In an age where the traditional Christmas spirit is slowly being replaced with Carnival related activities, two friends have combined to re-inject Christmas cheer into the musical airwaves. The song, Christmas Time in the City, is the brainchild of Kyle 'Skeeto' Amos and Richarde Bereaux, and is intended to generate good and positive vibes among its listeners.
The ditty was produced by the Washhouse label, recorded at BEX Audio, and the video shot by Two Tonez Productions. It represents the pair's second colloboration, and focuses on the emotions of Christmas, instead of season's traditional activities. Entwined in its verses are the hip hop and rapso genres, as well as the steelpan, chimes and other instruments. "The song is about giving people a feel and a vibe of Christmas.
"We had initially planned to do something for next year, but we decided to do a song about Christmas first," said Bereaux. "We wanted to do something about the emotions people feel at Christmas time, and about 90 minutes later we had the song," he continued. Bereaux, 21, a final year Music student at UWI, and a product of the southern based Golden Hands steel orchestra, has been playing the pan ever since he was five years old, and in addition to his instrumentals, his melodious voice is also featured in the song.
"I was never a big singer but I always knew I had a good voice and wanted the right forum to showcase it," he explained. On the other hand Amos 28, is the rapso/spoken word element on the track, and his positive lyrics tell a story on its own. "I have a passion for writing and telling stories through music," said Amos, who is the founder of the One Mic live talent series. To date, both artistes have together penned eight songs, and have the desire to broaden their horizons and share their talents with international audiences.
They are scheduled to represent T&T at the World Youth Fest in South Africa from December 13 to 21.
"Music is a very powerful and influential medium and we are very eager to represent the nation as a cultural entity," Amos continued.