Sean Paul, Sia’s ‘Dynamite’ Video Puts The Ward Threatre In The Spotlight
Dancehall star Sean Paul and Australian singer-songwriter Sia have released visuals for their second collaboration Dynamite, which featured a long list of Jamaican talent and the heritage and beauty of The Ward Theatre in Kingston.
The Cheap Thrills singers debuted the new visuals two days ago on November 5, two weeks after the song was released on streaming platforms. Set in “Neo Kingston” 2062, the Storm Saulter-directed music video imagines what Jamaica would look like in the future, and follows a female dance troupe, “The Dynamites”, as they compete in a dance battle.
“The concept of the video is futuristic, reflecting the sound of the song as well as how I see the longevity of my career,” Sean Paul said in a release. “We also showcased a futuristic view of Jamaica with the style of dressing, flying cars, and big buildings.”
“Big up to Storm Saulter who executed the vision and his work definitely highlight the great talent we have here in Jamaica,” the Temperature deejay added.
In a Tweet yesterday evening, Mayor of Kingston and Senator Delroy Williams welcomed what he called a new era for The Ward Theatre, which is located at a site in downtown Kingston that has been in continuous use since the 1770s.
“As many will see some of our repairs including the new seats are displayed,” Williams wrote in part. “Looking forward to the next phase and the day when many more such activities will take place inside the #wardtheatre. #stillbelieviing”
@duttypaul ft @sia Dynamite music video shot at the #WardTheatre.
As many will see some of our repairs including the new seats are displayed. Looking forward to the next phase and the day when many more such activities will take place inside the #WardTheatre. #StillBelieving pic.twitter.com/CXB3wZEzUm
— Delroy Williams (@DWilliamsJam) November 7, 2021
The National Theatre has been going through a restorative process since 2017, which marked Jamaica’s 55th year of independence. The Ward Theatre is said to be the largest theatre in the English-speaking Caribbean.
In an Instagram post on Friday, Dynamite‘s director Storm Saulter, who is known for the 2010 film Better Mus’ Come and 2018’s Sprinter, credited the many creatives that worked on the project including the JD films team, creative director Savannah Baker, and dancer Happy Feet.
Dynamite will appear on Sean Paul’s upcoming studio album, Scorcher.