Music: Dancehall, the Documentary, the Arenas

The genre itself got started, like most, in the streets, among small gathering places, corners and open-air lawns, but when dancehall became mainstream, so too did the venues shift, and one in particular, has now notched over three decades as the greatest one-night gladiatorial contest for DJs. That is the event known as....

STING
Founded by former enforcer cop Isaiah Laing back in 1983 (still a transitional time for Jamaican music), Sting is virtually unparalleled in all of popular music. On one stage, all of dancehall's latest and greatest meet tot try and impress a notoriously demanding crowd, who have been known to air their displeasure with the throwing of bottles and other missiles, and there has also been gunfire. What they really want to see however, are the on-stage conflicts, as the hottest DJS, male and female, take on each other. These hot lyrical battles have often overheated into physical contests, and the epic feuds between the likes of Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, Vybz kartel and Mavado and more recently 'clash king" Kip Rich and Blak Ryno have played out on the STING stage at JamWorld in the St Catherine plains. More recently, STING entered the realms of pay-per-view, pulling in even more audiences globally and more bucks for Laing and directors, including cash-rich producer Joe Bogdanovich

Reggae Sumfest dancehall night
Reagge Sumfest superceded the now defunct Sunsplash largely on the appeal of its own mid-summer version of a one-night dancehall extravaganza  Indeed, Sumfest Dancehall night is where many artistes essentially "make their bid" for consideration on the STING line-up as the hottest act in July will certainly be offered a spot on Boxing Day (night) . The Sumfest stage has also seen its share of conflicts and controversies, but also some wild and crazy entrances (by the likes of Shabba and more recently, Spice) as well as some memorable performances


Fully Loaded

held at the James Bond beach in scenic St Mary, Fully Loaded spent roughly a decade as the big bad day-into-night beach party of dancehall