Ahead of the landmark 60th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival, Spotify has officially launched its inaugural Carnival Sounds Live series.
The content comes as part of the streaming platform’s ongoing collaboration with Europe’s largest celebration of the Caribbean diaspora.
To celebrate this milestone, Carnival Sounds Live features exclusive performances and tribute covers from three of the Caribbean’s most prominent contemporary voices: Grammy-winning Reggae star Original Koffee, Dancehall superstar Shenseea, and Grenadian Soca standout V’ghn.
Recorded exclusively for the series, the performances connect contemporary hitmakers with classic riddims and anthems that have soundtracked Carnival culture across generations.
Original Koffee pays homage to the legendary Bob Marley & The Wailers with her rendition of the 1977 classic “Three Little Birds.” The tribute carries deep historical significance to the event’s local roots, as the original anthem was recorded at Island Studios in Notting Hill nearly five decades ago.
Representing Dancehall, Shenseea delivers a fresh take on Diana King’s iconic 1995 crossover hit “Shy Guy,” alongside a performance of her latest single, “Bruk Sweat.”
Completing the lineup, Grenadian Soca artist V’ghn brings the energy of the road with his performance of Kes’ beloved Carnival anthem “Hello” alongside his own hit, “Jab Decisions.”
Accompanying the series release, new streaming data from Spotify reveals that UK audiences are engaging with Caribbean music far beyond the August bank holiday weekend.
Soca has emerged as the fastest-growing Caribbean genre in the UK, boasting a 136% increase in streams since 2020. St. Vincent icon Kevin Lyttle leads UK Soca listening this year off the timeless appeal of his 2003 global smash “Turn Me On,” followed closely by Trinidadian Soca giants Machel Montano and Kes.
In Dancehall, younger listeners are driving massive growth and legendary artists Sean Paul and Vybz Kartel rank as the most-played Dancehall artists in the UK on the platform this year. Shenseea has also seen a dramatic surge, of her UK streams climbing 353% since 2020.
Meanwhile, Reggae continues its steady dominance in the region. Almost 50 years after recording “Three Little Birds” in West London, Bob Marley & The Wailers hold the spot as the most-played Reggae act in the UK this year. Grenada’s V’ghn has similarly experienced explosive momentum, racking up a 390% growth in UK streams since 2023.
Safiya Lambie-Knight, Spotify’s Head of Music Partnerships in the UK emphasised the broader cultural context behind the campaign and partnership.
“Notting Hill Carnival is one of the most important cultural moments in the UK calendar – a celebration of Caribbean identity and creativity that resonates with people from all around the world,” Lambie-Knight stated.
“To celebrate 60 years, we produced Carnival Sounds Live, showcasing some of the most popular artists from the Caribbean right now to cover songs that have soundtracked Carnival over the years.”
She added: “We also wanted to highlight that Caribbean music is listened to all year round demonstrated by soca’s rise in popularity, to Bob Marley and the Wailers still reaching new listeners, and dancehall connecting with a younger generation, this all speaks to the lasting cultural power of Carnival and the communities behind it.”
Video clips from all three Carnival Sounds Live sessions are live now on Spotify UK’s Instagram.
