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The people of Bahrain are jamming and, as the late, great Bob Marley once proclaimed ‘I wanna jam it wid you, We’re jammin’, jammin’, And I hope you like jammin’, too’.
In Jamaican patois, the word jamming refers to a getting together or celebration and one venue in the kingdom has captured the Caribbean island vibe at its lyrical fullest.
Tucked away in Juffair, Kingston 10 is a Jamaican family-oriented restaurant, offering a slice of reggae culture in Bahrain. The venue, located on the first floor at Elite Crystal Hotel, opened its doors in June and is named after the famed Kingston avenue in the Jamaican capital.
“Caribbean culture and food have exploded on to the international scene and people have responded well to these type of restaurants being staged in different parts of the world,” said owner Don Adonai, who moved to Bahrain this year to launch the enterprise.
He is well known for staging musical events in the kingdom since 2014, with a focus on Jamaican artists, at various venues, including Coral Bay.
“While the Jamaican community in Bahrain is quite small, there are many Bahrainis and expatraites who enjoy the culture, which is endearing. In fact, Caribbean culture is a lot like the community here – people from different backgrounds living together in peace and harmony – which reflects in the food and the music too. It brings together the best of all worlds,” Don added.
Head chef Rayon Lynch aka Sho, who has put together an eclectic menu, has a decade of experience in professional kitchens. However, his love affair with food began long before that.
“The most important ingredient is love. Growing up, my yard was a food yard and I started cooking at a very early age. I knew when I was quite young that I wanted to be a chef,” he reminisced.
Some of the dishes, like the curry goat and slow-braised oxtail, are influenced by his family recipes.
The décor is a major attraction, especially the ‘waterfall’ – a black, stone wall with that runs through the length of the outdoor space. “It brought back memories of this place my mum would always take me to called Dunn’s River, where you’d walk down more than 100 steps to this amazing beach and have the opportunity to climb up a waterfall,” Jamaican restaurant manager Codon Robinson revealed.
He added that they really wanted to hone in and focus on the outside and gradually bring the same energy inside.
The restaurant shares a poolside area and its offers include a Friday Reggae Brunch and Caribbean Splash. It will soon also be home to a Jammin’ Karaoke Session. “Caribbean culture is all about love and peace and that’s what we share here,” Codon added.
For the uninitiated , reggae is the renowned popular Jamaican musical form, which blends elements of ska and rocksteady. It originated on the streets of Kingston in the late 1960s – a period of socio-political unrest – and, as such, remains deeply rooted in Jamaican and Caribbean culture. It has become known for its message of unity and hope.
Legendary musician and singer Bob Marley was a pioneer who helped bring it to the world stage, making the genre a global phenomenon. Through his career with The Wailers and his collaborations with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, he helped popularise the sound to create an instantly, internationally-recognised offering.
Bahraini entertainer Essa Alhayee, who specialises in the style, believes that while ‘roots reggae’ was a favourite with the older generation, ‘modern reggae’, featuring electrical elements and lighter themes, is emerging as the latest sound.
“Bahrainis have been listening to Bob Marley forever. In fact, my dad was a big fan and that’s how I was introduced to it,” the 37-year-old told GulfWeekly, describing it as a music ‘for all ages’.
Bahraini musician Ahmed Abyooki believes that while international artists did play a role in introducing the genre to the kingdom, it was local artists like Ali Bahar, dubbed the ‘Bob Marley of the Gulf’, and his band Al Ekhwa (The Brothers) who helped popularise the style.
“They brought Latin and reggae music onto the Bahrain scene,” he noted. “In Bahrain, there are some venues that are dedicated to showcasing Caribbean music and play a major role in keeping the style alive,” added the 33-year-old from Arad. “One such place is Kingston 10.”
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