If the Rytz all-inclusive showcase on Carnival Thursday was anything to go by, then socaphiles are ready to beat the streets of Kingston with Yardmas.

Sweet soca music aside, the pre-Carnival event offered the perfect indulgence in a spread of delectable delights, premium cocktails and live performances.

Held in conjunction with Tipsy Music Festival, Rytz embodied the essence of its name as guests donned their most ‘glitzy’ outfits to fete and feast all night long.

With a number of soca’s best disc jockeys scheduled to take control at the consoles, it was a high-energy event until curtain close.

With epic musical partnerships from dynamic duos all night, it was non-stop vibes as revellers danced up a storm to their favourite soca hits.

Barry Hype and Richie Ras, Trinidad’s Patrick Anthony (the Hype Man), and Lord Hype and the Chromatic crew all served up eclectic soca mixes while injecting dancehall and reggae hits into their sets.

Songs from soca giants, Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Sedale, JW and Blaze, Skinny Fabulous, Kerwin du Bois, and Kes The Band had the crowd in a feting frenzy. Patrons coupled up as they gyrated on each other, giving as much as they were getting from the music.

Hits from dancehall artistes including Dexta Daps, Masicka, Vybz Kartel as well as reggae favourites from the likes of Barrington Levy, Dawn Penn, Sizzle, and Richie Spice brought the energy to a fever-pitch.

But just when patrons thought things couldn’t get any better, organisers ensured Rytz gave revellers added value with performances from the Soca Viking, Bunji Garlin, and Mical Teja, who performed at Rytz’s inaugural staging in 2024.

Delivering another fiery performance, Mical Teja thrilled the audience with a short and spicy set which included some of his most notable hits, among them Runaway, Hall of Fame, and DNA.

In a post-performance interview, Mical Teja said he was thrilled to see the growth of Carnival in Jamaica and expressed that this can only assist in the region becoming the entertainment capital of the world.

“This is my second time in Jamaica and I always feel the love. Just the fact that people singing soca in Jamaica is still surreal to me, because we view Jamaica as dancehall and reggae, and so to see them enjoying our art form shows Caribbean unity; and that’s what we need,” he said. “Last year I did the road and it was an amazing experience. I think every island has its own identity of Carnival and I love Jamaica’s identity. You have found a way to have the spa, the dancehall, and the reggae. That’s something unique to Jamaica and that’s the phenomenal. We in Trinidad on dancehall and reggae all year round, we love it. The exchange of culture is a beautiful thing on both sides.”

Fellow entertainer Bunji Garlin agreed. Declaring that “Carnival in Jamaica nice,” the Soca Viking brought the entertainment showcase to a climax in the wee hours of Friday morning. Lifting the spirits of each patron to a whole new high, Bunji Garlin delighted the crowd with some of their favourites, including Big Bad Soca, Family, Hard Fete, Differentology, Truck on the Road, and Jumbo Jet.

Garlin, who is no stranger to the local Carnival party scene, says he’s looking forward to the energy on the road come Sunday. According to him, the 2025 vibe already feels bigger and better than previous years.

“It’s 2025 and somehow the energy this year feels different to the other years. Vibe is up, so we up,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The Carnival in Jamaica activities are expected to climax in the highly anticipated road march on Sunday as the three participating bands in this year’s festivities are expected to bring the heat to the streets.

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Golden beauties take the stage.  (Karl Mclarty)

Revellers of the region rep their flags.   (Karl Mclarty)

Rytz brings out the socaphiles.  (Karl Mclarty)

Bunji Garlin rules the stage.   (Karl Mclarty)

Mical Teja thrills the audience.   (Karl Mclarty)

BUNJI GARLIN…vibe is up, so we up (Photos: Karl Mclarty)