Image courtesy Haitian Jazz Foundation
The next Songshine Open Mic concert will get a classy kaiso-jazz infusion, when talented multi-instrumentalist Chantal Esdelle takes the stage as this month’s featured guest.
Esdelle is a composer, arranger and performer with an impressive academic background: her Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music and a Master of Arts degree from York University. But she is best known as a knowledgeable pan commentator and leader of kaiso-jazz band, Moyenne, the longest functioning Kaiso Jazz group in the region. Now she will bring her elegant touch to Songshine, the long-running open mic series, based at Kafe Blues in Port of Spain.
Anniversary celebration
Damir Ali, drummer/percussionist Dexter Banfield, vocalist Ami-Li Baksh, and bassist/ keyboardist
Aaron Low Chew Tung.
Photo: Shahzad Ghany
The June edition of the show, which featured the band Seabath in an exultant performance, celebrated the twentieth anniversary of Songshine’s founding. A diverse slate of performers, poets, musicians and singers doing R&B, rock, calypso, reggae and more, took to the stage before a full and receptive audience.
show, held at Kafe Blue in Port of Spain.
Photo: Shahzad Ghany
Positive feedback
The show also added a new and engaging feature: a panel of performance experts giving constructive feedback and encouraging the open-mic artists.
to performers before the engaged audience. The panel returns for the next show, on Thursday July 10th, 2025.
Photo: Shahzad Ghany
In the role were voice coach, singer, musician and former Digicel Rising Star judge, Glenda Collens, and Ozzy Merrique, poet, writer, rapso performer and visual artist. DJ Blasé Vanguard kept the good vibes flowing after the performances were done.
The open mic and expert panel will return at the next Songshine, featuring Chantal Esdelle, on
Thursday, July 10th, from 7 pm. The show takes place at Kafe Blue (Kaiso Blues) on Wrightson
Road in Port of Spain. Doors open at 6:30.
Songshine is a welcoming open-mic stage where up-and-coming artists of all kinds have a platform to perform live. Further info is available at (868) 741-1569.
