Alison rules week 6
Bacchanal week six had patrons out in the hundreds to see none other than Soca legend, Alison Hinds. The Bacchanal veteran put on a most memorable show, showcasing her newest songs, as well as her throw back hits from the Square One days.
As patrons slowly filled the Mas Camp, they jammed to the carnival hits provided by DJ Smoke of Renissance Disco, while emcee for the night, ZJ Bambino kept them entertained with his usual antics. The crowd rose with the tempo of the music and allowed themselves to let the sheer fun and enjoyment of Soca flow through them as they patiently awaited the Queen of Soca.
Finally, she would come shortly after midnight, decked out in a dazzling purple and silver halter-back catsuit.
Alison entered the stage to cheers from the crowd and began her mission of getting the bumpers rolling inside of Mas Camp. The British-born, Bajan raised Soca Star has a following which includes most of the Caribbean.
After leaving Square One and starting her own band, The Alison Hinds Show in 2006, this following has grown to include the US, Europe and Canada.
Patrons, who have been to Hind’s Bacchanal shows of years gone by were pleasantly surprised to see that she had changed her set to include her newest Hits such as Boom Boom Tonic and Bumpers, but still kept some of her originals like Aye Aye Aye and Togetherness, which she is known for across the world.
Starting the show with crowd favourites, she had pratrons singing along with and wukking up to Aye Aye Aye, Carnival Baby, and Ride Di Riddim. Then when they were expecting another vintage Soca tune, she dropped Boom Boom Tonic, her 2010 carnival hit, and the crowd lapped it up!
After Togetherness, one of her most popular songs, came the part of the show that brought out most of the male patrons. She told the crowd “I want a real man to come up here and give me a proper whine.”
As the men charged to the stage, the first two who were closest climbed on, ready to get the job done. Turning it into a competition between the two, Allison started first testing each competitor with a slow whine, telling them “I want you to go real, real slow”.
Next came the mid-tempo whine, and finally the fast whine. Though both competitors handled themselves really well according to the cheers from the crowd, in the end she did not choose a winner but did state “If I was to die right now, I would die real happy!”
After the competition, Allison introduced two of her newest collaborations, both hits, and both with local artistes, Call On Me with Jah Cure and Kings and Queens with Richie Spice. The positive response from the crowd fuelled her as she continued her show, pausing again to sing Happy Birthday to two of her band members and all of the patrons who were celebrating a birthday that week.
She brought the crowd home with Roll It, a song for all the independent ladies, and then brought them up again with Palance, the song that has over taken Bacchanal and all Soca events alike. She closed out the show with jump up hit Togetherness, thanked Jamaica for having her once again and promised to be back next year.
The crowd, who was sad to see her go was easily consoled by DJ Smoke who continued the wukk up, slow vibe that Allison left them with right up until 2:00 am.