Ebuzz News
Kes The Band Shows Off Jolene as They Prep for Summer Album Release.
Trinidad & Tobago soca stars KES (aka KES THE BAND) invite viewers to experience a vintage slice of island life in the video for their latest single, “Jolene.” Trinidadian filmmaker Maya Cozier (She Paradise) directed the nostalgic visuals, which center the song in a small Caribbean fishing village, circa mid-20th century.
There we find KES frontman Kees Diefenthaller — also known as KES — competing with other villagers to win the affection of the track’s namesake character. The clip captures the rich, lulling rhythm of island life, with images of fishing, coconuts, dancing and rum, while taking inspiration from Brazil’s ‘60s-era cinema novo movement with its vibrant saturated colors and period attire.
A blend of soca, afrobeats, calypso and island pop flavors produced by British-Trinidadian producer Dwala, “Jolene” is the first taste of KES’ next full-length album, coming this Summer through California-based Ineffable Records.
The buoyant celebration of good vibes and rolling waistlines arrives amidst Trinidad & Tobago’s traditional Carnival season — a time of year when soca artists typically roll out new music to soundtrack the season’s coming festivities. With Carnival celebrations on pause for a second year, KES reached outside the box to create a record that could pull listeners from around the world into the Caribbean, no matter where they find themselves in the world.
“I wanted to transport you to a place where, even if you’ve never been to the islands before, you would feel like you are there,” KES says. “The Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures and people together in this beautiful place, and this song captures all of these vibes.”
Cozier, whose music video credits include Kranium’s “In Charge” and Freetown Collective’s “Human Form,” earned widespread acclaim in 2021 with her debut feature film, She Paradise. The soca-fueled, coming-of-age story, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, was distributed theatrically this past fall by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Kes, and when I heard the song I got excited,” Cozier says of “Jolene.” “I immediately thought of calypso, and wanted to capture that time period.” Shot in Las Cuevas, a fishing village on Trinidad’s secluded North Coast, the video’s imagery takes cues from documentary footage of Trinidad & Tobago in calypso’s 1950s heyday; Brazilian director Glauber Rocha’s 1962 film Barrevento; and Trinidad & Tobago’s folkloric theater tradition.
In spite of the pandemic, recent times have brought a string of highlights for KES. 2021 saw the band make its U.S. TV debut on Late Night with Steven Colbert, and return to the States for their first tour dates in over two years, including their climactic IzWe concert in New York City, which brought nearly 10,000 fans to Brooklyn’s Boardwalk Lot on Labor Day. In August 2020, they released the live album We Home (Ineffable Records), a project which earned them plaudits in outlets ranging from Essence to The FADER.
Over the last two years, the band has organized a run of virtual concerts that have aired live on TV across the Caribbean and streamed worldwide on their YouTube channel, timed to key dates on Trinidad & Tobago’s cultural calendar.
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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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