News: Trinidadian Reggae Artists Stepping Up

Even in the midst of the Carnival season 2006, local reggae artistes were making their mark in T&T. Brendan “Isasha” Young performed his reggae love song Don’t You Know at Soca Broadway for its grand opening on January 1. Prophet Benjamin collaborated with 2005 Soca Monarch champ Bunji Garlin on the radio hit Fire Fe Dem.

In a nutshell, the reggae men are getting their names out there, getting their music heard.

And Trinis are loving each minute of it.

But why now? Where did these performers come from? Who inspires them? Is Trini reggae here to stay or is it a fad? Is it marketable internationally? Can it co-exist with soca? And how is local reggae really different from Jamaican reggae, if at all?

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