Ebuzz News
Could Sabrina Francis Be The Next Big Female Caribbean Sensation? Freetown’s Muhammed Muwakil Weighs In.
A movement to take her creative authenticity to every corner of the Caribbean and beyond, has spurred a reaction. Grenada’s Sabrina Francis has piqued the interest of one of the region’s foremost creative minds, Muhammed Muwakil of Freetown Collective. Francis’ showcase at Kafe Blue in Trinidad on September 14th, has since generated interest among music lovers as to whether a collaboration between the two is on the way.
Filled with gratitude on the ability to spark interest in Trinidad, Francis says she feels happy to have gained new fans, recalling that several persons approached her after the showcase, indicating that they were new to her music and were immediately blown away. “My trip to Trinidad and the show was everything I could have hoped for,” said Francis, highlighting the history of the venue, and the hospitality of its host – the legendary calypsonian, Carl Jacobs. “Carl is a special guy with a beautiful soul and I know I will be back in Trinidad soon so I am very happy to have made that connection,” said Sabrina.
Her second trip to showcase her style of music in T&T, the young, talented singer is growing in popularity. Her appeal stems from an effortless truth – her ability to stand firmly in her authenticity as a vocalist with proud African ancestry. It’s an appeal that almost immediately grabs her audience- an unpretentious beauty that penetrates effortlessly. “I am so touched that Muhammed made it to the show. We did speak, and I am hopeful that we will work together in the near future,” she said of the Freetown Collective frontline artiste’s interaction at the showcase.
Muhammed, in an honest expression at the event, said, “Sabrina is an amazing, amazing artiste. She opened for Freetown last year in London. Her vocals are flawless, her writing is amazing, her stage presence is just beautiful. Most likely we’ll be doing something with her in the future, but there definitely is a song I heard tonight that should be in 2026 Carnival, I feel. I think she has the ability to become one of the leading female voices in the region and it’s only a matter of time.”
Sabrina says while she isn’t a Soca artiste, she is open to experimenting with her sound. “I’m open to experimenting and trying new things. I want to return to Trinidad in the first half of next year. The work that we’re doing is to build the audience. I know Trinidad and Grenada have a lot of cultural history and similarities. I am hoping that Muhammed and I can work together soon,” she said.
Sabrina Francis’ catalogue of songs include, ‘Cocoa Tea,’ ‘Cool Me Down,’ ‘Woman’ and ‘Overflow’ among others. Her latest release is called, ‘Don’t Waste My Time.’
The young artiste’s musical style is categorized as Afro-Caribbean Pop.
For more on her amazing musical journey, follow her HERE.
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.”
