Universal Xpression

1.Dodge Park,Troy,MI
2.The City of Dearborn
3.New Center One,Detroit
4.Kalamazoo,MI
5.Sterling Heights,MI
6.Sheppard Park,Oak Park,MI
7.Huntington Woods,MI
8.Matawan,MI
9.Campus Martiaus,Detroit,MI
10.Charles H Wright Museum,Detroit,MI
11.Plymouth,MI
12.Monroe,MI
13.Detroit Institute of Arts,Detroit,MI
14.Lake Michigan College,MI
15.Albion College,MI
16.Wayne State University,Detroit,MI
17.Battle Creek,MI
18.South Bend,IN
19.Indianapolis,IN
20.Caribbean Center,Windsor,ON
- UXP

1.Fifa Soccer World Cup
2.Afro World Festival Detroit,MI
3.Caribana Festival,Toronto,Canada
4.Mecca Carnival,San Francisco,CA
5.Concert of Colors,Detroit,MI
6.Caribbean International Festival,Detroit,MI
7.Festival of Life,Chicago,IL
8.Great Lakes Folk Festival,Lansing,MI
9.Island Festival,Kalamazoo,MI
10.Kentucky Reggae Festival,Louisville,KY
11.Labour Day Celebration,Brooklyn,NY
12.Carousel of Nations,Windsor,Ontario
13.Caribbean Festival,LCC,lansing,MI
14.Top of The Park,Ann Arbor,MI
15.Yamaica my Weekend,Rock Island,IL
16.Founder’s Festival,Farmington Hills,MI
17.Heritage Festival,Jackson,MI
18.Bob Marley Bash,Blind Pig,Ann Arbor,MI
19.Culturama,Nevis (Caribbean)
20.Carnival,St Thomas, USVI
22.Midwest Reggae Fest,Cleveland,OH
- UXP

One band that is always in demand for events in the Caribbean-Michigan communities is Universal Xpression whose members have come together from the Caribbean Islands of Nevis, the Bahamas, Trinidad St. Thomas and Jamaica. Their driving, festive dance rhythms are key to dances, gatherings, parades, and carnival celebrations, and the group has been honored with the "Best Live Music" award for ten consecutive years at the Detroit Carnival Parade, as well as awards for Detroit's "Best Soca Band" and "Best Live Carnival Parade," in San Francisco, California.

Richard Parris (keyboards, vocals) was born on the island of Nevis. Richard inherited his musical inclinations from his father, a well-known folk musician in the Eastern Caribbean; at the age of five Richard started playing steel drum music. His brother Noel (drums) was born on the island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and also started playing at an early age. Noel has played drums with some of the notables in jazz music, has recorded many albums, and studied drums at the Manhattan School of Music where he excelled in African, Latin and Caribbean music. Mark "Reno" Borde (keyboards, vocals), the son of world famous Trinidadian pan player Hugh Borde, has also been playing music since he was a child. He has toured with his father on the Symphony Circuit that included playing with the late, great Liberace.

Kelly Ann Stargill (vocals) grew up singing in the churches of Trinidad and has 15 years of experience in Caribbean music. Earl "Melloman" Clark (keyboards, vocals) is a native Detroiter but was born of Bahamian and Jamaican parentage. His father was one of the founding fathers of the Contours and his mother has sung with some of the greatest in gospel music; Earl began performing on stage at five years of age. Lastly, Billy Noah (bass) is an American who was trained by Titus, one of Africa's premier drummers, and has studied the Wailers, Sly and Robbie and other greats of Jamaica.

UXP is undoubtedly the most popular and hardest working Caribbean band in the Midwest. The band has won more awards and honors bestowed on any Caribbean band. They are a ten-time Winner of the Source News Music and Cultural Awards. “Caribbean Band of the Year”. Their leader, Richard Parris is the six-time Winners of the "Soca / Calypso Artist of the Year," while lead vocalist King Mellowman has also walked away seven - times with the "Reggae Artist of the Year." - David Bauman