Kes Talks Return to The Big Stage

For many musicians, artists, and entertainers around the world, the pandemic has been an extremely challenging time. Most of them have experienced reduced earnings because live performances and concerts were dramatically affected by the lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world. It’s been no different for Caribbean artists who have all had to find innovative ways to stay afloat.

Now that things have slowly begun to pick back up, especially in the US, artists like Kes, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, have begun to travel again as the entertainment scene has been given a new lifeline. He appeared on the Breakfast Club yesterday, November 4, with hosts Angela Yee and DJ Envy, where he shared how he and his band coped with the pandemic and how it’s been getting back on the scene. He recalled that the onset of the pandemic was a tough period that nobody had planned for. The “Hello” singer also described the ensuing shutdown on the island as bittersweet as the band had been looking forward to touring, having had some big hits for Carnival 2020, including tracks like “Boss Lady.” He admitted, though, that he needed a break and welcomed the chance to spend time with his young daughter, who he had not seen in almost a year. While he doesn’t believe that carnival will return to its glory days anytime soon, he does think that the old format will resume in time. He added that it might be time for introspection on the festival since it had become very commercialized. When asked which carnival he thought was the best, the honor went to his native home, but he did admit Jamaica was a close second and that Toronto’s version of the festival ranked high as well.

Since returning to the stage, there’s a different feeling, he admitted. This, he added, had to do with the fact that people are much more appreciative of the opportunity to take in live shows. The appreciation goes both ways because, as an artist, he is also very grateful to be back on stage. He described the new energy as “ impactful.” This new feeling is the “piece that was missing,” he added as he described his first show in the US in Virginia.