This pancocojams post showcases three videos of commercials (ads) that feature Ini Kamoze's hit 1994 Jamaican Dancehall record "Here Comes The Hotstepper".
This pancocojams post also presents three YouTube videos that feature Ini Karmoze's record "Here Comes The Hotstepper".
Selected comments from the discussion thread for the Starbucks commercial video that is embedded . at the top of this post presents questions and my response about the meanings of the words "murderer", "lyrical gangsta", and "hotstepper" in Ini Kamoze's Dancehall record "Here Comes The Hotstepper".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistic, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Ini Kamozi for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who produced these showcased videos and thanks to all of those who are quoted in this post. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/african-american-examples-of-line-we.html for a closely related 2013 pancocojams post entitled "Some Examples Of The Line "We Don't Die. We Multiply" In African American Culture".
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Olips Menthol Ad-Here Comes the Hotstepper
Verse Music Group, Dec 6, 2010
Ini Kamoze - "Here Comes the Hotstepper" featured
in 2011 Olips Menthol advertising campaign
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Evian Baby Me Commercial
Davide Preese, April 22, 2013
**** INFORMATION ABOUT INI KAMOZE'S "HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER" SONG From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_Comes_the_Hotstepper " "Here Comes the Hotstepper" is a song co-written
and recorded by Jamaican dancehall artist Ini Kamoze. It was released as the
lead single from his 1995 album of the same name as well as the soundtrack to
the film Prêt-à-Porter. It is known for its "naaaa na na na naaaa..."
chorus inspired by the Cannibal and the Headhunters version of "Land of
1000 Dances".
The song was Kamoze's only song to reach the top 40 on the
US Billboard Hot 100, peaking atop the chart on 17 December 1994 and remaining
there for two weeks. It also became a number-one hit in Denmark, New Zealand,
and Zimbabwe and a top-10 hit in 13 other countries
[..]
.Impact, legacy and cover versions
Blender listed the song at number 492 in their ranking of
"The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" in 2005.[79] BuzzFeed
listed it at number 46 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of
the '90s" in 2017.[80] Billboard placed "Here Comes the
Hotstepper" at number 126 in their ranking of "Billboard's Top Songs
of the '90s" in 2019.[81]"...
**** WHAT "HOTSTEPPER", "LYRICAL GANGSTA" AND "MURDERER" MEANS IN INI KAMOZE'S SONG "HERE COMES THE HOTSTEPPER" These comments are from the discussion thread for the video that is embedded at the top of this post. (I wrote one of those comments.)
1. @Tsleeper, May 13, 2024 "Why is Starbucks promoting a song about a gangster murderer?"
** Reply 2. @BLESSFUL-Bliss, May 18, 2024 " "Lyrical gangster". You gotta pay attention to
lyrics; words matter."
** Reply 3. @cypress4539, May 20, 2024 "I totally agree! Why would Starbucks glorify gangster
murders?
Didn't someone listen to the lyrics?"
** Reply 4. @winstonsuz, May 22, 2024 "I couldn't get the words watching commercial so I had to
come search it out and then I wondered
why Starbucks would want a song where they keep singing
"murderer"? I like the music
can I get it to go without lyrics?"
** Reply 5. @azizip171, May 22, 2024 "@winstonsuz As other people have already written, in Ini
Kamoze song "Here Comes The Hotstepper", the word "murderer" means that
Kamoze is a "lyrical gangsta"
(meaning Kamoze and that record's producers took beats and lyrics from several
records that had already been released.)
Remi [the producer of a remix of that Ini Kamoze record]
use[d ] the drums/bass from Taana Gardner’s Heartbeat (1981), which was the
most prominent of several samples he included in the song….
"Here Comes The Hot Stepper" also included the “na na na na
na…” chorus from the Cannibal and the Headhunters version of Land of a Thousand
Dances (1964), guitar notes from Isaac Hayes’ Hung Up On My Baby (1974), the
“murderer” chant from Shabba Ranks’ Roots and Culture (1990), and other
vocals/lyrics from The Mohawks’ Champ (1968), Bobby Byrd’s Hot Pants (1972) and
Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s La Di Da Di (1985)."
end of quote
In addition, the word "murderer" that is chanted
in Ina Kamoze's "Here comes the Hotstepper" record means that he
is "killing it". In this
context, 'killing it" means that this record beats out [kills off] all of
its competition" .
And it actually did since "Here Comes The
Hotstepper" was a #1 record in several countries and (among other things)
that record is still used in movies, tv programs, and commercials.”
This pancocojams post presents information about Jamaican Dancehall Reggaee deejay Admiral Bailey and presents a YouTube sound file of his 1992 song "Butterfly".
The lyrics to Admiral Bailey's song 'Buttefly" are also included in this post.
In addition, this post includes an excerpt from a 2018 Jamaica Gleaner article about Dancehall Queens. That article mentions Admiral Bailey and also mentions the first Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith, who helped popularize the Butterfly dance.
A bonus video of Chaka Demus and Plier's mega hit song "Murder She Wrote" is included in this post. Carlene Smith and some other dancers are shown doing the Butterfly in that video.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Admiral Bailey for his cultural legacy and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/do-butterfly-macka-b-lyrics.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Macka B- "Do The Butterfly" (Jamaican Dancehall Sound File & Lyrics)".
**** INFORMATION ABOUT ADMIRAL BAILEY From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral_Bailey "Admiral Bailey (born Glendon Bailey, Kingston, Jamaica) is a
Jamaican dancehall deejay who enjoyed his greatest success between the
mid-1980s and the early 1990s. He now lives in Jamaica. He has been described
as "the hottest dancehall star of the late 1980s".[1]
Career
Bailey had worked on U-Roy's King Sturgav Hi-Fi sound system
and was taken to King Jammy's studio in Waterhouse by Josey Wales.[2] He
started a string of hits with a duet with Chaka Demus, "One Scotch, One
Bourbon, One Beer", which was followed by "Politician" (based on
Larry Marshall's 1969 hit "Throw Me Corn"), "Chatty Chatty Mouth",
"Ballot Box" (with Josey Wales) and, in 1987, the slack
"Punaany" (with a lyric that included "Gimme Punaany, Want
punaany, Any punaany is the same punaany"), which was initially banned
from radio play until it was re-recorded with a less offensive lyric, retitled "Healthy
Body".[2] His debut album, Kill Them With It, was released in 1987 and he
went on to record for producers such as Papa Biggy and Donovan Germain. He
recorded further for Penthouse Records ("Help") in 1990 and Bobby
Digital ("Ah Nuh Sin") in 1991. In 1993, he began working with Jammy
again. In the 1990s he became known as a "clean" deejay, eschewing
the slackness of many of his contemporaries.[1] He recorded with Byron Lee on
some of the latter's big soca hits, and even starred in television commercials
for banks.[1]"...
****
LYRICS - BUTTERFLY
(written by Glendon Bailey and, Lloyd Woodrowe James)
It's the new style
Now dis one called the butterfly Spit in the sky will surely fall in your eye I nuh lie Wicked piece of fly mon, dis one is di butterfly Watch me
(Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Just, stretch out ya one leg you inna parachute Naturally girl you know you look cute Dip and go down and den you salute Every mon see you so dem wan' pick you
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Real mon posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Jungle posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Pale and posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
If you can beat me, a beg you fi try Put out ya one leg, a fly you a fly Naturally I move your waistline Whine and go down and den come up back Make dem know say mi pon da track
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Just, stretch out ya one leg you inna parachute Naturally girl you know you look cute Make two dance and dip and salute Ah boy dun saw what you can wan' pick you
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Mi say, mi see ah gyal over der so Ah what dat she a do How much she give you Florida
Watch dis Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Sharon on pot she a do the butterfly Yvette an Pam dem a do the butterfly Me de a try but they can't get a bly If you can't do the dance, don't ask my why
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Tower el posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Jungle posse dem a do the (Butterfly) English posse dem a do the (Butterfly) American posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Canadian posse dem a do the (Butterfly) Japanese posse dem a do the (Butterfly)
If you can't do it, me go a teach you fi do it Just, stretch out ya one leg you inna parachute Naturally girl you know you look cute Whine and go down and den come up back Make dem know sey ya hot ya hot Mate dey a watch but make dem wan chat Cau' ya know sey you de pon de track
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly If you can't beat me a beg you fi try Jam is a try but he can't get a bly Red rose a do it and favors on flag Roach him a try and claim him shy Fat mon a do it but cannot do it sweet Him belly too big and he can't see him feet
Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up) Giddy up, giddy up new style come up Have a new one and dey no stop (Bring it up)
Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Butterfly butterfly, do the butterfly Stretch out ya one leg you inna parachute Naturally girl you know you look cute Whine and go down and den come up back
Prestigious girl me kno say ya hot Wiggle wiggle, like a soup in a pot Dis ya one 'cause it hot up the spot Grab it a cuss and de
**** BONUS EXCERPT ABOUT THE DANCEHALL DANCE "THE BUTTERFLY" From https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20181112/dancehall-queens-legacy-continues "Dancehall Queens - The legacy continues" by Stephanie Lyew, November
11, 2018 ""Admiral Bailey gave all the instructions for the dance move
called the 'butterfly' that Carlene Smith is credited for popularising in 1992.
Anyone who knows the '90s dancehall track Butterfly will not be able to resist
mouthing the lyrics as they attempt the dance. But according to Smith, who is
also dubbed the first dancehall queen in Jamaica, not many persons understand
what it truly means to do the 'Butterfly': "A lot of persons still have
not got the form for the dance move correct."…. -snip- Here's information about Carlene Smith from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlene_Smith "Carlene Smith is Jamaica's first Dancehall Queen.[1] She was
crowned Dancehall Queen in 1992 after she and her crew competed against well
known models in Jamaica. There had been other Dancehall Queens before her but
she started the national spotlight on a reign that was usually isolated to the
Jamaican garrisons.[2][3]
[…]
Dance career
Smith can be seen in the 1992 music video for the Chaka
Demus & Pliers song Murder She Wrote, wearing a gold outfit and white wig.
She was also featured on other music videos before and after her appearance on
the Dancehall video "Murder She Wrote".[5]
Smith was also featured in the 1997 edition of Vibes
magazine on the bottom of Page 52. Where she was credited for the International
Butterfly Dance”…
****
BONUS VIDEO: Chaka Demus & Pliers - Murder She Wrote
culturaroots, Nov. 2, 2007 -snip- From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_She_Wrote_(song) "Murder She Wrote" is a song by Chaka Demus &
Pliers, from their 1993 album Tease Me. It was first released as a single in
1992 and again in late 1993, reaching number 27 on the UK Singles Chart in
early 1994.[3] The music to the song is based on the Maytals' 1966 song
"Bam Bam", while the lyrics discuss abortion (as revealed in the
third verse). Two music videos were made, one with Dancehall Queen Carlene
Smith, and one without. The videos cost $50,000 and $2,500 respectively to
produce.[4]"... -snip- Click https://genius.com/Chaka-demus-and-pliers-murder-she-wrote-lyrics for the lyrics to that song.
LATONYA STYLE demonstrates Dancehall Steps created by the legendary Gerald "Bogle" Levy aka Mr. Wacky (The Man, The History and The Dance)
Latonya Style is a Jamaican Cultural Ambassador and Dance Extraordinaire specializing in DANCEHALL, Reggae Jam'n, AfroJam, Stylish Moves, Bumpa Twerkout, Brukout Dancehall and more. She is available Worldwide for Dance Workshops and Lectures about Dancehall and Jamaican Culture.
[...]
This Video is dedicated to Bogle, Boysie Roses and all the versatile female dancers who can do the male steps.
Location: Stand Pipe, Jamaica
Filmed By: Laddy Mack
Edited by: Krushaz Production
Dancer: Latonya Style of First Class Dancers and DanceJa
LIST OF STEPS
Famous Stand Up
1. Hottie Hottie Bogle
2. Pop Di Collar
3. Jerry Springer / LOY
4. Wave (Miami) / Super Bowl (New York)
5. Urkle Dance
6. Log On
7. Willie Bounce
8. Wacky Dip
9. Zip It Up
10. Stookie endorsed by Colo Colo
11. Row Di boat
12. Bogle
13. World Series / Ele
14. World Dance
15. Sesame Street
16. Back To Basics
17. Out and Bad
18. Jiggy
19. Weddy Weddy
20. Buss Di Place
21. Summer Bounce
22. Walk Wid Di Bounce
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part IV of a five part pancocojams series about Jamaica's Dancehall Reggae dances.
Part IV showcases a YouTube video demonstration of some of the dances that were created by Dancehall dancer/ creator "Mr. Bogle". Selected comments from that video's discussion thread is also included in that pancocojams post.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/jamaicas-dancehall-reggae-dances.htmlfor Part I of this pancocojams series. This post presents some online excerpts about the history of Jamaica's Dancehall dances. A partial list of and descriptions of some of Dancehall dances are also included in this pancocojams post.
Clickhttps://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-dancehall-dance-willie-bounce-got.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcase a YouTube video of the Dancehall dance "Willie Bounce" and provides information & comments about that dance got its name. Information about Elephant Man who first recorded the "Willie Bounce" in 2006 is also included in that pancocojams post.
**** The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Mr. Bogle for his cultural legacy. Thanks also to Latonya Styles for her demonstration of these dances and thanks to all those who are associated with this showcaed video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/excerpts-about-history-of-jamaicas.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Excerpts About The History Of Jamaica's Dancehall Reggae Music".
Also, click the Dancehall Reggae tag below for other pancocojams post about that music and dances.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT MR. BOGLE From https://dbpedia.org/page/Bogle_(dancer) "Gerald Levy (22 August 1964 – 20 January 2005), better known as Bogle and also as Bogle Dancer, Mr Bogle, Father Bogle and Mr Wacky, was a Jamaican dancehall star, dancer and choreographer. Beenie Man called Bogle "the greatest dancer of all time" and he is recognised as "part of the foundation and as an icon inside of dancehall culture." Bogle created more dancehall moves than any other figure, he is best known for creating the Bogle dance which is named after him. His stage name, Bogle, is a reference to Paul Bogle a National Hero of Jamaica." -snip- As a reminder, Part II of this pancocojams series presents information about Mr. Bogle and includes a YouTube video of clips of Mr. Bogle and others performing some of the dances he created.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THIS EMBEDDED VIDEO
1. toomuchfourU, 2014 "She is working! Get it girl!"
** 2. Jamaicasmostwanted, 2014 "Her hands were too high when she was doing the wave but
apart from that a job well done. I especially loved her zip it up and world a
dance. Cleannnnnn!!"
** 3. Amoy Boucher, 2015 "nice job my girl...the background inna de lane give it de authenticity"
** 4. Randy A, 2015 "only one more dance was missing and that was the Wacky Slide."
** 5. Actor chambers, 2016 "Back in the days I got an as wipping for doing these dance , love Bogle dance too much.rip bogle, this girl did well."
** 6. Atonement, 2016 "The Bogle! Baddest Dance Eva. Oh So Badly!!"
** 7. Legushka, 2016 "name of thhe first song?)"
** Reply 8. DAVANE ALEXANDER, 2020 "BOGLE - ALL DEM DEH"
** 9. genious Williams, 2017 "Yu bad girl..... but yu leave out the badest bogle move of all times..... the sweepa...lol,"
** 10. CHAMAIGNE chamaigne, 2017 "GWARN SISTER RESPECT BOGLE FE TRUE SUCH A SHAME WE WONT GET TO SEE U DANCE WITH HIM R.I.P.BOGLE XXXX"
** 10. Naomi Soze, 2018 "Wonderful work channeling di big man Mr.Bogle... KEEP HIS LEGACY ALIVE RIP 🙏🏽"
** 11. Poochie Lou, 2018 "She bad pull up again rip bogle u a legend 💯"
** 12. Mr Mention, 2018 "I appreciate the memories of bogle from this young lady but some of the dance moves came under one umbrella which would made the list shorter plus she left off a few of bogle steps....wacky dip is part of the willie bounce....weddy weddy and walk with the dip and buss di place is part of the jiggy dance...walk with the bounce is part of summer bounce...famous stand up is part of the urkel dance....sesame street is a combination of world dance and urkel dance.....she left out the gwannie gwannie dance which the pelpa dance derives from....she left out the sweep dance(he get real low and slides) that derives from the hottie hottie bogle...she left out the genie dance(he did it in the papa San video)...the mission impossible(did it when the mission impossible beat was running the place)....the dance where he uses his foot to touch the next person foot(john hype thief 75% of it and call it pon di river pon di bank)....the badda badda dance got left off also."
** 13. Kesia Isabel, 2019 "This video made me feel good. Good memories! RIP Bogle!"
** 14. Demetrius, 2020 "Wow she did a great job!!! She knows how to dance fi real
bogle would be proud"
** 15. Francine Dallas, 2020 "Job well done lady. You represented Bogle and Jamaica to the
max"
**** This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.
This is Part I of a five part pancocojams series about Jamaica's Dancehall Reggae dances.
This post presents some online excerpts about the history of Jamaica's Dancehall dances. A partial list and descriptions of some Dancehall dances are also included in this pancocojams post. Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/information-about-jamaican-dancehall.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about legendary Jamaican dancer/choreographer "Mr. Bogle" ("Mr. Wacky") and showcases three YouTube videos that feature Mr Bogle.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-dancehall-dance-willie-bounce-got.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcase a YouTube video of the Dancehall dance "Willie Bounce" and provides information & comments about that dance got its name. Information about Elephant Man who first recorded the "Willie Bounce" in 2006 is also included in that pancocojams post.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/jamaican-dancer-latonya-styles.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video demonstration of some of the dances that were created by Dancehall dancer/ creator "Mr. Bogle". Selected comments from that video's discussion thread is also included in that pancocojams post. Click
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/comments-about-some-dancehall-dance.htmlfor Part V of this pancocojams series. That post presents online article
excerpts and discussion thread comments about some Dancehall dances that
inspired or are similar to or the same as certain African American Hip Hop
dances.
****
The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those musical artists, choreographers and dancers who have contributed to Jamaica's Dancehall music and dance. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/excerpts-about-history-of-jamaicas.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Excerpts About The History Of Jamaica's Dancehall Reggae Music".
Also, click the Dancehall Reggae tag below for other pancocojams post about that music and dances.
**** ONLINE EXCERPTS ABOUT JAMAICA'S DANCEHALL REGGAE DANCES These excerpts are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Excerpt #1 From https://tabankadance.com/dancehall-lecture-noted/ [no publishing date cited] "Dancehall is a popular dance genre springing out of English
speaking Caribbean, and spearheaded from Jamaica. It is the mix and coming
together of African retention dances of the region and Jamaica in particular,
with popular culture, and youthful “innovation”. Dancehall has in the later years been used to
package and sell Jamaican and Caribbean culture. It has for that purpose been
restructured in order to sell more on the international market. Dancehall is
one of the larges industries in Jamaica.
Dancehall has informed several other Dancestyles, predates
Hip Hop culture, and has enjoyed several rounds of mainstreaming and crossover
since the 1960s. The movements that inform Dancehall come predominantly from
Jamaican traditional dance retentions. Reggae however is in itself also a
fusion of these styles although not allowing for the same rhythmical diversity
as Dancehall has. Dancehall springing out of Reggae and still being considered
as a reggae sub-genre always adhers to the Reggae “feel” or “pulse”. This
predominantly drawing from Kumina, nyabinghi (Rastafari), and Maroon roots. The
16 rhythmic genres of dance that Dancehall predominantly draws upon are the
following:
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: This article lists and then provides an overview of 16 dance forms, all of which are African or -less often-African/European dances.]
The
majority of these are considered to be religious dances, and have evolved
considerably over the years. One of the few to not be associated with faith,
the Junkanoo dances, still exist today in their original style. As well as the
characters of the Junkanoo is very much what has informed the different styles
of Dancehall.
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: This article continues with the following descriptions of Jonkannu and of Tambu.]
JONKONNU A strong dance and musical tradition in Jamaica, Jonkonnu
has been preserved the most accurately through the years, recognized as the
oldest dance style on the island. A fusion of African mime and European folk
theater, Jonkonnu always tells a story, and is often cast like a play with each
dancer receiving a specific character to portray. Much of the humor and play,
very much used by for example “Les Twins”, involving theatrics, dancers forming
together to make bikes, horses and saddle etc etc comes from this form.
Traditionally-assigned characters, each with their own
choreography, include:
Pitchy Patchy – a lively character with small and rapid
steps. He also moves in circular patterns that take up much of the dance space,
and includes basic acrobatics like cartwheels into his movements.
Devil – though the title sounds ominous, Devil is actually
charming and entertaining, with an alternation of small and bouncy steps with
long and fluid ones. Combined with turns and jabs with a pitchfork, this
character is noted in many Jonkonnu
Cow Head – low to the ground and sticking to bucking
movements, this dancer moves much like an actual cow head.
Belly Woman – performs belly movements in sync with the
rhythmic beats of the music
Set Girls – costumed groups of female dancers who fill out
what can be considered the ensemble or chorus line of Jonkonnu
TAMBU The tambu dance takes its name from the drum referred to as
“tambu” and is performed mainly for entertainment with couples facing and
moving towards each other using the Shay-shay, Saleone and Mabumba sequence.
The shay-shay features rotating action of the hips, shuffling along with one
foot on the ball."....
**** Excerpt #2 Fromhttps://www.my-island-jamaica.com/jamaican_dance_steps.html Jamaican Dance Steps, contributed by Tracie Blake. Originally posted: 8/7/08, updated 7/5/2014 …."The early stages of Jamaican Dance Moves started with the Dinki Mini and Bruckins Parties which are now mainly practiced at Independence/Emancipation time.
These are processional dances where all participants dress up in costumes and the dance moves are performed in a uniformed way depicting naturally exhumed choreography. Over the years, these foundations have remained but evolved and progressed into new dances which are a graze worldwide.
After these dances came the ska (fast movements of the hips and flailing of the arms between the legs) and rock steady (slow movements of the hips and arms being held close to the body) which has culminated into dance hall moves consisting of a vast combination of movements.
Here are a few of today's contemporary Jamaican dance hall moves:
The Bogle Well, although not to 'new' anymore, it is still a favourite. The dancer points the hands toward the air in a flailing steady motion while moving the body back and forth in a snake-like movement.
Heel-And-Toe This dance involves jumping slightly off the ground and landing with your right foot directly in front of your left foot with one foot landing on the heel and the other on the toe and pivoting in a circle with the arms and upper torso moving to the rhythm of the music.
Pon the River, Pon the Bank This dance includes jumping to the music and tilting from the heel to the toe from one invisible line to the other while focusing on the rhythm of the music.
jamaican dance steps
Signal the Plane In this dance style, the dancer stands in one position and waves his/her arms toward the sky as if signaling to a plane to land. This is repeated to the rhythm of the music and the body is thrust in a back and forth rocking motion.
Hot Wuk This dance is done by women and involves the “whining” or gyrating of the hips and buttocks while flashing the fingers in an outward motion and bearing an expression of pain/discomfort on the face.
Tek Weh Yuself In this dance, the dancer makes small tapping movements with the feet while bouncing to the music and moving from side to side pointing in the direction they are going (left to right).
Beyonce Wine This is another dance ideally done by women where she stands in one position and gyrates the buttocks while looking “sassy”.
Dutty Wine This dance is mainly done by women and involves standing or kneeling firmly on the floor while swinging the head vigorously in a circular motion while rotating the buttocks.
Of course, there is the latest dance, called the Gully Creeper, but more to come on that.
These are just a few of the popular Jamaican Dance Steps from old to new and the beat plays on"…. -snip- Here's a list of "the latest" Dancehall dances noted in that article without descriptions, presumable as part of its 2014 update.
"-Flairy
-Lebeh Lebeh
-Fling You Shoulder
-Genna Bounce
-Tip
-Skip
-One Drop
-Kotch
-Bruk It Dung
-NoLinga"
**** Excerpt #3 From https://jamaicans.com/jamaicanstreetdancehistory/ Jamaican
Street Dance History by Martinoaka Breakboy NRG, 2012 "Jamaica’s street dance culture dates back to the late 50’s
early 60’s. In anticipation of Jamaica gaining independence from Britain, the
late 50’s brought about a new found spirit of nationalism. Inspired by this,
local jazz musician and pioneering producer “Coxsone” Dodd was driven to create
a uniquely Jamaican dance sound. This music was called Ska and fused American
jazz and R&B with Jamaican mento, and featured a strong bass and drum
rhythm section, guitars, keyboards and brass. Rocksteady, and later, reggae
eventually evolved from ska in the late 1960’s.
In response to ska, a dance called “the ska” was created and
then later the more popular “skanking”, these were Jamaica’s first urban dance
moves. “Ronnie and Jeanette” a popular local dance team visited the 1964
World’s Fair in New York along with renowned Jamaican musicians in order to
demonstrate the phenomenal music and dance innovations.
By the late 60’s early 70’s, “Teenage Dance Party” a popular
weekly radio program which showcased the most popular North American music
along with the emergence of reggae, made the regular creation of new dance moves
essential. These urban dance moves were to become a vital component in defining
Jamaican dancehall culture. The innovative dancers in every community prided
themselves as being pacesetters by how successful they were in creating and
spreading their moves through parties or “dances.” These dancers would
eventually form dance troupes, troupes such as Blacker Spades, GQ, and LTD
added the element of theatrics and acrobatic moves to popular moves and took
their act to the stage. By performing at talent shows, school barbeques, high
school parties and entering dance competitions, these troupes would expose the
greater public to the amazing dance culture emerging from the ghettos in
Kingston. In addition, to the many stage shows showcasing the skills of the talented
dancers, television also played a major part.
In 1971, a young cameraman for the local TV station JBC
(Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, now TVJ) named Alphonso Walker created a
program aimed at young people. This TV show had two segments one which was
geared to promoting and showcasing local talent in a party like atmosphere (not
unlike Soul Train) and the other a forum where issues affecting young people in
the society were discussed. The Show was called Where It’s At, and would take
Jamaican urban culture into almost every Jamaican home. Eventually the show was
overhauled, according to Alphonso ‘the show did not have the right type of
energy, it was too bland”. He decided then to take out the forum, and replace
the “uptown” dancers with dancers from the inner city, which included members
of the Funky Phonics who he thought was more energetic and creative. He was
right, the result was a more potent show, and appealed to a greater audience.
The show lasted for 15 years. People would tune in weekly to find out what the
new dance was, as a result the Where It’s At dancers became very popular, and
you could see their influence on the dance floors of Jamaica. The mid to late
70’s brought a wave of R&B and funk music to dance floors, dancers would now
need a new repertoire of dance moves to respond to this music. Their
affiliation with JBC allowed the Where It’s At dancers access to satellite
transmissions of U.S TV programs, one program of particular interest to them
was Soul Train. Soul Train gave the dancers an inside track to what was going
on in urban dance in America and allowed them to be up to date on the new music
and dances that went with them.”…
-snip-
This article is reformatted to enhance its readability.
**** Excerpt #4 From https://jamaicansmusic.com/learn/origins/dancehall
Origin Of Dancehall [no author of publishing date cited] "Some would consider Dancehall to the most popular
music in Jamaica. It began in the late 1970s and has now impacted all different
types of musical genres worldwide. Initially Dancehall was a more sparse
version of Reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.
In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the
sound considerably, with digital Dancehall becoming increasingly characterized
by faster rhythms.
The popularity of Dancehall has spawned dance moves that
help to make parties and stage performances more energetic. Many dance moves
seen in Hip Hop videos are actually variations of Dancehall dances. Examples of
such dances are: "Like Glue", "Bogle", "Wine &
Dip", "Tek Weh Yuhself", "Whine Up", "Boosie
Bounce", "Drive By", "Shovel It", "To Di
World", "Dutty Wine", "Sweep", "Nuh
Behavior", "Nuh Linga", "Skip to My Lou", "Gully
Creepa", "Bad Man Forward Bad Man Pull Up", "Keeping it
Jiggy", "Pon Di River", "Willie Bounce", "Wacky
Dip", "Screetchie" and "Daggering.”
With so much more to come, Dancehall has changed the face of
music. It is one of the most versatile genres out there and so many artistes
all over the world collaborate on tracks that feature Dancehall riddims or try
to cut it close to the musicality if its uniqueness. With world renowned
artistes such as Beenie Man, Mavado, Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal, Aidonia, and
Konshens; Dancehall music has produced some of the most charismatic and
energetic artistes with massive sounds. "...
**** This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.
Featuring Artists Such As: Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Mr
Vegas, Sean Paul, Chaka Demus & Plies, Shabba Ranks, Elephant Man, Ding
Dong, Red Rat & Many More!
****
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Update - May 17, 2022
This is Part I of a five part pancocojams series on Jamaica's Dancehall Reggae music. This post presents comments from various YouTube discussion threads about memories of Dancehall Reggae that were shared by people from the Caribbean.
Part IV of this pancocojams series presents comments from various YouTube discussion threads about memories of Dancehall Reggae that were shared by people who live/d in various African nations.
Part V of this pancocojams series presents comments from various YouTube discussion threads about memories of Dancehall Reggae that were shared by people in Great Britain or people in various other nations around the world.
All of these comments include geographic information (neighborhood, city, state, and/ or nation that the commenter comes from). Each of these posts features a sound file of video of a Dancehall mix. Each of these posts also include links to the YouTube sound files/videos that the comments came from.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all past and present Dancehall artists. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to DJ Day Day TV for his Dancehall mix that is embedded in this post. Thanks also to all of the DJs whose mixes are featured as hyperlinks in this post. -snip- Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/excerpts-about-history-of-jamaicas.html. That post presents some information about the history of Dancehall music.
DISCLAIMER: Since people visit different countries and/or emigrate to other countries, some of these comments may be from people who were not born in the nation that is mentioned in the comment.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS: DANCEHALL REGGAE MEMORIES FROM THE CARIBBEAN
There are many more comments from people in the Caribbean in the YouTube Dancehall Reggae discussion threads that I've read. However, these are the only comments that I've come across which mention a geographic location in those nations and also refers to Dancehall Reggae memories.
Selected comments from South American nations that are
culturally considered to be part of the Caribbean are found in the pancocojams post
about South America and Central America (Part III of this series).
These YouTube discussion threads excerpts are given in no particular order.
1. Melissa Hamilton, 2014 "I love this riddim omg I was in high skool in ja wen this
song was blasting every where....makes me miss those days in ja..home"
** 2. Julian Bruce, 2016 "I remember this being in Jamaica during the 90's ..they
illegal rig up the sound ..was in St Elizabeth ..my late granny a shop & so
no electric : / ..sound man had a generator so rigged it up 4 her so her stock
never spoil ..Not only that as she was a church woman ..the 1st half of the
show was gospel .. night time this kinda riddim like a mini earthquake ..the
Bass shaking the floor : D ..soon turn into a festival vibe ..so i swear some
Ram goat getting prepped for the pot ..plenty drinking , plenty dancing ..Good
Good Times ..with sounds like " Street Thunder , Metromedia , Black Cat ,
Stone Love , Killamanjaro .. R I P Nanny Lillian"
** 3. Sully Sulfa Official, 2018 "Who memba wen dah riddim yah a tear dung irie rjr radio station di wul
Jamaica under fire when this play a dance every song bad
** Cathey Naish, 2022 "Reminds me of when I lived on the Caribbean island Antigua 🇦🇬in the 90’s. I danced a LOT to this!!!! About the time we lost a straight up legend…
RIP GARNET SILK -snip- "Garnett Silk (born Garnet Damion Smith; 2 April 1966 – 9 December 1994) was a Jamaican reggae musician and Rastafarian, known for his diverse, emotive, powerful and smooth voice." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garnett_Silk
**** Excerpt #2 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkwHH8INaQ4 90s Old School Dancehall Mix-Buju Banton,Spragga
Benz,Beenie Man, Lady Saw,Baby Sham, Wayne Wonder, published by DJ Dalvy876, May 15, 2020
1. Jason Abrams, 2021 "Finally have internet here in Clarendon, JWI!!! Praise Jah, Selassie I and I. Me nah feel dat
dancehall nah ave the riddim an soul of dancehall weh dem lay down pon wax in
1990's and 80's. Nuff respect to all
todays soundboys (and gal dem) but nah ave no contest wid old day patwah
chat. De ongle dancehall mek dem play
inna me house is wheh me call "true yard", dis yah music me ear back
when me was teenager."
** 2. Lexluther 1, 2021 "brought up on dancehall
whent to sting 2000 when i lived in st Ann bay.. . Glad i found this,
cheered my day right up, nice1 😎💯"
**** Excerpt #3 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89kbxscGcBU 80s Dancehall Mix (Shabba Ranks, Ninja, Major Mackerel,
Sanchez, Flour Gon, Adm Bailey, Prof Nuts), published by Reggae Vibes Media, Dec 6, 2020
1. Don Fari, 2022 "Bless up from Barbados ,,,this is the best 80's mix ive ever
heard on youtube remind me of my school years ...keep these mixes coming bro"
1. Edward Montilla Encarnacion, 2022 "Back to the 90s in the DR🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴🇩🇴. This is what we used to listen to
before we adopting dj playero." -snip- "DR" here means The Dominican Republic although "DO" is the official two letter abbreviation for that Caribbean nation. -snip- DJ Playero was a key figure in the dissemination of reggaeton during
its formative period in the 1990s in San Juan, Puerto Rico. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Playero
**** Excerpt #5 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Ek7U8j5JgDANCEHALL LEGENDS MIX PT 1 - Super Cat, Shabba Ranks, Chaka
Demus, Cutty Ranks, published by Road Ready Mix, March 22, 2015
1. Garvin Mclean, 2020 "Not Jamaican, but my parents are. This is an everyday Sunday
for me lol."
** Reply 2. DUANE ANTON Williams, 2020 "Gavin McLean - If your parents are Jamaican so are
YOU...doesn't matter whee you are born ...Your Heritage is Jamaican pure and
simple..it's in your DNA..Nuff Said."
** 3. Lissy Gammaro, 2020 "Oh my goodness! All my favorites at once. I am so ecstatic.
Bring back wonderful memories from the 90's at tha Splash Nightclub in St.
Lucia."
** 4. Ruben, 2020 "My High School parties in Puerto Rico everytime the DJ played Dancehall reggae was
like the beats where calling everyone to the dance floor. It was a beautiful
thing to see"
** 5. Iyah aka Raggacat Hale, 2021 "Selectah rewind dah bigg badd chunez flash back fi diz
likkle yute one love from kingston jamaica"
1. Cliff Simz, 2021 "Tune upon Tuuuuuuuuuune...BOW!..I grew up in Jamaica when
all these tunes were released, fell in love with Dancehall Reggae forever..."
** 2. OscillatorCollective, 2022 "I was 5 years old in Jamaica in 1982 walking around the dancehall looking for my mum…
In retrospect, sounds scary…but it was actually really cool…I could feel the music move through my entire body…I’ll never forget those nights…"
1. J G, 2019 "Takes me back to my high school days in 🇧🇲🇧🇲
Big Up Ya Self Salektah🔥🔥💨💨💨" -snip- BM= Bermuda
** 2. francia Diaz, 2020 "Well, I am from Dominican Republic and we loved this music
in the 90’s. It was very popular at parties and we don’t even speak English
there. Music is universal!!!"
**** Excerpt #8 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJCJcch5tXg Dancehall Best of 2006 - 2010 Mavado,Beenie,Vybz Kartel,Mr
Vegas,Elephant Man & More Mix by Djeasy MuzikRyder, July 18, 2018
1. millashyne, 2018 "This takes me back to spending my summers and winter breaks in Jamaica. Love my culture and I am Puerto Rican and Jamaican. When dancehall did nice and good ole days"
** 2. Jamaican delight, 2018 "Having a passa passa, early Tuesday& early sunday vybez
in my home"
** 3. dancehallReggae Gyal, 2018 "back inna di days when passa passa did ah run tings" -snip- I added comment #2 and #3 although there wasn't any geographic references in those comments.
Here's information about the Caribbean meaning of passa passa from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passa_Passa "Passa Passa is a weekly street party that originated in
Kingston, Jamaica and has spread to other areas in the Caribbean. It is
reported to have begun on Ash Wednesday in 2003 with the name being coined by
Carl Shelley. It features dancehall music. It has spread throughout the
Caribbean including Colón, Panama Limón, Costa Rica and later Puerto Rico. It
is similar to a block party. The Passa Passa usually gets started around 1 a.m.
and has been known to continue straight through until 8 a.m.”…. -snip- Read a comment from Central America about passa passa in the Part III of this pancocojams series.
1. S. J. Drakes, 2022 "The mix is 🔥. Enjoying from Dubai on
New Year’s Eve 2021 . It makes me feel at home and reminds me of the big tunes
played in my home country 🇧🇧Barbados."
**** Excerpt #10 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTlXJdJzoCc80's 90's OLD SCHOOL DANCEHALL | BEST OF 80's 90's DANCEHALL
GYAL TUNE | NONSTOP DANCEHALL 80's 90's, published by DjBRAMMO PROSPECT INTERNATIONAL, Jul
23, 2020
1. NL, 2022 "Yesssssssss 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
parents born in Haiti but I was always drawn to reggae 🎶
mannnnnnn now in my early 40s and u can't tell me NUTHIN I still luvvvvvvv me
some reggae 🎶 4evaaaaaaaa💯💯💯💯💯💖💖💖💖💖💖💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎶
This was a whole vibe tonight driving home from work!!!!!!! I so wanted to jump
out my car and dance my behind offfffff💯💯💯💯💯🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊
BEST MIXXXXXXX EVERRRRRR💯💯💯💯💯"
**** Excerpt #11 Fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWcEvD6jqJI 90s Dancehall Mix 🔥 Shabba Ranks, Lady Saw,
Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Chaka Demus, Pliers, Sean Paul, published by U Got Mix, June 15, 2021
1. Isaiah massive Bankston, 2022 "Love deh vibe here take meh back in tyme coming from
Trinidad & Tobago 2 NYC 90's"
**** Excerpt #12 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynwyXmaeK5c 90s Dancehall Mix ,Beenie Man, Shabba, Bounty Killer, Buju
Banton, Sean Paul, Mr Vegas,Lady Saw, published by Dj Viibesz, Jan 5, 2019
1. Belinda Higgs, 2019 "This is the bomb remind me of the dance so much bring back memories club like the palace and the club call family island if you from the BAHAMAS YOU KNOW WHAT AM TALKING ABOUT I ANIT STOP DANCING YET HANDS DOWN 90'S THE BEST"
**** Excerpt #13 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iqy9q98WN8 Old School Dancehall Mixtape, published by DJ Naii Dec 15,
2020 Compilation of Danchehall music from 1990-2000
1. CLEVON MENDOZA, 2021 "Them days in Trinidad growing up listening to these songs
was 🔥"
** Reply 2.Tlgm Rellzooo, 2022 "I can relate 👌🏼 point fortin
stand up" -snip- Point Fortin is a town in Trinidad.
** 3. Annmarie Lindsay, 2021 "Boy them days ya JAMAICA nice OMG dance nice OMG miss my
sweet Jamaica 🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲" -snip- LR= Liberia; JM= Jamaica
**** Excerpt #14 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z4Zg4ZsYXg WORRIES IN 80s DANCEHALL | Tenor Saw, Super Cat, Nicodemus,
Yellowman, Sister Nancy Josey Wales, published by DJ Sharpe Music, April 29, 2022
1. Ms. B (Bev), 2022 "Yes @DJ Sharpe...clap it up mi bredda, mi fulljoy myself,
good selection as always. I was only 12
wen that flyer came out (mi ah tell mi "h'age" now, lol) but, brings
back some really good memories fr fr.
Was not born in Jamaica, but parents was and they lived the culture Tru
n Tru so it's within me. Had a likkle
sound system at one point, got a dub made ah King Jammies (recently got it
back, not in good condition, mi nuh know if it will play, bex 😤
but, happy to have it back cah ah good memories come with it. Thanks bro 👊🏾💯🎧🎤💚💛🖤❤"
1. Darlene Tavares, 2022 "New subbie from Bermuda 🇧🇲!!! I just went 60 Sunday and these are my jamz!!! BOOYAKA!!! Sis still got it!!! I love your energy!!!" -snip- "subbie" = subscriber
**** Excerpt #16 From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QeCVsbNgk8 90s Dancehall
Best of Madhouse Crew Ft Terror,Spragga,Daddy Screw,Wayne Wonder,Babycham,Buju
Banton, DJeasy Mixmaster, May 16, 2019
1. Karessa Marshall, 2019 "TERROR FABULOUS,
MADDDDDDDDD
PUNCH LINE A MAD MI
RHYTHM MADDDDD🥂💃🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊👏👏👏👏"
** Reply 2. MARSHALL NUH PARTIAL, 2019 "Karessa Marshall A wah u Kno bout Music? Nuh juss wah day u
Born🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂"
** Reply 3. Karessa Marshall, 2019 "@MARSHALL NUH
PARTIAL YES I JUST BRUK OUT A EGG SHELL,
BUT MUZIK IS MY BACK BONE, BEEN LISTENING N DANCING SINCE I WAS IN MY MAMA'S
BELLY,🤣😂🤣😂
, PLUS, IS MY GREAT GRANDMA GROW ME. SO U KNOW THEY LISTEN
TO THEIR SKA N ALL.
PLUS I USE TO DANCE FOR THE GREATEST DANCE GROUP N SCHOOL IN
JAMAICA """"""TIVOLI GARDENS HIGH,
DNT PLAY WITH ME
I LOVE MY REGGAE,
FROM BOB MARLEY,,,,,,,
TO CHEVELLE FRANKLYN,,
TO LEROY SMART,,,,,
TO JUNIOR BILES,,,,
TO MY TERROR
FABULOUS,,,,,,
PATRA
TO CHRISTOPHER MARTIN🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊"
** Reply 4. Karessa Marshall, 2019 "@MARSHALL NUH
PARTIAL ALL WHEN DANCE KEEPING, WE HIDE N GO WATCH THE SOUND MEN STRINGING UP
THE BOXED, LISTEN TO THE SELECTOR TUNE UP THE SOUND N START THE EARLY
JUGGLING, BY DANCE START IS OUR BEF TIME
THAT ALSO HELP ME TO KNOW THE VARIATION OF ARTISTS N
DIFFERENT RHYTHMS N SONGS
47:15 Wayne Wonder and Don Youth --- Loving in Excess
48:40 JC Lodge --- Telephone Love
50:24 Shabba Ranks --- Hardcore Loving
53:24 Shabba Ranks --- Woman Mi Run Down
54:12 Ninja Man --- Test the power
55:15 Johnny Osborne --- No Ice Cream Sound
55:50 Super Cat ---
Stabin Cabin
57:32 Ninja Man --- Murder Dem
58:51 Mega Banton --- First Position
59:59 Tenor Saw --- Stalag Y2k
1:01:23 Tenor Saw --- Ring The Alarm
1:03:19 Sister Nancy --- Bam Bam
1:03:55 Super Cat --- Dolly My Baby
1:05:48 Super Cat --- Oh It's You
1:07:25 Shelly Thunder --- KUFF Riddim
1:09:19 Shabba Ranks --- Wicked Inna Bed
1:10:27 Super Cat, heavy D, Frankie Paul --- Big and Ready
1:12:41 Shabba Ranks --- Tell Me Which One
1:14:19 Shabba Ranks --- Girls Wine
1:15:44 Shabba Ranks --- Serious Time
1:16:48 Foxy Brown --- Sorry (Baby Can I Hold You Tonight)
1:18:52 Tony Rebel --- Chatty Chatty
1:20:15 Chaka Demus & Pliers --- Gal Wine
1:21:55 Super Cat --- Boops
1:23:38 Shabba Ranks - Shine And Criss
1:24:26 Super Cat --- Them No Care
1:25:45 Super Cat --- Crazy Love
-snip- *A number of commenters wrote that Dirtsman is the artist who recorded "Hot Dis Year" and not Cutty Ranks.
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision- May 17, 2022
This pancocojams post presents some information about the history of Dancehall music. This post also showcases a YouTube sound file of a record mix of some Dancehall legends produced by Dj Nazty Nige.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all past and present Dancehall artists. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to DJ Nazty Nige for his Dancehall mix that is embedded in this post. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/dancehall-reggae-memories-part-i.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Dancehall Reggae Memories (Part I - Comments From The Caribbean)". Each of the posts in that series. includes links to the other posts in that series.
**** THE HISTORY OF JAMAICA'S DANCEHALL MUSIC
Excerpt #1
Fromhttps://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/rave-rap-remix-jamaican-sound-system-influence-edm-hip-hop-6597704/ "Rave, Rap and the Remix: The Jamaican Sound System’s Influence on Popular Music" By Patricia Meschino, 06/11/2015 "As thousands converged on the original Woodstock grounds in
Bethel, N.Y. over Memorial Day weekend for the dance festival Mysteryland USA,
another event took place simultaneously in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., celebrating
the direct forerunner to the superstar EDM DJ: the Jamaican sound system
selector.
The first annual World Sound System Festival, held at the
Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium (May 22-23) featured 14 reggae and/or
dancehall DJs (‘selectors,’ in Jamaican parlance) representing three
generations and several locations throughout North America and the Caribbean.
While Mysteryland mostly drew in 20- and 30-year-old Americans, the Sound System
Festival pulled a largely Caribbean crowd of all ages, there to hear some of
reggae’s greatest sound systems and selectors, including New York’s Downbeat
The Ruler, Jamaica’s Silver Hawk, and Miami’s Waggy T. Irrespective of their
backgrounds, attendees at both festivals were intently focused on the DJs — or
the selectors — who embellished song choices with now-standard lighting
choreography, raising their hands in the air and intermittently shouting out
phrases to hype up audiences.
[...]
The sound system emerged in Jamaica in the late ’40s
as an inexpensive form of entertainment within the poorest communities of
downtown Kingston then spread across the island throughout the ’50s. The early
sound systems (or sets) usually assembled in open-air spaces with a single
turntable and (often) custom-built speakers and amplifiers to maximize the
forceful bass lines in R&B, the preferred genre among the era’s sound
system dance supporters. Sound system owners often traveled to the U.S. to
purchase new records, and would promptly scratch off the labels to conceal the
records’ identity from rival sets.
In the late ’50s, as American music segued from R&B into
rock and roll, the supply of music favored by sound system patrons dwindled,
spurring the development of Jamaica’s recording industry. The island’s
indigenous genres, including ska, reggae, dub and dancehall, all developed from
the sound system owners’ and selectors’ need for new and exclusive music to
satisfy clienteles and to defeat competing sounds in heated battles (primarily
musical, occasionally physical), referred to as clashes. Owners of top sound
systems of the late ’50s through the mid-60s — Duke Reid (Trojan), Coxsone Dodd
(Downbeat) and Prince Buster (Voice of the People) who played a pivotal role in
the development of ska as an artist and producer — established individual
labels, and started producing records backed by the island’s top musicians. The
producers then played these songs at dances, all the while carefully
scrutinizing audience reactions. “I started recording in 1963, and whenever Mr.
Dodd would find a hit song, he would go cut a dub plate [a soft acetate], play
it on his sound and then take it back home,” reminisced Freddie McGregor, 58,
who recorded for Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label, considered Jamaica’s Motown,
as a child. “The audience would ask about the new songs and from their
responses, Mr. Dodd knew what records he needed to press and how many copies.”
The sound system dance was the only place to hear these
local recordings: despite their popularity, homegrown music was not yet played
on the island’s radio stations, which instead adhered to play lists dominated
by American pop.
Besides the selector, each sound system utilized the talents
of a deejay whose animatedly rhymed introductions and playful boasts over a
song’s instrumental break added to the excitement at the dance. The deejay’s
uniquely cadenced patois delivery, referred to as toasting or deejaying, the
Jamaican equivalent of rapping and the signature vocal approach in dancehall
reggae, is heard on countless tracks throughout Jamaica’s recording history
from U Roy, the first deejay to have a hit record in Jamaica, to contemporary
stars like Assassin (featured on Kendrick Lamar’s “The Blacker The Berry”,
which peaked at no. 66 on the Hot 100).
“Wherever Jamaicans have traveled since the ’50s, sound
systems have been part of their luggage and legacy, significantly influencing
music scenes in the US and throughout Europe,” comments Andrea Davis, founder
of International Reggae Day.
In Kingston, an IRD panel discussion will highlight the
sound system’s impact on Jamaica’s musical development with awards presented to
several trendsetters within the sound system movement, including the venerable
Stone Love, the host sound system at Kingston’s popular weekly dance Weddy
Weddy Wednesday, still an important venue for breaking new hits; Merritone
Disco, founded in 1950, the world’s oldest, continually operational sound
system; Prince Buster, now 77, and veteran sound system owner/selector Lloyd
“King Jammy” James, producer of the Sleng Teng riddim, so named for the riddim’s
biggest hit, the late Wayne Smith’s “Under Mi Sleng Teng”. Jamaica’s digital
revolution was launched in 1985, when Jammy debuted the Sleng Teng riddim on
his sound system, King Jammy’s Super Power.
King Tubby’s creation of dub transformed the landscape of
popular music, establishing the prototype for song remixing. The instrumental
spaces built into Tubby’s dubs provided deejays an opportunity to develop
toasting beyond just providing contrast to a singer’s vocals; Tubby’s dubs were
also the precursor to hip-hop’s break beats. In the early ’70s, DJ Kool Herc
(Clive Campbell) set up his turntables, amplifiers and massive speakers
(reminiscent of the sound systems he heard growing up in Kingston) for parties
in the recreation room of his Bronx apartment building. He initially played
reggae records — which were not well-received. He got a far better response by
spinning hard funk and emphasizing the drum beat, switching from one break to
another or using two copies of the same record to extend it. Meanwhile, his MC,
Coke La Rock, rhythmically delivered catchphrases to a receptive audience, just
like the sound system deejays had done in Jamaica for nearly 20 years.
Stateside, this vocal approach was called rap. The hip-hop movement was born."... **** Excerpt #2 From https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2019/07/essential-guide-to-dancehall Dancehall: Everything you need to know about one of Jamaica’s most
influential musical exports by Sharine Taylor, July 10, 2019
"Picture this: Jamaica in the late ’70s. A dance hall in the
country’s capital of Kingston is filled to the brim with working class people.
They’re dressed in their best, waiting for the selector and deejay to set the
vibes. The selector spins an instrumental vinyl record, or what would later be
referred to as a riddim in Jamaican parlance. The deejay, with a mic in hand,
steps forward and begins to toast, delivering his best lyrical prose to a crowd
that gets more excited with each and every bar laced with bravado.
To its patrons, it was a freeing and entertaining means to
cast aside the burdens that economic hardships imposed on their lives. Who knew
it would later transform into something much grander than a genre of music –
functioning as a window giving outsiders a peek into the Jamaica beyond the
resorts and beaches.
Dancehall’s roots began and were informed by the lived
experience of Kingston’s lower and working class people. The music that came
out of it was melodic narratives on how they navigated the space, but dancehall
is as much about music as it is about the fashion, dance and art that
surrounded it. It wasn’t just a genre, it was a way of life.
Prior to dancehall’s proliferation, ska, rocksteady, mento,
American R&B and roots reggae were the styles of music that were most
prominent across Jamaica, but in the late ’70s, a shift began with both the
sound and lyrical content that then-emerging artists were crafting.
Soundsystems and dance halls —physical areas designated for partying — were already
fixtures in various communities in and around Kingston. Surrounded by food,
alcohol and budding dancehall aficionados, a deejay would toast, or rather,
speak over, a vinyl record, and sound clashes — competition between opposing
local soundsystems — started to increase in popularity. As such, dancehall
continued to grow and became a favorite amongst the masses, as everyday
experiences and shared longing for a different life were transcribed into
infectious and rhythmic musical arrangements.
The ’80s were a critical period that further defined the
genre, distinguishing it from the conscious-minded reggae that preceded it.
Informed by rastas and their beliefs in Rastafari, reggae spoke to black
liberation and sovereignty with a desire to return home to the Motherland.
Dancehall, reggae’s rebellious cousin, spoke to a different set of aspirations.
Crass and unfiltered, the music was a score of the gritty realities of
Kingston’s ghettos with themes that often explored the six G’s: gun, gyal,
ghetto, gays, ganja and God. Matched with more uptempo cadences, the lyricism
laced in dancehall’s records were as much grounds for hedonism as insight into
Jamaica’s social climate. Records explored a variety of musings, often sharing
crude truths about the conditions of Kingston’s poor, their connections to Jah
(Rastafari for “God”), the medicinal and recreational benefits of smoking weed,
the homophobia that gripped much of the nation, the violence people had to
navigate and the plenty women they had or aspired to have.”….
**** Excerpt #3 Fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancehall "Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that
originated in the late 1970s.[4] Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version
of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.[5][6] In
the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the
sound considerably, with digital dancehall (or "ragga") becoming
increasingly characterized by faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music
include its extensive use of Jamaican Patois rather than Jamaican standard
English and a focus on the track instrumentals (or "riddims").
Dancehall saw initial mainstream success in Jamaica in the
1980s, and by the 1990s, it became increasingly popular in Jamaican diaspora
communities. In the 2000s, dancehall experienced worldwide mainstream success,
and by the 2010s, it began to heavily influence the work of established Western
artists and producers, which has helped to further bring the genre into the
Western music mainstream.[7][8][9]"...
