Walshy Fire has Written a New Book Celebrating Dancehall

Walshy Fire has announced he is publishing a book on dancehall entitled Art of Dancehall: Flyer and Poster Designs of Jamaican Dancehall Culture. Coming out April 1, this will be the Major Lazer member and Jamaican native’s first book.

As the title suggests, the book explores the history of the genre through different poster designs. Walshy Fire, real name Leighton Paul Walsh, sourced these images from collections in Jamaica, New York, London, Canada, and Japan. The collectors, who include New York's Lee Major DeBoss, Toronto's Sheldon "Muscle" Bruce, London's Mark Professor and StranJah, also provide commentary of the flyers.

“Combining the energy and vibrancy of vernacular Jamaican art with the cultural insight that only original ephemera can bring, the flyers and posters collected in this book are testament to the creativity and spirit behind one of the most influential and enduring cultures in contemporary music,” reads a description of the book.

Dancehall and its attached soundsystem culture has been credited with being a precursor to modern genres of music including hip-hop, dubstep, and drum & bass. 

“Originating in Jamaica in the late 1970s, dancehall music is a club-friendly offshoot of reggae. The genre initially found particular resonance in the Jamaican diaspora and defined the soundsystem cultures that rose to prominence in New York and London in the 1980s and 1990s, which would influence the origins of hip hop,” the description continues.

Preorder the book here. Art of Dancehall is also the name of Walsh’s upcoming album. Purchase his music on Beatport.