Coolie duppy, tombstones, dumplings: Roving with Lalah ; Slices of Everyday Jamaican Life


So while Marlon James get his Man Booker Prize for A brief History of Seven Killings, with his more than 70 characters, there is another nice book, a collection of roving anecdotes with Jamaican characters in all kinds of places.

Robert Lalah was tasked of bringing Jamaica to the readers of the Gleaner.

My experience of going to Jamaica, beautiful island is not really moving beyond the ice cream shop at Devon House.

Robert Lalah went looking and found some things that they do not sing about in the dancehall music that I hear in the minibus in Guyana.

Things like Swims from St Elizabeth, and..  the best dumplings from Christiana

And Lalah encounters death.. like the Graveside Party in Nonsuch, and the Tombstone with unknown inhabitants, and the places where nobody would go except a reporter from the Gleaner.. the Devil's Watchglass at the border of Manchester and Clarendon where people have disappeared.

And there is a range of healing.. the obeah man from St Joseph who powerful because he conquer a coolie dupppy,  and the waters of Salt River  and the spring at Bath in St Thomas .

Robert Lalah roves with minibus and taxi as well.

A lot of the places are described as quiet, and the residents say that they are happy and nobody has any problems. Tourists might not venture in those parts.

The book has some beautiful pictures.. it is highly recommended.


Jamaica Jamaica. Robert Lalah's youtube channel has some video clips of other rovings.






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