Liming Anthem of the Season: Kes & Benjai’s Carnival Friend
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
November 28, 2025
Dive deeper into Caribbean music and culture at Sokah2Soca—your go-to source for Soca, Calypso, and Carnival coverage. First published on Sokah2Soca, now streaming live via Island Vybe Radio.
Look who is back—it’s Benjai, and this time he’s alongside his Carnival Friend, Kees of Kes the Band. As we all know, Carnival is always sweeter with a loyal friend by your side. This song celebrates the bond that blossoms during Carnival: connection, joy, and pure fire vibes. Produced by Kes Keyz on the Blue Phone Album (better known as the Blue Phone Riddim), with vocal production by Tano and David Sheppard, Carnival Friend blends two of Trinidad’s most recognizable voices into one unforgettable anthem. This feeling, this song, is a celebration of the friendships we create and share during Carnival—good times that last a lifetime and make every moment together feel unforgettable.
We approve of this track; hold on, we love it because it radiates joyful energy and reminds us that Carnival is more than just music. It’s about how Trinis live in the moment; it is about chipping and hugging with arms locked shoulder-to-shoulder and soaking in sweet Soca vibes. The groove is modern yet rooted deep in the belly of calypso, carrying Soca’s youthful spark while honoring its heritage.
Benjai and Kees have exceptional chemistry—voices that could set a lively tone and transform any gathering into a celebration. They are amazing together and their voices complement each other perfectly, delivering a smooth blend of melody and rhythm that touches everyone while hanging on to a carnival friend. This tune isn’t just another fete song—it’s poised to become the ultimate liming anthem. Why? Because these two captured the essence of how we live: a Carnival philosophy wrapped up in our liming habits. Once the music hits and the spirits flow, we all become Carnival friends. We share smiles, laughter, and wine together and celebrate the joy that keeps our culture alive and thriving. Yes, it is sweet—and yes, we can all be Carnival Friends!
We approve of this track; hold on, we love it because it radiates joyful energy and reminds us that Carnival is more than just music. It’s about how Trinis live in the moment; it is about chipping and hugging with arms locked shoulder-to-shoulder and soaking in sweet Soca vibes. The groove is modern yet rooted deep in the belly of calypso, carrying Soca’s youthful spark while honoring its heritage.
Benjai and Kees have exceptional chemistry—voices that could set a lively tone and transform any gathering into a celebration. They are amazing together and their voices complement each other perfectly, delivering a smooth blend of melody and rhythm that touches everyone while hanging on to a carnival friend. This tune isn’t just another fete song—it’s poised to become the ultimate liming anthem. Why? Because these two captured the essence of how we live: a Carnival philosophy wrapped up in our liming habits. Once the music hits and the spirits flow, we all become Carnival friends. We share smiles, laughter, and wine together and celebrate the joy that keeps our culture alive and thriving. Yes, it is sweet—and yes, we can all be Carnival Friends!
Let us spread awareness of the culture of the Caribbean diaspora.
We do this to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and stories of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy reaches a wider audience and fosters creativity and connections. While it is important to always purchase music, you should avoid sharing promotional music because doing so denies essential revenue to songwriters, producers, and artists. You can find all of our posts online on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend that you explore your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Carnival Friend
Artist/Performed by: Kes The Band x Benjai
Lead Singer: Kees Diffenthaller
Produced by: Keskeyz
Composer/Lyricist: Kees Dieffenthaller
Composer/Lyricist: Rodney Le Blanc
Vocal Production: Michael "Tano" Montano and Dj Kingston (David Sheppard)
Mixed and Mastered by Andrew Denny
Release date: 11/19/2025 (Carnival 2026)
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
?Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but also on a daily basis. Sokah2Soca—Where Rhythm Lives and Calypso, Steelband Music, and Soca are thriving!
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
♫Please click the small triangle button in the music player below to listen now.
Carnival Conversations: “Body Talking” Is Loud and Clear
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
November 28, 2025
This post first appeared on Sokah2Soca, where Caribbean music meets wit, rhythm, and real talk. Island Vybe Radio spins the tunes—we decode the culture.
Chromatics is back and the riddim is talking—loud, proud, and waistline fluent. “Body Talking” drops on the Heritage Riddim, and it’s pure Carnival voltage: pulsing, playful, and charged with that unmistakable soca swagger.
Produced by Shot Master J & Dj Body Roc and written and performed by Richard "Chromatics" Raj-Kumar, "Body Talking" has a vibe and a feel that should make this song a favorite for fetes and DJ selection. Commercial radio play could become an issue since Chromatics has an online radio station that competes with these commercial radio stations. However good music and requests for airplay by fans should boost radio play.
The music isn't just for listening; it's like a wine for your ears and a massage for your carnival spirit. Chromatics spins a story where movement becomes message: hips drop punchlines, glances tease verses, and every step pulls you deeper into the bacchanal. It’s a dancefloor dialogue where the woman’s body speaks volumes, and the rhythm replies in kind.
Chromatics weaved the art of Calypso into a modern-day storytelling episode with a modern Soca beat. The result? A track that flirts, flows, and fires up the fête. Body Talking is Soca storytelling at its finest—where rhythm meets revelation and Carnival speaks in motion.
YouTube Notes:
Chromatics returns to the Soca scene with "Body Talking"! A fresh release on the energetic and rhythmic Heritage Riddim that feels like pure Carnival electricity. In the track, he weaves a playful, irresistible narrative about a woman whose body speaks louder than any words she could say. Every movement she makes becomes its own lyric—hips carrying rhythm, glances dropping hints, and energy pulling him deeper into the moment.
Chromatics rides the beat with clever storytelling and a melodic swagger, turning the dancefloor encounter into a vibrant conversation of motion and desire. The result is a track that’s as flirtatious as it is infectious, capturing that unmistakable soca magic where bodies talk and the music answers.
Let us spread awareness of the culture of the Caribbean diaspora.
We do this to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and stories of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy reaches a wider audience and fosters creativity and connections. While it is important to always purchase music, you should avoid sharing promotional music because doing so denies essential revenue to songwriters, producers, and artists. You can find all of our posts online on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend that you explore your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Body Talking
Artist/Performed by: Chromatics
Written by: Richard "Chromatics" Raj-Kumar
Produced by: Shot Master J & Dj Body Roc
Additional Instrumentation by Jabz Music.
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
?Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but also on a daily basis. Sokah2Soca—Where Rhythm Lives and Calypso, Steelband Music, and Soca are thriving!
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
♫Please click the small triangle button in the music player below to listen now.
Make It Rain Again: Nikki G Says Rane’s "My Party" Hits the Sweet Spot
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
November 28, 2025
Dive deeper into Caribbean music and culture at Sokah2Soca — your go-to source for Soca, Calypso, and Carnival coverage. First published on Sokah2Soca, now streaming live via Island Vybe Radio.
Carnival 2026 is shaping up to be a season of voices that command attention, and Rane Blackman is right at the center of it. We already spotlighted her earlier with our post titled Let It “Rane” Sweet Soca: Carnival 2026 Just Got Sweeter with “My Party,” but the story doesn’t end there. We are back to "Make it Rane Again." With My Party, Rane isn’t just singing—she’s reminding us why Soca became the soundtrack of our lives, and of your special party, in the first place.
This song inspires you to put down your phone, pick up your bottle and spoon, and reminisce about the nights when the rain fell softly but the vibes remained loud. It's Soca stripped back to its essence: joy, sweat, laughter, and that sweet pulse that keeps the big people and the young ones moving together.
Nikki G's Take on "My Party": My Party hits the Sweet Spot!
So when the beat drops and Rane Blackman’s voice rides over the Tek One riddim, she’s not just singing—she’s hosting. With My Party, she takes us straight back to those golden nights—bottle and spoon in your hand, the rain falling soft, your crew all around you, the music pulsing through your veins.
It’s classic Soca, full of that raw party energy, but there’s a maturity to it now: this is not just a fete for the young—it’s for the big people too. Rane’s sultry flirtation and confident warmth bring a sexy, grown-folk twist that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
In a time when Soca is bending into afrobeats and other fusions, My Party reminds us what the essence was, is, and can still be: pure, unadulterated joy. This track isn’t just a flex—it’s a homecoming.
Nikki G the Voice captured it best: Rane is hosting, not performing. She’s flirting with nostalgia while serving up a grown-folk groove that proves Soca’s roots are still fertile, even as the genre bends toward afrobeats and global fusions. My Party is not just another release—it’s a declaration. A homecoming. A reminder that Soca’s heartbeat is still strong, still ours, still sweet.
At Sokah2Soca, we collaborate, we promote and we love it when we are on the same page! Occasionally, when we have a different perspective, we 'talk our talk' on WhatsApp and then agree to disagree, after which a post like this one takes off. However, for this song, we are on the same page. Tune in to Nikki G; she is on all platforms and part of the Island Vybe Radio family (as is Sokah2Soca) for all the latest news and interviews. Rane will be on again, so stay tuned in to us for all the latest music and news for Carnival 2026 and Soca music all year round. Please share your comments with us and drop this post on all your social media links.
Let us spread awareness of the culture of the Caribbean diaspora.
We do this to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and stories of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy reaches a wider audience and fosters creativity and connections. While it is important to always purchase music, you should avoid sharing promotional music because doing so denies essential revenue to songwriters, producers, and artists. You can find all of our posts online on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend that you explore your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: My Party
Album: Tek One Riddim
Artist/Performed by: Sherane 'Rane' Blackman
Written by: Seamus 'Azaryah' Callendar
Produced by: De Red Boyz
Music Composed by: Scott Galt and Michael Hulsmeier
Guitar by: Barry 'Barman' Hill and Scott Galt
Mixed and mastered by Anthony Lowhar at Commercial Music Inc.
Origin: Barbados/USA/Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
?Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but also on a daily basis. Sokah2Soca—Where Rhythm Lives and Calypso, Steelband Music, and Soca are thriving!
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
♫Please click the small triangle button in the music player below to listen now.
Lady Lava Drops “Push Prep” — A Dutty Bus Riddim Fitness & Fete Anthem
By Ananda/Sokah2Soca
in
Blog
November 28, 2025
This post first appeared on Sokah2Soca, where Caribbean music meets wit, rhythm, and real talk. Island Vybe Radio spins the tunes—we decode the culture.
Guest Post by Nikki G, the Voice
We are so proud to feature this special guest post from Nikki G, the Voice. She is the host of the dynamic podcast, "Table Talk Show," featured on various platforms online and on Island Vybe Philly radio. This post translates from interviewer to music commentary. We are delighted to share her work with our community.
Carnival prep has officially begun, and the Steam General is back on duty. Ms. Steamy herself, Lady Lava, returns with a commanding new release: “Push Prep” on the electrifying Dutty Bus Riddim—and trust me, this one is strictly for the waistline warriors and serious Carnival contenders.
As we pace ourselves toward Carnival 2026, Lava issues a melodic but firm order to the masses: Push back and prepare! This isn’t just a music drop; it’s a seasonal lifestyle anthem. From gym routines and meal prep to hydration, health tips, and proper rest—Lady Lava is reminding the culture that stamina is a major part of the mission. After all, when the rhythm hits and the road calls, only the fittest survive.
This isn’t just a song—it’s a Carnival prep lifestyle. Lava reminds us that now is the season for gym work, meal prep, real health tips, and proper rest to keep that waistline ready for the road. As always, she brings signature steamy lyrics that make you think, smile, and bubble at the same time.
“Push Prep” is a fusion of talent representing Trinidad, St. Vincent, and Grenada, bringing regional flavor and authentic energy to the project. The Dutty Bus Riddim is raw, rhythmic, and undeniably infectious—engineered for jukin’, wukkin’, and controlled chaos on the road.
Now, here is why this song Matters...
"Push Prep" is more than a hype tune—it’s a cultural reminder. Every Carnival season, masqueraders discuss the importance of starting fitness plans "early," yet they often experience panic when the first road mix is released. Lady Lava flips the script and turns preparation into a movement, pushing Caribbeans and Carnival lovers worldwide. Here is the recipe:
✔ Strengthen the body
✔ Nourish the system
✔ Protect the mental
✔ And yes… refine the waistline
Because when the music starts, there are no excuses on the road.
Lady Lava, the undisputed 'Steam General,' proves again why she’s respected in the arena—strong vocals, clever writing, and pure Carnival spirit. With each release, she brings intelligence to the bacchanal, flavor to the fitness and a voice that commands attention. If you’re serious about the road, take notes and pay attention: preparation starts now. Push. Prep. Push Back.
Let us spread awareness of the culture of the Caribbean diaspora.
We do this to promote Caribbean culture, musicians, and music producers. We are able to honor and promote the rich sounds and stories of the Caribbean thanks to your support. Together, we can ensure that this rich cultural legacy reaches a wider audience and fosters creativity and connections. While it is important to always purchase music, you should avoid sharing promotional music because doing so denies essential revenue to songwriters, producers, and artists. You can find all of our posts online on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, and SoundCloud. We recommend that you explore your favorite content on FeedSpot/RSS Feed, Threads, Bluesky, and Twitter/X, including email subscriptions. Thank you in advance.
Song Credits:
Push Prep (Dutty Bus Riddim)
Written by: Keisha Harris, Dion Gomez & Problem Child
Produced by: Ky Walcott
Recorded by: Explicit
Executive Producers: Earl Joseph & Shertz James
Mixed & Mastered by: Parry Jack
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
Genre: Soca ?
?Listen. Share. Amplify. Our artists embody culture not only during Carnival but also on a daily basis. Sokah2Soca—Where Rhythm Lives and Calypso, Steelband Music, and Soca are thriving!
We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
♫Please click the small triangle button in the music player below to listen now.
