Indigenous, tribal, and the first of its kind; new reality series Dancehall Divas

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“They represent the true immigrant story. Dancehall is your social identity. When you have made it,  you floss on the dancehall.”

In the world of dancehall, there is music, the vibes, the culture, and then, there is the lifestyle. For those who make it to the top of this cultural creation, they enter an influential space, and with the help of social media, dancehall has gained international popularity.

Dancehall has become a survival strategy for many Jamaicans who come from tough situations, and has served as an alternative to a life of crime. For those who enter this culture, the main motivation as dancehall entertainers, is the hope of creating a better life.

On September 10^th, 2020, a new series will explode onto the scene featuring the lifestyle and interactions of six women from different parts of the world, representing the indigenous dancehall lifestyle. Dancehall Divas is an experience of the elaborate, hyperbolic nature of women in the dancehall scene. Their lifestyles are entertaining, riddled with swag, drama, and grit.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Heather Elliot-Whitehead, the creative mind behind Dancehall Divas. She is already flipping the script and breaking barriers as the first dancehall-centred reality show of its kind.

“This is a project that has taken over my world in some ways,” Heather shares with me. “I am an attorney outside of all of this, and I also own a PR firm in New York called Elliot Care Group. We work with prominent people of colour, who exist in the political sphere, film industry, and sports realm.

 It is entirely self-funded, which makes it is such an undertaking. I decided to just wing it on my own, hoping it would catch the eye of a network, and they say, Hey! Let’s do it.”

The Dancehall Divas project started in Toronto in May of 2018. Heather had been invited to a party by the one and only Lady Hilly (Mother of Toronto Dancehall), and what she saw sparked her creative mind.

“What I saw at the Banquet Hall Party was so cinematic. My thoughts were, I couldn’t leave the banquet hall without getting this on television. I decided that I would get a group of Toronto women who are front and centre of Toronto dancehall, and make some magic. Toronto after all is one of the most prolific dancehall cities in North America.”

The show stars six stunning women, each with their own unique story:

Danielle D.I
She is a reggae artist, born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. “I am such a warm person, but I can be the biggest bitch if I want to be.”

Simma (Simone Smikle) (UK)
Rap artist, singer and songwriter, Sim Simma is a fresh face, with a gritty sound.

 Asoya Juicee Bunny (Toronto)
A Toronto based rapper/actress who recently dropped a single titled Wine Up in January 2020.

Sexii Peppa
Clarendon native Ochanna Spencer is a budding dancehall artiste working her way up in the music game.

Barbie Dolley
She went from being a nobody, to the most popular promoter in two years.

She is the mother of seven children, and she was pregnant with twins while shooting the pre-season.

Sky Hollywood
Straight from New York City, she is a celebrity host, entrepreneur, microdermabrasion expert, and owner of MedSpa

I could only imagine what it must have been like working with all of these personalities, so I questioned Heather about some of the difficulties that she had when filming.

“After a year or so, it was not taking off the way I wanted it to. I had to make some cast changes because I wanted to make this concept diverse. These ladies are from all parts of the world: London, Jamaica, New York, but despite their differences, we are a very tight group.

 One of the most difficult tasks was getting the crew vested in understanding the vision. I have a really good filming team from the Toronto Film School. They didn’t understand the culture, but they still did a good job. I did some development training with the girls, and we had to fly everyone in to Toronto.  I put a lot of money into the quality. It is just like Love & Hip Hop. We wanted to make sure people like the quality.”

“How did your team deal with the pandemic? I know that it has had an affect on the filming of movies and shows.”

 “We never stopped working,” Heather shares with me. “I got into gear. I got the new cast together. We wanted to go to every city that the girls live, but we had to rethink what we were doing when COVID hit. I observed how other production companies were handling the pandemic, and I made the decision to do a preview season. I figured, we have enough to do five episodes 30 minutes each. We didn’t want to wait any longer. We all see this as a blessing in disguise.”

 “Alright!” I questioned. “What makes this series so unique, and what should people expect?”

 “DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA! There is also a lot of soul, and a lot of heart. There is so much more to these women then arguing. They share their pain, their personal situations.

 Other reality shows are westernized. This is indigenous and tribal, and  the first of this kind. This distinguishes us from the rest of the shows. We are the one and only. We  have a Podcast, which was rated Top 15% in Canada. Stories that are told on the podcast (Dancehall Divas), are also shared in the show.”

This first pre-season will introduce the Dancehall Divas to the world. It will intimately take viewers on a trip through the lives of these women. You can visit the Diva’s website (www.dancehalldivas.tv) for biographies, media information, premiere dates, network, and streaming options. You can find them on CEEN Caribbean TV,  and Amazon Prime (in October).