An Overview of Dancehall and Dub from Jamaica

1. Dub and Dancehall
More Rhythm less Music
www.stefanwalcott.com
Caribbean Composers’ Handbook –Amazon.com

2. Decline in the Ghetto
• Dancehalls in JA had grown tired of reggae which had
now entered the popular mainstream.
• Producers ventured little outside standardised norms as
popularity dictated they remain true to reggae’s form.

3. Social Climate
• Late 70s saw a Dejay explosion at the end of decade.
• Many small local systems had sprung up due to
technological advancements leading to reduced cost.
• At these Dancehall parties an activity known as
‘toasting’ occurred.
• Toasting was done over instrumental sections or over
Dub tunes which were themselves largely
instrumental.

4. Dub
• Largely instrumental music.
• Studio effects.
• Highly experimental.
• Lee “Scratch” Perry.

5. Toasting
• Toasting is a low investment high entertainment activity
performed in heavy ‘dialect’.
• Lyrics are frequently bawdy and explicit and full of
bravado.
• It is pure aggrandizement intended to ‘big-up’ oneself
and the DJ.

6. Into a Genre
• This toasting was put down on record in essence
removing it from its original context and creating
new genre called Dancehall.
• General Echo ‘The Slackest’ LP.
• Toasting can be melodic as singers became involved
and these singers added new lyrics and melodies
over these instrumentals known as ‘plates’. E.g.
Cocoa Tea, Barrington Levy and Half Pint.

7. Early and Present Dancehall
sensibilities
• The rhythm is key.
• Tonal adherence is not essential.
• Lyrics and message for most part are secondary.
• Associated with dances.
• Harmony derives from original plate.
• If plate is original harmony is very limited.
• Good DJ’s are those who are rhythmically sound and
capable of instantaneous rhymes.

8. Technology
• The advent of Dancehall
also saw the mass
production and price
drop of synthesizers.
• Drum machines and
other synthesized
sounds are prevalent in
Dancehall music.

9. Dancehall Artists
• Beenie Man, Sean Paul,
Elephant Man, Bounty
Killer, Tiger, Patra,
Shabba Ranks.

10. Sources
Bradley, Lloyd. Bass culture: when reggae was king. London:
Viking 2000. Print.