Japanese national KissKiss has been passionate about dancehall long before her first visit to Jamaica in 2008. Upon returning to Japan after that trip, she found herself in tears at the airport, realising that Jamaica had captured her heart and she wanted to make it her home. "In Japan, we have dancehall same way, but it's kind of hard to find dancehall just anywhere.
Dancehall culture and reggae culture come from Jamaica. I was tired of watching the phone to find which one is new dance or what's trending, so I said, 'Oh my God, I have to come back to Jamaica as soon as possible,'" KissKiss said. The Japanese, whose given name is Soonhee Kwon, said she enjoyed her subsequent visits to the island, but always found them to be too short.
"Whenever I was going home, mi cry and mi start think about when me can come back here." KissKiss has called Jamaica home since 2011. A talented dancer, her moves could convince anyone that she has been living on the island all her life.
Her dance journey began at age 17, having been inspired by a music video showcasing sexy women dancing in ways she was not accustomed to seeing in Japan. "I didn't know if it was reggae or dancehall, but it was so shocking," she recalled. Despite her passion, she kept her dancehall aspirations a secret from her parents.
"I didn't want my parents to take it different or take it in the wrong way. So I didn't feel like I was doing wrong things, but I didn't want my parents to worry. So I just go out and give them d.
