The Trinidad and Tobago Music Company Limited (MusicTT) has partnered with Island Wave (FKA Island Stage) to present “Sounds of the Caribbean” at the event, which is underway in Austin, Texas.
“Island Wave” is a platform dedicated to bringing music of the Caribbean to the forefront of the international music scene. Pioneered by rising Trinbagonian artist, Kalpee, the aim was to create a platform for Caribbean artists to come together, to showcase, celebrate and support each other. Last year, the platform was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosted performances by Kalpee, Tessellate, Mortimer, Sevana, Khalia and others.
This year, on Friday March 18th, the very first physical “Island Wave” stage will take over Flamingo Cantina Austin, Texas as part of the official SXSW festivities. Kalpee will be joined by some of the fastest rising names on the Caribbean music scene; Grammy and Emmy-nominated Tessellated, Soca songstress Nailah Blackman, genre-bending “Magic” singer Jimmy October, Trinbagonian band Freetown Collective and Jaz Elise, the Jamaican contemporary artist who fuses soul, R&B, reggae and dancehall seamlessly.
“I am so very appreciative of all the experiences I have been blessed with, in being able to travel internationally as part of my music career. Through my travels I came to understand that what is lacking in the West Indies, is structure and resources into the creative arts for us to compete with the rest of the world,” said Kalpee. He explained that he realized that by coming together to represent Caribbean music with his peers, the artistes involved could essentially showcase their heritage, musical genres and individuality. “In recognising the importance of having a venue and stage which represents music from the West Indies, SXSW has given Caribbean Music an international platform to showcase on and we are beyond grateful for their support and continued support in committing to Island Wave 2022,23,24 and beyond,” he said.
Separately, Patrice Roberts and the A Team Band will also hit the stage at Flamingo Cantina on March 16th as part of that team’s efforts to showcase soca music to audiences at SXSW.
In a social media post, the ‘Mind My Business’ singer said, “I am excited to be heading to Austin, Texas to showcase Soca music at @sxsw. My showcase is on Wednesday 16th March at 11:00pm so if you are in Austin or close to I would love to see you.”
