Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Bust a move.

'Musique's subtitle, 'Back in Blaque', suggested a certain uniformity in the required dress code for the party at The Pantry.

And quite a few of those who lined up in orderly fashion at 1:30 a.m. Saturday outside the black cloth which opened out on to the party area were dressed accordingly, in full or partial black.

But on the inside, where the music was present but not overpowering, variety was the order of the night from the turntables. The patrons, mostly youngsters crammed into the first section, down a few steps, as well as the second, at the end of a walkway, with quite a few on either side of the passage.

Variety came not only in the kind of music, which included dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, soca and rock, but also, for the Jamaican music, the eras represented. So just past 1:30 a.m. the hands went up for Assassin's We Are Not Afraid, then many minutes and many songs later there was a rapturous reaction to Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross.

Vybz Kartel featured in two sets of alternating artistes' songs for the night, the first with Bounty Killer and the next with Assassin, Spragga tossing in "a could a me fren yu a try dis". That first round came before 2:00 a.m., arms reaching for the sky through a cloud of smoke turned blue by the party lighting.

The other round came minutes later.

Surprises

It's all about legs.

Still, with the compression of styles and genres came some surprising switches, as after Kartel declared "I never" Voicemail encouraged all to "just dance" and Elephant Man outlined the Willie Bounce. But instead of a run of dance songs it was just a pair, as Mavado mused "bawl dem a bawl".

When Elephant Man complimented the girls that "yu ooku tight" one man got a clothed sampling of two hopefuls, one backing up on his zipper and the other on his left thigh.

The audience adjusted quickly and enthusiastically to the roots side of reggae, bellowing Til Shiloh along with Buju Banton, cheering on Many Rivers to Cross and stepping to Sizzla's Praise Ye Jah. But it may have gone on too long, as by the time Sizzla observed "Babylon a listen from near and far" the large crowd was almost at a standstill, though they livened up quickly for Double Trouble.

The music went back in Jamaican time with Buju Banton's Browning getting excellent support. But there was no Black Woman; and after Beenie Man's invitation to "jump spread out and wine" there was an awkward leap in rhythms and time to Shabba's X-Rated. That did not get the dancehall double punch of Needle Eye.

Still, the 'Blaque' people, two defiant lads in full white, were feeling no pain and were hurling 'wines', not criticism.

The music was worked around to Full Clip and Real McKoy, the round of recent dancehall ending with one of the night's few restarts as Bounty Killer's No Fren Fish hit home.

Run of rock

There was an extended run of rock by selector Richie Ras' beginning with We Will Rock You. Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name got an enthusiastic response and one young woman did not seem to mind when a male pal after hailing her and her dancing partner, took a few steps away to take a leak, zipped up and rubbed her bare shoulder with his shaking hand right after. It's Too Late and It's Not Over came back to back just past 2:30 a.m. Lenny Kravitz Fly Away kept the groove going, but a few songs later it was Hoobastank's The Reason that tore the house down.

After the rock came soca at a frenetic pace, but many seemed far less than overwhelmed despite the urging to get "it a frenzy". However, in the land of the Reggae Boyz hips waggled and lips cheered on "I'm a soca warrior".

And 'Musique' continued with a change of selectors to Renaissance with that "walk an' live" clip, the crowd happily completing the instructions. Busy Signal's Nah Go A Jail Again and DeMarco's Fallen Soldiers on special moved them mightily, and, heading up to 4:00 a.m., Mavado was "pon de gully side", Assassin was deriding the Sissy and TOK was chanting "no man" for the full, happy house.

The orderliness of 'Mystique' was underscored by the patient line of men waiting to use the bathroom. Wolfguard kept a constant mobile security presence on the road outside the Pantry, as well as an unobtrusive presence inside the venue, while the parking lot which, mystifyingly, many chose not to use although it was free and not full, was also monitored.

What's she saying?

Babes got back!

Pretty as a picture. - Nathaniel Stewart photos