“AND AH feel like I just win a million dollars/ everybody watching meh wearing a million colours,” the crowd sings along with Kees Dieffenthaller of the Trinidadian band known as ‘Kes the Band’. The crowd whips itself into frenzy, jumping and waving rags amidst flashing lights and frequent showers of silver-coloured confetti. This was a moment at ‘Wotless to the Max’, the most recent event hosted by Digicel Guyana to reward Blackberry users.

The party had been going on for four hours by the time the band made its appearance just after the midnight independence countdown, but it seems like the majority of partygoers had some reserved energy just for the band, and Kees ran on stage to deafening screams.

He got straight to the point with his carnival hit, ‘Wotless’, and performed a number of covers of hit soca, R&B and reggae songs, old and new.

‘Kes the Band’ had been preceded by a performance by Mahendra Ramkellwan of ‘Dem ah watch meh’ fame, who performed the hit and a medley of other chutney songs surrounded by a troupe of backup dancers.

For ‘Kes the band’, which has been around for more than five years, this is their first visit to Guyana.

Besides Kees, who is the lead singer of the group, the band comprises his brothers Jon and Hans Dieffenthaller (guitar and drums respectively), and close friend, Riad Boochoon, who is the group’s bassist.

‘Kes the Band’, which is still riding on their success from ‘Wotless’, is about to release a POP/Dance album called stereotype, is versatile and energetic, two qualities that help them to stand out immediately.

The band has performed at major festivals and events in the United States and Germany, and opened for such acts as Sean Paul, Musiq Soul Child, Usher, John Legend, Rihanna, MAROON 5 and Trey Songz.

Their albums, in chronological order, comprise ‘Three Baldheads and a Dread’, ‘Lion’, ‘On in 5’, and ‘Wotless’. For more info on the band, visit sonicbids.com/kestheband