It's baaack. 

The annual Grounation celebrations put on by the Jamaica Music Museum are underway and this year's theme is "Mento: is ow di music sweet so". Mento is of course the earliest form of recorded Jamaican popular music, having emerged on the island in the 1950s. Grounation consists of 4 events held each Sunday in the month of February, February being significant as it's both Reggae Month and Black History Month. The events begin at 2 pm and consist of themed discussions and musical performances. Entry is free but donations are encouraged.

See the poster above for more information or feel free to contact us at kingstontravel@jaculture.com.

In celebration of Reggae Month and Black History Month the Jamaica Music Museum is hosting "Groundation" in February. The focus this year will be on the artistry and skill of trombonist Don Drummond. For more information see the flyer below.

Imagine, JAD400 per adult (less for children and senior citizens) to view as many as 4 researched and thoughtful exhibitions. That's less than USD4. This is the great value that you get from a visit to the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ). And what you see and learn is very interesting as well. For example, at the time of the writing of this post there were three exhibitions on display: Rastafari (highly recommended), Taino Display, and the Memorial for the Morant Bay Rebellion 1865. This is not even counting the exhibitions at the Jamaica Music Museum or the National History Museum.

​True, the IOJ is a little like a rabbit's warren and the displays are spread out, but it's cool, kind of like being on a fantastic voyage. The guides are very helpful (big up, Abebe, Stephanie and Ayana!) and can provide help on navigating through some of the Admin snags. Or you can simply book a tour that takes you there.

Tips:
1. Buy tickets first at the gift shop. If you are facing the IOJ you will see a set of grand-ish looking stairs. About a third of the way up go to the left and there's the gift shop.
2. It's always useful to book ahead, especially if you'd like a guided tour. 
3. Expect lots of school children in September and October. It's the new school year and Heritage Week, the third week in October, seems to all but require teachers to take students out of the classroom. Depending on your temperament, this could be fun too.

To learn more about the Institute of Jamaica visit their page http://www.instituteofjamaica.org.jm/

To hear more about tours going to the Institute of Jamaica email karen@travelkingstonjamaica.com