分类： entertainment

As the annual Spicemas carnival season gets underway in Carriacou, Grenada, one local artist is turning seasonal celebration into a year-round artistic mission. Shirlan George, known professionally as Skinny Banton, has launched seven brand new singles in 2026, bringing his signature high energy, upbeat vibe and narrative songwriting to audiences gearing up for another iconic Spicemas experience.

For the acclaimed soca artist, Grenada’s one-of-a-kind Jab culture serves as the core inspiration for his work. Previous hits including *Soak It Good* and *Wrong Again* earned him widespread recognition across the Caribbean and global soca audiences, and this season his highly anticipated *The Jambalasse* project stands out as one of his most culturally significant releases to date. The project centers on a revamped version of *Jambalasse Rule*, a 1991 track from Moss International widely regarded as one of Grenada’s first original Jab Jab songs.

“With this project, we’re working to preserve the history while celebrating the present day,” Banton explained. Updating the original track’s riddim, the artist aims to shine a global spotlight on his country’s authentic cultural heritage, carrying that mission with him on every stage and every release. Banton emphasized his commitment to keeping Grenada’s traditional cultural practices alive, noting that he understands his unique role as an artist in advancing that work. “No matter what challenges we face as artists in this space, we stay true to our mission,” he said. Beyond Spicemas, he already has plans to share fan-favorite track *Pain* with audiences at Trinidad and Tobago’s 2027 Carnival.

Beyond his solo work, Banton has made supporting emerging talent a core part of his 2026 release slate. His new tracks include collaborative cuts: *Carnival Traffic* features Jamaican artist I Octane, *My Behaviour* pairs him with rising star Tonic X, and *Water Line Burst* was created alongside up-and-comer Nicki Akull. Banton says collaborating with emerging artists holds personal meaning: when he was an up-and-coming artist himself, breaking through and connecting with established names felt nearly impossible, a daunting experience he has not forgotten.

That experience drives his commitment to lifting the next generation of Caribbean entertainers. “Nobody takes you seriously when you don’t have a foot in the door — they refuse to embrace you because you are not known,” he said. “This was just my way of giving them strength and encouragement. I want them to keep pushing after this.” The other three tracks in Banton’s 2026 release slate are *When Yuh Eating*, *Right Up*, and *Black Fuh Juvay*.

The artist is moving full steam ahead with promotional plans for the new releases, with music videos already completed and uploaded for *Black Fuh Juvay* and *My Behaviour*. For *Water Line Burst*, the collaboration with Akull came together after three years of consistent outreach from the young artist, with Banton saying Akull’s persistence and dedication ultimately brought the track to life. Even with seven new tracks out, Banton shows no signs of slowing down: he is actively seeking new collaborations with artists across the Caribbean diaspora, and aims to expand his footprint in the global soca community.

Navigating the modern music industry’s shift toward social media, Banton shared thoughtful perspective on balancing online promotion with artistic integrity. As more artists prioritize viral social content over substantive songcraft, he warns that good music should be able to stand on its own, regardless of promotional content. “Content creation online should not take away from artists creating and delivering great music, because without the content, the music should still stand on its own, and with the content, the people still need the music,” he argued.

He noted that many viral trends today stem from artists cultivating an online persona rather than releasing lasting, substantive music: artists may earn quick attention for outrageous posts, but the songs themselves often lack the substance to maintain long-term relevance. For young artists just starting out, Banton offered encouraging advice: stay focused on your craft, ignore online naysayers, and build a business model that works for your unique artistic path, since every artist’s journey looks different.

Widely recognized as a thoughtful, intentional and immensely talented voice in the Caribbean creative scene, Banton closed by thanking the fanbase and industry partners that have supported his career. “People who’ve been supporting from day one and continue to support, as well as the new supporters I’ve gotten along the way — thank you,” he said. “To the DJs and radio personalities, I appreciate you. One hand doesn’t clap. Thank you for keeping my songs on rotation, and I hope you all continue to support me.”

When we talk about transformative theatrical work that does more than entertain, *Lucy’s Straw Hat* immediately rises to the top of the conversation. Far from being just a night of stage performance, this production from the Heritage Theatre Company acts as a piercing mirror held up to modern society, laying bare the full spectrum of human experience: our deepest flaws, raw grief, quiet resilience, and unshakable hope for what comes next.

Penned and helmed by Chris DeRiggs, a veteran creative whose decades of work have long inspired contributor Adrian Harford (who is also DeRiggs’ nephew), *Lucy’s Straw Hat* carves out a unique place among the playwright’s already impressive body of work. Where many stage productions aim only to delight audiences for a couple of hours, this production reaches past the fourth wall, tugs at the soul, and invites viewers to sit with uncomfortable, unaddressed truths that are too often pushed to the side of public conversation. From the first table read, Harford notes, the emotional weight of the script was palpable – a rising tide that never recedes, even after the final curtain falls. DeRiggs’ storytelling pushes far past the limits of conventional narrative, delivering a work that lands with a deeply personal, resonant impact for every audience member.

At the core of the story is the tragic final voyage of the MV Island Queen, a historical event that DeRiggs weaves into a sweeping exploration of interconnected human themes. As audiences follow the narrative, they are pushed to grapple with layered questions: What does family obligation really mean? Do we ever truly get a second chance to right our wrongs? What responsibility do governments and media outlets hold when disaster strikes? Beyond these public questions, the play digs into intimate themes too: the gap between what we say and what we mean, the meaning of enduring love, the consequences of cutting corners on safety, and the freedom that only forgiveness can unlock.

What makes the production particularly immersive is its ability to turn the stage itself into a living, breathing character. The performance space transforms into a rolling ocean, carrying audiences through swells of grief, periods of quiet reflection, and moments of bright, enduring hope. Every scene unfolds with intentional softness that makes its ultimate impact hit harder, every line of dialogue lingers in the mind long after it is spoken, and every performance from the cast sparks conversations that will continue to develop among viewers long after they leave the theater.

As a member of the Heritage Theatre Company himself, Harford extends gratitude to every person who contributed to bringing the production to life. He praises the cast for turning written dialogue into vivid, lasting memories; the backstage crew, the unsung architects who craft theatrical magic out of sight and out of mind; the front-of-house team, who greet every guest with warmth and hospitality; and the entire extended Heritage company family for their collective work to make the vision a reality.

For Harford, Heritage Theatre Company is far more than just a group of artists putting on plays. It is a living, beating heart for cultural preservation, a steady lighthouse cutting through the fog of collective forgetfulness to guard important stories for future generations. The company’s work reminds us that culture is not a dusty relic to be locked away in an archive, but a living, warm flame that must be carried forward and passed from one generation to the next.

In closing, Harford offers a hopeful wish for the production: that *Lucy’s Straw Hat* remains a timeless, impactful work forever etched into the collective memory of everyone who experiences it. He offers congratulations to his uncle Chris and the entire Heritage team, emphasizing that when the company takes the stage, forgotten history finds its voice again. Long live the work of Heritage Theatre Company, he writes – one love.

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