This past weekend a number of activities were carded to take place in the Southern Borough of Point Fortin- among these events- the Mayor’s Charity all-inclusive ball. Among the entertainers who brought the rich appeal of soca music to the people who attended were The Mighty Shadow, Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons and the Asylum Band and Eddie Charles with the Unit. ETCETERABUZZ.COM spoke with Charles who’s been a part of Trinidad and Tobago’s entertainment landscape since the early 90’s. He said the event attracted a pretty mature audience and despite the inclement weather earlier on in the evening on Saturday, things turned out pretty well.
Charles is making somewhat of a comeback to the mainstream music circuit in Trinidad, having walked away from the big band Traffic a couple years ago. He’s now a part of Vincent River’s band which is called, D Unit. “We have a few shows lined up here in Trinidad after the Borough Day celebrations,” said a very upbeat Charles, itemizing the lineup of gigs which includes a Mother’s Day event for the Water and Sewage Authority on the Mother’s Day weekend. Following the band’s local events, they’re off to Montreal’s Carnival on July 6th, New York and Virginia as well for shows there.
Charles told us while many may think he’s just been on the sidelines following his departure from Traffic, he’s been quite busy. “It’s never been a case where I need to have a hit song to get gigs. I’ve been working constantly,” he assured, explaining that he’s eager to produce his singles for the upcoming Christmas and Carnival seasons on the island. Asked about D Unit and why they’ve now decided to branch out into the mainstream soca market- jumping into a race that to many would seem a tough one, Eddie simply said the band wanted to do more than just back up acts at events such as the International Soca Monarch event. “Jumping into the mix allows the band to do more events and possibly earn more,” he rationalised.
On the business and what he’s learnt in all 20 years since he’s been on the grind, Eddie said, “I’ve learnt that you must be humble, especially when it comes to dealing with promoters.”
Charles and fellow team member behind the move to market D Unit to a larger audience, Zarin Morean of Chocolate City are now readying themselves for the rest of the Borough Day fun. Morean’s band is set to celebrate the iconic Super Blue in it’s Tribute To Blue J’ouvert showcase on May 4. Acts like Olatunji Yearwood, Blaxx and Cassie are carded to perform during the band’s J’overt street parade.
The time has come for good vibes to counteract all negative energy and together with his manager/producer, US based, Trinidadian artiste, Mr. Lee it doing what he feels he can, to inject that positivity.“I know the streets. I can tell you about the streets. Badness and the roughness is what they know. If they got the chance to get to know something else, they would do something else,” said the entertainer.
His music is refreshing. Afrobeats, coupled with Soul and RnB bring to life, a song on The Only 1 Riddim, that he calls, “Take Care.” For Mr. Lee, an artiste with many years of experience on the entertainment circuit overseas, and in the Caribbean, he is mindful of what he sings. “This type of music is necessary at all times to spread love and joy. I wish there could have been more beautiful messages all the time because it’s really important to spread love,” he said with hope.
Joining artistes like Preedy and Christo on the riddim, Mr. Lee is proud of the project. “This project means a whole lot to me. I have two girls and my wife and I have to express my love to them every single day of my life. I have my mom, my sisters, and I have to show them all the love I have within me. All the artistes on this riddim have done the same – we all expressed what we want to express to our loved ones. Most are real stories that can be relatable to others in society,” he explained.
On the topic of love and the importance of understanding what love is, Mr. Lee said for human beings to share love, they must first feel love. “If your father is not showing you love, how will you know love. Most of our youths have no parents around them. They are being influenced by a harsh representation of love, which really, is not love.” At the same time, he called on the elders within societies around the world, to try to strike a balance with the youth, especially in present time. “When I was growing up, the older heads never wanted to release a lot to the youths; they never wanted to give the youths a chance. People in positions of power must give the youths a chance to prove themselves. They have great ideas, but they need mentorship and guidance,” he said.
“Take Care,” written by Joseph ‘Pronto’ Figueroa, is a quality single with a passionate plea for more honest, kind, loving relational experiences. Unlike much of today’s lyrics, Mr. Lee keeps it classy, maintaining a thoughtful approach to music, with lyrics that penetrate. “The raw thoughts – we never heard that as youths. Some things should be kept personal,” he opined. An advocate for goodness, Mr. Lee is calling on men around the world to show their companions more love, in the right way. “Everybody wants to fight and kill. They don’t want to talk about things properly. We need to talk to our spouses more. We need to learn how to communicate better and spend more time with our loved ones.”
Happy to have enjoyed a successful run in Carnival 2026, in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Lee is working on new music even as he promotes this brand-new track. “I’m working on new Soca to release for the Summer. I’m working, and I’m happy with the progress I’ve been able to make so far. It’s a process,” he said of being in the music business.
The state-to-state carnival wave set to begin in the US soon, Mr. Lee says this year he is looking forward to heading to Miami for Carnival there and will be back home in T&T, come Carnival 2027. In the meantime, the T&T native and dedicated family man is spreading love through good music that he knows is absolutely necessary at this time.
Caribbean entertainment doesn’t sleep. Proof of that comes in the release of brand new music, this time courtesy the superstar duo of Full Blown – brothers, Kevon and Kory Hart. Their new track, “No Stress” has been released complete with a new music video and it’s a big look for the duo.
No Stress is a vibrant, feel-good anthem that continues the duo’s evolution from soca favourites into one of the Caribbean’s most versatile and globally resonant musical acts.
Known for their strong songwriting skills, undeniable chemistry and sonic fearlessness, brothers Kevon and Kory have steadily built a reputation for creating music that transcends borders, generations and genres. Over the years, Full Blown has become synonymous with high-energy Caribbean songwriting, penning and producing hits that have dominated Carnival seasons, regional charts and party playlists across the diaspora.
Now, with No Stress, the duo taps into dancehall nostalgia while pushing Caribbean fusion music into fresh territory. The track reimagines the iconic Shabba Ranks classic Ting A Ling, blending vintage dancehall energy with Full Blown’s contemporary Caribbean flavour.
The release follows the brothers’ success with the track, The Greatest Bend Over (Take It Easy) alongside Yung Bredda, a crossover hit that amassed more than 40 million streams worldwide and was described by Billboard Magazine as “culture-quaking.”
“People know us for soca hits and high-energy music, but this record really reflects who we are creatively,” said Kevon. “We grew up influenced by so many sounds across the Caribbean. We are a happy, joyful, fun-loving people. We just want good vibes. No stress.”
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