Jamaican Slang EditorialTHE Blog for Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae, Rastafari, Real T’ing dem and Jamaica

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We were on a little holiday for a few days, so you probably noticed a slow down in posts. Despite the time away, we are back and feeling poetic. Speaking of back and poetry, I thought it would be a good idea to post a poem about returning to Africa. For those of you in the know, repatriation (returning to Africa) is a big deal in the Rastafari movement, but is it really the best thing for people of African descent brough over in slavery. The famous Jamaican author Louise Bennett aka Miss Lou contemplates the idea of returning to Africa in the poem ‘Back to Africa‘. By the way, this poem is in Jamaican Patois, so you really get an idea of the grammar and maybe some Jamaican Slang.

Back to Africa, Miss Mattie?
You no know wha you dah seh?
You haf fe come from somewhe fus
Before you go back deh!

Me know say dat you great great great
Granma was African,
But Mattie, doan you great great great
Granpa was Englishman?

Den you great granmader fader
By you fader side was Jew?
An you granpa by you mader side
Was Frenchie parlez-vous?

But de balance a you family,
You whole generation,
Oonoo all barn dung a Bun Grung-
Oonoo all is Jamaican!

Den is weh you gwine, Miss Mattie?
Oh, you view de countenance,
An between you an de Africans
Is great resemblance!

Ascorden to dat, all dem blue-yeye
White American
Who-fa great granpa was Englishman
Mus go back a Englan!

What a debil of a bump-an-bore,
Rig-jig an palam-pam
Ef de whole worl start fe go back
Whe dem great granpa come from!

Ef a hard time you dah run from
Tek you chance! But Mattie, do
Sure a whe you come from so you got
Somewhe fe come back to!

Go a foreign, seek you fortune,
But no tell nobody say
You dah go fe seek you homelan,
For a right deh so you deh!

Source: Black Woman Thinks…

So, should we go back to Africa? I’d love to hear your feedback on this, since it is such a big deal in the Rastafari movement. More Time.

Swine Flu has taken the world by storm over the past few weeks and it seems like the chaos is winding down, but for Rastas there was never anything to worry about. Rastas lead a Ital (derived from Vital) lifestyle. 

Ital is a term used by Rastas, derived from “vital”, which means a natural  and healthy way of life. One of the main aspects of the ital lifestyle is the ital food. Ital food focuses on purity because the body is a temple and should not be polluted with impure substances. Also, it is important to take  care of your body out of respect for yourself and the most high. An Ital Diet is largely vegan, but some rastas do eat fish. Salt is still an item of debate, but PORK is definitely prohibited as are preservatives and chemical ingredients. All ingredients in food must be as natural as possible.

Pork is the lowest form of food possible for Rastas and many other faiths around the world. Pork is the worst of all meats to eat since harmful parasites, which are always in pork remain alive even after incredibly high temperatures. Pigs are also scavenger animals.

I remember watching my grandfather feed his pigs and how they would eat almost anything. Rastas and many other religions are on to something. Stay swine flu free by staying away from that pork.

Happy 4/20 people. Today is the Ganja smokers holiday! So if you see a bunch of people in a circle and all of a sudden a cloud of smoke comes out, you know the deal. Well, since it is a holiday based around the use of Ganja, I thought it would be ideal to hit you with a “likkle” quiz as it relates to Ganja (Cannabis aka Marijuana) in Jamaica and Rastafari. Hopefully, you didn’t smoke before taking this quiz or maybe hopefully you did. So, sit back, grab your lighters…and take this quiz!

1) Ganja is legal in Jamaica and everyone walks around smoking spliffs.  (True/False)

2) When Columbus “discovered” Jamaica in 1494, he found the Arawak Indians harvesting large fields of Ganja. (True/False)

3) Rastas were the first people to smoke Ganja as part of their culture. (True/False)

4) All Rastas smoke Ganja and drink alcohol casually. (True/False)

5) Rastas believe that Ganja was the plant found on King Solomon’s grave. (True/False)

6) Bob Marley smoked Ganja. (True/False)

7) Rastas were the first Jamaicans to use/smoke Ganja. (True/False)

Okay, so I hope that wasn’t too difficult. Since nobody cheated, we are going to go through the answers.

1) False - Ganja is illegal in Jamaica.

2) False - Although, nobody is certain about who brough Ganja to Jamaica, the early English settlers in Jamaica and the United States of America were fond of using Ganja for medicinal purposes and to create clothes.

3) False - The Ancient Hindus of Nepal and India were the most famous smokers of Cannabis in the ancient world. In fact, the word Ganja comes from ancient Sanskrit.

4) False -  A devote rasta will smoke ganja, but will never drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes.

5) True - Rastas believe that marijuana was the special herb found on King Solomon’s grave. This is an instrumental part of Ganja in the Rasta believe.

6) True - Bob Marley certainly smoked Ganja.

7) False - Before the rastafari movement in the 1930s, other Jamaicans used Ganja for medicinal purposes, for teas, and for special blends with tobacco. Once the rasta movement gained strength, the usage of ganja went to a “higher level.”

Well, I hope you enjoyed this quiz as much as you enjoyed your holiday…pass this post around. Bless.

Here’s some Collie Buddz to celebrate 4/20!

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Buju is special. If you don’t know Buju, you should!! Buju Banton is one of those artists that waves the flag for Jamaica, Reggae, Rastafari and just good music. I remember the first time I heard Buju and it was magic. Buju is one of the few Jamaican artists that is able to do dancehall tracks and roots reggae tracks. It almost seems ironic that he recorded the track Destiny because he was destined to make classic music.

Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie, 1973, Kingston, Jamaica) was born on August 20, 1973 near Kingston, Jamaica in a poor neighborhood called Salt Lane. “Buju” is a  nickname given to chubby children which means Breadfruit. The name is ironic in light of Mark Myrie’s slim frame, but it is, nevertheless, the nickname his mother gave him as a child. “Banton” is a Jamaican word referring to someone who is a respected storyteller, and it was adopted by Myrie in tribute to the deejay Burro Banton whom Buju admired as a child. It was Burro’s rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own. Buju’s mother was a higgler, or street vendor, while his father worked as a labourer at a tile factory. He was the youngest of fifteen children born into a family which was directly descended from the Maroons, a group of escaped slaves who proudly fought off the British colonialists.

As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favorite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls in Denham Town. At the age of 12 he picked up the microphone for himself and began toasting under the moniker of “Gargamel”, working with the Sweet Love and Rambo Mango sound systems.

In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain’s Penthouse Records label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly who later launched his own Madhouse Records label.^[3] Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having burst onto the charts there suddenly in 1992, with “Bogle” and “Love me Browning“, both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over “Love Me Browning” which spoke of Banton’s preference for light-skinned women: “I love my car I love my house I love my money and ting, but most of all I love my browning.” Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist attitude and denigrating the beauty of black women. In response, he released “Love Black Woman” which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: “Mi nuh Stop cry, fi all black women, respect all the girls dem with dark complexion”. 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke the great Bob Marley’s record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with “Woman fi Sex”, Buju’s gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton’s debut album, Mr. Mention, includes his greatest hits from that year. 1992 saw the release of a re-recorded “Boom Bye Bye“, which almost destroyed his career.^[3] The song was the subject of outrage in the United States and Europe, leading to Banton being dropped from the line-up of the WOMAD festival that year.^[3] Banton subsequently issued a public apology.

Now on the major Mercury label, Banton released the hard-hitting Voice of Jamaica in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included “Deportees” a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy’s “Tribal War,” a sharp condemnation of political violence, and “Willy, Don’t Be Silly” which promoted safe sex and the use of contraceptives, particularly the condom, profits from which were donated to a charity supporting children with AIDS. He was invited to meet Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, and won several awards that year at the Caribbean Music Awards, the Canadian Music Awards, and the Topeka ceremony.

Banton’s lyrics often dealt with violence, which he explained as reflecting the images that young Jamaicans were presented with by the news media, but the reality of Kingston’s violence was brought home in 1993 by the murders in separate incidents of two of his friends and fellow recording artists, the deejays Pan Head and Dirtsman. His response was the single “Murderer”, which condemned gun violence, going against the flow of the prevailing lyrical content in dancehall. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. Late in 1994, Buju was also affected by the death of his friend Garnett Silk. Buju’s transformation continued, embracing the Rastafari movement and growing dreadlocks. He joined “conscious” deejay Tony Rebel, Papa San, and General Degree in the Yardcore Collective. His performances and musical releases took on a more spiritual tone. Banton toured Europe and Japan, playing sold out shows, and performed before 20,000 in Trinidad and Tobago.

‘Til Shiloh (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju claimed to have sighted Rastafari and his new album reflected these beliefs. Til Shiloh successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included earlier singles such as “Murderer”, and “Untold Stories”. “Untold Stories” revealed an entirely different Buju Banton from the one that had stormed to dancehall stardom. It is regarded by many as some of his best work, and is a staple in the Banton performance repertoire. Reminiscent in mood and delivery to “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley, “Untold Stories” won Buju Banton many favorable comparisons to the late singer. This conscious album had a large impact on dancehall music and showed the hunger the dancehall massive had for conscious lyrics. Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music. In the wake of Buju’s transformation to Rastafari, many artists, such as Capleton, converted to the faith and started to denounce violence.

Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton’s international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks, including the hugely popular “Destiny” and “Hills and Valleys“. The album also included collaborations with artists such as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like “Til Shiloh.” Still, Buju’s experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.

After Inna Heights, Buju went on to make other albums, but the albums he made in the 90s are about as good as it gets. I recommend you get them all, especially if you want to learn Jamaican Slang while listening to some great music.

Source: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buju_Banton]

Here are a few Buju tracks that are well known…get familiar:

Buju Banton - Champion(remix)

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Buju Banton - Murderer

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Wow! I just finished watching “Runaway Slave” and it was the truth…”natural ting”. This is the kind of documentary that students of Jamaican Culture, Jamaican Slang and Rastafari MUST watch. It is especially insightful for those wanting to understand the relationship between Africa and Jamaica. If you do not know, Repatriation is a very important word to rastas. Basically it means returning to the homeland or in this case, Africa/Ethiopia. Interestingly enough, the documentary starts of in Botswana,Southern Africa. Jesse Jendah (Congo Jesse) travels from Southern Africa to Bobo Hill in St. Thomas, Jamaica, showing the various living conditions of Rastafarians. The documentary provides a window into the ghettos of Cape Town, the cosmopolitan Market Street in Botswana, and Bobo Shanti in Jamaica.

What is really powerful about this documentary is the strength that Rastafari has around the world. It truly is amazing that people in Botswana are maintaining the same way of life as those in Jamaica. There really isn’t a ton of dialogue during the South Africa portion of the film, but there are some great shots of how people are living in Cape Town and other towns. The real heat comes when Congo Jesse makes it to Bobo Hill in St. Thomas, Jamaica.

For starters, the Jamaican Slang was taken to a different extreme! If you get a chance to watch any portion of this documentary, this is the part to watch. You hear plenty of Jamaican Slang/Patois and Rasta Lingo, overstand? Jesse interviews two Bobo Shanti priests about rasta in their lives and the state of African people around the world. Their feedback is consistent with the teachings of Rastafari, but the story of Priest Harold is the most interesting one. Before finding Rastafari, he was a “Badman” (Gangster). He cites Rastafari as his salvation. I really do not want to spoil the film, but I highly recommend this film. I plan to do a more thorough review of the documentary soon.

Until then…Blessed Love

_

Yah Mon, Supermodel Kate Moss is learning to speak Jamaican Patois with Jamaican Slang and all. Kate has been learning patois during her periodic visits to Jamaica. Now, if you have a bankroll as long as Kate Moss, then your best choice might be going to Jamaica to learn patois for a few months, but most of us are not able to do that for that long. The truth is that even Kate could use some basic pointers on learning Jamaican Patois and Jamaican Slang when she is not able to zip to Jamaica. Learning Jamaican Patois is like learning any other language, it is vital to take advantage of your time in the county where the language is spoken, but you also need to continue training when you are back home to retain the knowledge and increase fluency. So is a list of the 6 Basic Steps to Speak Jamaican like Kate Moss and many Jamaicans.

1. Begin with the Jamaican idioms. The most noticeable aspect of Jamaican patois to a non-speaker is the heavy reliance on idioms. Idioms like “No one cyaan test,” which means no one can compete with a given person, use both the vernacular and the grammar of the patois. Learning a few of the idioms and their meanings will give you a context for advancing with the patois.
2. Learn the patois’ pronouns. Jamaican uses a system of pronouns that is based on the English pronomial system but differs significantly enough that it needs to be learned. Switch personal pronouns, for example, so “I” becomes “mi” and “me” becomes “I,” and replace possessive pronouns like “mine” with “fi” to start speaking the patois like a Jamaican.
3. Get the vocabulary. One of the most difficult parts of speaking Jamaican patois is the rich and dynamic vocabulary. Though infused with English, the system of Jamaican words is unique. You should learn Jamaican words and the many different grammatical uses that they have. The word “nuh,” for instance, means a general negative that includes “no,” “don’t” and “doesn’t.”
4. Get the tenses and aspects. Perhaps the most difficult part of speaking Jamaican patois is learning how to properly conjugate verbs. Jamaican’s system of verb tenses and aspects is completely different from that of English. Most importantly, you should master Jamaican’s version of the English “to be,” which is frequently left out of sentences or is replaced with a copular “a” or “e,” such as “Mi a di speaker,” to mean “I am the speaker.”
5. Explore inflection and pronunciation. Jamaican patois has a rhythm and lilt that comes from its blend of African roots and Spanish and French Romance languages. You can get a sense of the rhythms of Jamaican by listening to reggae lyrics. The spelling of Jamaican patois—”mon” for “man,” for example—reflects English words softened in pronunciation by Romance accents.
6. Become familiar with Rasta culture. Many Jamaican terms are drawn from the practice of Rastafarianism, a unique Jamaican syncretic religion that combines themes from the Hebrew Bible with the veneration of Haile Selassie, a former Ethiopian ruler, as a messianic figure. Again, reggae music is a good starting point for tracing the influence of Rasta on Jamaican patois. The Jamaican word for “God,” for example, is “Jah,” drawn from the biblical Hebrew “Yahweh.”

Remember, these are the basic steps to learning Jamaican Patois, but you have to practice, practice, pratice and study, study, study! To learn jamaican patois and slang visit www.jamaican-slang.com. SpeakJamaican.com is the home of the Rastaman Vibration, the definitive source on Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae and Rastafari…all essential to catching the Jamaican Vibe. To read the original article where these steps come from click here.

Wha gwaan Duppy Conquerors? It’s really an exciting time for Reggae, Jamaican Patois and Jamaican Slang. So much is behind the movement to see Jamaican Patois recognized as an official language and the work laid down by Bob Marley more than 20 years ago is still hitting people. In the song, Duppy Conqueror, Bob Marley introduced to the world, one of Jamaican Patois’ unique words  - Duppy.

Duppy (dup-pee): a ghost/spirit.

Duppies are usually seen as malevolent spirits or ghosts. The word has its origins in West Africa and has been the subject of songs by Bob Marley and Lee Scratch Perry. And itis with this information that we complete the trinity…the reggae part.

Here is a great blog post about Dub music, the ghost sound of reggae, and Rastafarians. This is a fascinating article and has a wealth of information for students of Jamaican Patois, Jamaican Slang and Reggae.

  “Dub arose from doubling—the common Jamaican practice of reconfiguring or “versioning” a prerecorded track into any number of new songs. Dub calls the apparent “authenticity” of roots reggae into question because dub destroys the holistic integrity of singer and song. It proclaims a primary postmodern law: there is no original, no first ground, no homeland. By mutating its repetitions of previously used material, dub adds something new and distinctly uncanny, vaporizing into a kind of doppelgänger music. Despite the crisp attack of its drums and the heaviness of its bass, it swoops through empty space, spectral and disembodied. Like ganja, dub opens the “inner door.” John Corbett even links the etymology of the word “dub” with duppie (Jamaican patois for ghost). Burning Spear entitled the dub version of his great Marcus Garvey album Garvey’s Ghost, and Joe Gibbs responded to Lee Perry’s production of Bob Marley’s “Duppie Conqueror” with the cut “Ghost Capturer.” Perry described dub as “the ghost in me coming out.” Dub music not only drums up the ghost in the machine, but gives the ghost room to dance.” (sourced here).

It should be noted though that Rastafarianism - unlike many Afro-Caribbean religions such as Vodou - is not a possession cult. As far as I am aware, there are no rituals in Rastafarianism in which, during trance, the subject is thought to have acquired a different personality: that of a god, a deity, genius or ancestor who takes possession of the subject, substitutes itself for him, and acts in that subject’s place. Furthermore, alcohol, which has an important role in many Afro-Caribbean possession rituals, is tabooed under Rastafarian food laws (I-Tal).

“[Rasta] has little in common with Haitian voodoo, Cuban santeria or the other Africanised remixes of Catholicism. Instead of a panoply of spirits, Rasta has just the one God, the stern patriarch of the Old Testament - not someone with whom you can cut deals, as you can with voodoo’s loa. If anything, Rasta is Afro-Protestant, sharing with mainland America’s fundamentalists an emphasis on close reading of the scriptures and a millenarian belief in an End of Time whereupon the righteous get transported to the promised land.” (”Tangets #2. Back To The Roots”, by Simon Reynolds, Wire, September 2000).

Nevertheless, in Rastafarianism communion or ‘communial trances’ do play a role. “Rasta mystical experience emphasizes the possibility of the immediate presence of Jah within the “dread,” or “God-fearer.” God’s presence brought on an understanding of the fundamental unity of all humanity, expressed in the pronoun “I&I” (which can mean I, we, or even you, with Jah present). Discerning the will of God is an almost Talmudic process, achieved through night-long “reasoning” sessions, part theological debate, part prayer meeting and meditation, which lead to an “overstanding” (rather than understanding) of the truth through union with Jah.” (sourced here).

“In fact, one of the most common Rastafarian rituals involves reading a chapter of the bible everyday. The version most commonly read is that of King James. The Rastafarians claim, however, that King James distorted the true content of the bible party because of his inability to translate the Amharic Ethiopian text accurately, and also as a deliberate ploy to perpetuate the suppression and oppression of the black race. So, although the bible is read and venerated, the Rastafarians only choose to read those passages which they ‘intuitively’ feel are correct.” (sourced here).

Many tenets of Rastafarianism, such as the I-Tal diet and the wearing of dreadlocks, are the result of an at once inspired and paranoid reading of the Scriptures, the result of a Ganja-entranced communion with Jah.

“Reggae fans, black and white, (…) looked to the music for “a solid foundation” (as the Congos sang it), for certainty and truth, militancy and motivation. ‘Roots rock rebel’ neatly condenses how Jamaican music was seen both by rock and by reggae itself. Reggae was anti-imperialist: Rasta’s Pan-Africanism connected with the period’s post-colonial struggles (…). Reggae was anti-capitalist (…). And reggae was anti-fascist, (…) bringing radical chic to countless student digs with its poster iconography: Peter Tosh, a Che Guevara with natty dreads and black beret; Medusa-headed spiritual warriors Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, and Culture; Steel Pulse preaching about “Handsworth Revolution”.” (from: “Tangents #2: Back to the roots”, Simon Reynolds, Wire, September 2000 issue)

To read the full post click here. To read more about Reggae, Dub, Bob Marley and Jamaican Patois, check out the Rastaman Vibration at SPEAKJAMAICAN.COM

I was so excited when I came across this unique and special interview with Sizzla, the legendary and prolific rasta and reggae artist. Everything Sizzla touches is special and this is not different. Yes, I know he sometimes has fun and deviates from his core message, but you try to put out 10-15 albums a year about a few subjects…nuff said. This interview ranks up with the best that you can find. Sizzla, a Bobo Dread, breaks down Rastafari and its role in the world. You have to listen to this:

[YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8phWqHgaaS8]

Sizzla is legendary and has contributed so much music to the world in the name of Rastafari and Reggae Music. To learn more about Rastafari, Reggae and Jamaica. Check out the Rastaman Vibration!

Soon Come!

Okay…so maybe rastas don’t run Jamaica, but they might as well. The world is getting smaller and rastas have spread out of Jamaica to all corners of the world. I have met rastas in Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, England, even Belgium. Now, some of those countries are tropical places  with similar histories to Jamaica, but Belgium has a completely different climate and colonial history. And I hear that Rastas are even in Japan!!! So why are rastas popping up in random places around the globe?

For starters, we have to give thanks to the late great Bob Marley. Bob Marley is a legend and people all around the world connect with his music and struggle. His songs are easy to sing along to and memorize. I have friends in Brazil who do not speak English (nor Jamaican patois), but can sing the lyrics to every Bob Marley song and they have an understanding of what the legend is saying. Bob is the world’s most famous rasta and that has been tremendous for the rasta way of life.

Secondly, a core premise of Rastafari is standing strong in the face of adversity and this resonates with many people around the world. People in all cultures, societies and environments are held back from various opportunities based on their race, believes, culture, gender and thousands of other reasons. Rastafari is a way of life that gives the oppressed a voice and sense of peace. While living in Brazil, I was amazed at the number of rastas I met who lived in the favelas. They were always at peace and lived life according on their terms, despite being largely oppressed.

Another factor in the spread of Rastafari is identification. This is especially true in places with large Afro-Jamaican populations and large Afro-Descendant populations. Yes, there are rastas all over the Caribbean because Jamaicans have moved to neighboring islands, but also because there is a connection in struggle. Although each country that enslaved Africans, used different methods of enslaving and breaking down the slaves, there are certain connections that people of African descent have and Rastafari helps build on those connections. One of the major connections or experiences is a gaining a true knowledge of self and one’s past. Some people do not care, but Rastas do care and people that care tend to be drawn to Rastafari.

Finally, Rastafarians are about peace, love, knowledge and acceptance. These are core values for most societies, yet not enough people remember these values in their day to day life. Sometimes, we see rastas roaming around aimlessly amongst the world, but what might appear to be idleness is actually deep thought, analysis and isolation from negative influences brought on by Babylon (the oppressive forces of the world). The majority of the world is moving towards peace and that means the seeds of Rastafari will spread even more. I hope you will take the time to learn more about Rastafari, wherever you are…and remember, “yuh don’t haffi dread to be rasta“!

To learn more about Rastafari and the Rasta way of life, visit: www.jamaican-slang.com to get the definitive book on Jamaican culture and language.

Give Thanks,

Ras Zuke

I know that alot of people think that all reggae sounds the same, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, there are definitely some similarities among all of the types of reggae, but there are really two dominant forms of reggae that come out of Jamaica, Ragga aka Dancehall Reggae and Roots Reggae. So what are the differences?

To begin with, Ragga which I will refer to as Dancehall is largely played with digital instruments. Most of the beats which are called Riddims are made digitally. Dancehall has been the most commercially successful Jamaican music over the years. Many Dancehall artists have experienced cross over success with mainstream music. Artists like Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killa, Elephant Man and many more are all examples of dancehall artists with some experiencing worldwide success. In addition, to artists known strictly for dancehall, some Roots artists also record dancehall tracks. Sizzla, Buju Banton and Capelton are roots artists who also appear on dancehall tracks. Dancehall is unique in that it draws on all aspects of Jamaican culture and is often the sound where authentic Jamaican Patois can be heard (to hear some authentic Patois on Dancehall Tracks, check out the JA Mixes). The subject matter in the songs ranges from politics in Jamaica, sex, women, violence, Jamaica or a new dance. Dancehall gets its name from the event or place where people go to hear ragga tracks and as the word implies, people dance! Many of the most popular dancehall tracks have dedicated dances with choreography. Recently, one of the most popular was dances was Pon di River, also a song by Elephant Man. In addition, to Pon di River, there is also a dance for Signal de Plane (click here to see the steps for Signal de Plane!) Dancehall tracks come out at a frenzying pace and some are classics while others leave much to be desired.

Roots reggae is the largely rasta influenced form of reggae. Many roots tracks are recorded with live instruments, although many are also digital. As mentioned before, some of the most well known roots artists who venture into the dancehall world are Sizzla, Buju Banton and Capelton. Other popular artists who focus almost exclusively on roots include Morgan Heritage, Ritchie Spice, Jah Mason, Anthony B, Luciano and many more. One thing to know is that many of these artists are also rastas. Sizzla, Capelton and Anthony are all Bobo Ashanti, a very unique and obscure sect of the Rastafarian faith. Most roots songs address issues such as Rastafari, Ganja, Jah, H.I.M (His Imperial Majesty), Africa, Jamaica and other realities that face the Jamaican people. As far as learning to speak Jamaican, Roots is important for understanding the roots, reality and culture, but is much more likely to have English lyrics. From a cultural perspective, Roots songs often have Nayabinghi sounds and other instruments of the Rastafari faith.

So is one genre better than the other? Absolutely not. I go in and out of phases. Sometimes, I want to listen to roots to relax and other times I want to listen to dancehall to get energized like Elephant Man. Dancehall is great to learn to speak Jamaican and Roots really gives you insight into the culture of Jamaica and Rastafari!