West ready to embrace Off Tha Wall

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:With the energy from the last staging still strong, the west is once again buzzing as revellers begin to gear up for western Jamaica's retro party Off Tha Wall Retro Party, which is slated to be held at the Pier One complex in Montego Bay next Saturday night.

"The energy is amazing … . Everywhere I go, people are talking about it," said Nash Lawson, the CEO of After 10 Promotions, the promoter of the bi-annual party. "Like the fans, I am also very excited because I know it is going to be something special."

Lawson, who developed the Off Tha Wall concept seven years ago as a way of creating a platform for the party fans of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, has seemingly found a winning formula as in addition to the old-school fans, the event is also attracting many young people.

"Off Tha Wall was designed for the party fans of former years to relive those wonderful days ('70s, '80s, and '90s,) when we used to party from dusk till dawn in an atmosphere of love and unity," said Lawson. "It is good that the youngsters have also fallen in love with the concept."

SPECIAL THEME

Off tha Wall is staged on the last Saturday in May and November each year and each staging carries a special theme depicting something catchy from the '70s, '80s and '90s. This upcoming version is dubbed the 'Love Fever Edition'.

"Usually, we would have a lot of fans coming in from the United States, especially the New York area, but with the recent passage of Hurricane Sandy, I am not sure how many we will see," said Lawson, who was one of western Jamaica's most popular disc jockeys in the 1980s, operating under the moniker 'DJ Turbo'.

In keeping with the tradition of having top-flight retro-party selectors manning the turntables, Lawson has secured the services of the awesome FM duo of DJs Marvin and Donavan Dacres, who will share the juggling with him.

"It should be a night of ultimate fun in terms of old-school dancehall, R&B, soca, and just about every popular genre," said Lawson. "It is going to be a real blast in the Off Tha Wall tradition."

So as to ensure that party energy is constantly fuelled all night long, main sponsors J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum and Stone's Ginger Wine are promising to keep the 'vibes' flowing with their selection of beverages.