KMC in New York 2014: Julianspromos Interview
In July 2014, Julianspromos sat down with Trinidad and Tobago artist KMC, Ken Marlon Charles, for an exclusive interview in New York during an important transitional period in his career.
Hosted by Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and filmed by Julian Hackett, the interview explored where KMC had been, his relationship with Soca music, his time away from Trinidad Carnival and what he envisioned for the next stage of his career.
KMC also introduced and discussed new music including “Boom Box” and “Thing,” giving Julianspromos viewers an early look at material that would accompany his movement back toward the Soca scene.
KMC Returns to the Conversation
By the time of the Julianspromos interview on July 26, 2014, KMC had spent several years largely removed from the Carnival circuit that had helped make him one of Trinidad and Tobago’s recognizable Soca artists.
The interview gave him room to address that absence directly.
According to the original Julianspromos description, KMC spoke about where he had been, Soca music, the reasons behind recording “Thing,” the real reasons he had been distant from Carnival, his future and his fans.
Rather than reducing the conversation to a standard music promotion interview, the footage captured an artist revisiting his relationship with the industry and explaining a period that had generated considerable discussion among Soca audiences.
From Soca to an International Direction
KMC had already built a substantial Soca career before stepping away from Carnival.
Known for records including “Soca Bashment,” “Bashment to Carnival” and “Soul on Fire,” KMC had established himself as a singer, songwriter, producer and performer from Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2011, however, he publicly announced that he intended to move away from Carnival and Soca while pursuing a more international, electronic direction. At the time, he had signed with 2101 Records, the label founded by producer RedOne and connected to Universal Music Group.
His work abroad placed him within an international Pop and EDM environment that was considerably different from the seasonal Trinidad Carnival circuit.
That history made the 2014 Julianspromos interview particularly timely. KMC was no longer simply discussing what he had left behind. He was beginning to talk publicly about Soca again and introducing music that pointed toward another chapter.
“Boom Box” and “Thing”
Two of the central songs discussed during the interview were “Boom Box” and “Thing.”
The original Julianspromos description specifically notes that KMC discussed both new singles and explained why he recorded “Thing.”
“Boom Box” would circulate within the 2014 Caribbean music market, while “Thing” became particularly connected to KMC’s renewed engagement with Soca.
Later in 2014, Caribbean entertainment coverage described “Thing” as part of KMC’s attempt to return to the Soca and Carnival space, followed by another release, “Favourite Song.”
That makes the July Julianspromos interview a useful historical marker. It captured KMC talking about the material before his return to the Carnival arena became fully established.
Why KMC Had Been Away
KMC’s absence from Carnival had already become part of his public story by 2014.
In a widely reported 2011 interview, he had expressed frustration with the Trinidad and Tobago Soca industry and said he would no longer participate in Carnival after the 2011 season. He was spending significant time in Europe and pursuing his international recording career through 2101 Records.
The Julianspromos interview revisited that period directly.
Rather than relying only on outside reports about why KMC had distanced himself from Carnival, Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson gave him the opportunity to explain the situation from his own perspective.
That discussion is one of the most historically valuable parts of the footage because it documents KMC between his initial departure from the Carnival circuit and the comeback that followed.
On the Road Back to Carnival
Within months of the July 2014 interview, signs of KMC’s return to Soca became much clearer.
By October, Caribbean entertainment media was reporting that he appeared determined to re-enter the Soca scene, with new releases aimed toward the upcoming Carnival season.
In January 2015, KMC’s return became official when he entered the International Soca Monarch competition after several years away from the Carnival arena. Trinidad and Tobago media specifically framed his participation as a comeback.
Seen in that timeline, the Julianspromos interview sits almost directly at the turning point.
It captures KMC in New York discussing Soca, Carnival and new music before his full competitive return to Trinidad Carnival in 2015.
Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson Interviews KMC
The interview also forms part of Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson’s expanding body of original artist interviews for Julianspromos during the early 2010s.
Rather than focusing only on KMC’s latest songs, the conversation explored his career decisions, his relationship with Soca, his absence from Carnival and his plans for the future.
That broader approach allowed the footage to become more valuable with time.
What originally served as a contemporary artist interview now also preserves KMC speaking during a specific transition between his international recording ambitions and his eventual return to the Carnival stage.
Julian Hackett Behind the Camera
The original Julianspromos page credits Julian Hackett with filming the interview and Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson with hosting it.
That combination reflected the growing Julianspromos multimedia operation during this period, with original interviews increasingly becoming part of the platform alongside event coverage, music releases and live-performance footage.
The KMC conversation is particularly useful within that archive because it documents more than an appearance. It captures an established Caribbean artist discussing a complicated and changing period of his career in his own words.
From the Julianspromos Archives
KMC in New York 2014: Julianspromos Interview preserves an important conversation with one of Trinidad and Tobago’s distinctive Soca voices.
Hosted by Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and filmed by Julian Hackett, the interview finds KMC discussing his years away, his relationship with Soca and Carnival, new singles “Boom Box” and “Thing,” his fans and his plans for the future.
Viewed in hindsight, the footage captures KMC shortly before his return to the Trinidad Carnival arena, making it both an artist interview and a record of a significant turning point in his career.
