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Reggae has its roots in Jamaica, and has found a home in Britain. But there are over 60 countries in the Caribbean, each with its own distinctive culture. Arena invited Linton Kwesi Johnson , Britain's foremost reggae poet, to investigate the remarkable richness and variety of Caribbean art on its home ground-the occasion was the Carifesta, a huge festival held this year in Barbados. Among the highlights were the Rene gades , one of Trinidad's most brilliant steel bands; the best of soul-calypso with The Mighty Arrow from Montserrat; ' Riddim ' poetry by young Jamaican Michael Smith; big-band Irakere with the exotic Latin jazz of Cuba and Rebirth, an extraordinary dramatic saga which symbolically unites the many different ethnic groups of Surinam through their myths and legends.
