Caribbean sunset photos are no stranger to this website. There’s just something about them that touches the sensitive side of me. Erin would argue that that part doesn’t even exist in me, but it does, it just picks certain times to reveal itself.

As I was picking out the sunset photos to include in this post a fitting song started playing on No Shoes Radio, Soulshine by Gov’t Mule. How perfect I thought, the last rays of the sun that set the sky ablaze should be called “Soulshine”. They inspire, cause people to stop and take notice, and even dig out the sensitive side of the hardest of souls.

Here are 5 Soulshine photos that will stir your island heart.

A Bonaire Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, Bonaire - By Capt Kim via Flickr

A Negril Jamaica Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, Negril Jamaica - By dsykes100 via Flickr

A St. Kitts Sunset

Caribbean Sunsets, St. Kitts - by size4figgerboots via Flickr

A St. John Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. John USVI - by nvphotouk via Flickr

A St. Martin Sunset

Caribbean Sunset, St. Martin - by JDsPhotography

I hope you guys like the photos and they give you a little joy and inspiration on this Caribbean Photo Friday.

(Top photo from Castaway Matt Jackson)

Have a great weekend and may a little Soulshine come your way!

Cheers to “THE LIFE“,
RumShopRyan

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The days when we post Caribbean Webcams are always some of my favorite, and most distracting. It’s not easy to write when you have a window open that taunts you with dancing palm trees and people swimming in waters you wish you were in. Better sweet I suppose.

This week’s Caribbean webcam comes from the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa. It’s located on the clear blue water of the northern Jamaica coast. Only 40 minutes from the Montego Bay airport, this brand new resort features modern design and luxurious facilities that will make you feel relaxed and pampered. Pampered? Where do I sign!

Jamaican North Shore Webcam

Simply beautiful isn’t it? How I wish I were kickin’ back in one of those loungers with a cold Red Stripe right now. Anyone care to join me?

Funny thing is (not that funny really), I just had to turn down a trip to Mobay Jamaica. The dates of the trip were the same time as the Conched in Key West Bar Crawl that I’m helping to organize. What are the odds right.

Everyone is invited to the Conched in Key West Bar Crawl. Money raised is going to a great charity and you’ll get to hang out with some great people (Like me!), while enjoying drink specials at some of the island’s famous bars. Hope you can make it!

Cheers Castaways,
RumShopRyan

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Negril Jamaica is famous for it beaches and it’s awe inspiring sunsets. Here is a time-lapsed video of the setting sun slowly sinking into the warm waters of the Caribbean. What better way to wrap up the weekend.

I hope all you Castaways enjoyed your weekend with a few cold Boat Drinks and an eye towards the ocean.

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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What’s not to like about Jamaica, it has beautiful world famous beaches, all-inclusive resorts, Red Stripe beer, Dunns River Falls, a rich history and is the birth place of reggae music. Check, check and check. Oh yeah, then there’s also the road side jerk chicken stands…big check.

Another thing Jamaica is known for is being the home of Appleton rum. Appleton Estate is a sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica that has been handcrafting rums since 1749. They produce a wide variety of aged rums, as well as standard gold and white rums. Located in the heart of the country’s sugar cane belt, it is the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica. The Estate’s sugar cane is harvested by machine as well as the old-fashioned way—by men wielding machetes. (Info from Wikipedia)

I got the chance try several of the Appleton rums at the Rum Renaissance, and while I’m no tasting expert, you can tell the Appleton is a top notch rum. As I walked away from their exhibit table with a smile on my face, I grabbed a recipe card, and that is where I found today’s Boat Drink recipe…The Jamaicanite.

The Jamaicanite Cocktail Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
• Juice of Half a Grapefruit
• 3/4 oz. Honey syrup
• 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 2 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve

INSTRUCTIONS:
Add all ingredients into shaker by order of the recipe with crushed ice. Shake well. Strain ingredients into a frozen Martini glass. Raise glass and toast.

Are you a fan of Appleton rums? If so, what is your favorite?

Side note: Today is the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death. Definitely one more amazing thing that Jamaica has given the world. One Love Bob.

Enjoy your hump day cocktail Castaways!

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

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Sign your name and become part of the bar.

Does it count as a “beach bar” if there’s water between the bar and the beach below? Let’s not get caught up in semantics, better to crack open a Red Strip and groove to the reggae beats.

The Pelican Bar quite literally began life as a dream, local fisherman Floyd Forbes dreamed one night of a bar built out to sea, resting on stilts. The clarity of the dream inspired Forbes to set about building this bar, which he did by transporting large planks of wood on his fishing boat. In 2001 the bar was completed and it was named “The Pelican Bar” after the large flocks of Pelicans who rested on the sand bank. It was originally used by Floyd and his friends to sit and take a break from a hard day’s fishing. However, it didn’t take very long for the local hotels to recognize the enormous potential of this picture perfect serenity.

All was going well for Floyd until 2004 when Hurricane Ivan hit Jamaica. The Pelican Bar was totally destroyed by the storm and Floyd had no insurance to cover the cost of the damage. However, the bar had become such an established attraction that local business owners knew that Treasure Beach could not afford to loose it. The owner of Jake’s hotel in Treasure Beach donated new wood and many others chipped in to help with the reconstruction. Within a month the Pelican Bar was back up and running.

Many local fishermen are able to ferry you over to the bar from Treasure Beach or Black River – just ask in your hotel. The 20 minute journey may not suit those with delicate stomachs but the destination is definitely worth the trip.

Red Stripe Please!

Let me know if you’ve been to the Pelican bar in Jamaica. I would love to hear about your experience!

Cheers Castaways,
RumShpRyan

Rick’s story begins with the opening by its founder, Richard Hershman, in April 1974. At the time, Negril was a sleepy fishing village with little development, it lacked many modern amenities such as electricity, telephone and hot running water. The beautiful little cliffside location was originally owned by a local doctor, the son of the first Governor General of independent Jamaica.

Rick’s Cafe was the first public bar and restaurant of its type on the West End Cliffs, offering an alternative to Negril’s majestic seven mile beach. From the beginning, Rick’s Cafe boasted an unrivaled view of the sunset from its naturally formed cliffs. Over the years, visitors and locals alike have designated Rick’s Cafe as Negril’s premier gathering spot and the sunsets have become a Jamaican tradition.

Rick's Cafe

In addition to the beautiful views, Rick’s Cafe is fortunate to have one of the most incredible coves along the West End Cliffs. From the cliffs, countless visitors and locals have jumped or dived into the crystalline water below. Our highest platform jump is 35 feet and ensures the thrill of a lifetime. Maybe you’ve seen this on TV? I know I’ve seen people jumping form the cliffs of Rick’s on several Caribbean travel shows.

Cliff Diving at Rick’s Cafe

World Famous Sunsets

The crowd runs the gamut from Rastas to Rolexes as Jamaicans mingle with renegades who’ve escaped their luxury all-inclusive resorts for a dose of local flavor.

Sunset at Rick's Cafe

Rick’s After Dark

The cool lounge vibes come alive at night when the sky is blackened and the moon and stars reflect on the endless Caribbean sea. For the ultimate Rick’s After Dark experience, come enjoy fine dining on the cliffs and rum drinks by moonlight.

This being a very popular place, I’m sure some of you have been here. Unfortunately I have not. Please tell us about your experience. What was your favorite part? Best items on the menu? Did you jump from a cliff?  Let us know!

Cheers,

RumShopRyan

Toots and the Maytals are a band I heard on No Shoes Radio. Their song “Pressure Drop” hooked me and have been exploring their music for awhile now. Their reggae music was born in Kingston, Jamaica and has since spread the world over.

Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are considered legends of ska and reggae music. Their sound is a unique, original combination of gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock. Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, the leader of the group, was born in May Pen in the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1961 at the tender age of sixteen.

Toots and the Maytals – Pressure Drop

Download this song here. 

Toots and the Maytals – Monkey Man

Download this song here.

The band recently won the 2005 Grammy award for best reggae album True Love, an album consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside popular and legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists today such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.

Toots and the Maytals remains a relevant influence on today’s global music scene with artists from Amy Winehouse to Sublime re-recording classic tracks. Toots received another Grammy nomination for his 2008 release “Light Your Light. In recent years Toots has toured with The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and Los Lonely Boys.

What do you think of this band?

Cheers,
RumShopRyan

They say every drink has a story. This one is no different. How many of you know the story behind the Jimmy Buffett song, Jamaica Mistaica?

In January 1996 Buffett’s Grumman HU-16 airplane nicknamed “Hemisphere Dancer” was shot at by Jamaican police who believed the craft to be smuggling marijuana. The aircraft sustained minimal damage. On board the plane with Buffett were U2′s Bono, and Island Records producer Chris Blackwell, and co-pilot Bill Dindy. The Jamaican government acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Buffett who penned the song “Jamaica Mistaica” for his Banana Wind album based on the experience. The plane from the incident is now at Orlando City Walk’s Margaritaville.

Jamaica Mistaica Drink Recipe

• 2 jiggers Jamaican Rum
• 1 jigger Grenadine
• 3 dashes Maraschino
• 3 dashes Curacao

Fill shaker with ice. Add ingredients. Stir and strain into glass. Raise glass and toast.

This little island cocktail is sure to pack a punch, but not nearly as much as the Jamaican military. Lay off the rum mon!

Cheers,

RumShopRyan

JC Perez brought up Yellowman’s name in a conversation we were having about life in the real Caribbean, away from all the resorts and tourist hot spots. I started digging into yellowman a bit and listening to a few of his laid back Jamaican tracks.

I found out that Yellowman’s scope of influence was a lot larger than I thought and it made me feel like a rookie because I hadn’t heard of him before my conversation with Perez. I’ll quit babbling and let you read a little history about Yellowman as you listen to his Zungguzungguguzungguzeng.

Wikipedia History of Yellowman

Winston Foster grew up in a Catholic orphanage called Alpha Boys School in Kingston, and was shunned due to having albinism, which was usually not socially accepted in Jamaica. Alpha Boys School was known for its musical alumni.[1] In the late 1970s Yellowman first gained wide attention when he won a contest event in Kingston, Jamaica called “The Tastee Talent Contest” where deejays would perform toasting. Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances.[2] In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (CBS Records).[3] One reviewer of Yellowman was quoted as saying “Listening to Yellowman sing is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he’s got it, you know he’s got it, and it’s a trip just experiencing him perform.”[4] Over time he became regarded by some as a sex symbol and even managed to gain fortune and fame by directing attention to his physical skin complexion in several of his songs.[4] His first album release was in 1982 entitled Mister Yellowman followed by Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in 1983 earning instant success. Yellowman’s sexually explicit lyrics in popular songs such as “Them a Mad Over Me” boasted of his sexual prowess, like those of other reggae singers/deejays, earned Yellowman criticism[who?] in the mid-1980s. Yellowman appeared in Jamaican Dancehall Volcano Hi-power 1983 which featured other major dancehall musicians such as Massive Dread, Josey Wales, Burro Banton and Eek-A-Mouse.

If you’re interesting and want to read more here is the link to the Wikipedia page that has more.  Yellowman Wikipedia.

Over and out from somewhere south,
RumShopRyan

There is no doubt, Bob Marley is Reggae music’s ambassador, spreading its gospel to the whole world and literally became the main reason for the popularity of Jamaica. Bob Marley’s outstanding and phenomenal efforts for the development of Jamaican music as we know it now carried the art to a higher level of spiritual and social force which appealed to extensive audiences form all over. Although he did not manage to land a number one hit in America, Bob Marley was inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame giving credit to the legacy he left and the way he changed the cultural setting of the international music scene.

Reggae music is supported by Marley’s beliefs on the Rastafarian movement which is a religious sector who regarded Emperor Haile Selassi I from Ethiopia also known as Ras Tafari. The Emperor is said to be god who’ll be able to free blacks from total oppression and lead them back to a promised African homeland. Bob Marley delivered his music with conviction in a passionate way.

The unique signature of Reggae music with its hypnotic rhythms and enchanting tunes started to gain its popularity in the seventies. Bob Marley and his group The Wailers came out with albums such Natty Dread and Rastaman Vibration under Tuff Goff Records in Jamaica; music which were clear reflections of the hardships and life of a less fortunate Jamaican community also representing those oppressed all over the world. The uplifting spirit that can be felt when listening to reggae music was called “positive vibrations”. During troubled times, Bob Marley’s music was a powerful medium to spread wisdom, peace and the gospel.

Jamaica is Bob Marley’s birthplace, having a white father and a black mother which made him a mixed race. During his teenage years in Trench Town, he grouped with Neville “Bunny” Livingston and Peter McIntosh to form the group trio Wailing Wailers later known as The Wailers, all of them born in the ghettos of Jamaica. The group was highly influenced by American radio listening to the famous R & B stars at that time such as Ray Charles and Fats Domino amongst others. They become part of the Rastafarian movement and as Rastas, they had long hairs in dreadlocks and they smoked marijuana also known as ganja because it was a belief that in doing so, the spiritual path to enlightenment and a means of communication with the heavens is opened. Marijuana is considered sacred, religious and a healing herb by the Rastas.

Bob Marley and the Wailers

During the sixties, The Wailers put out an album under some small Jamaican recording companies. Ska was the more popular Jamaican music then which was a mixture of New Orleans R & B and African rhythms. “Simmer Down” was the official first hit single of The Wailers. They continued to record more with the ska style while Jamaica was slowly shifting to the steadier and sensual beat of rock steady. A collaboration project with Lee Jerry, a producer, resulted in the Wailer’s significant song recordings which were “Duppy Conqueror” and “Soul Rebel”.

The Wailers became internationally famous when they worked with Chris Blackwell of Island Records. They completed several more albums which further catapulted the popularity of reggae music but Bob Marley had to blaze his own way, seperate from the two other Wailers. He continued to pursue his musical career backed by a bigger band and some back-up singers and became the powerful soulful musical icon who represents the ways of the Rastafari.

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