Like a breath of fresh air, Shabba Ranks, the Dancehall Emperor, and Cherine Anderson’s steamy Reggae Sumfest 2012 performance brought back memories of how ‘sexy’ Dancehall was in the 90s. Unacceptable then, one major issue was the inappropriateness of the ‘rub-a-dub dance‘. Some felt it (rub-a-dub) was “too vulgar” and “slack” yet Soca and all its gyrating became ‘the thing‘ while ‘rub-a-dub’ the sexy art form, patrons in a dance hall do to selections like Shabba Ranks’, “It can’t Dun,” or “Wicked Ina Bed went into extinction. Lady Saw now the crowned Queen of Dancehall was chastised for her raunchy music (often sexy but explicit) was banned from performing on Reggae Sumfest (a point she made upon receiving her crown) some years ago. Having said that however, it is more than appropriate to say at this point, “congratulations Lady Saw, crowned Queen of Dancehall.”
The much talked about performance of Shabba Ranks at Reggae Sumfest 2012, after his eleven-year-long hiatus from the Jamaican stage, did not just became the headline story in the Sunday Gleaner of July 22, but displayed, demonstrated and re-introduced what Dancehall was in the 90s to the thousands in attendance at largest showcase of Reggae and Dancehall artistes in the world. The performance climaxed when he invited songbird, Cherine Anderson on stage and as the two rub-a-dub, the audience felt the excitement and reacted even more when Cherine who at one point passionately belted out, Mr Lover Man, Mr. Lover Man to Shabba’s dubs…yes! “dem performance shell whey lol” click to watch the performance.
Unlike current dances that now dominates Reggae/Dancehall events, the rub-a-dub dance demonstrated by Shabba and Cherine was not only popular but attractive and sexy. It (rub-a-dub) somehow, epitomizes the following of popular sound systems like Stone Love and others that got its rating for creating the right vibe. No video light was needed then, just a good dance hall venue with solid walls, well that’s if the males were not strong enough to balance the pressure the females brought on. Unlike the seemingly ‘stand apart,’ get dirty and ‘get on bad’ dances now, rub-a-dub sent patrons home as horny as hell! Did someone say more babies were born then? That could very well be so, but this writer did no such research.
Naturally, the 90s vibe inspired songs like Gal You Good, It Can’t Dun, Wicked Inna Bed, Telephone Love, Mr Lover Man by Shabba Ranks among other artistes during that time. Did Shabba Ranks and Cherine Anderson re-introduced, Rub-a-dub? That is left to be seen..
The much talked about performance of Shabba Ranks at Reggae Sumfest 2012, after his eleven-year-long hiatus from the Jamaican stage, did not just became the headline story in the Sunday Gleaner of July 22, but displayed, demonstrated and re-introduced what Dancehall was in the 90s to the thousands in attendance at largest showcase of Reggae and Dancehall artistes in the world. The performance climaxed when he invited songbird, Cherine Anderson on stage and as the two rub-a-dub, the audience felt the excitement and reacted even more when Cherine who at one point passionately belted out, Mr Lover Man, Mr. Lover Man to Shabba’s dubs…yes! “dem performance shell whey lol” click to watch the performance.
Unlike current dances that now dominates Reggae/Dancehall events, the rub-a-dub dance demonstrated by Shabba and Cherine was not only popular but attractive and sexy. It (rub-a-dub) somehow, epitomizes the following of popular sound systems like Stone Love and others that got its rating for creating the right vibe. No video light was needed then, just a good dance hall venue with solid walls, well that’s if the males were not strong enough to balance the pressure the females brought on. Unlike the seemingly ‘stand apart,’ get dirty and ‘get on bad’ dances now, rub-a-dub sent patrons home as horny as hell! Did someone say more babies were born then? That could very well be so, but this writer did no such research.
Naturally, the 90s vibe inspired songs like Gal You Good, It Can’t Dun, Wicked Inna Bed, Telephone Love, Mr Lover Man by Shabba Ranks among other artistes during that time. Did Shabba Ranks and Cherine Anderson re-introduced, Rub-a-dub? That is left to be seen..
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