Nightclubs

What began as an informal gathering of "bredren" devotees of roots reggae and dub, preferably that emanating from vinyl, has developed into Kingston's weekly pilgrammage to Skyline Drive, where the home of Rockers Sound System torch bearer Gabre Selassie is transformed into Kingston's preeminent culture yard. The tiered hillside fills with a motley mix of old school rastas, young hipsters and flag-waving disciples, all gathered to relish the fresh and ancient sounds mixed together by the host and his endless entourage of guest selectors.

Waterfalls is a banqueting facility that does functions and is open to the public as a nightclub on Thursdays (9 p.m.–4 a.m., US$6) for oldies featuring Merritone Disco sound, and a mixture of reggae, Calypso, and hip hop from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It's one of the few places in Kingston that catches the vibe of an old dancehall straight out of the 1960s, with the crowd skanking to ska, rocksteady, R&B, and reggae classics well into the night. The cover charge includes complimentary soup.

Quad  is Kingston's longest-standing Uptown nightclub, with three levels. Christopher's Bar and Lounge is on the ground level, with Oxygen Nightclub on the second floor, and Voodoo Lounge on the top level. Patrons frequently go from one floor to the next throughout the night depending on the genre of music and vibe on each level entry into Quad is only (USD $12).