Reggae or Soca? Inside The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca NY 2014
Pick a side.
On Friday, May 16, 2014, The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca brought one of Caribbean music’s favorite debates to Pulse48 in Brooklyn: which side could control the party — Reggae and Dancehall or Soca?
Julianspromos was inside the event, with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson hosting the coverage and Julian C. Hackett shooting and editing the footage. The resulting video captures the DJs, crowd and back-and-forth energy that made the Reggae-versus-Soca format work.
The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca NY 2014 at Pulse48 in Brooklyn.
The Julianspromos highlights were uploaded on May 19, 2014, three days after the event.
Two Sounds, One Caribbean Crowd
The idea was simple: give Reggae and Dancehall one side of the musical battle and Soca the other.
But in a New York Caribbean crowd, staying loyal to only one genre is easier said than done.
A Dancehall record could have the room locked in one minute, only for a Soca anthem to send hands and flags into the air moments later. That constant change of momentum made the music—not a single headline performer—the main attraction.
The DJs Behind the Battle
The official event flyer advertised a broad lineup of selectors representing the different sides of the night.
Among the names billed were Supa Roy, Elegance Sound, Massive B, Noah and Steelie Bashment, along with additional DJs shown on the event artwork.
The lineup gave both Reggae/Dancehall and Soca enough firepower to keep the competition moving throughout the party.
2014 Gave Both Sides Plenty of Music
The event landed only a few months after Trinidad Carnival 2014, when Soca had produced another wave of major records.
Kerwin Du Bois had captured the Groovy Soca Monarch title with “Too Real,” while Farmer Nappy’s “Big People Party” and other Carnival hits were still heavily in rotation.
Dancehall and Reggae had plenty of momentum of their own, giving New York selectors an equally deep catalogue to answer with.
That made May 2014 a particularly good moment for a party built around musical one-upmanship.
Vivaa Inside the Party
For the Julianspromos coverage, Vivaa brought viewers into the event from inside Pulse48.
By 2014, hosted coverage had become a recognizable part of the Julianspromos approach, allowing viewers to experience more than a montage of music and crowd shots. The host helped connect the audience watching online with the personalities and atmosphere inside the venue.
Julian C. Hackett filmed and edited the finished coverage.
The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca at Pulse48
The 2014 New York edition was held at Pulse48, 1020 East 48th Street in Brooklyn, near Farragut Road. The event flyer also carried VM Events branding.
Pulse48 was an important part of Brooklyn’s Caribbean nightlife circuit during this period, hosting Soca, Reggae and Dancehall events as well as live performances from visiting Caribbean artists.
That made it a natural setting for an event whose entire identity depended on bringing different parts of Caribbean music culture into the same room.
A Party Concept That Kept Growing
The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca continued beyond 2014, developing into a recurring Caribbean party concept in later years.
That gives the surviving Julianspromos video added historical value today: it captures the event during an earlier stage of a concept that would continue building its own identity.
From the Julianspromos Archives
The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca NY 2014 also reflects the expanding range of Julianspromos coverage during 2014.
The archive was increasingly documenting more than concerts and Carnival. Caribbean nightlife, DJs, selectors, album launches, fetes and recurring event brands were becoming part of the larger record being created.
With Vivaa on camera and Julian C. Hackett behind the camera and in the edit, the Ultimate Reggae vs Soca footage preserved the kind of night that could otherwise disappear once the party ended.
That wider approach helped Julianspromos build an archive that documents not only the artists of the period, but also the DJs, promoters, venues, parties and audiences that made up Caribbean entertainment in New York.
Event Details
Event: The Ultimate Reggae vs Soca NY 2014
Date: Friday, May 16, 2014
Venue: Pulse48
Address: 1020 East 48th Street, Brooklyn, New York
Presented/Promoted by: YM Events
Music: Supa Roy, Elegance Sound, Massive B, Noah, Steelie Bashment and additional advertised DJs
Julianspromos Host: Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson
Video: Shot and edited by Julian C. Hackett
Video Upload Date: May 19, 2014
