Image Credit: NIGO
If, like me, you were a TTT baby (i.e. you grew up only knowing one channel that signed off at noon, and signed back at 2:30 p.m. with the call of “Caribbean Vibration”) then you probably also remember government promos touting the benefits of the mysterious locally-designed ‘Buffalypso’. Part Water Buffalo and part uh… Calypso? this breed, national dispatches said, would fill a gap in local domestic meat supplies. Full of wonderous characteristics it would provide nutritional value for consumers and sustainable profits for farmers. It all sounded …

With our stomachs full we decided to explore the right hand side of the Fair before leaving. This area was designated to traders and vendors of handiwork, clothing, and health items. Everything looked wonderful and I wished I had walked with more money. Some even took Mastercard/Visa, but alas I had walked solely with camera and cash in hand.

Next was the National Archives exhibition on Slavery in Trinidad. This really was magnificently done.

Opening with enlargements of classified ads for slaves, it left all silent in its wake.

It …

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After passing through the entrance it was time to head straight to the food court. Food was served in 2 main areas, one officially designated “Food Court” where most of the vendors were still absent or trying to keep dry beneath white tarpaulin, and the area shown above, which was close to the DJ Sound System and seemed to be operating primarily under the auspices of TTABA (the Trinidad & Tobago AgriBusiness Association).
Locals would be familiar with TTABA as a local packager of coconut water, as well as …

August 1st was Emancipation Day here in Trinidad & Tobago. A public holiday since 1985 its definition has recently been expanded as a recognition of the struggles of all the ethnic groups who came here in servitude. At its heart though it remains essentially a time of remembrance of the African Slavery Experience.
For several years now the Emancipation Support Committee has organized a series of week-long activities. This amalgamation of workshops, performances and trading normally concludes on the holiday itself, however as this year the holiday fell on a …

A Jamaican Patty from Rituals Trinidad is a weekly ‘ritual’ of my own
It’s the start of another month, and with that comes the posting of my monthly roundup of those items that you all have been clicking (and purchasing) this month. Ramin Ganeshram’s ode to local cuisine “Sweet Hands” took a bit of a hit this month, falling out of the top spot. This may partly be due to it going (temporarily) out of print. However, I am happy to say that it is now in a new …

For the past few days I’ve been reviewing the recently held Sauté Trinbago food event. If you’ve been following along I hope you have enjoyed the photos and videos that I’ve shared. If you’ve missed any of the posts to date you can quickly catch up by clicking the series navigation bar above this post, or if you are reading this via RSS I have included a handy link box at the bottom of this one as well
Overall I thought that Cloud Nine Promotions, the organizers of …

August 1st is Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country in the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery with a national observance, and since that time several other countries (mostly in the Caribbean) have followed suit.
For quite a few years now the last week in July, building up to the holiday (August 1), has been set aside for a series of festivals, lectures, films and fairs in honour of the occasion.
This year the African Food Festival is …

Last to the stage was soca artiste Shurwayne Winchester. I was blown away by his set, which felt more like a mixtape on steroids. Seamless and flawless, he and his band (Y.O.U) combined elements of hiphop, his own soca hits (and those of others), and also wisely drew kaiso classics into the tapestry, creating a beautiful showcase of local music that also embraced the world beyond.
By this time my memory card was almost full, and I was cursing myself for not carrying along a third. Never had I anticipated …

The next thing on the evening’s agenda was the launch of a new Carnival band Oasis. From the opening notes of Shakira’s “Ojos Asi” I was drawn in…
Oasis Carnival Band Launch 2011 Playlist (6 videos)

All in all I think that Oasis did an exceptional job presenting their inaugural face to the world.

By the end of that showing I was ready to pay down my deposit! (then I remembered I have bills and other things to save up for)

The only thing left now was the grand finale! …