BURU IN JAMAICA

During the period of slavery in Jamaica, Christmastime was usually the only opportunity that the slaves had to have any type of celebrations. In light of this, Christmas was characterized by many activities where the slaves feasted, sang, danced and just enjoyed themselves. One of the main activities that was observed at this time was masquerading. This occurred in two forms, Jonkunnu, with which most people are familiar, and Buru.

Buru is an African-derived masquerade celebration that was originally used as a fund-raising activity for slaves who wanted money to buy food and other items for their Christmas feast. Performers formed a procession which paraded in the streets, entertaining spectators. The celebrations usually began on Christmas Eve and continued until New Year's Day. After the abolition of slavery, there were a few changes in the practice; however, the main change that occurred was in the purpose of the celebration which shifted from being mainly for fund-raising but for entertaining and socializing instead.

The main characters in Buru include Horse-Head, Donkey and Madder Lundy. However, over time, other characters were introduced such as Cow-Head and Doctor. These characters were all generally played by men as it was considered vulgar for women to lift their skirts the way in which the dance movements required. Masks were used as part of the costumes in order to hide the identity of the wearer. This was necessary as often times, the Buru characters poked fun at individuals or events in the society through song, so the activity served as a sort of social commentary.

The Buru characters are always accompanied by musicians. There are at least three drummers and other musicians who use scrapers, rattles and other percussion instruments. The drums used are the funded, the repeater and the bass, the same drums that are now used by the Nyahbinghi Rastafarians. Some researchers even argue that present-day Nyahbinghi music is a fusion of early Buru and Kumina drumming styles.

Traditional Buru songs were topical and told stories or related events that happened in the community during the previous year. Therefore, as a means of spreading local gossip, new songs were created each year. As a result, persons within the community were always mindful of the fact that if they participated in any scandalous activity or displayed similar behaviour, it is possible that they could become the topic of a Buru song.

As with most, if not all African-derived traditions, dancing generally accompanies singing in Buru. The dance movements place a lot of emphasis on hip movements as well as contact with the earth. The main dance movement is one which is flat-footed so as to maintain contact with the earth, in which ancestral spirits reside. The hip movements are often times exaggerated and as such the dance is often seen as being very suggestive. However, practitioners say that the dance is a celebration of fertility, similar to many dances still practised in Africa.

In Jamaica, Buru is currently practised in Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine and in Clarendon in communities such as Bowens and Hayes. However, the tradition, like many others, is dying due to the lack of interest on the part of the young people in these communities. Buru thrived in a time when the younger generation was willing to learn the traditions of their forefathers and when entire communities participated in the spirit of Buru; this is no longer the case.

References
Gordon, Diane. The Jamaican Buru Masquerade in the socio-cultural context of Bowens. May 1981.
Ingram, Racquel Amoy. The Buru in Old Harbour Bay: A historical study of folk tradition as an alternate medium of communication. 1996.
Senior, Olive. Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage. St. Andrew: Twin Guinep Publishers, 2003.