Dominican Bouyon artiste Reo (Dario Sebastien) is heating up YouTube with his latest release, “Jolie BB,” a collaboration with Martinique’s Maurane Voyer.  In just a week since its release, the official music video racked up an impressive 115,000 plus views on YouTube, drawing attention to the song among French-speaking audiences and highlighting the potential for Bouyon to reach new listeners across Martinque and the wider French Caribbean.

Building Connections In the Name of Music.

For Reo, this represents an opportunity to build stronger connections between Dominica and Martinique, expand Bouyon’s reach and open new markets for Dominican artistes. “It’s a good opportunity to connect Dominica and Martinique. We don’t have that much of a relationship musically, so let’s do it to push Bouyon in Martinique and build that relationship,” Reo explained.

Voyer shares that vision. Already familiar with Reo’s music and a longtime admirer the Dominican genre, she saw the collaboration as an opportunity to bring their musical worlds together. “I was already familiar with Reo’s universe. I knew a lot of songs, and I always loved Bouyon music,” she said.

The two artistes met in July while performing at the same festival in Saint Barts. Voyer approached Reo about working together in the studio, and the idea soon became a reality when they reunited in Guadeloupe at HMC Studio, where the artistes began developing the song. 

Reo developed the concept for the song with Voyer contributing her vocals. The beat was produced by Guadeloupe’s own YSN and mixed in Dominica by Dernz (Dernel Green). Reo insisted on the addition of live drums to preserve Bouyon’s Dominican identity in the bi-lingual song. That distinction was particularly important to the collaboration. Voyer explained that the Bouyon most familiar to audiences in Martinique has traditionally come from Guadeloupe, while interest in the original Dominican sound has grown in recent years.

Taking A Look at What Unifies.

“In Martinique, the first Bouyon that we know is from Guadeloupe. And it’s maybe since three years that we are more and more interested in the real Bouyon, the Bouyon from Dominica,” she said. For her, the recording process also offered a valuable opportunity to explore the similarities and differences between their cultures. “It was very interesting to see what differences we have and also what brings us together. I really enjoyed it,” she said.

The creative partnership extended to the music video, where Reo contributed ideas that helped the team bring their vision to life within a short timeframe. The response has been encouraging. “I get a lot of messages from different kinds of people, women, men, of all kinds of ages. And I’m happy to see that they like the song, the radios too,” said Voyer.

Beyond the immediate response, both artistes hope the collaboration will encourage more musical exchanges between Caribbean territories that do not always connect as frequently as they could.  Stronger relationships with French Caribbean artistes, radio stations, DJs, promoters and audiences could create additional performance opportunities and revenue streams for Dominican Bouyon artistes seeking to expand their reach.

“Martinique for example, is another market for Bouyon artistes to build their fan base and get bookings. We can literally see Martinique from Dominica, it should not feel so far away,” he added.

The collaboration is particularly timely as Voyer prepares to visit Dominica for the World Creole Music Festival this weekend, where Reo will also perform. She described working with Reo ahead of her first visit to the island as an exciting opportunity to establish a musical connection before experiencing Dominica firsthand.

The release also builds on Reo’s recent international momentum following the success of his La Vie Dou Tour in New York and London. With previous million-view songs including “Sa Ka Bay” feat. DJ Bling (2.9m views), “Doudou” with Litleboy (3.8m views), “You Mad” (1.5m views), and La Vie Doux feat. T éhilah (2.8 m views), Reo continues to pursue opportunities to introduce his music to audiences outside Dominica.

With Jolie BB, Reo and Voyer have combined their respective musical influences to create a collaboration that celebrates both their differences and common ground. Its early YouTube performance provides an encouraging start, while the wider ambition is to turn that attention into lasting connections between the music communities of Dominica, Martinique and the wider Caribbean.

The official music video for “Jolie BB” by Reo featuring Maurane Voyer is available now on YouTube.

Pioneering Canadian emcee, producer, and record executive Kardinal Offishall has released his 6th solo studio album Firestarter Vol.2: Everyday, Sometimes, out now on all streaming platforms via Kardi’s own Black Stone Colleagues label.

The 10-song tour de force bears Kardinal’s production fingerprint on 8 tracks and includes an all-star cast of guest features from around the globe including Black Thought, Stove God Cooks, T-Pain, Konshens, Glenn Lewis, Buju Banton, Idris Elba, NESTA, Melanie Fiona, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Cipha Sounds.

From the hard-hitting kick and snare of the album’s opener, “Heavy Is The Head,” to the final horn and strings refrain of the closing title track, “Everyday, Sometimes (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid),” Kardinal makes clear that he is forging further into elite musical territory on Firestarter Vol. 2.

On his first album release in over a decade, Kardinal Offishall busts through the gate with the ferocity of a thoroughbred racehorse, as he asserts “if you ever wanted to know what a hustler’s ambition sounds like, it sounds like this!” What follows is a masterclass in lyricism, vocal dexterity, and supremely elevated songwriting by a legendary international icon and some of the most talented vocalists on the planet. 

Black Thought and Stove God Cooks join Kardi on the second track, “40 Acres and a Ferrari,” for a militant reminder that it’s never too late to properly address injustices of the past. 

Veteran NYC DJ Cipha Sounds kicks off the radio-ready third track, “All Nighter,” with big throwback energy on the intro before T-Pain drops a clapalong/singalong chorus that instantly sticks. Jamaican dancehall star Konshens dashes some Caribbean flavor on the track with his spicy wordplay, and Kardinal delivers a commanding verse that takes the proceedings to a higher level. 

On the previously released single “Kiss Me When I,” Kardi teams up with fellow Canadian and longtime collaborator Glenn Lewis for Y2K-era vibes, as they rock confidently over a feel-good R&B track built by Grammy Award-winning producer DRTWRK, whose credits include Kanye West, J. Cole, and Lil Wayne, among many others.

“Top 3 (featuring Buju Banton and Idris Elba)” brings together three kings from different corners of the globe, challenging each other to bring their very best for this monumental dancehall collaboration. Toronto, Jamaica, and London connect here on what is sure to be received as an instant cross-continental cultural classic.

Up next is the album’s previously released debut single “My Brother’s Keeper Part 2” featuring the rising young talent NESTA, out of NYC. The deeply personal and sonically rich reggae track builds on the foundation of brotherhood, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds forged through shared 1st generation Jamaican-Canadian/American experiences. With NESTA joining forces, the collaboration bridges generations. Kardinal’s veteran artistry paired with NESTA’s new perspective creates a dynamic and emotionally resonant piece of music.

“When You’re In Love” features the collection’s only female contributor, Melanie Fiona, as she lends her voice to this soulful ballad that reflects on the peaks and valleys a couple can experience during the course of a relationship.

“Where There’s Smoke” finds the Firestarter standing on the business that has made him a global force in music over the course of a more than 30+ year career. Produced by Montreal-based maestro Asethic, the project’s 9th track hearkens back to Golden Era 90’s hip hop/dancehall fusion with just the right amount of boom and bap to support Kardi’s aggressive vocals that bounce effortlessly from bombastic rapper to murderous singjay, prepared for a clash in any setting.

On track 8, multi-talented English threat Idris Elba links up again with Kardi for “Bombay Sunsets.” Kardinal Offishall trades venomous verses over a slithering snake charmer of a beat with Sir Idris, who was recently knighted by King Charles III at the 2026 New Year Honours.

Kardinal enlists Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter BJ The Chicago Kid for the album’s closer “Everyday, Sometimes.” The infinitely gifted singer taps his church choir roots on the song’s rousing melodic chorus that sits atop a lushly arranged rhythm produced by Kardi. Firestarter Vol. 2’s last track is an inspirational finale that takes listeners through the daily struggles and triumphs of a musical storyteller, giving the audience a deeper glimpse into the journey that has brought Kardinal Offishall’s music screaming back to the forefront.

Speaking about the music, Kardinal O said, “When I first got signed, as a kid, my only goal was representing the city of Toronto, the island of Jamaica, and putting my culture on the biggest platform as possible, so that the world could discover something that they have never seen, heard or felt before. On the 25th anniversary of Firestarter, Volume 1, I put together the avengers for Firestarter Vol.2 and collaborated with some of my favorite artists of all time to bring the world an album that will be the soundtrack to your best years. Feeling like a brand new artist, this album will take you on a journey where we touch upon love, heartbreak, triumphs, spirituality, substance abuse, narcissism, despair, and of course hope. All of the energy on this album is what the world goes through everyday, sometimes…”