Are you ready for Kalpee’s smooth R&B vocals and steady rhythmic backbeats? Today, the multi-faceted Caribbean artist, Kalpee, drops his latest single, ‘Island Gyal’. The perfect sound to jump into a sunny summer weekend. Caribbean sound at its best!
The new track is accompanied by a cinematic video shot on Las Cuevas beach in Kalpee’s native of Trinidad & Tobago. Directed by Josiah Persad, the visual boasts the beauty of the tropical island, capturing the energy of carnival and the essence of island life, vivid with colour and celebration.
The genre-blending track is sonically nostalgic while managing to remain universally Contempo, with traditional instrumentation such as steel pan playing alongside Kalpee’s smooth R&B vocal and a steady rhythmic back-beat.
Of ‘Island Gyal’, Kalpee said: “I wanted this song to feel nostalgic, light and fun, ‘cause that’s what the islands remind me of. The music feels so much like home, blending genres like calypso and dancehall together and incorporating instruments like steel pan and brass, that remind me of Trini carnival.” He explains how the track came to be, “The idea for the song started in Barbados but I knew I had to go back home to Trinidad, to capture the energy I thought was necessary for the track. As I landed in Trini, I linked up with my bro, Tano, who at the time had recently built his studio. I hadn’t seen him since before Covid happened, so I played him the idea of ‘Island Gyal’ and we immediately just started collaborating, vibing, talking about memories, about carnival and how sad it was that didn’t happen and I think that was the inspiration that helped us finish the song.”
Of the video, he continues: “It was important to me that we shot this video in Trinidad and Tobago as I wanted to capture the beauty of the home and the diversity within its people. That’s what I envisioned when I wrote ‘Island Gyal’.”
‘Island Gyal’ follows the artist’s previous release, ‘Jump Off’, in March which in contrast took a darker tone and expressed themes of fear with suspenseful piano progressions. Kalpee is able to flawlessly capture the plethora of emotions that make up the human experience.
Kalpee online: @kalpee