TOAST! Koffee’s ‘Grammy-welcome-party’ a hit at The Meca
Back in the island, Jamaica’s hottest
reggae act, Koffee, was showered with love – surrounded by fans, fellow musicians,
friends and family at The Meca in St Andrew on Tuesday, February 4.
The humble, soft-spoken Grammy kid was the
toast of the night as the Ministry of Culture celebrated her historic exploits
after becoming the youngest and first-ever female solo act to cop the prestigious
award in the Best Reggae Album category last Sunday.
Living up to her choice in style, the invite-only event kept a casually elegant vibe, with a dash of red-carpet pizzazz as the venue was transformed into a virtual playground for local celebrities, influencers and many from Kingston’s socialite circles.
See gallery below for highlights:
With booze and food in near-unlimited supply; flashing cameras and strobe lights galore, if you missed the memo this was a celebration!
The celebrities turned out in full force, noticeably with appearances by fellow female reggae powerhouses Nadine Sutherland, Naomi Cowan, Jah9 and Queen Ifrica, just to name a few.
Many more Jamaicans toasted to Koffee at her official post-Grammy reception at The Meca, see gallery below:
The event kicked off promptly at 7 pm, but as usual, Jamaicans, following their own clock, streamed throughout the night to show love to Koffee and it was truly a sight to see.
BUZZ fam, almost everyone who’s anyone was there: Nesbeth; ZJ Bambino; Kevin ‘SauceBoss’ Highcorn; Asafa Powell and his wife Alyshia; D Major; Jesse Royal; Popcaan (and a whole battalion of the Unruly Camp); ZJ Sparks; Tony Rebel; Agent Sasco; Kabaka Pyramid; Keznamdi; Royal Blu; as well as Protoje.
Whew! Lemme catch my breath for a sec.
Okay, we continue…
Business moguls Gary Matalon and Joe Bogdanovich were also there – as well as politicians Alando Terrelonge, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and Tom Tavares Finson.
BUZZ lenses also captured rising political aspirants Andre Marriott-Blake as well as Krystal Tomlinson and baby-daddy Beenie Man.
Arriving fashionably at 10:15 pm, the Grammy Kid herself was met with a rapturous welcome.
With a watchful eye, mom Jo-Anne Williams
and Koffee’s management team weaved through the crowds as many clamoured for a
piece of the young artiste – and arriving right behind her was fellow reggae
superstar Chronixx.
DJ Stamma ruled the turntables in the early
moments, keeping the crowd rocking and entertained followed in tow by ZJ
Bambino continued the musical tirade, with popular DJ sound system Chromatic
bringing the party well past the midnight hour.
Visibly exhausted, and while small in stature, Koffee did not disappoint as she graciously thanked the scores of Jamaicans for turning out.
See more BUZZ highlights in the gallery below:
“Blessings everyone, thank you for coming out on such short notice on a Tuesday night. First off, I’d just like to thank God for everything – for this opportunity, for the great success of Jamaica that led to us having this event,” Koffee began.
The heart-warming acknowledgments continued as she showered more gratitude on her mom, for being a constant source of strength and encouragement.
“I want to thank my mother. She taught me everything I know. She’s still there for me, even to this day. I just thank mommy for being there for me, through thick and thin,” she said.
The list of thanks was great but, while admitting it would have taken the whole night to truly express her appreciation to everyone along her momentous journey – Koffee singled out Usain Bolt, Protoje, Chronixx, her brother, extended family, and management team for believing in her and steering her on the path of musical history.
“I’m positively overwhelmed at this moment because of the people I have around me; all these people have made me who I am today in some way or another. I wouldn’t be standing here in front of all of you tonight, so mi just really thankful,” she explained.