Interview with Linett Kamala

Dancehall Riddim Queens was a solo exhibition by Linett Kamala at the Stuart Hall Library, which ran from 29 April to 31 July 2026. Bringing together paintings and archival material, the exhibition explores the cultural, sonic and visual histories of dancehall, centring the legacies of women whose contributions have shaped the culture while often remaining under-recognised or erased. Drawing on Kamala’s lived experience of London’s dancehall culture, particularly in the 1990s, the artist works with the personal –– photographs, mixtapes, CD collections, magazines, and clothing –– to trace how dancehall travels across geographies and time, shaping forms of expression through embodiment and sound. This exhibition examines the circulation of these influences, from Kingston to London and beyond, attending to the ways they are repeated, adapted and reconfigured, and cantering the concept of the riddim – a shared instrumental structure within dancehall music that multiple artists voice over. Rather than fixed authorship, the riddim enables a layered and collective form of expression. Through this body of work, Dancehall Riddim Queens proposes the riddim as both structure and method, as a way of understanding culture as collective, cyclical and in motion. For Kamala, it also offers a way of thinking through the tensions within dancehall, where lyrics can often be outrageous and prejudiced, while rhythm remains open, participatory and continuous. Dancehall Riddim Queens was supported by The Ampersand Foundation. Curated by Beatriz Lobo with programme assistance by Vasita (Pleng) Jirathiyut. Graphic design by Jeffrey Choy with art direction by Charlotte Mui. Video filmed and edited by Pupat Chenaksara.