London comes to Hope Gardens tomorrow

Leighton Levy, Gleaner Writer

Hope Gardens was established in the 1870s to 1880s and named after Major Richard Hope, the first British owner of the land. In 1953, it was renamed the Royal Botanical Gardens when Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamaica.

Sixty-eight years later, Hope Gardens will become the venue for another fusion of cultures between Jamaica and the United Kingdom when Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project (SNEP) starts on the lush grounds tomorrow. The SNEP is aimed at discovering the best nightlife from around the world, and with about 50 countries from around the around participating, as fate would have it, Kingston gets to exchange cultural experiences with London.

"We go live on November 12 for the SNEP event here in Jamaica. What we're doing is that London rave will meet Kingston swag," said Smirnoff's Safia Cooper. "So we will be transforming the entire Hope Gardens area that we are using as the venue into a true rave experience. We have invested heavily in our lighting, in our multimedia and we have hired a technical lighting director who will basically create a show throughout the entire night to the beats that are playing, so it's all synced up - the energy of the music, the lighting factor, and delivering a true rave experience."

High-energy music

Main Events Entertainment Group will be handling production duties for the SNEP. Cooper describes a rave as an immersion into high-energy music. Lighting plays a big part in raising energy levels to match the music. However, this does not mean that local music will be ignored.

"Because we know the importance of our local music, what we're going to try to do is to find the right balance in delivering the rave energy, but also putting in our own dancehall flavour as well as the hip-hop influence from the United States. We want to deliver high-energy, high-quality music that all Jamaicans can appreciate," Cooper said.

For tomorrow's musical experience, the section of Hope Gardens that will be transformed will be called the Smirnoff Nightlife Arena. A huge dance floor is to be installed, around which there will be a massive light show and pyrotechnics.

"When you get there, there will be ample signage, there will be more than enough parking for the vehicles that will be coming in. There will be a lot of vibrancy in the event," Cooper said. "We have some LED tiles that will be put into the venue that will come from the deejay area, because the deejays will actually anchor the event."

The influences of London will also be integrated within the venue, including a replica of the London Bridge, London cabs and a trailer that will be designed to resemble a London double-decker bus. "Of course, on screen, there will be loads of content that will deliver the scene and sights of London as well," Cooper said.

Meantime, London will be having a Jamaican experience, with Assassin booked to perform during the SNEP. The drinking experience will also be special, Cooper explained. "We have five cocktails that we have taken from different countries that we will be celebrating. These five cocktails will be our staples for the entire night," she said.