This is my new apartment. I love it for a few reasons: it is more safe, with a grill, guard and code to get in. It is also cooler, larger and has an amazing balcony. It is just a few blocks from my old apartment. There is also a good community feel here; the residents communicate regularly by email and they hosted a wonderful party last December for everyone to formally meet one another. I have met most of my neighbours already. One quirk, however: there are these tiny snails, which I previously wrote about. I still don’t know what they are; apparently Jamaica has over 500 species of snails. They are cute and tiny though, and hang out on the walls, so they don’t bother me. Have a good Monday.

A two-day concert just wrapped up on the North Coast. Called Rebel Salute, the inaugural show took place 20 years ago in Mandeville. It was originally intended to honour the birthday of artist Patrick “Tony Rebel” Barrett, and this year was held in the parish of St. Ann. This year marks the first time the show spanned two days, and in true Jamaican fashion, it starts late and ends early- early morning, that is. According to Twitter, it looks like it wrapped up somewhere between eight and nine this morning.

The artists would mainly be considered roots reggae, and this year the lineup included the great Beres Hammond, Sizzla, Queen Ifrica, Busy Signal (maybe not so much roots reggae, but beloved nonetheless as he was freed from jail several months ago), Tony Rebel, Proteje, Luciano, Tarrus Riley, Chronixx (who everyone is buzzing about as one to watch in JA this year, check out a piece fellow volunteer Erin did here.) There seems to be a feeling amongst people that roots reggae, as opposed to dancehall, is enjoying a resurgence of late. People suppose that with a major artist like the prolific Vybz Kartel still in jail, the void has left an opening for the more traditional, laid-back roots music to gain prominence again.

Perhaps a successful Rebel Salute will contribute to this. A little bit more about the festival: organizers promise an environment free of violence, drugs (probably excluding ganja), alcohol and meat and focus on a a family-oriented experience where authentic Jamaican cuisine is served. Here’s how organizers describe the event, from their website:

“Rebel Salute has captured the adoration of roots reggae lovers worldwide. Combined with the warm hospitality and abundant culture of the Jamaican people, this event is not one to be missed. Hailed today as a spiritual renaissance, it has become the bedrock for the exposure and celebration of Jamaican roots music. As the first cultural event for the New Year, the showcase has become a very proud process of reclaiming the moral high ground once occupied by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and others. Nothing can be more symbolic of Jamaica’s cultural legacy than a resounding clash between the heart and the mind: “when the music hits, you feel no pain”.

I did not make it up this time- I am heading up there on Thursday though for the Jazz and Blues Festival! But by all accounts, it was an amazing festival. And here’s some Chronixx for you to enjoy. 

Yes, they exist. Obviously, rock music is not as popular here as reggae, but there is a thriving non-reggae/dancehall music scene. The reggae/dancehall influence, however, is pervasive throughout all types of music. And we heard it last night at a show at the wonderful Red Bones Cafe. I love dancehall and reggae and am always up for a live show, but was interested to hear the sounds of Crimson Heart Republic, or Kat CHR, as the band is fronted by Katherine Williams. It was a great show, albeit a jarring change to hear faster-paced, guitar-heavy music here in Jamaica, It was also a very different audience that turned up, compared to the reggae and dancehall crowds. Lots more white people and a decidedly less conventional group of Jamaicans. A refreshing change for sure. Check out a video from Kat CHR here. Thanks to Erin for the picture. 

On Tuesday, the Gleaner ran another instalment of the case studies I have written for their Youthlink section. In this case, a young woman is engaged in a lifestyle that exceeds her age and ability to cope. I wrote these case studies based on what I hear in the media, what popular culture focuses on and what the youth I’ve spoken with say they experience in daily life. I then solicited answers from adults in positions of authority over youth, such as a guidance counsellor, as well as an individual from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund who has worked with Youth Opportunities Unlimited. In today’s edition, there is also a thoughtful answer from a young woman who interned for YOU last year. She is now pursuing her education at college. Check out the feature here. The goal of this series is to engage Jamaica’s youngsters and get them thinking about dilemmas they may face in a different way. At the very least, we are hoping to sensitize them to problems they may encounter before they have to make a quick decision.

By all accounts, the Jamaica Gleaner (the main daily newspaper) has wide readership, especially the Youthlink section, so this is great exposure for YOU. Enjoy and add your opinions here if you wish.

This morning, much of Jamaica’s non-governmental organization community gathered at a conference centre at the University of West Indies. The reason was to attend an information session about a new round of funding from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund. The room was packed and people listened patiently to officials from the European Union (which is a major funder of the program) and JSIF, which falls under the purview of the Office of the Prime Minister. JSIF aims to reduce poverty by funding small-scale projects. The ultimate goal is to build capacity in a community so that it can sustain itself and generate employment.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited has been a beneficiary of JSIF through several projects, including projects in the communities of Mountain View and Rockfort. YOU intends to submit a grant proposal for two projects. But there is a high level of competition and not a lot of funds to go around (roughly $128 million Jamaican dollars). The project we are going for lasts only five months, which seems a counter-inutitive amount of time when it comes to sustainability and poverty reduction. Nevertheless, it is just the first of several projects the EU and JSIF are set to roll out over the next three years.

Sadly, one of Jamaica’s stronger NGOs did not last long enough to submit a grant proposal. News surfaced last week that Children First had to shut its doors. People were discussing this unfortunate outcome today, and the consensus seems to be that 2013 will be a tough year for the NGO community.

Eight-year-old Imani Green was shot and killed over the weekend on the northern coast of the island. She was visiting family from Britain. Logically, the shooting made the pages of the (UK) Guardian. Check out the article here. It is a tragic story, needless to say. Green suffered from sickle cell anaemia, and as a result, was in Jamaica as the heat alleviated her symptoms and suffering. She was shot once in the head and once elsewhere. It is rumoured that the shooting was a result of a feud related to the lottery scam, an illegal practice of hustling money that originates in Montego Bay.

It struck me that Green’s killing made the UK papers. It makes sense, she was a British national. But babies die here with frightening regularity. This is an instance that illustrates the precedence of nationalism as the way in which most people organize how they see the world, which is especially true in the journalism world, at least when it comes to sorting news.

I wonder how this will play out in terms of Jamaica’s reputation as a particularly violent nation. Will this deter people from visiting? The north coast, where many of the resorts are located, is usually immune to such types of violence, or at least in comparison to Kingston. Will people be scared off?

It is also important to say that in addition to Imani Green, 18 Jamaicans were shot by police since the beginning of 2013. Many of these are young people. These shootings do not make international headlines.In addition, I’m not sure of the actual figures, but suffice to say that other Jamaicans were murdered by one another over the past few weeks. And countless others were victims of violence. I’m not sure of the overarching point of stating all of these facts. Perhaps it is just driven by a feeling of helplessness and despair at the utter senselessness of innocent people dying.

Back in Jamaica. After a particularly rough flight into Kingston, I was relieved to see the mountains and feel the heat and sun on my skin. Not much, has changed, of course. Maybe me a little bit. Upon reflection, I am happy to be back.

Last night, we went to two exhibits. The first was for a former fellow volunteer, Varun. He is a photographer/artist who has just completed a two-month residency at NLS Studios. His work is thought-provoking and beautiful, alternatively portraits of the human body, Kingston and the landscape itself and whatever seems to inspire him. The studio space itself is tiny, but the yard surrounding the house is peaceful and dwarfed by Long Mountain. Check out the Facebook page for the event here and his web site here.

The photos are from the second event, which was hosted by a collective named Dirty Crayons. According to one of the original curators, DC is a group of young graduates from Edna Manley College who felt confined by the traditional, localized art world in Jamaica. The collective consists of five individuals: Jehan Jackson, Leasho Johnson, Keegan Simon, Taj Francis and Kemar Swaby. Their works consist of various media, including glass, spray cans, ink drawings, paintings and sculpture. While I’m not an art critic, it was definitely delightful and provocative. From their press release: “We hope to become vanguards in the changing face of this social event, encouraging young artists to play a part in the greater community while making a name for themselves in the Jamaican art scene and help to inspire other upcoming talents to become better artists and collaborators.”