0 Comment(s)
Words by Jesse Serwer—
We’ve definitely seen a new, youthful energy enter the Caribbean film scene recently and, increasingly, Trinidad looks to be the epicenter of it. With the region-leading T&T Film Festival set to launch its 2012 installment next week, we’ve just caught wind of a promising Trini film (or “flim,” as they say in T&T) which won’t be at the fest, but we’ll definitely be looking out for.
2 Comments
Words and Photo by Sherman Escoffery, via Billboard.Biz—
Celebrating its 45th year in existence, the annual West Indian American Day Carnival is one of the biggest festivals in North America, bringing out over three million spectators and revelers onto Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. This is no small feat for any organization to pull off annually, even with 45 years of experience. Billboard magazine published this interesting article about the parade, that goes behind the scene of the West Indian American Day Carnival, (WIADC) the organization responsible for putting the huge festival together. Its newly appointed president Thomas Bailey talks about securing corporate sponsorship from companies like Bacardi Rum to Western Union, the carnival’s economic impact on the city, and all the other events that culminate with today’s Labor Day parade. Check out the excerpt below and get the full story at Billboard.Biz:
0 Comment(s)
Words by Jesse Serwer, via CTV—
If you figured the record-breaking, world-bossing, US-embarrassin’ Jamaican athletes would get the most massive welcome home reception in the Caribbean after the Olympics, then you’d probably be mistaken. Dozens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Trinis crammed into Piarco International Airport airport yesterday to welcome home gold medal-winning javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott. Monday was even named a national holiday in honor of the 19-year-old Walcott, the youngest ever gold medalist in his sport and the second-ever gold medalist from TnT; a Caribbean Airlines jet will also be named for him.
0 Comment(s)
Words by Jesse Serwer—
Nicki Minaj’s Trini fans have been waiting a long time for the Port-of-Spain born MC to properly tribute her culture. Roman Reloaded‘s “Pound the Alarm” isn’t really there musically but there was enough of a connection that Nicki decided to head down to Trinidad in June to recreate Carnival for the video:
1 Comment
Words by Jesse Serwer—
A couple weeks ago we brought you word of Appleton Estate’s Jamaica Independence Reserve, a 50-year, $5,000 bottle of rum produced to commemorate next month’s 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence, which parent company J. Wray and Nephew claims to be the most mature rum on the market. Not to be outdone by their Jamaican rivals, Angostura is producing what it says will be the world’s most expensive rum to commemorate Trinidad’s own 50th anniversary, happening three weeks after Jamaica’s big day on Aug. 31. T&T’s top rum brand will produce only 20 500-mL bottles of Legacy by Angostura, which will retail for TT$160,000, or $25,000 US—about $1,200 a nip. Awoah.
1 Comment
Words by Jesse Serwer—
You might recall a couple months ago we told you about Sofrito: International Soundclash, Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis of London-based “tropical” DJ collective Sofrito’s compilation connecting the dots between African, Caribbean and South America rhythms with rediscovered rarities from Trinidad’s Lord Shorty, Haiti’s Les Difficiles de Petion-Ville, Guadeloupe’s Mas Ka Klé and more. To celebrate the release of the comp today, Strut Records has given us an exclusive download of one of the most brilliant tracks on the set, “O Ti Yo,” from the kings of cadence-lypso, the Midnight Groovers.
