Posts Tagged ‘jamaica’
As a kid, I loved watching Gilligan’s Island. I mean, what a ridiculously nutty show.
And don’t try to tell me you didn’t love it either, because I know you did!
It’s funny because the crew of the S.S. Minnow were said to have been marooned on that tiny desert isle… With two hotties and plenty of ganja ( my version )
But wtf does marooned mean? Where the hell did that word come from?
Are you thinking what IM thinking?
I was hanging out with my man, Bunny Mystic one night, and we were just reasoning about the history of Jamaica. He was talking about some African warriors that escaped the British and had magical fighting powers.
….yes, magical fighting powers 
The Maroons, he explained, were master guerilla warfare experts, and were so good at what they did, the British thought they could materialize in trees, slit their throats, and then disappear!
This is where “marooned” came from?!?!?!
It is a true story indeed. The Maroons were runaway slaves who unified themselves to fight their oppressors, and they did so brilliantly.
Maroons also played a major role in the countries of Brazil, Suriname, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica.
The story of the Maroons is a very interesting one, and I invite you to take a look at these resources about them:
Enjoy!
One of the most colorful characters in reggae music has to be Eek-A-Mouse.
When I first heard this guy sing, I had no idea what to think. He had a high pitched voice and sang about the most bizarre things.
In 1998, I had the pleasure of playing several gigs as an opener for Eek. After we played our set, we then went out into the audience and waited for him to come out.
After several minutes of the band warming up, out comes this lumbering giant of a man wearing a full on Yankees Uniform. I was cracking up.
First of all, I expected Eek a mouse to be this 4’11″ dude crawling around the stage…that definitely wasn’t the case. Secondly, this Jamaican guy was wearing a New York Yankees uniform? Just weird.
I was pretty blown away by the show, though. Eek is very well respected in the reggae community and is one of the original reggae ragga muffins.
Check out some of his shows. I think you will enjoy them.
Jamaicans are natural fighters. They have been fighting the colonial powers on that little island for a very long time. They are a tough people and fighting is in their blood.
So, it should come as no surprise that some world class boxers have come from Jamaica, or as they call it, “The Yard”.
One of the most well known is Donovan “Razor” Ruddock.
Razor Ruddock fought Mike Tyson twice and took Tyson the full 12 rounds in the second fight. I remember Ruddock’s evil half-uppercut half-jab called the “Smash”.
Tyson said he had never been hit harder in his life and said ( insert Tyson voice here ) “He punches like a f$#@ng mule kick!”
Another great jamaican fighter was Mike “The Bodysnatcher” McCallum.
What a great name.
The Bodysnatcher would pummel you to the body mercilessly, leaving you in a puddle of your own bile and piss.
… okay I made that part up, but he sure was a force to be reckoned with.
Mike McCallum retired with a record of 49-5-1 (36 knockouts), and was also inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
Some other Jamaican fighters of note:
I’m sure there are many more I’ve missed.
Just as a side note I’m not Jamaican but I did have an amateur boxing background. I used to train out of Irish Spud Murphy’s in San Diego California. I was quite serious for a time there.
Now, I am just a lover.
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The ponderings, musings and spewings of a completely crazy reggae drummer
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