Timeline: 1995

Dancehall music was really hot in the early 1990s. Shabba Ranks, Mad Cobra and Patra all had hit songs in the United States, so it was no surprise when a group of Jamaicans decided to put up some money and produce Kla$h, a movie based on the genre.

Kla$h had a splashy premiere at the Carib cinema. It starred Giancarlo Esposito, known for his roles in Spike Lee films like Do The Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues, and Jasmine Guy, star of the sitcom A Different World. The ubiquitous Carl Bradshaw, Paul Campbell, Stafford Ashani, Cedella Marley and Lucien Chen were the Jamaicans with substantial roles, while there was in-performance footage of acts like Shabba and Snow.

Despite the high-profile cast, Kla$h bombed. Critics slammed its aimless plot (and Guy's awful attempt at a Jamaican accent) and it did little for the résumés of Esposito who played Stoney, and Guy who was cast as Blossom.

Kla$h would eventually make a comeback. Eight years ago the movie was shown on American cable television.

Crotch-grabbing posturing

Beenie Man and Dancehall Queen Carlene at a special screening of 'KlaSh' at the Carib cinema. Carlene appeared in the movie. - File

Dancehall, and Buju Banton, took a different turn in 1995 with the release of 'Til Shiloh. The album was Banton's coming-of-age work and proved that dancehall music was more than crotch-grabbing posturing. Distributed by the Island Records subsidiary, Loose Cannon, 'Til Shiloh was a roots masterpiece that included songs like Til I'm Laid To Rest, Untold Stories, Not An Easy Road and Wanna Be Loved.

'Til Shiloh expanded Banton's fan base, especially among college students in the United States, and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over 500,000 units.

Bunny Wailer, lone survivor of the three most famous members of the original Wailers, scored his second Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album with Crucial! Roots Classics. Crucial was a collection of songs the singer recorded during 1979-82. He went on to win a third Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 1997 with Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary.

Buju Banton