30 episodes

The small island of Jamaica has forged a new type of empire, an intangible realm of which there are no physical monuments. There is no official political or economic sphere of Jamaican influence but when it comes to popular culture its global reach is immense, far exceeding the reasonable expectation for a nation of just over 2.7 million people. For a nation that gained independence from the British only 50 years ago, Jamaicans have left their mark on music, sport, style and language around the globe and have become an international marker of ‘cool’. Jamaican music has colonised the new and old world alike, its athletes break world records with impunity and youngsters the world over are incorporating Jamaican slang into their dialects. Despite this the country has reaped no economic reward in return, unlike empires of old, and Jamaica still remains an economic pygmy. Jamaican influence has unconsciously spawned creative innovation around the globe and to this day it remains a country to be studied, celebrated, and demystified. Through the help of linguists, artists, musicians, designers, sports personalities, and historians we take a closer look as to how Jamaican culture conquered the world.
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How Jamaica Conquered the World Roifield Brown

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 66 Ratings

The small island of Jamaica has forged a new type of empire, an intangible realm of which there are no physical monuments. There is no official political or economic sphere of Jamaican influence but when it comes to popular culture its global reach is immense, far exceeding the reasonable expectation for a nation of just over 2.7 million people. For a nation that gained independence from the British only 50 years ago, Jamaicans have left their mark on music, sport, style and language around the globe and have become an international marker of ‘cool’. Jamaican music has colonised the new and old world alike, its athletes break world records with impunity and youngsters the world over are incorporating Jamaican slang into their dialects. Despite this the country has reaped no economic reward in return, unlike empires of old, and Jamaica still remains an economic pygmy. Jamaican influence has unconsciously spawned creative innovation around the globe and to this day it remains a country to be studied, celebrated, and demystified. Through the help of linguists, artists, musicians, designers, sports personalities, and historians we take a closer look as to how Jamaican culture conquered the world.
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    Anthony Brown, a Windrush Story.

    Anthony Brown, a Windrush Story.

    Seventy-five years ago, on June 22, 1948, the HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, marking a pivotal moment in British history. In this episode, we delve into the significance of this landmark event, as we explore one man's journey to prove his British citizenship amidst a hostile environment. Thanks to the dedicated work of journalist Amelia Gentleman, who shed light on the plight of tens of thousands of British West Indians facing wrongful deportation, the Windrush scandal came to the forefront of public consciousness
    Amelia Gentleman, a journalist renowned for her tireless efforts, played a crucial role in bringing the Windrush scandal to light. Her in-depth reporting exposed the injustices faced by the Windrush generation, many of whom had lived in Britain for decades, only to find themselves wrongly targeted by deportation measures. By acknowledging Gentleman's sterling work, we pay tribute to her dedication and the impact of her reporting in raising awareness about the systemic mistreatment faced by British West Indians and the urgent need for reform.



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    • 31 min
    Listen to podcasts from Roifield Brown

    Listen to podcasts from Roifield Brown

    10 American Presidents Podcast
    DumTeeDum - A show about BBC Radio's 'The Archers'
    How Jamaica Conquered the World
    Intelligent Speech - interviews, conversations and presentations of ideas
    Map Corner
    Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics
    The Race Directors Podcast - F1
    The Things That Made England

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    • 1 min
    Reggaeton - How Jamaican Dancehall music influenced the music of Latin America

    Reggaeton - How Jamaican Dancehall music influenced the music of Latin America

    How Jamaican Dancehall music has influenced the music of Latin America, from the digging of the Panama canal to dominance of Dominican Dembow.

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    • 24 min
    "Cool Runnings" 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team at the Calgary Winter Olympics - Episode 27

    "Cool Runnings" 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team at the Calgary Winter Olympics - Episode 27

    The team (consisting of Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White, and last minute replacement Nelson Stokes) debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. There they quickly became a fan favorite largely because of their status position as the ultimate 'underdog' story of the games. This team was the inspiration for a major motion picture, Cool Runnings. The characters in the film are fictional, although the original footage of the crash is used during the film. The film's depiction of the post-crash rescue was changed to show the bobsledders carrying the sled over the line on their shoulders for dramatic effect.

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    • 27 min
    General Colin Powell -Episode 26

    General Colin Powell -Episode 26

    He rose through the ranks of the US Army to be the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 65th secretary of state but his story started in Harlem and with his Jamaican parents.
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    • 27 min
    Episode 25 - Kickstarting How Jamaica Conquered the World

    Episode 25 - Kickstarting How Jamaica Conquered the World

    This is a review and Kickstarter episode. We look back at the some of the show's highlights and why I decided to document the spread of Jamaica culture around the world. To donate please go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roifield/how-jamaica-conquered-the-world?ref=card

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    • 23 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
66 Ratings

66 Ratings

Dee Dorset ,

Refreshing

Not disappointing and never failed to make me smile, seamless and dimensionally enjoyable, covers all the senses.
Thank you to the podcast team.

Blakeybumbo ,

One Love Jamaica

Listened to this all over again with the BLM issues arising once again. Being English born of Jamaican parents this was a wonderful podcast and brings back many memories with family and life long since passed. Personally these podcasts enhances more my love and proudness of the people of Jamaica both home and abroad. My four sons will now listen to this again with me and hear and learn about that wonderfully talented country and it’s many offsprings.
As we say, Out of many one people. One Love, Blessing all.

N2 C ,

Totally Brilliant!

I heard about this podcast when when Roifield did a guest addition on The History of England. At the time I was doing catch up, so Im so sorry that I am not only on Cool Runnings, the 2nd from last of the series.

Its such a shame that this enlightening and informative podcast has finished, but Im really glad to have come across it. Major thumbs up from me

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