#CulturalPursuits

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Going through Belmont, part 2

The Belmont Circular road, continued.

There's still more to come.

photos by Jaime Bagoo

[culturalpursuits]

Going through Belmont, part 1

The Belmont Circular Road.

I omitted certain land marks as I intend to  do a series on those.

photos by Jaime Bagoo

[culturalpursuits]

"a powerful, positive, soul to soul message"

Rizon has always striven to make his life a positive example for the younger generation and his visibility as a recording artiste has afforded him further opportunities to share his message. With numerous invitations as a motivational speaker, he believes these occasions complement his efforts through music to offer guidance and inspiration. This dedication to youth and the improvement of their social and spiritual consciousness has been seen as a genuine passion and strengthened his place as an ambassador for the youth. The popularity of Rizon’s music has defied all expectations. His themes are not considered mainstream yet the universality of his message coupled with a unique musical style has captured the attention of music lovers in the Caribbean and beyond, achieving both commercial and critical acclaim, including his live performances, for which he has been described by one journalist as ‘a powerhouse’. Rizon has established himself in the music industry as a distinctly conscious voice. With sharp lyrical compositions; evocative images; refreshing musical structures; a powerful, effervescent personality; and a fierce resolve to confront the violence and moral corruption that has become so prevalent in Trinbagonian society and the world at large. Rizon is set to create a lasting impact on the Caribbean music scene, an ambassador with a distinctive sound and an eternal message.

see more of Rizon: http://www.rizonmusic.com

rizonmusic.com twitter.com/rizonmusic facebook.com/rizonmusic youtube.com/rizon001

Press contact

THINKSTAGE: 868-746-7047 info@rizonmusic.com

Booking agent

THINKSTAGE: 868-746-7047 bookings@rizonmusic.com

[culturalpursuits]

My Favorite place, Redhead Bay, Cumana.

Photos by Jaime Bagoo

[culturalpursuits]

In commemoration of this festival here is a link to an article for those of us who do not know much about the origin and reason for the celebation.

To my  Hindu family and friends Blessed Holi may we destroy the evils that we may have within ourselves and to allow the truth to flow in our hearts, the love to flow, the unity to flow.

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Be sure to read the comments as well.

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The things we in Trinidad and Tobago see as we go about  our daily business.

When last have you stopped to just appreciate things like:

a seascape- being an island state we take it for granted we will always be able to go observe the surf at anytime, but what if one day we wake up and it is  no more? what if one  day we wake up in a metropolis unable to hear the music of the water or see the sun's rays glistening on the water? Nothing will be able to replace that feeling.

a landscape: what pictures would the following generations have to see the natural beauty of a place?

a house: so many do not have the privilege of having a roof over their heads. some are in tents others in cardboard boxes while others get shelter where they can.

a church: aplace of worship, a place of refuge. Many have been turned into places of decay because society has moved away from the notion of fellowship. These monuments stand alone and empty. just like the elders who need taking care of they are neglected and crumble.

a flower: the cycle of flowers symbolic of renewal. we do not have to wait for an entire year to pass to be given an opportunity  to start arfesh, the possibilty is there in every new bloom.

a tree laden with fruit: when last you ate a fruit straight from a tree? Do we still have enough trees? all we want is fast food, prepackaged and yet we wonder why  certain health issues are on the rise.

a memory: we chose to throw away the memories that remind us where we came from and those that show us the core of who we are.

a sunset that heralds the end of the day and is precursor to a new tomorrow.

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ZIGWA- "Your Brokers in Design"

I would like to highlight ZIGWA. It is a group doing a creative collective of work from photography, paintings drawings design of costumes, jewellery boxes  and more...Their aim is to provide quality service and ensure superior design solutions to their clients.

They have some great albums that cover Carnival and other aspects of everyday life.

I love their work in general but am more pleased with  the potential and direction they are headed. These guys can  make a huge impact on the carnivalscape...well on  the creative landscape in fact they may be the forerunners of  change.

 Stick around to see. I will be  following them for sure.

Check them  out at their website: http://www.zigwasix.com

and their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zigwa6

Photo by ZIGWA photography

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I have conversations with myself, very often but not necessarily facing a mirror. In my  house mirrors are scarce. There are the small ones above the sink in the bathrooms that allow you to see mainly from the neck up; there is one standing mirror that everyone passes by on their way in or out of the house. Pausing to consider what we see in that surface is infrequent. I mastered the art of putting on makeup, combing  hair without the use of  one (I can do it all in a moving  vehicle as well).

My conversations run  through a variety of topics from prayers to rants expressing rage, to sharing jokes, to reminiscing. I also talk to my computer ,most times to cajole some more out of it or to inform the machine I am annoyed with its slow progress.

I know I am  not the only one who practices this sort of thing; but why do  we talk to inanimate objects.... or our pets?(for those who  have them) When exactly did we stop talking to each other? How is it in this world, full of creative expression we are unable to  transmit to  our human counterparts feelings of anxiety, love, happiness, sadness, pride, disappointment? Why do we not convey aspirations, dreams, wishes, hopes?

We keep our  most cherished thoughts to ourselves; some draw and paint, others write it down- be it in the form of poetry, short stories, blog entries or good old diaries, but those persons who do are few. There are social networking  sites that enable us to say things we probably won't ever articulate in person. Why do we do this? Fear. We are afraid no one would  understand, no one would support, someone will find fault or will laugh. We are afraid we won't accomplish the intended. We are afraid and aware no one may be listening... so we stay silent.

It is in our silence we allow ourselves to be taken advantaged of; we allow persons to misunderstand us; we allow ourselves to be robbed of any opportunity that may lift us out of the repetitive boring doldrums  our lives have become  because we not only refuse to  speak out but  also we refuse to listen.

Listen to yourself, listen to  your neighbour, listen to the environment around you. Go to the river and listen, when next you are at the beach listen to the wind or what the waves say. If you stay home turn off the radio and television, phone or whatever devices and just listen ...not necessarily for the whole day...

...then talk.

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I entered these photos in a competition and they got no votes. They were of course rotated the right way up!

All photos by Jaime Bagoo

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"We took away the rituals and replaced them with rules. Rules decided by people who do not un- derstand the nature of the jumbie. Who wanted to destroy the significance and replace it with a harmless and therefore meaningless beauty."

No respect for the rituals of carnival

http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2012-02-25/no-respect-rituals-carnival

This is an initial look at the role  Creative destruction plays in changing the landscape of our heritage. Stay tuned for more of my thoughts on this.

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More Carnival photos.

 Let's face it, I think about Carnival non stop.

Just thought I would share. Enjoy!

All Photos by Jaime Bagoo

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Peter Minshall speaks out.

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With his passing in late 2011, it was no surprise there were tributes to the esteemed Wayne Berkeley. This article re-counts his stellar contributions to the aesthetic of Carnival.