On Saturday, 26 July 2025, Trinbagonian soca artist Nessa Preppy (Vanessa John) made history as the first soca artist to perform at Festival Latinidades in Brasília, the largest festival in Latin America dedicated to celebrating the art and culture of Black women each year. Her electrifying soca set wowed the audience and kept them dancing throughout.
This year’s edition attracted around 8,000 attendees, with Nessa’s performance marking a cultural milestone and helping to strengthen ties between the Caribbean and Latin America.
Reflecting on her debut in Brasília, Nessa said: “The crowd showed so much love, and I felt proud to share a piece of home with the people of Brasília. Performing at Festival Latinidades was pure magic, and I’m thankful to the organisers for believing in my talent enough to include me.”
Festival Latinidades General Director Jaqueline Fernandes spoke about the importance of featuring an Afro-Caribbean performer: “Latinidades is a space of connection between Black diasporas around the world… Including an artist like Nessa Preppy recognises the centrality of the Caribbean and strengthens important cultural and political ties for the Afrolatinas Institute.”
Describing Nessa’s set as “electrifying, exciting, and unforgettable,” Fernandes added:
“Nessa Preppy’s performance touched the hearts of the audience… We hope this is the first of many!”
While in Brazil, Nessa, along with her manager and publicist Adanna Asson, and DJ Shakeil (Chucky Rayban Joseph), visited the Trinidad and Tobago Embassy. Counsellor Charlene Lashley-Caruth attended the festival in support of Nessa.
This trip has reinforced Nessa’s dedication to showcasing the culture and music of Trinidad and Tobago to audiences around the globe.
