Dancehall Again paid homage to culture

Fire blazing, money pull-ups, group dancers, and high energy were all on display as Dancehall Again, held last Saturday at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, paid homage to the evolution of dancehall culture.

The hundreds of patrons who gathered at the venue were treated to great selections that had them dancing all night long. Speaking with THE STAR, event organiser Keron 'YowLevite' Young said that the aim of the event was to have patrons from all spaces in Jamaica be fully immersed in the glory of dancehall.

"So Chi Ching Ching and Keifa Desnoes initially conceptualised an idea of an event where we would be celebrating the various aspect of dancehall that made it universally recognised and loved. We wanted to ensure that persons of the various geographical reach, whether uptown or downtown, had fun in all aspects," he said.

"This is important to our culture, because we want to ensure that we had an event that was not a throwback event or a contemporary dancehall music event, but one that facilitated people of all ages, demographics, backgrounds, classes, races."

A stellar line-up of deejays made it easy for partygoers to let loose. From routine steps to gyrating hips and rotating waistlines, the event was not short on vibe and fun. However, with news of Arif Cooper's death at the Police Officers' Club next door, Young says it was dispiriting.

"When our team got word of the news, we were surprised and disheartened. It certainly caused us to be more aware of our patrons and supporters, and started doing more safety and hospitality checks to ensure that everyone was safe while enjoying themselves. My condolences to the family of the late Arif Cooper," he said. The next staging of Dancehall Again is set for July.

Here are the highlights.