Thoughts and ideas relating to the music and culture of Trinidad and Tobago , especially the steelpan and the steelband
The fine documentary “ Fire in Babylon” tells the story of the West Indian cricket team tour of England in 1976.South African born English batsman Tony Grieg promised on television to make the West Indians “grovel”.Whether or not he meant it, the West Indians took it as demeaning and racist, and showed their anger in … Continue reading A Fire in Babylon
In Uncle Sam’s Concrete Jungle by panist and Vietnam veteran Dalton Narine Remembering Vietnam Buddies under Fire When World War II began, the Venezuelan military was badly in need of modernization, and the United States was eager to help in return for Venezuela’s support in the war. My grandfather, Federico Gonzales, volunteered and headed straight … Continue reading Panorama Skills on the Home Front? No!
From Buddhist to Warrior Fighting for Family By Dalton J. Narine (decorated Vietnam veteran) A heartrending story so painful you cannot bring yourself to put it down! ARVN (Army of the Republic of Viet Nam) soldiers in 1968 The AK-47 round that Nam Van Nguyen took in the leg wasn’t by happenstance. … Continue reading AMERICA REMEMBERS
I knew Tony Hall as a boy.His father taught me at Naparima College in San Fernando , and I remember him as a student a couple years behind me. Unfortunately, I was never fortunate to re-connect with him as an adult , but I've been extremely proud of his accomplishments as a renowned artist, playwright … Continue reading Remembering playwright and screenwriter Tony Hall, another celebrated Naparima College alumnus .
A Carole King Tribute One of my all time favorite pop/rock performers from the 1970s was talented singer/songwriter Carole King. Probably her best work was featured in the 1971 album “Tapestry” , which is also one of the best selling albums of all time. One of the hits on that album was a personal favorite … Continue reading So Far Away….
From the Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival Vol. III "Finals" The flawless performances of intricate classical pieces at The Steelband Music Festival of 1966 proclaimed beyond a doubt that the steelband had arrived on the world music scene as a complete musical orchestra, capable of interpreting any type of music, including the music of the … Continue reading Highlights of the Steelband Music Festival of 1966
CALYPSO: a Brief History by Philip W. Scher . . . CALYPSO is a style of Caribbean music associated with the nation of Trinidad, and is linked to the annual celebration of the pre-Lenten Carnival. The music, as well as the name itself, has a myriad of roots, and although there is no general agreement […]Kaiso … Continue reading Kaiso to Soca: a brief history of Calypso music — Zócalo Poets
Whenever I think of the Steelband Panorama competition of 1966, hear Lord Kitchener’s “My Brother, your Sister“ or Sparrow’s “Obeah Wedding“, I also remember the preliminaries, rain , sweet pan, Guinness Cavaliers - and Desperadoes!
Part of this essay was previously presented at the Trinidad and Tobago Folk Arts Institute’s symposium on Lord Kitchener at Medgar Evers College (City University of New York), January, 2009. Calypso-Happy A United Nations survey published in 2013 found Trinbagonians to be the happiest people in the Caribbean.[i] The findings attributed this feeling of… … Continue reading Shadow, Kitchener and the License to Leggo! | Shadowlingo
One of the good things about being retired is I get the opportunity to enjoy books that I may have missed, fiction and nonfiction.Audiobooks make it even easier, as I can listen, while doing other things like driving. Cornelius Ryan was born on June 5, 1920 in Dublin, Ireland. He was a writer, known for … Continue reading Politicians vs. Military Leaders
G R JOSEPH 