Willis Knowles

"With anticipation growing around the release of their first single "Forbidden Love" and calls flooding in from hotels, bars and event planners hoping to secure an appearance from the band, rising Bahamian stars Willis and The Illest are in an enviable position a year and a half on from the band's first appearance on the local music scene.

The Tribune sat down with the affable crew of talented singers, songwriters and musicians ahead of Thursday night's show at the Bambu club downtown to catch up on what has been a satisfying year for the group of young friends, and find out what they and their fans can look forward to in the 2010.

"The idea behind the song (Forbidden Love) is basically talking about how you have relationships, and you might really love someone but somehow it's not really meant to work. It doesn't work. So it's basically talking about wanting it to work but it's forbidden," said 25 year-old front man Willis Knowles." - Bahamas B2B

"For quite sometime now Ive been a great fan of theirs sneaking to week night performances on work nights to hear them play and listen as the crowd goes wild as Willis the lead vocalist belts out hit after hit, backed up the melodious voice of Mandisa. But what makes the group so dynamic, is at their very core, without the vocals mixed in they have the smoothest, most stirring, feet moving sound on the island." - Fabian Christopher

"Since 2008, Willis and the Illest have been turning Nassau’s music scene on its head with their own brand of reggae from the Bahamas. The group, which is led by vocalist and guitarist Willis Knowles, has seen strong growth in a country that, while it listens regularly to reggae, is largely devoid of home-grown reggae performers, Knowles says. To learn more, CJ Arts talked to Knowles about the group, the popularity of reggae in the Bahamas and Willis and the Illest’s latest single, “Lion in the Jungle,” following the release of their first album, “Natty-Jam” last year." - C.J. Arts