Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Shawn Stockuan of R&B group Boyz II Men, greets deejay Elephant Man at the Port Royal Music Festival (PRMF) 'Celebrity Party', at Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina in Kingston, last Friday. - Winston Sill / Freelance Photographer
With sheets of white lightning in the sky towards the open sea and the yellow light of the capital down low across the Kingston Harbour, Friday night's 'Celebrity Party' at the Morgan's Harbour Hotel and Marina matched the occasional flickering across the sky.
The general dress at the first annual Port Royal Music Festival's kick-off event matched the lightning, as not only did the guests, especially the women, adhere to the all-white code, but the venue was also decorated with swathes of white cloth and silver trimmings.
A tree in the clear, concreted area in front of selectors Jazzy T and Richie D sprouted silver hangings over those who ventured into the wide open, many standing on the fringes or hanging out at the bar closest to the harbour's edge. Not that there weren't other places at the all-inclusive event to have a sip, strong or mild, the buffet set up close to where a white cloth-lined, short walkway branched off a strip of red carpet and ended up on the main area.
And with the selector's announcing the presence of celebrities Boyz II Men and Atlantic Starr, slated to perform on Saturday at the festival's main concert at the Port Royal Entertainment Centre, as well as TOK and Elephant Man, the ladies teetered happily on high heels, a few men stayed glued behind some white-clad behinds and the music played on.
'Lighters up'
It was hip hop coming up to 2:00 a.m., with guttural intonations of 'New York, New York' and the command to "put your lighters up". Jazzy T soon turned to dancehall with Shaggy and Olivia's Wild 2 Nite, the ladies cheering on Bun Him. The gangsters rocked and Assassin brought 'gully sittn' to Morgan's Harbour before there was a switch to back in dancehall time with Baby Cham's Galang Gal on the Showtime rhythm. Frisco Kid's and Beenie Man's cuts on the rhythm were played before Bounty Killer's Eagle and the Hawk, which was played at length.
And the session came back up to time with Ova Me and Tuck Een Yu Belly, Matterhorn's Goodas getting a pull up as the cheers went up. Jazzy T asked the ladies to get their waistlines ready and they seemingly ever prepared got going to Hmm Hmm. It was a Beenie Man double, with King of the Dancehall following and the legs wagged to Stookie before Richie D came in.
He took the party dancehall retro with Wayne Wonder's Saddest Day In My Life, Fresh Vegetable and Sanchez' Missing You Now coming before the chants of Tek Him went up in agreement with Cobra. The lightning flashes were closer by now, as Richie D cut from Buju's Lovers Choice to Sizzla's Just One Of Those Days. Longing For and Footprints kept the party in an easy rocking mood, then the selector said "right now we going to start the party over, Richie D style." And he went hip hop with the Fugees remake of Killing Me Softly. When the rapper growled "you see me rolling", one lass in a short, clinging number rolled eyes towards her tiny black underwear, the Wayne Marshall Forgot Them and Sizzla was patient with the 'nookie'.
By now the occasional raindrops had become a more persistent drizzle, clearing the central dance area, and after an Uptown Story, a Ghetto Story and Mavado declaring the Real McKoy the music went on the slow side and the faithful at the 'Celebrity Party' sauntered on.
