Julius, big in New York

Responding to email questions from Spotlight, Julius, a40, described life growing up in Sea lots as very eventful yet challenging.

“Eventful because I always was at the forefront at community activities to show my talents and challenging because due to circumstances of stigma it was difficult to get certain jobs because of the address but yet there’re a lot of people I knew and grew up with who never used that as an excuse but persevered.” Julius said he had a very happy childhood and he “learned a lot which shaped me to be the man I am today.” “I lived Sea Lots - that’s where I’m from but not who I am.” Julius first discovered his musical talents while singing a song by US R&B artist Bobby Brown called Rock Wit’cha. He was encouraged to take part in the community talent show.

“I always had a knack to create, write and perform and that was the moment I discovered this is something that’s a part of me and I have to utilise it to my full potential.” At the age of nine Julius got to opportunity to perform for TT’s then prime minister, Arthur NR Robinson.

His big break was in 1991 when he worked together with calypsonian David Rudder on his song The Future Belongs to Me.

“That experience with David Rudder sort of brought me to the forefront of the music scene in a big way, because an opportunity for me being a village talent and being thrown into a major project like that it was a blessing.” Julius explained that he was always an avid observer at Coral Studios in Pioneer Drive, a pivotal production house for major calypso and soca artists in that era and where Rudder’s song was recorded, and he hoped for a chance at a young age.

He recalled that he witnessed Chris “Tambu” Herbert recording the songs Journey and No No We Eh Going Home in that studio and “countless others.” He said that was the point where soca/ calypso and ragga soca crossover was born.

“It made me accept that this is where I need to go so I had to learn the business and get experience and come again.” He caught the eye of soca superstar Machel Montano while performing with the Sea Lots community called group Yard Men College, and worked on a number of songs alongside the Xtatik/Mad Bull crew.

He has also shared the stage with fellow Caribbean and international artistes including Red Rat, Superblue, Lord Nelson, Kevin Lyttle, MX Prime, Sparrow, Walker, Buccaneer, Machel Montano, Farmer Nappy and Fay Ann Lyons- Alvarez. He considers one of the highlights of this phase of his career was when Julius joined Jamaican dancehall artiste, Shaggy, on his hit “It Wasn’t Me” during a performance in Trinidad at the Real Unity concert. He was said to have suggested Julius for the performance because of his “milky melodious vocals.” THE BIG APPLE Asked why he left Trinidad to move to the United States Julius said it was “all about social responsibilities being able to contribute to my family.” “The expectations of someone as an expatriate being able to contribute to home rather than being in the community. The light always seems brighter in the dark. And as a youth coming from an atrisk community I just thought I will be able to make a bigger contribution from abroad, in a different environment. I wanted to be able to change the narrative in my village at home with positive change or being able to repatriate funds and knowledge and come back home with a wider global perspective, all the while still focusing on soca being the core.” Now based in New York City and performs with his band 7 IghQ the Band. He described the group as his “band of brothers and sisters who believed in my journey musically and agreed to invest in my vision.” The group was crowned winners and the first Caribbean band in America’s biggest free music festive, Artscape, in 2012 and also special guests at the Baltimore Book Festival, “along with countless cities delivering the love and passion of Caribbean and soca music culture whilst flying that flag high.” For 2017 Julius has revisited his track “Hold Me” from seven years ago together with producer extraordinaire, Faraoh Black (Brent Toussaint) who also produced Bunji Garlin’s Gimme the Brass, Machel and Walker’s With or Without You and Runaway.

“To me, he was the perfect fit for this new age, soca-meets-islandpop combined with EDM.” The official lyric video for Hold Me is available on YouTube.

Julius is also working on other tracks and a lot of collaborations. He has a special project with local soca artiste Jason “Shaft” Bishop entitled I Bleed Soca. He has also collaborated with Jamaican dancehall veteran Flourgon on an Ed Robinson- produced track entitled Feel and both this track and I Bleed Soca are to be released soon.

He is also penning a number of tracks with his friend FojoMan and they have a writing team where they compose for other artists.

“But if I have to go through the list of upcoming projects I would say I’m happy because I continued to exercise that creative muscle and there’re too much to list,” he said laughing.

DREAM COLLABS Julius said his musical style has always been versatile but the emphasis is all about soca - Trini soca, Caribbean soca – “but with influences.” “It’s more metropolitan, cosmopolitan. I feel there’s a lot of breadth and width when experimenting with other collaborators.” He said, while still focusing on soca as the core, there is a wider range of experiences in the New York metro area and “the versatility and quality of my vocals opens up different interpretations of genres.” “Adding that R&B flavour, that smoothness yet energy, that Beres Hammond vibe, that calypso fusion on modern terms.

That NY seasoning with the shadon beni from Trinidad as the main ingredient.” Julius lists his influences as David Rudder, Machel Montano, Michael Jackson, (American Rock and Roll/R&B singer) Frankie Lymon, James Brown, Chris “Tambu” Herbert, Calypso Rose and Ras Shorty I.

On dream collaborations Julius said he would love to collaborate with Machel Montano again, Aaron “Voice” St Louis, Nailah Blackman, Kerwin Dubois and Bunji.

“There’re others but those preferably because their vocal projection, their creativity, their energy.

it’s all about what I stand for. And when I say ‘stand for’ that’s in terms of that sound that makes you want to really have a good time. That’s the new sound we are experiencing in the industry whilst keeping that true dedication to the soca as we grew accustomed to hearing.” He said his dream international artist to collaborate with is a hard choice because he is “a music junkie.” “They’re both not here with us right now who are Michael Jackson and Prince. But of who’s alive I’ll say Ed Sheeran, Andre 3000, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars (or) Enya.” Despite being based in New York Julius said in a way he has never left this country “because the Trinidadian and West Indian culture community in London, Canada, NY, Miami, NY, LA, Boston and countless other cities in the US these places have a huge West Indian presence, culture and influences.” “I left the island but never left my culture.” Julius and his team putting together a tour for 2018 in the US incorporating music festivals, colleges and universities with huge West Indian student presence. He will start his tour, however, with promotional appearances in Trinidad Carnival. “I’m doing a strong push on the NY scene because I’ve created a niche here for myself more directly.” Asked where he sees in the career in the next years Julius responded “I see my music being remembered and enjoyed.” “For instance Paul Mc- Cartney and Kanye West had a collab. There’re 60’s, 70’s and 80’s rock stars who’re still performing.

We also have Calypso Rose winning a French Grammy. So it’s not about the next ten years: I’m in this until I die. Singing soca until my very last breath, I bleed soca.” You can find Julius on Instagram @ Juliustheartiste, on Facebook at juliusentertainment and on Twitter via #juliusdartiste.