Meet DJ JEL | International Soca DJ | The Soca Boss

We had the good fortune of connecting with DJ JEL and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi DJ, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?

During the global pandemic, it’s safe to say that numerous entertainers have faced challenges. One of the biggest ones is whether or not to continue with their careers in entertainment. When faced with this situation myself, the magic question I would always ask myself is “Can I truly go day to day without music? The answer for me simply is no, I would miss it too much. I’ve used this as a driving force behind what I do. I love music and Caribbean culture too much to give up on it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is DJ JEL. I am an International Soca DJ who is also known as The Soca Boss. I am of Trinbagonian descent and currently reside in New York City. My mission is to take soca music global. My passion for soca music made me one of the youngest DJs to curate a full soca music channel on Sirius XM in the US and Canada. Soca music is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The musical genre combines both African and East-Indian influences and is one of the most dominant genres in the English speaking Caribbean. In addition to presenting the music to the public, I play a role in educating people about the genre and what can be done to improve it. In many ways, it has positioned me to be a thought leader in the space.

My love of music and more specifically soca music came at a very early age. When I was eight years old, my mom used to host large scale events. Several times, I would accompany her when she and her team were setting up. As the venue came together, I’d almost always spend time watching the DJ as they did their sound check. I was fascinated with how they would mix two songs together and ultimately it was then I knew I wanted to be a DJ. I convinced my parents to purchase starter equipment as an early investment and the rest is history. My early DJ days consisted of hosting a weekly program on an online radio station as well as the usual private events (Birthday parties, BBQs, backyard events and baby showers). This gave me the time to develop my skills and learn different techniques.

Although I enjoyed doing private events, I wanted to transition to public events. By doing so, I knew I needed exposure. As a form of marketing, at age 15, I launched my website: Jelinthemix.com and created an online mix show series to help people in the Caribbean and the diaspora learn the new soca music for events and upcoming festivals. Though I had very few listeners when I first started, I was able to grow from a couple hundred to a total of six million visitors who stream. Thanks to this, I was able to grow my audience and tour different markets. It wasn’t easy and a lot of people in the entertainment industry doubted me at first, however the passion and drive behind the culture kept me pushing to reach where I am today.

What sets me apart in the market is my performance style. I incorporate music that isn’t always in the popular rotation, including music from across the Caribbean and not limited to one country or island. This love and passion for soca music has granted me opportunities to perform in various stages across the globe including cities such as Sydney, Australia, London, Miami, Toronto, Edmonton and Houston to name a few.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I currently reside in NYC, and as most people know it’s the city that never sleeps. Three things I really love are food, music and Caribbean culture. So a good bit their week-long trip would be devoted to those three things.

First off, we’d definitely do some of the touristy things like Times Square, The World Trade Center, and Empire State Building as must-do’s for tourists. Then, I would take them to some of my favorite (less touristy) places in the city (Manhattan) such as Chinatown, The Highline, Battery Park and the Color Factory museum.

Another day would be devoted to Little Caribbean (Brooklyn) and Little Guyana (Queens). NYC is home to the largest Caribbean population in the USA. This means that the food is incredibly authentic. So for eats, it’s only right that we do a food tour and stop off at the following restaurants: Allans Bakery, Suede, Sugarcane Restaurant, Footprints Cafe, Fishermans Cove. Depending on the season Prospect Park, a soca event (that I’m playing at), and a game at the Barclays center would also be on the agenda.

In Little Guyana, I would carry them to what I consider a hidden gem in NYC. Little Guyana is home to the largest Indo-Caribbean population in the US, and has a lively food and party scene respectively. Spots we would definitely check out include Trinciti Roti Shop, Trini Delite roti shop and Sybil’s Bakery. In terms of a great night out, we would start at Flamingo-Mantra rooftop for drinks and head to Elevate Sky Lounge (a popular club that I’ve DJ’ed in) for a dance filled night of soca and Caribbean music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a lot of people to thank in the journey however there are two that were in my corner from the start. Firstly, I want to shout out my mom. Although she wasn’t too excited about me going down the path of Caribbean Entertainment, she laid a foundation that led to my success and supports me in whatever endeavors I pursue. My interest in DJing stemmed from her love of Caribbean Culture and event production. Second, I need to shout out International music producer and DJ, Travis World. Travis & I started an online radio station back in 2010 and it helped me learn a lot about the music industry and what it takes. He’s the earliest friend in the music industry and his passion puts a lot of things into perspective as what is attainable through hard work and persistence. Lastly, I want to shout-out to anyone who has been supporting me from day one. Whether you stream my mixes, attend my events, or leave encouraging words of support you mean the world to me and I don’t take those things for granted.

Website: Jelinthemix.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jelinthemix

Twitter: twitter.com/jelinthemix

Facebook: facebook.com/jelinthemix

Youtube: youtube.com/jelinthemix

Other: tiktok.com/@jelinthemix soundcloud.com/jelinthemix

Image Credits
Soca Bacchanal Festival: Photo Credit: Trincity Photography Bonjour Photo Credit: DaFeterans International Jel & Travis World Photo Credit: DaFeterans International Jel Candid: Photo Credit: LEHWEGO.com