Cyah Stall — Dancehall Aesthetics, Language and Resistance teaches exciting lessons

In celebrating Reggae Month, Blaqmango Consultants hosted the Cyah Stall – Dancehall Aesthetics, Language and Resistance exhibition. The Sunday Gleaner visited its viewing hub, CreativSpace on Windsor Avenue, and received an informative and exciting tour.

Our team was warmly greeted by the co-curators Katrina Coombs and Winston Campbell, who took us on a truly remarkable cultural experience built to inspire and spark conversation. “The exhibition offers stimulating visual references that inspire critical conversations about how dancehall culture and aesthetics are seen by different segments of our population today,” Campbell told The Sunday Gleaner. He further explained that the showcase features 20 pieces from eight inspiring visual artists.

These pieces, he says, were chosen largely as part of an open-call process. Last year, the team began the recruitment by reaching out to those in the art community who have done work related to dancehall. It was there that a deep interest was expressed in showcasing such extraordinary talents while honouring Reggae Month in February. The local artists featured are Lennox Coke, Dushaine Lorraine, Samantha Hay, Jowaine Graham, Achim Clunis, Yvad Campbell, Stefan Clarke and Renard Harris.

The discussions explored the history and relevance of the sound system, with pieces such as ‘The DJ’ by Lennox Coke and ‘Tun Up Di Sound’ by Stefan Clarke; the performance and pageantry of dancehall as presented in Clarke’s ‘Dancehall Gyal’ and Coke’s ‘Dancehall Moves’; the socio-economic relationship between music and politics, evident in ‘Poor People Fed Up’ by Achim Clunis and ‘Ah Suh Yuh Move’ by Achim Clunis. There was also a dedication to dancehall royalties – the long-reigning monarchs and those newly crowned, seen in the namesake ‘Dancehall Royalty’ by Dushaine Lorraine, along with ‘Dancehall Galaxy’ by Coke and Jowaine Grahams’ ‘Addi di Teacher’, ‘King of the Dancehall’ and ‘Poor People Governor’.

But it didn’t stop there. An ode to the colourful Jamaican dialect was brought to light with ‘Pop Style’, ‘Bere Vibes’ and ‘Hot Steppa’ pieces by Samantha Hay and ‘Dancehall Alphabet’ by Clunis. The showcase even touched on the cultural importance of bikes as the primary source of transportation and spectacle, especially when there’s a female companion in the mix.

Attendees were able to soak in paintings, sculptures, photography, graphic design and digital illustrations. During the tour, we received a greater feel of the narratives behind the riveting works of art and was awakened by the historical concepts and ideologies, radiant colours and the personalities of these pieces. Access to an audio accompaniment also left quite an impact. For example, ‘Yeng Culture’ by Renard Harris came with several musical references to bikes spanning several decades of dancehall. It was truly a sight of artistic admiration and revelry.

Some of the beautiful works of art are currently up for sale.

For more information about Blaqmango Consultants, email dblaqmango@gmail.com or follow @blaqmango on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com