Ding Dong hails dancehall’s impact on livelihoods

Dancehall artiste Ding Dong is promising nothing short of "hardcore dancehall" when he takes the stage for the Dancehall Week's official street parade after party, Carousing, on March 1.

The deejay, who will perform alongside the Ravers, is among the headline acts set to ignite the grand finale, which also features Qwenga and Stalk Ashley, and will be hosted by Bishop Escobar. In a conversation with THE STAR, Ding Dong shared a sneak peek into what patrons can expect from his performance.

"You know it's always excitement with me. The streets are for dancehall, so we just plan on displaying the hardcore dancehall that they've come to love and appreciate over the years. We're going to give everyone just a taste of what dancehall is really about," he said.

Speaking on the impact of dancehall, Ding Dong added, "Dancehall has such a big impact on our culture and our country as a whole. A lot of inner-city people live from and through dancehall, making even their living from the genre and culture. So, it is super important for us to make things really special for the people."

The performance comes as patrons gear up for the street parade which will take over sections of Kingston.

Earlier this month, Janice Young, one of the organisers of Dancehall Week, shared that the final parade details were still being confirmed. But speaking with THE STAR, she said, "Fully night parade. We have all the required permits".

Revellers will gather at 4 p.m., with the parade rolling out at 6 p.m. The route moves from Half-Way Tree to Cross Roads, then on to Caledonia Avenue, where the after party kicks off at 8 p.m. and runs until midnight.

While there will be no set performances during the parade itself, Young says patrons can expect plenty of excitement.

"There's a list of artistes that are going to be there, [along with] entertainers and dancers. So it's going to be filled to the brim with vibes. And, of course, they're going to have Magnum Tonic Wine and the entire team from there," she said.

"We are not necessarily looking at performances at that point, [but] maybe spontaneous things as a whole lot of artistes have been invited."

Dancehall Week officially kicked off on Sunday and spans six signature events, with organisers intentionally keeping the focus tight.

"One of the things we wanted to do for the week was to ensure that dancehall itself took forefront and the special or signature events are what we are focusing on. We didn't want to do any additional events when there is a signature event on almost every single night," Young said.

The week began with Boom Sundays, followed by last night's Uptown Mondays, with Tuesday Service set for tonight at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre.

- Kenrick Morgan