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Two Caribbean music powerhouses will be front and center when one of New York City’s biggest celebrations of Caribbean culture returns to Brooklyn this Labor Day.
Jamaican reggae and dancehall icon Buju Banton and Trinidad and Tobago soca star Kees Dieffenthaller, better known as Kes of KesTheBand, have officially been named Honorary Grand Marshals of the 59th Annual New York Caribbean Carnival Week and Parade.
The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) announced the appointments ahead of the massive Labor Day celebration scheduled for Monday, September 7, 2026, along Brooklyn’s legendary Eastern Parkway. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
This year’s Carnival carries the theme “One Caribbean,” making the selection of Buju Banton and Kes especially significant.
Buju represents Jamaica’s globally influential reggae and dancehall culture, while Kes represents the infectious energy of Trinidad and Tobago’s soca and Carnival traditions. Together, the two artists symbolize different corners of the Caribbean connected through music, heritage and a shared cultural identity.
WIADCA said the appointments celebrate the cultural connections that unite Caribbean people and the diaspora “across borders, generations, and musical traditions.”
For Buju Banton, the honor adds another chapter to a career that has made him one of Jamaica’s most internationally recognized musical figures. Over several decades, the Grammy-winning artist has helped carry reggae, dancehall and Jamaican culture to audiences around the world.
Kes has created a similar international bridge for soca. As the frontman of KesTheBand, the Trinidadian singer has helped take the sound, energy and spirit of Trinidad Carnival beyond the traditional Caribbean market while remaining closely connected to the culture that produced it.
Putting Buju and Kes together as Honorary Grand Marshals sends a powerful message at a time when Caribbean music continues to expand its global influence.
Reggae, dancehall and soca may come from different islands and traditions, but on Eastern Parkway this Labor Day, those sounds will represent something bigger: Caribbean unity.
“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,” WIADCA’s Board of Directors said in announcing the selection.
Their presence also reflects what New York’s Caribbean Carnival has represented for generations. Brooklyn is home to one of the largest Caribbean communities outside the region, and the annual Labor Day festivities have become an important stage for Caribbean music, masquerade, food, fashion and cultural expression.
Before the Eastern Parkway celebration gets underway, Buju and Kes will also be formally recognized during WIADCA’s 59th Annual VIP Breakfast.
The breakfast will take place September 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Carlos Lezama Netball Court at Lincoln Terrace Park in Brooklyn. The gathering traditionally brings together elected officials, community leaders, cultural ambassadors, business leaders, sponsors and members of New York’s Caribbean-American community.
The VIP Breakfast carries its own 2026 theme: “M.A.S.: Music, Action, Soul — Enjoy the rhythm, Feel the Mas’.”
Following the breakfast, attention turns toward Eastern Parkway for the main Carnival parade.
For nearly six decades, WIADCA and the New York Caribbean Carnival have provided a platform for Caribbean heritage to be celebrated in one of the world’s most influential cities.
Having Buju Banton and Kes share the Honorary Grand Marshal spotlight feels particularly fitting in 2026. One represents the unmistakable power of Jamaica’s reggae and dancehall legacy. The other represents the explosive energy and international growth of Trinidad and Tobago’s soca movement.
On September 7, those cultures will meet on Eastern Parkway under one banner.
One Caribbean. One celebration. Two musical giants helping lead the way.
