Originally published in the Trinidad Guardian in January 2021 under the title ‘Leave me let me wine” this article and video that explored the history of our wine, so the conference mentioned took place in 2021. The Caribbean wine is a thing of wonder, and sometimes derision. We have a love/hate relationship with the movement.…
This article and television news report was produced in 2020, and it was written in response to a common criticism of the modern Carnival, that designers and masqueraders love of nudity was killing creativity. I attempted to explore that argument without prejudice. Published in the Trinidad Guardian (print and online) 22 February 2020 Source: http://www.guardian.co.tt/article/validating-naked-mas-6.2.1059944.a2db36df0a…
Playing myself. A masqueraders account of the experience on the road for a Caribbean Carnival. Three veteran masqueraders detail how this is more than just a fete, but something closer to a genuine religious experience.
This was another of the Psychology of Carnival Series I did for teleSUR English. Hoping to find all four. Will include the Wayback Machine Link to the original here. Some notes to consider I now spell the festival as Kambule, which is from the Kikongo word for procession. The old understanding was that it evolved…
I am sharing some of my articles on my blog, because it seems to be the only way to safeguard them from being erased from the internet. Perhaps they may also find a new audience who may have something interesting to add to the reporting. It also allows me to stop wasting my blog space.…
Après Carnival-la and we are here in T&T reminiscing on what we’ve just experienced. This was a different season for me, a returning to centre because I was never a big masquerader. All I did this year on Monday and Tuesday was J’Ouvert with 3Canal which was special. My first was their last as the…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McPMyu5_3TI?rel=0&w=560&h=315] I’ve been waiting for this video to be released for so many months now. I’d heard snippets from the set from the Producer, and some of the co-ordinators, and have waited with baited breath for its release and finally it’s out. The video released on The Fader Friday. My friend Laura at LoopTT…
Bahamas Carnival just ended and Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin were there. It was the first time the pair performed their soca hit Busshead outside of Trinidad. The duo were interviewed about their collaboration, and careers, on ILTV’s chat show The Stew. They’ve (the show’s producers) posted the entire episode online, so you can fast…
There’s a conversation that takes place in Jamaica about Dancehall versus Soca very regularly. And that conversation gets very heated around Jamaica Carnival. It’s a hard conversation for me to listen to, because having lived in Jamaica – I studied at UWI, Mona – I hear the xenophobia in the comments. Too often when Jamaican…