Gillian Francis, better known as Minka Luv to her friends and family, is a self-professed “Jill of all trades.” Born and raised in Jamaica, she’s cultivated many interests over the years: fashion and jewelry design, songwriting, and, most notably, herbal healing. Ever since Francis was a little girl, she felt it was her calling. “I always spoke to plants and they’ve always spoken back to […]
Nicole Dennis-Benn’s Debut Novel is a Love Letter to Jamaica
Jamaican-born author Nicole Dennis-Benn recently released her debut novel, Here Comes the Sun, to much critical acclaim. The book delves deep into a Jamaica rarely seen by tourists—one that includes exploitation, classism, and sexuality. In an email interview with Outpostings, New York-based Dennis-Benn discussed the book and where she finds her happy place when visiting Jamaica. Here, she shares her personal tips on how visitors […]
How a Study Abroad in Cape Verde Led to a New Life in Jamaica
Photo via Ashley Hyde Travel has a way of changing your life in an impactful way. That’s what happened to Ashley Hyde, who runs one of Jamaica’s most promising new travel companies, Touch the Road Jamaica. In 2011, Connecticut-raised Hyde visited Cape Verde with her college for a program on migrant workers who’d been deported back to the island nation. During her senior year, Hyde […]
What it Means to be a Rasta in the 21st Century
Ras Malekot is a local personality in Kingston: He’s a devout Rasta, poet, writer, craft maker and recording artist. At the foot of the Blue Mountains, he owns a tiny shop where he sells old records, knitted hats, souvenirs and root tonics (a wellness drink made herbs and roots, blended with honey or molasses). Outpostings is a big fan of the Rasta movement, and so […]
This Art-Covered Street Should Be Your First Stop in Jamaica
When Paint Jamaica founder Marianna Farag, a native of France, first visited Fleet Street in Kingston in 2014, she found herself at a gigantic abandoned warehouse bordering the fence of a local schoolyard. The neighborhood, Parade Gardens, is known to some as an impoverished inner city, and to others it is hardly known at all. Marianna had booked a trip to Jamaica for a vacation […]
Women in Jamaica: Novia McDonald-Whyte
Novia McDonald-Whyte walks into the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston in red lipstick, oversized white eyeglasses and wide-leg linen pants. Her ribbed blouse is emblazoned with a young girl rocking an afro made of butterflies. McDonald-Whyte commands the attention of everyone in the room, who may or may not know that she’s been a trendsetter in Jamaica for nearly two decades as the Senior Associate […]
“Jamaica is the one place in the world I have the right to be.” Marlon James Interview Part Two
Continuing our exclusive interview, Marlon James—the Man Booker-shortlisted author of A Brief History of Seven Killings—reveals his favorite Jamaican beach, beef patty and Bob Marley song, and talks about his stint working with us here at Island Outpost! Read our first interview with James here. By: Nadja Boncoeur When writing your book, what drew you to the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in 1976? The […]
Our Exclusive Interview with Man Booker Finalist Marlon James
A Brief History of Seven Killings, Jamaican novelist Marlon James’ celebrated book, is anything but brief. The epic story takes readers on a journey back to Kingston, Jamaica, during the late 1970s, beginning with the attempted assassination of Bob Marley. What follows is a chilling tale of seven killings, immersed with violence, politics and a whole lot of Jamaican patois. James, who was most recently […]
Look and Feel Young Forever, Jamaican-Style
If you ask Ramsey—former gardener to James Bond author Ian Fleming—it’s easy to live a long and healthy life. After all, he’s managed to maintain a young mind, body and spirit into his 70s. By the looks of his devilish grin, we think Ramsey might be on to something. Here are a few of Ramsey’s tips to looking (and feeling) young forever: Don’t eat much […]
A Rasta’s Guide to Living Well
Q: “Are you a rich man?” A: “When you say rich, what do you mean?” Q: “Do you have a lot of possessions? Do you have a lot of money in the bank?” A: “Possessions make you rich? I don’t have that kind of richness. My richness is life, forever.” This quote is from the now-famous “60 Minutes” interview with Bob Marley, and the quote […]
How James Bond Got His Start in Jamaica
Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, fell in love with Jamaica instantly. (Really, how could you not?) He was sent to the island by the British Naval Intelligence (how very Bond of him). Fleming vowed to return to the island, and when the war ended he made good on his word—purchasing property and naming it GoldenEye. This land now exists as The Fleming […]
Meet The People Changing Jamaican Music
There’s a big revival of reggae music going on right now, both in Jamaica and around the world, and front and center is Suns of Dub. This group is the loudest champion of “dub,” a genre that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and is typically lighter on the vocals, and heavier on the bass and drums. In the absence of lyrics, and […]
The Queen Of Jamaican Dancehall Signs
Driving around Jamaica you’ll begin to notice cardboard signs along the roads advertising upcoming concerts. They are colorful, often hand-painted and include quips like “yardie” or “foreigner link up.” These signs have personality: They aren’t just telling you about the latest party, or “bashment,” as Jamaicans like to say. They are expressing the rich cultural heritage of the Jamaican people. For decades, these dancehall signs […]