian influence has been what might be called osmotic and not as clearly defined as the two authors of this article point out that India itself has sixteen official languages, five major religions, and a caste system.
However, in the arena of music, the Indo-Jamaican exchange is the most evident, as it is worldwide. The news release explains, ” During the 1960s, the sounds of India became a major departure point for jazz masters like saxophonist John Coltrane and guitarist John McLaughlin, whose group, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, is still regarded as one of the finest jazz-rock fusion combos. Similarly, pop/rock groups like the Beatles (especially the late George Harrison) incoporated Eastern sounds and philosophies into their music. More recently, Indian music forms have been fused with reggae/dancehall rhythms to create a highly danceable polyrhythm. The best known of these, the Diwali, helped to launch the international careers of deejays Elephant Man, Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder. Prior to that, Anglo-Caribbean DJ Apache Indian had an international smash with a track called Arranged Marriage on the bhangra rhythm. The bhangra, a line dance with origins in the Punjabi region, also features the type of rhythmic hand claps that endeared the Diwali to dancehall aficionados.”
As elsewhere in the world, Indians have had an impact wherever they have settled with their delectable curries. Jamaica is no exception as tandoori cuisine is now very popular. Even the mangoes grown in Jamaica have adopted Indian names such as Bombay and East Indian.
Beryl Williams-Singh, president of the National Council for Indian Culture, says that there are around 2000 Hindus in Jamaica. When Indians first arrived in Jamaica, they were viewed as pagans. Many were persuaded to follow Christianity and their beliefs and practises were frowned upon, especially in public. As a result of this suppression, Williams-Singh says that even today there are only two public Hindu temples in Jamaica and only one pundit (a Hindu religious scholar) to serve the community. Most East Indians in Jamaica no longer wear their traditional attire, the sari for women and the Nehru suit for men. Perhaps this will change as the Western fashion world has adopted Hindu attire. The article sums it up, “Whether in tastes, sounds, sights or worship, Indo-Jamaicans, and indeed the wider society, are much richer for that fateful boat ride in 1845.”