by Howard Campbell
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Once popular, the craft of broom-making is fast becoming extinct in Jamaica. But roots singer Jahdon, whose family has been in that business for over 50 years, is looking to make a clean sweep with his Broomie merchandise.
Inspired by his 2022 song Broomie, the items have been on the commercial market since late 2023, and are currently sold in nine gift shops in Jamaica. They include the Norman Manley International Airport and Devon House in Kingston, as well as outlets in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.
“Getting into local gift shops wasn’t challenging; the owners connected with my mission to preserve Jamaica’s broom-making heritage. In December, 2023 I partnered with Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s Things Jamaican stores, and now my line is gaining popularity, especially the Broomie earrings, among the local women, aligning with my goal to transform the broom into a cultural heritage artifact,” said Jahdon.
The Broomie line is completed by refrigerator magnets, keychains, necklaces, and ornamental wall brooms, all done in the red, green and gold colors synonymous with his Rastafarian faith.
According to Jahdon, “They are not just fashionable statements but embodiments of Jamaican pride.”
Jahdon is from Canaan Heights, a town in rural Clarendon parish, which has a proud tradition of making brooms from straw and thatch. His maternal grandmother, Uda Dunkley-Beckford, was a pioneer in the craft as well as making baskets used for shopping.
His mother, aunts, uncles and cousins took up the mantle. While in his early teens, Jahdon began learning the broom-making trade which earned him enough money to finance some of his early recordings 10 years ago.
He notes that brooms can in terms of process (harvesting brush, gathering material, to building) take as long as two days, but it has paid off for many people.
“For me, broom-making was a life course in entrepreneurship during my teens. It was the means by which I could finance the early days of my music career. I’m honored that it has come full circle in my story,” said Jahdon.
