These days Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness is singing a different tune when it comes to dancehall.
In February, Holness catch some heat from dancehall fans and some industry players for a statement he made at a political rally about the culture of daggering and violence across the island. In recent press conference, the PM threw his support behind the culture and calls for a protection of the art.
“Music is art, music is culture, and art and culture are not just the reflection of the current state of reality,” he said. “Art and culture are to elevate the people … When foreigners come here, they take it and go back and package it and use it in their own pop culture and make a ton of money from it, while we stay here quarrelling over dancehall.”
A lot of dancehall fans on social media praised Andrew Holness for his new stance on dancehall. Last month, he disagreed strongly with a statement from his political opposition member Lisa Hanna who called for a ban on music from incacerated artists mainly Vybz Kartel.
