Jamaican Military Band (JMB) is one of two

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...

s in the

Jamaican Defence Forces The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is the combined military of Jamaica, consisting of an infantry Regiment and Reserve Corps, an Air Wing, a Coast Guard fleet and a supporting Engineering Unit. The JDF is based upon the British military model, with ...

, with the other being

The Jamaica Regiment The Jamaica Regiment is the main formation of land troops in the Jamaica Defence Force. It is a non-mechanised infantry regiment consisting of five battalions, three regular infantry battalions, one territorial infantry battalion, and a Combat S ...

Band. The main task of the band is to play music at all national and military ceremonies. The band's repertoire includes mostly classical and marching music. During war time, the band takes on operational roles such as Medical Assistants. The band participates the following activities: * Concerts *

Military parades A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

* Dedication ceremonies * National holidays * Events of the state * Funerals (state) It is part of the Ceremonial and Investigation Division of the JDF. It consists of a parade band (which can be configured into a concert band) and a

corps of drums A Corps of Drums, also sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several national armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distin ...

, as well as soloists with specific duties. It is one of only two musical units in the world (the other being the Band of the

Barbados Regiment The Barbados Regiment is the land force component of the Barbados Defence Force. Its main tasks are the defence of Barbados from external threats, internal security and assisting the local police in maintaining law and order. The regiment also pr ...

) that wears the traditional uniform of the

zouave The Zouaves were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among the most decorated unit ...

s. The band celebrates its anniversary every 26 February. It plays a central role in the

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

celebrations at

National Arena Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...

. It has performed through many media outlets, including at one point Jamaica's only radio station, ZQI (now Real Jamaican Radio). Musicians are drawn from all music establishments in the country, including the National Youth Orchestra.

History

Cast-away in Jamaica - Band of the West India Regiment Playing on the Park

Gibraltar Evacuee Camp, Jamaica - Jamaica Military Band Entertains at The Camp

The band is a descendant of the Band of the

West India Regiment The West India Regiments (WIR) were infantry units of the British Army recruited from and normally stationed in the British colonies of the Caribbean between 1795 and 1927. In 1888 the two West India Regiments then in existence were reduced t ...

, and was formed on 26 February 1927. This makes it the oldest continuously serving unit in the JDF. The regimental band was 131 years old when it was disbanded the previous year. Its final performance in that form was at Trafalgar Park House near

Liguanea Liguanea ( ) is an area of the island of Jamaica. Its name came from the language of the Yamaye people who currently inhabit some of the island's rural areas in Cornwall County, Jamaica, Cornwall County. and named it after the iguana lizard that ...

, the then official residence of the Commander of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

in Jamaica (now the residence of the British High Commissioner) in the presence of Prince Albert the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

and the

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...

. On 8 December 1926, the then-Mayor of Kingston Hubert Simpson brought forward in the Legislative Council a motion for the retention of the Band. This was passed and on 26 February 1927, officially forming a fully domestic military band in the country. While the country was still part of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

, the band played during the visit of British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

and Premier

Joey Smallwood Joseph Roberts Smallwood (December 24, 1900 – December 17, 1991) was a Newfoundlander and Canadian politician. He was the main force who brought the Dominion of Newfoundland into Canadian Confederation in 1949, becoming the first premier of ...

from

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. Just weeks before the country gained Independence in 1962, the JMB was the first to publicly perform ''

Jamaica, Land We Love "Jamaica, Land We Love" is the national anthem of Jamaica, officially adopted in July 1962. It was chosen after a competition from September 1961 to 31 March 1962, in which the lyrics of the national anthem were selected by Parliament of Jamaica ...

'', with the performance taking place at the Lyndhurst Methodist Church Hall. When the country did achieve its independence from the

West Indies Federation The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...

, the band became disassociated with the shared military band of the WIF and became a separate entity. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the JMB began its traditions and activities that it still holds on to today. The band's

golden jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

was celebrated in 1977 with honours being given by the

Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation The Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation (KSAC) is a unit of local government in Jamaica. It was formed in 1923 when the parishes of Saint Andrew and Kingston were administratively merged. It is divided into 15 Political Constituencies, which ar ...

and the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

being given by the City of Kingston. That same year, it visited the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, taking part in

Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the Silver jubilee, 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth o ...

. In 1985, the

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

from the band performed in the '' Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita'' album by

Bob Marley & the Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Robert ...

. In early July 2015, the JMB took part in a two-day information-sharing program with the 257th Army Band of the

District of Columbia Army National Guard The District of Columbia Army National Guard is the Army component of the District of Columbia National Guard. As the District of Columbia is a federal district and not a state, the guard is placed under the authority of the President of the Unite ...

Notable members

*Band-Sergeant Arthur Sullivan Nibbs, he was honoured in the

1955 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1955 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...

*Corporal Herbert George Nelson, he was honoured in the

1965 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1965 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...

*Warrant Officer Cecil Leonard Warren, he was honoured in the 1968 Birthday Honours *Major Robert George Jones, ARCM LRCM, Director of Music *Band Sergeant-Major Eldon Leigh Stewart *Major Joe Williams, served as the band’s director of music from 1974 to 1995. He was also one of the founders of the Jamaica Copyright Licensing Agency. *

Lester Sterling Lester Sterling OD (born 31 January 1936),Musicians Bio
", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrie ...

, a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

and

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

player. He was a member of the JMB in the 1950s.Musicians Bio
", Alpha Old Boys Association, retrieved 19 October 2012 * David Madden, a solo trumpeter known as a member of

Zap Pow Zap Pow is a Jamaican reggae band, founded by singer/bassist Michael Williams aka Mikey Zappow and guitarist Dwight Pinkney. Members also included singer Beres Hammond, trumpeter David Madden, saxman Glen DaCosta, and drummer Cornell Marshall. ...

, as well as playing on records of

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

and other reggae artists.Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2014)
David Madden gives ‘good measure’
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 21 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014 * Johnny Moore, and founding member of pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae act

The Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...

. He was dismissed from the band and the army as a whole after three years due to being "not amenable to military service" due to his insistence on keeping his dreadlocks."Johnny Moore" (obit.),

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

, 30 August 2008

Original compositions by band members

*''The Jamaican Defence Force'' *''Independence Day'' *''Support and Services Battalion March'' *''Sky Waggons'' *''The Men of Steel'' *''Gloria'' (arranged by Staff Sergeant Gregory Nicholson)

References

{{Reflist Jamaican musical groups Military bands Musical groups established in 1927 Military units and formations established in 1927 Military of Jamaica

History

Notable members

Original compositions by band members

See also

References