Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Members of 'Kes the Band' are Riad Boochoon (left), Hans Dieffenthaller (second left), Kees Dieffenthaller (third left), Nadia Batson (centre), Keithson Cruickshank (third right), Jon Dieffenthaller (second right) and Richard Balgobin (right). - Contributed photo

Soca, reggae, dancehall, pop and rock with a twist of Caribbean energy make the ever-dynamic group, Kes the Band stand out. Hailing from Trinidad, the band of brothers, Kees (lead singer), Hans (drummer) and Jon Dieffenthaller (guitar), Riad Bonchoon (bass guitar), Keith Cruickshank (keyboardist) and Nadia Batson (vocalist) is set to rock the Caribbean.

The group started as a family band, playing in the brothers' parents' garage, but they slowly found their own unique flavour as the years passed. According to Kees, they were raised by parents who were always supportive of their musical careers and forming the band with his brothers has been a fulfilling experience. The group's unique sense of style caught the eye of Joey NgWai and the group became Imij and Co. As Imiji and Co. the group specialised mainly in soca with hits such as One Day, Push and Runaway.

Express diverse taste

However, the musicians looked for a new means to truly express their diverse taste in music and split from Imiji and Co. to form Kes the Band. According to Kees, "We wanted to create a lot more, so we ventured into our own band. We spent a lot of time creating music and getting out there. This year has been pretty good musically."

This year the group has already done extensive touring, performing at Bacchanal Fridays and Beach Jouvert in Jamaica. They have also toured Canada, Miami, Germany and the Caribbean. Kes the Band also released a new album, Lions, which has been doing well in Trinidad and the rest of the Caribbean. Lions comes on the heels on their festival album, Three Baldheads and a Dread.

Kes the Band has slowly evolved from their garage days to finding their own unique sound that is dominated by soca, with a bit of rock and pop thrown in. The group also does convincing covers of reggae and dancehall songs.

Kees describes the sound as a hybrid of music from a Caribbean perspective. "We're slowly becoming something more. Soca, reggae and dancehall is the number one vibe in Trinidad, but we do our own brand of soca - it just sounds a little different. There are also different sounds in Trinidad now that have opening new avenues for groups like us," Kees said.

Kes the Band doesn't need much doors opened for them, already having accomplished so much. The group has even opened for American singer, Mark McGrath from 'Sugar Ray'.

They recently added a new element to the group in the form of Nadia Batson, who sings and tours with the group quite often. Nadia Batson had already been in the business for years, writing for big names in Trinidad. "Nadia is an exceptional songwriter and vocalist; she's very dynamic. She's a breath of fresh air and it's nice to see someone on-stage who actually sings," Kees said.

Jamaican audiences have been wowed by the voices and vibe of the group and given excellent response and Kes the Band enjoys coming to island to perform. "Jamaica is an interesting place. I love Jamaica. It's so rich in its own culture. People who like soca in Jamaica, the energy is amazing; they never stop dancing," Kees said.

While Jamaican music is on top of the world, Kees said it was time for soca to become more mainstream, as well, but more work was still needed.