Tag Archives: carnival

“[…] Most carnival costumes (beads, bikinis, feathers, clothes, uniforms, caps, wire bending, etc) are now manufactured in China at reasonable costs—transport included. “We definitely have the skillsets in Trinidad and Tobago to make these simple products. “Pan Trinbago (PTB) and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) can provide the location, …

“[…] Here in Trinidad and Tobago, the Road March results still rely on a manual system—TUCO officials physically count song plays at competition venues. “This outdated process is not only time-consuming but also vulnerable to human error, bias, and undue influence…. Embracing digitalisation in Carnival adjudication could resolve these challenges …

During the Bush 2.0 Administration, pious Christian Nationalist and Attorney General John Ashcroft demanded that two nude statues, called Spirit of Justice and Majesty of Justice, in the Great Hall be covered up with blue drapes, because he deemed the human nudity “indecent” and “distracting”. These were works of art …

“[…] The modern thong and beads era, while bold and unapologetic, often leans too far into the realm of impracticality. The disappearing thong, in particular, vanishes in part into crevices of unknown depth, leaving little to the imagination and often sacrificing comfort for shock value. “The bikini, on the other hand, has …

Early one Sunday morning, around dawn, I drove to Macqueripe Bay for a photo shoot. It was five days before I gave birth, 31 years ago. There, as daylight cast her yawning gaze upon the empty shore, I unclad myself and let Skye and Corinne wrap me in two beautiful …

An indication given in a weekly column to deal with an identified topic “next week” is one that is difficult to implement. Things keep rapidly falling apart and the nasty quarrels between those in public life who are responsible for our governance burst into the news cycle with an intensity …

The centrality of the Panorama competition to the steelband movement cannot be doubted.  However, there are some downsides to it receiving paramount attention. In the Newsday, early last week, Mark Lyndersay penetratingly labelled Carnival as “an entrenched competition economy” and summarised the deficiencies of Carnival in its current form as …

It’s an idea just taking root, and having thrown it out last week, I figure I could try to see how it could take shape. By headlining that column “A Ministry of Festivals” people got locked inside an idea of an entity akin to the existing Ministry of Culture, although …

How do we get our brilliant steelbands and their significant numbers of youthful players and supporters back on the road on Carnival days? The steelbands are a unifying and healing force and are capable of mitigating the divisiveness and socio-economic exclusivity with which the Carnival band scene is riddled. Carnival …

I don’t actually mean that we should have a ministry of festivals, in the sense of a state-controlled body—that kind of lumbering oversight has done little to develop anything meaningfully. Not for an entity that has to be agile and innovative and intimate with our history and traditions. Last year, …

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 …

One thing this country is extra­ordinarily gifted at is its creative impulses, and Carnival is the premier showcase for it. The sound of steel pans was my first and abiding connection to Carnival. It is still the most powerful bond. Just as cricket fills me with a sense of West …