Live dancehall acts bring difference to Os.mo.sis

Garfene Grandison, Gleaner Writer

Amid all the genres for the night, there was dancehall. The popular music dominated the party scene at this year's staging of Os.mo.sis Ultimate Nightlife, held at the Caymanas Estate.

Party enthusiasts who have come to appreciate Os.mo.sis as a brand came out in droves to dance and enjoy the latest musical selection from Coppershot and DJ Nicco.

Aside from the dancehall hits that had the patrons raving all night, the Mad Circle organisers had a more interactive and special treat for the patrons, a live string of performances from dancehall headliners such as Sean Paul, Aidonia, I-Octane and Tifa.

At minutes after midnight when The Gleaner team arrived, the venue was exploding with '90s hits as the patrons slowly began to make their way into the boldly branded Smirnoff venue.

Digicel, another of Os.mo.sis' major sponsors, were not to be outdone as they too went all out. Digicel female representatives, clad in their signature red with just a pop of cheetah print designed by season one Mission Catwalk winner Shenna Carby, were well represented throughout the Cabana City VIP area.

To add a little more flamboyance to the Digicel setup, there was a live band that played alongside the deejays who continued to churn out '90s hits.

The Digicel promotional girls who were spray-painted gold were placed at the front of Cabana City to further enhance the glitz and glamour that is synonymous with the Os.mo.sis event.

As DJ Sanjay from Coppershot began the smooth transition from dancehall to reggae, the patrons continued to nod and enjoy the musical selection as some enjoyed the delectable offerings from some of Kingston's finest restaurants such as KFC, Monster Grill, So-So Seafood, Cuddy'z and more. Others sipped on top-shelf liquor, courtesy of Bars to Go, while continuing to socialise with friends.

Stylish ladies

As usual, the ladies upped the style and came dressed to impress in miniskirts, stilettos, ruffles, prints, etc. Their male counterparts dressed more casually.

However, there were those who came in bold colours, blazers, and others who channelled their inner chic and came looking as if they were coming straight from the catalogues of Benetton.

Minutes after 2 a.m., the DJ declared that it was "fun time" and pandemonium broke loose when he let out a string of soca anthems with the 2010 hit Palance pulling the most energy from the crowd.

Rihanna ruled the night when it came to pop music. Her recent hit Cheers (Drink to That) had almost all the patrons in the now-packed venue raising their glasses in unison while singing along.

A drawback of the event, however, was the Cabana City. Dubbed 'the ultimate VIP experience', it could be described as many things, but VIP didn't come to mind. Patrons there were not afforded any special offering that spoke to exclusivity, or an 'enhanced experience' for that matter.

The space was jampacked with hardly any space to manoeuvre, there were certain beverages that ran out, and the food options were quite lacking.

No euphoria

Gone seem to be the days when Cabana City gave a feeling of euphoria and exclusivity, or when there were so many food options that persons couldn't make up their minds.

The one designated food station inside the Cabana City was packed as the huge turnout of patrons flocked the tent hungry for the delectable items offered by Elite Kreations.

Although pleasing to the palate, the limited selections had people grumbling somewhat. One patron remarked, "Fi $5,000 we should have all dat general have and more, instead I have to be going into general to get ribs and other food."

Despite the location being the same as last summer with the hillsides cascading above the patrons as they partied into the early hours of the morning, it would seem as if the promoters had scaled down on the production.

The venue was a bit tighter and the offerings a bit more limited. That said, this year's Christmas staging was still one of the best stagings yet.

Most patrons could be heard leaving the venue uttering these sentiments. A job well done to the Mad Circle team and their sponsors.