Trinidad and Tobago soca star Kees Dieffenthaller of KesTheBand and Jamaican reggae and dancehall icon Buju Banton have been named Honorary Grand Marshals for the 59th Annual New York Caribbean Carnival Week and Parade.

The appointments reflect this year’s “One Caribbean” theme, which celebrates the cultural connections between Caribbean communities and the diaspora across generations, borders and musical traditions.

Dieffenthaller, lead vocalist of KesTheBand, has helped bring soca to audiences around the world while remaining closely connected to Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival traditions.

Banton, one of Jamaica’s most internationally recognised reggae and dancehall artists, has spent decades showcasing Jamaican and wider Caribbean culture on the global stage.

The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) said the two artists embody the connection between Jamaica’s reggae and dancehall traditions and Trinidad and Tobago’s soca and calypso heritage.

“The appointment of Kees Dieffenthaller of KestheBand and Buju Banton as Honorary Grand Marshals is a powerful representation of what One Caribbean means to us,” the WIADCA Board of Directors said.

“They have each carried Caribbean music and culture to the world, while remaining deeply rooted in the communities and traditions that shaped them.”

The two artists will also be honoured at WIADCA’s 59th Annual VIP Breakfast.

WIADCA has organised New York’s Caribbean Carnival for nearly six decades, making it one of the major annual celebrations of Caribbean culture in the diaspora.

The 2026 carnival is being presented in media partnership with Irie Jam Radio, VP Records, Gargamel Music, Chambers Media Solutions and Schure Media Group.