Rolande Moses: The man who would be Kyng

As a youth in his native Grenada, there was always music in Rolande Moses’ home.

It continued when his family moved to Canada 31 years ago. Moses dove headfirst into freestyle hip-hop before discovering another passion.

“I got into sports — basketball, football, boxing,” Moses said.

His prowess in the ring took him to the pinnacle of amateur athletics, and he ended up competing for his place as a boxer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He even took a stab at turning pro after his Olympic tour.

But a return to Grenada before the pandemic rekindled his interest in music, particularly soca and zes music.

“I was with my uncle Francis Gilbert – bless his soul – and he was playing the guitar. I just started something. I told my uncle I was going to make music and really get into it.”

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. As the world stagnated, Moses found time to hone his craft.

Now, Rolande Moses is Kyng Moses. Living in Niagara, he worked at his craft, writing his own music. His latest effort, single “The dog is outside“ has racked up views on YouTube and been streamed 135,000 times on Spotify. The video for the song was shot on location in various locations around Niagara Falls.

“I want to be the first soca artist to bring the music to Canada,” he said.

Soca is a music genre that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a variety of styles blending African and East Indian influences. His other love, zess music, combines East Indian rhythms and reggae in the dance hall.

The latter will feature prominently on a new EP, “Zess Kyng“ expected to be released in the first week of November.

“There is a huge market for soca in every part of the world,” Moses said.

In Canada, music was a big part of Toronto’s Caribana weekend. It is also featured in other festivals promoting Caribbean culture throughout North America.

In Niagara, Moses appeared on a float in the annual St. Mary’s Grape and Wine Parade. Catharines last month.

“There’s a lot going on for soca,” he said.

Music and videos from Kyng Moses can be found on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music.

DISTRIBUTE: