“It is important for a nation, in creating an identity, to celebrate our unique heritage, and not be limited in scope.” Natalia Dopwell, Creative Director of the Classical Music Development Foundation of T&T (CMDFTT), says it is for this reason the Foundation has commissioned “Songs of the Islands”, an albums of songs derived from music … Continue reading
Filed under music …
Rapso, theatre and mas: Wendell Manwarren speaks on his life in the arts (June 12, 2016)
(I’ve added some pieces here that I had to leave out of the newspaper version. Enjoy!) Rapsoman Wendell Manwarren has had a long and varied career in the arts, beginning with the opera and continuing through theatre, mas-making and rapso. Manwarren spoke about his journey to a standing-room only crowd at the Monday Night Theatre … Continue reading
I-She dazzles again (June 5, 2016)
The audience at the gala performance of Shades of I-She: Every Woman’s Story on April 27 was held spellbound by the powerful performances. Audience members said the play, written and directed by Eintou Pearl Springer and put on by the Indigenous Creative Arts Network (ICAN), grabbed them by the throat with its intensity. Patron of … Continue reading
Pride Arts Festival a first for region (June 5, 2016)
Internationally, June is celebrated as Pride Month by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. This year, I Am One T&T, a local community-based organisation which seeks to address the needs of gender and sexual minorities, will be hosting a Pride Arts Festival in T&T from June 3 to July 1. I … Continue reading
Dominant Seventh releases calypso jazz CD (May 22, 2016)
Lovers of jazz, calypso and well-made local music will all find something to love in the Calypso Jazz CD, “Homegrown”, recorded by the Dominant Seventh Calypso Jazz Band and produced by Dominant Seventh Productions. The CD, which comprises seven tracks, was recorded live in studio by entirely local musicians. It will be launched on June … Continue reading
Shades of I-She returns (May 15, 2016)
Shades of I-She: Every Woman’s Story, the award-winning production by poet Eintou Pearl Springer and the Indigenous Creative Arts Network (ICAN) will return to the stage from May 27 to May 29 at the Big Black Box in Port of Spain. Springer said the production aims to get women to confront the problems and challenges … Continue reading
Ethnic Jazz Club reprises Bim (February 7, 2016)
Andre Tanker’s Bim Suite, as performed by members of the Ethnic Jazz Club (EJC) on January 31, brings the sounds of the Caribbean to life. The sounds of the sea rolling over the shells in the surf at the beach, the wind moving through the trees, the sounds of steelpan and sitar and merengue and … Continue reading
Badjohn Republic giving T&T music bois (January 31, 2016)
“Waiting on the Stage” by Machel Montano has been the subject of much talk since it was released, with many commenters saying it doesn’t sound like soca. That sound, a fusion of EDM and soca, is the product of Badjohn Republic, a new production group. “Waiting on the Stage” is the group’s first major outing … Continue reading
3 Canal “duttying up” the Black Box (January 24, 2016)
“I hope they come away from the show having experienced something visceral.” 3Canal’s Wendell Manwarren expressed the hope following the first Backyard Jam where the group’s new music for 2016 was launched, along with this year’s Jouvay concept, Black Jab Nation. This year, the show will be held at the Big Black Box on Murray … Continue reading
Back to school fundraiser for Raguel Gabriel (January 10, 2016)
Fundraising to continue to attend school abroad is an ongoing process, as seen by a number of concerts held recently by students from T&T in an effort to raise funds for their next semester of study. One such upcoming concert is PROLOGUE Part 2: True Love at St. Finbar’s Auditorium on January 15, being put … Continue reading
