KES at the Met: Caribbean Music Meets a Powerful Cause at Gotham Health’s Gala

Caribbean music and community purpose came together in the vision for NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health’s 2026 Masquerade Gala, with KES the Band announced as the headline entertainment for the November 12 event at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The occasion placed Trinidad and Tobago’s soca sound at the center of a fundraising programme dedicated to children and families.

For Caribbean music lovers, the pairing carried special significance. KES’s inclusion in an evening at the Met offered another prominent platform for a sound rooted in island culture, celebration and connection.

Fronted by Kees Dieffenthaller, KES has built an international following through

music that blends soca, calypso, reggae, R&B and pop. Songs including “Hello,” “Wotless” and “Savannah Grass” have helped make the band a familiar name among Carnival audiences and Caribbean communities worldwide. Those titles illustrate the group’s reach; an official setlist for the gala has not been confirmed in the sources reviewed.

Ahead of the gala, Gotham Health CEO Michelle Lewis explained the mission simply: “Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive.” The organization connected KES’s headline appearance with its effort to bring healthcare, philanthropy, business, government and culture together around that goal.

That connection is meaningful for New York’s Caribbean community. Music can create a sense of belonging across generations and backgrounds, while a gathering built around a shared cause can turn that connection into practical support. A soca performance belongs comfortably in that conversation: its spirit of participation invites people to celebrate together.

Gotham Health’s work also extends well beyond a single evening. In its November announcement, the organization reported serving more than 100,000 New Yorkers annually through 29 healthcare sites across all five boroughs, with an emphasis on accessible community care.

For Jammins Events, KES’s place on the gala programme is a moment worth recognizing. It brings attention to Caribbean artistry while connecting that artistry to an initiative focused on children’s futures.

From Carnival celebrations to a headline booking at the Met, KES continues to demonstrate how far Caribbean music can travel—and how much purpose it can carry along the way.

Visit Gotham Health’s gala website to learn more about “Every Child Thrives,” and follow JamminsEvents.com for more Caribbean music and community stories.