Alex Lloyd perks herself up with a night of Jamaican music.

I HAVE to confess that I was feeling less than enthusiastic when I stepped out into a cold Friday night to go to Reggae Explosion for the first time.

I was tired, there were good programmes on television and the rain was starting to spit down from above. But, to my surprise, it was possibly the most fun I'd had in ages. Especially the cheers and frantic dancing that greeted final track of the night - Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved. The atmosphere was electric.

Organiser Chris, aka Dougie T, says the song has become a bit of an anthem for the night, which runs on the second Friday of each month at City Screen's Basement Bar. "The audience really appreciate the music, even people who are not into reggae. They pick up on that groove."

Chris, 32, has been promoting and DJing at events in and around York for the past 15 years, most recently Unitone, Get Funky and Freestyle. "My main loves are reggae, soul and funk. I find lots of dance music can become intrusive. This is more chilled-out for everybody and that is part of its success."

Chris labels the night as "an education in reggae", charting Jamaica's cultural development over the past 50 years.

Along with fellow DJs Revibe, Bongo and DJ Bass, he mixes in everything from Mento, the earliest form, to Ska, Rocksteady, Dub and Dancehall.

They also use an authentic reggae DJing style, with breaks in the music and repeats of intros, similar to the rewinds you hear in UK Garage, just one of reggae's many offshoots.

Preconceptions of what reggae is should be shattered as you discover what a diverse musical genre it really is and hear a lot of tunes that you recognise.

Jamaica's fusion of African sounds with jazz, blues and R&B can't fail to put you in a sunny mood and get you dancing. Just the tonic on a cold, rainy night.

Reggae Explosion, at the Basement Bar, City Screen, tonight (12th) 7.30pm to 11pm, £4/£3 (members & concessions) 01904 541144.

Updated: 16:04 Thursday, March 11, 2004