On September 19, 2026, Nailah Blackman will take center stage at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain. Alongside comedian Majah Hype, she will co-host the fourth annual Caribbean Music Awards. After three ceremonies held in Brooklyn, the event will take place in the Caribbean for the first time. For the Trinidadian artist, this evening encapsulates nearly her entire journey: carrying forward a musical legacy, sharing it with the world, and opening up new horizons for it.
A ceremony that brings Caribbean music back home
The selection of Nailah Blackman as co-host holds special significance. The Caribbean Music Awards will be the centerpiece of a weekend of events taking place September 18–20, featuring a reception, the awards ceremony, an official gala, and a concert dedicated to the steelpan. By hosting this year’s event in Trinidad and Tobago, the organizers are bringing soca, calypso, and other regional musical genres closer to one of their historic birthplaces.
This responsibility, therefore, goes beyond the role of emcee. It entrusts a young local artist with the mission of embodying a Caribbean music scene that is confident in its roots yet mindful of its international reach. Nailah Blackman comes to this event with a family history that could easily become overwhelming. Instead, she has made it a starting point.
Nailah Blackman, an heiress who chooses her own path
His grandfather, Garfield Blackman—known as Lord Shorty and later Ras Shorty I—is widely recognized as the father of soca. In the 1970s, he worked to blend calypso with rhythms and instruments drawn from Trinidad’s Indian heritage. He even spelled it “sokah” to emphasize this cultural and spiritual intent. His daughter Abbi Blackman, Nailah’s mother, has also built a career in calypso.
Growing up in a family like that means being surrounded by songs, stories, and a sense of responsibility. Yet Nailah Blackman has never been content to simply replicate a sound from the past. Her official website highlights her interest in hip-hop and acoustic styles, while her productions regularly blend soca, dancehall, pop, R&B, and African influences. Her heritage remains evident, but it’s never presented as a constraint.
"Workout," the journey to another dimension
Her profile really took off with “Workout,” recorded with Kes for the 2017 carnival season. The song reached the finals of the International Soca Monarch and gave the singer a whole new level of exposure. She was only 19 at the time, but already had several years of experience performing, writing, and appearing on stage.
Above all, this success highlights her ability to hold her own in a highly codified musical world. Her voice retains an almost intimate softness, even when the production urges the crowd to dance. This tension has become one of her hallmarks. Nailah Blackman can tap into the energy of Carnival without overshadowing the singer and songwriter behind the performance.
She then went on to collaborate with a wide range of artists, notably from Jamaica, Nigeria, and other Caribbean scenes. This trend is not the result of a contrived quest for crossover. Rather, it reflects a contemporary understanding of the Caribbean: islands that are interconnected but also look toward Africa, North America, and Europe.
Spreading the word about soca without distorting its essence
The 2025 announcement of the album *Born a Diamond* confirmed this desire to expand her musical vocabulary with touches of R&B and Afrobeats. The collaboration “Miss Continental” with Nigerian DJ Obi also illustrates this dialogue. Nailah Blackman sees it as a reconnection with shared African roots, made more direct by today’s digital and artistic exchanges.
This openness does not distance him from Trinidad and Tobago. On the contrary, it allows him to present soca as a genre of music capable of engaging with other cultures without losing its distinct character. In August 2026, the artist is scheduled to perform in Belgium at the Antilliaanse Feesten, followed by a performance in Sweden. These European performances are an extension of a project he began several years ago: to take soca beyond the confines of the carnival season and give it a broader reach.
A transmission that's still in motion
Nailah Blackman’s journey ultimately raises a fundamental question: How can one honor a tradition without freezing it in time? Her answer lies in fusion, performance, and a conscious commitment to her family’s history. She does not seek to shed the Blackman name; rather, she takes it in a new direction. In September, when she welcomes artists from across the region to Port of Spain, Nailah Blackman will represent a generation that understands the origins of its rhythms yet refuses to look solely to the past. The soca she has inherited continues to evolve. Perhaps that is the best way to keep it alive.
Nailah Blackman is a singer, songwriter, and composer from Trinidad and Tobago. She creates a contemporary style of soca that blends her family heritage with pop, R&B, dancehall, and African influences.
Nailah Blackman is the granddaughter of Ras Shorty I, a Trinidadian artist widely recognized as one of the pioneers of soca. She carries on this legacy while developing her own musical style.
Nailah Blackman is helping to spread the word about soca beyond Carnival and Trinidad and Tobago. Her international collaborations and performances are helping this Caribbean music genre reach new audiences.
