INTERVIEW : AMZONE
Interview by : Paul Bastrot
Pictures by : John / Unik design
on Wednesday, March 05th 2008 - 13 148 views
First gwoka, then modern jazz, hip hop… then dancehall: Amzone has been dancing since a very young age. Three years ago, her meeting with Djabba and Wickeed of the Shadow Killa sound system propelled her into the dancehall scene. Since then, she has added several Dancehall Queen Contests to her record: DHQ France in March 2007, then in Belgium the following month. Last summer, she went to Montego Bay to take on the best dancers in the world and finished 4th. "One point off third place," she specifies. She should be seen again at the European Dancehall Queen Contest, to be held on 5 April in Italy.
Reggaefrance / How is dancehall dance doing in France?
Amzone / In France, the dancehall dance scene was divided until recently. On one side there were the "local" dancers, and on the other we were a small community of dancers dancing strictly the Jamaican vibes. More and more "local" dancers have been taking an interest in Jamaican dancehall since I came back from Jamaica. I get the impression that the fact that France was represented (and placed) in the very cradle of dancehall for the first time has given the movement back its confidence. For the moment, the dancers who are interested in the Jamaican vibes are in the process of learning the dances and the culture.
How do you prepare for a competition?
In general, a dancer is judged on her outfit, her charisma, her contact with the audience and her originality. It's a test that demands patience, control and understanding. A contestant has to adapt to the organisation of the night, the layout of the stage, the expectations of the audience, but also the attitude of the other girls in the competition...
I try not to do the same thing twice; you'll rarely see me wear the same outfit twice or dance to the same music. I like surprises, creating new things, or putting different things forward. That necessarily takes preparation. As far as music goes, I like to keep the authenticity of the tracks as far as possible (so not too many effects or remixes). I'm lucky to understand English well, so I like to translate the message of the song into my movements. I have a temperament that means I'm as comfortable in freestyle as in a prepared routine.
In Europe, dancehall dance is starting to become structured, with a European contest that sends the winner to take on the Jamaicans... How do you see its development?
The DHQ Contests have become the new thing that works for party promoters. The creation of the European contest is a way of giving importance not only to the dancehall movement across the Atlantic but also to its artists. I think that as long as we don't forget where dancehall comes from and we respect its culture, it's a good way of developing dancehall in the right spirit.
You yourself nearly ended up on the podium in Jamaica; tell us about that experience.
I admit I was caught off guard: 10,000 people, 48 contestants, every country in the world represented and an organisation worthy of the Olympic Games (laughs). We waited a very long time before dancing, then everything happened very fast. I didn't even realise I had gone through the three stages: the first round (48 participants), then the second (top 20) and finally the top 5. For the last round, we were supposed to do a 2-minute solo. It was only at the very last moment that I understood we all had to go on at the same time, for lack of time. And there, I admit I completely lost my composure and could have done better... Watching the videos, I confess I'm not at all satisfied with my performances. Momo from Canada, who was entering for the 4th time, was chosen in the early hours of the morning. The audience reacted quite violently, throwing glass bottles onto the stage.
Who are the best dancers in the world?
In countries like England or the United States, where the Jamaican community is very present, the dance groups are very strong. Japan is an exception, where dancehall culture and dance are really present. By contrast, the rest of Europe is in a phase of learning the culture and the dances.
The best dancers in the world are Keiva The Diva, who took her first dance steps alongside Bogle aka Mr Wacky, the creator of the Jamaican dances, and the dancers of the group Attitude Gyals (Dyema, Iyla and Muma Side), the creators of the Dutty Wine and the Hot Fuck. These women will never need to enter any contest.
Dance in Jamaica is very suggestive, some would say vulgar. What do you say to that?
Dancehall comes directly from African dances, which have always been based on real facts of everyday life, and dancehall is inspired by them. Dances such as Gwoka or Bailair, which come to us from the West Indies, are just as "hot".
You mustn't lose sight of the fact that it is in a specific setting; it's dance, it's theatre. In dance, contact has always been part of it (classical, contemporary, salsa, tango, Afro). In the street, in magazines, in the theatre or at the cinema, we see scenes far worse than those presented in the Passa Passa or Weddy Weddy parties. I think it's burying your head in the sand. And to be frank, it makes me smile a little to hear that women were shocked when they are the very same ones who dance the Hot Fuck. I also think we have to remember that dancehall is a dance that comes from the streets, from the ghetto, so no, it's not a dance of the high aristocracy.
Dance is starting to take off in the dancehall scene. How do you see it in the future, personally?
For some time now I've felt more at home as a judge, choreographer or dance teacher, even though performing shows is what I prefer. I like encouraging and training all these new groups. I have a few projects in mind, but more in the area of organisation.
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