This is a list of notable recording artists known for performing various types of

Caribbean music Caribbean music genres are very diverse. They are each synthesis of African, European, Arab, Asian, and Indigenous influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves (see Afro-Caribbean music), along with contributions from other commun ...

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...

Burning Flames Burning Flames are an Antiguan soca band from St. John. Their music is influenced by calypso, reggae, ragga, funk, and zouk.Broughton, Simon; Ellingham, Mark; McConnachie, James;Duane, Orla (2000) ''World Music: The Rough Guide - Latin and Nort ...

* El-A-Kru

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

Baha Men The Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out". History Early years The Baha Men formed in 1977 as High Voltage, initia ...

Ronnie Butler Ronald Butler Sr., MBE (August 17, 1937 – November 19, 2017) was a famous Bahamian calypso and rake n scrape entertainer and singer. Butler is referred to as "The Godfather of Bahamian Music" and his career spans more than five decades. But ...

Exuma Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays. The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital ...

* "King" Eric Gibson * Joseph Spence *

T-Connection T-Connection was a funk and disco group from Nassau, the Bahamas, who scored two hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 between 1977 and 1979. They did better on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where they had five Top 10 hits, including "D ...

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

Alison Hinds Alison Amanda Hinds (born 1 June 1970) is a British-born Bajan soca artist based in Barbados. She is one of the most popular soca singers in the world. Biography Alison Hinds was born in London on 1 June 1970 and grew up in Plaistow.Batey, A ...

Arturo Tappin Arturo Tappin is a jazz/reggae saxophonist from Barbados. He performs predominantly the genre of smooth jazz, and has performed alongside personalities such as Roberta Flack, Monty Alexander, and on an album by Luther Vandross. He is based in N ...

Dennis Bovell Dennis Bovell (born 22 May 1953Huey, Steve"Dennis Bovell Biography" Allmusic. Retrieved 27 December 2014.) is a Barbados-born reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer, based in England. He was a member of the British reggae band Mat ...

Cavite Chorale {{Multiple issues, {{Notability, music, date=January 2019 {{Unreferenced, date=January 2019 The Cavite Chorale is one among the many Caribbean's chorale singing groups. Started in 1973 by Kean H. W. Springer (BA, Dip.Ed, M.Phil) as director, Cavi ...

Cover Drive Cover Drive were a four-piece band from Barbados consisting of Amanda Reifer, T-Ray Armstrong, Barry "Bar-Man" Hill and Jamar Harding. They have gained commercial success in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their UK number one single ...

Draytons Two The Draytons Two were a popular Barbadian spouge band of the 1970s known for their own and unique style of syncretic spouge, the raw spouge. ''Raw Spouge'' is also the title of their first studio album published through Jamaican record label WIR ...

Grynner Grynner (born MacDonald Blenman on 10 February 1946), is a popular calypsonian from Barbados. Like his compatriot Mighty Gabby, his songs often feature political and social commentary. He has been named the Barbados Crop Over Road March "Tune of t ...

Krosfyah Krosfyah (pronounced "Crossfire") is a Soca band from the Caribbean island of Barbados. The group is best known for the hits "Road Jam", "Pump Me Up", and "Sak Passe". History Formed in 1989 from the earlier band Higher Level by Edwin Yearwood, ...

Charles D. Lewis Charles D. Lewis (born 1955) is a Barbadian songwriter, recording artist, bassist, engineer, and producer. Career Charles is best known for his writing and performance of " Soca Dance", released in Europe in 1990. It was number one for seven ...

Jackie Opel Dalton Sinclair Bishop (27 August 1937 – 9 March 1970), better known as Jackie Opel, was a Barbadian singer who possessed a rich, powerful voice with a high octave range. He was known as the "Jackie Wilson of Barbadian culture" and was als ...

* Lord Radio * Gabby *

Rayvon Bruce Alexander Michael Brewster (born January 18, 1968),Gage, Simon (2002), ''The Independent'', 4 August 2002. better known by his stage name Rayvon, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter, known for his work with Shaggy. Born in Barbados, he was ...

Red Plastic Bag Stedson Wiltshire, better known by the sobriquet of Red Plastic Bag, RPB, or merely Bag, is a calypsonian from Barbados. He has won the Barbadian calypso monarch competition a record ten times. Hailing from the eastern, rural Barbadian parish of ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

Barbados Police Band The Barbados Police Service Band, previously known as the Royal Barbados Police Band part of the Barbados Police Service, has been a prominent musical group in Barbados since its foundation in 1889 and is one of the oldest police bands in the world ...

Rupee Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...

Schofield Pilgrim Schofield Pilgrim was a Barbadian jazz group of the late 20th century, most notable for helping to pioneer the calypso jazz genre. They collaborated with American jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker Charles Par ...

Shontelle Shontelle Layne (born 4 October 1985), known mononymously as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album ''Shontelligence'' in 2008. Her second album, '' No Gravity'', was released in 2010. Her singles "T-Shirt" ...

The Merrymen The Merrymen, sometimes written as The MerryMen, are a popular calypso band from Barbados. The Merrymen's career spans five decades, from the early-1960s to the 2000s. The Merrymen are still performing as of 2011. At their height they were popu ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

Exile One Exile One is a cadence musical group founded by Gordon Henderson in the 1970s with musicians invited over from Dominica, to be based in Guadeloupe. The band was influential in the development of Caribbean music. It became famous throughout the C ...

Gramacks Gramacks (or "Les Gramacks") was a Cadence-lypso group from Dominica. Biography The band is from Saint-Joseph, a village from Dominica. The lead singer Jefferson "Jeff" Joseph and keyboard player McDonald "Markie" Prosper along with the other ...

* Lazo * Swingin' Stars * The Gaylords *

The Wizzard The Wizzard (born Merlin St. Hilaire) is a popular calypso musician from Dominica. He began performed in church as a young man, then competed in the carnival calypso tent in 1988, placing second. In 1989, he won the competition with "Feed My Bro ...

Windward Caribbean Kulture The WCK Band (Windward Caribbean Kulture) was formed in 1988 in Dominica.Thompson, Keith (2010) ''Caribbean Islands: The Land and The People'', New Africa Press, , p. 187 The band played a blend of the local Cadence-lypso and traditional Jing pi ...

(W.C.K.)

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

Ajamu Edson Mitchell, also known as Ajamu, or King Ajamu. is a Grenada, Grenadian calypsonian. His music covers several Caribbean styles, including Calypso music, calypso, Soca music, soca and reggae. He has held the title of Grenada Calypso Monarch ...

Mighty Sparrow Slinger Francisco ORTT CM OBE (born July 9, 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calyp ...

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

Kassav' Kassav' is a French Caribbean band formed in Guadeloupe in 1979. The core members of the band are Jacob Desvarieux, Jocelyne Béroard, Jean-Philippe Marthély, Patrick St. Eloi, Jean-Claude Naimro, Claude Vamur, and Georges Décimus (who left t ...

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with r ...

Arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...

* Justin (Hero) Cassell

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

Nicole David Nicole David is a soca music artist from Saint Lucia. She is referred to as "St. Lucia's Queen of Soca" and was a member of the soca band DN5. She is now the lead vocalist of the band Spectacle. Carnival competition record Nicole won the road ...

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines () is an island country in the Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea wh ...

* Beckett *

Jamesy P Jamesy P (born James Morgan, 18 May 1970) is a Vincentian musician (and former barber) who released a soca single in 2002 titled "Nookie". Its 2005 release was a hit, reaching No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as becoming the biggest song i ...

Kevin Lyttle Lescott Kevin Lyttle Coombs (born 14 September 1976) is a Vincentian soca artist, who had a worldwide hit with " Turn Me On" in 2003, recorded with the dancehall artist Spragga Benz. Career Lyttle was encouraged by his family to pursue music ...

Mattafix Mattafix were an English electronic duo, consisting of vocalist Marlon Roudette and producer and keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Their sound was a fusion of hip hop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, blues, jazz, soul and world. Known for their 2005 hit si ...

* New Direction * Skarpyon

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

André Tanker André Michael Tanker (25 September 1941 – 28 February 2003) was a Trinidad and Tobago musician and composer. Background and career Born in Woodbrook, Trinidad and Tobago, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, Tanker was considered one of the most origina ...

Anslem Douglas Anslem Douglas (born 23 July 1964) is a Trinidadian musician and composer. He is best known for the hit single "Doggie", which was later covered by the Bahamian junkanoo band Baha Men as "Who Let the Dogs Out". Biography Douglas was born and ...

Marlon Asher Marlon Asher is a Trinidadian reggae singer from Enterprise, Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago. His first hit was "Ganja Farmer." He later went on to release more reggae songs, one being "Fit and Strong." Marlon Asher grew up in Enterprise Street ...

Atilla the Hun Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in March 453. He was also the leader of a tribal empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Bulgars, among others, in Central and Ea ...

Babla & Kanchan Laxmichand "Babla" Virji Shah and Kumari Kanchan Dinkarrao Mali-Shah were an Indian husband-wife musical group best known for work in the chutney music and Desi Folk music genres. They performed together for forty years until Kanchan died in 200 ...

Billy Ocean Leslie Sebastian Charles, (born 21 January 1950), better known by his stage name Billy Ocean, is a British recording artist who had a string of R&B international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British R&B singer-son ...

Beenie Man Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Mus ...

Black Stalin Leroy Calliste (24 September 1941 – 28 December 2022), better known as Black Stalin, was a leading calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago known for his lyrics against European colonial oppression. He won the Calypso Monarch competition on five ...

* "Boogsie" Sharpe/Earl Brooks *

Bunji Garlin Ian Antonio Alvarez (born July 14, 1978), better known by his stage name Bunji Garlin, is a Trinidadian ragga soca artist. He is also affectionately known as the Viking of Soca. His spouse is Fay-Ann Lyons. Early life Bunji was born on July 1 ...

Calypso Rose Calypso Rose or Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis (born April 27, 1940 in Bethel Village, Tobago) is a Trinidadian calypsonian. She started writing songs at the age of 13; over the years, she has composed more than 1000 songs and recorded more tha ...

Chalkdust Hollis Urban Lester Liverpool, better known as Chalkdust (or Chalkie) (born 1940 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad), is a leading calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago. He has been singing calypso since 1967 and has recorded more than 300 calypsos. Awa ...

Crazy Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...

David Rudder David Michael Rudder OCC (born 6 May 1953) is a Trinidadian calypsonian, known to be one of the most successful calypsonians of all time. He performed as lead singer for the brass band Charlie's Roots. Nine years later, Rudder stepped outside t ...

Denise Belfon Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon (born 23 November 1968, in Trinidad) is a soca and contemporary R&B songwriter and dancer. Early years As a young girl in school, she was a football (soccer) player and was offered a scholarship to Howard University to ...

Denyse Plummer Denyse Plummer, full name Denyse Burnadette Kirline Plummer is a Calypso and Gospel singer from Trinidad and Tobago. She is the first female singer in the Caribbean to be born to a white father and a black mother, with Barbados' Alison Hinds bein ...

Destra Garcia Destra Garcia (born 10 November 1978) is a Trinidadian musician, singer and songwriter of soca music. She is also known by the mononym Destra. She is one of the most popular female soca artists in the world. Biography Childhood and early caree ...

Drupatee Ramgoonai Drupatee Ramgoonai (; born 2 March 1958) is an Trinidadian and Tobagonian chutney and chutney soca musician. She was responsible for coining the term "chutney soca" in 1987 with her first album, entitled ''Chutney Soca'', which included both English ...

Haddaway Nestor Alexander Haddaway (born 9 January 1965) is a Trinidadian-born German singer best known for his 1993 hit single "What Is Love", which reached number 1 in 13 countries. Early life Nestor Alexander Haddaway was born in Trinidad and Tobago ...

Heather Headley Heather Headley (born October 5, 1974) is a Trinidadian-born American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. She won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the titular role of ''Aida''. She also won the 2010 Grammy Aw ...

Heeralal Rampartap Heeralal Rampartap is an Indo-Trinidadian entertainer. He has repeatedly produced hits and has won numerous awards both locally and internationally. He is a three-time International Chutney Soca Monarch — in 1997, 2003 and 2005 – and the Natio ...

Ken Greene Kenneth Edward Greene (born May 8, 1956) is a former professional American football player who played safety in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, for the St. Louis Cardinals (1978–1982) and San Diego Chargers (1983–1984) ...

* KES the Band * KMC * Lennox Mohammed *

Lionel Belasco Lionel Belasco Maracaibo (Venezuela) 1881 – ) was a prominent Venezuelan pianist, composer and bandleader, best known for his calypso recordings. Biography According to various sources, Belasco was born in Maracaibo (Venezuela), the son of ...

Lord Beginner Egbert Moore (1904–1981), known as Lord Beginner, was a popular calypsonian. Biography Moore was born in Port-of-Spain in Trinidad. According to AllMusic: "After attracting attention with his soulful singing in Trinidad and Tobago, Lord Beginne ...

Lord Invader Lord Invader (Rupert Westmore Grant; 13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961) was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice. He was born in San Fernando, Trinidad. He became active in calypso in the mid-1930s, and was conside ...

* Lord Kitchener *

Lord Melody Lord Melody (1926 – 26 September 1988)Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', backbeat Books, , p.154-155 was a popular Trinidadian calypsonian, best known for singles such as " Boo Boo Man", "Creature From The Black Lagoon", "Sh ...

* Lord Mouse and the Kalypso Katz *

Maximus Dan MX Prime previously Maximus Dan (born Edghill Thomas, 1979, Carenage, Trinidad and Tobago) is a Soca music, soca / dancehall musician. He is also known by his former stage name ''Maga Dan''. After working with Jamaican producer Danny Browne betw ...

Mighty Shadow Winston McGarland Bailey OBE, HBM, DLitt (4 October 1941 – 23 October 2018), better known by his stage name The Mighty Shadow or Shadow, was a calypsonian from Tobago. Career Bailey was born in Belmont, a suburb of Port of Spain in Trinidad ...

Mighty Spoiler Theophilus Philip (23 March 1926 – 24 December 1960), better known as Mighty Spoiler, was a Trinidadian calypsonian. Spoiler's career began in 1946 (see 1946 in music) at the House of Lords Tent, and he soon became one of the most popular ...

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

Phase II Pan Groove Phase II Pan Groove is a steel orchestra from Trinidad and Tobago. Band Phase II Pan Groove was formed in August 1972 by a group of seven innovative musicians (Barry Howard, Rawle Mitchell, Andy Phillip, Selwyn Tarradath, Ian Clyde Gibson, Noel ...

Ras Shorty I Ras Shorty I (6 October 1941 – 12 July 2000), born Garfield Blackman and also known as Lord Shorty, was a Trinidadian calypsonian and soca musician, known as the Father of Soca and The Love Man. Biography He was born Garfield Blackman in ...

Rikki Jai Rikki Jai (born Samraj Jaimungal; ) is an Indo-Trinidadian chutney music, chutney and chutney-soca musician. Career Jai's 1988 debut single ''Sumintra'' told the tale of an Indo-Trinidadian woman from Debe who informed her boyfriend of her pref ...

Roaring Lion Roaring Lion (22 February 190811 July 1999) was a Trinidadian calypsonian (calypso singer/composer). His 65-year career began in the early 1930s and he is best known for his compositions "Ugly Woman" (1933), " Mary Ann" and "Netty, Netty", whic ...

* Adesh Samaroo *

Jit Samaroo Jit Sukha Samaroo (24 February 1950 – 7 January 2016) was a Trinidadian composer and steelpan musician. Life and work Jit Samaroo was born in Surrey village, in Lopinot, Trinidad and Tobago, the seventh of 13 children in a family of Indian origi ...

Hazel Scott Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a Trinidad-born American jazz and classical pianist and singer. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation. She used her influence to improve the representat ...

Shurwayne Winchester Shurwayne Winchester is a Tobagonian soca musician from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, who has twice won the Road March title.Moe, Cherisse (2009)Shurwayne turns up the heat at Bois Cano, ''Trinidad & Tobago Guardian'', 18 July 2009, retr ...

Sugar Aloes Sugar Aloes, (born Michael Anthony Osouna ) is a calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago whose songs include "Party Time" and " Juanita", "I Love Being Me" and "Signs of the end of Time". In February 2008, Sugar Aloes was the winner of the Calypso Mon ...

Sundar Popo Sundar Popo HBM, born Sundarlal Popo Bahora (; 4 November 1943 – 2 May 2000) was a Trinidadian and Tobagonian musician. He is credited as being the father of Chutney music, beginning with his 1969 hit ''Nana and Nani''. Early life Popo wa ...

Superblue Austin Lyons (born 25 May 1956), better known as Superblue, Super Blue and Blueboy, is a Trinidadian calypsonian, soca musician, and lyricist. Early life Lyons was born on 25 May 1956 in Point Fortin. His mother is a Grenadian and his fathe ...

(Blueboy) *

Xtatik Xtatik is a locally and well-known Trinidad and Tobago Soca band led by Machel Montano. History The band evolved from Pranasonic Express, which was formed in 1984 in Port of Spain.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Bo ...

(w/

Machel Montano Machel Jesus Montano (born 24 November 1974)Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Soca Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 300–301. is a Trinidadian soca singer, actor, record producer and songwriter. Known for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unp ...

/Mad Bull Crew) * Rakesh Yankaran

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...

{{see, List of reggae bands from the Virgin Islands *

Iyaz Keidran Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles " Replay", "Solo" and " Pretty ...

* Midnite