Going to dances in his hometown of Central Village, St Catherine was a favorite pastime for Ras Emmanuel during the 1980s and 1990s. It inspired him to become a professional entertainer, like his heroes from nearby Spanish Town.

Based in Newark, New Jersey, Ras Emmanuel teams with Lushy Banton on Dancehall Forever, a nod to the genre that helped shape his personal and professional life.

In a recent interview with Observer Online, Ras Emmanuel commented on the evolution of dancehall music since he began his recording career in the mid-1990s.

After drafting Dancehall Forever, Ras Emmanuel brought in Lushy Banton — a veteran of the New York dancehall scene — who added lyrics. Next step was production and release of the song in October.

“A song could come from the simplest of things. For example, a slang in the streets, your wife or empress, your friends, or if something happened to you when you are just driving. Music is mystical and could happen in different ways,” he noted.

– By Howard Campbell