Exploring love and Caribbean Diaspora through art and music

On June 12, Miles Regis unveiled a new Augmented Reality work for the annual Summer for the City Festival at Lincoln Center, located at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023. Titled “Safe Space,” the immersive commission and experience brings the Trinidad-born artist’s signature vibrant, expressive style to Lincoln Center’s campus, honoring the diverse cultures in New York.

Etienne Charles is longtime friends with Regis and is a celebrated trumpeter and bandleader whose work fuses jazz with Afro-Caribbean ritual, memory, and movement. His past performances at Lincoln Center also speak to similar themes of Regis’ work: expressing creativity through culture and how to create art for public space and cultural visibility.

It may surprise people to know that Regis has a great sense of humor and that Charles is left-handed.

Regis, commenting on the persons who have had the most significant influence in his life and career, said, “My parents instilled a sense of confidence in me that has served me well throughout my lifetime. Being true to myself and understanding that my talent is unique to me and only me is really what has allowed me to commit to this pursuit of a career in the arts.”

Levels of excellence also inspire Regis, so anyone who has excelled in their field has been a pure inspiration to him, including musicians such as  Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston, as well as other people in various fields.

Charles said Louis Armstrong greatly influenced him as a musician because “He truly changed music forever.”

Regis and Charles grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean. Discussing what it was like growing up there, Charles said, “Growing up in Trinidad was special. Cultural expression in all forms: Music, art, style, food, Carnival. Carnival and Folklore really shaped a lot of my early cultural being and provided so many of my most vivid influences to create music.”

Regis shared a similar sentiment and stated that festivals like Carnival played a significant role in his development as a well-rounded, open-minded individual and a creative spirit.

“My upbringing was truly magical in many ways. I had amazing role models, starting with my parents and a vibrant creative community to draw inspiration. It teaches you to profoundly respect differences,” added Regis.

Charles explained his career: “My first ‘gig’ was a church service at a Spiritual Baptist church in Fyzabad, Trinidad. I was 12. I remember it like yesterday. Then, a couple of years later, at 14, I started playing drums in a Pentecostal church and trumpet in my Catholic Church. My career in the US started in Tallahassee with Leon Anderson’s Quintet and Papo Carrasco’s Latin Attitude.”

Regis has been on stage since he was five years old. He started singing and composing calypso music with my mother, Trinidad legend Pelham Goddard. By the age of 11, he was competing in classical music and calypso competitions. Painting and poetry were also a significant part of my world then. I just loved being a creative child.

“Eventually, I started singing for the popular band Fireflight in my late teenage years. I recorded and toured with them for a couple of years before leaving for college in the USA. I moved to Los Angeles at age 21 and continued to pursue all the creative endeavors that were dear to me as a teenager,” Regis added.

My friends collaborated during the Carnival in Trinidad. Recalling the experience, Charles stated, “This was special. Miles’ work is so vivid, and I knew it would look amazing if blown up on the streets for Carnival.” Elaborating on this, Regis explained that the collaboration for Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago was a natural evolution of their mutual respect and creativity.

Charles and Regis have opportunities to collaborate often since Regis has been a longtime fan of Charles’ music, and Charles was a fan of my artwork and clothing.

“Etienne started collecting my art and purchasing clothing to wear on stage. Eventually, he started commissioning me to do clothing for his appearances. Our creative conversations about wearable art led to him asking me to design for his 2025 Carnival showcase. It was an effortless and respectful collaboration paying tribute to Trinidadian Folklore, a subject matter I have done a deep dive into and created paintings on in the past. Etienne also has a brilliant music project titled ‘Folklore,’ so it seemed like the perfect theme for us to explore,” Regis continued.

Both Regis and Charles had a moment where they realized their art and music had a similar theme of expressing creativity through culture and how to create art for public space and cultural visibility.

Reflecting on this, Regis says it’s a continuous one for him since he feels like he’s only just getting started. He never really feels like he’s attained any level of accomplishment that makes him feel like he’s accomplished his goals. For him, this will show up during the Lincoln Center event, which has always been his dream place to engage with the community.

“It’s a special feeling to understand the significance of bringing Caribbean expression, specifically from islands historically overlooked in many instances, at these prestigious spaces. Miles understands that as well. It’s a privilege as well as my duty. So when you have a chance to collaborate to deepen perspective and add dimensions, Miles is my first call,” Charles shared in reflection.

Discussing how the love and culture of the Caribbean diaspora exist in his work, Charles said it’s all of his music, particularly the grooves, the stories, and the tune titles. For Regis, he believes he is channeling messages that are meant for the collective whole.

Regis wants to share the message with not only Black people in this country but also Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean: “Never apologize for being who you are. Our ancestors paved the way for us to be as authentic as we possibly can be. Authenticity is key.”

Charles’ message to the community is: “Art brings us together. We need to stay that way. It’s a form of communication across the diaspora.”

Regis says he would love his legacy to involve someone genuinely passionate about art, music, or anything. He wants them  to see themselves in him and find inspiration from his story, his work, and his dedication to his craft.

Charles had a similar perspective and said, “I think Miles and I have a similar goal to create pieces that will stand the test of time and speak long after we’re gone.”

The immersive experience of “Safe Space” will be available at Lincoln Center from June 14 to Oct. 14, 2025. 

Regis has also created a limited edition print centered on the theme of “Love is Our Language,” which celebrates the joy, resilience, and cultural memory across diasporic communities. The print will be on sale through Lincoln Center Editions. Those interested can purchase the artwork here: https://art.lincolncenter.org/products/love-is-our-language.