What is dance hall music?

[dannyjoseph]

I've heard the phrase 'dance hall music' banded about recently. Can anyone let me know what this is or the type of sound it is etc etc?

Cheers

[willow74]

Kind of like dance reggae.

[fiferboy]

sean paul,beenie man etc

[lookslikemik]

The name seems to have come from a show called "Dancehall 83" in Jamaica in, er, 1983.  Promoters started advertising "Dancehall" shows to cash in on this, and it's now used as a catch-all term for pretty much all current Jamaican reggae music.

[robbieh]

dancehall is reggae beats often with rapid MCing. Its "reggae meets hip hop/rnb"

[romko]

the word dancehall i think originally referred to, er, dancehalls (as in ballroom dancing, before those discotheques full of hipsters appeared) ....be careful when you go to the record shop so you don't end up with Victor sylvester or Joe loss albums by mistake ;-p

[crafty]

'Dance halls' can be found in Brixton - however they are usually called Shabeens. Heavy roots and reggae music at intense volumes - very atmospheric and somewhat scary for those of a lighter complexion