Buju Banton, Kes named grand marshals for New York Caribbean Carnival
Key Points(5)
- Reggae star Buju Banton and Trinidad and Tobago soca singer Kees Dieffenthaller, better known as Kes, have been named honorary grand marshals for the 59th annual New York Caribbean Carnival Parade in Brooklyn.
- The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) announced that the two Caribbean music stars will be honored during the Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept.
- Their selection reflects this year’s theme, “One Caribbean,” with Buju representing Jamaica’s reggae and dancehall traditions and Kes representing Trinidad and Tobago’s soca and Carnival culture.
- “The appointment of Kees Dieffenthaller of KesTheBand and Buju Banton as Honorary Grand Marshals is a powerful representation of what One Caribbean means to us,” the WIADCA Board of Directors said.
- Kes, the lead vocalist of KesTheBand, has similarly emerged as one of the leading international ambassadors for soca, helping introduce the genre to wider audiences while maintaining strong ties to Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival traditions.
Reggae star Buju Banton and Trinidad and Tobago soca singer Kees Dieffenthaller, better known as Kes, have been named honorary grand marshals for the 59th annual New York Caribbean Carnival Parade in Brooklyn.
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) announced that the two Caribbean music stars will be honored during the Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept. 7.
Their selection reflects this year’s theme, “One Caribbean,” with Buju representing Jamaica’s reggae and dancehall traditions and Kes representing Trinidad and Tobago’s soca and Carnival culture.
“The appointment of Kees Dieffenthaller of KesTheBand and Buju Banton as Honorary Grand Marshals is a powerful representation of what One Caribbean means to us,” the WIADCA Board of Directors said. “They have each carried Caribbean music and culture to the world, while remaining deeply rooted in the communities and traditions that shaped them.”
Buju Banton, one of Jamaica’s most internationally recognized reggae and dancehall artists, has spent decades taking Jamaican music and culture to audiences around the world.
Kes, the lead vocalist of KesTheBand, has similarly emerged as one of the leading international ambassadors for soca, helping introduce the genre to wider audiences while maintaining strong ties to Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival traditions.
The artists will be formally recognized during WIADCA’s 59th annual VIP Breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Labor Day at the Carlos Lezama Netball Court at Lincoln Terrace Park in Brooklyn.
The event is expected to bring together elected officials, community leaders, cultural ambassadors, business executives and members of New York’s Caribbean-American community ahead of the main parade.
The New York Caribbean Carnival Parade will then take over Eastern Parkway beginning at 11 a.m., continuing a Labor Day tradition that has become one of the largest celebrations of Caribbean culture in the United States.
The annual festivities showcase the region’s music, elaborate costumes, masquerade traditions and food while drawing participants and spectators from across the Caribbean diaspora.
This year’s celebration marks the 59th staging of the parade, with WIADCA using the “One Caribbean” theme to highlight the shared cultural traditions and connections among Caribbean nations and their diaspora communities.
