LiveGreenNOW

By Traci L. Claussen

Native Wayne's Wild Jamaica

August brings dreams of island getaways listening to steel drum reggae bands. Sunday afternoons in Los Angeles were spent hanging with my favorite Jamaican, Native Wayne Jobson, while he broadcast his Reggae Smoke-In LIVE from the Malibu Inn along the Pacific Coast Highway with the waves crashing before the sunset. A good eco-traveler gets the goods from the local native, and where Jamaica is concerned, mine is Native Wayne.

TLC: Some of my fondest memories from radio were hanging at the Malibu Inn while you were doing your Reggae Smoke-in LIVE from 4-6p on Sunday afternoons. You always had the most amazing guests, and your stories about Jamaica, we were right along with you. What was it like growing up on an island that everyone dreams about going to?

Native Wayne: I am so blessed to have grown up in the place that Christopher Columbus called ‘the fairest isle that eyes have ever seen’. Subsequently, I have been lucky enough to visit almost every country on earth, and Jamaica is still the most spectacular!

I grew up in the hills above the famous resort town of Ocho Rios, about nine miles from Nine Mile, the birth and resting place of Bob Marley. Reggae music is the heartbeat of the Jamaican people and was the soundtrack of my youth.

I savored the majestic waterfalls, rivers and beaches, as well as the best rum and jerk chicken on earth. Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones lives in Ocho Rios and says that it is the only place in the world where his heart beats at the right pace!

TLC: (Laughs) You know, Keith and I have the same birthday. And you’re a December baby, too! How do they celebrate our birthday month in Jamaica?

Native: During the holiday season in Jamaica, there are groups of masqueraders called Jonkanoo who go around wearing strange masks of bulls and animals and playing music. They are very scary to children who cry and run away when they see these monsters. Also there are many ghost (duppy) stories that keep children awake at nights.

TLC: Speaking of children staying up late nights…at Indie 103.1 in LA, you were known for being at all the hottest shows, to the point where we thought you must have clones to cover it all! So, tell us about the best in Jamaica nightlife and the hotels close by…

Native: The best resort town to stay in depends on your age and lifestyle. For young party animals and spring breakers, Negril is paradise! Live reggae music all night and the best beaches and brain food you will ever find. Try the Hungry Lion for healthy delicacies. Stay at the Caves hotel.

For the more stable vacationer, its Ocho Rios with its magnificent waterfalls, Dolphin Cove and Mystic Mountain adventure trail. Make sure to visit Bob Marleys home at Nine Mile and the Runaway Bay Caves.

TLC: Who better to ask about “hidden jewels” than you, Wayne? What places would you recommend our readers check out on their next trip to the island?

Native: Jamaica gets 3 million tourists a year and they all fall in love with its magic. Its actually hard to find a tourist that says that its their first trip, they all boast that its their third or fourth time on the island! Tourists are welcomed everywhere, including the rough ghetto of Trench Town in Kingston, where reggae music was invented and Bob Marley lived during his teens.

Even in the dense jungle of the Cockpit Country in the rural central hills of Jamaica, a tourist group that I was with was welcomed by the Maroons, the local ethnic tribe, who said that they had actually seen another group of outsiders on that very day! A rare occurance!

TLC: We had a conversation one day at Indie about how to create the perfect jerk chicken. I think I was having a BBQ and wondered if you had a secret recipe. For ecotravelers on their way to the island, how can they have their cake, and eat it too?

Native: For nature lovers, visit the unspoilt Port Antonio where Jerk Chicken was invented and experience the brilliant all day rafting ride down the Rio Grande. Stay at the breathtaking Goblin Hill.

Kingston has the best nightlife at Quad and great shopping at the colonial masterpiece Devon House.

Try Scotches for the best Jerk fish and the amazing Almond Tree for formal dining. Stay at the Jamaica Inn (Travel and Leisures #1 Jamaican hotel), or the Carib Inn here.

TLC: It will be four years the end of August since Hurricane Katrina devastated us here in New Orleans. The last couple of years, Jamaica has seen its share of tropical storms. How should travelers beware this time of year?

Native: Jamaica gets one hurricane every 10 years, so its not something that we fear, as its so rare. The Jamaican people are the most loving that you will ever find anywhere. But tourists should just be as cautious as they would be any place in the world. Just eat some ackee and salt fish (the national dish), and drink a few Red Stripe beers (the best in the world) and let your troubles roll out with the tide. Cause now, you’re on Jamaica Time! Blessed love and respect…

TLC: Thanks, Wayne!

Native Wayne Jobson, Jamaican-American record producer of European ancestry, has worked with such artists as No Doubt, Gregory Isaacs and Toots & the Maytals. He hosted the weekly radio show “Native Wayne’s Reggae Smoke-in” every Sunday on Indie 103.1. He previously hosted a similar radio show, “Reggae Revolution”, at Indie’s main competitor KROQ-FM. Jobson is also known as a musician. He recorded in 1977 produced by legendary Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at the Black Ark. Recordings were released in a CD in 2007.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 6:30 am and is filed under Eco Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.