Dil-E-Nadan frontline artiste, Stephen Marcelle, fresh off a Florida circuit run with the band, says he is hopeful that the new administration will support all aspects of T&T’s culture and the creatives who carry the flag. New music set for release, Marcelle continues to work dedicatedly at his craft, all while maintaining his focus on his advanced academic pursuits. His ambition has taken him around the world with one of the top performing bands out of the Caribbean – a band that will touch down in South Africa this June.
Happy to be home for the moment, Marcelle says he won’t be in T&T for long as Dil-E-Nadan will head to Amsterdam in a few weeks, followed by South Africa. “It’s 9 hours from Port- of- Spain to Amsterdam and 10 to 12 hours from Amsterdam to South Africa,” he shares, explaining that he does not sleep while in the air, and often chooses to write new music. “I have a new song called, ‘Happy Birthday’ that I’m getting ready to release. It was written by Nyce Nation and produced by Feel Good Music.”
Marcelle says he felt the need to do a song that could be requested at any time of the year and would suit the celebratory birthday vibe. “It’s an RnB groove and it’s universal,” he said.
With two songs already prepared for next year’s carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, Marcelle explains that like most artistes, he immediately gets back to work on new music once the season in T&T has ended. “I have these two Chutney soca tracks already done and I’m working on my Soca and Calypso tracks for 2026,” he explained. Amid the hard work in studio, Stephen balances performances and travel.
On May 29th, he will perform at Naparima Bowl in Trinidad for Kaiso Jazz alongside other immensely talented artistes like Kay Alleyne and Terri Lyons. On July 5th, he will join a dynamic cast of calypsonians at CLR Auditorium for the ‘Who Am I’ tribute concert to Sugar Aloes. The band then heads out to New Jersey and New York, followed by Canada in August. “My hope for the culture in T&T, it’s development and international recognition, lies in the support of the new minister and the new administration. I think it’s really important for the government to fuel calypso music’s marketing internationally, in particular. People from all walks of life respond so well to calypso music outside of T&T and outside of our traditional communities. I think it’s really worth investing in all arms of our culture,” said Marcelle.
True to self and true to culture and his homeland, Stephen Marcelle is working on his growth while spreading his wings alongside his Dil-E-Nadan family. New music on the way, the artiste plans on engaging other artistes for collaborations in the season ahead and is steadfast in his mission to become more of a household name across the Caribbean region.
