Boom Boom hails positive impact of street dances

Legendary Billboard selector Boom Boom credits the popular street dance culture with playing an increasingly vital role in tourism and providing for the creatives and 'garrison youths'.

"To me, it get bigga and betta enuh, because, every week, all a di events dem ram. Like Uptown Mondays, di place full a tourists weh come and a endorse wi culture. When yuh look inna di stadium, yuh see more white people than black people. A di same ting wid Boasy Tuesdays and Weddy Weddy Wednesdays. Boom Sundays is the only 'in the streets' event we have right now because [all other events] wi keep in a lawn. Wid Boom Sundays, wi have di jerk pan dem pon di streets, di hustler dem, di bar and roadside vendors just line out pon di streets and yuh just feel free," Boom Boom told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"Reggae/dancehall music play a big role inna Jamaica. Normally when [tourist] fly in, dem just waah go pon di beach and spend some time inna di nice hotel dem. But now, majority a dem just waah come endorse di culture and be among us inna di streets. Even the dancers dem weh a buss now, as yuh quint, dem gone a Europe gone teach dem dance class dem, and, when dem a come back, dem a come in wid a bag a tourist same way. Suh it a work and it a work good," he added.

Though his love and passion for the music is what drives him to turn up and deliver the same energy every night, he said nothing warms his heart like giving back to the people.

"Di biggest trend weh me set, enuh, is giving back to the streets wid di money pull up. A night time, yuh have some people weh come and yuh can gi dem a three gran ($3000) fi sen dem [kids] go a school. Suh mi always look out fi dem people deh," he said.

"The more yuh give, a di more yuh get, suh mi always a tell odda selectors seh 'Bredda, if yuh get all a 10 gran ($10,000) yuh can gi weh back five gran ($5000) and I start see nuff a di youths dem all a foreign a dweet yah now to. Dat can stop a big gap and it feel good fi know seh wi can help dem way deh," he added.

'Queen of Dancehall' Spice, in a recent post, even commended Boom Boom and his World Boom Team for keeping the street dance culture alive and remaining true to the people.

In response, Boom Boom shared that "Spice know di streets" and "play a major role in the streets dancehall culture".

"Everybody in di streets love har because, even when she nuh have a song a promote, she look out fi di youths, hustlers and dancers dem and tek care a dem. A dat dem nuh understand and a dats why dem can't guh move har, because Spice conquer [both] in the streets and social media [in terms] of promotion and she know how fi deal wid people," said Boom Boom.

He also applauded the continuous support from artistes such as Aidonia, Elephant Man, Ginjah, Bounty Killer, I-Octane and Beenie Man, who are always contributing to the 'street people' whether or not they have songs promoting. He urged other entertainers to also offer their support to the creatives who are "sending their music to the world, because the streets play a big role in dancehall". Boom Boom also pleaded to members of parliament and "the bigger heads" to offer some help by donating "iPad, tablets" and other gadgets and school items to give to the less-fortunate residents in these areas.