The Development of Dancehall Music

Dancehall originated in Jamaica, in the late 1970s, when popular music morphed from its roots in reggae into a modern and more wild, daring cultural phenomenon.

A shift in politics which caused the rise of the individualistic Jamaican Labour Party was also reflected in pop culture and consequently, the lyrics of the music. Songs addressed topics like violence, sexuality and social issues. Additionally, new advances in DJing caused the prominence of more electronic, and stronger beats, so the music style evolved as well.

Dance Hall Culture and Dancing

“Dance halls” were places where marginalized and working class groups of Jamaican people gathered to dance and party, to the tunes of Jamaican recordings and live artists. In a society divided by race and greatly influenced by an idealized European culture, dance and music was a way for the voiceless to express themselves.

The dance style that developed from dancehall music is characterized by very strong movements with sexual undertones, twerking, whining and even many acrobatic and gymnastics “tricks”.

The Rise of a Global Phenomenon

Today, dancehall as both a music genre and dance style has taken the world by storm, influencing many popular artists and other music genres across the world.

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Source https://www.thegryphon.co.uk/2017/04/28/sim-simma-dancehall-a-history/