By Kandré McDonald, Contributor
YOU GO GIRL: This young lady seemed quite contended doing her various dance moves at Mello Vibes, which was held last Saturday at the Mas Camp Village, Oxford Road. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
'MELLO VIBES: The '70s, '80s and early '90s Party' last Saturday was great in parts, even though the normal crowd turnout was not forthcoming.
The latest edition of the show at Mas Camp Village on Oxford Road was not so lucky this time around, failing to attract its customary large turnout. This could have been the result of the rain, which had been lashing the island for some days. However, even though a massive audience was not forthcoming at this staging of the event the vibes, as usual, were 'off the hook'. Even the showers that had been blessing the island held off so that a long night of singing and dancing could be enjoyed.
The musical selections also made amends where the turnout fell short. And although the selectors did a great job, the supposedly preconceived idea of 'enjoying oneself no matter what' was the attitude the patrons seemed to have entered the venue with. This made the selectors' job very easy, as they did not have to persuade the patrons to get involved.
The patrons, who occupied just over half of the space in the venue, could be seen clustered to the rear of the poorly lit venue doing their fabricated dance moves. Their reaction to the music that was being 'dropped' by the selectors would have left someone ignorant of what was happening on the inside totally convinced that Mas Camp was packed to capacity.
The patrons sang and danced to the music as if there was no tomorrow and anyone who may have anticipated them getting exhausted from the dancing would have been in for a surprise. Most of the patrons seemed to have excess energy, as they danced and sang the night away.
DEAFENING ROARS
When Bounty Killer's famous line 'people dead, the blind must be led, the hungry must be fed' from the song Lodge echoed around the venue, hands with the replica of a gun went up into the night skies accompanied by deafening roars. Seeing the overwhelming reaction, the disc jockey 'pulled up' the song, played another, and then returned to playing it once more, with the reaction being the same.
The trademark, extensive and elaborate list of dance moves that have converged on the dance scene lately were not to be left out and on Saturday a new move was added to the already long list. DJ Squeeze, who had been pumping the music for some 45 minutes or so, paused momentarily to introduce a new move, the 'John Travolta'. Spinning Staying Alive from Saturday Night Fever movie soundtrack, Squeeze gave the patrons directions as they sampled this 'new' dance move. They willingly complied with his instructions.
"Put one finger in the air and the other behind you and John Travolta now, John Travolta now," Squeeze said, as he had the dance crazed patrons moving to the music and his instructions simultaneously.
The sex-oriented women's segment was next and from its beginning bumpers were interacting with the night skies and waistlines were being gyrated. Women sandwiched men and 'wined' them to a pulp.
The party continued into the wee hours of the morning. Some persons began heading for the exit at minutes after three, with the party still in its prime, while others stayed behind soaking up all the selectors had to offer.
