Music is a vital necessity for the well-being of the Jamaican psyche. Jamaican musicians have been enormously creative and innovative over the years, and reggae, the latest product, has gained world-wide attention and helped to confirm a sense of national identity. While its pulsating beat certainly captivates the ear and entices the feet to dance, its appeal lies partly in the fact that the music speaks for the poor. For the immigrants from the island, a strong patriotic bond with Jamaica seems to last forever. They worry about the island's politics and concern themselves with its welfare-its economic woes and their social repercussions.
Several organisations provide assistance to the island.
The Jamaica Bellevue and General Hospital Fund lobby for donations of medical equipment and host dances to raise funds. Any funds raised are matched by CIDA and used to build schools, provide salaries for teachers and lunches for children in deprived areas of the island, assist with the care of senior citizens and other worthwhile projects. Jamaicans share a common heritage and culture with West Indians from the former British islands, and while this article focuses on Jamaicans in Toronto, it is not intended to imply any uniqueness or distinction between them and their Caribbean relatives. In a very real sense when one speaks for one group, one speaks for all.