Latest / Babes, how did you get here / They Told Me to Leave Jamaica, But I Stayed: From Dancehall Exile to Finding My Home

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They Told Me to Leave Jamaica, But I Stayed: From Dancehall Exile to Finding My Home · Babes, how did you get here

0:00
Your name is Karina Galiamova.
0:03
Yes.
0:03
Why do you say it's hard for people to pronounce?
0:05
It's nothing that hard.
0:06
Galiamova.
0:07
In Russian we say Galiamova.
0:09
Okay.
0:10
And for Jamaican people is not even for Jamaican,
0:14
but for people who speak English.
0:15
Sure.
0:16
It's not so easy.
0:17
So you go by Kari?
0:19
Yeah.
0:19
Kari.
0:20
And that has always been the case.
0:21
Not since coming to Jamaica.
0:22
No, it was from the moment I really started dancing dance hall.
0:26
Okay.
0:26
There you started.
0:27
Cool.
0:28
So you now live in Kingston, Jamaica?
0:31
Right.
0:32
How long have you lived here?
0:34
Okay, I came here in 2023.
0:36
Yeah.
0:37
But before that, I live here for two years at COVID time.
0:41
You lived, so you were technically stuck here during that time?
0:45
I would say I choose to stuck here.
0:47
Okay.
0:48
Because I came here in January 2020.
0:53
And when COVID started,
0:56
and the Russian governments wanted to send us back
1:00
at anyone who stuck here.
1:01
Sure.
1:02
I was sitting and I was like,
1:04
I actually already wanted to move to Jamaica.
1:06
Okay.
1:07
But I was like, right now I can extend my visa so easy.
1:11
Because of COVID?
1:12
Because of COVID.
1:13
So you were here on a holiday?
1:15
I came here as a dance hall dancer for three months.
1:18
Okay.
1:18
To study dance hall.
1:20
Okay.
1:21
This is how I used to come to Jamaica.
1:22
Okay.
1:24
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1:28
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1:29
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1:31
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1:32
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1:35
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1:37
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1:40
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1:41
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1:44
In Russia, in Moscow,
1:47
there are people going to dance hall camp.
1:50
Dance hall is huge in Russia.
1:52
Really?
1:53
There are some events where you go there.
1:56
It's like 300, 500 people dancing at the same time.
2:01
Really?
2:02
And Jamaican dancers hear from this.
2:04
Treats from uptown Monday.
2:06
Yep.
2:07
They just teach you there and 300, 400, 500 people dancing.
2:12
There are most.
2:13
So you go to the camp?
2:14
Yep.
2:15
And you're like,
2:16
this is my first taste of what perhaps is downtown culture.
2:19
Yeah.
2:20
And then from that moment, do you kind of have the seed planted
2:23
that maybe you'll live here or is this something?
2:26
No, no, no, nothing like that.
2:28
Because first of all, I'm this kind of person.
2:31
If I'm interested in something,
2:33
I want to go so deep.
2:35
Sure.
2:36
Well, when I started dancing dance hall,
2:38
I was this type of person who is like,
2:40
I want to know everything.
2:42
I want to see where this thing created.
2:45
Sure.
2:46
So I wanted to see if dance hall is really placed
2:49
everywhere in Jamaica.
2:50
Okay.
2:51
Because on Russian TV and radio,
2:55
just play some pop music.
2:57
You know, you never hear something dance hall.
2:59
Right.
3:00
And I was like, I can't believe I can go to supermarket
3:02
and hear dance hall.
3:04
Or I can take taxi and hear dance hall.
3:07
Right.
3:08
It was like a dream because I was fell in love with dance hall.
3:10
Okay.
3:11
Why do you fall in love with dance hall?
3:14
Before I was a hip hop dancer for five years
3:17
and hip hop started to change.
3:19
And I didn't like this change.
3:21
And I was trying to find the new way
3:23
where I'm going to move.
3:24
Okay.
3:25
And I fell in love with guy.
3:26
Okay.
3:27
He wasn't Jamaican.
3:28
Okay.
3:29
He was just a guy who was dancing dance hall.
3:31
Okay.
3:32
And I fell in love with him.
3:34
Nothing worked out.
3:37
This relationship wasn't good.
3:38
He was living in Russia.
3:39
Yeah, he was living in Russia.
3:41
Okay.
3:42
And because I fell in love,
3:45
it was my really big first crush.
3:48
Okay.
3:49
And I was like, I want to know
3:51
because I hated dance hall before that.
3:53
Oh, really?
3:54
Yeah, I look at dance hall like it's some stupid dance.
3:56
You know, they're doing some.
4:00
Flow is a blow.
4:01
Right.
4:01
I'm like, who is?
4:03
Why these people look so happy?
4:05
Scooby-Doo.
4:05
Scooby-Doo.
4:08
I could because I was doing something.
4:10
Something like running man and crisscross
4:13
and all this serious thing.
4:15
And because I fell in love,
4:18
I wanted to understand why he loved this dance.
4:22
And to be honest, when I just started,
4:24
I had this fault with...
4:27
I just wanted to prove him.
4:28
I'm a fool.
4:30
Okay.
4:31
That's it.
4:31
But the way to his heart was to dance hall.
4:33
Yeah, like you're gonna see how I'm cool in dance hall.
4:38
Do Russians have rhythm like that?
4:39
To be executed in downtown?
4:42
Right now it's better.
4:44
Okay.
4:44
But, you know, Russian dance hall is far away from Jamaica.
4:48
Okay.
4:49
It's just every country have their own dance hall.
4:52
Sure.
4:53
Because the way how Jamaican dancers dance,
4:56
like, people can't really copy it.
4:59
We try.
5:01
We try, but we can't really.
5:04
Sure.
5:05
But dance hall is pretty good.
5:06
I would say in Russia dance hall right now,
5:08
it looks like more sheep hop way.
5:12
Okay.
5:13
But it's still dance hall.
5:14
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5:15
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5:17
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5:18
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5:27
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5:30
It was my first time I experienced that.
5:32
I was like, it was some dancers,
5:35
some Jamaican dancers,
5:36
the woman near us and she just grabbed us
5:38
and we just ran, we're on upstairs
5:41
and to the other side of the building
5:44
and she told us just be quiet, be quiet.
5:46
And I was so scared.
5:48
My heart was beating like that.
5:50
I was like, she says, why even came here?
5:53
But he said he thought of the wisdom
5:55
for he came, so he got what you want.
5:56
But, you know, you always think the worst thing
5:59
might happen.
6:00
Right.
6:01
But you don't really expect it.
6:03
Yeah, it was my first situation.
6:04
Sure.
6:05
And a couple of days before,
6:08
we go back to Russia.
6:09
Okay.
6:11
We were making that joke like,
6:13
yo, I wish I could stay here,
6:15
maybe I need to lose my passport.
6:16
You know, just like...
6:17
So you wanted to stay even after those experiences.
6:20
Because I was so like,
6:25
this phrase, my sound,
6:29
I don't know, some...
6:30
Where is it?
6:31
Sure.
6:32
For people, but the dance hall was my every time.
6:35
Okay.
6:36
Because I built my life...
6:38
It wasn't me, Curry, and dance hall,
6:40
the part of my life.
6:41
Okay.
6:42
It was dance hall.
6:43
But...
6:44
And I'm somewhere here.
6:46
Sure.
6:47
There are no...
6:48
Nothing was more important than this.
6:50
Why?
6:51
I just love it.
6:52
I don't know.
6:53
What do you feel about it?
6:55
When I just started,
6:57
oh my god, this feeling,
6:58
when you go to the party,
7:00
when you just dance,
7:01
and you feel this amazing energy,
7:04
you just...
7:06
It just makes you feel so alive,
7:08
so happy.
7:09
It's just make me feel so good.
7:11
And I love to teach.
7:12
I love to connect with people.
7:13
I love when I see the progress.
7:16
Sure.
7:17
And it was just like a joke for me.
7:19
Right.
7:20
Yeah.
7:21
This is how I actually feel.
7:22
Yeah.
7:23
But when I get so deep into dance hall culture,
7:26
I came to dance hall because of the people in dance hall.
7:30
And I lived dance hall because of the people in dance hall.
7:34
Okay.
7:35
So you go on that trip,
7:37
you leave,
7:38
and you have this longing feeling of wishing that you could stay.
7:41
But that's your first trip.
7:42
Yeah.
7:43
Take me to know your fifth time when you're actually moving.
7:46
Mm-hmm.
7:47
And what was the key decision that made you think,
7:49
okay, now I'm going to move?
7:51
Because you would have visited a couple of times,
7:53
you've had mixed experiences,
7:54
and then what was that thing that said,
7:56
actually, I want to live in Jamaica.
7:57
Okay.
7:58
It was my fee for a fourth trip to Jamaica.
8:01
The first time we came for the three months.
8:03
Okay.
8:04
In summertime, it was 2019.
8:06
Mm-hmm.
8:07
And that time, everything was good in Russia.
8:10
Right.
8:11
I had a lot of students.
8:13
I traveled a lot.
8:15
But I was doing that for almost eight years.
8:18
Okay.
8:19
And I just kind of burned out.
8:20
Okay.
8:21
You need to teach over and over again.
8:23
The same thing.
8:24
Same things.
8:25
You know, when you're doing something for a long time,
8:27
and I was running in that circle.
8:29
Okay.
8:30
And the life in Moscow, I don't know,
8:32
it's just, you don't have sun.
8:34
Right.
8:35
It's always rainy.
8:36
Right.
8:37
People are so depressive over there.
8:38
Right.
8:39
And when you walk on the streets,
8:41
no one going to tell you,
8:42
hi, good morning, or wherever.
8:45
And in Jamaica, you just heal with people's heal.
8:49
Okay.
8:51
Even if sometimes when you go outside alone as a woman,
8:54
those guys, they're bothering you like,
8:56
spry.
8:57
Right.
8:58
But if I'm talking about this,
9:00
it's partial.
9:01
In Jamaica, you feel.
9:03
I actually can love the Jamaica.
9:04
And my friend, they look at me like,
9:06
I just opened my Leros dance studio in Moscow.
9:09
Okay.
9:10
And they look at me like,
9:11
are you crazy or something?
9:12
Like, what's wrong with you?
9:14
I'm like, look, I'm just tired to doing the same things.
9:16
Sure.
9:17
I want something new.
9:18
I'm enjoying to teach.
9:19
And before COVID, my plan was different.
9:21
I thought I'm going to still stay in dance hall.
9:23
Okay.
9:24
And I thought I'm going to spend like half of years here.
9:27
Okay.
9:28
And after that, half of year in Russia teaching,
9:30
right in around cities.
9:31
This was my plan.
9:32
Okay.
9:33
Before COVID started,
9:34
and before dance hall dancers canceled me,
9:37
and I decided to leave dance hall.
9:39
Okay.
9:40
So you then, when you were sitting on the balcony,
9:42
I mean, you decided that you could move here.
9:44
It was just one fault, you know?
9:46
It was, okay.
9:47
It was that random.
9:48
Yeah, it was that random.
9:49
And I was like, no, because that time,
9:51
I still didn't speak English.
9:52
Okay.
9:53
Because I always come with friends who speak better.
9:55
Who can speak better?
9:56
Okay.
9:57
And I always was standing behind and I was like,
9:59
can you translate this?
10:01
Can you order me that coffee in Starbucks,
10:03
what I love?
10:04
Right.
10:05
And because when you have people who speak better,
10:08
then you just,
10:09
you're just kind of afraid to start shopping and, you know?
10:13
But you leave after that balcony thought.
10:16
You go back to Russia?
10:17
Yes.
10:18
And then how long after that do you decide to move here?
10:20
No, actually, I thought what I'm going to come in January 2020
10:24
for another three months.
10:25
Right.
10:26
Just to see.
10:27
Okay.
10:28
Because I didn't know if I really want to.
10:31
Sure.
10:32
And that's when COVID happens.
10:33
Yes.
10:34
Because in 2019, I started my worst relationship.
10:38
Okay.
10:39
And I couldn't understand I want to move here
10:41
because of that relationship.
10:43
So he lived here.
10:45
Unfortunately.
10:46
Okay.
10:47
So you weren't sure if it was him
10:50
or if it was actually you wanted to live here?
10:52
Yeah.
10:53
And I needed some time because I definitely didn't want to change
10:55
all my life because of some guy.
10:57
Sure.
10:58
Okay.
10:59
You know what I can get?
11:00
Jamaica have sunlight.
11:02
24-7.
11:03
But while electricity is so expensive,
11:08
like I understand the company in Jamaica trying to make money.
11:12
Sure.
11:13
But if they have so much money they could go to solar.
11:17
Right.
11:18
Because for you as a person who live in Jamaica
11:21
and you, for you to put the solar system
11:24
to have enough electricity,
11:26
you need to spend like a couple of millions.
11:28
Yeah.
11:29
And you have to have this money.
11:30
You can't just take it from nowhere.
11:32
Sure.
11:33
And you can go solar because of this thing
11:35
because of financial thing.
11:36
Well, this is electricity prices.
11:38
Yeah.
11:39
Because even when I live in New Kingston
11:41
in my little studio apartment,
11:42
I had no AC, I had no washing machine,
11:45
I had nothing, just electric stove,
11:48
and water heater.
11:50
And I paid 10,000 US,
11:52
10,000 Jamaican for electricity.
11:54
Sure.
11:55
Having nothing.
11:56
I was like, this is crazy.
11:59
Well, another thing is prices for any goods.
12:03
Okay.
12:04
Like, you want to buy something in pharmacy.
12:07
Right.
12:08
Some vitamins.
12:09
You go to Amazon,
12:11
and you see the prices double,
12:15
how to say the double cheaper.
12:17
It's half price.
12:18
Half price.
12:19
Yes.
12:20
It's half price.
12:21
You go to Jamaican store,
12:23
wherever it's the double price.
12:25
Before you came,
12:26
did you think things were going to be cheaper than Russia?
12:28
Of course.
12:29
Of course.
12:30
This is what I was thinking.
12:31
Because you know Jamaican is development country.
12:34
And you think what I come from.
12:37
The first world country.
12:38
Sure.
12:39
And I have to allow to live normal,
12:41
to live better.
12:42
Right.
12:43
Like in Thailand.
12:44
Yeah.
12:45
Like when you can...
12:46
I just come back from Thailand.
12:48
I know.
12:49
Oh my gosh.
12:50
When you can eat fruits and smoothie every day,
12:53
because they just cost like $1.
12:55
I don't know how much they cost right now.
12:57
Less than $1.
12:58
Okay.
12:59
I can go to my sash every day.
13:01
Yeah.
13:02
Here in Jamaican.
13:03
I was getting my bad knees massage for like eight pounds an hour.
13:06
I was getting them every day,
13:08
because I just thought, oh my god, this is amazing.
13:10
And then I read that it's not good to have a massage every day,
13:13
so I did it every other day.
13:15
I'm so sad.
13:16
That's right.
13:17
But here, my goals so...
13:21
you know, so normal.
13:24
I wouldn't say normal.
13:26
So regular.
13:27
I just want to be allowed to do the massage.
13:30
Sure.
13:31
Once a week.
13:32
Sure.
13:33
But in Jamaica, because of the cost of living,
13:36
to go to massage place in Jamaica,
13:39
here in Kingston,
13:41
the minimum price is going to be like 10 to 12 pounds.
13:44
Or thousands.
13:45
Like almost 100 years.
13:47
Sure.
13:48
Yeah.
13:49
And the price is for everything.
13:51
For example, I'm dreaming to get to reach and buy a Porsche.
13:55
And you know, if you buy Porsche in Jamaica,
13:57
you pay double price.
13:59
You pay double price for everything.
14:01
Sure.
14:02
And the minimum wage is still just $60,000 in Jamaica.
14:06
Okay.
14:07
Which is about $400 US dollars.
14:10
Sure.
14:11
And if you don't make enough money to live in Jamaica,
14:17
you just survive.
14:19
Yeah.
14:20
This is still shocking me.
14:23
The thing is shocking me every time people see me.
14:26
When I go outside trying to buy something,
14:29
like if you're a Jamaican,
14:31
you never had this experience.
14:33
Right?
14:34
You just go into that guy who is sailing coconut.
14:36
Sure.
14:37
And you know, he will never try to scam you.
14:39
Sure.
14:40
Because this is how you live.
14:42
This is your country.
14:43
When I go,
14:45
when I go, people always try to put double.
14:49
You know, if you can imagine,
14:51
if I ask Chadry Petit to make this picture,
14:53
the half of the picture is like amazing building,
14:57
like amazing wheel of a pool and Porsche right here.
15:00
Sure.
15:01
And here is some surviving life.
15:03
Right.
15:04
And I'm somewhere on the middle.
15:05
Okay.
15:06
Like half of my closes and face looks so beautiful
15:09
and half of my face and clothes are just tear off.
15:11
Because of the life challenges I have.
15:13
Right?
15:14
This is my picture.
15:15
That would be it.
15:16
And for anyone who is thinking about moving to Jamaica,
15:20
what would you say to them?
15:22
If you feel,
15:24
if you're in our voice,
15:26
saying you do that,
15:28
do that,
15:29
it might be,
15:31
probably it's going to be so hard,
15:34
because to move to any country is so hard.
15:38
But if you feel,
15:40
this choice,
15:42
going to make your life better,
15:44
and happier,
15:46
do that, because we have one life.
15:48
This is my main goal in this life.
15:50
We have one life.
15:52
And we all gonna pass one day.
15:58
And the main goal is just to feel happy.
16:02
I think this is why I'm in Jamaica.
16:05
Because,
16:08
even if I don't feel that happy,
16:10
however I was during dance hall,
16:13
but I still feel more happy
16:15
when if I wasn't in Russia, right?
16:17
Okay.
16:19
But just if you feel,
16:21
this is going to make you more happy.
16:23
Do it.
16:25
Yeah. Thank you.