Dancehall: The Story of Jamaican Dancehall Culture By Beth Lesser

by Beth Lesser

This definitive study of the 1980s Jamaican Dancehall scene features hundreds of exclusive photographs and an accompanying text that capture a vibrant, globally influential and yet rarely documented culture that has been mixing music, fashion and lifestyle with aplomb since its inception. With unprecedented access to the incredibly exciting music scene during this period, Beth Lesser's photographs and text are a unique way into a previously hidden culture.
Dancehall is at the center of Jamaican musical and cultural life. From its roots in Kingston in the 1950s to its heyday in the 1980s, Dancehall has conquered the globe, spreading to the USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Europe and beyond.
Dancehall is a culture that encompasses music, fashion, drugs, guns, art, community, technology and more. Many of today's global music and fashion styles can be traced back to Dancehall culture and indeed continue to be influenced by it today.
Born in the 1950s out of the neighborhood jams of Kingston, Dancehall grew to its height in the 1980s before a massive influx of drugs and guns made the scene too dangerous for many.
This jam-packed visual history and text tells the story from its roots to its heights from that rarest vantage of the true, respected insider. In the early 1980s, as Jamaica was in the throes of political and gang violence, Beth Lesser ventured where few others dared, and this book is a never-before-seen record of the exciting, dangerous and vibrant world of Dancehall.
Writer and photographer Beth Lesser lived in Jamaica in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her previous book, King Jammy's (2002), a profile of the innovative Dancehall producer King Jammy, was described by Peter Dalton, co-author of The Rough Guide to Reggae , as "the one essential book on reggae." She currently lives in Toronto.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2008

Reviews

[Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the photography, high four stars for the survey history of Dancehall's rise, and the breakout sidebars on a large number of influential artists.

If you love the early transition from singers dominance on the scene to the DJ period, and have opinions about dancehall's move to digital, it's worth checking out this coffee table book.

The photography is slice of life, well composed and great in it's large format.

I could live in this book!

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just amazing photos but also a surprisingly detailed history of dancehall (I had expected more of a coffee table book from the format).

[christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. Great straight forward history of the development of dancehall reggae. This book is in large format and has tons of beautiful photos, which are as much the focus of the book as the text. My favorite photos are just the pictures of Jamaican life, like pictures of teens cooking up Ital stew in the yard of Channel One studios or pictures of women carrying buckets of drinking water in Waterhouse. A must for anyone interested in Dancehall reggae.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I can add to the other reviews here is that the book provides a succinct history of Jamaican music, not just dancehall. I've read other books on reggae's history. This is up there with the best. The author realizes dancehall's influence on 90's American hip hop. There's certainly a book waiting to be written on the impact dancehall had on American pop in the 21st century.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pictures, good rundown. Recommended.

[Gary Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Jamaican music, its culture or a fan of people photography this is a must for you and the coffee table. This book will keep visitors to your home quiet and engrossed.

[C. B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool book. Excellent pictures and a good overview of various artists and aspects of the music business at the time. Most charming!