Photos by Stain Garcia
Bad Gyal, the Barcelona, Spain native known for dancehall-inspired tracks like “Jacaranda” and “Nicest Cocky,” recently made her first visit to Jamaica.
The purpose of the trip was two-fold: to shoot a video for her single “Candela,” but also to absorb the culture that’s inspired her music. Specifically, she wanted to build up her repertoire of dancehall steps and moves. So she hooked up with Blacka Di Danca, Red Bull Music and LargeUp, and, over 10 days, set about connecting with some of the island’s top dancers and dance crews, including Hectic Diamondz, Xqlusiv Dancers, Elite Team, Equanoxx Shankaz, Kimiko Versatile, Sopreme Blazzaz, Overload Skankaz, Kool Kid and Ding Dong from Ravers Clavers, Slip Dance and Dancing Rebel.
With Blacka as her guide, she met with each crew on their home turf, hit up some of the top street dances in Kingston and, along with her close friend and travel companion Magali, embarked on an all-out dancehall training camp. The journey was documented in this seven-minute documentary, shot in and around Kingston in February of this year. Watch below, and whether you’re a dancehall pro or a novice yourself, we bet you’ll pick up a few steps along the way.
