ENTERTAINMENT
Soca artiste Kees Dieffenthaller dances with a model in a carnival costume during his performance at the
fi nals of the Soca Monarch competition at Hasely Crawford stadium in Port of Spain,Trinidad and Tobago
on Feb. 17, 2012. REUTERS / Andrea De Silva
Caribbean Life, Sept. 4-10, 2020 33
By Nelson A. King
Kes the Band, otherwise known
as KTB, continues to take soca
music globally as, this Friday, it
performs in the first ever virtual
Brass Fest, organized by the Brooklyn
based West Indian American
Day Carnival Association (WIADCA).
According to 2BKaribbean, the
band has been the “understated
heavy weight brand ambassadors
for soca music for a very long time.
“The team often makes a big
splash on stage both at home
and abroad using their formula
of bringing high energy performances,
strong instrumentals and
an extensive discography,” it said.
“They do all this while interweaving
different musical genres into
their set.
“It’s a formula that definitely
works and completely engages the
audience no matter where in the
world they are performing,” 2BKaribbean
added. “And therein lies
their secret and one of their key
differentiators in a landscape where
it’s very difficult to stand out.”
It said KTB has been able to successfully
distinguish itself by even
generating demand for soca shows
outside of the Carnival season.
“Most soca artistes scramble to
grab a coveted spot on the Carnival
show circuit every year, and KTB is
no exception,” 2BKaribbean said.
“Most artistes and performers know
that acceptance and validation from
the Carnival audience bring with it
Continued on Page 34
Trinidadian singer Nailah Blackman.
Nailah Blackman / FB
By Nelson A. King
Trinidadian soca star Nailah Blackman
will be evermore radiant as she
performs virtually on Friday during
the West Indian American Day Carnival
Association’s (WIADCA) first ever virtual
Brass Fest.
Born on Dec. 2, 1997, Blackman is
not only a singer but also a songwriter.
Her grandfather, the late Garfield
Blackman, also known as Lord Shorty
or Ras Shorty I, invented the style of
Continued on Page 34
By Nelson A. King
Bronx-raised Prince Royce conveyed
a message of unity when he performed
his bachata anthem “Stand By Me” during
the third night of the Democratic
National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 19.
The Dominican Republic-American
singer-songwriter sang his 2010 bilingual
hit from Miami, specifically near
the colorful Tito Puente St. filled with
picturesque murals.
“Mi gente (Spanish for my people),
let’s stand by each other and don’t forget
to vote this November,” he said at
the conclusion of his moving rendition.
“Together, we can make a change.”
Afterwards, he told Billboard: “We
felt that ‘Stand By Me’ would go perfectly
with the convention’s message of
unity, and singing in both Spanish and
Continued on Page 34
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Soca star at
Brass Fest
Prince Royce’s
unifying song
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Trinidadian Kes takes soca globally
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