Rewine draws big crowd

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

There was much to party for on the weekend, especially after what seemed a mere tap on the shoulders of those who lived in the Corporate Area, from fickle tropical storm Tomas.

One such party, dubbed Rewine, was held on Saturday at the very visible Waterfalls Club, sandwiched between Old Hope Road and Mona Road in Liguanea.

Lured with the slogan 'Enjoying old hits in real time' the patrons came out - in real time - Jamaican time, that is. Coleen Morris was a prime example. She and a friend arrived after the magical hour of midnight, approximately three hours after the scheduled kick-off time.

Immediately after exiting her mode of transportation and about the time she made contact via cell-phone with someone inside, Morris was asked, "Why have you chosen this time to come to the party?"

Aapparently confused by the question, the young lady's initial response was a stuttered, "Why? Did I miss something?" - followed by a look of despair on her face, and then the reason, "Is the party over?"

But with an assurance that that was not the case, her confidence and composure returned and she replied, "Because party just peak at this time." And off she went to find whoever was waiting for her in the building.

Inside, an elevated stage proudly boasted a backdrop created from water cascading down white walls. What seemed to be the main dancing floor was encircled by white Italian fabric that glowed under ultraviolet lights.

Patrons who arrived early seemed to be enjoying the oldies music and kept the bar attendants busy.

In the shadows, relatively speaking, were Jackie Samuels and Glenford Henry. For first-timer Samuels, the event was okay. But Henry, who described the place as his 'haunt', was happy to be there.

He "liked the ambience and the calibre of people". However, he expected to see a larger turnout by 12 a.m.

Unlike Henry, main organiser of the event, Michael 'Shabba' Brown, was not surprised. He predicted that the patrons would have arrived at this party later than the previous ones held in May 2009 and May this year.

Two parties per year

The fast-talking Brown told The Gleaner that the concept was to have two 'Rewine parties' per year, May and November. The inaugural one in May 2009 drew a crowd of 400 patrons. But the November 2009 party did not materialise.

"Unavailability of DJ Colin Hines resulted in the cancelling of the November party. Our plan is to deliver quality work," he said.

Brown, who is a senior customs and ramp agent and training administrator with Federal Express, further explained that the idea to produce such an event came from the notion that while there were retro-music parties, there were very few indoors. He chose the Waterfalls club because it attracted a more mature audience.

One of his plans is for the party to outgrow the venue. And as The Gleaner departed, it seemed that the venue may, in the near future, be too small.