

Galvin highlights the unique alliance between the dancehall industry and community development efforts. As the central role of the state in supporting communities has diminished, the rise of private efforts such as dancehall becomes all the more crucial. The tension, however, between those involved in the industry and those within the neighborhoods is palpable and often dangerous. Amidst all this, individual Jamaicans interact with the dancehall industry and its culture to find their own paths of employment, social identity, and sexual mores.
As Sounds of the Citizens illustrates, the world of entertainment in Jamaica is serious business and uniquely positioned as a powerful force within the community.
Anne M. Galvin is associate professor of anthropology at St. John's University in New York City.
"This is a richly researched book which promises to attract scholars and students interested in Jamaican politics and community development, dancehall culture, questions of violence and global inequalities, and gender and sexual identity formation."
—Oneka LaBennett, author of She's Mad Real: Popular Culture and West Indian Girls in Brooklyn
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