KALPEE IS BRIGHTENING THE WORLD WITH HIS FUSION OF CALYPSO POP

“Wherever you are, know that everything will get better.” — ‘Wherever You Are,’ Kalpee

When a sensational songwriter comes together with a good heart, you get music that infuses its rhythms into your bloodstream, uplifting your entire body. Perhaps for a moment we can forget our worries when we’re listening to music, and with Kalpee’s repertoire, that is certainly the case. 

Kalpee’s new song ‘Wherever You Are’ is a beautifully written, delicately crafted pop/reggae tune. Hitting all the senses of familiarity and comfort, it’s clear that Kalpee understands the weight, responsibility, and power in how music can affect one’s mood. 

“This song means so much to me and was created with the sole purpose to uplift and inspire listeners to be the change that they want to see in the world.” Kalpee elaborates. “It’s a collaboration with singer songwriter Jimmy October and producer Tano, both from Trinidad and both my very good friends which makes it even more special.”

Kalpee is the phenomenal young artist from Trinidad and Tobago who is brightening the world with his contemporary mix of R&B, Pop, Calypso and Reggae Rhythm. An artist from all angles, Kalpee writes, produces, creates and edits all of his videos, artwork, and graphics himself: his only goal? To connect deeply and authentically with his audience. 

“Everyday people face many challenges due to many different reasons but instead of getting bitter towards a situation it’s time we stop being spectators and make a continuous effort to contribute to a solution, be better versions of ourselves which will eventually transcend into society as a whole, be more open and more selfless in our approach towards each other.” 

Mid-November into December, Kalpee will embark on a school tour in Trinidad during which he will be performing to promote equality and diversity. The interactive hour will motivate its audience to Achieve, Believe, Be Confident, Set Goals, Stay Focused, and Be Ambitious.

Read one of my favorite interviews below to find out more about who Kalpee is and how he spreads his message.

Kalpee, thank you for this song! The lyrics radiate inspiration and the music carries it through. Describe your mindset while writing this song. Was it solitary, social, emotional, strong?

This song was written during a time of frustration I’d say, so our mindset was definitely, emotional and strong. Tano and I were having a conversation about all the problems our island, Trinidad & Tobago, had been facing at the time. It hasn’t gotten much better yet, but we decided to create a song telling people that no matter where you are in the world and no matter what you might be going through, everything will get better, we all need that reminder. This song means a lot to us, because we put a lot of love into it, the main thing on our mind was, giving the people something to inspire them. Music is an extremely powerful tool, if you put a lot of good energy into it, people feed off of that energy. I remember flying back into Trinidad from LA and hearing “gunman” tunes being played on the radio, that really upset me because, I feel as though some dj’s don’t even realize the damage they are doing when it comes to our society. When you feed negativity and anger to people, that’s what you end up fueling, especially in a country that isn’t very digital and has to depend on the radio for most of its music and entertainment, we have to be more sensible with our content and with our radio personalities. We have young people listening. When you promote “gunman” tunes, that becomes the new “cool” for some youths, who don’t know any better, so please be more responsible, you have an opportunity to uplift a country, encourage them to put out positivity.

Take us through a typical Kalpee day. What do you do when you wake up in the morning? Have you formed any daily rituals? 

I tend to wake up pretty early, around 6:00 am, I love that time of morning, it’s so calming. I usually have a shower right away, then go outside to have a coffee and listen to some music, that’s my meditation, I can do this for hours, I take some time to listen to my demos to figure out what corrections I’ve got to make and then I try to see what’s going on in the world. When it gets too hot outside, I go jam a little on my guitar till I’m fed up, then I go look at documentaries or something. I don’t go out very often, unless it’s to a session or to the beach, so I end up chilling with myself a lot, which I really enjoy.

Do you have any pre- or post-show traditions?

Nothing too crazy, but I ask for guidance and energy every time I’m about to go on stage, that helps calm the nerves.

You ask your fans to “be the change they wish to see in the world” : for you, at this moment on this day, what is that change?

I’ve been trying to be more selfless, more kind and more loving, idon’t just want be a spectator in the world, I want to help. I try my best to expel love out into the universe and treat everyone with the same respect, whether it’s the president or the homeless. Love is contagious, whether it’s just a good morning and a smile or a hug, you can change someones day, switch up their mood. If I can be an example and encourage some youths to be more loving then I’m doing my part. I just want to see the world turn into a better place and the only way that can happen is if we are better, so let’s try harder, it’s not going to be easy, but I definitely don’t see it as impossible.

Shedding light on the dark parts of the world seems to be your mission, one we strongly uphold and support you in. In promoting love and equality, have you found more hearts changed or fearful of your message? 

There’s always the exception to the rule, but I definitely feel like more hearts are changed, sometimes it’s just about showing that you’re not afraid to support something or stand up for a cause, that alone encourages others around you to follow suit, we live in a society that can be very close minded to certain things, but I don’t believe in wasting energy trying to convince a closed mind about change, use it to teach the youth about openness. People are scared of the unknown, so sometimes it just takes a little educating to open their eyes. If we spent some time, educating young people about things like equality, you’d see a change in society, not right away, it’ll take time, but that’s where we have to start. I think being an artist, I have a good opportunity to reach people through music, so I put a lot of love and hope into it, because I know people feel it, that’s just my way of helping, we all need to find our way of helping in our various fields, in a world with so many problems, that’s the only way to eventually make this place better.

Why do you think people shy away from diversity?

People grow up in different territories with different religions, different ways of life, different cultures. So sometimes when they are approached with something they’re aren’t used to, it scares them. Thing is, when you close yourself off as a community, you’re never going to know what’s beyond it. So people who feel as though their life is functioning perfectly just the way it is, aren’t interested in changing their way of living. This is why I think the majority of people who shy themselves away from diversity, are part of an older generation, who either don’t really have access to the world or don’t really want to be educated. Again, always the exception to the rule, but people are afraid of the unknown and educating people is the way to combat that, knowledge is the key to acceptance.

Do you envision the world encapsulated in love and togetherness in the near future? Or do we have a lot of work to do?

Thing is, you never know, I think we have a long way to go, but I do think we’re at the point of the cycle where leaders stand up and people’s frustration turns into passion. All over the world I believe that there are a bunch of good individuals working in their various fields towards helping this whole thing function properly. We’ll have to wait and see how it turns out but, I’m gonna keep that image in my head and keep helping in whatever ways that I can. 

What is one way people can ensure a healthy social environment? 

I think being in control of the people around you, is a good start don’t be afraid to step away from toxic individuals who fill your life with negativity and just take and don’t replenish your energy. Surround yourself with people who don’t judge you and who encourage to be the best version of yourself. 

 

Thank you for the music! What are you looking forward to in 2020? 

Definitely more music, I’ve got so much more for you! I’m looking forward to the exciting year of experiences ahead, the good and the bad, they all help me learn and grow. I look forward to Touring, meeting new people in different countries and most of all I’m just looking forward to seeing what life has in store for me.

CONNECT WITH KALPEE:

INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK

story / Ariana Tibi