Following the release of the ‘Hill and Gully’ rhythm by Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor, culturalists and traditional dancers say the project could spark a long-needed revival of heritage dances, typically reserved for cultural events and in designated spaces.
“In two words, I said ‘This bingo’, in the sense that this is a winner. Just the way how they are showcasing this natural rural Jamaica and connecting to dancehall and the riddim and lyrics, I just said it is a winner. It will remind people as well about some of the dances that have come from our ancestors,” said Professor Donna Hope.
For Aneila Wright, a member of the Gwarra Cherry African Kumina Group, the rhythm has already begun shifting attention toward traditional dance forms.
“Most feedback I see people asking for more kumina. I grew up dancing kumina and it has been pushed to the back because it’s associated with negative but it’s much more than that,” Wright said.
Hope pointed to the deeper cultural significance of the production.
“Thinking about it more, I kept thinking about the sonic references, it resonates with who we are as black people in the diaspora,” she said.
But for the multi-Grammy Award-winning McGregor, the rhythm is a spin-off of the original mento song and rhythm of the same name and was done with the intention to reintroduce a part of the Jamaican culture.
“I was just trying to tap into Jamaican culture on a deeper level, and I thought that no one really went into mento and that kind of thing. So, I wanted to see how I could merge that world with like the new people and kind of just reintroduce that part of the culture,” McGregor told The Gleaner in an interview.
Hope said that McGregor has “reminded us in a very creative way of the various connections that we have and live through as a people in the music”.
“The riddim reminds us that we are Jamaican. We are rural people, we are coming from Africa, and at the same time we are going to jump and prance to dancehall and reggae sounds,” she told THE STAR.
She added that in a digital era, cultural transmission increasingly happens through different platforms, making the impact greater for the younger generation.
“Young people are now [into the] audiovisual digital culture, so it will have an impact; they will respond to it. Then again, the sonic reference of the name Hill and Gully Ride, we had a TV programme at one time. So a lot of older people who loved it will pull on that through the name,” she said, adding that formal civic education no longer plays the same role in teaching these traditions.
“They don’t do civics in school anymore when we use to do it we were taught all of these forms and more. It doesn’t really happen like it used to, but this will also refocus our attention to the importance, and I hope the kumina group will be a part of the foregrounding of it and show people how some of the dances connected to this sound are done,” she said.
Wright, who has been involved in kumina dancing from a tender age, acknowledged its spiritual roots but still highlighted its entertainment value.
“It is a vibes, so people don’t know that fun side. But more children need to be engaged in tradition and learn the dance. I would just a like a clean song on the riddim where kids can show out more, but the riddim itself is good for tradition,” she said.
She added that many people are introduced to the practice through school or the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.
“But the riddim reminds us of that kumina plays a big part of our culture, and we have to try keep it alive,” Wright said.
The rhythm’s first track, Slip and Slide by Masicka, debuted at number one on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Songs chart. Other tracks include Hold Him Gal by Elephant Man and Woii by Valiant.
