KALPEE is ready to JUMP OFF

To me, KALPEE's sound turned out to be a totally new thing, and it's no wonder since the artist from Trinidad & Tobago is at the forefront of a rising new genre of music aptly dubbed "New Calypso", a genre that fuses elements from traditional Calypso with others taken from all over the Caribbean. Kalpee's most easily identifiable feature -and perhaps his greatest strength- is his amazing vocal delivery, seamlessly blending lively sensibilities clearly inspired by Dancehall and reggae, with the smooth harmonic texture of modern Soul and R&B. This makes him one of the most genuinely unique singers you're likely to hear out there.

Since his 2017 debut, Kalpee has been busy building on the foundation of his fanbase, exporting his new Caribbean sound to the world in the form of two EPs and amassing a wealth of praises and accolades from many publications. During the pandemic, he went on to co-found "Island Wave", a platform that quickly became a new staple at SXSW, and it was designed with the specific intention of giving a launchpad and a foothold to other musicians from the Caribbean to represent the sound and people in the international music scene.

Now, Kalpee's new single is called "JUMP OFF" and it's a wonderful encapsulation of this growing musical movement. A song about overcoming fear and taking on a new stage in your life, plowing into the unknown. “I remember going to waterfalls in Trinidad when I was younger and climbing to the top with my friends so that we could jump off, but the anxiety and the fear that I felt, would almost always prevent my body from taking the leap," says Kalpee himself of the song.

This new release doesn't come without its fair share of transformative energy in tow. Although the song was finished a while ago, it took on a new meaning for Kalpee who, while shooting his previous music video, suffered a freak accident that "almost resulted in the unthinkable" giving him a new perspective and appreciation for a lyrical creation already discussing facing the unknown. What can be more unknown than the "unthinkable"? Elaborating upon this event and how it re-shapes the personal meaning of the song, Kelpee confesses "I recall there was a moment, a second in time which seemed like an eternity, just before the momentum of what was going to happen, happened, where time kinda stood still and I just had to accept that what was going to happen had to happen."

For Kalpee, that powerful moment had to have been a moment of huge transformation followed by deep analysis. A moment to re-evaluate and take stock of the things that really matter, and I think a liberating experience as well; it's like being forced to take the plunge into the mysterious abyss, coming out the other side not only alive but also capable of thriving against fear and self-doubt.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.