Features
News day reporter
Multifaceted Caribbean artist Kalpee calls on fellow award-winning producer Trinidad Precision and UK production team Da Beatfreakz (DBF) as he brings the tropics to the airwaves with his soca and dancehall remixes released on 17 June.
Kalpee builds on the explosive success of Island Gyal who received support from Notion, House of Solo and Wordplay Magazine praising the haunting single for its soulful melodies and modern fusion of calypso, dancehall and reggae beats, a statement said. Press.
The remixes kick off with impact, as Da Beatfreakz deliver an infectious take on the track, with a punchy, upbeat dancehall groove lifting sunny piano, later accompanied by mesmerizing string stabs that drive the energetic remix forward, according to the release.
Having worked with Giggs, N-Dubz, Chris Brown and Sean Paul, DBF has been bringing fresh sounds to the UK scene for over 15 years and this Island Gyal Dancehall Remix sees their experience shine through, in a lively track. ready, dancehall remix directed by Jay Moe for DBF.
On Island Gyal Dancehall Remix, DBF said in the release, “We loved working with Kalpee. His talent is insane, and it has been a blessing to work with him and his team.”
Trinidad and Tobago-born producer Kasey Phillips is the founder of music company Precision Productions. Publicly known as Precision, he has built a reputation as a captivating audience of soca, dancehall, reggae, pop, R&B and hip-hop, while outside the studio his reputation has earned him guest to serve on the World Music Genre Grammy Nominating Committee in recognition of his work.
Precision’s Island Gyal Soca Remix is effortless. Built around a soca-heavy beat, the remix’s vocal changes leave the track feeling blissful as Precision blends elements from various genres into their signature soca sound.
“The Island Gyal Soca Remix brings that Carnival energy to all sizes and bodies capable of getting ready for the road and taking center stage,” Precision said in the release.
In the spring, Kalpee once again performed on the Island Wave stage at SXSW 2022, aiming to continue to create a growing platform for Caribbean artists to come together, showcase, celebrate and support each other. Island Wave successfully launched @ SXSW on March 18, filling the Flamingo Cantina, Austin, Texas, to capacity as part of the official SXSW festivities, with an after-party hosted by Ras Kwame and Reggae Recipe.
The first of its kind, Island Wave is now not only the official home of Caribbean music at SXSW, which will return in 2023 and beyond, but also the first home of New Calypso, a genre pushed by TT musicians as a means of identifying their musical heritage which they proudly perpetuate.
Kalpee x Island Wave continues to build a community of support within the creative industries and recently opened the conversation among Caribbean men, with a media campaign to raise awareness for Men’s Mental Health Awareness Week, specifically designed around the male perspective within the Caribbean community.
Kalpee was joined by a host of Caribbean men such as Oritse Williams, founding member of UK band JLS, TT’s Freetown Collective, Grammy Award-winning artist/producer Walshy Fire, Haitian singer J-Perry and Jamaican dancehall artists king Bling-Dawg, to name a few, according to the release.
The hope is that by sharing their experiences as Caribbean men of mental health – whether their own or by observing those around them – they will raise awareness in the Caribbean about men’s health issues and encourage international and intra-national institutions to develop health policies and services that meet the specific needs of men, boys and their families.
