Caribbean Stars to unite at CARIFESTA XV

The CARIFESTA XV Opening Ceremony will flow directly into the World Super Concert on Friday night at Kensington Oval, with an all-star Caribbean band led by Barbadian musician and Grammy-nominated producer Nicholas Brancker.

Brancker, a bassist, keyboardist, composer and long-time fixture of the region’s music scene, will direct the Caribbean All Stars in a showcase that combines Barbadian performers with visiting musicians from across the region and diaspora.

Barbados will be represented by saxophonist Romaro Greaves, trumpeter Kevyn Lynch, trombonist Jomo Slusher, vocalist Nikita Brown, soca star Biggie Irie and multi-instrumentalist Kweku Jelani. They will be joined by leading regional and international players, including JUNO Award-winning trombonist Andrew Jackson, Havana-born trumpeter Alexis Baro, Cuban percussionist Alberto Suárez, Saint Lucian keyboardist Danyl Daniel, Antiguan drummer Javier Jarvis, Trinidadian saxophonist Jesse Ryan, Grenadian guitarist Jeremy Sean Hector, and acclaimed arranger-producer Leston Paul of Trinidad and Tobago.

Organisers say the concert is designed to transition seamlessly from ceremony to celebration, presenting the region’s cultural range on one stage. The performance is expected to feature a mix of soca, jazz, reggae, calypso and gospel influences, with room for tributes to Caribbean musical traditions and pioneers.

Brancker, whose career spans collaborations with Eddy Grant, directing national celebrations and composing for film, is known for his precise yet flexible charts. Under his leadership, audiences can expect polished arrangements alongside moments of improvisation and crowd participation.

The concert will also highlight the multi-faceted roles of the performers, many of whom are writers, producers, educators and cultural leaders in their own countries. For example, Jackson curates the TD Halifax Jazz Festival in Canada; Baro has built a solo catalogue after early international tours; Suárez has worked with Jane Bunnett and David Rudder; and Paul’s production credits include some of the region’s most recognisable soca hits, including Arrow’s Hot! Hot! Hot!

Friday night’s World Super Concert is being billed as a centrepiece of CARIFESTA XV, setting the tone for a week of artistic exchange across literature, theatre, dance, visual arts and film. (PR/BT)

The post Caribbean Stars to unite at CARIFESTA XV appeared first on Barbados Today.

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