Bursting with historical and cultural significance, centuries of stories await among the Caribbean treasures inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites. Shelly-Ann Inniss shows the way Discover the Caribbean’s World Heritage Sites This is the first in our series of travel features showcasing these special places. Viñales Valley, Cuba Year of inscription: …
Don’t miss Jamaica’s capital city Kingston — a UNESCO City of Music — comes to life in an extra special way for Reggae Month each February, with music lovers celebrating reggae’s roots and evolution. The artform was inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2018, and the annual festivities provide superb opportunities to enjoy …
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Caribbean people are very much aware of the contributions of Jamaica’s national hero, Marcus Garvey, for his advocacy of Pan-Africanism and Black pride. Most accounts of Garvey’s life highlight his charismatic personality and inspirational ideas. His tireless campaigning drew a wide following that also came up against prejudice and brutal opposition. However, this overwhelming focus …
This month’s listening picks from the Caribbean — featuring new music by Leon Foster Thomas; Monique La Chapelle; Fay-Ann Lyons; and Kevon Carter Leon Foster Thomas Calasanitus (Krossover Jazz) The steelpan, as an instrument to translate emotion into sound, does not get the high-profile notice that, say, a violin or piano gets. With a history …
Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons shares her calypso faves Lessons about history, ethics, poetry, and ways of life are often taught in the lyrics of calypsos. But is an appreciation of rhythm overtaking the value of lyrics in Trinidad & Tobago’s music, as other genres soar in popularity? T&T’s reigning Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons has been …
In a special career retrospective, the work of the late Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos is on show in Canada Abstract-style paintings that convey architectural structures — including housing blocks, harbours, scaffolding and more — are hallmarks of the late Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos’ (1964–2012) work. Thomasos won numerous prestigious awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Canada …
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This month’s reading picks from the Caribbean, with reviews of The Dreaming by Andre Bagoo; The Island of Forgetting by Jasmine Sealy; What A Mother’s Love Don’t Teach You by Sharma Taylor; and What Noise Against the Cane by Desiree C Bailey The Dreaming by Andre Bagoo (Peepal Tree Press, 168 pp, ISBN 9781845235369) Gay …
In 1996, Enid Donaldson published the “mother of all Jamaican cookbooks”, The Real Taste of Jamaica. For 25 years, it has reigned supreme as the most authentic collection of Jamaican recipes. Not only because it’s by a Jamaican who lived her life on the island, but the dishes are unabashedly rooted in local culture and …
Trinidad’s K2K has been innovating with their mas designs since debuting their award-winning medium Carnival band in 2012. Now they’ve moved into the NFT and metaverse landscape. Karen and Kathy Norman, the twin designers and investment bankers behind K2K, talk about what this means for mas — as told to Caroline Taylor Our training is …
American musician and educator Vance Umphrey on the love of steelpan that brings him to Trinidad Carnival year after year — as told to Attillah Springer It was like if Beethoven was alive and you could go join his orchestra [Phase II]. We look to Len “Boogsie” Sharpe as a living legend. The very first …