Positive Vibrations
I recently raised the question to some of my friends and followers on twitter asking if they could think of any positive impacts the Dancehall music has on the society. Many were hesitant in responding for numerous reasons, some instead of giving positive impacts they gave negative, some said that the dancehall music has no positive effects, some gave basic answers like “it’s a stress reliever” and some thought pensively and could yield no answer. It’s quite ironic that the same persons who love the music, the originators of it, have not even an inkling as to the effects their music has. It is necessary to highlight that it is easier to indicate the negatives in the dancehall music. It’s more vivid and it is often discussed on a wider scale. However in a society as hearty as Jamaica, we should not dwell on the negative but embrace the positive.
Our music to some extent, promotes female independence. Look beyond the rae rae and wifey and matey saga or even promiscuity. The entertainers often times seek to promote female power and confidence. Refer to songs released by Lady Saw or more recently Certified Diva by Tami and Tifa. And even men embrace the idea of independence among females, Tony Matterhorn a big contributor.
We must also give credit to Dancehall for being an effective advocate against political oppression. Amidst the restrain and submission inflicted on citizens by actions of government for example tax increases the dancehall music acts as a voice for the people. Reflect on Kartels’ Emergency which touched on the government inactions. Through such an avenue the music highlights struggles faced by the poor, note Poverty by I-Octane
A pure heart is a sermon preached by dancehall entertainers. In it, speaks of grudge and jealousy and hatred against each other, look at Ioctane’s hit Nuh Love Inna Dem which shows the extent to which people will conspire. Dancehall’s doctrine teaches us to be satisfied and be happy and work towards what we desire.
A pure heart is a sermon preached by dancehall entertainers. In it, speaks of grudge and jealousy and hatred against each other, look at Ioctane’s hit Nuh Love Inna Dem which shows the extent to which people will conspire. Dancehall’s doctrine teaches us to be satisfied and be happy and work towards what we desire.
Which leads me to my final point, the Dancehall music promotes endurance, dreaming big and never giving up. This aspect of the music is more vivid and emphasized than the others. Whether it is dreaming to be a successful musician, a millionaire or merely buying a car or a house the music of dancehall is a great motivator towards such goals.
The music however, profoundly dictates violence which is accentuated beyond pleasure. That must be toned down and allow the positive to shine. Do this and expect to see greatness within our society.
4 comments:
i agree 100% to this article, loved it
Finally, someone who sees what I see. There's so much good in the music despite the negatives that so much people are always ready to emphasize. Well done!
I definitely agree with this article.
thank you for writing this articles it has opened my eyes and fortified my point about the positive effects of dance hall music on todays youth. peoples are always saying that the music we as kid listen id damaging our comprehension skills but little do they do that our music enlighten us to a better understanding of the world and also of others around us. we see dancehall music as motivation and inspiration to how much we can achieve even if we come from a poor background.
A.Z.J.H
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