With the crowd jumping to the music of DJs Smoke, Richie RAS and Taj it was clear that the carnival baton had passed smoothly from Trinidad to Jamaica and all are now focused on the journey to the finish line – the road march on Sunday 3 April. According to Michael McMorris, Bacchanal Jamaica director, the first bacchanal Friday, which took place last Friday at the Mas camp, “lived up to our expectations. We got the crowd we anticipated, the excitement was high, the costumes were well received and our sponsors pulled out the stops to support the effort. We are very pleased with the start to Bacchanal 2016.”

Many Jamaicans who participated in the Trinidad carnival are still hyped up from that experience and are happy for Bacchanal Fridays. Charmaine Franklin who made her annual visit to Port of Spain , noted that it was, “A short season with limited music but nonetheless one where they crowned the youngest soca monarch and also had a new entrant band that presented a modern mas portraying  costumes with no feathers but vibrant colours and reflecting on the early years of costuming”.

DJ Richie RAS, one of the Caribbean’s premier soca DJs, shared his Trinidad carnival experience. “This was my fourth year in Trinidad for carnival, and, as always, the experience was good, however a little different from previous years. The energy this Carnival was not as high, as the music releases had a more mellow feel to them. Consequently, a lot of the Carnival 2015 and Crop Over favourites were in heavy rotation to make up for this.  This turned out to be a blessing for us Jamaicans, though, as our music releases were able to stand out more.  The Jambe-An Riddim produced by Kurt Riley was one of the most played riddims for the season on the radio, in the fetes and on the road; and one of the tracks from the release was a finalist in Trinidad's International Soca Monarch competition.  Tarrus Riley’s collaboration with Machel Montano “Memory” was another heavy hitter, and the soca remix for “Bicycle” by VybzKartel and BunjiGarlin was also in rotation.  I have been trying to encourage local performers to experiment more with this genre for a while now, so I was proud to see this.  In Jamaica our carnival has always been somewhat of a mirror of Trinidad's in terms of music, so it is great to see that we are taking steps in the direction of creating our own identity within the soca market. ” Richie RAS promises to bring a high level of excitement to Bacchanal Jamaica over the next six weeks. You can follow Richie RAS on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @djrichieras, and his latest soca mixes are available on iTunes Podcast, Podomatic&Soundcloud.

The vibes were not confined to the music, dancers or patrons but was also readily exemplified by the sponsors. Sagicor Bank decided to break out of the conservative mould normally associated with financial services and has joined the Bacchanal team of sponsors, as the Official Bank for Bacchanal 2016. Their fashionable booth, sporting their arresting lime green and blue colours, cannot be missed. Marketing Manager Cards and E-channels, Stacy Goodin, explained that partnering with Bacchanal Jamaica was very much in keeping with the approach that customers represented a diverse group and the Bank needed to meet them on their own ground, even if that ground was vibrating from the pulsating rhythm of the soca beat.

 “We saw this as an opportunity to explore another avenue through which to interact with our existing customers and to garner new business. Already, we have attracted a fair amount of attention and people have been seeking a great deal of information on our various products and services. Being in this space does not prevent us from bringing our A game to potential customers but, rather, in addition to the marketing and sales reps, we also have a branch manager on the ground, so we can field any question put to us. This partnership has allowed us to offer excellent benefits to Bacchanal revelers, both existing and potential clients. Revelers using our credit card will get a 10 per cent discount on tickets, as well as five per cent on select costumes; and, as customary, all cardholders will earn Sagicor Bank Reward points every time they spend, which can go towards major rewards of their choice. Cardholders can choose from cash back, investments, gift cards, hotel and travel rewards. We have no limitations on airlines, or destinations, so they could even earn a trip to Trinidad carnival in 2017. We look forward to merging fun with business in our partnership with Bacchanal Jamaica over the rest of the season”, said Stacy.

Bacchanal Fridays is not the only event taking place at the Mas Camp. Socasize began on Monday 15 February and will keep fans moving twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, as they get in shape for the road march.

Tickets for Bacchanal Fridays are on sale now at the Mas Camp, Pita Grill as well as the Ammar's Village/Mall Plaza, Sovereign and King Street locations. Tickets are also available online on www.touchstoneticketing.com. Ticket costs are $1,500 pre-sold, $2,000 at the gate for general admission, and $4,000 pre-sold and $4,500 at the gate for the VIP which is all-inclusive. Special rates are available to current UWI and UTECH students. Patrons must be 18 and over to enter VIP. Visit www.bacchanaljamaica.com for more details.

Contact:Touchstone Productions
P (876) 815-8500; 833-6447
Email: marcia@bacchanaljamaica.com