Stephen McGregor's 'Hill and Gully' Rhythm Sparks Renewed Interest in Jamaica's Traditional Dances

Stephen 'Di Genius' McGregor's newly released 'Hill and Gully' rhythm is being hailed by culturalists and folk dancers as a possible catalyst for a long-overdue revival of Jamaica's heritage dances, which have largely been confined to cultural showcases and dedicated spaces.

Professor Donna Hope was emphatic in her praise for the project. "In two words, I said 'This bingo', in the sense that this is a winner. Just the way how they are showcasing this natural rural Jamaica and connecting to dancehall and the riddim and lyrics, I just said it is a winner. It will remind people as well about some of the dances that have come from our ancestors," she said.

Aneila Wright, who performs with the Gwarra Cherry African Kumina Group, said the rhythm has already prompted audiences to look again at older dance forms. "Most feedback I see people asking for more kumina. I grew up dancing kumina and it has been pushed to the back because it's associated with negative but it's much more than that," Wright said.

Hope pointed to the wider cultural weight of the production. "Thinking about it more, I kept thinking about the sonic references, it resonates with who we are as black people in the diaspora," she said.

For the multi-Grammy-winning McGregor, the project is a contemporary take on the mento song and rhythm that share its name, designed to reacquaint a new generation with a slice of Jamaican heritage. "I was just trying to tap into Jamaican culture on a deeper level, and I thought that no one really went into mento and that kind of thing. So, I wanted to see how I could merge that world with like the new people and kind of just reintroduce that part of the culture," McGregor told The Gleaner.

According to Hope, McGregor has "reminded us in a very creative way of the various connections that we have and live through as a people in the music".

"The riddim reminds us that we are Jamaican. We are rural people, we are coming from Africa, and at the same time we are going to jump and prance to dancehall and reggae sounds," she told THE STAR. She argued that in the digital age, cultural knowledge is increasingly passed on through online platforms, amplifying the reach of such projects among younger Jamaicans.

"Young people are now [into the] audiovisual digital culture, so it will have an impact; they will respond to it. Then again, the sonic reference of the name Hill and Gully Ride, we had a TV programme at one time. So a lot of older people who loved it will pull on that through the name," she said, noting that civics lessons no longer carry the cultural instruction they once did.

"They don't do civics in school anymore when we use to do it we were taught all of these forms and more. It doesn't really happen like it used to, but this will also refocus our attention to the importance, and I hope the kumina group will be a part of the foregrounding of it and show people how some of the dances connected to this sound are done," Hope added.

Wright, who has danced kumina since childhood, recognised its spiritual lineage but stressed that it is also a source of enjoyment. "It is a vibes, so people don't know that fun side. But more children need to be engaged in tradition and learn the dance. I would just a like a clean song on the riddim where kids can show out more, but the riddim itself is good for tradition," she said.

She noted that schools and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission remain key entry points for many young people learning the practice. "But the riddim reminds us of that kumina plays a big part of our culture, and we have to try keep it alive," Wright said.

The lead single from the project, Masicka's Slip and Slide, opened at number one on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Songs chart. The rhythm also features Hold Him Gal by Elephant Man and Woii by Valiant.