Passa Passa is a weekly event which has originated from Jamaica and is quickly catching on. It is like a party on the street and is performed with dancehall music. Artists, Selectors, and Dancers who usually attend and have done a great deal to build the dance for what it is today includes; Bogle, Ding Dong, Marvin, Black Blingaz, Timeless Crew, Shelly Belly, Spikes, John Hype, Sample 6, Sherika Future, Jermaine Squad, Sadiki, Swatch, Maestro, Beenie Man, Future Girls, and Many More.

Passa Passa shows off the Caribbean culture to the fullest and is being promoted by many across the world today. Many foreigners come from across the globe to take part in these weekly parties, from Japan to American and From Europe to Africa. It is an even which shows off the dance skills of the people with the masterpiece of the dancehall music. This party is known to start from about 1am and sometimes goes straight to 8am and is nonstop music.

It has brought a sense of peace where all people from areas which are known to be violent come and enjoy themselves and have fun without out worry. New artists come in the hopes of getting their music played, established ones come to test new sounds and discover the next big thing. Dancers some of whom were once violent gang members work to attract the attention from the big name entertainers, producers and promoters. These are opportunities to change their circumstances in ways neither the gun nor the politicians can change.

The Passa Passa is an event which should be checked out for your own curiosity, so if you haven’t already heard and seen this then do so and check out the wacky dance styles with the up-tempo style of dancehall music running throughout the night till the sun rise and all can be streamed here: Watch Passa Passa.

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In the early part of the 90’s Bounty Killer was persuaded by his friend Boom Dandymite to hang near King Jammy’s studio in Waterhouse. Eventually he was given a change and recorded the tune “Coppershot” in 1992. Jammy however was not willing to release it because of the gun lyrics but eventually was released by his brother Uncle T. he quickly gain popularity and was heard by NY based DJ Johnny Wonder who recognized the talent of young Rodney. He was quickly wanted on producer’s riddims for an instant hit. Over the 90’s he has given hits such as “Disrespect”, Book Book Book, and “Roots Reality and Culture” to name a few of his many hits. He soon became popular in the States and soon collaborated with international hip hop artists such as Busta Rhymes and Mobb Deep. He also did more popular work with Swizz Beats, Fugees and Gwen Stefani.

He has continued to give his hit after hit and has given us a show to remember. He is most recently known for his feud with dancehall newcomer Vybz Kartel. He has shown us his gangster ways and has won us over with his most famous gun man lyrics. He has shown us that his place is here to stay and has not stopped giving us gun tunes. He is one of those who have pushed dancehall music to an international level and for that he has earned his everlasting place in dancehall history. From him we have today artists such as mega hit sensation Mavado, Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal and also BLing Dawg to name a few. He has shown that he also has an eye for talent and is able to promote the dancehall culture effectively.

Today he is still behind the mic recording new tunes and touring around the world from China to Canada selling out shows. He has his artists and he is moving the people same way he has done in the past and shows that he is not going to stop anytime soon.

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In 1998 Beenie Man took over Reggae Sunsplash and at no time signed a record deal with Virgin Records based in America. The first album released with his newly signed record label was titled ‘’The Doctor”. Before that however he had already become the best dancehall DJ throughout the reggae dancehall world. He brought us hit after hit and became a sensation. He had begun his journey of breaking down barriers and caring reggae dancehall music to higher heights. He had collaborated with many international artists such as Mya, Wyclef Jean and also Janet Jackson. Never before had anyone of the reggae dancehall community done such a thing. He has also won many international awards including a Grammy for the best reggae album which just added to his high success. He has also been known for his lyrical content with such songs as “Murder” and “Kette Drum”. He is one of the few artists to be able to succeed in both reggae and dancehall and have been dominating the industry ever since.

Beanie man music is amongst the most popular worldwide when it comes to dancehall music. He has been touring all over the world to countries such as England, Holland, Canada, China and the US to name a few. He has earned his place in the history of reggae dancehall and also in Jamaica. He is a perfect example of the success and help which the reggae dancehall industry has provided for the people of the Caribbean. He is a DJ that knows no bounds and has continuously shown us what he is capable of. He has worked with any known reggae dancehall producer that can be thought of, from Dave Kelly to King Jammy and also Tony Kelly and Stephen McGregor son of Freddie McGregor. He has also shown that his skills are not only in reggae and dancehall and has also been in collaborations in Reggaeton, Soca, Chutney, Hip-Hop and also Pop music.

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If you attend a PassaPassa party you will eat caribbean food such as rice and peas, oxtail, curry, bbq chicken and drink lots of liquor and beer. You will hear dancehall music all night and get to see some amazing amateur and professional dancers perform. PassaPassa events are usually filmed and made into DVD for mass distribution, which has helped spread its popularity to the world. There are currently Passa Passa parties happening all over North America weekly, and its popularity has spread to Europe and even Japan.

The main focus of any passapassa party are the dancers. Both men and women alike dress up in their best party outfits and spend the night dancing their hardest and showing off to each other. Much of the dancing includes sexually suggestive grinding and sometimes imitates performing sex acts themselves. There have been people who have criticized this, saying it is demeaning to women, that the only way for them to gain acceptance from the men in the crowd is to perform these dances. Others will say it is just men and women getting together and having the time of their lives and getting loose. There are also groups of friends who form dance troupes, performing complex, high energy routines to their favorite riddims. 

The music of passapassa is called dancehall. It originated as a mix of African, American blues and Jamaican folk rhythms, evolving from the spiritual roots reggae of the 70’s to a more aggressive and technical sounding music that it it today. It is highly danceable, but can sometimes contain lyrics that some find offensive. All the tracks and riddims are layed down by the dj, known as the selecta.

If you do attend a passapassa party, be sure to indulge in tasting some of the food available. Rice and peas are a staple to any caribbean diet, it is white rice mixed with red kidney beans, coconut milk, and herbs to taste. It is eaten with fish, curry chicken or goat, or oxtail. Jerk chicken is one of the most popular jamaican foods, it is chicken with a spicy sauce ranging from mild to extra spicy, which is almost guaranteed to burn your tastebuds.

It is impossible to put into words the vibe that happens at a passapassa party, with the music, dancing and food, you get a true sense of Jamaican life, whether you are on the island or in a club in your local city.

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Old school reggae today is just as popular as when it first came out or even more popular. There is a special groove and style to the old school reggae which no one else has been able to reproduce. It was a music that captured your attention and had very clever lyrics which made the people go wild. Old school reggae is a bit like the style of old school rap except that the lyrics are in the Jamaican dialect. Old school reggae came at a time when music entertainment was needed to take the attention away from the troubles that the islanders were facing. The political and economic struggles came as a tool used to produce excellent quality reggae which become an enormous success and took the whole island into stardom. The art of old school reggae was a unique one with their unique sounds and themes. The instruments which were already known to people were used in a totally different way giving them a sound that would later be known as a Caribbean sound.

Roots music was something to groove to and contemplate about. The message was strong and the beat was unlike any other. It was simply an amazing thing to witness and should not be forgotten. The tempo was a much slower one than what we have today. Back then the islanders were more relaxed and so it also showed in their music. The peaceful and loving mood that the roots provided is surely part of Jamaican history as all other music genres. There were also many other artists from the UK and other Caribbean islands but none could of competed with the Jamaican artists themselves. This music surely shows the level of talent that the island of Jamaica possesses. From then till now all reggae artists that have gain maximum popularity worldwide are from Jamaica and it is no surprise as they are the ones responsible for giving us all this special type of music.

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Electric force and Soul Signal were some of the nearby sound systems which he used to practice are craft with during the weekends. His first single was released in 1993 titled. “Love Fat Woman” which was recorded under One Heart Records and used the name Adi Banton as a tribute to the well known Buju Banton who had a big influence in his career. He future recorded other singles with producers but did not gain much more success. In 1996 however he and 2 of his friends formed a group and was given the name Vibes Cartel which was inspired by the movie of Pablo Escaber and his cartel. This group however did not last due to some frictions which they had with one another. Again Adidja Palmer has to trod this path alone. He kept the group name as his one but used Vybz Kartel instead of Vibes Cartel. His career did not come with ease but the hard work which he did payed off very much to his benefit. In the year 2008 after gaining much success worldwide he made a line of condoms and rum, Daggering condoms and Vybz rum. All of these endorsements were made after singles which he had that were of major success and made it possible to have these lines.

Vybz Kartel has brought us hit after hit and is showing that he is number one in the dancehall arena. He has quickly gain success in various collaborations with international artists in mainstream music. He has had many enemies had has conquered them all with his unique lyrics and ability to freestyle with a pace which most people can’t produce. He gained more popularity when he teamed with Notnice productions and has brought to the surface new talent such as, Popcaan, Jah Vinchi and Black Rhyno to name a few.

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The origination of dancehall music is from the Caribbean which now has also been spread throughout the world. Today many artists come from Germany, Canada, Africa and also China. The music art form has evolved into something greater than anyone could have predicted. It is part of the society that we live in today and also is the trend setter in the music business today. It leads the way in music throughout the Caribbean and is a force to be reckoned with. Dancehall 2010 music being a worldwide genre is still most popular in the Caribbean at its home where most of the artists and producers come from. It gives the younger generation a chance to fulfill a dream and to make a carrier of it. It is more than just music but a passion and a lifestyle to people. If you have not yet heard dancehall yet then make it a must to do so, it’s captivating and unique and you will surely fall in love with it and would see why it is being so wide spread today.

Dancehall music being a worldwide genre is still most popular in the Caribbean at its home where most of the artists and producers come from. It gives the younger generation a chance to fulfill a dream and to make a carrier of it. It is more than just music but a passion and a lifestyle to people. If you have not yet heard dancehall yet then make it a must to do so, it’s captivating and unique and you will surely fall in love with it and would see why it is being so wide spread today.

The year has now begun and there has already been a tremendous amount of new dancehall 2010 music and artists coming to the surface. Never before have tunes been released so frequently, almost every day a few new songs and riddims are being released and it does not seem like it is going to slow down anytime soon.

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The Dancehall Queen crown was restored to Jamaica by Tavia Morris from Montego Bay. The twenty five year old nail technician won the crown at the Pier One Complex in Waterfront. This Dancehall queen competition was the fourteenth time that this competition has been held worldwide. In earlier years the Dancehall Queen crown was taken by Canadian Maude Francato and American Michelle Young. The year before Tavia placed in the top ten but did not win after she lost points when she stayed too long on a lightning rig. However she came back and won the Red Label Wine International Dancehall Queen crown and became $350,000 richer. She stunned with her provocative dancing and balancing on her head. She also won best outfit in the competition.

The second place was given to Ursula Fyce from Poland who made the crowd hype with her moves and also won best routine in the Dancehall Queen competition. Third place was given to Tiffany Hewitt another Jamaican who took home $100,000 for her efforts. The rest of the partakers were thanked for their tries but simply could not match the raw talent which the top three possessed. Angel edition was the theme given to the Dancehall Queen competition this time. The proceeds from these competitions have given scholarships for the past five years to primary, secondary and tertiary level students. An award was given to the CEO of Bighead Promotions for the words he had done in education and the profits he made to help these students. He was given the Angel with a heart by Jackie Norman the production director.

The Dancehall Queen competition has been a very popular one and is quickly growing in success. The future seems bright for this competition and it sure to be an even bigger even in the coming years. Every year the competition seems to be getting bigger and better with more competitors and more sponsors from across the globe.

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