Teino Evans, Staff Reporter 
Members of the group T.O.K. perform at the last of Bacchanal Jamaica Friday Night Soca Fetes, at the Mas Camp, Oxford Road, New Kingston on Friday March 18, 2005, and from their reaction soca fans had a great time. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
WHATEVER THE reason, whatever the season, if you don't have some good old yard dancehall music, then that special flavour is missing.
The two major promoters of carnival in Jamaica, Jamaica Carnival and Bacchanal Jamaica, have injected a number of dancehall acts and selectors' 'juggling' into their events, in an effort to attract a wider cross-section of persons.
Bacchanal Jamaica had TOK and Tami Chin performing at their final night of soca fetes at the Mass Camp Village on Friday, March 18. They also featured a dancehall sound system combination from the Sparkles and Renaissance discos at a previous Friday night fete. In addition, Wayne Marshall was among the artistes who performed at their highlight event, Beach J'ouvert, at the James Bond Beach on Saturday, March 26 in Oracabessa, St. Mary.
The Jamaica Carnival group has allowed deejay Black-Er and the singer/deejay combination Conrad Crystal and Sugar Roy, among other dancehall performers to perform at some of their street jams.
Jerome Hamilton, managing director of Headline Entertainment, said he has been closely involved with carnival this year, largely due to the fact that some of the dancehall artistes he does booking for were sought out to appear at various events.
"Jamaica has a high representation of their own music and the staple diet of soca could not be sufficient. Even in Trinidad, once carnival is over, the predominant music played is Jamaican music," Hamilton said.
CREAM OF THE CROP
"In Trinidad, the soca runs for three to four months and the people get it in their system. In Jamaica it is different. We get the cream of the crop songs, which is considerably less in quantity and time in which to appreciate," he said.
Outside of these two factors, Hamilton also pointed to the popularity of Jamaican music among Jamaicans.
"You cannot have an event in Jamaica without a significant portion of Jamaican music. Carnival can't stand alone and even to win the masses when they go out on the road, they (carnival promoters) have to play some reggae music. This is our strength; our music is year-round, while soca is seasonal," Hamilton said.
Dancehall and soca artistes alike have welcomed the injection of dancehall music into the carnival atmosphere.
Shurwayne Winchester, just before his performance with the Traffik Band at a recent soca session, said it was a great vibe and the change was good.
"It is some really positive vibes and better things are to come. The exchange of culture is good. Music evolves and change is good. I like the vibes and they (dancehall artistes) bring something new," he said.
For Jamaican singer Tami, it is very pleasing to see the organisers blending the dancehall flavour into carnival. "I say anyway to get dancehall in, because the people really enjoy it," Tami said.
Members of the group TOK say they are in full support of this partnership as well.
