Kumina is the most African of Jamaican cults. Kumina ceremonies are usually associated with wakes and entombments, but can also be performed at births, anniversaries and thanksgivings. During a Kumina ceremony the exponents call upon their ancestral spirits. The dance and music are two of the Kumina's strong features - the drum playing an integral part in this dance ritual.
Other instruments used include shakas and grater. The dancers move in a circular pattern anti-clockwise around the drummers in the center inching their feet along the ground with the back held in an almost erect posture. The hips, rib cage, shoulders and arms become involved as spins, dips and breaks in the body movements occur throughout the dance. Kumina is to be found primarily in the parish of St. Thomas and to a lesser extent in St. Mary and St. Catherine.
