Watt Town Revival Pilgrimage to Get UNESCO Inscription

Watt Town Revival Pilgrimage in St. Ann is to be inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The inscription will take place during the 19th Session of UNESCO’s Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, slated for Asunción in the Republic of Paraguay from December 2 to 8.

This will be Jamaica’s third UNESCO inscription, following those for the Maroon Heritage of Moore Town in 2008 and the globally renowned reggae music genre in November 2019.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, made the announcement while speaking during the Edward Seaga Human Development Lecture on Wednesday (November 6).

The lecture was part of the HEART/NSTA Trust’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Summit and Exhibition at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston.

Minister Grange said the Pilgrimage is a quarterly ritual, practised by revivalists in Jamaica and throughout the Jamaican Diaspora.

She pointed out that Watt Town is considered a sacred site, which was once a refuge for enslaved Africans and groups that were called bands. Each year, on the first Thursday in March, bands across Jamaica would journey to the revered hilltop location.

“The bands engaged in songs and dances, adorned in uniforms of vibrant colours, and travelled to the steep hill that houses what they call the Jerusalem schoolroom, which is a place of worship and thanksgiving,” Ms. Grange explained.

She advised that the Pilgrimage to Watt Town had met all five criteria outlined by UNESCO’s evaluation body, in order to obtain the inscription.

The Minister said the inscription was indicative of the global recognition once again accorded Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage by UNESCO.

“What this means is that this component of revivalism, which started from the early 19th century and continues to this day, is being recognised as a unique cultural practice in the world,” she added.

Meanwhile, Ms. Grange said the inscription will be a tribute to Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Edward Philip George Seaga.

She noted that Mr. Seaga was the “craftsman who helped us to understand and appreciate the rituals that our people have created”.

“So, this year, we will honour the memory of Mr. Seaga and celebrate the important practice of the revival community, when the inscription is formally adopted in Paraguay,” Ms. Grange said.