Dancehall Christmas 'nuh nice again' - Entertainers discuss why seasonal songs have dried up

In years past, the airwaves would usually be flooded by now with remixes of popular Christmas carols.

However, that trend has changed in recent times as the zeal by artistes to put out seasonal songs seems to dwindle with each passing year.

Aside from the lack of appreciation for things that were once considered traditional, selector Boom Boom believes the death of Sting is linked to the lack of interest artistes have for penning seasonal songs.

He theorised that perhaps if the show, in its original form, was still alive, the clash culture would inspire artistes to 'refix' popular Christmas songs.

"Sting was a very important part of dancehall culture. When it touch dem time a year yah, everybody a look forward to the clashes. Artistes used to start prepare dem songs and knowing say a Christmas time, every artiste waan come up wid a hot Christmas remix fi clash wid pan stage," he said. "But things and times change. Not only say Sting is no more, but people not even a treat Christmas like Christmas again. Last year, me never hear nuh Christmas carols (remixes inspired by artistes) and dis year it nuh look like we a go hear none. Is like dem (artistes) nuh really care bout dem again."

HUGE IMPACT

He noted that as a child growing up in the inner city, he used to see people decorating their houses and putting up pepper lights and Christmas trees.

"But for the last couple a years, yuh hardly a see dem decoration deh inna the inner city, so is like Christmas nuh really have the same meaning," he said.

Devin Di Dakta has a new song inspired by the festive season, but doesn't believe Sting's absence had any huge impact on artistes opting not to pursue seasonal songs, especially from the clash perspective.

"Most of the songs weh release a Christmas time a like girl songs where people in the party can have a good time. Other than Tommy Lee Shelly Christmas and Gaza Christmas and Gully Christmas, the Christmas track dem always have a joyful dancing vibe like the Christmas song wid Kartel and Sheba," he said. "I just think people nah really feel Christmas like they used to. People nah put up Christmas light again and dem thing deh, maybe it bun too much current. But the Christmas spirit isn't what it used to be and social media play a big part in that."

Devin believes that if artistes aren't feeling Christmas, that's all there is to it.

"One time is like you couldn't help but feel it because everywhere yuh go, yuh hear it. Yah watch TV, a pure Christmas movies. But now we have YouTube, Netflix and so on, so Christmas nuh 'inna ur face' again," he said.

Devin is slated to drop his Christmas-inspired medley on Friday. So far he and Shauna Chyn's White Christmas are the only two artistes to drop songs for the season.