Between October 3rd -15th Grammy voters are shifting through all the songs and spoken word pieces that were submitted for the 2026 awards. This year Trinidadian singer/ songwriters have really submitted songs that may receive the coveted nods. Close to 30 artistes in over 20 categories have put their music, and one spoken work piece…
You might have heard about the Caribbean words recently included in the latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). As a note to readers from the United States in particular, in the English-speaking Caribbean this is the definitive dictionary for us, as former and current English colonies. The additions have been interesting. As a…
I have a lot of thoughts about Adidja Palmer’s influence on the Caribbean. His charisma, musical legacy and the mess surrounding his failed concert in Trinidad. But writing about Vybz Kartel has been personally rewarding. I received a Caribbean Broadcast Union Award for Excellence in Caribbean Art and Culture Reporting for my report on his…
In the pantheon of Trinidad Mas Characters, the Sailor Mas is probably the most dominant. And the fancy sailor mas costume is the most popular. Those are the ones you see where the base is an American sailor uniform heavily embellished. It could be white. But that is more for traditional sailor mas, the kind…
May 30th is Indian Arrival Day. First celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago as Indian Emigration Day in 1945, 100 years after the first girmityas (Indian immigrants) crossed the kala pani on the Fatal Razak to land here. Those who survived the journey brought with them their rich and ancient culture that has become an intrinsic…
The Caribbean is finally getting its chance to see one of its most dynamic performers on a stage since his shock release from jail last July 31st. On Saturday (technically Sunday 25th May, when he graced the stage) I got to see Adijah Palmer, aka Vybz Kartel at Providence Stadium in Guyana. How did I…
One of the biggest awards in writing for Caribbean authors is the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Held annually since 2012 it rewards great writing and supports writers at various stages of their careers. As in most professions a prize means validation. But it also means opportunity and money. A new writer may find it delivers…
I visited Curaçao on vacation a few years ago, and I really hope to make a return trip because I had such a wonderful time there. I certainly did not do a fraction of the things I wanted to do but still had an incredible experience that left me wanting more. The thing about travelling…
Hosted in 101 Art Gallery was a fun and enjoyable exhibition that was perfectly themed for Mother’s Day. Peter Sheppard curated a delightful collection of floral pieces across a range of media that was open to the public from April 29th – May 10th. I sneaked in on Saturday, the last day of the show….
I went to see Dr. Kevin Adonis Browne’s ‘A Sense of Arrival’ at Medulla yesterday (May 6th). It is, for him, a re-visiting of a theme he first explored in 2022, also at Medulla. I attended the launch then and remembered being blown away by the exhibit. You see at that point I had known…