The cheat code to succeeding at everything you touch as a creative, is passion – pure, lingering passion. That’s one Trinbagonian creative’s final analysis of the inroads he’s personally made over the years. Now, jumping from behind the engineering of sounds we know and love from Soca artistes across the length and breadth of the region, to expressing his very own internal truths, Stephon Gabriel is once again following passion. 

Gabriel Creative Studios in Couva, is the playground created by this sound engineer. He left his position at Microsoft years ago, to follow his passion, he says, this after returning to T&T, having studied music at USC. “I’ve been in the music industry for over 15 years. From the age of 14, I knew music lived in me. I was the guy at school everyone would come to, to record love songs for their girlfriends,” he recalled with a chuckle. He says those formative years influenced what he would later become. “I got a guitar for my 14^th birthday and it was set from there. Since that time, I’ve been heavily involved in both music and film. I’ve worked on a few featured films, including work done as part of the crew on ‘Home and Again’ here in Trinidad,” he said, adding that on the music side of things, he’s worked in some capacity with most of the big names in Soca. 

Jumping head-first now into territory he has strongly assisted with, but has never been in the spotlight for, Gabriel releases a new single called, ‘Soft Touch.’ “This song came about because I wanted to express myself. It started with one of my producers I work with – Jumaane, who sent me a couple tracks and I put aside a particular one and then on one random night I listened to it and got to writing. That was three months ago,” he recalled. Now, the track finally completed, after great collaboration with like-minded musicians, Gabriel says he’s eager for the world to hear it.  

A mixture of exploration and passion, Gabriel’s latest creative effort adds to his ongoing dedication to effectively positioning Caribbean artistes for international opportunities. “I have a publishing arm of my company called ‘Just In Time Music,’ which aims to bridge the gap between Caribbean creatives and Hollywood and the world,” Gabriel explained, adding, “I have agents out there who work with me to get our music placed into movies and television shows.” 

The music producer said he began creating independent songs strictly for film and because it was so well received, he was able to secure several deals, in a relatively short space of time. “I went on to extend the service to creatives here in Trinidad and Tobago but part of the challenge has been educating others on publishing and other aspects of that side of the business,” he admitted. 

Optimistic and dedicated, Stephon Gabriel has proceeded to do what he can, to teach others about the ins and outs of the global music industry. He set up a TikTok account, educating fellow Caribbean creatives with tips and other valuable information pertinent to royalties, masters, publishing and the like. “StephanGabrial868 is the channel and as I continue with that effort, I’ll say one of my goals is to one day be able to go to my distributor and choose “Soca” as the genre for the music I deliver,” he said. 

Armed with his skills as a music and film professional, Stephon Gabriel’s pushing every envelope – passionately following his heart even into artistry, understanding that anything is possible in today’s world. “I’ve worked on hundreds, maybe thousands of songs for people. My voice is in a lot of songs as well. As a creative you love to do what you love and there are limitations on what you can do on someone else’s song,” he said, noting that doing this new single of his own, offered him the opportunity to do it his way. 

“Earlier this year I did what I call a re-imagine of Kees’ ‘Cocoa Tea’ and I went left with it, changing the instruments and posting it online in January. It was surprising to see that it was so well received; I got a lot of engagement online,” he recalled. 

Passionate and ready for whatever may come, Stephon has gone all out on the release of ‘Soft Touch.’ “It’s being released with a video and I just want to say the song isn’t a release for ‘carnival’ per say. It’s a song for global appreciation. It’s a groove that can be enjoyed all year long.” 

‘Soft Touch’ was written by Gabriel with production collaboratively done by Jumaane, Jaydot, Amiel Duncan and Gabriel himself. The song was mastered by Andre Stewart. 

Multi-platinum music icons and dancehall ambassadors, MAJOR LAZER are celebrating the release of their new GYALGEBRA mixtape with a Miami Art Week block party benefiting Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica on Thursday, Dec. 4

The GYALGEBRA release party happens from 6pm to 2am in the parking lot at Coyo Taco, 2320 NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood, with all proceeds from ticket and merch sales going towards the American Friends of Jamaica and global crisis response organization CORE’s Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica.

The evening will feature live sets from Major Lazer Soundsystem along with special guests and friends of Major Lazer, including a rare appearance from Miami legend DJ Chipman (w ho features on GYALGEBRA standout “Jump & Twist”).

GYALGEBRA, Major Lazer’s first self-contained music project in five years and its first release with new, UK-based vocalist America Foster, was released Friday, Nov. 21 via Mad Decent/BECAUSE. The project’s nine tracks were recorded between Jamaica, where Diplo and co-founder Switch originally formed Major Lazer in 2008, and Miami, homebase of Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire and Ape Drums.

While plans had been in place for months to celebrate the release of GYALGEBRA with a Miami Art Week block party, Hurricane Melissa and its devastating impact on Jamaica inspired the group to take action. Diplo visited Treasure Beach in the hard-hit western parish of St Elizabeth in November with volunteers from CORE and the St Elizabeth-based BREDS Foundation, delivering food and water to families affected by the storm, and witnessing the devastation first-hand. 

“Jamaica has been at the heart of everything for me,” Diplo said. “It’s shaped who I am and how I see the world. Even now, after so much loss, that same energy still shines. Seeing the destruction from Hurricane Melissa has been horrible. Entire communities are rebuilding from nothing, and they need our help.” 

RETURN TO COACHELLA AFTER 10 YEARS

Fans can expect to see more Major Lazer soon as the group embarks on tour dates in the new year including a return to Coachella — ten years after the group’s last appearance in the desert — on April 12 and 19, 2026. The group also returns to Miami for a headlining set at Ultra Music Festival in March. 

GYALGEBRA kicks off Major Lazer’s highly-anticipated new chapter with the official debut of Major Lazer “First Lady” America Foster featuring on five tracks including lead single “BRUK DOWN” (alongside Parris Goebel and SadBoi) and the ‘90s dancehall-inspired solo showcase “Peppa Pot.”

Recorded largely in Jamaica at Diplo’s new studio sanctuary, Pompey, GYALGEBRA is a return to the outsider dancehall energy and unpredictable genre mash-ups of the group’s upstart early days, when anthems like “Pon De Floor” and “Watch Out For This (Bumaye)” literally ran the world. Across its nine tracks, GYALGEBRA lays the blueprint for a new era of Major Lazer — one in which the group centers America Foster’s considerable vocal talents, while remaining as collaborative, musically unpredictable, and stylistically ravenous as ever. 

Guest features on GYALGEBRA include Dominican iconoclast, Tokischa, elusive Miami icon, DJ Chipman, Toronto it-girl, SadBoi, New Zealand-born choreographer-turned-artist, Parris Goebel, Jamaican dancehall stalwart Busy Signal, Trinidad & Tobago soca legend Bunji Garlin, zess queen Lady Lava and Amsterdam-based DJ/producer Kybba. Dancehall, drill, shatta, zess, dembow, soca, bouyon, Miami jook and Funk carioca are a few of the genres and inspirations covered on the project.