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.
In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound
considerably, with digital dancehall (or "ragga") 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 (or "riddims").
The popularity of dancehall has spawned dance moves that
help to make parties and stage performances more energetic. Dancing is an integral part of
bass culture genres. As people felt the music in the crowded dancehall venues, they would do
a variety of dances. Eventually, dancehallartists started to create songs that either invented new
dances or formalized some moves done by dancehall goers. Many dance moves seen in hip hop videos are
actually variations of dancehall dances.
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