The most striking thing about the most recent edition of Greensleeves' annual dancehall 'best of 2008' compilation is how changed dancehall is.

On Ragga Ragga Ragga 2008 there is hardly anything of dancehall as we came to know it, with the distinctive 'dup dup' double-kick drum that musician Peter Ashbourne traced back to Buju Banton's Bogle at last year's Global Reggae Conference. Instead, the 15-track album is loaded with the slow keyboard phrase, heavy rhythms which have come to dominate dancehall, the performers laying down those slow tracks where change of pitch is as important as the lyrics.

Popularity

One of the few exceptions is Charly Blacks' rejoicing of Buddy Buddy (and this is the raw dancehall mix).

In terms of popularity, there is no doubting the strength of the tracks on the set, from Mavado's On The Rock to DeMarco's Duppy Know Who Fe Frighten and Mykal Roze's Shootout. Kartel has a pair in Money Fi Spend and My Scheme, while Busy Signal weighs in with Jail and Knocking at Your Door.

Elephant man's Cater For The Poor, though, seems out of place in a 'best of 2008' dancehall compilation.

The second generation of Jammys and Big Ship, as well as DASECA, dominate on the production side.

Track listing:

1. On the Rock (Mavado)

2. Duppy Know Who Fe Frighten (DeMarco)

3. Jail (Busy Signal)

4. Study People (Serani)

5. Shootout (Mykal Roze)

6. Wine Pon De Edge (Busy Signal)

7. Money Fi Spend (Vybz Kartel)

8. Rise It (Collie Budz)

9. Cyaa Look Inna me Eye (Bugle)

10. Cater For The Poor (Elephant Man)

11. My Scheme (Vybz Kartel)

12. Ay Ya Ay Ya (Black Ryno)

13. Knocking at Your Door (Busy Signal)

14. This is How we Grow (Fire Links and Tony Matterhorn)

15. Buddy Buddy (Charly Blacks)

-Mel Cooke