LargeUp Premiere: Watch Leno Banton’s “Pina Colada” Video ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ

Jamaicaโ€™s Leno Banton released his Mr. Loverman EP in February with the intent to โ€œset the sound of summer for the ladies.โ€ As we move closer to the season in question, heโ€™s back with visuals for one of the EPโ€™s best tracks, โ€œPina Colada,โ€ starring himself, a female friend and their blender.

The clip, directed by Cesar Buelto and Paul โ€œStammaโ€ Watson (who also produced the video for The New Coup) is a visualizer, not a full-on music video, and the action is centralized in Bantonโ€™s kitchen. Pineapples are diced, rum is poured, buttons are pressed and sexual entendres abound before Leno and his companion, an actress dubbed only as Shelby, enjoy their concoction from a freshly-cut coconut. The visuals could double as one of those mixology tutorials you might find on YouTube. If you didnโ€™t know what ingredients go into a pina colada, you will now.

โ€œโ€˜The song โ€˜Pina Coladaโ€™ was a testimony to a love interest, expressing how her love made me feel โ€” which was a fun, tropical, sweet and radiant energy,โ€ Leno says. โ€œThe video captures the essence of that feeling, which depicts us bonding while creating a pina colada drink.โ€

Leno Banton, you may be aware by now, is the son of Burro Banton, the iconic deejay whose rough and tough, barrel-voiced delivery helped set the tone for dancehall as it evolved from the โ€˜80s into the โ€˜90s, inspiring artists like Shabba Ranks and Buju Banton.

Smooth and melodic, Leno takes a softer approach to vocals than his legendary father. But like Burro, (whose early โ€˜90s version of โ€œBoomwadisโ€ marked a key moment in the fusion of dancehall and hip-hop) his voice sounds just as comfortable floating outside Jamaicaโ€™s borders. The Malachi-produced โ€œPina Coladaโ€ straddles dancehall and the more nebulous realm of island pop, employing steel drum sounds to create a pan-tropical feel that should make this one playable wherever beaches and pools can be found this summer.

ย 

ย 

Recent Posts

  • home-right-news
  • Interview
  • Jesse Serwer
  • Music
  • promote

The LargeUp Interview: Stonebwoy On How Dancehall Conquered Ghana ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ญ

Africa's dancehall ambassador on the cultural connections between Ghana and Jamaica.

9 months ago
  • home-left-features
  • Martei Korley
  • promote
  • Sports

Going The Distance with Jamaican Track Star Aisha Praught-Leer ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ

From Illinois to Kingston, Jamaica, comes a story of fierce determination.

10 months ago
  • home-right-news

Jamaican In New York: Rhea Prendergast Brings Yaad Vibes To The Big Apple

Rhea 'Rheezus' Prendergrast is a young woman from Jamaica, living in New York City, working…

1 year ago
  • events
  • News

EVENT: Island Fever with Omari Banks, Screechy Dan + Friends ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฎ ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡พ ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ

LargeUp is bringing Caribbean sounds to Long Island's North Fork Saturday, July 29.

1 year ago
  • Featured Section
  • home-left-features
  • Jesse Serwer
  • Many Waters
  • promote
  • Travel

Many Waters: Exploring Guyana’s Amerindian Culture at Santa Mission ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡พ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡พ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡พ

Guyana's past meets its present at this Arawak outpost.

2 years ago
  • Audio

Machel Montano Celebrates Trinidad Carnival 2023 with International Soca Anthem “Welcome Home”

Machel, Agent Sasco, Voice and Travis World close out Carnival 2023 with an epic visual.

2 years ago

This website uses cookies.