Work and economy · Portland · written in Patois with an English translation
Long before reggae an all-inclusive hotel, a banana mek Portland rich. From di late 1800-dem, ship start come a Port Antonio fi load op green banana carry go a America. Dem time deh no machine neva deh — man an ooman kyai di heavy bunch-dem pon dem head an shoulda, aal night long, till daylight come. Di tally man tan op wid im book a count every bunch, caa when yuh done wuk, dem pay yuh by di count. Outta dat hard wuk come one a di sweetes' work song eva — di banana boat song. Di worka-dem sing i fi keep dem spirit op: 'Day dah light an mi waan go home.' Lata, Harry Belafonte tek di old song an mek i famous roun di whole worl'. Di banana business grow big-big — one company outta Boston, weh tun di United Fruit Company, a ship tousan an tousan a bunch outta Port Antonio harbour. An hear dis: di same banana boat-dem weh kyai fruit go a foreign start bring back rich America people fi come tek holiday. A so Port Antonio tun one a di fus tourist resort inna Jamaica. Di banana boom done long time now, but walk tru Port Antonio tideh an yuh still feel di old glamour — di harbour, di old hotel ruin-dem, an di raft-dem pon di Rio Grande, weh dem seh once use fi kyai banana, now a kyai visitor insteada fruit.
Long before reggae and all-inclusive hotels, it was bananas that made Portland rich. From the late 1800s, ships began coming to Port Antonio to load green bananas to carry to America. In those days there were no machines — men and women carried the heavy bunches on their heads and shoulders all night long, until daylight came. The tally man stood with his book counting every bunch, because when your shift was done, you were paid by the count. Out of that hard work came one of the sweetest work songs ever — the banana boat song. The workers sang it to keep their spirits up: 'Day dah light an mi waan go home' (daylight is coming and I want to go home). Later, Harry Belafonte took the old song and made it famous around the whole world. The banana business grew huge — a company out of Boston, which became the United Fruit Company, shipped thousands upon thousands of bunches out of Port Antonio's harbour. And listen to this: the same banana boats that carried fruit abroad began bringing back wealthy Americans to take holidays. That is how Port Antonio became one of the first tourist resorts in Jamaica. The banana boom ended long ago, but walk through Port Antonio today and you still feel the old glamour — the harbour, the old hotel ruins, and the rafts on the Rio Grande, which they say were once used to carry bananas, now carrying visitors instead of fruit.
Lang bifuor rege an aal-inkluusiv uotel, a banaana mek Portland rich. Fram di liet 1800-dem, ship staat kom a Port Antonio fi luod op griin banaana kyai go a America. Dem taim de no mashiin neva de — man an uman kyai di evi bonch-dem pon dem ed an shuolda, aal nait lang, til dielait kom. Di tali man tan op wid im buk a kount evri bonch, kaa wen yu don wok, dem pie yu bai di kount. Outa dat aad wok kom wan a di swiites wok sang eva — di banaana buot sang. Di woka-dem sing i fi kiip dem spirit op: 'Die da lait an mi waahn go uom.' Lieta, Harry Belafonte tek di uol sang an mek i fiemos roun di uol worl. Di banaana bizniz gruo big-big — wan kompani outa Boston, we ton di United Fruit Company, a ship touzan an touzan a bonch outa Port Antonio aaba. An ier dis: di siem banaana buot-dem we kyai fruut go a farin staat bring bak rich America piipl fi kom tek alide. A so Port Antonio ton wan a di fos tuoris rizaat iina Jamieka. Di banaana buum don lang taim nou, bot waak chuu Port Antonio tide an yu stil fiil di uol glama — di aaba, di uol uotel ruuin-dem, an di raaf-dem pon di Rio Grande, we dem se wans yuuz fi kyai banaana, nou a kyai vizita insteda fruut.
Higman gives the documented account of the banana export trade and Port Antonio's part in it, which is the scholarly footing for this capsule.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
Hear this read aloud in Portland →