Kingston wrestles with the enduring legacy of colonial rags and riches,
recent episodes of political strife and the occasional outburst of
modern-day turf rivalry. Formerly the hub of Britain's Caribbean Empire,
the Jamaican capital provides an intriguing cauldron of political,
social, and cultural excitement as one of the region's great cities. The
dangerous domain of local Dons forms but a small part of Kingston's
complex and vital presence, which extends far beyond the city's tenement
yards and harbor walls. Proud of their city's renown as the birthplace
of reggae and dancehall, Kingstonians have led the world in innovative
music and performance art. The bristling edge of everyday life has
proven fertile ground for a profusion of literary and cultural
wealth--poets, writers, musicians, and artists flow from the creative
reservoirs of this rough-and-ready, savvy cityscape. The resonance of
Kingston's colonial history is more than matched by the vibrancy of the
contemporary urban scene. David Howard charts a course through the
city's offerings, from the stark divisions between uptown modernity and
downtown's swashbuckling past, to the lively interweaving of local
legends and international popular culture. o The city of pirates and
colonial power: "the wickedest city in Christendom" and an almighty
earthquake; buccaneers and admirals; bustling port tales and
architectural treasures. o The city of street life: tenement yards and
markets; political "garrisons" and off-limits areas; higglers and
Carnival; the divided world of suburbs and ghettos. o The city of urban
beat: musical maestros, dancehall queens, and performance poets; "yard"
fiction, sculpture, and painting.
