Kes The Band Set to Headline Lincoln Center’s Unity Jazz Festival

Kes The Band is set to join the distinguished list of Trinidad and Tobago performers featured at New York’s Lincoln Center. The group, led by vocalist Kees Dieffenthaller, will serve as the 2026 headline act on January 8 and 9, performing alongside Trinidadian-born trumpeter Etienne Charles.

Charles and calypso icon Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco are among the Caribbean artists who have graced the Lincoln Center stage in previous years. For Kes The Band, the engagement marks a milestone moment in its twentieth anniversary year.

The group will perform from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on January 8 in the Rose Theater and will deliver a second performance at the same time on January 9 in The Appel Room. The two night engagement forms part of the Third Unity Jazz Festival, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center as a celebration of global musical connections, community, and storytelling through jazz.

The festival will unfold at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, known as the House of Swing. It will also highlight the thirty eighth season of Mother Africa, which honors the far reaching influence of African and African diaspora music traditions on the evolution of jazz.

Kes The Band is preparing to roll out new music in early 2026, beginning with the release of a new single titled Rum and Coca Cola on December 12. While the title nods to the 1943 classic by Lord Invader and the later version by The Andrews Sisters, the band emphasizes that its interpretation tells a completely different story centered on a woman named Grace who enjoys the drink at social gatherings. The track was created in collaboration with producer and songwriter Tano.

Dieffenthaller said Caribbean music has always embodied resilience, rhythm, and unity, and added that internationally renowned stages provide an opportunity for the region to share that cultural voice with the world.

“Headlining Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Unity Jazz Festival is a dream come true for us. We feel aligned with a larger purpose,” he said.

Charles expressed similar enthusiasm. “I am looking forward to bringing Creole Soul to the House of Swing and being part of the Unity Jazz Festival. Reuniting with my brother Kes and continuing our creative journey is something I cherish,” he said.

Kes The Band and Charles have collaborated before, including on the 2020 single Magic and a 2021 virtual appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Their Lincoln Center performances will feature the band’s first fully stripped down sets, presenting reimagined arrangements, intimate staging, and special guest collaborations. Charles will contribute his signature blend of Afro Caribbean musical storytelling to the production.

The center’s announcement also highlighted the band’s commitment to Caribbean community support, noting Kes The Band’s involvement in Hurricane Melissa relief efforts in Jamaica. The group recently participated in the Jamaica Strong Benefit Concert with Shaggy and Inner Circle to raise funds for affected communities.

“It is a timely moment for Caribbean culture to stand proudly on the global stage and remind everyone of the shared roots that connect us,” Dieffenthaller said.

Jazz at Lincoln Center, which has served as a leading institution for artistic expression for more than three decades, will present more than twenty acclaimed and emerging acts across five stages during the Unity Jazz Festival. This year’s lineup will honor the legacy of the legendary American pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri.