Caribbean Buzz
Kees Excited to Return To the Southland. Shaggy Is Coming to ‘IzWe.’
One of the most anticipated Carnival events annually happens to be Kes the Band’s Carnival concert. Whether it’s being called, ‘Tuesday on the Rocks’ or ‘IzWE,’ fans of Caribbean music are always ready to be front and centre for the cultural fun. On Tuesday, Kees spoke with the media, telling of the plans for this year’s event, which takes place on Valentine’s Night, in South Trinidad.
Moving from West Trinidad to Diffenthaller’s Southern hometown, at the Brian Lara Stadium, Kees explained that the event will take the shape of a full-blown cultural festival, complete with a cultural village for the enjoyment of everyone. Encouraging the warmth of true Caribbean love, IzWe will, in 2023, usher its guests into a village that will celebrate love, life and the spirit of Trinbagonians and Caribbean people. “For the concert this year, I’ve chosen to expand the sound more than Soca. Of course, you’re gonna get Soca and it’s gonna be a jammin fete, but I definitely wanna carry people through a bit of a journey of where we came from and all of that,” said the artist.
Exposure of the creativity that lies within T&T, a great focus for the artist, Kees said international media presence within the carnival and certainly at the IzWe festival, would be welcome. Kees performed on the main stage of the Essence Festival in New Orleans in July last year. He had also been chosen to share his sound at the same festival in the US, one year prior.
Careful not to let too much out of the bag, Kees said Iwer George, Lord Nelson, Jimmy October, Orange Sky, J Perry from Haiti, Ettienne Charles and many others, he called friends, would be at the concert event. Revealing that there will be tributes at the event for artistes who have passed away, Kees acknowledged that many of those who’ve left this realm were from his San Fernando hometown.
Caribbean Buzz
Guyana’s Road March Queen, Omaiah Hall Is Ready to Take On T&T.
Guyana has Soca too.
The country’s reigning Road March Queen, 24-year-old Omaiah Hall says every Guyanese Soca artiste will admit, they have to love it, to remain true to it. The young, talented vocalist who also placed third in the Senior Soca Monarch competition last year, is in Trinidad and Tobago ahead of Carnival 2026 where she plans on making the right connections while having a bit of fun along the way.
Hall never imagined she’d fall this deeply in love with Soca music. In fact, she admits that throughout her life, her passion lied in singing RnB music. “I was never a person who sang Calypso or Soca music. My father is a pianist and jazz musician. I just never found an appeal for being on stage and wining up,” she said reflectively. In 2023 however, her outlook quickly changed.
In 2020 she had won the Junior Calypso Monarch competition in what’s called, ‘Mashramani’ in Guyana – a festival that takes place on Republic Day, February 23rd, annually. Omaiah said a couple years later, she began dabbling in Soca music and by 2023, the sound, rhythm and energy of the music had totally absorbed her. “In 2022, I realized I only wanted to do Soca music. Soca found me!” she said, explaining that by 2023 a song called, ‘We Fetting,’ followed by ‘R’ in 2024, had gotten the attention of the people of Guyana. “I was booked and busy and one year later in 2025, I won the Road March title, with ‘Breakway’ – dethroning Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts, who had been the Road March Queen for a decade.” Now, as she continues her effort to build catalogue, reputation and fanbase, Omaiah has released a 2026 track called, “Happy Feeling,’ which has been receiving tremendous love in Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, a second single, “Foreva,’ which comes complete with a new video, is her 2026 Guyana Carnival Road March contender.
Explaining that Guyana’s actual Carnival takes place in May annually, Omaiah says both festivals should be experienced by anyone desirous of a great time among carefree people. “Guyana is becoming more open to Soca now because of the younger generation’s involvement in the genre,” she admitted, noting that dancehall takes precedence, and as such, Mashramani organizers have included a Dancehall Monarch over the past three years. “Guyana is all dancehall. Many say Soca music is too happy of a genre,” she highlighted, adding that artistes like O.K.C, Pahjo and Vinel Hinds have consistently stood firm in representing the genre and popularizing it in Guyana.
TALKING CARIBBEAN COLLABS
Eager to take her vibe and energy to venues across Trinidad and Tobago and certainly the world, Omaiah is hopeful for the opportunity to collaborate with other Caribbean artistes. She performed at Nailah Blackman’s concert in January. “I’ve also done A-Team Fridays, Vice Nightclub and the Eye Slam concert series,” she highlighted, explaining that her aim is to make the necessary connections along the way. “When it comes to my music, and my performance style, I’ll say, Omaiah Hall will always bring vocals. Added to that, I’m a strong performer. I will wine up!” she said cheerfully. In fact, those very traits may have been responsible for her walking away with the 2025 title of Female Soca Artiste of the Year, in Guyana.
A huge fan of Machel Montano, and extremely encouraged by the powerful personality and stage presence of T&T’s Fay Ann Lyons, Omaiah is pushing full speed ahead, truly encouraged. “I love Fay Ann. I have been compared to her many times. She is powerful- the way she commands the stage, the way she is unapologetic about who she is,” said the young artiste. She also gives tremendous credit to the late, Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart, noting that he opened doors for many young, upcoming artistes. “I haven’t been able to make that solid, professional connection with Machel just yet but I am optimistic. I’ve met him before in Guyana at the CPL and at our Super Concert backstage, but I’m hopeful for greater opportunities to work with him, in the future,” she said.
Now in T&T for the season of revelry, Omaiah says 2026 will see her hit the streets in costume, and certainly enjoying every aspect of the festival. “I was here in 2025 but after winning the Road March in Guyana, being in Trinidad was more like a time for rest last year.”
Her Road March win was a big deal, she says, noting that unlike the Monarch, the Road March is completely chosen by the people. “The title holds weight because the people want to hear the song and that was the moment when I said, it wasn’t for the judges, or me, it was for the people. The people loved it!”
Patient, yet tremendously encouraged, Omaiah Hall is steadily pursuing her career in Soca. “I’m yet to travel internationally but I will soon. My music travels more than I have and that’s actually creating room for me to travel because I have a few places to go this year,” she said.
For more on Guyana’s Omaiah Hall, follow her on Instagram @omaiahhallofficial and Facebook @iamomaiahhall.
Caribbean Buzz
Grammy Nominee, Lila Ike to Perform in Opening Number At 2026 Grammy Awards.
Jamaican singer-songwriter Lila Iké, a first-time GRAMMY® nominee for Best Reggae Album, will kick off Music’s Biggest Day to perform in the opening number of the 2026 GRAMMY Awards® Premiere Ceremony on Sunday, February 1, live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Iké will join fellow nominees Grace Potter, Israel Houghton, Maggie Rose, and Trombone Shorty in the opening ensemble performance. The ceremony will stream live at 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT on the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel and live.GRAMMY.com.
Iké is nominated for Best Reggae Album for her debut LP, Treasure Self Love (Wurl Iké Records / In.Digg.Nation Collective / Ineffable Records). She is the only woman nominated in the category, alongside an all-Jamaican slate including Vybz Kartel, Jesse Royal, Mortimer, andKeznamdi.
Executive produced by Protoje, Treasure Self Love blends reggae, soul, R&B, and dancehall while exploring themes of love, healing, and self-acceptance. The album features H.E.R. and Joey Bada$$, with “He Loves Us Both” (ft. H.E.R.) named one of The New York Times’ Best Songs of 2024.
The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY platform recently shared Lila’s journey to this Grammy nomination. Watch below. In addition to her GRAMMY recognition, Iké has appeared on COLORSxStudios, NPR Tiny Desk, Apple Music, ABC News Live and was recently announced as a 2026 MOBO Awards nominee for Best Caribbean Act—her third nomination in the category.
