Soul singer and percussionist Vin Cardinal left his home in Trinidad and moved to Sweden where he became a pop star in the 1960s. With his band The Queens, Cardinal toured throughout Europe and recorded several albums which were regional hits. In the early 1970s, he moved to the States and signed with Motown but never attained the popularity Stateside that he enjoyed in Sweden.

Vin is still alive and playing the club circuit.

This beautifully shot 1967 video of Vin and The Queens performing at the Bilzen Jazz And Rock Festival in Belgium is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in awhile. The Queens are divine and Vin is a knockout of a singer. Man, would I love to see a re-union gig.

The video credit gets Vin’s name wrong. It’s Cardinal, not “Cardinale.”