A stirring in the 'soul'

Tanto Metro

CONTRARY TO popular belief, soul music - and not dancehall music - is responsible for sexual feelings in teenagers. Well, at least that is what researchers at the University of the West Indies say.

A study, which was conducted on 100 participants, dismissed the long-held view that dancehall music was responsible for influencing sexual feelings among teens.

In a release, one of the researchers of the study, Desmalee Nevins stated that the objective of the study was to find out the relationship between musical preferences and exposure and status of sexual activity.

The study is said to have been conducted using a systematic random sample of 50 sexually active females aged 15-19 years who registered for antenatal and curative care at specific health centres. They were matched for age and social class for both sexually active and non-sexually active females.

"We discovered that soul music was more popular among both groups," said Nevins.

She went on to state that the perception in Jamaica was that dancehall music impacted negatively on values, particularly as it related to sexual practices.

Soul music, however, is said to have evoked more emotions such as causing participants to feel loving, sexy and wanting to get close to someone. The results of the study indicated that dancehall music was perceived as providing fun and excitement and had no link to sexual feelings.

Dancehall artiste, Tanto Metro believes that as far as music and sexual feelings are concerned it was based on individuals.

"Anything can go because some people love soul music and some teenagers feel they are big enough to have sex. So it's basically half and half when it comes to that. Dancehall music can also arouse that feeling because of some artistes who sing slackness. But you have teens who listen to music and concentrate on their school work instead of sex," he said.

Devonte, who with Tanto Metro are two acts from the Shocking Vibes Crew, agrees however with the study. "Soul music sets you in a more sexual mood while dancehall is more hardcore. Depending on the type of dancehall music it can set you in that mood - if it's a lovers rock type of music then it will do that. But soul music can cause sexual feelings," he said.

Miss Nevins pointed out that the study relied on testimonials from the controls.

"This study forces us to review our impressions of dancehall music and it's impact. Maybe it would be wise for us to use it as a way to assist young people to get rid of energy in young people that would be used in sexual activity," she said.

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