Our culture and being 'cultured'

Keith Noel, Contributor

HOW CONFIDENT are we in our 'Jamaicaness'? When we judge ourselves, what frame of reference do we use - is it one that we have created for ourselves or is it one which has been imposed upon us?

Think, for a minute, what comes to mind when we hear that a person is 'cultured'. What do we envisage? 'Culture', its root word, refers to the social standards and norms of behaviour, the traditions, values, the religious beliefs and practices that are held in common by members of a society. Culture is also manifested through the arts and the social structures and institutions of society.

From this word, we derive the one under consideration, 'cultured'. In general, it means, 'educated and informed about the arts and related intellectual activity; polished, sensitive and refined'.

Education has been defined as the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge and skills, its cultural norms and values from one generation to another. So it is reasonable to say that a 'cultured' Jamaican man or woman is one who is well educated in the arts of our country and of the world, who understands our cultural norms and values, who practises the finest of these, and who is sensitive and refined.

Wonderful young couple

So my question is, who is a cultured Jamaican? Consider this wonderful young couple: Richard went to prep school and then to Munro College. He was brilliant and after A' levels went to Yale. After completing his postgraduate work he returned to Jamaica with his young wife. Andrea had attended Hampton. She also did extremely well and had won a scholarship to Dartmouth. They had met at Hampton's 'hop' and had corresponded and dated ever since. On her graduation, they had married.

They both have very successful careers. They are lovers of the arts and whenever in Europe visit the great museums. Andrea actually possesses a couple pieces by great European artists. She plays the piano fairly well and entertains her friends with her Chopin. He prefers Bach. They enjoy the ballet and she speaks excitedly of a production of 'firebird' they have seen. But they are not limited and also appreciate most modern contemporary dance. He particularly likes Balanchine. Apart from the classics she enjoys musicals, and he actually performed in 'The Pirates of Penzance' while at college. Whenever they are in London or New York, they do not fail to see the plays that are on and speak knowledgeably about Dario Fo, Gaio Xingjian, and Harold Pinter.

They are both active people and enjoy watching and playing tennis.

Qualifying

They are kind, charitable young people and are respectful and loving to all. So although they do not belong to any of the organisations in the Anglican church they attend, they are admired by all the members.

Needless to say, they are well spoken, impeccably well mannered and entertain well. Their dinner parties are as well organised and well catered as one could wish for.

Do they still qualify as 'cultured Jamaicans' if they know absolutely nothing about kumina, or Dinki mini, or Gerreh? If they never took Louise Bennett seriously and have never heard of Amina Blackwood or Joan Andrea? Nor Cecil Baugh! If they do not know what a bammy is made from? Nor mannish water, or dukunu? If the only Jamaican singers they listen to are Willard White, Cecil Cooper and Dawn-Marie (although they do acknowledge that Bob Marley had a lyrical gift) and they have never been inclined to go to a National Dance Theatre Company recital?

If our response is yes, they are, we are saying that to be cultured is to be steeped in the finer traditions of European culture, and ours does not matter. And maybe we will, on investigating ourselves, realise that we still think that a person who is steeped in the finest of our Caribbean culture is but a butu! Now, if this is so, what does that make of us, as a people?

Keith Noel is an educator. Send your comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.