KINGSTON, Jamaica—Every year, the days leading up to Emancipation Day and Independence Day are filled with reminders of what it means to be Jamaican.

Schools stage cultural showcases, communities prepare for celebrations, and the sounds of folk songs, reggae and dancehall once again become the soundtrack to national pride.

For emerging dancehall artiste Kaylyn, there could hardly be a more fitting time to release Linstead Party, a single that reaches back into Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage while bringing its own contemporary flavour.