Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. This music genre was not officially named until the 1980s, when the two words Dance and Hall were joined to form Dancehall, which was then promoted internationally for the first time. At that time digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably, with digital dancehall becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music include its extensive use of Jamaican Patois rather than Jamaican standard English and a focus on the track instrumentals.
SoundCloud · Instagram · X
FAQ
- Where can I find dancehall live shows?
- Open dancehall in the SoundOff app for personalized upcoming show picks based on your own concert history.
- How do SoundOff fans rank dancehall?
- SoundOff uses head-to-head comparisons instead of star ratings. Fans who logged dancehall compare sets to build a personal ranking over time.
Get an alert next time dancehall plays near you.