What is Dancehall?

I am almost positive you have heard a form of dancehall in your life and haven't even realized it. Dancehall is a style of music that originated from Jamaica in the the 1970s and is now popular around the world. It is sub-genre of reggae, dub, and R&B. Dancehall got its name from dj's who set up their equipment in large halls or street space for the purpose of partying. When dancehall first came about, some typical instruments to listen for were drums, bass guitar, guitar, and electric organ. However, when you listen to modern dancehall some instruments to listen for is the drums, sampler, synthesizer, and electric organ (Wikipedia). Dancehall has been come a staple in music all through the Caribbean and has managed to become popular in various other parts of the world such as, the United States, and parts of Europe. In my opinion, a really good example of a classic dancehall song is "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus and a good example of a modern dancehall song is "One Dance" by Drake. In comparison to the classic dancehall you can hear how the modern song is electronically produced and has become more in sync with other popular modern rhythms; however, they both still maintain a danceable rhythm, hence the name dancehall. Overall, dancehall has transformed into a very popular style of music that is now listened to all around the world and will probably continue to evolve as time goes on.

The following video is a demo of a Dancehall being made:

Murder She Wrote:

One Dance: