By Adrian Frater, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
SOCA REVELLERS took the Commingle Hotel, in Savanna-la-Mar, by storm on Saturday night as high energy flowed under the combined assault of lively patrons, the on-stage magic of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires and the creative selections of the Peter Phillips Disco. The Supreme Ventures' Jamaican Carnival event dubbed 'Savanna-la-Mar Blow-out' started slowly with Capone of ZIP FM setting the early pace with a mixture of soca, reggae and dancehall music. The party jumped to life at about 10:50 p.m. when the Byron Lee and the Dragonaires took the stage.
PARTY PEOPLE
"Are you ready party people?" shouted Oscar B, who seemed ready for a marathon in his red tracksuit and matching sleeveless T-shirt. The crowd, which had tripled by then, responded with a resounding "Yeah." That signalled the start of the official 'bumping and grinding'.
With Oscar B and his cohorts Jumo and the lone female Keisha leading the charge from the stage, the happy crowd, waving a mixture of soca rags and Jamaica flags, really got moving as songs such as, Feeling Hot and Wine Down seemed to give them fresh energy. The ladies, especially those closest to the stage, all but stole the spotlight as they responded wholeheartedly to both the 'video light' and their presence on the big screen. The tempo went several notches higher when the Trinidadian Roger George, clad in matching brown pants and shirt, took the stage shortly before mid-night. In-between rapping with the crowd, he took them on a journey of mixed music.
After rolling effortlessly through a soca medley, he skilfully changed the pace to 'lovey dovey' music and was bang on target with songs such as, Turn Me On and a catchy rendition of Crazy. By then, the crowd, which had thicken considerably, all but became involuntary in their movement as those who failed to respond to the pulsating music promptly were literally bounced into action by the many 'human trains', which whistled and gyrated 'up north', 'down south' and 'round-about' for good measure.
After an unforgettable stint in which Oscar B slowed the pace down with a series of selections from Sizzla, including the potent Just One of Those Days (Dry Cry) and a soca-flavoured rendition of Natty King's plea to the rude boys not to 'bring your guns come to town', the excitement reached its zenith with the 'Miss Tiney Winey' contest.
It was a case of bulk overshadowing 'slim and trim' as while the four slim-bodied contestants executed maximum energy in unleashing the 'bogle', 'butterfly' and the full range of new dances, the sole bulky contestant was the undisputed star. She had the crowd in a 'tizzy' as even when her skirt slid towards her waist, exposing her next-to-nothing underwear, she remain 'cool and deadly' as she grooved to the music.
"A Tiney Winey me name and a soca music a me game," she told The Gleaner after her celebratory jig, in which she had Jumo bouncing around as she gyrated across the stage. "Me nah mek no slim girl bottom me this year."
LOW POINT
Radio personality Jerry D joined the action after the 'Miss Tiney Winey Contest' and sought to drive even more life into the party. He succeeded in some measure as the girls at the edge of the stage kept tugging his pants, begging him to toss the goodies he was giving away in their direction. The unlocking of the Supreme Ventures 'Treasure Chest' was perhaps the only low point of the night as the person who ended up with the right key was deemed ineligible because of his ties to the promoter.
As a consequence, nobody went home with the $25,000 that was locked inside. However, despite the 'money' disappointment, the party pace never slacken, especially when Byron Lee and the Dragonaires returned for round two. As the night progressed, it was clear that the combination of music and alcohol was having a telling effect.
A section of the huge crowd at the carnival blow-out in the west over the weekend.
