Keshia Thomas, popularly known by her stage name Kaiya, is a fast-rising reggae and Afropop artist currently based in Bridgetown, Barbados. The young and talented songstress is steadily heading towards an international music career after a 2-year hiatus. Recently, she released two singles, namely Feel the Vibe featuring Ghanaian artist Samini and Real Love featuring Guyanese singer Rich One.
Kaiya originally hails from Guyana, where her upbringing helped steer her towards a musical career. She recalls singing hymns in her neighbourhood church and participating in several school concerts where she excelled and won many prizes. After high school, she relocated to Barbados and joined several bands before starting a solo career.
Having worked with famous Guyanese crossover artist Esan Benzy on the track Calling Kaiya, she said of her first collaborative experience, “It was my first collaboration, so I was excited”. Kaiya is set to release her first album in July of this year.
Her hands are doubly full with her new role as a tourism ambassador, which she embraces wholeheartedly. She hopes to promote Guyanese culture to the world and is working on a documentary in Guyana to showcase the country’s rich heritage and culture.
The world stage is no stranger to Kaiya after earning two consecutive nominations for 2022 and 2023 at the DEMROC Music Awards in the US, where she won the Best Reggae Artiste 2023 award.
With these impressive accomplishments, she hopes to one day perform with sensational reggae artist, Chronix. Her heartfelt advice to all aspiring artists is to “Always believe in yourself and never give up.” With this mantra Kaiya is one to watch out for.
