CRAVE 2012 NYC: Kes the Band & Benjai Live at Pulse 48
On Friday, August 31, 2012, New York Carnival Weekend got underway with Natalie Presents CRAVE, bringing Kes the Band and Benjai to the Pulse 48 Outdoor Complex in Brooklyn for a late-night Soca celebration.
Held at 1020 East 48th Street near Farragut Road, the event opened its doors at 9 PM, with live performances scheduled to begin at 12:30 AM sharp. The night also featured music by Sounds 4 Life, Panther Vybz, Anonymous and Dr Wax.
Julianspromos was represented on site by Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs, who covered and filmed the event on her own. Julian C. Hackett edited the coverage afterward.
CRAVE — Carnival Rave
CRAVE was part of promoter Natalie Lamming’s Caribbean event series in New York. The name stood for “Carnival Rave,” and the concept had already become part of Natalie’s Labor Day weekend programming before the 2012 edition. Earlier CRAVE events were also staged at the East 48th Street Brooklyn location, making the outdoor space a familiar setting for the event.
Natalie would continue building a reputation in New York for producing Caribbean-centered events and showcasing artists from Trinidad and Tobago and the wider region.
For Carnival Friday 2012, the focus was firmly on Soca.
Kes the Band Live at CRAVE
Kes the Band was one of the night’s two featured live acts.
By 2012, the Trinidad and Tobago band had already become a familiar presence on Caribbean stages in New York, combining Soca with a polished live-band sound that could move comfortably between Carnival music and Caribbean Pop.
CRAVE placed Kes in the middle of one of the most active weekends on New York’s Caribbean calendar, with thousands of visitors and local revelers already moving through Brooklyn ahead of J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade.
The outdoor Pulse 48 setting gave the band another opportunity to bring its live show directly to the New York Soca audience.
Benjai Brings His Soca Sound to Brooklyn
Sharing the CRAVE stage was Benjai.
The Trinidad and Tobago Soca artist brought his own catalog and performance style to the night, giving the event two distinct live attractions alongside its roster of DJs and selectors.
With Kes the Band and Benjai at the center of the bill, CRAVE offered a strong Trinidad and Tobago presence on the Friday that launched Labor Day Carnival weekend.
Chandy at CRAVE
Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs covered CRAVE on site by herself for Julianspromos, filming the performances and atmosphere throughout the night. Julian C. Hackett later edited the coverage.
A photo from the event also captures Chandy alongside Kerwin Du Bois, who was in attendance that night.
Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs with Kerwin Du Bois at CRAVE in Brooklyn on August 31, 2012.
Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs with Kerwin Du Bois at CRAVE in Brooklyn on August 31, 2012.
Kerwin was not listed among the featured performers on the CRAVE flyer, but his presence added another recognizable Soca face to a night already filled with Trinidad and Tobago talent.
Carnival Friday at Pulse 48
CRAVE landed at the beginning of a packed New York Carnival weekend.
Over the next several days, Brooklyn would fill with fetes, concerts, mas-band activity and J’Ouvert celebrations before the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade reached Eastern Parkway on Labor Day Monday.
On Friday night, however, the focus at Pulse 48 was on Kes the Band, Benjai and Soca.
With an outdoor Brooklyn setting, a late-night start and a lineup built for Carnival revelers, Natalie Presents CRAVE helped set the tone for the weekend ahead.
