Dutty Fridaze Returns July 1 2011

by DRW
(Jamaica)

In a release to the media Dutty Fridaze's organiser Wayne '2 Gran' said that the event will not return to its original Fletcher's Land home but to John T's Place at 44 - 52 West Street in downtown Kingston. The new venue is open-air, in a rooftop setting.

Dutty Fridaze joined the host of street dances around the Corporate Area in 2006 and quickly became known for the dancers and also the thing which led to its demise hitting a peak in the early daylight hours of Saturday.

The police duly enforced the 2 a.m. cut-off time stipulated by the Noise Abatement Act and Dutty Fridaze wandered through a number of venues, among them Hellshire, St Catherine, Sherlock Crescent, Duhaney Park; and The Building in New Kingston.

There was a brief return to Fletcher's Land in August last year, but again the law was breached, and the homecoming was short-lived.

Since then Dutty Fridaze has done a number of 'invasions' of communities at the invitation of various promoters, making stops in Manchester, St Ann, Clarendon and St Elizabeth, but has not been held in Kingston.

Bartley says the Dutty Fridaze Invasions will continue, , with dates in May Pen, Clarendon (July 30 and August 6), Nain, St Elizabeth, (August 5) and St Ann's Bay, St Ann (August 26). And he says the July 1 rebirth of Dutty Fridaze in Kingston will help to push the invasions, which kept the momentum of the party's name going while it was not being held in Fletcher's Land.

The advantage of John T's Place is that Dutty Fridaze will adhere to the law. "It is in a commercial district and it has an entertainment licence to go up to like 4 a.m.," Bartley said. "It is just a secure place that you can work within the parameters of the law." He points out that there is also an expansive parking area across the street, so he does not anticipate there will be traffic congestion on West Street.

However, Bartley is not anticipating much traffic in the initial stages of a revived Dutty Fridaze in Kingston, as he points out that the party will have to rebuild its name and popularity. Neither is he waiting for persons to rediscover Dutty Fridaze and make it huge again. Or to peak relatively early in the night, after struggling to get people to turn out before the wee hours in Fletcher's Land.

"Is a rebirth. You not going to come see the place block. It have to build, like in 2006," he said.

Bartley said "this event is not waiting for dancehall people to be here to start it. This dance is video and promotion. On July 1 we not going to put a sound system here and go downstairs and wait on anybody to turn up. We going to bring the Dutty Fridaze family here.

The video turn on and is a movie, a film. If you want to be here to see the movie you can come. We edit the DVD fast, put it out, so then some persons who never come going to say what, next time me haffi come!"

Part of that Dutty Fridaze family are selectors Gary Chucks, Boom Boom, CD Master and Shampoo. There are also the dancers, including 'originals' Marvin, Baby Attitude, Back it Up and Gillian, plus new dancers.

He points out that although John T's Place is in a commercial area, residential areas are nearby, including Upper West Street and Tivoli Gardens. Still, Bartley pays respects to the Fletcher's Land origins. "Dutty Fridaze aim is to be at Fletcher's Land. But is a more secure move.

Fletcher's Land Square is the home, but the law says 2 a.m. And I been working since 2006 to get people to come in early and it not happening. Is revenue, no matter how small, and you have to protect it," Bartley said.

Return to Dutty Fridaze page from here.

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