Kes the Band, Next Devils, trumpeter Etienne Charles for Stephen Colbert show

Jazz musician Etienne Charles will share the spirit of Trinidad Carnival in a video featuring soca star Kees Dieffenthaller and blue devil masqueraders on American talk show, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday.

In a release on Friday, Charles said the video he's produced and arranged features performances by Dieffenthaller – lead vocalist of Kes the Band– pannist Josanne Francis, percussionist Ajibola Richardson and Paramin's Next Level Devils. The video is "a medley" of the carnivals of Trinidad, Brazil and New Orleans in the United States. Carnivals in these locations – in New Orleans it's Mardi Gras – have all been cancelled because of the covid19 pandemic, but celebrations have entailed virtual and some performances with limited audiences.

"Super excited to have had the opportunity to arrange, produce and perform the Trinidad segment of this Carnival short and feature my brother Kes the Band alongside Josanne Francis, Ajibola & Next Level Devils. We bringing Carnival to the world!!!!!!!," Charles shared in a Facebook post after the segment was announced on the Colbert show last Thursday.

"Stay tuned for the drop this Tuesday on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; thanks to the homies Jon Batiste and the Stay Human fam Louis Fouché aka the mastermind Louis Cato Endea Owens Joe Saylor John Lampley & Negah Santos #Carnival #Trinidad #Nola #Brazil", the post concludes.

Dieffenthaller also shared the excitement over the upcoming show in a post on the Kes the Band page.

"We’re pumped for this one!!! Look out for us, Etienne Charles and some other amazing global artists with Jon Batiste on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert! Look out for it on Tuesday 16th February. This is going to be a special one, folks!"

In a promotional clip, Colbert also builds the hype for the show on Carnival and Mardi Gras with his musical director Jon Batiste, who discloses Charles and Kes the Band will perform the 2019 Carnival anthem, Savannah Grass. Charles is a renowned trumpeter and associate professor at Michigan State University. In 2020, Dieffenthaller teamed up Iwer George for the soca hit Stage Gone Bad to win the Road March.