Julius launches patriotic soca anthem

“Trinidad” is the refrain to What’s Your Name, the new soca anthem launched by the New York-based artiste Julius (Rodney Julius). “It’s a powerful patriotic song…and it will still have you going in a fete,” said Julius on his recent trip home.

“When Trinidadians the world over listen to this song, it must ignite them to come home for 2020 Carnival, and walk barefeet on the beach in Tobago and eat some doubles, hug up granny and pelt a mango. It must create that spirit of euphoria, and spirit of TT. What’s Your Name is a love song to TT.

“We have a lot of people invested in this project,” Julius said.

The song was co-written by Julius and Ian “Fojo” Corbin. Rebel Musik produced it, Darren Gilbert was the arranger, and Fojo was the vocal producer. Parry Jack mixed and mastered it. Clyde Barrow played live guitar and the brass licks on the track; Larry Marsden also played guitar and IBA played bass.

“We were sitting on it for months, trying to get it as perfect as we could,” Julius said.

Julius rapped on the David Rudder/GB song The Future Belongs to Me when he was just a boy.

He was a solo artist, becoming a frontline singer with the big East Coast Caribbean band Impack2, and his own band 7IghQ (pronounced Seven IQ) before taking a hiatus from the stage to do vocal training.

He jumped back into soca a couple of years ago and since then has been hitting with new music.

Good Morning Trinidad, another patriotic song, is one of those 2018 releases and is still getting attention. But while that song laments the crime epidemic in TT, What’s Your Name is a joyful, flirtatious party song.

Julius was in Trinidad for the funeral of his beloved grandfather, Joel Vincent, who helped raise him in Sea Lots, Port of Spain.

“He always was avid for us to do better, never wanted to see us liming on the block, always encouraging educating yourself and pushing the envelope.”

In the spirit of his grandfather, Julius took the opportunity to launch the new single while he was home.

“I already planned to come in November to release. Knowing him and his personality and what he stands for, he would have wanted me to do this even though it’s in the midst of celebrating his life. He would want me to do it, to go out and do what you have to do.”