SMS - 50 Years Of Independence (Jamaican video, information, & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features the Reggae song "50 Years Of Independence" by SMS (Sherando Ferril, Michael Abrahams, Sakina Deer).

This video celebrates 50 years of Jamaican independence by reminding people that there is still work to do to ensure that Jamaica lives up to the ideals of its founders.

This post includes brief information about the Caribbean nation of Jamaica. Selected comments from the viewer comment thread of this video are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, motivational, entertainment and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

INFORMATION ABOUT JAMAICA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica

Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, in 1655 [Jamaica] came under the rule of England (later Great Britain), and was called Jamaica. It achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962.

Motto: "Out of Many, One People"

FEATURED VIDEO
SMS (Sherando Ferril, Michael Abrahams, Sakina Deer)-50 Years Of Independence



mikeygami, Published on Jul 27, 2012

SELECTED COMMENTS
from the video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI0VH9Bu67M&NR=1&feature=endscreen.

I've also some translations to Standard American English/African American English of the comments that were given in Jamaican Patois (Patwa). And I've also added some comments about some of these comments.

chris-ann henry:
"miss babsi yo flabsi flabsi yo need to go work pon yo absi lol"
-snip-
This sentence in Standard American English: "Miss Babs, you are flabby. You need to work on your abs. Laughing out loud."
**
Bangarang
-snip-
"Bangarang" is Jamaican slang for "hubbub, uproar, disorder, or disturbance", but it also can be used as an exclamation for approval or excitement.
**
Michelleh:
"Funny and true. Nicely done! Big up to the director!"
-snip-
"Big up" means the same as "Congratulations". This phrase is also used in African American English (Hip Hop) and may have come from that culture. I believe that the source of "Big up" is the "Let's give a big hand to ___", with "give big hand to" means "to give applause (handclap) to.
**
ricplay7890:
"Gal a weh yuh kno bou' MEEHHHH"

#PAP UP
-snip-
The first sentence in Standard American English: "Girl, what do you know about me?"
**
Mark Thomas:
"DWL...Mi luv it bad!... We are still able to laugh at ourselves."
**
First sentence: In standard American English "Mi luv it bad" = "I love it a lot." and "I really love it."

From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dwl posted by rahman3000, July 30, 2009
"In the purely Jamaican dialect, the term, DWL, stands for "Dead Wid Laugh" roughly translated as "Dying with Laughter" or more approriately "Dying as a result of excessive laughing".
**
opaltina
"Well done, a very creative video and song!"
**
sixtopian
"Then the bus arrived at the airport and they all moved to Canada like Miss Lou did... And then this song became CanCon and there was much rejoicing in Toronto..."
-snip-
This comment refers to the large number of Jamaicans who have moved to Canada, including Miss Lou who was a much beloved proponent of Jamaican Patois and other aspects of Jamaican folk culture.
**
Charmaine Hyman-Bennett
"love it! true words...we should be as one people living in peace, not just in Jamaica...but all over the world!"
**
dondeman99
Big up the tune  mad
**
"Tune" (also often given as "chune") means "song". An equivalent African American English term is "jam".

A lot of commenters used the word "mad". In the context of those comments, "mad" means the same thing as the African American English slang "it's bad" (It's very good.)
**
ZOMOFG
"It's very funny, but it also has a message.

Happy Independence everyone!"
**
Jherane Patmore
"Feel The Heart and Soul of a Nation on Mission"

I love it! Good Job!
**
Lutonloy
Really entertaining, and I love the fact that we are so proud of our Jamaican culture, heritage and association.. Out of many - we are one! One love (DJ Lady Loy)
**
Baybijhem01
"I love it. Satire @ its best."

RELATED LINKS
Here are two videos in which a Caribbean host, a commentator from Haiti, and a commentator from Jamaica discuss skin color and class systems in Jamaica, in Haiti, and in South Florida which is experiencing a rise in immigration from those two nations:

PULSE: Class System in the Caribbean - Part 1/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4dKHhnnhe4
Uploaded on Oct 29, 2009

Ingrained in Caribbean culture is an unfortunate system of bias based on someone's race, ethnicity, income, and pedigree. We discuss the origins of this class system and the way it influences both island life and large Caribbean-American communities abroad, such as South Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6sVZeHSKdQ PULSE: Class System in the Caribbean - Part 2/2

Hat tip to http://afroeurope.blogspot.com/2012/12/video-black-in-caribbean-race-and-class.html?showComment=1355325762113#c7430254009830983581 Afro-Europe blog "Video: Black in the Caribbean - Race and class in Haiti and Jamaica" for posting those videos & including an ongoing discussion of those videos.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to SMS and all those involved with producing & performing in this video. Thanks also to the uploader of this video.

Thank you fof visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.