Though a busy party weekend, Smirnoff Mello Vibes enjoyed a large turnout at its Sabina Park venue on Saturday.

Brush1 and Franco delivered one soca after another, but it was ZJ Liquid who turned things up a notch when he unleashed, quite surprisingly, a serving of rhythm and blues ballads.

The selection of Missing You by Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan saw patrons singing along, only to be outdone by the trills of Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey’s long-running #1 hit One Sweet Day.

No Pain, No Gain, an early 1980s hit for Betty Wright; Luther Vandross’ I’d Rather; SWV’s first #1 hit Weak; and Whitney Houston’s Where Do Broken Hearts Go were also real crowd-pleasers.

DeBarge’s Rhythm of the Night, Tina Turner’s Simply the Best, and Hues Corporation’s Rock the Boat (the first hit of the disco era) brought a dancing vibe to the proceedings.

A slate of 90s reggae tunes took over with Luciano’s Sweep Over My Soul leading the charge, as Determine and Beenie Man’s 30-year-old hit Kette Drum pounded like an alarm. Buju Banton’s God of My Salvation, Joseph Stepper’s Wife, Penny Irie’s dancehall anthem Matie, Beenie Man’s World Dance, Buju’s Big it Up, and Gangster’s Anthem by Terror Fabulous connected with attendees as the females in attendance danced up a storm.

DJ Marc Chin and Cyclone from Coppershot continue to demonstrate their great musical chemistry to the excitement of the fans. They kicked off their set with Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, then eased into Junior Reid’s One Blood, Half Pint’s 1980s anthem One Big Family and Level the Vibes, Romie by Beenie Man, Hoist it Up by Lady Saw, Bloodstain by Ward 21, and Capleton’s Slew Dem fanned the flames of the blazing inferno.

Ward 21 members Sukku Ward and Rumblood, producer Frankie Music, and Voicemail’s Kevyn V were among the entertainment personalities seen enjoying the vibes.

Nadine Thomas Hylton, brand manager for title sponsor Smirnoff, described the association with Mello Vibes as amazing.

“This is such a great event… You talk of people getting together, this is an event that friends get together at, and they party responsibly. It’s nice clean fun and we will continue to support Mello Vibes,” she said.

One highlight of the evening was that two lucky patrons won Carnival costumes courtesy of GenXS in association with Smirnoff.

Mello Vibes promoter Omar Perrin is pleased with how the event turned out.

“Saturday night’s staging exceeded all expectations… The patrons were out in their numbers dressed to dance the night away, and that they did. The selectors all came out in top form and delivered the dancehall and soca with that retro vibe that the patrons thoroughly enjoyed. It was nonstop energy and good vibes. Topped off with blessings for our supporters by Pastor Stephen Blake, we couldn’t ask for more,” Perrin told the Observer.