R.A.V.E. Miami Carnival Week 2012: Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Kes & More
Miami Carnival weekend was in full swing on Saturday, October 6, 2012, when R.A.V.E. brought a packed Caribbean lineup to Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida.
The night featured some of the biggest names moving Soca and Caribbean music at the time, with Machel Montano & The HD Family, Kes The Band, Mr. Vegas, Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy, KI of JMC 3Veni, Skinny Fabulous, Kerwin Du Bois, Shal Marshall, T.C., Benjai, Ravi B from Karma, Sizwe and Young Devyn all appearing on the advertised lineup.
Julianspromos was inside R.A.V.E. documenting the action with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson conducting artist interviews while Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the surviving video coverage.
What remains today is one of the strongest Julianspromos collections from Miami Carnival 2012: eight videos and nine artist photos from a single night.
R.A.V.E. during Miami Carnival Week 2012 at Hialeah Park.
One Huge Miami Carnival Lineup
R.A.V.E. landed right in the middle of Miami-Broward Carnival weekend, when artists, DJs, masqueraders and Soca fans were moving between events across South Florida.
The flyer alone reads like a snapshot of Caribbean music in 2012.
At the top were Machel Montano & The HD Family, Kes The Band and Mr. Vegas, followed by a deep lineup that included Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy, KI, Skinny Fabulous, Kerwin Du Bois, Shal Marshall, Benjai, Ravi B, Sizwe and Young Devyn.
And for a little 2012 nostalgia: tickets were advertised at $45 regular, $55 VIP and $100 VVIP.
The surviving Julianspromos coverage goes even further than the advertised flyer, with Bunji Garlin and Ricardo Drue also appearing in interviews captured during the event.
Machel Montano at R.A.V.E.
Few names represented the energy of Soca in 2012 more than Machel Montano.
Julianspromos captured performance highlights from Machel and The HD Family at R.A.V.E., putting one of the biggest acts of the weekend at the center of the surviving archive.
Bunji Garlin Sits Down With Vivaa
R.A.V.E. was not just about what happened on stage.
Bunji Garlin spoke with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson for one of the artist interviews preserved from the night.
For Soca fans looking back at this period, interviews like this are an especially fun part of the archive. They capture the artists during Carnival weekend away from the polished music videos and stage performances that usually survive.
Kes at R.A.V.E.
Kes The Band was another major name on the R.A.V.E. lineup and another artist Vivaa caught up with during the event.
Kes was already firmly established as one of the defining bands of the modern Soca era, making the surviving conversation another piece of the story of Miami Carnival 2012.
Kerwin Du Bois: Performance and Interview
The Kerwin Du Bois coverage gives fans both sides of an event appearance.
Julianspromos captured Kerwin performing at R.A.V.E. and then speaking after the performance, making his video one of the more complete pieces from the night.
Rather than simply cutting after the final song, the footage follows Kerwin from the stage into conversation — exactly the kind of access that makes an old Carnival archive fun to revisit years later.
Ricardo Drue With Vivaa
The surviving collection also includes an interview with Ricardo Drue.
Ricardo’s presence is particularly interesting because he does not appear on the surviving advertised R.A.V.E. flyer, yet the Julianspromos footage places him inside the event coverage.
It is a reminder that the actual experience of Carnival weekend could be bigger than the names printed on the flyer.
Mr. Vegas Brings Dancehall Into the Mix
R.A.V.E. was heavily Soca-driven, but Mr. Vegas added Jamaican dancehall and reggae energy to the night.
His dedicated performance highlights are among the eight surviving Julianspromos videos.
His appearance also shows just how broad these Miami Carnival lineups could be, with Soca and dancehall sharing the same night rather than being separated into completely different worlds.
KI With Vivaa
KI of JMC 3Veni was another advertised performer who spoke with Vivaa during R.A.V.E.
Sizwe at R.A.V.E.
The video archive is rounded out by Sizwe, who also sat down with Vivaa.
Sizwe’s inclusion helps show the range of artists Julianspromos was able to document in one event rather than focusing only on the biggest headline names.
The gallery gives fans another way into the night, preserving artists and moments that complement the performance and interview footage.
Together, the photographs, interviews and performance clips make R.A.V.E. one of the most complete surviving Julianspromos event collections from 2012.
From the Julianspromos Archives
R.A.V.E. took place on October 6, 2012 at Hialeah Park, during a Miami Carnival weekend packed with some of the biggest names in Caribbean music.
The eight surviving videos were shot and edited by Julian C. Hackett and uploaded on October 13, 2012, with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson conducting interviews with Bunji Garlin, Kes, Kerwin Du Bois, Ricardo Drue, KI and Sizwe.
Alongside nine surviving artist photos and the original R.A.V.E. flyer, the collection offers fans something better than a simple event listing: a chance to step back into one of Miami Carnival 2012’s biggest nights.
