culture

April 28, 2026

Hey-nonny-bo! The woman reclaiming maypole dancing with dancehall and drum’n’bass

UK artist Linett Kamala was astonished to see a maypole in a Jamaican hamlet – a colonial relic, but one bringing joy. So she reinvented the tradition by ditching English folk tunes and adding bass bins, LED lights and pounding beats

Hey-nonny-bo! The woman reclaiming maypole dancing with dancehall and drum’n’bass

TL;DR

  • Linett Kamala, a British-Jamaican DJ and artist, is merging traditional maypole dancing with contemporary sound system music like dancehall and drum'n'bass.
  • Kamala encountered a maypole in Jamaica, a relic of British colonialism, which inspired her to create a modernized version.
  • Her artistic creation, the 'Basstone Maypole,' incorporates LED lights, Tannoy speakers, and a bass bin, representing a fusion of tradition and modern culture.
  • The project aims to challenge traditional notions of English identity and heritage, making it more inclusive and representative of diverse cultural influences.
  • Kamala's work is seen as a way to reclaim and reimagine traditions, offering a new perspective on what it means to be English today.

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