Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer

A selector gets into the groove at 'Truck Stop'. - Contributed

SOUTH FLORIDA, United States: The cool evening breeze floats the smell of jerk chicken, pork and fish, creating a tempting whiff. People sit on benches, bar stools and cars. Even sidewalks. Some filter through the standing crowd.

Everybody's gripping drinks as they listen and sway to a mixture of mostly mellow Jamaican music in Florida, USA.

The vibes here is relaxing and sweet. The sounds of Beres blends with some early Buju and Junior Byles. Yellowman co-exists with Shabba and Half Pint. Barrington Levy links D. Brown and Marcia. Pinchers and Gregory mesh with everyone else.

No sound clash here. No 'haul and pull up' or 'wheel'. No confrontations.

"No gun thing," explained Mark Swaby, who's responsible for deciding who spins the tunes. "We play culture music."

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

The only sting is an occasional mosquito bite. But the weekend's niceness smoothes over most discomforts. The crowd starts soaking it in before dark. It goes on well beyond midnight. Admission is free and it's trouble-free.

"Where it is, it's unincorporated," says Swaby. "No houses. So we're not disturbing anybody. So nobody messes with us."

There's no need to. After all, the place is just an out-of-the-way 'truck stop', an open-air lot featuring a gas station and bar along a stretch of highway called 'US27', west of the city of Davie, Florida. It's almost in the middle of nowhere. The roads leading to the venue appear lonely going in. But by the time patrons are ready to leave they seem more tranquil, having had a chance to reminisce, having enjoyed a night to remember and sing along to that favourite tune which they probably hadn't heard in years.

If they're off-key, no one is close enough to hear.

The area was originally designed for weary American truck drivers, hauling huge loads on long trips, who needed to rest and relax. It still is. But a few years ago, a 'crew' of Jamaicans decided to sort of reinvent 'Chickee Hut'. Word spread that 'Truck Stop' - by now the unofficial street name - was an ideal spot to pass the time leisurely. It's where old friends meet and a bit of Rae Town on Sundays in Kingston is spiced up with some 'Little Ochie' in St. Elizabeth and Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine, flavour. It's like 'yard', just over an hour by plane from 'yard'.

"The whole idea," said Omar, one of 'Truck Stop's' creators, "was to mimic the Jamaican lifestyle. The place you'd drive 15 minutes or more to go to for a vibes. We call it Cornwall, Middlesex and you won't be sorry."

organized promotion

'Truck Stop' and its growing reputation has now become a fixture; a gathering place for Jamaicans looking to just jam, sampling music and vibes mostly from the mid-1990s and earlier. And with little advertising or organised promotion beyond word of mouth - a truckstopfla.com website is 'under construction' - it is now carving out a sizeable niche in the South Florida cultural and entertainment landscape.

Yet, that was not quite the original plan.

"It was supposed to be a little thing, 7 to 8 p.m. to 'bout midnight," said Swaby. "But then it started to take off and we had to go to 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. The concept was, it was a little outdoor place where we could play music. Dancing wasn't originally a factor. Just a little lime."

The music is not all reggae. A little soca, R&B and even some disco are spliced into the party playlist as well. 'Truck Stop' is about whatever gets the mood going while not upsetting patrons' mature sensibilities. Only that is good enough to go. Take it or leave it.

"The place is to listen to oldies," Swaby said. "If you don't like that, don't come. You have plenty options."

Just not too many like 'Truck Stop'. As word of the weekend lime has spread, so too has the interest to duplicate it elsewhere. According to Swaby, people have flown in from other US states enquiring how they can recreate the ambience.

jamaican-style

The 'Good Times' event from Jamaica, which features music from the '70s, '80s and '90s, is slated for a trip to Florida in October. It seems a big thirst is waiting to be quenched.

"There is a concentration of Jamaicans in South Florida and they are hungry for this kind of entertainment," said promoter Jerome Hamilton in a press release announcing the 'Good Times' tour.

So far, they've been getting their fill at 'Truck Stop'. All they have to do is pull over, park and lime.

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.

Food is cooked open-air style at 'Truck Stop'. - Contributed

The food is an important part of the atmosphere at 'Truck Stop', outside Davie in South Florida. - Contributed