Brass Fest NYC 2012: Machel Montano, Mr. Vegas & Krosfyah: Julianspromos Highlights
On August 31, 2012, Julianspromos documented BrassFest at the Brooklyn Museum in New York during West Indian American Day Carnival weekend. Organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), BrassFest was one of the major live-music events leading into Brooklyn’s annual Labor Day Carnival celebration.
The 2012 edition carried added historical significance as Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica were both celebrating 50 years of independence. That year’s BrassFest brought Soca and reggae together, with artists representing Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica and the wider Caribbean.
Julianspromos originally preserved highlights from Machel Montano HD’s performance in an article published on September 27, 2012. More than a decade later, additional surviving footage from the Julianspromos YouTube archive has been rediscovered, including a full performance from Mr. Vegas and performance highlights from Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, allowing the archive to present a much fuller record of the night.
Machel Montano HD Headlines BrassFest
Machel Montano and HD closed the night, with the band featuring Farmer Nappy and Patrice Roberts. Contemporary coverage reported that Machel took the stage at approximately 1:00 a.m., delivering the high-energy performance that had made him one of Soca’s biggest international stars.
His BrassFest appearance came during an especially significant New York Carnival weekend. Machel had also been selected as a Grand Marshal of the 2012 West Indian Day Parade, which celebrated its 45th year that Labor Day weekend.
Mr. Vegas Brings Dancehall to BrassFest
Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist Mr. Vegas was another major attraction on the 2012 lineup. His appearance was notable because BrassFest had traditionally leaned heavily toward Soca, making the inclusion of a major Jamaican dancehall artist an important part of that year’s celebration of both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago’s 50th independence anniversaries.
Contemporary coverage described the crowd responding enthusiastically to Mr. Vegas, with younger spectators singing along and waving their flags throughout his performance.
Edwin Yearwood & Krosfyah Represent Barbados
Barbados was represented by Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, who followed Dominica’s WCK in the night’s running order. Contemporary reports specifically noted performances of Krosfyah favorites including “Sweatin’” and “All Aboard,” along with music from the 2012 Crop Over season.
The surviving Julianspromos footage captures highlights from Krosfyah’s performance and adds another important piece to the company’s early Caribbean event archive.
The Full 2012 BrassFest Lineup
Research into contemporary coverage gives us a more complete picture of the event beyond the surviving Julianspromos videos.
The show began at approximately 8:00 p.m. with WCK from Dominica, followed by Edwin Yearwood and Krosfyah, Mr. Vegas, and finally Machel Montano HD, with Farmer Nappy and Patrice Roberts. The event was hosted by MC Wassy and Giselle “The Wassi One.”
This means the surviving Julianspromos footage documents three major portions of a wider multi-island Caribbean lineup, even though footage from every performer has not yet been located.
From the Julianspromos Archives
The 2012 BrassFest coverage captures Julianspromos during its formative multimedia years, when the platform was increasingly documenting major Caribbean artists, festivals and performances throughout New York and beyond.
