Kes Teases New Album; Talks Tiny Desk Debut & Hopping On Di Genius’ ‘Hill & Gully’ Riddim: ‘Nobody Expected That!’
Categoria: Musica
The Kes the Band frontman checks in with Billboard at the 2026 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival. Get all the details.
Por Billboard | 11/05/2026
There were still two more days of this year’s Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival following Kes the Band’s terrific Friday night headlining set (May 8) — and the soca group cleared all the competition. Related Soca Superstar Kes Breaks Down Five Favorite Tracks From First Album in 10 Years: ‘It’s Time to Position Ourselves in a Global Way’ The 10 Best Caribbean Albums of 2025 (Critic’s Picks) After Dropping His Debut LP While Battling Cancer, Dominica’s Trilla-G Is Ready to Take Bouyon to the World: ‘I Want to Be Like the Greats’ Fronted by Kees Dieffenthaller, who also goes by Kes, the band delivered an hour of high-energy renditions of contemporary soca bangers like “Wotless,” “Savannah Grass” and “Cocoa Tea.” The festival stop is just the latest in a string of hectic periods for the band — including a pair of Jazz @ Lincoln Center shows in January and the forthcoming North American leg of its Roots, Rock, Soca Tour. “[Saint Lucia] Jazz always has such a mixed bag of performers that blows me away,” Kes tells Billboard after soundcheck. “When I was coming down on the plane, I had the chance to have a one-on-one with Billy Ocean, who’s also from Trinidad. He was sitting straight across from me, so I was able to reason and vibe with him, asking him a few questions. I love how Jazz brings together different genres and generations.” Friday night also kicked off a particularly poignant weekend for the group. The day prior (May 8), Kes the Band made its NPR Tiny Desk debut, marking another landmark moment for the soca stars in a year full of them. If that stripped-down environment showed how Kes could take advantage of small, intimate rooms, the band’s Saint Lucia Jazz set proved they’re more equipped to handle sprawling crowds and venues than most of their peers. Featuring hits like “Fallin'” and “Hello,” Kes’ Tiny Desk set also brought a pair of notable backup vocalists: Saint Lucia’s very own Teddyson John and Trinidad and Tobago’s Calyopso Monarch for 2026, Terri Lyons. The band also added steelpan player Dane Gulston to further flesh out their sound and showcase Caribbean music and instrumentation to the world. During the seamless performance, Kes also had pictures of his late sister, filmmaker Danielle Dieffenthaller, placed on the desk before him, underscoring the emotional heft of singing “Savannah Grass.” “That was a dream come true,” he gushes. “I’ve wanted [to play a Tiny Desk set] ever since I fell in love with the platform. It’s a good space for us to showcase our musicianship outside of the frenzy of a fete. When I shot the ‘We Home’ virtual performance during COVID, I was thinking of it as my audition tape for Tiny Desk; it’s just great for the culture. And [with the pictures], everybody was present, and we truly felt their presence.” Tho