Ebuzz News
A Bacchanal Call- Mr. Lee Sets the Stage for Real Vibes in 2026.
Moruga born, international restauranteur and artiste, Mr. Lee, is returning to the Soca spotlight, delivering two major singles already, amid the buzz of an incoming Carnival 2026 season in his homeland, Trinidad and Tobago.
Based in the US, the artiste, who is no stranger to the entertainment circuit, is re-establishing himself as a powerful voice, after a 16-year- hiatus. “I’ve been a recording artiste for a very long time. I was a part of a duo called Barber Boys before joining a band called, Cloud 9 in New York, years ago. We opened for Machel Montano, Square One, Krossfyah, Traffik, Bunji Garlin and other major Soca artistes. I also did a lot of recording with Shel Shok back in the day,” he shared.
In 2023, Mr. Lee stepped back into music, having dedicated his hiatus to establishing his restaurant, ‘Jus’ Fishy,’ in New York. “In 2023, I worked alongside Terri Lyons, releasing a single called, “Thanks for Life,” he said, explaining that he immediately felt comfortable returning to Soca. “I had some rust to shake off but that Soca energy is like a fire that’s in your soul. It never dies,” he admitted. His return was fueled by a key link made with Khadeem Edwards of Xklusiv Muzic Productions who worked closely with him, producing each of his songs from 2023 onward. Edwards also wrote Mr. Lee’s reggae single, “It’s Unfair’ and now manages his career. Together, the pair have cemented a valuable partnership, supported by natural chemistry and equally focused vision.
With two singles unleashed so far, Mr. Lee says the encouragement he’s been receiving from his peers in the business, has been really good. “I have a lot of friends in the industry and they’ve all been saying the comeback is as though I’d never left,” he said with a laugh.
Despite that warm embrace however, he says he is ready to work hard and doesn’t want to get comfortable at all. “I have two singles. ‘Bacchanal Clan’ was written by Pronto in New York. He’s a really good writer,” he said, highlighting that the song sits on the Relief Riddim, which was produced by Xklusiv Music Productions and features fellow artistes, Skinny Fabulous, Dev and Rae.
His second single, ‘Welcome Back’ was also written by Pronto with production by Trypp Records and Xklusiv Music Productions. “I had this idea for a track and I reached out to Pronto, went into the studio and like magic, we collaborated in writing the song after I sang what I had in my head, and ‘Welcome Back’ was born.”
For Mr. Lee, music is inherent. Back in 2009, he made it to the semi-finals of the International Soca Monarch, and hopes to enter T&T’s major Carnival competitions in the season ahead. “I’m also working on a Calypso contribution and a Power Soca track, for release soon,” he asserted, making it abundantly clear that he’s dedicated to the music.
A Siparia native by birth who later moved to Moruga, Mr. Lee’s aspirations in music are fueled by the respect he has for career artistes like Machel Montano and Kees Dieffenthaller. “I’m very humble and hard working. I’ve dreamed of someday working with Machel Montano, even though he’s sometimes misunderstood. He’s always been my hero,” said the artiste.
Family his motivation, Mr. Lee moved from Moruga to the United States with Soca on his mind and a strong affinity to Caribbean flavours- something that has propelled him to become a respected chef in New York city. “Moruga taught me a lot about fish and Moruga supports me in a major way when it comes to my music. I’m grateful for both,” he said.
Ahead of Carnival 2026 with ‘Bacchanal Clan’ and ‘Welcome Back’ unleashed, he’s promising non-stop vibes and true Trinbagonian spirit packaged for the long haul. “I’m grateful for the love so far and I can’t wait to see where the journey leads.”
For more on the artiste, follow him on Instagram @mrlee_theartiste.
Ebuzz News
Seven Songs. One Big Artiste. Grenada’s Spice Mas Better Be Ready for Skinny Banton.
Spice Mas, like every other carnival, is seasonal, but for Carriacou, Grenada artiste, Skinny Banton, music isn’t. He has unleashed seven songs in 2026, and like clockwork he’s locked in and ready to deliver his energy, good vibes and storytelling strengths to audiences celebrating another memorable Spice Mas experience this year.
For Skinny Banton, whose real name is Shirlan George, Grenada’s Jab culture is fuel to his fire. In the past, songs like ‘Soak It Good’ and ‘Wrong Again,’ brought him tremendous acclaim across the region and internationally. This season, The Jambalasse project is anticipated to be one of the artiste’s most powerful contributions, signaling his intentionality to promote his country’s authentic culture, wherever he goes. “With this project we’re trying to keep the history, while celebrating the present by revamping a song that was done by Moss International 35 years ago,” he said. That song was called ‘Jambalasse Rule,’ released in 1991. “We revamped the riddim because it was one of the first songs considered to be an original Jab Jab song from Grenada, at that time,” he explained.
Proud of his personal efforts to keep the awareness on Grenada’s cultural traditions, Skinny Banton advocates for the continued celebration of these traditions and understands his role as an artiste. “No matter what we face as artistes in this space, we stay true to our mission. I have several songs that the people will enjoy in Spice Mas and beyond. One of my personal favourites is ‘Pain,’ a song I would like to share with my fans in Trinidad and Tobago when Carnival 2027 comes around,” he said.
Strengthening Others
Other tracks released by Skinny include, ‘When Yuh Eating,’ ‘Right Up,’ ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ ‘Can’t Stop Us,’ ‘Carnival Traffic’ featuring Jamaican artiste, I Octane, ‘My Behaviour,’ featuring Tonic X and ‘Water Line Burst,’ collaboratively done with Nicki Akull. “The collaborations done with Tonic X and Nicki Akull mean a lot to me. They are upcoming artistes who I share good vibes with. When I was younger and had hopes of connecting and collaborating with bigger artistes, it was not easy,” he recalled, adding that it often felt daunting. He says because he understands the feeling, he is happy to be able to help these up-and-coming entertainers. “This was just my way of giving them strength and encouragement. I feel like nobody takes you seriously when you don’t have a foot in the door – they refuse to embrace you because you are not known. I want them to keep pushing after this,” he added.
Dedicated and refocused, Skinny Banton is pushing full speed ahead. “I’m doing music videos for most of the songs. I already have a video for ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ which has been uploaded to YouTube and all other streaming platforms, and the video for ‘My Behaviour’ with Tonic X is also out,” he said. Grateful to Jamaican artiste, IOctane for the strength given to him on their collaboration on the single, ‘Carnival Traffic,’ Skinny said this particular song is one that he loves, and he hopes the people will, as well.
For the past three years, the artiste had been approached by upcoming entertainer, Nicki Akull for the single they eventually brought forward this year. “Waterline Buss – Nicki Akull’s persistence and determination really brought this song into existence,” he said, happy to have eventually come around to making it happen. Even with such a vast number of singles released, Skinny Banton says he is ready to work with artistes across the Diaspora. “I’m still creating, still working and I’m looking forward to establishing more ground in the Soca community and around the world.”
Social Media, Music and Trends.
Certainly attuned to the necessary promotional adjustments that many artistes have been forced to adopt, Skinny Banton says he hopes that despite the rise in social media content distribution, true talent and good music is not sacrificed. “I feel like content creation online should not take away from artistes creating and delivering great music, because without the content, the music should still stand on its own, and with the content, the people still need the music,” he shared. “I also feel like a lot of trends are created from making yourself an online spectacle and not the music being able to sustain itself, so you may get attention for what you post as content, but the music you’re posting the content for sometimes does not have enough substance to sustain itself for longevity,” he rationalized.
Thoughtful, conscious and truly talented, Skinny Banton is a necessary part of the Caribbean’s creative landscape. His storytelling ability, coupled with his appreciation for the art and vocal capacity, makes him an artiste everyone should tap in to. “I want to encourage the young artistes to stay focused and keep pushing and never be discouraged by the many things that’s said on social media. They must work hard to establish their business to suit them, because every artiste will do things differently, when it comes to the business; Never be discouraged by the naysayers,” he advised. He thanked his fans for their love and support over the years. “People who’ve been supporting from day one and continue to support, as well as the new supporters I’ve gotten along the way – thank you. To the DJs and radio personalities, I appreciate you. One hand doesn’t clap. Thank you for keeping my songs on rotation and I hope you all continue to support me.”
Music News
JrDynamite Gets Real On New Single “Fake Energy.”
