If you like it, i love it!: April 2009

When you hear "Jamaica", what do you think of? If all you can visualize is weed and the movie Shottas you need to dig deeper into the roots of this country. This small but mighty island has a culture so rich and so influential. I was not born in Jamaica, but I am Jamaican. The blood that flows through my veins is JAMAICAN BLOOD! I am a product of two Jamaican parents and I am so grateful to be apart of such an impactful country.

Proven influences start in the music industry with artist hip-hop lovers are very familiar with like Biggie Small, Foxy Brown and Lil Wayne.

What most don’t know is that Clive Campbell aka DL Kool Herc is a JAMAICAN BORN disc jockey who originated hip hop music in the Bronx. Reggae is also the root of Reggaeton, a popular music in Latin youth and the root of a new genre of music here in the United States called Reggae-Rock.

But the man responsible for placing reggae music "on the map" with hit songs like “No Woman No Cry”, “Jamming” and “One Love”, is THE LEGENDARY, Bob Marley. With over 20 million copies sold of this Legend album in the United States alone, Bob Marley remains the most popular reggae singer, songwriter and musician from Jamaica.

BOB MARLEY

Side note: I'm in love with his son Damian "JR GONG" Marley!!!

Damian Marley

In the 1980s, a new genre of Jamaican music took over the globe, dancehall! Artist like Munga, Sean Paul, TOK, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Lady Saw, Movado and Vybz Kartel are well known in the dancehall industry. What I love most about dancehall are the high energy dances! The well-known dance “DUTTY WINE” originated from dancehall music along with others like “Pon Di River Pon Di Bank”, "Heel-Toe”, “Myspace”, “Scooby Doo”, “Hot Wuk”, and other fairly newer dances like “Gully Creepa”, “Nu linga”, "Obama Rock". What is most shocking to me is how the dancehall scene has influenced countries such as, Japan, United Kingdom and America. The famous “Dancehall Queen” contest that originated in Kingston, Jamaica is now worldwide! People who do not reside in Jamaica, never visited, and don't even speak English or Jamaican patois (the two languages spoken in Jamaica) are participating in Dancehall Queen.

Here are some videos and websites so you can witness what dancehall is all about.

DANCEHALL QUEEN CONTEST IN JAPAN!