Ebuzz News
Archived: If Kanye West Did It , Nothing’s Standing in the Way of Trinidad’s Jabari Bowman.
Remember when one of Rap and Hip Hop’s finest, Kanye West shut it down- laid down a full track about Jesus Christ and gave radio and club DJs the guilt trip that essentially forced their hand? That track was called ‘Jesus Walks” and it was released in 2004. Powerful to say the least, there’s no doubt that if that song comes on anywhere today, your’e guaranteed to hear people singing along.
Well, nowadays they may label Kanye as mentally unstable among other things, but delivering an all-out gospel-rap single and getting it played in the club and on urban radio, is something he’ll always be credited for. A little like West, a young record producer in Trinidad and Tobago’s on his way to doing major things musically, when it comes to the gospel genre. He’s just 24-years-old.
Jabari Bowman’s got a thing for music and in a chat with Ebuzztt recently, he explained that it started at a really young age. The former St. Mary’s College student, told us he grew up in the Pentecostal church, however, spirituality wasn’t something that was forced onto him by his parents. “My parents weren’t very strict when it came to going to church. That was really left up to us. I had the support of my sister and we made the decision, on our own, to be a part of church,” he said.
Jabari says his parents’ Christian foundation saw him and his sister being taught strong, positive values. “They raised us the best way they knew, as Christians, but it wasn’t very strict- just really good values and it never felt forced,” he said. Like any regular child exposed to the rollercoaster that is life, Jabari says he was privy to everything, including all that comes along with the secular world. “My dad introduced me to everything- Rastafarian music, Hip Hop, Soca – so I wasn’t sheltered. My parents just gave us the information and with the values instilled in us, we chose our paths.”
Stuck in a pandemic in the prime of his life, Jabari admitted, “the world at present is a lot to deal with.” He however said he reminds himself that his spirit is stronger than any physical force.
Eleven years ago, the young, gifted creative visualised his business, calling his production house, JSB Productions and envisioning a music label of the same name. “My identity isn’t entirely about gospel music, although gospel is my preferred genre to work with, but my main focus is positive music- anything that is driven by positive thoughts and can influence positive behaviour,” he affirmed. He says he would do any of the popular genres of music, but he will only be aligned with music that is positive. “The way I do my business, I don’t put my production out into the market widely or in the hands of any label and let them choose which artistes they want on the beat. I always have a personal conversation with the artistes who are interested – and most times I have someone in mind that I’d like to work with,” he explained.
Clearly, for Jabari- music is more than just a paycheque. He’s invested in the effect his music could have on those who eventually consume it. “When I started making beats- it was just making music, but eventually I got to the point where I wanted my music – anything that had my name on it- I wanted it to touch a person’s soul and speak to them in a positive manner,” he said.
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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