by Valirie Morgan
Imagine combining the party atmosphere of a disco with a relaxing and peaceful beach vacation — sounds perfect, right? It’s now a reality: Elite Island Resorts has teamed up with Virgin Holidays and DJ Maseo of the iconic hip hop group De La Soul to launch the Caribbean’s first-ever silent beach disco and cinema programme, called “Big SSSSH!” Guests will be able to dance up and down the beaches of the Palm Island Resort Grenadines and Galley Bay Resort & Spa Antigua while listening to exclusive playlists curated by DJ Maseo through high quality wireless headphones.
“Our guests have long shared with us how soothing they find our nature trails, surrounding waters and tranquil vibe, so we wanted to work with Maseo to create a soundtrack to our low key atmosphere. There is something very special about listening to playlists and dancing with the sand between your toes, all only audible to those that want it to be,” said Paula Whitehead, European managing director of Elite Island Resorts.
On June 5th, DJ Maseo himself will be at the Palm Island Resort to officially launch Big SSSSH, deejaying from a beach booth and recording his set for future guests. He’ll do the same thing in September at Galley Bay Resort & Spa. The set will become part of a monthly offering by both resorts beginning in January 2015, which includes silent hike sessions around the nature trails on both resorts, a silent cinema schedule of films that will be shown on a beach screen with headphones and snacks, and the DJ Maseo two-hour beach set with headphones, BBQ and bar.
Guests can even take the island party vibes back home with them — all of DJ Maseo’s playlists will be made available for download after the holiday is over, perfect for escaping the realities of everyday life and pretending you’re still relaxing in a hammock on the beach!
This year coincides with the 25th anniversary of De La Soul’s album 3 Feet High and Rising, and the group has a UK tour planned to commemorate the milestone. DJ Maseo said he’s especially looking forward to this silent disco gig because it allows him to give back to fans and continue having fun with his music.
“Palm Island creates an awesome private island experience with the old school relaxed vibe that really fits with my style of DJing and with our philosophy from the very beginning as De La Soul,” said DJ Maseo.