Guest Columns

There is within me an old-stager constantly reminding me of how fundamentally cinematic calypso (the good traditional stuff) is. All the tools directors, storyboard artists, camera operators and screenwriters have at their disposal are unfurled by calypsonians in 32 lines plus chorus (see? the unapologetic old-stager), adhering to the block-development …

“[…] ‘Pegasus’ was formed by Brother Makandal Daaga after a life-changing event at an Independence night party, on 31 August 1962. He was shocked when persons protested noisily, when the DJ put on the very first calypso for the night, shouting that it was not Carnival and for him to …

“[…] Public Education is the only industry we have in which if you do a good job, nothing good happens; and if you do a bad job nothing bad happens to you. If we do not change this fact, we will not get better schools…” The following letter to the …

‘Sprangalang’ was mih partner. We worked together on many productions. Sprang did not tell jokes; he told stories. He was a true standup comedian who would have held his own on any stage with the likes of Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. I recruited Sprang into radio broadcasting …

De lizard run up she foot, An’ it disappear. Everybody still searchin’ everywhere. Wey de lizard, Teacher Mildred? …. …. …. ….  De way she jolly an’ happy Ah sure de lizard must be ticklin’ she. There are many directors, screenwriters, DOPs, storyboard artists and cutting room assistants who would …

“[…] Gene Miles’ evidence before Karl De La Bastide-led commission of enquiry exposed corruption in very high places. The one-man commissioner, Karl De La Bastide, recommended that all evidence recorded at the enquiry ‘should be, without delay, transmitted to the Public Service Commission’ to enable enforcing of ‘Disciplinary Laws of …

The police commissioner, in April 2020, estimated that domestic violence reports would double this year (232 in 2019 to 558 in 2020). This is consistent with what the UN calls the ‘shadow pandemic’—a global increase in domestic violence amid the Covid-19 health crisis.  ‘How do you reach out for help …

The following column on Dennis ‘Sprangalang’ Hall, who passed away on Friday 2 October 2020, was first published in the Sunday Guardian on 30 January 1994: “Why you want to write about me?” he asks suspiciously on the telephone. “I doh like publicity. I’s just ah ordinary man making mih …

What a horrendous week! On Friday 18th, Dr Terrence Farrell, discussing the future of our economy, pointed to the need for disruption in the way the country’s business is done—using as an example BP’s strategic pivot  (‘bold, fraught with uncertainty, risky but highly socially responsible’).  He asked us a most …

“[…] This series examines the conditions, circumstances, personalities and forces which came together and gave birth to the most dynamic show of people’s power ever witnessed in the Caribbean. We also examine some of the achievements of the Revolution, as well as the principles and philosophy which guided the Revolution. …

One can be forgiven for mistaking last week’s public quarrel as the harmless flaring of tempers. It is not. The sound we heard is the whimpering sound of our dying democracy. Like 1990’s guns and fiery fury, this unseemly quarrel is one more corrosive chipping away of our long-standing political …

The trajectory of Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s political career is a cautionary tale to any who would assume that gender presupposes good governance. In the months before the 2010 election, there were valid queries about questionable construction projects and a frightening escalation of the crime rate under then leader of government and …