Boy at the Market Carrying a Bottle of Syrup
Errol McKinson
Oil on canvas 12x12
Coronation Market has served as the centre of commerce for several generations of Jamaicans stretching well over 60 years when it was first used as a small space in which higglers would trade their produce. Although it has developed in size and commercial activity, the market has kept the stigma of being unsafe, as it is plagued by thieves who prey on shoppers and sellers.
According to residents of the area, the situation has got worse since the incarceration in 2010 of former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke in the USA on racketeering charges. Coke, the people of West Kingston have said, kept things "under control" in an area that was regarded as his fiefdom, thereby allowing shoppers to conduct their commercial affairs without molestation.
I knew this market sprawl existed as it is the subject of quite a bit of local conversation and newspaper articles. It is a market where vendors from all over the island come into “town”, which is Kingston, the city, to wholesale and retail all sorts of goods. This market has a reputation of offering goods for sale far cheaper than you would pay at the traditional supermarket or roadside vendors. In essence, Coronation Market is the venue for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at the most competitive prices.