KES the Band welcomed an intimate crowd to its ‘listening lime’ for its recently released album, ‘Man with No Door’.

Reflecting on the process, frontman Kees Dieffenthaller said it was an experience like never before.

“It was hard, but I appreciate the journey; it taught me a lot. I came out the other side more elevated and clearer, but I’m happy it’s out,” he said.

Despite the challenge, the team is happy with the final product, especially when looking at where it all started.

“It was a labour of love; it was during the pandemic, so it was [during a time of] uncertainty. Jolene was the first track, big up to Dwala – that was the track that was the seed to really explore in different directions and that track had a lot of different influences in it,” he said.

With the different tones, production notes and lyrics in mind, Kees says ‘Man with No Door’ is also a product of the time he feels Trinidadian music is currently in. He says the world is ripe with opportunity to make T&T shine brighter.

“I feel like the world has opened up in quite a different way and I really do feel like any music that feels good and is significant, is powerful – whether it’s popular or not around the world, but I feel like Soca’s time, Calypso’s time, our time as Trinbagonians is now,” he proclaimed.

Soca and Calypso have long been lauded as happy music despite its sometimes raw and storytelling nature. Kees says there’s space for that type of flavour and it’s high time artistes take centre stage.

“I feel like now, in a world of division, in a world where war is looming, there is something about reminding ourselves about our humanity and Soca and Calypso and what we do and what we represent, is the embodiment of what that is and sometimes the world has to change for us to come into focus. It’s about being ready and understanding it. Ask the right questions,” he encouraged.

‘Man with No Door’ dropped on March 29 to both local and international acclaim. Since then, the group has been keeping busy performing and shedding light on their relationship with the unique, timely body of work. (Loop News)