Protest, Resistance, and Identity Politics in Jamaican Dancehall Gospel: The Emergent Years

This article examines the emergence of Jamaican Dancehall Gospel (JDG)—a genre that fuses Christian-themed lyrics with dancehall rhythms—during its formative years (1998–2006). Despite its religious content, JDG artists expressed that they were often rejected in religious spaces and their music was excluded from worship spaces, based on debates between gatekeeping religious actors and the artists about the music’s appropriateness and authenticity. Using Koskoff’s concept of musical canon as a framework, the study explores why JDG failed to embody the “philosophical and aesthetic principles” of many ecclesial institutions. Drawing on media discourse, artist interviews, and observations, the analysis addresses four contested elements: artists, music, language, and dance. Findings reveal that resistance stemmed from JDG’s association with secular dancehall culture, its use of Jamaican patois, and its incorporation of dance—practices historically stigmatized as “low class” and incompatible with sacred spaces. While proponents argued for cultural relevance and the neutrality of musical forms, critics viewed JDG as a threat to traditional worship norms and moral order. The paper situates these tensions within broader struggles over identity, authenticity, and cultural hierarchy, highlighting the persistence of colonial attitudes privileging Euro-American aesthetics over indigenous expressions. Ultimately, JDG’s gradual acceptance—facilitated by international recognition and generational shifts—underscores the dynamic interplay between religion, popular culture, and identity politics in Jamaica. This study contributes to scholarship on Caribbean sacred music by documenting the sociocultural negotiations surrounding JDG’s emergence and its implications for redefining worship practices in postcolonial contexts.