With the party culture, dances, music and energy displayed in entertainment events acknowledged as boosting the influence of Jamaican culture worldwide, one such event this year celebrating its 20th year on the scene.

The Wray & Nephew Yesterday: Best of the 90s franchise, the popular party series best known among partygoers for its spot-on ’90s musical catalogue, takes place this Saturday (October 29) at Mas Camp in Kingston where ’90s music fans can enjoy all the hits from the period to mark the milestone.

Music will be provided by Bass Odyssey, DJ Arif Cooper and DJ Marvin.

The event, conceptualised on Christmas Eve in 2001 by Gyete Ghartey and friends, while studying at the University of the West Indies, has taken on a life of its own. The group of friends were on a quest to learn what party interests their fellow students had, and the answer they found most often was for more retro music from the recent past.

From that, Yesterday: Best of the 90s was born with the first staging held in 2002.

Since its early staging, the ’90s party grew to host editions of the event at least three times a year.

Keen on providing the best value for patrons, the GKG Entertainment company heeded the call from patrons to stage even more events.

“It’s the demand. People enjoy our parties and are always looking out for the next one, the requests kept coming so we gave the people what they wanted,” said Ghartey, marketing director of GKG Entertainment.

Pleased that the patrons continue to enjoy the events 20 years later, Ghartey promised a special experience for patrons this weekend.

“This party has always been about providing value entertainment for patrons. It’s always been about what the patrons want. So I feel great that the party has lasted as long as it has. There was no way of knowing it would last this long when we started. At the time, parties lasted three to four years before dying out,” he said.

“We are proud to have made it this far, so on Saturday, patrons can expect the best of everything and some surprises.”

To mark the 20th anniversary of Yesterday, title sponsor Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum will be giving patrons a chance to win prizes throughout the evening.

“Wray & Nephew, the company has been a pleasure to work with and has been on board for most of the lifespan of the party. In the last 12 years, the company has been a consistent partner,” the promoter explained.

Wray & Nephew Yesterday: Best of the 90s 20th-year celebration marks the second staging of the event for 2022. The third staging will be hosted in December.