Barbadian soca star Peter Ram brought the house down at Pirates Week’s final street dance recently, saying that the warmth he received during his visit to Cayman Islands has left a lasting impression.
“The kind of love that I got was off the chain,” he said, after headlining the main stage on Cardinall Avenue on November 15, where he performed alongside fellow Bajan artiste Faith Callender and Trinidadian singer Nessa Preppy.
Ram, whose real name is Peter Wiggins, said the good feelings started the moment he landed.
“From the time I got off the plane, Luigi Moxam from Cayman Cabana had me covered with the best snapper I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.
“From the service of the staff at the Hampton Inn to the drivers and everyone who went out of their way to make me feel welcome, I can’t say thank you enough.”
This was Ram’s second time performing in Cayman. In 2009, he appeared at Fever alongside Beenie Man, Lovindeer and Biggie Irie at the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal.
Sixteen years on, he said the hospitality felt just as warm.
He offered special thanks to the Cayman Islands government and Cabinet Minister Isaac Rankine, as well as the Pirates Week team and DJ Spider.
“The hospitality was fantastic,” he said.
Ram’s appearance comes amid a long history of cultural and artistic exchange between Barbados and Cayman. In August, a 70-member Cayman delegation travelled to Barbados for CARIFESTA XV.
Bajan performers have become familiar faces in Cayman’s entertainment scene – from Marz Ville and Alison Hinds to Father Philis – while Barbadian artistes DJ Spider and George Jones have lived and performed in Cayman for years, with Jones recently returning to Barbados.
During his Pirates Week set, Ram delivered crowd favourites Woman By My Side, All Ah We and Good Morning.
At one point, he jumped off the stage to dance with the international crowd, moving through
a packed Cardinall Avenue that included Caymanians, Jamaicans and Bajans. He also pulled members of a New Jersey rugby team onstage, to the delight of the audience.
Ram’s visit was especially meaningful for the more than 500 Bajans living in Cayman, many of whom turned out for the performance.
Celebrated across the region, Ram has been a fixture in Caribbean music since the mid-1980s. Known for his freestyle skills and patriotic, pro-Bajan lyrics, he rose to prominence with hits like Rats, The Pledge, and his 2015 smash All Ah We, which swept the Crop Over season and earned him the Tune Of De Crop title.
He has collaborated with Hinds, Shurwayne Winchester, Aidonia and other Caribbean heavyweights and has performed across the region and internationally.
In 2023, he was formally recognised in Barbados for over 40 years of contribution to the music industry.
Beyond music, Ram has been deeply involved in social initiatives, including the We Gatherin’ movement designed to strengthen ties between Barbados and its diaspora, support community enterprise and promote Barbadian culture globally.
For Ram, though, Cayman has already made a deep impression.
“I truly learned the meaning of Caymankind,” he said. (Cayman Compass)
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