Kes (band)

Kes The Band
Origin	Trinidad and Tobago
Genres	Soca, R&B, Rock, Dancehall
Years active	2005–Present
Website	[1]

KES the Band is a Trinidadian soca band formed in 2005 by brothers, Kees (lead vocals), Hans (drums) and Jon Dieffenthaller (guitar) and close friend Riad Boochoon (bass guitar). All of them are alumni of Presentation College, San Fernando in Trinidad & Tobago, as is well-known soca artiste Machel Montano. Kees also attended St. Mary's College for his A Level exams. Noted for high energy live performances and the soulful voice of lead singer, Kees, the band has captured the hearts of many. It has become one of the most popular and sought after bands in Trinidad and Tobago and also throughout the Caribbean, US and Canada.

Music

KES music encorporates a unique blend of soulful vocals and calypso-inspired melodies, over a fusion of rock riffs and island beats, hints of soca and reggae, and can best be described as Caribbean Pop. This style has elevated them to mainstream popularity, allowing KES to become a household name in Trinidad & Tobago and throughout the Caribbean circuit, where they consistently win over audiences with their electric and high-energy performances.

In 2006 KES launched their debut album titled Three Baldheads and a Dread (a reference to the hairstyles of the band members) featuring tracks like, Stay with Me - which dominated the number one position on the Toronto website charts (www.Toronto-lime.com) for 9 straight weeks, a new record; and Heads High, a Carnival favorite.

In 2007 they launched their second album: Lion. Featured on the album is the title track, an inspiring and motivational song, as well as carnival hits My Land (with which Kees and Nadia Batson placed second in the Trinidad and Tobago International Soca Monarch Competition), Our Prayer, reggae influenced songs Limin and Bigger Brighter Day.

In the latter part of 2007 the band released some songs with a slightly different flavour, such as Come a Little Closer which was on high rotation on local radio. For 2008 their carnival releases included Right Dey and De Remedy. KES released a video for their single Lion in May 2008.

Most recently, frontman Kees collaborated with major industry talents such as songwriter Desmond Child (Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Aerosmith) where he co-wrote a song with him for the new Ace Young album.

The band's third album was released on February 10, 2009 and entitled On In 5 and featured a mix of old and new releases as well as live performances.

Performance

KES live shows incorporate additional performers Keithson Cruikshank (backing vocals, keyboards), Mario Callender (keyboards) and Robbie 'Styles' Persaud (programming). For KES and other local acts the Trindadian Carnival season, which runs from approximately Boxing Day till the beginning of Lent, is usually the most hectic and demanding period. Thousands of visitors arrive for the annual festival and weeks of concert events. Though each KES performance is by nature highly energetic, it is common during this period to perform 2 or 3 full shows nightly.

KES has performed frequently in the Caribbean and Toronto. They also did a University tour in the United States. In May 2007 The band was selected to open the SunFest event held in West Palm Beach, Florida, where they opened for Musiq Soulchild and Sean Paul.

By 2008 and 2009, KES had gained momentum through successful carnival seasons with the hits Right Dey, Thunder, This Feeling and De Remedy. Their energetic and powerful performances left the audiences wanting more and coming back time and time again to see them.

Carnival

In 2011,Kes The Band was awarded the title of "Groovy Soca Monarch" for the song 'Wotless.'

Discography

• Three Baldheads and A Dread (2006)
• Lion (2007)
• On In 5 (2009)
• Wotless (2011)
• Stereotype (2011)

Collaborations

• "Jepp Sting Naina" - Kees ft. Hunter(Lalchan Babwa) and Ravi Bissambhar
• "Tessanne Chin" - Lovin' You
• "Ah Ting" - Kees and Kerwin DuBois
• "Stress Away"-Kes ft. Snoop Dogg.