Dancehall Unite
As the year 2018 begins, we extend best wishes to everyone. We are calling for all artists to unite. Embracing each other and protecting and supporting each others' artistry. Remember, we have come a long way. This is not the time to lose ownership of your cultural and the capital thereof through arrogance. In the beginning slavery could be blamed for oppression, in 2018 this is no longer a valid reason. One thing, slavery never stripped away was the embedded gift of creativity. Today, we are dealing with internalized oppression which, can be rectified through harmonious relationships. Nothing has ever been so sweet has the unification of artists. We have been speaking of love for so long; it is time to behave like we really love each other. There is no greater art form that the archetype of love in motion.
Visual narratives frame the place, the history, and the dancer and musicians in relation to the current cultural time and place. Dancehall is culture in motion. In totality, the synchronicity of time, place, and people to a one drop rhythmic beat. Three beats for post colonialism. Three beats for the cross culture clash between uptown and downtown. Two beats for the self determined; make the bass heavy for the hustlers and level it for the lovers and the conscious minded. With the DJ and selector at the controls, dancers and revelers make a movement through time and place. There is always a hot topic to express through action or inaction. Even the man holding the wall is expressing a statement. He is holding his corner, his comment, and most often maintaining peace by surveying the dance. This is dancehall, a visual narrative featuring the individual thriving and striving within the collective.
Jamaica is originator of dancehall reggae, music, culture, and fashion. As well, the country is renowned for their creativity in the field of arts, medicine, sports, and finance. With the progressive appeal and profitability of intellectual property, many foreign developers and artists have a renewed interest in the creative landscape. Arguably, art is rebellion with a cause. At its core, creativity is an assertive reaction to a disenfranchised social system. The greater the chasm between expectation and provision is the more dynamic and aggressive the art form that citizens produce. Although, seemingly a safe way to express and monetize frustration, danger lurks and exploitation can easily infest and suffocate creativity when the pathway is ambiguous. Dually led by the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the youth and the rebels in Kingston, dancehall is classified as music for the profilers, the hustlers, the higglers, and the outlaws.
An alternative translation, this music is the anthem of the activists who speak the uncensored truth of daily living. Keeping with the time, the artist expresses his lived experience; therefore, he and his art are one. Fostering connectivity between the creator and the partakers is the key to developing a loyal following. This is what makes dancehall relatable and transferable to the marginalized and the truth seekers across the globe. For example, during the late 60s to 80s, Bob Marley was the central figure of reggae music. Marley represented the life world of a Rastafarian singing reggae. Embodying the symbol of the lion of Judah, on stage, Marley’s movements were smooth, with slight sway and a sudden electrifying leap as he shook his locks. He demonstrated peaceful pride in his nationality, spirituality, and artistry.
As for dancehall, sexuality is one of the key notes. Money and sex often speak of the power relations between men and women. Further, since bodily movements narrate a story of survival, how do men and women mediate, or perhaps arbitrate their needs in the dancehall?
In the black race, there is a conflict between sacrificing individual rights for the collective. However, often it means the black woman, who is conditioned to service the community, must abandon herself for the male. While gender role conflict is universal in Asian, European, and North America, the stakes are higher for Jamaicans.
Encoded in the dancehall moves are art historical events of slavery, political upheaval, financial oppression, and other forms of social injustice. As such, hip gyrations and simulations of sex present a dialogue between men and women. Sometimes, the women begin the mating call by whining in the forefront with the men quickly respond. The combined effort gained attention across the globe. Through movement, dancers expressed the program for survival. Women were responsible for attracting and the men adored her efforts. In addition, female deejays as Lady Saw represented the sexual views of women welcoming the male assertiveness. Dance movements and lyrics presented by women were forceful and stylized symbolic rituals.
This increased tourism for like minded artists seeking to learn the techniques, as well; it opened the market for dancers and musicians to work abroad. However, over the years, men have inhabited the forefront by dancing in crews, while the women linger in the shadow. In addition, daggering and other aggressive acrobatic techniques replace the seductiveness of the dance, such as Carleen Davis’ butterfly.
While other countries and races have adapted to this post modern approach, men and women still share the same social space. For example, dance crews feature male and female dancers presenting the same choreography. Taking an inclusive approach, both sexes equally support and challenge each other. Camouflaging a smirk is gleaming pride that their fellow paysanne just nailed fling yuh shoulder. In contrast, the originators of dancehall express contention between the sexes through underrepresentation and misrepresentation of the male and female body. In addition, musicians and other entertainers depredate and intimidate the character of peers and the deemed unrated on social media and in the dance. Distractions are always a means to gain wealth. Therefore, while Jamaican artists are flinging words to tear each other down, the international artists are building an empire.
With respect and appreciation of artistic freedom, it is also important to consider that art is also a business. As such, art is no longer for the sake of art. Intellectual property is monetized art that builds communities, enterprises, and the sustainability of a country. Dancehall is a lucrative wealth builder. Today, fostering harmonious social and business relations is the pathway success. Jamaican artists are losing out because many contentious relationships overshadow their artistry. Comparatively, artists from North America, Europe, and Asia are monetizing their efforts because of their ability to maintain peer relationships. Weekly, artists in Jamaica, dancers and musicians, release mind blowing productions. Within hours, foreign artists replicate the productions to present to over one million subscribers on YOUTUBE and Instagram. In comparison, most Jamaica based artists have followers below the 150 000 mark. This is perplexing for a movement such as dancehall, which, was founded on the entrepreneurial spirit of creativity and collectivity.
Maybe it is time to remember the days of running a boat to make a meal. Remember calling sister Pat to make the dress for Peaches and her friend, Dan to tailor the pants, Pauly to fish, and Irene to run the bar, Denny and June to sell the Wrigleys and the peanut, and a whole heap of people to lift the sound box. Rewind and come again selecta, money to be made for everybody. Then bring back dancehall to a shared space to respect sexuality, creativity, and collectivity.
Rebels with a cause. Peace. Love. Unity. Respect. Self Control.-Zen Creatif,AG.
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