Dancehall Queen Carlene Suggests That Money Is Behind The Erosion Of Morals In Dancehall
Dancehall has received its fair share of opposition and criticism throughout the years, and even a dancehall queen can add her perspective as well. That’s exactly what Dancehall Queen Carlene has done in her assessment of dancehall as it is today.
Dancehall Queen Carlene, whose given name is Carlene Smith, believes that money is at the root of the erosion of morals in dancehall, and there is less focus on the talent. In this process of erosion, nudity, unnecessary gimmicks and a lack of self-respect have become the norm surrounding dancehall.
She expressed her sentiments on the matter to The Star, stating, “Each person is going to do what is best for him or her. It is only unfortunate that some of them come under the dancehall umbrella and this creates a confusion in people’s minds, because the focus is not your talent as a singer, deejay or dancer. It’s like everything is now being taken to another level,” she said. “There are no morals, no respect of self, it is all about money rather than the music. But the truth is that good music still sells and doesn’t need gimmicks and nudity.”
Dancehall culture has never been quite tame, whether talking about an artiste or a dancer, and its provocative nature seems to change with time. Carlene seems to think that as individuals seek to carve out their own path in the industry, in the manner that they see fit — usually ‘off-the-beaten-track’–every aspect of the creative process, except the music, has to be amplified tenfold for it to be considered good.
The dancehall queen veteran made her mark on the industry in the 90s and early 2000s, with sexually provocative dance moves, clad in racy costumes. However, she was deliberate in emphasizing that her mission during that period was to elevate dancers to the mainstream and help them attain the respect due to them, still deserved, while still showcasing the dance in dancehall culture.
Her costumes weren’t without a purpose.
She added, “As a dancer, I wore various costumes, and the purpose was to enhance the moves and the movements. I knew from back then that there was a whole community of girls and boys who could make a living out of dancing. After all, is not everybody can be doctor, nurse and lawyer. But nobody was paying them much mind…”
Carlene had her own challenges that she had to overcome as a scantily clad dancer trying to ascend in the dancehall sphere.
Attempting to show that morals mattered back then, she recalled, “I was turned away from Mirage twice because I was wearing a b***y rider. And, one year when I was supposed to dance at Reggae Sunsplash beach party for Junior Tucker. A woman, whose name I will not call, barred me, my sister Pinky and my other dancers. Junior had to intervene for us to be allowed on stage.”
While the clothes worn by dancehall queens have shrunk more with each passing year, dancehall lyrics have grown increasingly vulgar, dancehall remains what it’s always been a vibrant and controversial genre.