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 …
Read More »Vaneisa: Searching for a form—how to preserve our heritage
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 …
Read More »Daly Bread: Supporting the authentic mas
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 …
Read More »Vaneisa: A Ministry of Festivals can be revolutionary—with Manwarren at the helm!
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, …
Read More »Daly Bread: “Conglomerate mas” subduing our authentic Carnival experience
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 …
Read More »Vaneisa: The season of everything—embracing the Carnival spirit
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 …
Read More »Daly Bread: Are we seeing a Carnival evolution, or a free-for-all?
The hyped-up Carnival 2023 has concluded, but the lack of changes in the traditional infrastructure and other provisions continue visibly to hurt the annual festival. Immediately after Carnival 2020, the last one preceding the forced cancellation for two years because of Covid-19, I asserted that Carnival post-mortems are usually futile …
Read More »Orin: Your guide to wining responsibly—from an eight-year T&T resident
“[…] The number one complaint I get from women I asked about wining protocol is about men who don’t how to take their one wine and be contented. A wine does not necessarily signify a wish for continuing engagement or a deeper bond—irrespective of vigor, intensity or degree of contact. …
Read More »Noble: The Mother (Lode) of All Carnivals; is T&T better for it?
Coming out of the Covid-induced hiatus, our 2023 Carnival is touted as the “Mother of All Carnivals”. We promote our fetes as the best ever and discuss ways of monetising our 2023 Carnival’s impact. We believe that we could export this wonder of the world. Amid this noise, a lawsuit …
Read More »Daly Bread: Steelpan still strong, but soca and mas fall short of “mother of all Carnivals” boast
The phrase “mother of all Carnivals” is overworked. Its use will eventually become as stale as “the greatest show on earth”. Moreover, whatever its short-term marketing benefits, it also has cynical political value when it is used to pump up the illusion of joy in these unrelentingly murderous and (with …
Read More »Orin: Machel Montano’s misstep; and why Soca Monarch deserves better
“[…] The main argument in defence of what’s in effect a Machel Monday redux on Carnival Friday was that ISM was dying anyway, so what’s the problem letting Monk have his way and have the day? “It’s a strikingly bad argument. If your beloved relative is dying, you don’t finish …
Read More »Dear Editor: Without deferred 2022 Carnival, T&T risks losing thousands of regular tourist visitors
“[…] The truth is that culture and, moreso, the business of Carnival has lost, both in terms of revenue generation and reputation, over the course of these two missed years. “Our refusal to even so much as consider hosting a festival this year will only be seen as an opportunity …
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