Artistic Expression Post #1

My entire life I have loved art and music, as they are a means of expressing one's passions and creativity. Consequently, I was extremely excited to experience Jamaica's culture and explore how their artistic expression is similar and different to my own, and how it is similar and different to what I have experienced in the United States. 

During the first portion of our trip to Jamaica, we visited Runaway Bay and Portland. These two places were phenomenal and I have already taken many experiences away with me. In Runaway Bay we were able to watch our professor, Scarlett, and my roommate, Sarah, perform with an act on stage. This was cool to see because the performer was skilled with balancing things on his head, but it was also cool because he was making connections with people in the audience. That night, we were also able to start our own outdoor disco. This was one of my favorite experiences at Runaway Bay, because the locals were surprised and happy to see that we knew the words to some Jamaican songs like: Welcome to Jamrock, Rock Stone, Smile Jamaica, and Here Comes Trouble. Another experience from the disco that was fun was seeing Egan dance with the locals in his Jamaican Element.

In Portland, we had many experiences as well. Two are of particular significance to my theme: artistic expression. The first was the market. I loved seeing all of the crafts and I thought that it was neat that Eric bought a drum and a flute and I bought a painting--they fit so well with our majors and personalities! I also learned that the people in Jamaica are very proud of their merchandise. For example, there was a craftsman that made small, wooden figurines and he told everyone that walked by that he made them. The second experience in Portland was the block party. Here, we listened to more authentic Jamaican music than at the resort, but they still played the songs: Footloose, the Macarena, and the Cha Cha Slide.

Below is a picture of a beach in Runaway Bay--Jamaica 2019.