Kes

Emerging from the Caribbean soca landscape in 2005, Kes—also styled Kes the Band or KTB—converted their Trinidad and Tobago breakthroughs into worldwide recognition by blending reggae, Afro-beat, dancehall, calypso, rock, hip-hop, and pop. The group’s dynamic stage presence and eclectic sonic mix drew fans across continents, anchored by the carnival sensation “Wotless” that erupted in 2011.

That same year the outfit was assembled by siblings Kees handling vocals, Hans on drums, and Jon Dieffenthaller on guitar, together with longtime associate Riad Boochoon on bass. It later matured into a seven-piece ensemble once keyboardists Ricardo Rameshwar and Mario Callender plus DJ Robert Persaud joined the lineup. The debut full-length Three Baldheads and a Dread surfaced in 2006 and was followed the next year by Lion; both sets enjoyed extensive local radio exposure. On in 5 arrived in 2009, interleaving live cuts with both vintage and newly recorded studio tracks, and attracted additional listeners after the band performed on BBC World during the album’s promotional cycle. Reach broadened still further with the 2011 release Wotless, which housed the chart-topping title track, and continued through subsequent projects such as Wired in 2012, We Know Nothing in 2016, and the vigorous concert document We Home issued in 2020.