5. Asa Bantan
Asa Bantan is Dominica’s top young star, and the surest chance bet yet to buss the island’s homegrown bouyon sound—an uptempo, soca-paced style with elements of Dominican kadans (or cadence-lypso) music, jump-up, and, increasingly, dancehall-style deejay vocals— worldwide. Bantan had crowds from across the Eastern Caribbean going mad for his tunes “Wet Fete” and “I People That Know People” at this fall’s World Creole Music Festival, while his single “One Man” dominated the island’s streets and car systems. Look out for a LargeUp TV webisode featuring Asa soon.