REFLECTION & REASON

It takes many moving pieces for dancehall reggae culture to evolve and continue to be innovative. With varying levels of visibility, appeal, and entertainment value, each player has a crucial role in maintaining and sustaining the culture's history, current trajectory, and future impact. THE MUSIC The producers, musicians, selectors, songwriters, artists, and engineers. THE INDUSTRY The business managers, promoters, event organizers, record labels, streaming platforms, and distribution services. THE CULTURE Innovators like dancers and influencers. THE SUPPORTERS Investors, sponsors, organizations, media, bloggers, podcasters, and advocates. Then there is the segment of support that exists IN PRINT: in theory, in classrooms and universities, and articles. The dancehall academia, thought leaders, professors, and authors. For your reference, we have curated a list of dancehall books (non-fiction, children's, and fiction) from the last 25 years. These texts support the culture by d...

My new book  Dancehall Rebel   is rooted in a love for music, while looking at how this love can intersect with contradictory values, beliefs, or religious practices—across cultures. I hope this story can serve as a source of reflection, awareness, and a catalyst for conversation. Denise’s family represents many parents, cousins, or community members of all backgrounds who are unsure of how to navigate unfamiliar lifestyles or technologies. This story can be a tool and example, for those who need to explore these changes across generations, as Denise approaches her new reality with respect for her family and the culture she was raised in, while nurturing her independent journey into adulthood. ~ Stacey Robinson DANCEHALL REBEL By Stacey Robinson A teen shares her dad’s vibrant Caribbean musical legacy but is burdened by the homophobia that comes along with it. She needs to find a new path for the music and for herself. Dancehall Rebel is a groundbreaking novel portraying a Car...

Living in Canada, having an international perspective and appreciation for reggae-dancehall music is a natural occurrence. We can feel the impact from afar. As a Canadian of Jamaican descent, it is also evident how the culture is transferred from a distance, and how it inevitably changes across generations. Reggae music is a force, as is dancehall music. I have grown to appreciate it and appreciate the effects of Jamaican culture around the globe. The island has such a unique and infectious vibe that it is often imitated, circulated, and in some cases...appropriated. We know this, we witness this, but somehow the culture as a whole still hasn't received the full rewards...financially or otherwise. While it's nice to see artists like Kabaka Pyramid or Shaggy win Grammy awards for their creations, it is also natural to want the international force that is reggae-dancehall have a deeper impact on industry and infrastructure as well. An insightful conversation broadcast earlier thi...