‘I’ve seen soca grow in Jamaica in the past 20 years’

The I Love Soca Jamaica and Tipsy Music Festival collaboration, RYTZ Music Festival, went down on Carnival Thursday at the Ritz Savannah at The University of the West Indies. The event, the brainchild of managing directors of the collaborating brands, Andrew Bellamy and Zamani Moodie, promised a decadent all-inclusive live music experience within a dynamic soca fête that would comfortably join the events for carnival week. The higher-scaled admission promised the RYTZ patron unlimited drinks, food and performances by veteran Kes The Band and 2024 Trinidad and Tobago Road March winner, Mical Teja.

Spread out across the Ritz Savannah was a well-dressed crowd among golden-hue décor with apt attention trained towards a sprawling full-stage set-up that would be occupied by the night’s performers.

Enter Kes the Band to carry the audience through an electrifying set filled with the memories of carnival seasons highlighted by songs such as Fallin, Workout and Jolene. Encouraged by the energy of the crowd screaming back the lyrics, Kes performed for the very first time in Jamaica, songs from his newly released Man With No Door album. It featured familiar favourite Jolene and recent hit Mood with Jamaica’s very own dancehall legend Shaggy. The Trinidadian hit-maker described his pleasure at being back in Jamaica for another carnival season and his joy in the well-received album by his local fans.

“It’s actually essential for me to touch Jamaica, whether it be performing or creating or holidays, you know? It’s just a place that I really, really love and have a deep connection with. So it’s always an honour to come and spread soca … I think [ Man With No Door] is doing great already. I’d like to thank the people who supported us. We’re breaking a lot of new barriers now and a lot of new doors are opening up for the genre, you know? And just to have a body of work that we could work this year, I’m very grateful and people loving it. It’s blown my mind too because, you know, I’ve seen soca grow in Jamaica in the past 20 years. So it’s beautiful to see real unity [within the Caribbean soca community],” he told The Sunday Gleaner.

The unity was clear as Kes paused his set to introduce the rising star, Mical Teja, to the Jamaican audience. Teja, known for his hit DNA which won him the 2024 Road March title, displayed his passion for soca and Caribbean culture by intertwining the flags of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago during his performance.

“It’s been energetic and full of love [performing in Jamaica]. Coming from Trinidad and Tobago to be here representing soca in Jamaica for the first time, it’s truly a surreal feeling. The reception has been … amazing would be an understatement. I think it has been tremendous. In DNA I say ‘ When we outside it’s an ocean of love’, right now I think it’s like a tsunami. A universal love I would say. Everywhere we go thus far has been amazing. The love, the feeling, the energy, the support has been beyond what we would ever imagine,” Teja said.

Kes echoed similar feelings regarding the reception and appreciation for soca music and Carnival in Jamaica, reflecting on the industry’s evolution since its mainstream emergence over three decades ago. While the Liki Tiki singer won’t be among the revellers or performers on Road March day, he is grateful for the brief yet memorable experience of the vibrant energy.

“It’s always an honour to come [to Jamaica] and spread soca. [Jamaica’s growing love of carnival] also just says what I’ve always been feeling and thinking that we are all connected. We all came from the same struggles. Carnival is a celebration of emancipation and we all celebrated emancipation. So I feel like it’s because of education and also other factors that carnival has grown here and it’s nice to see it happen. I won’t be here for it but it feels to me that there is a bigger audience going to all the carnivals everywhere right now and Jamaica is a must stop. People fly in like never before. I’ve seen it growing from a niche party to now everybody coming out.”

As for Mical Teja, preparations are steadily underway for him to take a big dose of R&R before the madness of the road on the fast-approaching Sunday.

“I’m resting as much as I can. That’s really fundamental. [I went to Ochi yesterday]. See how I said ‘Ochi’, like how you all say? I’m not just here to jump and wave in carnival. I’m also here to experience the place.”

entertainment@gleanerjm.com