KINGSTON, Jamaica — Even as some Jamaicans prepare to spend Boxing night in St Ann for the long-awaited return of Sting, organisers of Dance of the Year are hoping others will celebrate the Holidays at a one-of-a-kind event featuring a few icons of Jamaica’s entertainment industry.

Dance of the Year slated for the MECA nightclub in Kingston on Monday night will showcase the musical stylings of some of the founding fathers of the island’s sound system culture including King Jammy’s, Killamanjaro and Black Scorpio.

According to MECA’s CEO, Michael Dawson, aside from Boxing Night’s biggest event in St Ann, Dance of the Year is the perfect place to celebrate Jamaica’s music industry.

“For fans of Foundation Dancehall, it doesn’t get any better than having the three giants of the genre set up in the MECA nightclub for a Holiday treat of dub plates, live performances and friendly clashes,” he said. “Dance of the Year is usually the one time in Kingston each year where lovers of authentic dancehall get together. The style displayed on the night predates the much-heralded 90s where coordinated dancing and fashion were infused in the genre. This is all about the music and lyrics with mainly couples dancing together to some old time “cool and deadly.”

Rosie Murray-Tingling, a senior executive at the Whirlwind Group — which manages MECA — explained said the event which was usually held at House of Dancehall on Cargill Avenue will be the place for mature dancehall lovers to enjoy themselves in a “more secure space with ample parking and comfortable bathroom facilities.”

Dance of the Year is expected to get underway at 10 pm. Ladies enter for free.