Excerpt

As part of #TambuFest, Patrick Francis is with the St Thomas Kumina Collective
Text from religion.wikia.org/wiki/Kumina
Jamaican styles of music, Religious music, Afro-American religion
Kumina or Cumina is a cultural form indigenous to Jamaica.[1] It is a religion, music and dance practiced by, in large part, Jamaicans who reside in the eastern parish on St. Thomas on the island. These people have retained the drumming and dancing of the Akan people. Like the Kongo practitioners from Cuba, who have kept a large amount of the Kongo language alive. Bantu-speaking peoples of the Congo. In the Americas there are many Kongo-derived religions still being practiced today.
There are two main aspects of Kongo religion that are quite distinctive. One is the practice of bringing down spirits of the dead to briefly inhabit the bodies of the faithful. The purpose of this is so that the ancestors may share their wisdom, providing spiritual assistance and advice to those here on Earth. Without exception, all such faiths in the Americas retain this central feature of Kongo faith. The other feature is the extensive work with Inquices (Enkises, Nkisi). The Inquices are very like the Orishas of Yoruba tradition, but also different. In Cuba and Brazil, where Yoruba influence was strongest in the Americas, they are often syncretized with the Orishas. They may best be described as being both the most ancient of ancestors as well as being associated with specific powers in nature. The Inquices do not tend to possess as detailed a mythology as the Yoruba gods.
Kumina is an Afro-Jamaican religion influenced mainly by the Bantu peoples from the Congo-Angola area. Kumina refers to both a religion and dance. Dances include the Bailo, mainly used for entertainment purposes and the Country, used during the private religious ceremonies.
Kumina provides a perfect example of what intra African syncretism. The Akan derived traditions of Myal and Obeah remain opposing entities within the Kumina religion. The Obeah man remains a master of science and the spirits while Myal is used to refer to refer to the possession of a Kumina dancers at religious ceremonies. According Joseph Murray, "The extraordinary insight of the scientist Myal brings revelation of the invisible world. This state of mind allows the dancers to see the invisible workings of obeah as well as to transmit messages from the other world…" This borrowing of different African aspects and deities between enslaved Africans in Jamaica is also characteristic of African Tradition Religions, where a Yoruba deity might be accepted as a deity by the Evhe/Fon. One clear example in Jamaica is the Kumina deity Shango, which is a Yoruba deity who in Jamaica became a deity accepted by different African ethnic groups.
Here we see drumming is not simply a musical skill for Africans in Jamaica, but understanding of the spirits and of African language is necessary to access the spiritual world.
This book looks a the African-Derived and African-centered religious traditions that are found in Jamaicia. They include Myal,Obeah,Native Baptist, Revival Zion, Kumina, and Rastafari. The author argues that African-Derived religions in Jamacia are worth exploring and learning abour. Some of these religions do not even have recorded records of study or literature on them.
Murphey M, Joseph. Working the Spirit: Ceremonies of the African Diaspora Beacon Press 1989 Working the Spirit: Ceremonies of the African Diaspora focuses on the spiritual ceremonies of Africans in the Diaspora, from Brazil, Buba, Haiti, Jamaican and the United States. The book provides evidence about Kumina, Obeah and Rivalal Zion, all mention in our Essay on Jamaican Religion.
Alleyne Mervyn: Roots of Jamaican Culture Pluto Press 1989 The book provides an over view of African culture in Jamaica. In relation to religion in Jamaica the book provides an overview of Kumina, Myalism, Rastafar, Revival Zion, Convince and Obeah. This books also mentions African aspects of music in Jamaica which also connects to religion.
Lewin, Olive Rock It Come Over: The Folk Music of Jamaica Book University of the West Indies Press (2000) The book describes Jamaican music and folk. In relation to Jamaican religion the book provides personal accounts from Kumina practitioners as well as an insightful look into the religion, dance and some philosophy of Kumina. Contemporary Kumina Queens gave accounts of callings to Kumina,rituals and their work as Kumina queens.
Give Thanks www.kimochiivilla.com Kingston's Best Airbnb Host #AroundJAin7Days #RUReady4JA
msbjpeart.com/
The movement continues.. #RUReady4JAMAICA? #KimochiiVilla #AllFiDeLoveofYaad #HealthTourism #JamaicanTours #airbnb
#ReconnectwithJamaica #Travelover50 #Jamaica #EduTours #MissionTrips #ConnectingtheDotsAcrosstheDiaspora
Contributions are Accepted!
MsBJPeart CashApp/PayPal
No copyright infringement intended - for edutainment purposes only....

[@fromGhetto2Goddess]

Proudly rooted in St Thomas 🇯🇲 Kumina is amazing. Big up to we ancestors

[@msbjpeart]

Yuh done know. Time for UNESCO recognition

[@godfreyosbourne3963]

Dat is it ✨️ greatness out there 🙏 Patrick blessings 🙌 🙏

[@akan9ne247]

This is powerful!! I love that my Jamaican family are continuing to keep our ancestral traditions alive and honour our Ancestors. I would love to visit the Tambu Fest next time I'm in St Thomas, please keep us updated of when the next one will be taking place.

[@hrhkee]

This alone could make a vacation complete fi me.

[@msbjpeart]

Yuh done know! But add in the week or so of JCDC finals as well ... OD from KULCHA!!!

[@hrhkee]

Absolute love and respect my people.

[@mangayidagoloh2380]

Ingeta

[@jonathandelgado-melendez7886]

Very much like samba de roda of Brazil

[@jacquelinesmith9450]

Just learning about Kumina. Absolutely amazed and humbled. Love my people and proud of my ancestry.

[@denisjacobs1357]

Lovely playing

[@jasminsimpson1324]

🔥🔥🔥💃💃💃❤

[@annahuff6909]

oh my goodness this amazing

[@HMcdon]

Nice vibes. Keep the culture cracking!

[@msbjpeart]

Give Thanks!!

[@niccoyaanderson8275]

Love this song

[@marsallefrancisco4851]

Awesome!

[@ironlioin876]

More than culture its our tribal practices from ancients original Indians Jahmekya

[@msbjpeart]

Kumina is one of Jamaica's strongest African retentions derived from the Bakongo when they arrived as indentured servants yet Free Africans not enslaved.... the application is in to Unesco.. at 8:30 hear Hon Babsy Grange break it down m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3852942464721623&id=2583245715024644

[@cassetgelin7780]

This is a part of Jamaica (St Thomas) which is underrated except that a Miss World came from that area..the govt needs to start focusing on St Thomas as well as Hanover my birth parish. I grew up in the UK and I am trying to explore my home

[@msbjpeart]

it has begun .. nuff work pon the A4 ah come through

[@islandofthesun5967]

Patrick I hear you my singer

[@islandofthesun5967]

Play them cool

[@islandofthesun5967]

Patrick my singer, big up every time

[@yvescharles3193]

Similar to what we what we have in Haiti.... interesting.

[@msbjpeart]

Yes... you know it's all about #connectingthedotsacrossthediaspora ... we're all family.. with relatives dropped off in various places. It's these very rhythms that will lead us to unite once again.

[@hcassells66]

We all came from the same places in Africa!

[@missdigioia]

💛🙌🏿 this is kept in july right ?

[@msbjpeart]

Yes!