Thoughts and ideas relating to the music and culture of Trinidad and Tobago , especially the steelpan and the steelband
I recently celebrated my 76th birthday, and as a child growing up in Trinidad in the 1950s, I remember the sadness of children paralyzed by polio. I also remember outbreaks of measles and mumps and even chickenpox which , though not eliminated has been under control for decades, and it’s occurrence dramatically reduced.
There are a lot of crazy conspiracy theories masquerading as legitimate information circulating on social media nowadays. You know the ones, lately they're about plots including , 5g technology , COVID-19 Bill Gates, Big Pharma (though I'm no apologist for them) , now Dr. Fauci., and numerous others. A lot of this stuff is put … Continue reading CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
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
From time to time, I've heard of police officials of T&T seeking to learn about urban policing from Donald Trump's lawyer and media mouthpiece Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City. I hope this is not the case. The historical records show that the tactics employed by the police under Giuliani, particularly the … Continue reading Police in T&T seeking advice from Rudy Giuliani? I hope not!
One of my takeaways from the ongoing arguments over gun control is the lack of empathy of each side for the other. I live in New Hampshire , where the gun laws have always liberal , so it is no surprise that open carry laws have passed in the state with hardly a murmur of … Continue reading Guns , Open Carry , and The Old West
Written by Candice Maharaj Image: Melton Prior, Carnival in Port of Spain Trinidad, 1888, Illustrated London News. Carnival is a festival that is celebrated annually during the weeks leading up to Lent. It is a period of celebration that involves music, costumes, processions, feasting and a lot of alcohol. Traditionally, during Lent people had to … Continue reading The Origins and Evolution of Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago — Retrospect Journal | History, Classics and Archaeology Magazine
A TALE FOR HALLOWEEN BY DALTON NARINE Ah ketch him hanging out like a bride and groom with a female jumbie inside a tomb Lord Christo, Jacob From Panama (1956) It is very much alive, the cemetery, gravediggers and all making a quarry there day after day to inter … Continue reading GRATEFUL FOR GRAVEDIGGERS
THE BLOODY ART OF LONGTIME BADJOHNS By Dalton Narine Blade it was in that period to survive, for blade walked the gun talk of yesteryear. Blade that would butcher a gutless man’s back, cracking open skin like fine leather and pumping blood dark and horrid down … Continue reading IN THE MIRROR OF VIOLENCE
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