A section of the crowd in attendance (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

For 12 non-stop hours, the Soca+ Festival delivered on its promise for high-energy music, entertaining performances, and Sunday morning breakfast.

From 10:00 pm on Saturday to 10:00 am on Sunday, the appetites of party-lovers were undoubtedly satisfied inside Sabina Park in the capital city Kingston.

Mark Telfer, regional brand manager for Campari — main sponsors for the event — was all smiles Sunday at the festival's outcome.

"Campari partnered with Soca+ because we expected a historic event, and they have actually went beyond Campari's expectations. The consumers have been here all night enjoying the music, enjoying their Campari cocktails, and they're still here. The sun is in the sky and we're here! So, for me, and for Campari, it's a historic event for Jamaica being the melting pot of many cultures tonight," he told the Jamaica Observer.

From left: I Love Soca director Ian Bourne, Skinny Fabulous, regional brand manager for Campari Mark Tekler, and Andrew Bellamy (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

The festivities included live performances from the Queen of Bacchanal Destra; dancehall act Aidonia, who brought out Ding Dong during his set; and Soca legend Skinny Fabulous.

Several attendees brought along chairs and small camping tents to alleviate any exhaustion that they might have experienced. Drinks and other refreshments flowed throughout the party hours with early birds sporting specially branded Soca+ cups.

Patrons also took advantage of the colourful set-up by capturing photos at selfies at the various photo booths.

Minutes before 7:00 am I Love Soca-branded raincoats were hurled into the crowd to prepare for the hoses to be turned on. The party immediately went into higher gear once this was done. Fortunately, most had dressed to get wet. But for some, their hairdos were no match for the excitement.

The water was fun!! (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Skinny Fabulous made his way into the crowd during his performance to enjoy the water with his fans. He ended with the fitting track, Famalay.

The only dancehall act to touch the stage, Aidonia, hailed the event's overall success.

"It's a great vibe! To be booked for a festival like this, it shows a lot. This is a soca dominant and it shows that a dancehall artiste like Aidonia can come and represent. The vibe is crazy…out there ram [full]… Mi nuh think mi ever see Sabina Park suh ram, fi know seh it's a big festival and me just glad fi be a part of it," he told the Observer.

BY KEDIESHA PERRY Observer writer entertainment@jamaicaobserver.com

Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at https://bit.ly/epaper-login

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Polls

Which long-term investment option is more attractive to you at the moment?