This post first appeared on Sokah2Soca, where Caribbean music meets wit, rhythm, and real talk. Island Vybe Radio spins the tunes—we decode the culture.

One of calypso’s most famous melodies—and the center of one of the biggest copyright battles in music history—is back in the spotlight, reimagined in name and concept with a fresh, modern twist.” Originally written and performed by Rupert Westmore Grant, better known as Lord Invader, “Rum and Coca-Cola” became a global hit when it was covered by The Andrews Sisters in the 1940s. Explore the details of the legendary legal saga in Caribbean music history by researching the Rum and Coca-Cola case. But now, fast‑forward to the present. As we celebrate the Christmas season, the new music for Carnival 2026 keeps dropping with some pleasant surprises. This release by Kes and Tano, which dropped in December 2025, is one of the many new releases of the season and represents a bold, creative revival of an iconic song's borrowed name to create something new. Kes & Tano have teamed up to deliver ‘Rum & Coca Cola,’ a conceptual reimagining for a new era. Their version isn’t a remake—it’s a reinvention. While the song is a nod to the past, it is important to note that the remainder of the song showcases Kes and Tano's interpretation of 'what could have been,' reflecting a bygone era for today's generation. The video creators deserve credit for recreating the period when Lord Invader delivered his classic song. In this modern-day recreation, with a limitless desire and imagination, they created a scenario where a chance encounter with Miss Grace, a woman who only drinks Rum and Coca-Cola, sparks a playful narrative set inside a vibrant party scene. Kes and Tano perform against a backdrop of movement using black and white videography to bring the past to life and pure Caribbean joy, surrounded by dancers and revelers soaking in the rhythm at a traditional calypso tent. Musically, the track is everything we’ve come to expect from Kes—a seamless blend of modern calypso sounds (Soca and Calypso). It’s a feel-good musical piece built on the idea of a classic but dressed in the energy of today’s Carnival generation. Good vibes, excellent storytelling, and a melody with a name steeped in history—Rum & Coca-Cola is officially reborn for 2026. So there you have it, the wait is over, we have new Kes music and we are confident that Kes fans will love this new beginning for a blast from the past but never-to-be-forgotten song, Rum & Coca Cola.