Soca To Rain Down On NYC from High Above, This Year
A globally encompassing approach is being taken by not only Caribbean soca artistes, in a bid to get the music and the culture of carnival known and understood by foreigners. Even event organizers are taking a global approach to introducing the music and the carnival vibe to people across the world. This year, New York City will be struck by a different kind of energy. In fact, organisers of a tour that’s hitting carnival cities across the world, say this second leg of the event will leave an unbeatable impression.
CEO, George Luke and Kevin Edwards, Event Manager for Soca Is Yours- a company that’s been working tirelessly to promote soca artistes and their music, across the US and Europe, is set to deliver the second installment of an event dubbed, Stranded, this time in New York. The maiden event took place on the Friday after Ash Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago, at No Man’s Land in Tobago. Edwards explained that the aim is to take the event on a worldwide tour to carnival celebrations in cities across the world, annually. They’ve also come up with the concept of introducing foreign DJs to different carnival hotspots, with the hope of maximizing these DJs’ overall intake of the culture and hopefully exciting them enough so that even they will have a natural desire to share the soca and carnival culture with their audiences. At the first Stranded event in Tobago, German DJ, Nightliva was introduced to T&T for the very first time. He will be making his first trip to the US this Labour Day, for Stranded NYC.
Stranded NYC takes place on Sunday, August 23rd from 5pm to 12 midnight and according to Edwards, the event will deliver an exclusive party experience with top a slate of top international DJs, among DJ Alchemy, DJ Tek Vibes,DJ 2_Geez, DJ Mr. Xcitement, DJ Sound4Life and Germany’s DJ NightLiva. Atop the scenic Escape Penthouse Lounge in Astoria, partygoers will enjoy a breathtaking, panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline, explained the event manager, something he is certain, will add to the experience. The team at Soca Is Yours is also planning to unveil its Soca Is Yours T-shirt line at the event, making it available for purchase on the night as well. “We’ll also make the line available for purchase online, later on in the year,” said Edwards.
The entity’s goal is to holistically push the culture that started in Trinidad and Tobago and has now been adopted by many countries and people worldwide. “We’re getting there- to that point where soca music and everything that goes along with it, are being recognized and taken seriously by our international peers but we have to keep pushing. Every dime that’s made goes back into taking the culture to more people,” said Edwards, highlighting his team’s desire to do its part much like many of the soca artistes are doing. “They’re working. People like Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons, Machel Montano, Destra, Lyrikal, Nadia Batson and so many others. They’re taking it to the masses, the best way they know how. We plan on doing our part by delivering the experience,” he said.
The Soca Is Yours Team will host Stranded NYC collaboratively with Limetime Promo, a media and promotion company that has dabbled in various types of event marketing. The team will once again execute Stranded Tobago on the Friday after Ash Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago in 2016, and plans are afoot to deliver Stranded Berlin to those who crave the carnival style feting excitement in that part of the world, next year as well.
