KINGSTON, Jamaica- No strangers to the Red Bull Culture Clash, the members of Rum Punch Bunch decided 2023 would be the year they kicked things up a notch and become active participants.

Armed with a bout of experience from working behind the scenes at previous clashes, the team came fully prepared to walk away with the title. And that they did, when they annihilated the competition to become the 2023 winners of the internationally renowned culture clash.

“While we hadn’t directly participated in the Red Bull Clash ourselves, we did have previous involvement. In 2017, Red Bull enlisted us to promote and sell tickets for the Unruly Team, led by Popcaan.

Additionally, in 2018, we were once again brought in by Red Bull to represent the Frequent Flyers, led by Kranium,” said Allan ‘Boom’ WilIiams, a member of the Rum Punch Bunch.

“On both occasions, our Reggae/Dancehall Team emerged victorious, securing the highest ticket sales. So, while it wasn’t our first time in the Red Bull Clash as direct participants, our past engagements were marked by success and achievement.”

Still, while they no doubt had experience and exposure on their side, the Rum Punch Bunch were not taking any chances on missing out on their shot at the title and decided to enlist the help of some major players from the local music fraternity to help seal their victory.

“We built a team of legends who we’ve looked up to in the dancehall industry growing up. We wanted to curate a show that was true to Dancehall culture. They delivered that and a championship,” said André “Dreggae” Ruddock highlighting that the most memorable part of the Red Bull clash experience was “the camaraderie during the preparation, the prayer before the performance, and seeing their prowess on stage. We’ll be talking about this for the rest of our lives.”

Rum Punch Bunch copped the title over Bamba Tuesdays, Mashup Sessions and Perreo404 at the Gateway Centre Arena in Atlanta earlier this month.

Ruddock told Observer Online that as a team, it was more important for them to showcase the best of reggae and dancehall.

“Victory was the goal, not the expectation. It was more important to drive home how important Reggae and Dancehall is in the musical landscape,” he said pointing out that it wasn’t all smooth-sailing throughout the competition.

“There were very frustrating moments during the clash that made the win more meaningful. But, when it seemed impossible, the team raised the bar. When we lost a round, Sir DJ Corey and Willy Chin changed the plan of attack with our guest artistes on the spot. When we had equipment issues, Tony Matterhorn and Troopa Traloopa gave us an acapella performance. Nasheen Fire was wheelchair bound and helped us capture the win in the 4th round.”

“Mapy was flawless on the violin in key moments. Jabba’s experience and professionalism kept the entire team on track. Shane Talon and Prince Charm guided us to the finish, and the dancers helped us break the noise metre,” he continued. “lan ushered in some of dancehall’s biggest artistes at the perfect time. This was special, we wouldn’t change a thing.”

Karl Injex, another member of the Rum Punch Bunch, told Observer Online that the Red Bull experience met all their expectations and said that now that it’s done and dusted, his team is looking forward to perhaps participating in another competition.

“The curation of the teams was exceptional, and the immersive, high quality production value elevated the experience significantly for us,” he said. “Having done our recon, we came into the clash knowing the potential threat posed by each team. We also knew we were fully prepared for battle…the victory felt hard won and well earned and we would eagerly embrace the opportunity to do it again.”

His teammate, Williams agreed.

“Anytime there’s a chance to showcase and share our vibrant culture of reggae and dancehall music on a global platform, we are more than willing to take on the challenge.”

In addition to throwing out powerful reggae and dancehall songs in clash format, Rum Punch Bunch also brought out the likes of Serani, Vannessa Bling, Teejay, Aidonia, Govana and Mr Lexx to enhance their on stage performance.