Tag Archives: Martin Daly

There is speculation how tomorrow and Tuesday’s Carnival will turn out, as it is taking place amid concern about the price of Carnival participation and the possible deterrent effect of rampant violent crime. At last, there is also intensity of concern about the changing character of the mas’. Social media …

Last Sunday, this year’s Panorama semi-finals brought strong feelings of peace and togetherness to the Queen’s Park Savannah and its environs. The event mirrored the camaraderie of the previous Sunday when the Panorama judges visited seven Port of Spain panyards and the crowds were so big that they could only …

The crowds are as large as ever, the competition as keen and the bond of the band and followers as strong. We already therefore have some confirmation that participation in pan music has not been significantly suppressed by crime. That is a relief. However, the joyful surge of emotion does …

The Junior Panorama took place last Sunday. It is the Carnival event I most enjoy.  This year, my annual attendance was seasoned by an insightful statement from a member of the current government, whose communication is regularly that of deny, deflect and denigrate. The phrase that headlines this column is …

The State funeral of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday last Tuesday occupied the centre of the first news cycle of 2024. Sadly, it did so jointly with a renewed onslaught of murder and violent crime, which once more made a mockery of the statements of the Prime Minister and the …

A New Year traditionally renews feelings of hope. Realism may dash hope so commentators feel pressured not to write gloomily during the Christmas/New Year season. My first column of last year invited a re-imagining of the possibilities of sustainable co-operation within communities. I had been departing from the subject of …

As previewed last Sunday, Pantopia is a steelband musical inspired by the music of Ray Holman, scheduled for performance in April next year. I describe this week the strong historical context that should impel support for Pantopia. The historical context includes the insertion into the Trinidad Music Festival of competitive …

Last week was an encouraging week in the evolution of the panyard model and pan music, unfortunately clouded by news of the death of Earl Rodney. My pan historian friends emphasise that Earl Rodney was “not from tong”. He was from “Point”, meaning Point Fortin, and not from Port-of-Spain (“tong”). …

Two weeks ago, I described conditions in the education system as destructive. I identified what I called the double whammy as follows: “We persist in giving priority to grammar school type education for children who may be otherwise talented or motivated, but who have little aptitude for many of the …

The administration of many ministries of government is in continuous decline, while the politicians have wasted tons of money and seek to blame each other when the decline is exposed as a crisis. In that scenario, the politicians and the ministries put out paid advertisements, Facebook posts and media releases, …

Both Professor Emeritus Dr Ramesh Deosaran and Darius Figuera, well known criminologist, last week expressed distaste for the Government and Opposition “continuing to pursue petty political agendas” while the proposed talks on crime cannot get started. Figuera condemned both sides, saying that they are “clearly in general election mode engrossed …

Upon arrival at the Green Market in Santa Cruz, two Saturdays ago, I bumped into a professional couple—each highly placed where they work.  One of them asked me to write some more about the pan and the peace dividend. The week before what I am about to describe, I met …