Campaign Director: Kieran Hughes Campaign Lead: Renée Ingram Creative Director: Jahmel Coleman Creative Director: Shamari Steele Executive Producer: Yomi Ogunsola

Production Producer: Delenn Vaughan 1st AD: Kimane Erskine 2nd AD: Eitenne Newton Talent Lead & Liaison: Nancy Loud Production Coordinator: Savannah Kityo Photographer: Thomas Morgan BTS Videographer: Naomi Nwabuisi Runner: Sháyee O Runner: Leah Hastick Location: The YAA Centre

Visual DOP: Fola Abatan 1st AC/Focus Puller: Tanmoye Khan 2nd AC: Samuel A Harvey Camera OP: Ricardo M.C Camera OP: James Handley Steadicam: Grant Sandy-Phillips ACO DIT: Zack Miah Gaffer: Joey Philippe Dali Spark: Yeh Htoo Love Spark: Edmund Bishop Spark: Daniel Mathieu

Band Keys: Aaron Blake Guitar: Jake Bisognin Drums: Steve Nti

Audio Musical Director: Michael Hamilton Sound Engineer: Alex Archer Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Alex Archer Audio Consultant: Andre Solid Recording Assistant: Tinashe Jindu Backline Tech: Ejay Hardwood Playback Operator: Michael Asante

Art Art Director: Erin O’Garro Art Assistant: Kofi Kwei-Armah Art Assistant: Cassia Rose-Bate

Post Mixing Engineer: Alex Archer Mastering Engineer: Alex Archer Editor: Scott Robson Colourist: Marty Mcullan

Cast Extra: Carl Gabriel Extra: Dhey Artopé Extra: Beth Faith

Special Thanks to Carl Gabriel, whose sculptures and spirit brought the Soca set to life.

V’ghn – Hello (Kes Cover) (Live) – Carnival Sounds Live

In the bustling milieu of live performances, certain moments crystallize the essence of a venue: raw energy, intimate connection, and a fearless interpretation of sound. V’ghn’s rendition of Hello, as covered on Kes and delivered live at Carnival Sounds, offers a compelling study in how a cover can feel both reverent and innovative, preserving the original’s emotional core while layering it with fresh textural color.

From the moment the stage lights settle, the arrangement signals a deliberate balance between respect for the source material and a distinct personal stamp. The guitarist’s crisp plucks juxtapose with a bass line that underpins the track with a steady, almost heartbeat-like pulse. The percussion enters with controlled restraint, gradually building toward a chorus that lands with a satisfying, human resonance rather than a purely mechanical surge. This dynamic arc is characteristic of a live setting where intention matters as much as execution.

Voices carry the performance as if telling a story to a familiar crowd. The vocal approach attends to nuance—delicately phrased verses, a breathy lift at poignant moments, and a chorus delivered with a collective warmth that invites participation. In a live cover, such choices are pivotal; they transform a known melody into a shared experience, allowing listeners to hear a familiar tune through a refreshed emotional lens.

Instrumentation details contribute to the track’s evolving texture. The guitar lines offer a melodic dialogue that complements the vocal melody, while subtle synth elements thread through the mix, adding atmosphere without overpowering the core message. The drummer’s cadence—steady yet responsive to pauses and crescendos—creates an organic conversation between rhythm and emotion, a hallmark of effective live arrangements.

Carnival Sounds Live provides a backdrop that feels both intimate and expansive. The venue’s acoustics capture the warmth of the performance, preserving the human touch of each note. The recording quality balances clarity with the murmur of the audience, reminding us that a live cover is as much about communal energy as it is about individual technique.

Interpretively, this rendition honors the original while inviting listeners to hear it anew. The performance emphasizes mood and resonance: the sense of longing in the vocal delivery, the subtle ache in the backing harmonies, and the triumphant lift of the bridge. Such choices cultivate a listening experience that is reflective, not merely replayed, inviting a fresh emotional engagement with a familiar tune.

In sum, V’ghn’s Hello (Kes Cover) as performed live at Carnival Sounds embodies the virtues of a thoughtful live cover: fidelity to the source’s emotional arc, inventive arrangement choices, and a palpable sense of shared immediacy. For those exploring the art of live reinterpretation, this performance offers a compact, compelling case study in how a cover can honor origins while charting its own memorable course.