Turntable Twins Alric (left) and Boyd (second left) pose with the Rhythm Twins Sly Dunbar (second right) and Robbie Shakespare at the launch of Alric and Boyd's 16th anniversary party at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Tuesday night. The party will be held at The Quad on December 20. Alric and Boyd presented a plaque to Sly and Robbie for their contribution to the music industry. - photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Tuesday night was a special one for two musical stalwarts of Jamaica at the launch of Journey to the Edge, a party to be held at The Quad, on December 20.

Journey to the Edge will be a celebration of the 16-year partnership between Alric and Boyd, two men considered among the best of Jamaica's disc jockeys.

In addition to the usual suspects on the Jamaican party scene, there will be guest deejays on duty that night in the form of DJ Sonnenburg, from Germany, DJ Masterstepz, of ChoiceFM in London, and DJ Max Glazer, from New York.

Duo praised

Party fans will be dancing across three floors at The Quad, on Trinidad Terrace, with DJ Sonnenburg and Jamaica's DJ Archie on Floor One; Fame FM's Arif Cooper, Masterstepz and Max Glazer on Floor Two and Fame FM's Colin Hines, DJ Denvo and Kurt Riley in control on Floor Three. Alric and Boyd will play on all floors.

At a somewhat lavish press conference held at the Hilton Kingston on Tuesday night, much praise was heaped on the two, known as Jamaica's 'Turntable Twins' by colleagues Paula Ann Porter-Jones, who served as master of ceremonies, and the legendary Rosamond Brown, whose silky smooth voice has won her so many fans over the years.

Brown provided a brief overview of the deejays' careers, reminding everyone how they seized an opportunity by playing their special brand of music on the graveyard shift on FAME FM in the early 1990s.

Going global

The 16th anniversary celebration was also to launch the start of Alric and Boyd's forays into the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Germany. One of the sponsors of the event, the German embassy, was responsible for the appearance of DJ Sonnennburg at Journey to the Edge in a cultural exchange. The German embassy is to make arrangements for Alric and Boyd to play in Germany soon, Marcel Consten, third secretary at the German embassy announced.

Operation Love was yet another facet of the Turntable Twins' new thrust. It is a programme initiated to help six foster children staying at a home on Keesing Avenue. Part of the proceeds from the party will go towards a Christmas treat for those children. The duo will also be joining the campaign started by Shaggy to raise US$2 million to purchase equipment for the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Attendees were treated to a special performance by Rootz Underground, featuring the Riddim Twins Sly and Robbie, and were led by Third World lead singer, the legendary Bunny Ruggs. As was expected, Alric and Boyd were on the turntables. Afterwards, the Turntable Twins presented the Riddim Twins with a plaque in recognition of their body of work.

On the night, triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt suffered a rare defeat, and at the hands of a woman no less. He lost a mixology contest to former Miss Jamaica World Nicole Haughton.

Olympic champion Usain Bolt (left) poses with mixology contestants Miss Jamaica Universe 1999 Nicole Haughton and Stone Love's Rory at the launch of Alric and Boyd's 16th anniversary party at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Tuesday night.