Home / Arts and Entertainment / Maypole Remix: Bass, Beats, and British-Jamaican Joy
Maypole Remix: Bass, Beats, and British-Jamaican Joy
28 Apr
Summary
- Artist reimagines maypole dance with Jamaican beats and LED lights.
- Maypole dance tradition has colonial roots in Jamaica, introduced by the British.
- Basstone Maypole blends surrealism, sound system culture, and heritage.
British-Jamaican artist Linett Kamala is transforming the traditional maypole dance, a practice with colonial origins in Jamaica, into a vibrant, modern spectacle. Kamala encountered the maypole in a Jamaican hamlet and was inspired by the joy it brought, despite its historical ties to British colonisation. She decided to reinvent the tradition by replacing English folk tunes with dancehall and other contemporary beats, incorporating LED lights and powerful bass bins.
Kamala's unique creation, the Basstone Maypole, is described as a fantastical, sci-fi-inspired "light and sound system." It features programmed LED lights instead of ribbons and integrated speakers, creating a unique fusion of art, heritage, and sound system culture. This reimagining challenges traditional notions of English identity, offering a new perspective that embraces cross-cultural influences and personal heritage.
The project draws parallels with the adaptation of other European traditions, such as quadrille dancing, by enslaved Africans in Jamaica. These adaptations demonstrate a historical pattern of taking colonial influences and transforming them into powerful expressions of survival, dignity, and hope. Kamala's work highlights the complex and cross-cultural nature of English folk traditions.
Kamala, who began her career as one of the first female DJs at Notting Hill Carnival in 1985, sees her Basstone Maypole as a way to make traditions visible and relevant for her community. The project has resonated widely, drawing diverse audiences and sparking conversations about identity and heritage in 21st-century Britain.
