Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Backing it up Passa Passa style. - file

Promoters of various weekly street dances and other parties have been implementing new means of warning patrons of the early start and end of parties.

This is in light of the recent clampdown by the police who are determined to ensure that the noise abatement act is upheld.

Recently, persons have been receiving text messages on their cellular telephones and emails, in addition to other warnings and reminders via selectors over the microphone about the 2 a.m. lock off time.

One message that has been circulating, came from Dutty Fridaze promoter, Wayne '2 Gran' Bartley from his gmail account stating, '(Dutty Fridaze) Tonight is 10 pm- 2 am please remember POLICE.' This notice is sent to various emails and cellphones on a weekly basis.

Sending bulletins

Bartley says he has been sending out the bulletins for some time now, but it has only recently been having much effect.

"Wi wait 'til like a Thursday or Friday evening then we send out a little bulletin, and it kinda work out a hundred per cent, because sometimes people forget (about the early time) and also, yuh have people a try decide wey fi guh party an when dem get dah likkle reminder then dem jus decide and come," 2 Gran said.

Another technique he says is to attend some of the other weekly parties and have his selector friends make an announcement for him.

According to 2 Gran, "the text messages to the phone is something that I do online and I can do it for free, so I can send it to everybody in my cellphone an dem get di same message."

"It (the technique) a work slowly but surely an everybody a catch on," he said.

Dylan Powe, one of the promoters for the weekly Passa Passa street dance, says he has sought to go the 'ole skool' way and remind people by "word a mouth."

"Whichever events we play at, the selectors dem always a talk bout it an a tell di people dem fi come out early next time and wi basically just put it out there word a mouth.

Reminders

But the habit didn't take one day, so we just need to continue reminding the people and hopefully they break into it fully. But di people dem definitely a break inna it, but it a tek time, but gradually likkle by likkle, it will work," he said.

According to Powe, "from bout 7:30, 8 p.m. music is there, but that has always been the case, a di people dem come out late. But now, people start turning out in their numbers from bout 1 a.m. and usually dem time deh nobody nuh deh deh, because the crowd normally come out bout all 3-4 a.m."

Another promoter also admitted to utilising unusual strategies to encourage patrons to come out early, but says, "the preferred route is to have the selectors do it over the mic, they have a lot of influence, but anything else we count as additional."

Wayne '2 Gran' Bartley, promoter of the weekly Dutty Fridaze street dance held in Fletcher's Land. - contributed