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Author Topic: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots  (Read 3579 times)

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Offline Reggaefan

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Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« on: June 15, 2007, 01:31:54 PM »
GORDON WILLIAMS, Contributor

miami, florida

Their names catch the eye when scanning Costa Rica's Gold Cup roster, but could easily pop up in any Kingston directory.

Their English accents could smoothly mingle from Morant Point to Montego Bay.

HaroldWallace, Jervis Drummond and Dexter Lewis stand out in a Spanish-flavoured football squad dominated by names such as Centeno, Nunez, Fonseca, Barrantos, Azofeifa and Saborio. And although the trio pledge their undying unity with the Central American team, which advanced to the quarter-final round of the CONCACAF tournament following a 1-0 win over Guadeloupe on Monday night at the Orange Bowl here, the descendants of migrant Jamaicans still embrace their island ties.

Jamaican english

"When we grow, from small, (our elders) teach us to talk English, Jamaican English," said 30-year-old Drummond, who has represented Costa Rica since 1995.

"We eat green banana, all a dem ting deh. So all of that come from Jamaica. The reggae music and all that, it was all the same (to us)."

Decades ago, the grandfathers of Drummond and Wallace, and Lewis' great grandfather, moved to Costa Rica from Jamaica in search of better living conditions. The trio's own opportunities have come on the playing field. Drummond and Wallace, each with well over 50 international caps, are starting defenders for 'The Ticos' at the Gold Cup. Lewis is a reserve goalkeeper. All admit following Jamaica's football fortunes and were alarmed the Reggae Boyz did not qualify for the 12-team tournament in the United States.

"I don't know why Jamaica is not here," said Wallace, 31, who like Drummond were members of Costa Rica's squads to the World Cup finals in 2002 and 2006. "They have very good players."

Walter boyd

Drummond also admires Jamaica's players and particularly remembers ex-national Walter Boyd, "the number 10," whom he described as highly skilful. However, he was quick to add that the Reggae Boyz may need more than individual talent to succeed in the future.

"They have to play in group," he explained. "You just can't play for one man, you understand. So I consider (Jamaica) has good players, but you have to work for (success)."

Wallace, Drummond and Lewis are not the only Costa Ricans with Jamaican roots who have played for 'The Ticos'. A Costa Rican journalist at the Gold Cup estimated that about "60 per cent" of 'The Ticos' squad come from two cities, Limon and Puntarenas, although many moved to richer clubs in San José, the country's capital and largest city.

Descendants of Jamaicans make up a significant portion of the population of Limon and Puntarenas. Many speak English and have earned wealth.

Quarter-final round

 
Costa Rica's Jervis Drummond (right) is tackled by Guadeloupe's Aurelien Capoue in the first half of the 2007 Gold Cup game in Miami on Monday. Costa Rica won 1-0. - AP


"They own the seafood companies and tourism companies," said the journalist.

Now Costa Rica is focusing on the Gold Cup's quarter-final round, which begins this weekend. As Group A runners-up they will face the runners-up from Group C, which includes traditional football power Mexico, Panama, Honduras and Cuba. Yet 'The Ticos' insist they can claim the top prize.

"We're looking to win the championships," Drummond said. "...(If) you just come and play and don't look for the championships, it's better you don't play football."

Part of being a 'tico' is staying laid-back, similar to the 'no problem' attitude of many Jamaicans. But there's more urgency now in Costa Rica's approach.

'The Ticos' - who have made it to the finals of three World Cups - understand that no team can rest on past accomplishments. Others are catching up - fast.

Asked if he was surprised Jamaica did not qualify for the Gold Cup, Lewis said bluntly: "Well, really, yes. But I see Guadeloupe and Haiti playing very good football... So everybody is getting sharper now."

With World Cup qualifiers due early next year, it's a lesson the Boyz could learn from their distant cousins in Central America.


Offline Reggaefan

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2007, 01:43:26 PM »
Same goes for Panama too...Ricardo "Paton" Philips and Roberto Brown are two on their cirrent squad that i recall at the moment.
Wanchope is another costa Rican with Jamaican parentage.


Offline Big Magician

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2007, 01:49:30 PM »
 jamaica is the first carribean team to speak 3 langauges....Spanish, British and Jamaican...
jamaica is no longer in the English speaking caribbean.....
whats up RF???...hpe is is well...cheers
Little Magician is King.......ask Jorge Campos


Offline WestCoast

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2007, 01:51:16 PM »
intersting article here
dem is Hamacans ;)
"Though a number of Jamaicans went to Panama in the 1860s to help build the railway across the isthmus, larger numbers migrated in 1879. The French began their attempt to build the Panama Canal this year.
An estimated 5000 Jamaicans went to Panama to build the railroad. That was the first recorded migration experience.
The next wave was in the 1870s, this time it was Costa Rica which wanted to build their railway and they too came to the island to recruit Jamaicans who also helped to establish the banana industry in Latin America from Costa Rica. One of those is Quince Duncan, a highly acclaimed writer of a third generation Jamaican (pronounced Hamacan) in Costa Rica.
There was a third wave beginning in 1880 when the Panama Canal was erected along the same route as the railroad. Some 100,000 Jamaicans are said to have assisted in the building of the Panama Canal between 1880 and 1914, when it was officially opened. "
« Last Edit: June 15, 2007, 01:57:40 PM by WestCoast »
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Offline KND2

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2007, 02:02:15 PM »
Interesting Quirk in Migration patterns.

Costa Rica has definetly benefitted from the Jamican Athletes

It is interesting that they keep their own culture in terms of teaching the children english in a spanish country,

Offline Reggaefan

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2007, 02:04:06 PM »
jamaica is the first carribean team to speak 3 langauges....Spanish, British and Jamaican...
jamaica is no longer in the English speaking caribbean.....
whats up RF???...hpe is is well...cheers

Everything Aight man.

Offline najee

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2007, 02:16:59 PM »
would you say that venezuela players...hold Trinidian roots......KND...i think you and i was shittin in the same area....next time we should link-up

Offline Tenorsaw

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2007, 02:44:24 PM »
Things man do in Caribbean history.  I always say that they are of Caribbean roots.  I believe that St. Viincent and some of the other islands might have contributed to the Central American migration wave, but Jamaica was the main labor source.  Same thing for Honduras.  The punta music is their own (kinda like Spanish soca).  I asked a Honduran what exactly they were saying in the songs, and apparently some of it is a sort of dialect confined to that group.  Talk about holding your culture, while still feeling like part of where you moved too.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2007, 02:54:19 PM by Tenorsaw »

Offline Andre

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2007, 02:52:37 PM »
same with nicaragua. i run into some nicas from the coastal areas there who talk jamaican lite.

mih pardner used to bone one ah dem.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2007, 03:00:38 PM »
Check out a PBS documentary called the Diggers. It is about the West Indians who work as labourers to build the Panama canal. lots of Bajans, Vincey, St. Lucians and plenty Trinis went also. But the vast majority were Jamaicans. A lot of these WI died in mishap such as dynamite explosions etc. They were also paid half the wages as that of the Americans. I first experienced the CR players in 1974 in the Concacaf youth tournament in Ottawa. All the black players spoke English. They all spoke to us and were very friendly. One guy in particular, Jorge Lacey, was a left wing back. Damn good. He was tall like Wanchope. A lot of Jamaican also went to Cuba. Teofelo Stevenson is a descendent of the Hamaicans as in Spanish the letter "J" is pronounced as "H". The Portuguese however pronounce the letter "J" the regular way. As amatter of fact the entire Caribbean coast of Central American, a substantial proportion of the black population has ties to Jamaican. The black Panamanians are the coolest of all. I use to play football with a team call Depotivo Panama in Maryland. Don't believe the hype that Panama is baseball  only.  These guy played well. They also have a reunion in different US cities every year. I have been to two of them. This reunion has mostly WI. Salsa, merengue, reggae, reggaeton, soca, zouk and Haitian compas music. In Baltimore reunion year before last, they had Tabou combo. The Black WI  in CA are a very interesting lot.

Offline legal alien

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2007, 04:03:56 PM »
interesting article. i did know about the fact that  many black costa ricans have jamaican roots, but i didn't thinbk that nthey held onto their language very strong. i do sort of know a black costa rican. she does has certain mannerisms found among yardies.

Offline najee

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2007, 05:39:30 PM »
Legal alien...i now remember ...i know this guy...never talked to him personally...but know being around the way...and he does have that type of yardie Jamaican way he carrie his-self

Offline Filho

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2007, 07:03:28 PM »
This is nothing new..Most immigrants will teach their kids their native tongue unless they have an irrational fear it will make their kids targets of ostracism, but most don't. If both parents are from the same country/region and speak the same language and especially if they live in a community with thousands of others like them, the language will live on for generations. This is partially due to holding on to aspects of their roots, but also because most times, the first wave doesn't necessarily speak the language of their adopted nation. Go to Chinatown in NYC or LA and the kids and grandkids all speak Chinese..some of their parents and grandparents never ever really learn English. Same for Spanish or Haitian etc..in parts of Florida. Because thousands went over and they were able to form a communities of English speakers, Jamaican patois was bound to live on for a few generations in CR.

Offline Pointman

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2007, 09:05:04 PM »
Wrong forum son...no one here cares...ride out with dat!! :)
Trini to de bone; Pointman to de bone.

Offline Reggaefan

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #14 on: June 15, 2007, 10:05:25 PM »
Wrong forum son...no one here cares...ride out with dat!! :)

Heh heh. Why did you even open the post then if you didnt care Pointman?  :o

Judging from the number of reads and responses...looks like you are wrong again.

Offline weary1969

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2007, 11:54:48 PM »
Anybody who do CXC history know that story.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline Sam

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #16 on: June 16, 2007, 04:11:46 AM »
Thanks God they went Costa Rica or else if they had stayed (end up) in Jamaica they probably wouldn't even know how to kick a ball.

Do me a favor ReggaeFart, it have some Jamaicans on this site here who would love to read your post.... post that news here for me: www.who-gives-a-shit.com.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2007, 05:35:24 AM by Flex »
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Offline Reggaefan

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #17 on: June 16, 2007, 06:00:12 AM »
Thanks God they went Costa Rica or else if they had stayed (end up) in Jamaica they probably wouldn't even know how to kick a ball.

Do me a favor ReggaeFart, it have some Jamaicans on this site here who would love to read your post.... post that news here for me: www.who-gives-a-shit.com.

Next time if you dont care, dont open the post!   ::)

Offline Sam

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2007, 06:12:44 AM »
Next time if you dont care, dont open the post! ::)

I could open any post I dam well want.... next time, dont open yuh mouth...

Whats up with them roll eye think yuh post, yuh is ah fargott or wha... doh roll yuh eye's at me bullar...
Faster than a speeding pittbull
Stronger than a shot of ba-bash
Capable of storming any fete


Offline Reggaefan

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #19 on: June 16, 2007, 04:36:20 PM »
Next time if you dont care, dont open the post! ::)

I could open any post I dam well want.... next time, dont open yuh mouth...

Whats up with them roll eye think yuh post, yuh is ah fargott or wha... doh roll yuh eye's at me bullar...

 ::)

Hernan Medford has Jakan roots too.  ;D

Offline Bakes

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #20 on: June 16, 2007, 09:22:46 PM »
Check out a PBS documentary called the Diggers. It is about the West Indians who work as labourers to build the Panama canal. lots of Bajans, Vincey, St. Lucians and plenty Trinis went also.

Indeed...including my great, great, great-aunt...who with her two young daughters went to Panama circa 1918 to work on the canal.  Following the completion of the Canal a few months later she spent 6 months in Cuba before settling in Brooklyn.  There her two daughters, especially the older, would go on to host successive waves of family members...new immigrants to the US, including the last set she hosted before her death...my own family.

Offline Bakes

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Re: Costa Rica Players hold to their Jamaican roots
« Reply #21 on: June 16, 2007, 09:26:16 PM »
Next time if you dont care, dont open the post! ::)

I could open any post I dam well want.... next time, dont open yuh mouth...

Whats up with them roll eye think yuh post, yuh is ah fargott or wha... doh roll yuh eye's at me bullar...

Same way de man could post any post he want...if yuh disapprove then take yuh own advice and let the good folks at http://www.who-gives-a-shit.com/ know.

 

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