Jamaican Creole in Global Reggae and Dancehall PerformancesLanguage Use, Perceptions, Attitudes

Offers a comprehensive investigation of Jamaicans’ perceptions of the use of Jamaican Creole in global reggae and dancehall music

• Analyses Jamaican and non-Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists’ use of selected Jamaican Creole phonetic and morphosyntactic features
• Investigates whether certain linguistic and extralinguistic variables have an effect on the artists’ language use
• Offers insights into the circumstances under which this linguistic behaviour is considered linguistic appropriation and how it is evaluated

This book adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the study of cultural and linguistic appropriation. It explores the use of Jamaican Creole phonetic and morphosyntactic features by Jamaican and non-Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists as well as Jamaicans’ evaluations of this linguistic behaviour.

While positive attitudes prevail, some Jamaicans take a rather negative stance and perceive the use of Jamiacan Creole as inauthentic, misrepresentative and stereotyping. The findings of Jamaican Creole in Global Reggae and Dancehall Performances emphasise the importance of bringing together quantitative data on underlying patterns of language use and qualitative interview data on language perceptions and attitudes. Gerfer demonstrates that in a world of ongoing globalisation, World Englishes may become imitation-worthy codes which artists all across the globe use – more or less – proficiently and convincingly in their music performances.