Port-of-Spain meets Port-Au-Prince as Trinidadian soca stars KES (aka Kes the Band) link up with Haitian-born producer Michaël Brun (J Balvin, Mr Eazi) and singer JPerry on “Liki Tiki.” The track, which was co-written and co-produced with Trinidad-based Dwala, is out today on all DSPs via California-based Ineffable Records.

“Liki Tiki” blends a callaloo of Caribbean music genres (soca, kompa, dancehall, reggaeton) together with bilingual lyrics in English and Haitian Creole. The result is a slow-wine anthem that’s sure to have dancers moving across the Caribbean and the broader African Diaspora this summer.

“Liki Tiki is the way I describe our calypso-style rhythms and feel,” says KES frontman Kees Dieffenthaller. “It’s the driving force behind the swing in our music. It’s smooth, sexy and makes you feel good.”

In recent years, both KES and Michaël Brun have emerged as leaders when it comes to championing Caribbean music globally— KES with soca and calypso, the homegrown sounds of Trinidad & Tobago, and Brun with Haitian music genres such as kompa and rara. It was only natural for the two to join forces to merge their islands’ sounds on a track that could resonate across the Caribbean and the broader African diaspora.

“From the moment I was able to link up with Kees, it was clear he cared so much about Trinidadian and Caribbean culture, unifying the Caribbean, and creating a strong bond between us artists and what we’re doing,” Michael Brun says. “KES has the same mission as JPerry and myself. We went from creating this song to forming a strong friendship. Kes is an artist bringing soca to the world and JPerry is bringing Haitian music to the world. The balance feels fresh and rooted. I’m so excited for people to hear it because it came from a place of love.”

“Liki Tiki” is the second single of 2022 from KES, following January’s “Jolene.” Both tracks are set to appear on the band’s upcoming album, coming this Summer on Ineffable Records.

To celebrate the release of “Liki Tiki” and, more broadly, Caribbean music culture at large, KES will launch a series of regular IG Live conversations with friends and collaborators.

In spite of the pandemic, recent times have brought a string of highlights for KES. 2021 saw the band make its U.S. TV debut on Late Night with Steven Colbert, and return to the States for their first tour dates in over two years, including their climactic IzWe concert in New York City, which brought nearly 10,000 fans to Brooklyn’s Boardwalk Lot on Labor Day. In August 2020, they released the live album We Home (Ineffable Records), a project which earned them plaudits in outlets ranging from Essence to The FADER. “Liki Tiki” is their first collaboration with Michael Brun, who has earned world renown over the last decade for his unique fusion of traditional Haitian sounds like rara and kompa with electronic dance music and pop.

FOLLOW KES: www.kestheband.com

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