Mel Cooke, STAR Writer

Saturday's 2015 Jamaica Sound System Festival at Grizzly's Plantation Cove, Priory, St Ann, enjoyed good audience support up to just before dawn on Sunday, when Stone Love Movements ended with uptempo dancehall.

Among the few remaining as the music played, without someone on the microphone choreographing the proceedings, were a few young women who used the grass as a combination of a huge bed and gymnastics floor, displaying their flexibility while simulating sexual abandon.

The commitment to sound-system culture was clear as Stone Love and Bass Odyssey (organisers of the festival which, in effect, surrounded their 26th anniversary) carried their equipment, the speakers set up on either side of the large stage facing the crowd.

There were apologies from Bodyguard for not carrying their system, while overseas guests Heavy Hammer (Italy), Barrier Free (Japan) and Downbeat (USA) played on the equipment of their Jamaican hosts.

So did Jack Scorpio of Black Scorpio sound system.

Although the night ended with a high-paced appeal to the waistline, after much of the audience drifted away while Heavy Hammer was labouring through their final set, it was far from a night of undiluted daggering. At close to 3 a.m. it was Bass Odyssey's time and the hometown sound was in full flight, to the audience's delight.

The MC asked if the audience members knew who Bass Odyssey's artiste is, demanding if it was Beenie Man or Vybz Kartel. It was clear that the answer to the multiple choice was for the well-educated fans as there were some 'nos' until Bounty Killer's name was suggested.

I-Octane's urging to "buss a blank" was obeyed and the selector asked the audience to help him obey the guidelines as he said "me cyaa cuss no bad wud", but they were under no restrictions as they chortled along to Buju Banton's Me and Oonu.

He appealed to "de man dem whe trait like de new lightpost", the Guinness promotional girls, a fixture on stage for much of the night, coming up to do well coordinated moves to the music. The tempo and mood were changed with Holiday, setting the stage for a dancing segment that included Way Up Stay Up. Bass Odyssey's Damian gave Country Speng a crack at the introductions before making way for Bodyguard.

While the other sound systems played mostly specials, Bodyguard relied on 45s to far less-than-stellar effect. A rare special in their final set of the night was Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers to Cross, then it was on to Marley with Natural Mystic and Who The Cap Fits.

Christopher Martin asked for a lighter and a blank for Mama, Kartel spoke about the "money pon mi brain" and Chronixx's Behind Curtain was included in a generally low-key set.

Stone Love opened strong and maintained their momentum, Tarrus Riley's My Day and the Chronixx/Kabaka Pyramid Me Alright hitting home. They revived the lyrical combat between Kartel and Mavado, a Gully Gad special included in the mix. At the end of the segment the crowd agreed that Kartel had won the encounter.

Billy Slaughter later declared his respect for late Kevin 'Squingy' Bennett of Bass Odyssey, who died in 2009. "You see Squingy, a one a my selector dat," Slaughter said. "Me wish Squingy did deh ya," he added, dedicating Bass Odyssey's 26th anniversary celebration to him.