The sun sinks golden-red into the turquoise-blue of the Caribbean Sea. Spellbound, our gaze lingers at the horizon, where the sky touches the sea. I down the last drop of Red Stripe. Then I slowly rise to my feet, brush the sand from my legs and slip into a light shirt.

The sound of the waves blend with the music resounding from the “bush bar”.  Heavy bass resonates from the outsized speakers. We saunter over for a “sundowner”. A designer bar in the middle of the jungle! A Rasta with a thick spliff in the corner of his mouth puts on a record: The sound is slow offbeat, sexy and mellifluous, all in one.

My gaze passes over the guests. On a bamboo sofa covered with large, multicoloured pillows, I recognize Sade, who is pleasurably sipping a Blue Mountain Cappuccino. Holly Johnson and Paul Weller are standing behind her, discussing the 80s with great élan, while slurping their Ganja Mochitos.

Uni’Verss and Kharuso climb behind the DJ mixer console, grab the microphones and start to intone a duet, “Nothing Compares to You”, over a fat grooving riddim. Prince holds his burning lighter in the air and calls out, “Come Again, Selecta”. The DJ lets the turntable needle race back in  a perfect “rewind” to the beginning of the 7th vinyl single and plays the song again from the beginning.

The Jamaican producers of “80s go Reggae“ Prezident Brown, Devon Bradshaw und Beezy Coleman touch their hearts with their right fists – simultaneously and in slow motion – for the Rasta greeting: “Respect”!
The young Jamaican female singer, Njara, takes Lionel Richie by the hand and gently pulls him out onto the dance floor. The two of them move lithely, their hips swaying close together to the smooth rhythm.

Afrojam Music A&R Rankman, who is standing by Executive Producer Ike and discussing with him their favourite dish, “Jerk Chicken”, suddenly pauses. He seems to be completely enthralled by Uni’verss, who has become active on the mike in the meantime and is performing their favourite reggae interpretation of “Power of Love”.

While George Michael and Mick Hucknall, arriving from the beach, enter the bush bar and slowly walk over to the dance floor, an Englishman dressed in black orders a Rum & Coke and says with a sigh: “What a wonderful world this could be!” His female companion, who is also dressed in black, snatches his glass, takes a long swig and says: “I occasionally need a good twist in my sobriety.”
They are then joined by Cindy who has an extremely garish hairdo and states that she hasn’t seen them for ages …probably for more than 20 years. 

Time flies, when you’re having fun, except for in Jamaica. Everything there is in a perpetual slow flow. Irie!

“80s go Reggae” an Afrojam Music release.

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