Photos by Natasha Mc.

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When Jewel Miami does an event you know its gonna be upscale, exclusive and the location will be memorable. And when sixAxis Ent. do F.R.I.E.N.D.S every 1st Saturday, you know there will be good people, good music and good times. So when these two camps combined to produce the 1st ever Labor Day Weekend cooler fete Oasis, we were expecting an exclusive event, with good music, a good crowd in a memorable venue ... and that’s exactly what they delivered!!

The flyer said shorts, slippers and sunglasses ... we only wish we could dress like this in every fete, and it said Cooler Fete ... we only wish we could take we own cooler in every fete!! The venue was not disclosed on the flyer, one needed to purchase a presold ticket or get one of the limited invites that were being handed out in dark corners and alleyways. Not really, but they weren't easy to come by if you didn’t know the right people. Even those who signed up on the TJJ/Oasis guest list had to wait until the day before the event to be told the address, we knew all along but we can keep a secret.

Leading up to Labor Day weekend, of course you must keep an eye on the weather, somebody in Jewel Miami or sixAxis must be blessed cause after some serious rain in the morning, some blue actually started to appear in the sky, then low and behold it was hot again in South Florida, cooler fete weather, oui!!

So we pack up and head down ... we still keeping the venue name and location secret, cause next year we don’t want the whole marrish and parrish to invade the ting.We arrive at the venue in time for some onsite parking, and thru the bamboo fence we can see some folks milling around and hear the sounds of some early Soca from DJ House Arrest. We ent walk with no cooler, cause we know everybody go have drinks, all day and night is only “wha yu have in yuh cooler?" .. "Fix meh up nah!” Don’t you just hate that guy?? So folks start to fall in the dance, everybody casual and fashionable and the ample amount of ladies looking lovely. We will say the venue was right on the intercoastal in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, so as we partying on the grass outside, the boats and yachts passing by.

C.I.Dee Sound take a turn on the set and things kick up a notch, and the crowd getting bigger. The Reggaezebo and SoCabana were occupied and full and others grabbed some chairs and just get in where they fit in. Then it was Selecta Renegade turn, and he mix things up nicely with some Reggae, Hip Hop & RnB. Darkness start to fall, and the folks across the water must have made a few phone calls cause the police came by to visit. No scene, House Arrest say, “We moving inside,” and with that folks grab they coolers and march thru the door.

The promoters may have expected this cause there was a whole next sound system already setup inside and C.I.Dee was already on the 1s and 2s. One set of folks in the VIP say they not leaving it behind and pick up the couches and walk with them normal, normal. *lol* And with that, it's lights off in the hall, the volume turn up and jamishness start!!! It was like a tale of two fetes, and many coolers. By this time, all of Kamla’s Bake & Shark and Doubles was gone, DJ sell out all the corn soup and the Jerk Chicken was done pack up ... so it was nothing to do but drink and dance and nuff drunken-ness. Many a brain cell died on that dance floor, one patron we spoke to the next day didn’t even recall the party had moved indoors until reminded. A man say they go have to change the name from Oasis to ‘Mash up’ cause everybody was mash up and a good time was had by all.

Can't wait for next year, this fete may very well rank in TJJ's "Dance RAM" as one of the best events for summer 2008!

Spudz McKenzie