Our African ancestors from diverse cultural backgrounds took their colourful, rich and unique dress customs to Jamaica. When opportunities arose they used their knowledge, experience and skills to dress up in artistically designed clothes with matching accessories, in order to nurture and maintain links with their homeland and maintain cultural pride in their appearance. Slave […]
What our African – Jamaican ancestors wore for sugar plantation work
According to Buckeridge. S, (2004) Slave owners were legally obliged to provide clothing for their slaves annually, with a menial penalty for non-conforming. This annual issue of clothing reinforced slave dependence and subordination. The type of clothing issued was meant to be suitable and practical for plantation work; of inferior quality to maintain social distance […]
Factors influencing the design of our costumes
1. Our African ancestors’ dress code: Africans love to “dress up”. Emphasis on appropriate dress is apparently central to all social, economic, spiritual and cultural functioning in African societies. Ritual dressing for special occasions required covering the body in visually attractive clothing. The wearing of animal skin and leather; face and body scarring and painting; […]
Descriptions of JANUKA’s costumes
1.The Bandana Costume The costume for women consists of a wide ankle length bandana skirt gathered at the waist. The skirt is designed in a “three sister” style with frills of white lace in between each tier. A crinoline is worn underneath to hold the skirt out, giving it extra bounce. A bandana waistband is […]
JANUKA Jamaican Quadrille Dancers Costumes
JANUKA Jamaican Quadrille dance group currently wear 5 different costumes, described below. We choose what to wear, based on the formality or informality of an occasion, or on the request of our sponsors. Different Jamaican Quadrille dancing costumes Our costumes are meant to convey the message of a unifying force, our place of origin, our […]