Bachanal On Di Water 2: Boston Soca Boat Ride 2013
Boston’s Caribbean summer moved onto the water on Saturday, July 27, 2013, with Bachanal On Di Water 2, a Soca boat ride bringing music, dancing and the city’s Caribbean party crowd together for a summer fete.
Rather than a concert built around a headline performer, Bachanal On Di Water 2 centered on the party experience itself: Soca, a packed boat and a crowd ready to fete while cruising through Boston.
For the Julianspromos coverage, former Soca artist Nnika Francis stepped in as guest host, while Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the event.
Watch Bachanal On Di Water 2
The video was uploaded on August 1, 2013, five days after the July 27 boat ride.
Soca Takes to the Water
Boat rides have long fit naturally into Caribbean party culture.
Once the boat leaves the dock, everyone is part of the same fete from beginning to end. The DJs, the music and the crowd carry the experience while the city and waterfront become part of the backdrop.
Bachanal On Di Water 2 brought that formula to Boston during the height of summer.
There was no need for an elaborate stage production. The attraction was the combination of Soca, friends, dancing and a party moving across the water.
That atmosphere is at the center of the 2013 highlights.
Nnika Francis as Guest Host
For this Boston assignment, Nnika Francis joined Julianspromos as a guest host.
Francis was already familiar with Soca from the artist side of the business, making her a natural fit for an event built around Caribbean music.
Instead of approaching the boat ride as an outside presenter, she was part of the culture surrounding the music and the crowd.
Her role gave the Boston coverage its own identity while keeping the focus on the people enjoying the event.
Boston’s Caribbean Summer
Bachanal On Di Water 2 took place during one of the busiest periods of the year for Boston’s Caribbean community.
The summer calendar builds toward Boston Carnival, but Carnival culture extends far beyond parade day. Soca parties, boat rides, concerts and community events help carry the season from one weekend to the next.
That makes a July boat ride like Bachanal On Di Water 2 part of a much larger summer rhythm.
By late July, new Soca from that year’s Caribbean Carnival seasons was already circulating heavily through parties in cities such as Boston and New York, while August Carnival events were quickly approaching.
The boat ride gave Boston’s crowd another place to enjoy that music before the biggest Carnival celebrations arrived.
Why Boat Rides Work for Soca
Soca is built around movement and participation, which makes a boat ride an almost perfect environment for the music.
There is no separate dance floor tucked away from the rest of the venue.
The entire boat becomes the party.
As the music moves from one record to another, the crowd experiences the night together. That shared energy is part of what has made Caribbean boat rides a recurring summer tradition across North American cities with large West Indian communities.
Bachanal On Di Water 2 was Boston’s version of that experience in 2013.
A Different Side of Caribbean Event Culture
Large concerts and Carnival parades often receive the most attention, but smaller events are just as important to Caribbean nightlife.
Boat rides create a more social environment.
People come to dance, lime, reconnect with friends and enjoy the music without the structure of a formal concert.
That difference is what gives Bachanal On Di Water 2 its character.
The event did not need a long artist lineup to define it.
The Soca, the boat and the crowd were enough.
Julianspromos Coverage
Nnika Francis guest-hosted the Julianspromos coverage of Bachanal On Di Water 2 in Boston.
Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the footage.
The event took place on July 27, 2013, and the finished highlights were uploaded on August 1, 2013.
The video brings back a simple piece of Boston Caribbean summer life from 2013: a boat full of people, Soca playing and a fete moving across the water.
That was Bachanal On Di Water 2.
