LAST Saturday’s Sunset Cocoa J’Ouvert at Hope Gardens continued the event’s tradition of providing its patrons with Soca and sweat-infused carnival excitement.

“The party was an overwhelming success for the Sunnation team. We exceeded our projected patronage and were still able to deliver an exceptional experience,” Andrew Bellamy, co-organiser, told the Jamaica Observer.

An exceptional experience it was, as the sunset start led to a night packed with action. Partygoers were soon covered by the signature cocoa powder and eventually given a taste of the road march to come in April. In typical carnival fashion, the teams, categorised by their T-Shirts, were herded from the lower section of the Gardens to a stage set up at the disused water fountain. The large crowd pranced, danced and drank around the several trucks as pulsating music, provided by the likes of Lord Hype, Nuphoric, DJ Smoke and DJ Richie Ras, spewed from their speakers.

The lack of water at the fountain soon became moot as Kerwin Du Bois took to the stage. Du Bois had the audience jumping to with his hits like Too Real, Monster Winer, and Press Ah Button. Eventually he screamed for water and the captive crowd, who had been blasted by another wave of cocoa powder, found themselves being hosed down from a nearby water truck.

“I love the fact that Jamaica is now starting to appreciate Soca music,” Du Bois said.

He continued to blast out his impressive catalogue including No Apology to the frenzied fans, before taking things into his own hands. He climbed to the top of one of the trucks taking control of the water hose much to their delight and sending the party into overdrive.

Sunset Cocoa J’Ouvert will return later in 2015 with a ‘for charity’ event, according to Bellamy.

— Rory Daley