Kes the Band Shines at Saint Lucia Jazz Fest, Teases New Album

Kes the Band delivered a show-stopping performance at the Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival, solidifying their status as soca heavyweights.

Fronted by Kees Dieffenthaller, also known as Kes, the band energized the crowd with hits like “Wotless,” “Savannah Grass,” and “Cocoa Tea.” This performance follows their recent Jazz @ Lincoln Center shows and precedes the North American leg of their Roots, Rock, Soca Tour.

"[Saint Lucia] Jazz always has such a mixed bag of performers that blows me away,” Kes told Billboard after soundcheck. He also mentioned a chance encounter with Billy Ocean, sharing insights and vibes with the fellow Trinidadian artist.

The festival appearance followed Kes the Band's NPR Tiny Desk debut. The Tiny Desk performance highlighted the band's ability to connect in intimate settings, while their Saint Lucia Jazz set demonstrated their command of large venues.

The Tiny Desk set featured hits like “Fallin'” and “Hello,” with backup vocals from Saint Lucia’s Teddyson John and Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Monarch for 2026, Terri Lyons. Steelpan player Dane Gulston added to the Caribbean sound. Kes dedicated the emotional performance of “Savannah Grass” to his late sister, filmmaker Danielle Dieffenthaller, with her pictures placed on the desk.

"That was a dream come true,” he said of the Tiny Desk performance. “I’ve wanted [to play a Tiny Desk set] ever since I fell in love with the platform...it’s just great for the culture. And [with the pictures], everybody was present, and we truly felt their presence.”

Kes also performed his new Di Genius collaboration, “Masterpiece,” a soca take on the producer’s “Hill & Gully” riddim, influenced by mento, a style of early Jamaican folk music. He has explored dancehall before, with tracks like 2012's “Tuesday on the Rocks” and “My Love.”

“Nobody expected that! But when you listen to the riddim and hear the mento roots, you can see how I would suit that style,” Kes explains. “This is positioned to be one of the major riddims this summer -- and Genius hadn’t brought one out in a minute. We're both signed to Warner Chappell Music as songwriters, so we've worked in similar spaces. The first thing I told him when I heard the riddim was, ‘Mento!!!’ We went to the studio and got it done quickly; then, I went to Jamaica for their Carnival and shot the music video there.”

While “Masterpiece” is out, Kes remains tight-lipped about his band’s next full-length project. “I’m spending the entire year writing, and by the end of the year, I’ll be finished,” he teases. “I’m in the works of a new album, so I’m looking forward to bringing forward some crazy. I’m always tinkering!”

Kes the Band will launch the North American leg of their Roots, Rock, Soca Tour on May 23 at Soca Fest in Orlando, Fla., including a Forest Hills Stadium date in New York City on June 27, and concluding on Aug 16 with a show alongside Beres Hammond in Duluth, Ga.

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