Course Code: CLTR3516
Course Title: Performing Culture: Dancehall as Ritual and Spectacle
Date of Submission: September 22, 2015
Tutor: Dr. Donna Hope
Question 2: “Dancehall is a subcultural space”. Using relevant examples, analyse this statement.
(OPENING SENTENCE)….The term ‘dancehall’ often makes reference to a genre of Jamaican music; as the name suggests dancehall music was initially played in a dance hall as the content of the music was deemed unfit for airplay thus only being available in a set space. Dancehall however is not limited to music but encompasses a variety of other cultural aspects. (Summary of the history of dancehall music and how it developed into a lifestyle) Consequently, dancehall has been portrayed through various
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In analysing the practices that surround dancehall, it could be accurately said that they reflect that of a subculture. Subcultures theoretically speak to ….
Functionally, as an avenue for inner city populous to express themselves, coupled with its social deviant nature, dancehall is a subcultural space.
WHAT IS DANCEHALL????
In understanding dancehall as a subcultural state, one must grasp a full concept of what subcultures entail and how they function within a wider society. The prefix ‘sub’ suggests being a lesser part of something, therefore a subculture would speak to the culture of a people being less than the culture of the wider society. Dick Hebdige, a British sociological theorist, in his works “Subcultures: The Meaning of Style” states “…the meaning of subculture, is, then, always in dispute, and style is the arena in which the opposing definitions clash with most dramatic force” (Hebdige, 1979, p.3), the term ‘dispute’ then speaks to opposing views thus battling with a consistent level of conflict between the two. Hebdige, in reference to Genet’s novels, points to the fact that the
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He also speaks to the fact that the term subculture suggests a level of secrecy, masonic oaths, and an underworld and that it invokes the larger and no less difficult culture (a hegemonic position). In analysing the words of Hebdige, it becomes quite evident that a subcultural group holds their own moralistic values from that of the parent culture. Therefore, based on the modernist views of Hebdige, dancehall would be classified as a subculture, as it reflects most of the characteristics mentioned in his work. Dancehall in Jamaica is often viewed as the expressions of ________________. This is evident through the content of the music produced, the mode of dress portrayed and even the language created and used. “Close observation of hard-core dancehall music will reveal that there is a tendency to embrace, endorse and promote some of the most disgusting
American Writer and Musician, James McBride has written multiple books and has voiced his opinions in magazines as well as newspapers. In this particular essay, which appeared in National Geographic in 2007, he talks about how hip-hop has influenced the world and how he realized that he has missed an important part of his life. There are many rhetorics used in this essay, -“Irony, Metaphors, Hyperbole and Allusions. ”- are some of the more notable ones. While talking about his biggest nightmare, a feeling of disjoint comes into his mind, “It is no longer…hip-hop planet.”
In a time where sampling is a staple of hip-hop and other predominant, modern genres, it is not unreasonable for an artist to take ownership of past artifacts, even those which once were oppressed or used for oppression, as a way to reclaim the artifact itself, to subvert it, or otherwise reconstitute meaning. When we examine remixing and sampling in pop music in an academic way, we must consider how it is consumed by and therefore affects a non-academic audience. Understanding the audience is foundational to communication, after all. Radio listeners will not necessarily know where sampled pieces originate from, let alone their original contexts. And those effects should be further examined in the future.
In her article, Embodying Difference, Jane Desmond argues that dance offers important insights into the ways moving bodies articulate cultural meanings and social identities. In other words, she explains the importance of studying the body’s movement as a way of understanding culture and society. She has two main arguments. First, she argues for the importance of the continually changing relational constitutions of cultural forms. Desmond further explains that the key to shedding light on the unequal distribution of power and goods that shape social relations are the concepts of cultural resistance, appropriation, and cultural imperialism (49).
A local Northwest Coast dance company, Dancers of Damelahamid, will facilitate day three (Dancers of Damelahamid, 2012). It will take place inside the school’s gym, where they will demonstrate the one of their dances and song for the students. After the performance, the members of Dancers of Damelahamid will educate the students on what the importance of dance is for them, the history of specific dances, as well as the symbolism behind the specific moves they had performed. Indigenous cultures use their varieties of dance to convey different emotions and stories, they use them to connect themselves to their community, nature and spirituality. These dances are more than just movements, they are an expression of their culture, a projection of their hardships and what they have been through in their
To dance is to be knowledgeable about the stories of the ancestral heroes. Dancing, unlike painting and singing, is learnt at an early age. This allows large groups of people to demonstrate their clan rights in front of an audience. Dance is also seen as an occasion to entertain and to be entertained and through the work of dance to show their love for families and kin. It is for this reason that dance may be performed at the end of every day in some communities.
Mambo Girl (1957), a movie musical, follows Kailing, a talented young woman widely admired for her singing and dancing capabilities, as she searches for acceptance after learning the truth about her background. Shall We Dansu? (1996) follows Mr. Sugiyama, a Japanese accountant who goes on a secretive and intimate journey into the world of ballroom dance. Both Mambo Girl and Shall We Dansu? emphasize the close relationship between intimacy and Latin dance by linking Kailing and Mr. Sugiyama’s manners of dancing Latin to the emotional connection each has with other characters.
The Uprising Savoy Ballroom She loved to dance but she was not old enough to get in. She did not have the money, so she had to sneak in. She’d watch people swing and enjoy the life on the dance floor from her bedroom window. She imagined moving her feet to the beat of those sweet jazz sounds and dancing with the hottest guys in town.
Sampson Paquette Professor Edwards ENGL101C 9-13-2016 The Dance The essay: “Silent Dancing” By Judith Ortiz Cofer reflects on the transitional period in her life where herself and her immediate family made the move from Puerto Rico to the Big Apple, otherwise known as New York city. The timeline for the essay was set in the 1950’s where cultural fusion and blatant racism ran rampant in the streets.
This sensibility not only combats the accusations that disco is not a legitimate form of music, but also provides minorities and oppressed groups a safe space that differs from those that rock and punk may provide. These differences in how disco allows people to be fabulous come through in the aspects
European colonialism in Africa was a violent process of exploitation and dominance in the political, social, and cultural sphere of native society. Pop culture music and dance are dynamic social products that provide insight into the shifting sociocultural formations of a society. Through this analysis of pop culture I will discuss the classist social hierarchies established by colonialism and defined power by proximity to whiteness. I will explore native actors’ response to colonial social hierarchies in their alliances or resistance to colonialism and their influence on music and dance styles. Finally, we will evaluate ways in which music and dance are forms of resistance that challenge the status quo in colonial societies.
Subcultures are values and norms different from those of the majority and are held by a group within a wider society, these social groups are organized around shared interests and practices. A subculture is usually attached to clothes music and other visible fronts within the given community, that is part of the general society. Subcultures contain individuals who think alike who feel like they are not a part of the bigger culture of society and then create a sense of identity for themselves. The term Hip Hop is used as a subcultural movement. Scholars such as Carl and Virgil Taylor emphasize “Hip-Hop is not only a genre of music, but also a complex system of ideas, values and concepts that reflect newly emerging and ever-changing creative correlative expressive mechanisms including but not limited to song, poetry, film and fashion.”
Finally, the film demonstrates how hip hop culture is a tool used by African Americans to reclaim their identity and heritage. Such is evident in the different elements present in the movie such as break dancing or rap which is similar to traditional African moves and music. Thus, concluding that Beat Street is a film which accomplishes the idea of exemplifying how hip-hop culture has been an outlet for blacks to portray their social, political, economic states, as well as their identities since its
Introduction Culture and Subculture Culture is a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. (Tylor, 1871) Subculture is a different, or even opposes, the mainstream culture in society in terms of norms and values. It is formed by people sharing similar background. These people usually form their own norms, values, attitudes, and lifestyle.
Hip Hop music influence on modern society. Introduction Hip-hop music was initially developed in the late 1970s, only few people knew about its existence as it was created in the most unprivileged districts of New York City in America by African-American citizens. Hip-hop is not a bunch of entertaining words but a poetic language about issues around us, and movement within a culture interrelating ethnicities. The messages of rap music/hip hop tells stories of how life is in the streets dealing with drugs, crime, and violence. Most messages are a reflection of how the youth feels about the system, the police.
Edwin Rahimi Research Paper From the underground streets of New York to the global stage, Hip Hop can be seen as one of the most influential genres of its time. As a style of music that ultimately originated from black street culture, much of its context can be pinpointed to the issues of political and social equality that are often kept in the dark. When Hip Hop emerged throughout the late 70s, new artists were experimenting with an advancement in technology and used various devices including turntables to create certain beats. As time went on, Hip Hop turned the page to more of a lyrical genre where artists ultimately began using words in their lyrics to convey a certain theme or message to the public eye.