Folklore Riddim (2018 Soca) - Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions
Folklore Riddim (2018 Soca) - Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions
In November 2017, Julianspromos and AdvoKit Productions introduced the Folklore Riddim, a collaborative Soca project created for the 2018 Trinidad Carnival season and featuring music from Kes, Sekon Sta, Turner and Nadia Batson.
Built around themes of tradition, culture and Caribbean identity, Folklore represented an important new chapter for Julianspromos. After years of promoting and documenting Soca music, the project marked Julian Hackett’s first step into riddim production, working alongside Trinidad and Tobago producer Kit Israel of AdvoKit Productions.
The collaboration produced one of the most successful releases connected to Julianspromos, with Kes’ “Hello” becoming the breakout song from the riddim and eventually reaching tens of millions of views through the JulianspromosTV YouTube channel.
The Beginning of the Folklore Riddim
The concept behind Folklore was rooted in Caribbean culture.
The original project described folklore as tradition, culture and a connection to the generations that came before, with the music designed to combine those cultural foundations with contemporary Soca production.
Rather than creating a riddim based solely around Carnival partying, Folklore was intended to carry a deeper cultural identity while still giving artists enough space to approach the production in completely different ways.
The instrumental was produced by AdvoKit Productions in collaboration with Julianspromos, with live guitar from Kit Israel and live bass from Gideon Bishop.
The riddim was mixed by AdvoKit Productions, with mastering handled by Precision Productions, while the original artwork was created by Christine Harripersad, also known as Realioness.
Kes - Hello
The biggest recording to emerge from Folklore was Kes - “Hello.”
Released through the JulianspromosTV channel on November 8, 2017, “Hello” paired the melodic style of Kees Dieffenthaller with the rolling Folklore production.
Written by Kees Dieffenthaller and Kit Israel, the song featured additional background vocals from Kees and Kit, live guitar by Kit Israel and live bass by Gideon Bishop.
“Hello” would go on to become the defining song from the Folklore project and one of the most successful music uploads in Julianspromos history.
Years after its release, the JulianspromosTV upload surpassed 39 million views, giving the riddim a reach far beyond its original 2018 Carnival-season release.
Sekon Sta - Aye Yo
Sekon Sta approached the Folklore Riddim with “Aye Yo,” bringing a different energy to the same production.
Written by Nesta Boxill and Kit Israel, “Aye Yo” centered on enjoying the Carnival experience and celebrating the freedom of the fete.
The song demonstrated one of the strengths of the riddim format: the same musical foundation could support completely different melodies, lyrical ideas and artist personalities.
While “Hello” leaned heavily into melody, Sekon Sta used Folklore to create a record centered around Carnival energy and participation.
Turner - Holding On
Turner contributed “Holding On,” giving the Folklore project another contrasting interpretation.
Released on November 8, 2017, “Holding On” carried a more reflective message about persistence and continuing forward through difficult circumstances.
Turner’s performance demonstrated the versatility of the production. Folklore could support a Carnival record without requiring every artist to approach the riddim with exactly the same subject or vocal style.
The JulianspromosTV upload of “Holding On” would eventually surpass 1.5 million views, adding another significant digital milestone to the project.
Nadia Batson - Catching Feelings
Nadia Batson was also part of the wider Folklore Riddim project with “Catching Feelings.”
Her contribution brought another melodic dimension to the production and expanded Folklore beyond the three recordings released together at the beginning of November.
“Catching Feelings” was later released as its own single through AdvoKit Productions, further extending the life of the riddim heading into the 2018 Carnival season.
With Nadia included, Folklore brought together four distinct voices from Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca scene: Kes, Sekon Sta, Turner and Nadia Batson.
The Folklore Riddim Track List
The project is represented by:
Kes - Hello
Sekon Sta - Aye Yo
Turner - Holding On
Nadia Batson - Catching Feelings
AdvoKit Productions - Folklore Riddim Instrumental
Together, the recordings demonstrate how one musical foundation could move between melodic Soca, Carnival energy and more reflective songwriting.
Julianspromos Moves Into Music Production
Folklore holds particular significance within Julianspromos history because it marked the beginning of a new part of the company’s involvement in Soca.
Julianspromos had already spent years promoting artists, distributing music online, documenting events and building an international audience for Caribbean entertainment.
With Folklore, the company moved directly into the creation of the music itself.
Working alongside Kit Israel and AdvoKit Productions, Julian Hackett gained experience in the production side of the Soca business while bringing Julianspromos’ promotional reach and digital audience into the collaboration.
Years later, Julian would identify Folklore as his first riddim project and credit Kit Israel with teaching him important aspects of the music business.
A Partnership That Continued
Folklore also established a creative partnership that did not end with one release.
Julianspromos and AdvoKit Productions later reunited for the Twin Flame Riddim, released for the 2019 Soca season.
The partnership would continue again with the Tender Touch Riddim, extending a working relationship that began with Folklore in 2017.
Those later projects make Folklore particularly important when looking back through the Julianspromos archive.
It was not simply another Soca release promoted by the platform. It became the starting point of a production partnership and another expansion of what Julianspromos was becoming within the Caribbean music industry.
The Success of “Hello”
The long-term performance of Kes’ “Hello” gave Folklore a legacy far beyond the initial Carnival season.
The original JulianspromosTV upload eventually accumulated more than 39 million views, becoming one of the most watched recordings associated with the Julianspromos platform.
That success introduced the Folklore production to audiences around the world and helped preserve the project long after the 2018 Carnival season ended.
It also demonstrated the value of combining music production with the digital distribution and promotional infrastructure Julianspromos had spent years building.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Folklore Riddim (2018 Soca) - Julianspromos x AdvoKit Productions is preserved as part of the Julianspromos Archives, documenting an important turning point in the company’s history.
Originally introduced on November 8, 2017 for the upcoming 2018 Soca season, the project brought together Kes, Sekon Sta, Turner and Nadia Batson over production from AdvoKit Productions in collaboration with Julianspromos.
For Julian Hackett, Folklore marked the beginning of his involvement in riddim production and the start of a creative partnership with Kit Israel that would continue through future projects.
For Julianspromos, it represented another step in the evolution from promoting Caribbean music to becoming directly involved in creating it.
And through Kes’ “Hello,” the Folklore Riddim produced a recording that would continue reaching millions of listeners and viewers years after its original release.
