THE recent inclement weather did little to dampen the spirits of socaphiles who turned out in their masses for I Love Soca at Sabina Park in Kingston.

“I’m thankful and humbled by the turnout. I couldn’t imagine this, given the rain,” promoter Andrew Bellamy told the Jamaica Observer.

Only affected by light sprinkles, early-morning patrons were left with just a cool atmosphere to party. And party they did, as the huge roster of local and international DJs played up their own storm. From Jamaica were Richie Ras, DJ Lantern MD, and DJ Smoke. They were joined by Coppershot, who thoroughly entertained the crowd by playing dancehall on their last set.

Holding hard to the soca front was the Trinidadian team of Aaron Fingal and DJ Charlotte.

“This was our first time playing together as we were here individually for carnival earlier this year,” Fingal explained.

The pair didn’t disappoint, tailoring their set to the local demands.

“We didn’t play much new music as we realised that many Jamaicans wouldn’t be familiar with them, but we loved it as they showed plenty appreciation for Soca,” DJ Charlotte added.

The other international act, New York-based DJ Riggo Suave treaded both genres, getting the audience on his side with a straight soca set, then finishing off with a mix of rap, R&B, and dancehall.

“It was a soca event, and they came to hear soca, so that’s what I gave them,” he said.

So impressed with how patrons reacted to his set and the size of the crowd, Riggo Suave made a prediction on the state of soca in Jamaica.

“The way the people have embraced the music, combined with the fact that the country is still a tourist destination where all can come and enjoy the vibe, I think in three years Jamaica Carnival will be the largest carnival event in the Caribbean,” he said.