Freelance Correspondent
If Jahmike “Christo” Bonas had not gone on Instagram on a particular day last year, one of his best songs may never have existed. It was a quick DM (direct message) to a producer about a concept that eventually led to the creation of Doux Doux Darlin — one of the sweetest tunes for the 2026 Carnival season.
The groovy track was produced by Kitwana “Advokit” Israel and written by Christo and Yung Seeche (Stephen Seecharan). Israel is also credited as a co-writer, while Kizzie Huggins provided background vocals.
Christo, 25, recalled the producer posting an Instagram story saying he was going to create “a different sound for soca.”
“He said he was going to bring back calypso with it and kind of fuse the new with the old,” the South Oropouche native explained.
Immediately interested, he messaged, saying he would love the opportunity to work with him.
“I said, ‘Can you send some riddims for me and let’s see what magic we could come up with?’ And he sent me a riddim pack with probably nine riddims.”
But one stood out. He said he could not put it into words, but the feeling he got when he listened to it was strong.
“He told me to do my thing… so I sat down and came up with the melodies first, and then I started putting the words to it. That’s how I write.”
He said the process was almost seamless for him and Seecharan, as the melodies “spoke” to them.
“When we went by Kit to actually record the second demo, he was blown away.”
In the song, Christo showers a woman with compliments, saying he loves her energy and style, adding that she’s as sweet as curry stew and rice.
He sings, “Tonight, I swear you going to be mine. Come nah, doux doux darlin, I feeling to wine and break away ’cause I’m in a party mood.”
He then urges her to stay with him and dance the night away.
Israel said the vision behind the beats he sent to Christo was indeed to “reinvent calypso,” which he writes as kalypso.
“When it comes to the drum pattern, usually soca has a very straight pulse. But this one is different,” he explained. “And I gravitate to that pulse because it’s almost like a heartbeat.”
Over the years, Israel has produced several hits, including Take Me Home by Freetown Collective, Hello by Kes, Captain by Hey Choppi, as well as Drink and Party by Viking Ding Dong.
While he had no clue what he might have wanted to hear on this particular beat, he said he was impressed by what Christo sent.
“The style of the music is very open, so you could sing about almost anything on it. It doesn’t have to be road, it doesn’t have to be drinking, Carnival… You could sing R&B or Afrobeat melodies or even rap on it.”
With a laugh, he added, “And Christo’s voice is really good, so anything he sings sounds good, to be honest.”
When Christo heard the final master, he was mind-blown but also filled with gratitude that they were able to work together.
“Working with Kit was a big deal for me as a young artiste. I’m still growing, and getting to be on projects with someone who is responsible for some of T&T’s greatest hits is a pleasure and a blessing.”
He said his love for music goes back to childhood. He reflected on entering calypso competitions at South Oropouche Primary School and singing in the choir at Pleasantville Secondary.
Doux Doux Darlin is not his first hit. He also found success with tracks like Red Gyal and Soca Feeling, but he said this one feels even more special.
Asked what being on stage this season has been like, he said, “Sometimes I feel to cry — tears of joy — but I have to man up and stay strong… but I don’t know how much longer I could hold it,” he said with a laugh. “The energy out there has been amazing. From the time they hear Christo coming, all the ladies bawl. It’s like everybody wants to be a doux doux darling now.”
Israel was shocked by the public’s response to the track, which sat at number three in Apple Music’s Top 100 most-listened-to songs in T&T on January 28.
“People said we put drugs in it, and I promise you we did not. But there’s a lot of passion in it,” Israel said.
Christo is thankful to all his supporters, noting that doing music full-time can be trying at times.
“I love doing music, but one of the main reasons I do it is also for the people. So many of them are just waiting to hear more from me… Knowing that I got another hit is surreal.”
