Where are the ‘gyal chunes’?

We all love a good party: the right ambiance, great friends, tasty food, and, of course, a skilled DJ with the perfect playlist. But, what happens when one of the most important elements is off? When the music isn’t to your taste, is offensive, or just played too often, do you still stick around? For years, women at parties have been complaining that too many dances and mixers have become breeding grounds for gun and gang lyrics, with DJs playing songs that glorify a lifestyle filled with scamming instead of tracks that empower them or simply let them dance and feel good about themselves. The stark absence of girl anthems or ‘gyal chunes’ has been a bone of contention, with many saying their musical tastes have been largely ignored. While some members of the industry attribute this to the evolution of music and what the general market responds to, others have looked deeper into the issue. Today, three known voices from the scene share their perspectives.

Veteran deejay Delano Thomas from Renaissance Sound shared that playing repetitive badman lyrics is not what he is about. “I don’t switch. I play for the ladies and do what I have always been doing, which is making women feel good about themselves. But, for some deejays, that’s how they get their money pull up, so it’s about the money at the end of the day,” he told The Gleaner.

DJ Cyclone of Coppershot Music explained that the shift in musical taste is unfortunately what is trending. “That doesn’t happen when I play, but, in all honesty, a lot of the deejays fight to get the so-called forward at the party to say them ‘buss the place’ so they tend to do stuff like that,” DJ Cyclone said, adding, “Sometimes patrons are also to be blamed because we as deejays will play certain songs and people in the party just stand up still. Plus, when it comes to money pull up, the man dem make a lot of money that way. So it nah go stop, even though they are already being paid by the promoter to come and play.”

While this may be a financial windfall for some deejays, others recognise that gun lyrics and ‘chopping’ tunes have a limited reach in the broader market and do not translate to the corporate or international scene. DJs who play for large financial institutions know that banks, credit unions, and government agencies have mission statements that are not aligned with such music, and therefore avoid playing songs that promote any form of criminality.

From a woman’s perspective, Kandi King, entrepreneur and managing director of KYM, who promotes several female-centred initiatives, stated the party scene has changed in response to what the majority is endorsing.

“A lot of today’s music reflects who is controlling the spaces, and that’s still mostly men. So the focus has shifted to masculine themes like power, money and survival, etc, while music made to make women feel good gets sidelined. There’s also the belief that women will dance regardless, but I feel like when women feel seen in the music, the whole party lifts,” the founder of Kooler Babe Kooler Fete shared.

Sharing some of their personal top five gyal chunes, Kandi King, DJ Delano, and DJ Cyclone reveal their overall favourites over the years.

KANDI KING

• Sheng Yeng Anthem – Shenseea

• Man is the Least– Lady Saw

• Heads High– Mr. Vegas

• L-L-Lies –Diana King

• Boss Up - Shenseea

DJ DELANO

• Fi Di Jockey – Aidonia

• Wife – Joseph Stepper

• Wickedest Bend Over – Yung Bredda

• Love – Keyshia Cole

• Shake it to the Max – Moliy, Shenseea, Skillibeng and Silent Addy

DJ CYCLONE

• Independent Ladies – Vanessa Bling

• Man is the Least – Lady Saw

• Fight Over Man – Spice

• Love Me – Yvonne Elliman

• No Ordinary Love – Sade

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com