Jamaica’s Culture Showcased in Seoul, Korea

Jamaica’s cultural heritage, including reggae and dancehall music, movements and world-famous Blue Mountain Coffee, were showcased on the world stage at the 2024 Asia Song Festival X Culture Bridge Festa held in Seoul, Korea.

The festival and festa included exhibitions, performances and experiential activities for audiences at the Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul from October 26-27.

Every year, the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), an agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, hosts the event to highlight Asian cultures.

Selected countries are also invited to showcase their traditions at the event.

This year, Jamaica and the Philippines were featured at the festival, which attracted approximately 48,000 patrons.

Jamaican dance group, Dance Xpressionz, led by Choreographer Orville Hall as well as reggae artiste, Jah Lil, energised the crowd with their performances.

They were joined on stage by prominent Korean dancers.

Mr. Hall’s performance titled ‘From Then to Now’ showed the evolution of the Jamaican music and dance from ska, rock steady, reggae, the 1980s dancehall, 1990s dancehall to new school dancehall.

“The experience was great and I think it was a very good representation of Jamaica’s culture through dance,” he tells JIS News, adding that the team also did a dance workshop requested by Korean students, who had visited Jamaica.

Mr. Hall says that people around the world are fascinated with Jamaican dance because “it tells the joys and struggles and how our bodies express joy.”

“It is the joy that it brings because it relieves stress through movement and we are able to translate that to the rest of the world,” he notes.

Mr. Hall says that he was happy to participate in the festival and to experience other cultures.

“Although I have been to the Philippines, I was there to teach and didn’t have the chance to observe their dance culture. This time, we got a chance to watch them perform,” he says.

Jamaica’s Ambassador to Japan and non-resident Ambassador to Korea, Her Excellency Shorna-Kay Richards, tells JIS News that although Jamaica and Korea are 13,400 kilometres apart, the distance was bridged through the festival and festa, allowing Jamaica to be showcased in a very authentic way.

She says that when the Embassy was approached by KOFICE to participate in the event, she quickly accepted knowing that it was a chance to connect with the people and promote destination Jamaica.

“The festival was a welcomed opportunity to promote international cultural exchange and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our countries. It was a powerful reminder of how deeply connected our countries are despite the distance,” she notes.

Among the images on display at the festival were Olympian Usain Bolt and renowned reggae artiste, Robert “Bob” Marley.

There were also sections showcasing Jamaican traditional wear, dance, coffee and hair braiding.

“The hair braiding booth was the most popular. They loved the hairstyles,” Ambassador Richards says.

She tells JIS News that the Jamaican Embassy in Tokyo and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) provided support to the organisers to ensure the authentic representation of Jamaican culture.

Members of the Jamaican community, as well as students studying in Korea participated in the event by wearing Jamaican colours.

Ambassador Richards, who wore a bandana outfit at the event, says that patrons were able “to experience the authentic Jamaican, including the sounds and rhythms of reggae.”

She lauded the support from KOFICE in sharing Jamaica’s culture with the Korean people.

“I was also thrilled that rising reggae singer, Jah Lil and renowned dance group, Dance Xpressionz, brought Jamaican musical and dance culture to Seoul,” she says.

“Dance Xpressionz did a fantastic job of bringing the story of Jamaican music to reggae dancehall. Jal lil was very much welcomed,” she adds.

Ambassador Richards further commended the KOFICE team for their creativity and work in delivering a fitting representation of the island.

“When I walked in there and I saw what they did, the resources that they spent, the elegance, I was really overcome with joy and just emotion, to see that they were seriously committed to promoting our culture to the extent that they could have spent their resources to bring Jamaica to Koreans, to the people,” she says.

The Ambassador tells JIS News that the Embassy actively promotes tourism to the Asian market and provides giveaways at various events.

“People who have experienced Jamaica often choose it as their next travel destination,” she says, noting that they are increasingly interested in Jamaican coffee and food.

“As a result, we are focusing on expanding our coffee into these markets. We are eager to promote our high-quality products into these markets,” she adds.

President of KOFICE, Park Chang-Sik, tells JIS News that the festival and festa “was a valuable platform for bringing together and celebrating the music and cultures of Asia and Jamaica. KOFICE will continue to serve as a leading force in promoting international cultural exchange.”

Since 2021, the festival has featured Thailand, Mongolia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, India and the United Arab Emirates.