Noises in the Blood. Lua Ribeira

About

Dancehall is the leading form of Jamaican popular culture expanded worldwide throughout Afro-Caribbean diaspora communities. In the United Kingdom, dancehall celebrations take place outside of the mainstream circuit as a standing manifestation of Jamaican identity. Although the term is relatively new, the set of practices known as dancehall can be traced back to earlier dance performances such as mento dancing, the product of a syncretic blending of African and European cultural forms.

Dancehall has been defined as a space of collective celebration and social debate, determined by the use of Jamaican Patois in the lyrics and a flamboyant performance of sexuality in the dance. Mannerisms implicit in dancehall are the cause of constant controversy in the West; it is often condemned for its dramatic, violent and sexual expressions, whilst the complexities and heritage of its tradition is widely ignored.

The project aims to challenge the stereotypical portrayal of what is often referred to as a subculture, and through the collaborative process between the artist and a group of British Jamaican women, the resulting photographs embody universal subjects such as birth, love, sex and death.