Dancehall: The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture

The acclaimed, definitive and essential guide to 1980s Jamaican Dancehall--featuring hundreds of photographs with interviews and biographies This widely admired book, back in print with a new introduction, captures a previously unseen era of musical culture, fashion and lifestyle. With unprecedented access to the incredibly vibrant music scene during this period, Beth Lesser's photographs are a unique way into a previously hidden part of Jamaican culture. Born in the 1950s out of the neighborhood sound systems 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. Dancehall is a culture that encompasses music, fashion, drugs, guns, art, community, technology and more. Many of today's music and fashion styles can be traced back to Dancehall culture and continue to be influenced by it today. Dancehall is an essential reference book for anyone interested in reggae, as well as a unique photographic and