Bling Dawg lights up Mas Camp at Mello Vibes 25th-year Summer Time

Dancehall veteran Bling Dawg brought a packed Mas Camp, Stadium East, to life as special guest at the Mello Vibes Summer Time session, a retro party series now marking its 25th year.

The artiste, born Marlon Williams and also known as Ricky Rudie, took the stage after midnight in an all-black outfit and worked through a deep catalogue of favourites for the crowd.

He opened the nostalgia early with Zip It Up, his 2001 breakthrough track closely linked to the late dancer Bogle. Fans joined in on Phone Call, his hard-edged hook-up with Vybz Kartel, before he moved into Living in Hell, another joint effort with Elephant Man.

Behind the decks, ZJ Liquid, Bad Gyal Marie, and DJ Narity steered the night with continuous pulls spanning the 1980s into the 2000s.

Organisers asked guests to show up in FIFA World Cup kits, and Argentina’s light-blue-and-white stripes stood out most among the crowd. Selector Bad Gyal Marie leaned into that football mood with K’Naan’s Waving Flag, the widely known theme tied to the 2010 World Cup.

The mix was not limited to dancehall. Bad Gal Marie also spun calypso while jerseys and rags waved overhead, then sent the room into a soca run as dancers locked into lines and circled the floor to Follow the Leader.

With Mas Camp full and the energy high, the Summer Time edition landed as a standout night on the Mello Vibes calendar.