Jamaica > Music and dance

Music and dance

Reggae legend Bob Marley, along with such artists as Jimmy Cliff. Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals and Third World have received global acclaim for decades. A more recent derivative of Reggae, Dancehall, has become the driving force for a younger generation, heavily influencing local and international trends in fashion and dance - even street language. Sean Paul. Beenie Man and Shaggy are lighting up the charts across the Caribbean and around the world.

It's not only our music gaining world recognition. A variety of Jamaican paintings and carvings are on display at Kingston's National Gallery. Priceless intuitive pieces of Dunkley and Kapo, as well as contemporary pieces, ensure the art scene in Jamaica remains as vibrant as any. Regular exhibitions grace art galleries all around the island.

The National Dance Theatre Company showcases Jamaica'S colourful history and contemporary ideas, while groups like the Jamaica Folk Singers and University Singers perform traditional song and dance that honour the country's past. Kingston's lively theatre scene offers a rich variety of locally themed and topical plays. A hallmark of Jamaican theatre is the Ward Theatre's LTM Pantomime - an annual Jamaican folk musical with original song and dance and dramatic costumes. The season opens each year on December 26th and runs for several months.