Ebuzz News
Big Tribute Paid to KMC. “He’s Done More for Young Artistes Than Any Other Artist.”
Humps, bumps and meandering bends are a norm along the way in any artist’s journey to success. For Chaguanas, Trinidad native, Kevin Allan, music and entertainment has taken on varied perspectives over the years and now as he continues to pivot from his former alias, Vetta, and the vibe that accompanied that sobriquet, he’s masterfully channeling his gift to serve good purpose in his life, and the lives of others.
Popularly known in Trinidad and Tobago as the guy who delivered the track, “Rollin’ in A Foreign Used,” – a Hip Hop fusion of rhythmic verses and catchy lyrics, Allan has been a part of the Caribbean’s music industry since 2000. Now, years later, transformed by what he explains as an awakening, following a hiatus from the music scene, and the exploration of other equally rewarding areas of entertainment, Allan returns with a brand new Power Soca track that pays tribute to none other than Ken Marlon Charles- KMC.
Explaining that his relationship with the ‘Carnival Story,’ singer dates back 20 years, after he’d flagged down the Soca hit maker’s car in a random move, Allan says he has never one day regretted it. “I was in Central and I saw him passing in his car. I flagged him down and he stopped. I saw my opportunity to tell him who I was and what my ambitions were, and I took it,” he said, explaining that quite unexpectedly, KMC took his telephone number. “I said to him, “you are KMC. You not going to call me,” he recalled with a laugh. The next day, KMC proved Allan wrong and since that time, Allan’s respect for Charles has only grown.
Allan believes KMC deserves immense credit for his contribution to the Soca industry. The idea to honor him in song came during the pandemic when, among a small circle of friends, Allan began playing KMC’s music. “My friends were all saying how great it felt to hear those songs and how long they hadn’t heard them,” he said. “The idea then came to me. In that moment I said, ‘somebody should pay tribute to KMC.”
It took a bit of introspection and deep consideration by Allan before he began penning the track. “I went to Ken and asked him what he thought about my idea. He was flattered I think, but he asked me to do it properly,” explained the artist. Sometime later, having teamed up with Romol ‘Request’ Rajnath to produce the single, Allan went back to KMC to get his approval on the completed song. “As long as he liked it, I didn’t care about anything else,” said Allan, revealing that KMC did in fact like the single.
Now, even with no idea as to whether Trinidad and Tobago will in fact celebrate the festival that is carnival in any way this year, Allan says the purpose of this high energy expression and vibe, is tributary and as such, carnival or not, the track has its place and role. “I don’t think we should wait until a person has passed away and is no longer with us, to honor them and thank them for what they’ve contributed. KMC is one of the very few artistes in Trinidad and Tobago who has helped young, up and coming artistes in the business and that in itself, is something to thank him for. Not many others do that,” said Allan.
Known for his ability to get the message out clearly, having in the past, masterfully documented and aired the disservice meted out to T&T’s artistes outside of the Soca genre, there is no question that this song will reach people near and far. Allan’s documentary series, ‘After The Mas’, developed back in 2017, proved his passionate and relentless spirit when it comes to getting his point across.
“Nobody’s really doing Power Soca that much anymore. Artistes are singing a lot of groovy songs. I wanted to take it back – give KMC his flowers so this tribute to Ken is high energy, big vibes, and pure fire, for a man who gave us anthems we’ll have for a lifetime and more.”
Ebuzz News
Patrice Roberts Pulls 10K Plus Crowd At Flava Village in Port-of-Spain.
The national Carnival Commission says more than 10,000 patrons came out to Flava Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Thursday night to see female Soca artiste, Patrice Roberts.
An event dubbed, ‘Always Us,’ held as a free showcase for Carnival lovers, delivered a number of truly entertaining soca stars, among them, Shal Marshall, Shurwayne Winchester, Nadia Batson, Farmer Nappy and Mical Teja. The NCC, in a media statement said, “an estimated 8,000 people filled the popular Carnival venue, with an additional 2,000patrons enjoying the show from viewing screens along The Drag, creating an electric Carnival atmosphere despite heavy rainfall earlier in the day.”
With her usual high energy performances, Patrice held the attention of fans throughout the night.The concert was described by the artiste as a heartfelt “thank you” to her fans and
supporters. NCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Keiba Jacob-Mottley, said the organisation welcomed the opportunity to partner with Roberts. “We commend Patrice for her decision to give back in this meaningful way and applaud her commitment to ensuring that high-quality local entertainment remains accessible to everyone during the Carnival season, Mottley said, adding, “Our collaboration reinforces the NCC’s focus on creating memorable Carnival experiences that celebrate our artistes while removing financial barriers for the public,” she added.
The NCC CEO noted that the Flava Food Village, one of two signature Carnival villages at the
Savannah, alongside the John Cupid Carnival Village, is offered as a vibrant, inclusive space
where patrons can enjoy food, culture, and nightly performances free of charge. She added
that other NCC events, such as “Welcome to the Gayelle” represent the continuing work at
delivering a successful Carnival 2026.
David Baptiste, President of the Carnival Entrepreneurs Association, described the night as a milestone for vendors at the Savannah. “Last night was truly beautiful and something I have never seen before – an event of this magnitude in terms of crowd size, and people supporting the vendors. Many vendors sold out last night. We need more of this, and I am looking forward to the next event. Events like these boost business for our vendors at the Savannah and make them truly feel like they are a part of the Carnival festival,” Baptiste said.
Ebuzz News
Squeezy Rankin’s Pivot. Artiste Goes Hard into Calypso to Change Mindsets.
From dancehall music with rough lyrical content to social commentary that aims at changing mindsets, East Trinidad native, Squeezy Rankin says he has found his true calling in Calypso music. The entertainer is on the road to the preliminary round of the Calypso Monarch Competition later this month, with a single called ‘Rat Race’ – this, one year after ‘Justice’ influenced younger audiences to take a stronger look at the Calypso genre, something that he hopes he can continue to do as his journey in music continues.
In a recent radio interview, the reigning Young King, whose real name is Anthony La Fleur, said prior to 2025, he had not done music professionally in 13 years. Jumping back into the spotlight, he said, was a bit intimidating, but the exposure last year has prepared him for 2026 and the artiste is expected to confidently claim his space in the Calypso Monarch competition this year.
As real as it gets, Squeezy Rankin- a man on the ground, has always fought for his place in the music industry locally. Now, as Calypso music embraces him even more, he says he believes he’s found his place. “I plan on releasing two songs during the year because I want to change the narrative that Calypso music is old people music,” he said, adding that his hope is that urban radio stations see the value in sharing topics of social commentary, such as ‘Justice’ and ‘Rat Race’- songs deep in meaning and valuable beyond measure, in the greater scheme of things.
Determined to change mindsets one song at a time, Squeezy Rankin says his strong suit is certainly social commentary and he will not, at any time, delve into political commentary. “I was advised by someone who is deep in politics to stay out of it and I literally listened. You know sometimes we hear people, but we aren’t listening. I thought about what he said, and it made sense. I literally listened, even though they say I don’t listen,” he said with a laugh.
‘Rat Race’ was written by Squeezy and Angelo Pantin with production by Q-Ban Production.
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