There were fond memories of West Indian dances in the United Kingdom at ‘Lovers Rock: A Night of British Reggae’ which took place on February 15 at Pon Top Restaurant.

The well-attended event saluted the lovers’ rock movement that erupted in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Most of the patrons, including co-promoter Berty Grant, lived there during that period.

Co-promoter Steve James, a student of British lovers’ rock, was pleased with the show’s début.

“We are definitely satisfied as we had several returning residents coming from all over the island to attend. We had a good crowd and would love to get more of our local patrons to attend and have a real lovers’ rock experience,” he said in an interview with the
Jamaica Observer. “Before we even ended we were being asked by several patrons to make it into a monthly event or every three months.”

James was selector for most of the evening. He played songs by lovers’ rock pioneers such as Sugar Minott, Janet Kay, Vivian Jones, Carroll Thompson, Louisa Mark, and Dennis Bovell.

Among those attending the event were producer Blacka Dread, along with singers Tippa Irie and Vincent Nap.

Grant, who was born in Kingston, moved to the UK in 1966 at age 10. He was a major player on the country’s sound system circuit in the mid-1970s before producing songs and albums by artistes such as Thompson and Winston Reedy.