MISSING this year’s Bacchanal Beach J’Ouvert, meant you missed the paint fête of the year. Revellers came from far and wide to jump and prance at James Bond Beach in St Mary last Saturday.

True to its promise, the day-into-night party, Beach J’Ouvert, gave party-goers an unparalleled mix of waist-rotating hits, spirit-quenching drinks, high-quality entertainment, and the perfect dutty mas venue. And it makes this one of the most memorable events teenAGE has been to since the start of the year.

Covered in paint, powder, water, and even their drinks, the bacchanalists got on bad to the soca selections of DJ Bambino all afternoon.

Then, as the sun began to set, they ‘chipped’, ‘wuk up’ and ‘tempa’ wined along to the live performances of Soca artistes Patrice Roberts, Shurwayne Winchester and Farmer Nappy.

By the end of the night, the now-converted teenAGE team could be heard singing loudly along with the crowd, “I Am Soca.”

And even though there is still one more Bacchanal Jamaica event, Bacchanal J’Ouvert — to go before Carnival day — this year’s Beach J’Ouvert showed us one thing for certain, these bacchanalists are ready for the road.

— Kristen Laing