Ebuzz News
The Countdown Has Begun to A Barclays Shell Down Like No Other. Machel Is On His Way.
Soca superstar Machel Montano has been busy over the past couple weeks, this as he hits various destinations with his ‘One Degree Hotter’ tour. The Taipan of the art form which originated in Trinidad and Tobago, and has since spread across the Caribbean region, will deliver his special brand of energy at Barclay’s Centre in Brooklyn, later this month.
PHOTO: Anil Mathi
In July, Machel and the Monk band performed at Tipsy Music Festival in Barbados and the Caribbean Melting Pot in Antigua. The tour will see him hit destinations like Toronto, Anguilla, Washington, Miami and of course, Brooklyn New York. The highly anticipated, Planet Brooklyn mega show is set to ignite New York on August 24th ahead of Labour Day celebrations within the West Indian community. “I’m beyond excited to be apart of Planet Brooklyn. It’s an honor to bring the energy of soca back to the borough and to the iconic Barclays Center,” said Machel. He noted that Brooklyn has always felt like a second home to him, explaining, “The vibes, the culture, the people — there’s nothing like it. Every time I step on that stage in New York, especially in a place as electric as Barclays Center it’s a celebration of Caribbean spirit and unity.”
Founded by BSE Global, Planet Brooklyn seeks to celebrate and highlight artists who represent the cultural and creative diversity found within the borough of Brooklyn and the varied genres of music they represent. The two day festival- a first of its kind, hits New York with a slate of both free and ticketed musical performances across three iconic entertainment venues in the borough – Barclays Center, Brooklyn Paramount and BAM – on Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24.
Stars of Soca, Dancehall, Chutney, Zess and Afrobeats will take the stage at Planet Brooklyn, with the one and only, Machel Montano headlining Barclays on Sunday, August 24th. Jamaica’s Ayetian and Skillbeng, along with T&T’s Bunji Garlin, Lady Lava, Ravi B, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Problem Child and Skinny Fabulous. The event will be hosted by Majah Hype and feature, Travis World.
Brooklyn at the Heartbeat of Caribbean Culture.
With more than 150 distinct cultural identities in Brooklyn, the borough stands as one of the most culturally diverse communities in the world. Planet Brooklyn will reflect the unique role Brooklyn plays to influence music and culture globally, while fostering togetherness and uplifting local artists and businesses that make up the heart of the borough.
“When putting together the lineup for Planet Brooklyn, it was paramount that our performers reflected the incredible diversity of Brooklyn itself — a true mosaic of cultures, sounds, and stories,” said DeJuan Wilson, Chief Products and Experiences Officer at BSE. “Our goal is that Planet Brooklyn will further elevate and celebrate those unique voices, bringing together artists who represent the heartbeat of this borough, and we are excited for everyone to experience a festival that’s as vibrant and dynamic as Brooklyn itself.”
In addition to musical performances, Planet Brooklyn will include a free two-day block party in the streets near the three participating venues, designed to connect the festival’s flagship venues with a continuous flow of music, movement, and culture through the streets of Downtown Brooklyn. The block party will be comprised of local food vendors and merchants that also reflect the diversity and creativity of the borough. Open both Aug. 23 and Aug. 24, the block party will also feature multiple stages where attendees can enjoy free performances from a range of artistes and other creatives.
The Planet Brooklyn Brand
Planet Brooklyn is produced alongside Multiply Creative, a cultural marketing and experiential agency founded in Brooklyn with a mission to create meaning and evoke emotion through narrative and creative expression, designing moments that have a profound cultural impact. Planet Brooklyn is part of series of year-long events, programs and partnerships participating in New York City Tourism + Conventions’ Founded By NYC campaign, marking the 400th anniversary of New York City. BKMag is the supporting media partner of Planet Brooklyn. Visit www.planetbrooklynfest.com or follow Planet Brooklyn on all social media platforms at @planetbkfest to learn more.
Ebuzz News
A Band That’s Building Legacy for Culture. Blow Mano Blow Promises Memorable Carnival 2027 with Tribute to The Birdie.
Amid a chorus of consistent calls across the length and breath of the country for more creativity and commitment to cultural preservation in Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, one band continues to answer the call. Bert and Dianne Marcellin’s ‘Blow Mano Blow’ have once again stepped up to the cultural plate, prepared to remind the world, through mas, of the contributions made by a true stalwart of Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival and culture.
Though born in Grenada, The Mighty Sparrow was raised in Trinidad and Tobago from a young age. His achievements over decades at the forefront of Calypso music, have been plenty. World- over The Mighty Sparrow is known as The Calypso King of the World. Now, ahead of another Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago in 2027, ‘Blow Mano Blow’ – an all-inclusive, Carnival Monday T-Shirt band, is set to revel with five well thought-out sections that were revealed this past Saturday night, in Port-of-Spain. The theme is for 2027 is ‘To Birdie with Love.’
The band launch, hosted at the Garden Theatre of the Queen’s Hall in St. Ann’s, saw band faithfuls and friends gather to view and choose the sections they’d be hitting the streets in, come Monday, February 8th, 2027. A well-produced theatrical showcase unfolded just after 10pm – marking the start of what would be a band launch filled with much humour and excitement. From ‘Happy School Days’ to ‘Congo Man,’ ‘Marajhin,’ ‘Margarita’ and ‘Jean and Dinah,’ the songs that have brought great laughter and joy to Calypso lovers around the world for many years, now becomes tangible expressions for the road in T&T Carnival 2027.
On launch night, Bert Marcellin said he was pleased to continue the work that his father, Mano Marcellin began many years ago. With his father’s dedication at the core of Bert’s determination to keep culture alive, the younger Marcellin paid it forward on Saturday night.
Presenting a young, female musician with a gift from the the band, he shared that his father believed musicians were lovers. “Tonight we are paying tribute to Sparrow but we also need to pass the baton on. My dad used to say, musicians are lovers, not fighters so all the folks who have kids, get them to pick up an instrument and get into music; Do something positive,” said Bert, explaining that music is a recipe for stress relief. The owner of Brass 2 the World, the brass band that accompanies his mas band on the road on Carnival Monday, Bert advocates for creatives in a strong way. “Music is enjoyment, it’s an occupation and it makes people happy,” he said, before presenting Tiquana Joseph with an instrument, courtesy Brass 2 The World. “Tiquana started her music career. She is in the Trinidad and Tobago cadets and she just started her theory. She is reading music and we want to give her a start,” he said before presenting the young lady with her very own trombone.
The band is all-inclusive and presents an alternative option that’s reasonably priced, safe and at its core – an ode to Trinidad and Tobago’s culture. In 2026, Blow Mano Blow will be joined in partnership with Sweet 100FM. The radio station presents Jean and Dinah for the road. Over the years, Blow Mano Blow has paid tribute to several well known and well loved legends, among them, Calypso Rose and Lord Kitchener.
Fun, culturally sound and welcoming to every true fan of Trinidad and Tobago’s Greatest Show on Earth, Bert and Dianne Marcellin’s Blow Mano Blow is expected to once again offer patrons an amazing time on the road on Carnival Monday. Live instrumental accompaniment courtesy Brass 2 The World, with Snakey and Sanelle Dempster, food, drinks and a costume that pays homage – what more could a real culture lover want? On Saturday night, patrons got a taste of what’s to come on the road come 2027. The band delivered powerfully, Sanelle proving that she is still the woman who can command any audience. Also appearing as a guest at the event was Ding Dong who made the crowd feel every bit of excitement for yet another carnival on the way.
The energy of the season of revelry in T&T may be months away, but for die hard carnival lovers, this taste of what’s to come was incentive enough to go secure their costumes with Blow Mano Blow. In the audience, one patron could be heard discussing her choice for the road – “I like Congo Man,” she told her friend excitedly. “That is what we going with eh!”
No matter which section’s chosen, one thing’s for sure, Blow Mano Blow will deliver yet again, with the people in mind, on Carnival Monday next year.
For more information on how you can play with Blow Mano Blow, follow them on Facebook.
Ebuzz News
Kymani Marley Set to Release Anticipated New Album, on August 28th. Latest Single, “A Little Bit,” Delves Deep.
Ky-Mani Marley returns with “A Little Bit (I’m Okay),” the fourth and final single ahead of his highly anticipated new album, Love and Energy, which is slated for an August 28th release, and available to pre-save now on all digital platforms via his Konfrontation Muziklabel in partnership with New York-based DubShot Records.
Written by Ky-Mani, his daughter Imani Marley, and longtime collaborator Shaquel Leon, “A Little Bit (I’m Okay)” turns a deeply personal chapter in Marley’s life into an honest reflection on mistakes, uncertainty, resilience and ultimately, acceptance. Rather than pretending everything is perfect, Ky-Mani lands somewhere more real: life can take you down roads you never expected, force you to question yourself and leave you carrying lessons you never asked for — and you can still come through it able to say, I’m okay.
“A Little Bit (I’m Okay)” became a crowd favorite during the European leg of Ky-Mani’s recent Love and Energy summer tour. A live video for the song, which premiered on his YouTube channel, captures an intimate performance filmed at the Toulouse Rio Loco Festival in France this past June, alongside behind-the-scenes footage from the road.
Built around a classic one-drop reggae rhythm and the distinctive cry of pedal steel guitar from musician Tal Morris, the track was produced by Ky-Mani Marley, Anthony Smith, and Llamar “Riff Raff” Brown. Ky-Mani opens the song with a vulnerable look at the roads that shaped him. “I’ve been walking roads with no clear signs, trying to read between the wrong and the right lines. I took some turns I didn’t plan, just trying to figure out who I am– made some mistakes I can’t erase, but that’s alright.”
For Marley, the message is not about having life completely figured out. It is about making peace with the journey. “‘A Little Bit (I’m Okay)’ came from a real place in my life,” he said, adding, “I was going through some things, questioning things, looking at choices I made and roads I had taken. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you planned, and you don’t always have all the answers. But you learn, you grow and you keep moving. For me, being able to say ‘I’m okay’ doesn’t mean everything is perfect – it means I’ve made peace with where I’ve been and I’m grateful for where I am. That feeling runs through Love and Energy. This album is probably one of the most honest reflections of where I am today,”
That sentiment sits at the heart of Love and Energy, a 14-song collection accompanied by two spoken-word reflections, marking Ky-Mani’s first solo studio album in more than a decade. Throughout the project, Marley explores the experiences, relationships, struggles and growth that have shaped both the artiste and the man he is today, while staying rooted in the reggae foundation that has defined his musical journey.