Ebuzz News
Yung Kymani Stays Focused, Rides Summer Wave. Prepares to Unleash Even More.
A superstar in the making. That’s the energy being touted by those who’ve been privy to the talent of 9-year-old, Kymani Kaloo. The Carenage, Trinidad native has been gaining popularity over the past year, and with a strong desire to perfect his musical ability, the singer/songwriter is pushing full steam ahead.
Yung Kymani is a dynamic stage performer. Engaging and thrilling to see, he is not deterred by his youthful age. In fact, with youth on his side, his parents are making the investment to ensure that the elementary school student is prepared for the big stage and the music career that comes along with it. “We are giving our all, making sure that he gets all the necessary support as he pursues music,” explained his mother, Kezia Hector. The boy, who attends St. Peter’s RC Primary School is the only child shared with her spouse, but is one of two children to his father.
Armed with a song for the brief period of youthful abandon, now called JAVA in T&T, Kymani released his self-penned track, “Summertime,” a few weeks ago. The song has all the elements necessary to help teens and pre-teens vibe along as they head to the beaches, rivers, water parks and wherever else they gather with their families, over the next few weeks, school being out. “It’s all about what kids do when school’s closed, things that kids look forward to, like going to Five Islands amusement park, going to the beaches and so on,” said Hector. The track also features Del Unit who co-wrote his verse specifically, and the song was produced by Nigel Lopez of Sincerity Studios.
Earlier this year, as Trinidad and Tobago engaged in its annual carnival festival, Yung Kymani entered the soca arena with a track called, “Soca Paradise.” He walked away from the season with titles for Best Songwriter and Best Party Calypso on the national level for his age group. It was just what his family needed to see, to further encourage him, and invest in his ability. Now, the young, rising entertainer is learning to play the piano and there’s even more interest in molding him into a better songwriter.
As a parent, Hector says it has proven crucial to ensure that her son has the necessary wisdom and understanding to navigate the ever-changing social landscape. With social media’s strong and sometimes negatively impactful presence, she says her words are all that she has to arm her son with that much needed direction and wisdom. “There is negativity all over the internet and in the world. All we can do is talk to our children, encourage them and provide the strong support system they need to live out their dreams and purpose,” said Hector. She says more than anything else, her son has a very strong support system at home.
Set to release new music for the upcoming Christmas season and certainly even more tracks for Carnival 2024, Yung Kymani is likely to become a household name in the Caribbean as time progresses. “He loves rap music. I know that, but we wanted to make sure that he has a good grasp of our music here at home in the Caribbean as well,” said his mom. She encourages parents who are able to support their children’s talents, to go full speed ahead, nurturing these talents and encouraging them, while planting seeds of wisdom for their ultimate rise to stardom. “The children are the future and we have to prepare them to take up their roles as they grow,” she said.
Grateful for Robert Baptiste who first saw the possibilities for Yung Kymani, Hector is excited for her son. Like his father who manages Kymani’s social media platforms, she is anxious to see his future unfold. “Machel Montano didn’t just become the superstar he is today. His parents invested their time, money and energy into him. That in itself is a perfect example of what parents who believe in their children’s ability and talent, ultimately must do.”
To follow Yung Kymani’s journey, follow him on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook @yungkymani.
Ebuzz News
Seven Songs. One Big Artiste. Grenada’s Spice Mas Better Be Ready for Skinny Banton.
Spice Mas, like every other carnival, is seasonal, but for Carriacou, Grenada artiste, Skinny Banton, music isn’t. He has unleashed seven songs in 2026, and like clockwork he’s locked in and ready to deliver his energy, good vibes and storytelling strengths to audiences celebrating another memorable Spice Mas experience this year.
For Skinny Banton, whose real name is Shirlan George, Grenada’s Jab culture is fuel to his fire. In the past, songs like ‘Soak It Good’ and ‘Wrong Again,’ brought him tremendous acclaim across the region and internationally. This season, The Jambalasse project is anticipated to be one of the artiste’s most powerful contributions, signaling his intentionality to promote his country’s authentic culture, wherever he goes. “With this project we’re trying to keep the history, while celebrating the present by revamping a song that was done by Moss International 35 years ago,” he said. That song was called ‘Jambalasse Rule,’ released in 1991. “We revamped the riddim because it was one of the first songs considered to be an original Jab Jab song from Grenada, at that time,” he explained.
Proud of his personal efforts to keep the awareness on Grenada’s cultural traditions, Skinny Banton advocates for the continued celebration of these traditions and understands his role as an artiste. “No matter what we face as artistes in this space, we stay true to our mission. I have several songs that the people will enjoy in Spice Mas and beyond. One of my personal favourites is ‘Pain,’ a song I would like to share with my fans in Trinidad and Tobago when Carnival 2027 comes around,” he said.
Strengthening Others
Other tracks released by Skinny include, ‘When Yuh Eating,’ ‘Right Up,’ ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ ‘Can’t Stop Us,’ ‘Carnival Traffic’ featuring Jamaican artiste, I Octane, ‘My Behaviour,’ featuring Tonic X and ‘Water Line Burst,’ collaboratively done with Nicki Akull. “The collaborations done with Tonic X and Nicki Akull mean a lot to me. They are upcoming artistes who I share good vibes with. When I was younger and had hopes of connecting and collaborating with bigger artistes, it was not easy,” he recalled, adding that it often felt daunting. He says because he understands the feeling, he is happy to be able to help these up-and-coming entertainers. “This was just my way of giving them strength and encouragement. I feel like nobody takes you seriously when you don’t have a foot in the door – they refuse to embrace you because you are not known. I want them to keep pushing after this,” he added.
Dedicated and refocused, Skinny Banton is pushing full speed ahead. “I’m doing music videos for most of the songs. I already have a video for ‘Black Fuh Juvay,’ which has been uploaded to YouTube and all other streaming platforms, and the video for ‘My Behaviour’ with Tonic X is also out,” he said. Grateful to Jamaican artiste, IOctane for the strength given to him on their collaboration on the single, ‘Carnival Traffic,’ Skinny said this particular song is one that he loves, and he hopes the people will, as well.
For the past three years, the artiste had been approached by upcoming entertainer, Nicki Akull for the single they eventually brought forward this year. “Waterline Buss – Nicki Akull’s persistence and determination really brought this song into existence,” he said, happy to have eventually come around to making it happen. Even with such a vast number of singles released, Skinny Banton says he is ready to work with artistes across the Diaspora. “I’m still creating, still working and I’m looking forward to establishing more ground in the Soca community and around the world.”
Social Media, Music and Trends.
Certainly attuned to the necessary promotional adjustments that many artistes have been forced to adopt, Skinny Banton says he hopes that despite the rise in social media content distribution, true talent and good music is not sacrificed. “I feel like content creation online should not take away from artistes creating and delivering great music, because without the content, the music should still stand on its own, and with the content, the people still need the music,” he shared. “I also feel like a lot of trends are created from making yourself an online spectacle and not the music being able to sustain itself, so you may get attention for what you post as content, but the music you’re posting the content for sometimes does not have enough substance to sustain itself for longevity,” he rationalized.
Thoughtful, conscious and truly talented, Skinny Banton is a necessary part of the Caribbean’s creative landscape. His storytelling ability, coupled with his appreciation for the art and vocal capacity, makes him an artiste everyone should tap in to. “I want to encourage the young artistes to stay focused and keep pushing and never be discouraged by the many things that’s said on social media. They must work hard to establish their business to suit them, because every artiste will do things differently, when it comes to the business; Never be discouraged by the naysayers,” he advised. He thanked his fans for their love and support over the years. “People who’ve been supporting from day one and continue to support, as well as the new supporters I’ve gotten along the way – thank you. To the DJs and radio personalities, I appreciate you. One hand doesn’t clap. Thank you for keeping my songs on rotation and I hope you all continue to support me.”
Music News
JrDynamite Gets Real On New Single “Fake Energy.”
