Reggae Singer Jahdon Launches Jumping The Broom Collection

In the dark days of slavery, African-Americans on plantations used a unique way to record their marriages. They would jump a broom to signify their new beginning. Reggae singer Jahdon recently launched his Jumping The Broom line, an expansion of his Broomie collection. It was used in January by Canadian couple Elli Kozak and Cassandra Fultz for their wedding last January in Montego Bay. Francine Mamby, Jahdon’s wife and partner in Broomie, spoke about their latest product.

Jahdon and his wife Francine jumping the broom in a visual promoting their new Jumping The Broom collection.“The Jumping the Broom collection is a natural extension of Broomie’s commitment to cultural preservation and innovation. It builds upon the strong foundation of craftsmanship, innovation while reflecting on the expansive history of brooms within the African Diaspora,” she said. 

“The act of jumping the broom has deep historical significance, particularly within the African-American community, where enslaved individuals used this ritual to symbolize their union in times when their marriages weren’t legally recognized.”

Married And Done, Jahdon’s newest song, was also recently released.

Kozak, a music teacher, is a fan of the roots singer’s music. He thought it would be fitting for him and his bride, an immigration attorney, to make the symbolic ‘jump’ as part of their ceremony.

“Francine and Jahdon were instrumental to our ceremony. 

We knew we wanted to jump the broom as part of our wedding ceremony, but we came upon a logistical issue when we decided to do a destination wedding in Jamaica,” Kozak explained. “Since the bristles of the brooms we wanted were made of straw, we would have to do a complicated customs declaration to import a plant.

That’s when we decided to look for local broom-makers in Jamaica, learned about the rich history of broom-making in Jamaica, and found Broomie.”

While he has established a following through songs like Congo Bongo, Broomie and Pain, Jahdon never abandoned the art of broom-making, which has been a tradition in his family for over 50 years. He and Francine operate Broomie from his hometown of Canaan Heights in rural Clarendon parish, southern Jamaica.

In addition to traditional brooms, the Broomie line comprises earrings (including the Queen Sweep for bridal parties), refrigerator magnets, keychains, necklaces, and ornamental wall brooms.