De Fosto launched D'Carnival Last Night!

A Palace State of Mind - The CD!

The launching of The 'De Original De Fosto Himself' CD turned out be more than that and I must tell you I was very impressed - this was a classy show that showcased the foundation that our Carnival stands on, classic calypso - he unwittingly launched the 2010 Carnival Festival. It felt like you were listening to one to one of the calypso tents as the wit and humor of Sprangalang was heard over the voice of culture radio Wack 901fm.com. I huddled next to my computer listening to Kenny Phillips and his crew welcome the international listeners to this gala event - the Carnival is here!

There were many artistes showcasing their talent. The pan talent rose to the top with Pantastic (Yohan Popwell and friends) harmonizing with De Fosto paying tribute to the late great Lord Kitchener - talk about clean, refined and sweet pan it was pantastic indeed! De Fosto's first selection from his new music was a tribute to the late Kelvin Pope (the Mighty Duke) after which he burned down the Mas Camp Pub with "Pan on Fire" one for the pan fraternity. He was smart enough to introduce members of Catelli All stars; he sang his tribute to "All Stars" with the hope (my thoughts) that they would be playing this song for the 2010 panorama competition - it is a really nice song and should sound pantastic indeed - we will have to wait see (well listen for the sweetness from the steel pan).

Winston "De Fosto" Scarborough was smart with every word uttered for this show but then again some may say that he spoke to much and complained a little bit too much. He did not forget to thank everyone who supported him and especially the media attending the show. He lamented the fact that he was 'robbed' so many times during competition but then pointed out that he is blessed and because of all that he went through he remained consistent and produced excellent music that documented the trials and tribulation of the people as only a real calypsonians could proclaim.

A Palace State of Mind ensures that the continuity of the calypso artform is in good hands now that the late great Lord Kitchener is gone to the after life. The music on the compact disc is a good social discourse and also has music for the panorama competition. Let see what happens if he enters the calypso competition this season. Will he be successful or will the hard hitting In a palace state of mind ostricize "De Original De Fosto Himself" to the calypso grave yard once again.

Final thoughts... the music rendered was first class calypso, the lyrics are biting with savvy implications of political satire and added melodic flavor for the pan purests. This is a well crafted calypso classic and a recording of music that should be added to your collection.  Congratulation to "De Original De Fosto Himself" for some really sweet calypso compositions and more so for launching the 2010 Carnival season.

Reactions:

Calypso to Soca to Chutney Blends!

Shorty created it ... it was rejected, but is coming back with a bang!

This post is meant to make you, the reader pause and reflect; however, before you quickly say "nah, not going to happen" just consider this a 'thought provoking" article with a reflection of the rejection of Lord Shorty's music when he experimented with Indian and Calypso rhythms during the formative years of Soca. We have now come full circle and Shorty's impact on the music is now coming home to roost.

Soca music will slowly die! This will happen because of the introduction of "Riddims" which will eventually stifle the creativity of the artistes. Those of you whom are monitoring the new releases must have noticed the impact of Jamaican "Riddims" coming form the current crop of Soca stars. Almost every track relates to a Riddim and it is still labeled as Soca. One riddim has several sets of lyrics attached to it. Does it sound good? Of course it does but it is stifling creativity and is the easy way to getting on the radio and possibley having your name mentioned for the Carnival season. Is this financially good maybe but it will not last! So the big question is what will then happen? It has already started and it is one of the fastest growing music in and of Trinidad and Tobago. Yes here comes Trinidad (once again like we did with Soca music) saving Caribbean music once again (pardon me, leave out Jamaica).

So how will Trinidad save the music once again? Blends of Chutney music in everything! Have you listened to the remake of Maestro's Tanty? I think it is called "Mousy" and is sung by a young Trinidadian - really sweet music.

In Trinidad Chutney music and the use of Chutney Rhythms (not Riddims) is seeping into everything and guess what my friends everybody is loving it. Don't think for one moment that this is not true. I understand that some people don't pay attention to Trinidad music and artistes other than to be critical but pay attention to Chutney... we even have Chutney Parang for Christmas. I guess we are safe with this one because some Caribbean communities are not interested in Chutney music and can't lay claim to creating it like they are doing with Soca (God rest Ras Shorty I's soul). My advice to you is that you should pay attention not to the "Riddims in Soca" but the blends of Chutney music more so Chutney Rhythms in everything. I have to say here that it will not necessarily have Indian lyrics but the Rhythym ... Bunji is surely having fun with it. I do hope that when the changes do come that people don't react the way they did when Shorty removed the Indian instruments from his music but placed the same Indian rhythms on Western instruments (it is called denial).

I understand most outsiders don't see this coming but Trinidad's carnival produces a vast resource of music for the start of the Caribbean Carnival season. Simple volume will flood the market with these Chutney blend rhythms very soon. Just listen up and pay attention to the music coming out of Trinidad and Tobago...

Reactions:

Soca Tankalanka 2

"I Cyar Say Nothing 'Bout Dat!"

"Shadow said that soca: '...is just a new name for modern calypso', and that his claim to fame is for 'moving the bottom of the music, and introducing the changes in the bass lines ... My music is characterized by a lot of energy, because of my emphasis on the foot drums and bass ... What everybody's doing now is considered to be soca. But that is because the word spread so big after Shorty did his mixture. But I have never copied from them. If what they're doing is soca, and what I have done is soca, the truth lies within there, because I have always remained original.' (quotes from T 'n' T Mirror, 10 Feb. '89).

I have never seen anything that comes close to this... "I know but I cyar say nothing 'bout dat". Now have you ever been in such a situation or even in speaking to someone heard them make such a statement?

Indeed people are strange and trust a Trini to complicate the situation even more. I was recently speaking to someone regarding the continuing discussion and commess regarding the creation of the music genre Soca.  I asked a very straight forward question after reading a quote from the Mighty Shadow regarding the music he created during the same period that Shorty was experimenting with the inclusion of Indian rhythms into the calypso beat. Shadow did not come out and state that he created Soca in the article but implied that he created the Soca beat.

My question was simply this, "Gosh ah glad ah ketch up with you, I read a quote from Shadow and he implied that he created Soca. What is your opinion?"

The response was, "he probably did, check out how early he started".

Now hold on, why can't this person go on record with this? I did ask the question and he responded with, "I can't" after which he logged off the internet without even saying good night... typical Trini eh. So there you have it we are always walking on rice paper and unwilling to come out and say what we think. Maybe that is the reason that Trinidad is in such a mess today everyone has something to say but no one is talking.

When we can't talk about the things that concern us and people on the outside realize that we simply don't want to ruffle feathers they come into the cook-up and add to the commess themselves. As a result of this (our reluctance to discuss the subject) we have people whom are not Trinidadians claiming Soca music as theirs and are even accusing Trinidadians of stealing the  music from them. This is the situation that we have created but we need to let the World know in no uncertain terms that Soca Music was created by innovative Trinidadians and we should name the Trinidadians who did so without fear - then not a damn dog bark!

Now here is where most people get confused:

Despite the complaints, Ras Shorty I produced the year after (1974) an album entitled The Love Man, which continued in the same vein as "Indrani" and, with the exception of one song, featured a dholak on every track. After this album was again rejected for using East Indian instruments, Ras Shorty I decided for his 1975 recording to change the instrumentation. While in his new arrangements he removed the East Indian musical instruments, he nonetheless kept the rhythms they played by distributing them on traditional Western instruments, in particular the drum set and the guitar.6 According to Ras Shorty I, some of the musicians, including the keyboard and the conga players, found it too difficult to play the new rhythms and reverted to those they knew best---the traditional calypso rhythmic patterns. The mixture of the new rhythms combined with the traditional ones on Western musical instruments not only stopped the whole controversy about "Shorty playing Indian," but also proved to be a commercial success for his album named Endless Vibrations.
This excerpt was taken from an article  written by  Jocelyne Guilbault of the University of Ottawa  entitled "The Politics of Labelling Popular Musics in English Caribbean and can be seen/read from the following link.

http://www.sibetrans.com/trans/trans3/guilbault.htm

Take note of the text that I put in bold because most people who keep saying that Soca music does not have Indian rhythms don't have any music training to understand what Shorty did.  I am sure there are musicians out there who can explain how this was done and can identify the rhythms that Shorty placed on Western instruments. This was done to appease people who thought there was too much Indian influence in the music.

Reactions:

The "Islands" of Trinidad and Tobago

If someone should ask you how many islands make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, how would you answer? Well I asked some of my friends and they said, “Two, no wait there are some small island off the Northern tip of Trinidad and Carrera of course.” Well it is not as simple an answer as that and there are many smaller islands that make up the Republic. Wikipedia is a good start but they have a list of the ’23 distinct islands’. I concluded that they meant 'lands of significance'. However, any piece of land jutting out of the ocean is considered an island and as a result the count is closer to thirty (30) islands. Do your homework and look it up and add a comment to this post.

23 Islands of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic republic in the southern Caribbean which consists of 23 distinct islands. The following is a list of these islands.

Major islands
Trinidad
Tobago

Bocas Islands
The Bocas Islands lie between Trinidad and Venezuela, in the Bocas del Dragón (Dragons' Mouth). Locally they are referred to as "Down the Islands".

Chacachacare
Monos
Huevos
Gaspar Grande (Gasparee)
Gasparillo (Little Gasparee or Centipede Island)

Five Islands
The Five Islands are a group of actually six small islands lying west of Port of Spain in the Gulf of Paria. Also known as Las Cotorras.

Caledonia Island
Craig Island (Craig and Caledonia are joined by a narrow reef)
Lenagan Island
Nelson Island
Pelican Island
Rock Island

San Diego Islands
Sometimes referred to simply as the Diego Islands, these two islets lie between the Bocas Islands and the Five Islands.

Cronstadt (Kronstadt)
Carrera (a prison island)

Others in the Gulf of Paria
Farallon (Flat Rock), in San Fernando Harbour
Soldado Rock

North Coast of Trinidad
Saut d'Eau

Off Tobago
Little Tobago (Bird of Paradise Island)
St. Giles Island
Goat Island
Sisters' Rock

Queen's Island (from anonymous poster)

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago

Reactions:

One Guava Per Day

Photo from our very own "Gailos" Paramin collection

I remember, as a child, going into Netto lands to pick guava in an area that had about seven very big guava trees clustered in an area that once had an 'old time house'. No one lived there anymore but the fruit trees they  planted always had an abundance of fruit when the season came. The guavas were harvested and taken home  and washed and cut in halves for boiling. All of this was done outside, in the back yard, on three stones, fire wood and big pot.  I remember making jam, jelly and guava cheese. As I recall, I boiled the guava (with everything inside them... use your imagination), drained the liquid  and squeezed every bit of liquid from the guava with a piece of cloth made from cotton (those were were credited as ouch, ouch, ouch experiences). The juice was then boiled with sugar and spices added for flavor. The jams and jellies were delicious but I don't know why we called it 'cheese' but it was all guava and edible - that was all that mattered. During that period of my youth in Trinidad we always had home made bread and of course hops and 'belly full' from Ragoo's bakery.  I remember my uncle joking about the owner of Ragoo's bakery and the spelling of the word bread. He spelled it 'bred' when told that he left out the letter 'a' he then spelled it 'breda'... those were the 'good ole days' of hops bread and ham, hops bread and cheese with a little salt butter and of course hops bread and guava jelly.
Guava Nutrition Update:
Did you know  that "guavas are often marketed as "superfruits", being rich in vitamins A and C with seeds that are rich in omega-3, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and especially dietary fiber. A single Apple Guava (P. guajava) fruit contains over four times the amount of vitamin C as a single orange (over 200 mg per 100 g serving) and also has good levels of the dietary minerals, potassium, magnesium, and generally a broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients.

However, nutritional value is greatly dependent on species, the Strawberry Guava (P. littorale var. cattleianum) notably containing only 30–40 mg of vitamin C per 100g serving, a fifth of the vitamin C found in more common varieties. Vitamin C content in the Strawberry Guava is still a high percentage (62%) of the Dietary Reference Intake. However,'Thai Maroon' guavas, a red Apple Guava cultivar extremely rich in antioxidants. Green apple guavas are less rich in antioxidants. Guavas contain both carotenoids and polyphenols – the major classes of antioxidant pigments –, giving them relatively high dietary antioxidant value among plant foods. As these pigments produce the fruits' color, guavas that are red or orange in color have more potential value as antioxidants sources than yellowish-green ones".  Information from Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava

Reactions:

Pirates & Music

“The bill proposes a 10-year prison sentence and maximum $250,000 fine for those found guilty of selling a product without the permission of the copyright owner, importing such products or infringing copyrights”

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161294410

Finally they are getting their acts together, hip, hip hooray for the people who saw this through. The Minister of Legal Affairs, Peter Taylor had strong words for the pirates as a bill was tabled in Parliament to punish the pirate merchants who suck the blood out of the hard work done by artistes whose only source of income is the sale of their music. This bill was long overdue and hopefully, with good enforcement, the amount of pirated music and movies would diminish. Some people can’t tell the difference between the original and the counterfeited product. However, the price, more times than ever is a revelation of the counterfeited product.

Another interesting development took place when an entity named The Trinidad and Tobago Copyright Collection Organization attempted to grant 'a mechanical license' to over 5,000 music CDs and DVDs pirated in order to provide some form of legitimacy. This would have allowed this illegal activity to continue and give them some form of legitimacy. Now here is the question, how does this new organization intend to compensate the artistes for the works that they allowed these pirate groups to forge ahead with? How do they intend to monitor these entrepreneurs and keep track of the number of works copied and sold? What about the quality of the artist’s work and would the copies be of the quality provided by the legitimate producers of the music?  Now we can see how much of a problem we have and how this new organization only complicates the situation even further. The question one needs to ask is if this is a legitimate organization liscensed by the government and recognized by the reputable music protection agencies across the globe. No, I don't think that this ornanzation is recognized or sanctioned by any of the legitimate agencies working on behalf of the artistes or musicians. COTT will not and should not stand for this. This organization is probably a few members from the pirate group attempting to legitimize their illegal trade.

The Minister also said: “Any licenses issued to anyone engaged in the sale, rental or manufacture of painted works purporting to legitimize such activity are fraudulent."

Now that is also very interesting because the people who produce the artwork for the CD and DVD labels are just as guilty as the persons producing and selling the counterfeited works. I congratulate the Minister and COTT (for its perseverance) in this matter. Counterfeiting agents will never stop their trade because these are very lucrative businesses where they don’t have to create anything but simply act like leaches and suck the life blood out of the industry and the artist’s pockets.

A 10 year prison sentence and a Maximum fine of $250,000 for the guilty parties is a good start for this illegal trade. Let us hope that the enforcement of the law will be swift and just. We all can’t wait for the Carnival season to come around to hear the works of the calypsonians now they may have a chance to protect their investment with the law finally coming aboard to protect their investments.
Finally, do you believe that any of this means anything to the counterfeiters? No way and some of the sellers of these illegal recordings set up shop in the heart of the business districts without fear of prosecution. In the end, as Stalin said in song, "you are just a thief ... ah damn thief".

Reactions:

SMILE | Ataklan Feat. Terry Lyons | 2010

Sensually, this was the best release for the 2010 season; Ataklan and Terry Lyons combined harmoniously to produce one of my favorite songs ever  - "SMILE"

Terri Lyons, sister or Faye Anne and daughter of the Soca Baptist Austin "Super Blue" Lyons, has teamed up with one of my favorite singers Ataklan and produced an absolute gem and one that I consider the best sensual track so far for the 2010 season.

This track should cross the island 'who better than who' idiotic conversations and simmer at the top. Now when this gem pushes aside all the repeated rhythms (riddims) offered by other artistes, just the way royalty should, not a damn dog should bark! This is plain and simple sweet music that should make anyone simply Smile.

It is interesting that segments of the video for this gem were done during the festival of lights, Diwali. This  goes to show how the cultural diversity of the island runs through every segment of the society.  Notice at the end of the video how Terri runs her hands over the lighted deyas as the flames suck the oxygen out of the air lending to the warmth and sensual feel of the video. We transition from the yellow and orange flame of the lighted deyas and find ourselves immersed in an  orange backdrop with a burning red  hibiscus and finally Terri, with her beautiful 'SMILE' bringing the video to an end. Now do you think that I should put a country of origin stamp on this video/song? Why should I ruin this beautiful work with similar selfish nonsense seen in so many threads on Backchat?

We are one Caribbean people and our voices should always proclaim that fact. As a matter of fact it should be our mantra because we are stronger together as one people - Beautiful and Sensual... This is what we as a Caribbean people have to give to the World and we should celebrate our God given talents everyday with positive thoughts and deeds (in other words let's big up each other instead of trying to talk down to one another). Now sit back and run the vibes again and just S M I L E!

Addendum:
I have an update to this one and it may or may not be to your liking. The song was given an Island Pop flavor (Trini Island Pop style). Take a listen and see if it still sounds fabulous!

Please be advised that the music is presented here for your listening pleasure and for promotional purposes only ("Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976). Lend me your ears... Enjoy!

♫ Please press the play button (below) to listen (small triangle in circle).

Reactions:

SOCA Tankalanka! Part 1

SOCA Music -"The Good, Bad and Indifferent"

The Good: We have the music and it is wonderful - Soca!
The Bad: There is too much misinformation regarding the start of this music genre - Soca!
Indifferent: Almost everyone accepts the stories told and really don't care much about any wrongs that have taken place regarding the contributions of others!

Almost everywhere you search the subject "Soca" you will come across articles that state emphatically that "Lord Shorty" created the new music genre, but is this a bullet proof statement to make? No, I don't think so but no one can fault you for stating that he named the genre Sokah that was erroneously reported in the Sunday Punch by Ivor Ferreira as Soca.  It can also be stated that his ideas  impacted this new music  in the formative years.  Now you may be wondering where I am taking this conversation and before you finish reading this brief statement you may want to wring my neck. Sacrilegious to come here and make statements that go against the grain but in the end I believe that you will sympathize with most of the parties involved in the discussion.  After all it is important that justice and fair play take place and just due is given to the people who deserve the accolades for their creative genius.

Recently King Wellington went on Wack Radio and stated emphatically that Shorty did not create Soca music. However, he was putting forward a case for his style of music during that period that was called Ruso Funk.  Ruso Funk, the name never stuck and was incorporated under the umbrella of Soca. He is still upset and is supported in his claim by one Dimitri Subotsky, the owner of the Calypso Archives (the only known archive in existence). King Wellington's claim is noted here because his music, most people will tell you, is the music that most resembles Soca as we know it from the early days.

I will not go into the claims made by Shorty about how he came up with the music because those claims are  well documented all over the web ; there is also the 1995 G.B.TV interview available for viewing on YouTube an this blog entitled "Dougla Rhythm? Sokah? We now call it Soca". However,  I will quote from an interview done by Trinisoca.com with Winsford Devine, the great song writer. Please read and re-read the excerpt from the interview in quotation marks...
Recorded: on July 19, 2007
Posted: September 12, 2007
Edited: September 14, 2007
MR. DOUGLAS: Just after the Soca started to get accepted, Ed Watson to me was the man in the forefront of the musical arrangements.
WINSFORD: He did a lot of things for 'Merchant' and them. Hear what happened to that song. Ed Watson and 'Shorty' were in the studio doing the song and their ideas clashed and they quarreled and so on. I went to visit Arthur De Coteau a morning; Arthur used to live upper Bournes Road, St. James, in a little street close to the cemetery. 'Shorty' bust in the door by Arthur and started to talk about how he and Ed Watson fall out last night and is Arthur who finished the song for him and so on. The song was called "Endless Vibrations". The next album 'Shorty' made had a lot of quarrel over it too. He went in the studio with the people and them without music. That was sweet music, "Om Shanti". He had no music written for the song. They sat down there and arrange the song with their mouths for him. When the LP came out there was no mention of them on it. Roy Cape always talks about that. He took all the credit. He put himself as the arranger, but if you don't know music, how could you arrange? Now these things happen."
http://www.trinisoca.com/devine/120911.html

Now, I was in two heated discussions in Islandmix.com/backchat regarding Soca and Shorty's role in the creation of the music.  I even created a thread named 'Shorty is the creator of Soca' to counter the other thread that insisted Shorty did not. This was my final post to that thread:
"Shorty did name the music "Sokah" that was changed to "Soca" - no one could dispute that fact. The music arrangements that made the songs unique and by extension Sokah was heavily influenced by the people who in conjunction with Shorty arranged the music... we are talking about great music arrangers - 1. ED WATSON and 2. ARTHUR DE COURTEAU and 3.ROY CAPE (they all had input into the original music and maybe moreso than Shorty (on a technical level). However, we have to keep in mind that the music was his idea and it was his LP (Shorty) and because of the latter fact we have the confusion today regarding who created the music. Now, did someone purposely leave out the credits  for the others who added their creative genius with this original work?  We don't know and it is too late in the game to get the truth - to be honest  we are only spitting in the air with all the speculations.

It is unfortunate that today one person gets credit for it all however, we can say that Shorty's ideas led to the development of the music that all of these guys were a part of during the formative years of Sokah aka Soca.
This is how I now look at the big picture. Today that music does not exist as it was originally conceived and created anymore (only in recordings). This is very interesting because all new music with this fast pace  from all over the Caribbean is now labeled Soca."

Final Thoughts:
To conclude I will say this: If Shorty did not try to change the music, if he did not persevere and stick to his guns we would not have the music that is known as Soca today.  The fact that he had a disagreement regarding the arrangement of the music with Ed Watson shows how passionate about what he wanted the music to sound like. He started the movement and he branded it Sokah; now give him the credit he deserves irregardless of who helped with innovations to the music. 

Think about this...Microsoft corporation was recently ordered to stop selling their product Microsoft Office (the leader in word processing software) because of copyright infringement.  Just think about it, a short script brought this huge body of work to a screeching stop (of course they will work out a deal). What do you think that Shorty's contribution to the music we call Soca today  is worth?  Can I now put this to rest...

WACK Radio901FM.com Music Downloads

Reactions:

The Law is an Ass!

I recently read a story about a 13 year old girl who was sentenced to three years' incarceration at a home for juvenile delinquents for the "theft of her aunt’s jewelry". The problem is the report stated that the girl took the jewelry to go and lime with her friends (to lime is to hang out in Trinidad) . The report did not say that the girl took the jewelry to sell it or if any of the jewelry was lost or sold.

Now I understand what the child did was wrong but is the punishment fitting for the "crime"? This same report was broadcast on one of the radio stations from southern Trinidad. In that report there was also a story of a man who stole items from a supermarket. The sentence from the court for the theft was a fine of TT$50.00 for stealing from the supermarket. Now tell me how do you compare these offences where a child stole or 'borrowed items' from a family member and was put away for three years and an adult who stole from a business establishment and only fined TT$50.00 for the offence?

"The Law is an Ass and in this case a dumb Ass!"

Now when most children are in high school preparing for their CXC examination this child is now a ward of the state! How does this help this child to develop into a worthy citizen? This child now has a record that will be an impediment to her future work related activities. What in heaven’s name is going on in Trinidad? This child and parents should have been directed to the relevant social services for help.

This child needs help not incarceration!

Forget 20/20 vision that has nothing to do with the social development of the society but only has to do with making Port-of-Spain resemble one of the smaller US cities. This is a shame and the public should not allow this to happen. The adult who stole and only fined got the deal of his life while the child's life and future aspiration got dumped in the wasteland of the Governments wishy washy juvenile system that simply does not help these young people - it is just a place to lock away 'so called delinquents' - in other words simply a jail for children!

Reactions:

Trinidad's Mud Volcanos

Mud! No, don’t start making plans to join a band for Monday Mass – it isn’t about carnival. Neither does it apply to a mud bath at some exotic Spa (ding, ding, ding … idea for a new industry). It has to do with Mud Volcanoes that dot Trinidad’s southern geological landscape. Nature's unique blend in the southern belt causes the earth to ooze a bubbly concoction to the surface that fascinates the local population as well as visitors to the southern belt in Trinidad. It should be noted that all of the known mud volcanoes are located in the area of the land based oil finds. The Trinidad and Tobago Geological society provides a map of known mud volcano sites in Trinidad that is presented below with the web address to access more information about these natural wonders.

http://www.gstt.org/teaching/mv.htm

There are several areas to visit starting with the Devil’s Wood yard that is reported to have at least fifty active vents. These mud vents located east of Marabella erupt infrequently but the events are reported to be very dramatic indeed.

The Piparo site provided a spectacular eruption in 1997 burying ten houses and covered a one square mile area in mud.

The Cascadoux mud volcano is located in the Manzanilla area and is in the same fault line as the offshore volcanic activity at Point Radix.

Several others exist including Digity that is located in Debe, South Trinidad and has a cone that is reportedly 20 feet high that also ejects mud and gas.

L’Eau Michel is located on Penal also in South Trinidad.

Lagon Bouffe is located in the Trinity Hills wild life sanctuary and is reportedly one of the largest on the island.

The Anglais Point mud volcano is located in the Palo Seco area again in South Trinidad and flows about seven hundred feet onto the beach.

The Erin Mud Volcanoes are part of a chain of mud volcanoes that run from Cedros to Morne Diablo and are reported to have the volcano with the largest cone.

The Karamat mud volcano is located in the Moruga area and has small pools of mud with oil visible in the mixture.

The Chatam mud island created a stir with the ocean bubbling and oozing a sulfurous mix. The end product was a dark grey clay stone like material with yellow streaks of sulfur.

A good place to start looking for information is at the government geological site that is presented as a link above but there are many online resources that provide detailed information about each site. The information presented here is just a start since there are other smaller sites not covered here. Please access the government site for details on the sites if you plan to adventure into Trinidad's Mud volcanic areas.

Reactions:

Dey Spoil Paramin Parang!

Sometimes we should be wary of change and change for change sake may not always be a good thing. You know the saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it and a good example of this  is the Paramin Parang festival. This event   usually takes place on the traditional Monday before Christmas but was moved to a new venue and date for 2009. Immediately people sensed that 'this was not right'.  They broke the mold and moved the Parang from Paramin to the Trinidad Country Club in Maraval. Yes Gailos they spoilt the Paramin Parang because it is now Maraval parang!

Some people grudgingly attended the event that was held last Friday and immediately the feeling was that the tradition that made the event special and its special link to Christmas was now gone. Gone also was the bush rum and the abundance of wild meat and the Paramin pastelles and the numerous stalls selling all the traditional foods offered by the regular Paramin vendors. That was just it most of the regular participants from Parmin were missing. It felt like the heart and soul of the festival was replaced by an upscale group that did not understand that it was Paramin and the ghosts of celebrants from the past that gave the event that feel of Paramin Parang. This was different this was Maraval not "we Paramin".  Indeed there were those who had a wonderful time and were happy not to have been trapped in the traffic that usually had people so annoyed for the traditional festival but at the same time the sights and sounds and the smell of the mud were missing - these little annoyances made you know that "yuh reach" and that yes Paramin parang is alive and well!
However, change is here and with some change comes improvements' that would take some time to sink in if only it could 'sink in ‘at the recreation grounds in the hills of Paramin.  The sense that this change was not good also trickled down to the amount of bands that participated in the event this year with the numbers less than the previous year.  Some of the bands that participated in the Maraval event included the reigning National Parang Champion, Los Alumnos De San Juan, Los Tocadores, Flores De San Jose, Paramininos, Marcia Miranda and Damian Joseph the Chinee parang man.

Some people were happy and loved the abundance of bake and shark while others lamented the fact that Paramin Parang was now Maraval Parang. The traditionalists were there lamenting the lack of the babash and all the traditional meats and food that made the parang "Paramin Parang" was gone and with it the that which made their parang so special. Well let's hope that a change of heart will take place and next year we can once again head to the Paramin recreation ground to complain about the traffic and mud but in the end leave satisfied that the tradition of Paramin Parang lives on.
Information for this article was obtained from: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161572232

Reactions:

The Lady In Black

We all have our childhood fears some of which are imagined while some are real. However there are some events that are a little bit of both and these are the ones that remain with us for the rest of our lives. I am no different from anyone else and I too have some childhood memories that are vivid and, in my own world, feel like they happened yesterday. This story is one of those; as a child we had to deal with many stories including that of Mano Benjamin and the infamous Lady in Black. This story is all about one evening that the Lady in Black touched the lives of some very young girls - I am here today to tell you this story.

Our parents got the latest news from the radio stations and the local newspapers, the most popular of which was the Trinidad Guardian that we called the Gazette (the Trinidad Guardian still survives to this day).  Well one morning I heard my dad reading a story to my mom. As he read the story I felt a chill run down my spine and the hair on the back of my neck stood erect. I immediately ran to the bedroom and told my sisters the story of the 'Lady in Black'. They listened attentively as I retold the story that was read by my dad about the lady who dressed in black and went around stealing helpless, innocent babies leaving the parents devastated. I believe this was first reported in the southern part of the country, in San Fernando to be exact.   The story spread like a wild fire around the country.  We immediately huddled around the bedroom window looking outside for signs of the Lady in Black. I could feel my little sister shaking and her knees literally knocking next to me.

Like all families growing up in the 'good ole days', our family and immediate neighbors were very close and tight knit (we still are today). During those glorious days in Trinidad, yards were not fenced and doors were left open - there was no fear of thieves coming to steal anything because we shared everything.  People could walk into yards unnoticed (well except for those with 100 pot hounds lurking under the steps ...Lol). However, with the reports of the Lady in Black people were now closing their doors and windows even people who did not have babies.  As young girls we did everything together and that included playing dolly house, hopscotch, picking mangoes and going to the Latrine. Yes I said going to the latrine and apart from it being a big event it was also about feeling secure. In the pitch black of night it took some time for our  eyes to adjust to the night light and with the candle flies in the distance and the crapos singing  poong na na no one wanted to go outside by themselves.  So every night we all went with whoever had to do "their thing -this was teamwork at its very best.  Me and my six sisters and our next door neighbor, all female, accompanied each other at nights whenever someone had to go to the latrine.

One night we went about our business hurrying to the latrine with one of the girls who had an urgent need to 'go".  As we opened the door to get inside the latrine there was this figure in black staring at us - it was the Lady in Black and she came to get one of us.  Well we ran screaming, bawling and ran blindingly fast to the front of the house. We needed to be comforted but then there was our father and brother dyeing with laughter - they got us good. As it turned out    my second youngest sister had a three foot doll that she would take for walks on the side walk or Savannah in Arima, yes we lived in Arima.  My silly dad and brother dressed this doll up in black and hung it on the latrine door knowing that the gang would be heading to the latrine at some time that night. This was a classic set up that worked so well; it scared the hell out of us.  Who ever intended to do their business that night was probably scared sh*tless, no pun intended...

Information for this story was submitted by Paula  M.  wife of Sandiego Lee wife 

Reactions:

Lord Shorty is the creator of Soca music!

When Garfield Blackman aka Lord Shorty coined the word Sokah to describe his music (a fusion of East Indian music and Calypso) do you believe that the other experimentations done by people like King Wellington (Russo Funk) were similar? Please also add in Shadow and anyone from the rest of the Caribbean region. Now if the argument is that Calypso is the common denominator in the discussion does it mean that all fusions of music with Calypso as the core are the same? I know I already asked a few questions but that is just the problem... there are so many questions being asked with few answers forthcoming. The question of what is Soca seems to be causing great dismay among people from the Caribbean region outside Trinidad and Tobago.

I believe that the problem at hand is one of labeling.  I am not musically inclined to be able to analyze music and be able to say because of some form of drum instrumentation a certain music track can be considered soca. I don't even know where to begin. However, common sense dictates that since Shorty coined the word Sokah that was mistakenly reported as Soca in the press when the Ivor Ferreira examined his (Shorty's) new music then the music that Shorty created and named Sokah is indeed his 'Soca'.

Now I know folks will be against this because they will say he was not the only person who created the music and that is correct to a point. The music that is labeled Soca today is not the same music that Shorty created and that can be easily discerned when you listen to his work.  However, Shorty himself changed the music so that it would not sound too Indian and in effect appease those whom were critical of the original music.  He stated that he put the rhythm of the Indian beat on the drum set and at that time there was still opposition to the style of music with the percussion people wanting to do "their own thing". As I said, he did not do it by himself  (no man is an island) and there are many artists throughout the Caribbean region whom are still adding to the music.

So in the end even if you don't believe that the music that is called Soca today was created by Shorty that is your opinion but remember opinions are meaningless without the facts to support them. Shorty named his music Sokah and the World followed and called it Soca. It is unfortunate that everything else is labeled Soca today... that is not Shorty's fault and it is sad that he is not around to defend his creation. Just maybe those who want to put ownership of the music elsewhere should rename the music and move on but we know that will not happen. Take note because we must remember that  'Who Jah Bless No Man Curse'. 'So Watch Out My Children' because the detractors may soon  lay claim to Jamoo music or state that it existed long before Shorty named it!
Listen to the man and his music:

Vibrations Groove - Lord Shorty

Reactions:

Asa Wright Nature Centre and Lodge|World Famous

The World famous Asa Wright Nature Center is a natural wonder and Trinidad's gift to the World.“The continental origin and proximity of Trinidad to South America, along with its varied habitats, has resulted in an extremely diverse biota. Species lists for this island are impressive, including 97 native mammals, 400 birds, 55 reptiles, 25 amphibians, and 617 butterflies, as well as over 2,200 species of flowering plants! No other area in the West Indies, and few areas of comparable size in tropical America, can match this spectacular species diversity. Trinidad is 50 miles long by about 37 miles wide, and dominated by the Northern Range, which rises to about 3,000 feet and was historically covered by tropical rainforest. Here, in this lush part of this beautiful island, you will find the magical Asa Wright Nature Centre.” For more information about the center and to read the complete article please visit the official website

http://www.asawright.org/about/index.html”

The Asa Wright Nature Center is nestled 1,200 feet in the bosom of the Northern range just about seven miles from my home town of Arima. As a matter of fact one needs to pass through Arima to get to the Blanchieusse road to access the Northern Range of Mountains to get to the Center. The Nature Center is the oldest of its kind in the West Indies and has been set up in what used to be an old cocoa, coffee and citrus plantation. There was a time in the history of Trinidad when the Arima plantations supplied the main exports of the country – cocoa, cocoa products and coffee. The importance of the cocoa crop meant that the estates were well cared for by their owners. The Asa Wright Nature Center is part of one of those plantations.

The area affords beautiful views with the sound of streams and misty views waiting for the curious traveler/adventurer. I remember bicycling with my friend Claude from Arima all the way to the village of Blanchieusse. I know that the views of the valleys and the smell of the air and the purity of the streams are pristine in many areas. The tropical forests are dense and the terrain affords good perches for the birds that frequent this mountainous region. It is comprised of “1,500 acres of mainly forested land in the Arima and Aripo Valleys of the Northern Range, the AWNC's properties will be retained under forest cover in perpetuity, to protect the community watershed and provide important wildlife habitat.”

In 1999, AUDUBON magazine selected the Centre as one of just nine eco-lodges worldwide that it considered one of "The World's Ultimate Outposts." In 1993, The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago presented the Nature Centre with the Hummingbird Gold Medal for its community service in the field of environmental conservation. This award is among the country's highest national honors (information taken from the Nature Center’s home page).

Indeed the Center should be on the itinerary of nature lovers and it should be noted that this natural wonder,with just a touch of the islanders hands, offers various package deals for staying on site (see link below). So, if ever or whenever you visit my Sugar Island please stop by at the Nature Center where you will relax and unwind with nature and leave feeling recharged for the daily grind of the modern life.

http://www.asawright.org/visitors/index.html

Reactions:

Invaders!

 Photograph: 

Members of the Invaders Steelband, early 1950s.

Started in 1940, Invaders is the World’s Oldest Existing Steelband.

The Holder of The Chaconia Medal (Gold) - Trinidad and Tobago’s premium national award (Saturday 31st August 1996)

A Proclamation from New York City,

An Award from the Port of Spain Co-operation in recognition of the band’s contribution to the development of steelband

Award in recognition of the band’s contribution to the development of the steelpan from The Northern Region of Pantrinbago on August 19th 2007.

Through its founder Ellie Mannette, converted the drum shape from convex to concave which is used today,

Experimented with the 55 gallon oil drum in place of biscuit tins

Created six of the nine instruments in the steel pan family, perfected the uniqueness of note blends on each pan, first to wrap rubber on pan sticks

Was the first band to burn the steel pan as a step in its creation which is standard procedure today

Renowned for having the sweetest sounding pans especially a with a middle range with a distinct sound

Considered the top J’Ouvert Steel Band

Winner of the first-ever Sagicor seven-a-side pan competition in Barbados held in May 2005 with 346 points - a lead of 29 points.

Performed at every single Panorama Competition since the competition’s inception in 1963

Invaders was the First Steelband to receive corporate sponsorship (Shell, Trintoc, Petrotrin, BWIA, Caribbean Airlines).

One of the only steelbands that currently occupies its original home.

Getting the Trinidad Tobago Government to designate their home a national heritage site.

Source: http://www.invaders-tt.com/achievements.html

Reactions:

Talks ongoing for one Caribbean air carrier | The Trinidad Guardian

Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) is attempting to take charge of the Caribbean air space as the only Caricom agent with the assets to fly over the skies of the Caribbean region. The American and European airlines have been in the area for some time now but that means the monies earned left the Caribbean region. Now if Trinidad can secure a deal with the Jamaicans then the dollars earned would remain in the hands of Caribbean people - not a bad idea.

This opportunity came about because as a result of a stipulation to disolve the Jamaican air carrier as part of the deal to secure a loan to keep the Jamaican economy in solvency. However, we already know how the Jamaicans feel about the hand of Trinidad reaching out into the Caribbean region. They were upset with the manner in which we dealt with the cement industry and we already know that music and culture have been in contention for some time now. However this is not about Calypso vs Mento or the power house Reggae music this is about our Caribbean people doing for each other and keeping the wealth in the region. It is about time that we put our petty greviences aside and come to terms with the fact that we as so much alike in so many ways. I do hope that both governments of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago can come to a deal that would incorporate both airlines into one stronger company to serve the community of nations regionally and also in the international markets.

Reactions:

Paramin Scenery

Place your mouse cursor on the photo and  double click  for an expanded view

Here is another photo from Gail's Paramin collection. What is the 'mass' on the tree and does it have a good or bad effect on the tree? Hmm, is it a friend or foe to us?  How many of you remember growing up in Trinidad (hey many of us are in a fog and can't remember...LoL). Can you recall on a very rainy day  what happens after the rain stops with nests like the one in the picture?  Do you recall the inhabitants of nests (like the one in the photo above) coming out and flying around after the rainfall subsided?  We loved to swat them and I do recall we called them "Rain Flies"; but are they really "Flies"?
One great use for that nest above (especially in the country areas) was to break out chunks from the nest and light it to create 'a smoke guard' to ward off those pesky mosquitoes that wanted to suck every drop of blood from your body.  Post a comment!

Reactions:

Trinidad and Tobago: The land of Calypso, Steel Pan, Soca, Chutney and Limbo...

The twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago boasts that it is the land of Calypso, Steel Pan and Soca (the list is a long one so I will stick with these three for now). We announce it to the World and when you Google anyone of these key words the search engines provide information related to Trinidad and Tobago. However, is this really true? Or have we taken from others and claim it to be our very own?  Hold on now and don't get upset (no need for milk of magnesia just yet).  There are many discussions taking place on the Web regarding the claims made by Trinidadians and it appeared to me that I have been living in a vacuum because I am all about 'my culture' and did not pay attention to others.  The islands of Caribbean have a lot of people whom are literally 'pissed off' with Trinidadians and the claims of land of calypso, carnival, 'steelpan' and most of all 'Soca'.

I have seen pages and pages of bitterness and nasty fighting taking place about Soca music in particular and the extended discussions about Trinidadian feeling that they are the center of the 'Caribbean Culture Universe'.  Islandmix.com has a menu that carries the name  "Backchat" and in that forum there is thread entitled, “Lord Shorty Did Not Create Soca...mudderwuk!!" by someone named "VINCYPOWA".  He is very passionate and is fighting off anyone who supports Shorty as the creator of Soca.  Now that is a discussion that will go on forever (many have claims to the creation of Soca). Much of the discussion revolves around or 'black listing' of music and musicians experimenting with music during the same period that Shorty, Shadow, Wellington and others were trying to improve on Calypso to make it a better marketable product for the international community.

Information has been presented showing that many small islanders were singing calypso during the early years just as in Trinidad but I am yet to see any information going back to the early 19th century when the very first recording of calypso was done in 1912 by Lovey's orchestra (an instrumental version) then in 1914 when the Duke of Iron with Jules Sims had the very first vocal recording. Lovey's recording is the only folk music recording (outside the US) that is part of the US Library of Congress music that was archived for posterity in the United States of America. Some have said that it is because we had the Americans in Trinidad that so much attention has been placed on our nation as the founder and innovator of Kaiso, Soca and our Carnival celebration.

Are we that obnoxious to the point that we have erased the impact and contributions of the smaller islands of the Caribbean region? We know that Soca is full fledged Caribbean music but why are people trying to discredit Trinidad and Tobago as the birthplace of the music genre?  Yes the music has changed and yes people from the other islands have impacted it but in my humble opinion the music started in Trinidad. If you want to argue whether or not Soca is an infusion of Indian and African rhythms mixed into Calypso music that Shorty termed "The Soul OF Calypso" as compared to "American Soul music and Calypo music" fused together,  by all means let's discuss it. But the discussion has now moved away from this to lay claim to the music outside of Trinidad. Should we bother and simply consider it Caribbean music?

Well my friends there is something called "intellectual property" and most countries around the World are moving forward to protect that which is theirs, Trinidad and Tobago is no different. This does not have to become a crusade but everyone should be aware that there are forces out there trying to give themselves credit not because of their achievements but by discrediting the achievements of the People of Trinidad and Tobago. So my advice to you if you are here now is to learn the history of our republic and most of all research our culture and musical heritage and get ready to defend your birthright!

Reactions:

What Fruit is This?

What Fruit is this? Well this photo along with a few others were sent to me by Annie Chisholm our very own Gailos - thank you Gail! The photos Gail sent are from the Paramin area and I will post every one in time. So the question stands what is the local and scientific name for this fruit (I have both names... No Kidding eh). Of course Gail cannot participate in this discussion. Gail please don't comment as 'anonymous' ok...LoL.

Gail remarked: "(Name of Fruit here) was in full bloom ah eat till me mouth get tie up"
Place your mouse cursor on the photo and  double click  for an expanded view

Trinidad was once a part of the South American mainland and shares a common vegetation. So if you are familiar with some of the fruits of South America then maybe you can name the fruit seen in this photo.  Good luck!

Reactions:

Soca Creator Caribbean Cook Up Controversy

A Soca creator Caribbean Cook Up controversy recently aired on Wack Radio901fm.com. The program hosted by Ellsworth James had King Wellington as the special guest. King Wellington vehemently disassociated Shorty as the creator of Soca and stated that it was a combination of Soul and Calypso music and not  the infusion of East Indian music with calypso music  that Shorty termed 'the soul of calypso'. 

Just recently, I  posted an article on the creation of Soca music that is very biased regarding the role of Shorty aka Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman) as the creator of the music genre "Soca".  There is an article by Dimitri Subotsky  (owner of the Calypso Archive website) supporting King Wellington's claim to his Rusofunk being the core/birthing ground of Soca. My problem with all of this is that during the early years when Shorty was alive no one came forth and said "this is all propaganda a fabrication of the press". Yes Shorty named his music Sokah that was misprinted in the Punch newspaper as Soca (journalist Ivor Ferreira). Shorty was interviewed by GBTV and in that 1995 interview he explained how he created his music. It should also be noted that  just about every article written by people during that period of creation support Shorty as the originator of the music genre we know today as Soca.

I have no doubt that King Wellington and others have greatly impacted the music that continues to change today. Whether or not it is the 'Soul of Calypso' or 'Soul and Calypso' will forever be discussed and debated. There is presently a heated debate going on for years now on islandmix.com  and  no one is giving ground.

I recently came across a Wikipedia posting on Soca that makes complete sense in my humble opinion. I think the short discourse on the subject clears the air and gives credit to all who claim to have affected or even change the music. The problem is that everyone wants to be 'first'. It may be a better thing to have the claim of being Soca's greatest innovator and leave it there. If your body of work left its' mark on the music it will stand the test of time. The article is posted below and I have italicized and put in bold text that which I consider important. We have a misunderstanding at home between Trinidadians regarding who did what and this has led to people from the other islands to say "we had a hand in the creation of the music genre". See what a mess this has come to.  These are the very same people that Chalkdust and deceased Duke had to teach how to compose and sing calypsos - what a shame!

Soca Music:

"Soca is said to have been invented in 1963 (see 1963 in music) by Ras Shorty I's "Clock and Dagger". Shorty added Indian instruments, including the dholak, tabla and dhantal and soon rivaled reggae as the most popular form of Caribbean music.

Soca reached its modern form by the early 1970s under the influence of American soul, disco and funk music, which reached Trinidadian artists when they began recording in New York City; by this time, most of the Indian-derived elements had been removed from the genre. 

Shorty's 1974 Endless Vibrations and Soul of Calypso brought soca to its peak of international fame. Less lyrically revolutionary than traditional calypso, soca has remained mostly focused on good times throughout its history, though artists like Gypsy (whose 1986 "The Sinking Ship" helped remove the People's National Movement from the Trinidadian government) continued calypso's socially-aware traditions.

Soca's popularity grew through the 70s and early 1980s, finally becoming an international chart-topper after "Hot! Hot! Hot!", a 1983 release by Arrow, who hailed from Montserrat and not Trinidad. Arrow soon proved himself to be one of the most innovative soca artists of the 80s, incorporating zouk and other influences into a series of best-selling singles. Other artists of the 80s put new islands on the soca map, especially Shadow who was born in Tobago, as well as Anguilla with (Swallow) and from Barbados, the band (Square One), and added influences from African spirituals (Superblue), gospel (Lord Shorty, under his new name Ras Shorty I), reggae (Byron Lee & the Dragonaires), Indian music (Mungal Patasar) and funk (Lord Nelson). An important fusion was ragga-soca, which combined Jamaican ragga with soca. Bunji Garlin, KMC, Maximus Dan and Machel Montano & Xtatik were the most popular of the ragga-soca acts of the 1990s."

See wiki link here: Music of Trinidad and Tobago

Now let's get Machel's take on the music:

Reactions:

Vinyl Is Back in Style in Music Stores

Vinyl Is Back in Style in Music Stores - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

Here is an interesting article that should turn the tables in the music industry as well as bring back memories of a glorious past that we thought we will never see happen again. Vinyl Records are back and making waves in the US... more so in NYC.

This is very interesting indeed. This quote from the link above states that "J& R Music, at 23 Park Row southeast of City Hall Park, now carries 21 different turntables at prices ranging from $85 to $875 and carries freshly pressed albums of classic rock as well as vinyl versions of the latest releases from hip-hop icons like 50 Cent and Diddy and new pop stars like Norah Jones and Lady Gaga.

Now if you check the price of vinyl records on EBay, as an example, the prices for LP's range from US $25.00 upwards to US $100.00 for some calypso records. I have spent some money buying Calypso LP's and to tell you the truth I will take the wait and see approach now. I have a good feeling that we will soon see re-releases on vinyl. What is very important to note is that the young people are the one whom are driving this desire for music on vinyl.

So now that the sales of compact discs have plummeted because of mp3 downloads (legal and illegal) it is noteworthy that vinyl sales have been rising and so too are the sales of turn tables.

"It’s all these kids that are really ramping up their vinyl collections,” Ms. Friedman said. “New customers are discovering the quality of the sound. They’re discovering liner notes and graphics.” In many instances, the vinyl album of today is thicker and sounds better than those during vinyl’s heyday in the 1960s and 1970s." That quote was taken from another article that appeared in the NY Times and can be read at this link: Vinyl Records and Turntables Are Gaining Sales.

It is a double take here now we have the rise of vinyl and turntables and I intend to make sure that I get back to the way things used to be when I was in my teens fussing about the best 'needle' for the turntable - this should be fun again.

Reactions:

Map of Tobago and Capital City Scarborough

This is the follow up to the Trinidad map and capital city post. In this presentation we have two maps; one each of Tobago and the capital city of Scarborough.  There are many maps available online but these are two of the best ones that I was able to locate. These maps are also available  at http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/islands/tt/ttm.shtml.  You can double click on the map for an expanded view that will open on another page.

Tobago's capital Scarborough was built by the English in 1779. This island changed owners several times during the early years of settlement. 

Reactions:

Map of Trinidad and Capital City Port of Spain

Here we have two maps; one each of Trinidad and the capital city of Port of Spain.  There are many maps available online but these are two of the best ones that I was able to locate. These maps are also available  at http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/islands/tt/ttm.shtml.  You can double click on the second map for an expanded view that will open on another page.

Port of Spain is Trinidad and Tobago's most developed city. The city serves primarily as a retail and administrative center, while it has been the capital of the island since 1757. It is also an important financial services center for the Caribbean ^[5] and is home to two of the largest banks in the region. Stemming from this status, the International Finance Center was launched in 2008 at the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre.^[6] At 120 m each, the two office towers of the International Finance Centre rank as the 7th and 8th tallest buildings in the Caribbean islands behind structures in the Dominican Republic and Cuba according to skyscrapercity.com. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Spain

Reactions:

NPATT Parang Finals 2009 at the Arima Velodrome

The highly anticipated National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NPATT) 2009 finals took place at the Arima Velodrome last night and continued into early Sunday morning with the announcement of the results. As I write this post I am listing to the guest performance of San Jose Serenaders as the judges finalize the results.  As expected, the music was sweet, the beat infectious and with the crowd on hand dancing the night away it was a show of shows culminating with the crowning of champion of Parang 2009. Some fortunate people (International listeners/viewers) were able to see the entire show live via WACK Radio Television subsidiary feed via the Internet. This is noteworthy since WACK radio has now given Parang an international audience and placed them on the center stage for bigger things and future international performances. These expatriates were fortunate to view this show without cost; it was apparent that they enjoyed the entire show judging from their interaction and reactions to the music in the WACK Radio 'Shout Box'.  Some opinions expressed stated that the traditional parang is on the way out - the music has changed just as the other music genres have changed.  However, it was a glorious night of/for Parang - well done and congratulations to everyone involved!

Drum Roll ... And here are the results (2:11 AM Sunday Morning)                                                                  

1. Los Alumnos de San Juan (185 points)                

2. Amantes de Parranda (177.25 points)

3. La Familia de Camona y Amigos (167 points)

4. Los Amigos Cantadores (165.75 points)

5. Voces Jovenes (156.5 points)

6. La Familia De Rio Claro (146.5 points)

7. Renacer (140.5 points)

8. La Casa Parranda (120.75 points)

Winners this year: Los Alumnos de San Juan.  Photo: Trinidad Guardian Newspaper 

Reactions:

When Steel Talks (Everyone Listens)

When Steel Talks is dedicated to pan worldwide. It is an initiative designed to promote the history and culture of the Steelband globally. Just know that "When Steel Talks" everyone listens - so listen up! No apologies and no compromise on "When Steel Talks"

So what are you waiting on? Let's go and listen to the 'niceness" - pan on the net at the link below & don't forget to check the archive playlist for more musical sessions:

Listen now link here!

http://www.panonthenet.com/radio/index96.htm

When Steel Talks Video on Blip TV

TCL Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra performing live at Moods of Pan Festival 2008 in Antigua. go to http://www.panonthenet.com/videochannels/movie_of_the_week.htm

Reactions:

Isaac Blackman

Not too long ago Isaac Blackman  launched his new website in gala fashion. The venue was the Veni Mange Restaurant in Woodbrook. Isaac is the youngest son of the late great Ras Shorty I. Isaac had the monster hit ‘To the Ceiling’, one of my favorite songs, that carries a message of hope and triumph. Our music will triumph with the likes of Isaac Blackman and the Love Circle churning out music of hope with soul searching lyrics that are not only uplifting but really sweet to groove to - I just love listening to them and you will also.

The website address 'is/was' http://www.isaacblackman.com/; however that site is not available at this time and appears to have a broken link.  I was curious and wanted to see the young man’s site. The web page loaded quickly and has a full page photo of Isaac with a menu to the right side of the page. The website/page is well done and looks very good. However, nothing opens up as if there is no content to link to. Maybe the initial page was meant to be used as an advertisement for the movie "Shanty" that features Isaac’s song “Old School Love”. Hopefully content will be added and the buttons will link to additional information. Some of Isaac's videos and 'most played songs' are available for viewing and listening at URL provided beneath, go and take a look; I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Isaac+Blackman.

I really do enjoy the music of the Love Circle and wish the Blackman family all the best in their future endeavors. I have attached two videos/songs that I really like for you enjoyment... Enjoy!

Reactions: