#trinidad and tobago song

[muaviawzir334]

State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago

People react to the Prime Ministers' announcment that Trinidad and Tobago is now under a State of Emergency with a 9PM to 5pm Curfew.

FULL VIDEO

[curryvillain]

OLDIES SUNDAY (CHRISTMAS): Scrunter - De Parang Now Start

It’s that time of year when Ham is being sold for record-high prices, and crates of Sodas and Beers are being ordered. It’s Christmas time on Oldies Sunday. In Trinidad and Tobago, Parang is recognized (this year celebrates 45 years of Soca Parang), and for today’s selection, we go there to check out Scrunter’s “De Parang Now Start“. Produced by Earl Crosby and released through JW Production,…

[mymusicbias]

[diary-of-a-scarlet-ibis]

Hello do you like Indie music from other countries?

Then let me introduce you to my favorite band from my country! Sint James! (and no that's not a typo)

I've actually been to one of their shows and it was one of the best experiences of my life! They were really nice and so excited to talk to everyone (they also gave everyone stickers just for coming to the show)

(here is a clip I took at that show! Turn on the sound to hear a bit of their music live!)

Their music has this lovely dreamy indie pop/rock vibe to it and it pairs beautifully with the Trini accent of the vocals (Dimitri the guy playing in the clip is the main vocalist)

Their newest song Moon just came out last Friday so I thought it would be a great time to recommend them!

So if you like Indie music, entirely poc bands, music from countries other that the US, or just want an obscure band that you can be certain nobody else knows about check them out!!

(They're on YouTube and Spotify! And also have a very funny/chaotic TikTok)

If you're still on the fence here's some pics of them in bisexual lightning to convince you (tbh I just have a lot of nice pics from their show I wanna show off lol)

(I'm not in any way affiliated with them I just really like their music and think it would be really cool if more people knew about them, especially internationally!)

[constellationclarke]

Hadestown today for Grace and Dónal's final performances was actually insane. The energy was electric, every single performer on stage gave it their fucking all as though it was also their last performance too, right off the bat everyone was already emotional, the crowd was wild and cheering insanely loud at the very beginning, all the emotional moments were 10x more tender. Dónal's last If It's True was actually fucking crazy it was a showstopper to the point that when it ended not only did everyone applaud like usual but everyone stood up for a grand standing ovation. (Also I was sat next to his parents!! When everyone came out on stage at the beginning his mum stood up and waved and clapped for him, I was so emotional!) During Promises when Eurydice says "You finished it" about Orpheus finally completing his song the whole theatre erupted into cheers and applause (that never happens in that moment). When Grace has her big note at the end of Wait for Me (Reprise) the cheering and applause was so loud. The audience was just electric like never before, the cheering and applause for every single song had such a different and more intense feel to it than any other day. When Orpheus turns around and loses Eurydice the whole theatre held its breath and you could hear a pin drop when Hermes starts singing the finale. Melanie started it so so quietly and solemnly and tragically and it was so beautiful. Everyone on stage was crying when they came to take their bows and Madeline got a moment of appreciation since she's taking over as Eurydice. Dónal and Grace had extended applause moments. Everyone was a sobbing mess during We Raise Our Cups, both audience and cast alike AND!! The rest of the cast (swings and understudies) came out during the song to raise their cups as well!! And then Melanie asked everyone to be seated again and called all the tech team out to stage too, taught us a call and response she'd like us to keep in mind from a storytelling tradition back in Trinidad and Tobago (sorry I can't remember it rn I was too much of an emotional wreck!!) And then she gave Grace and Dónal respectively a beautiful heart felt genuine lovely speech and goodbye, there was not a dry eye in the whole place. She asked everyone on stage to create a path and then sent Grace and Dónal off with a rhyme and the call and response she taught us, and they walked off the way Orpheus and Eurydice would have walked out of hell together if he hadn't turned around!!!!!, and they stopped at the top just before the exit to wave bye to everyone and honestly there's probably loads I'm missing out on but I cried too damn much to be able to have the mental capacity to even formulate thoughts so if anyone else was there today and has anything to add please do so!!!! 😭 it was an insane time and I'm so so glad I got to be there and experience it, it was pure magic. I got this vid of the bows and you can see how emotional everyone was but had to cut it off as We Raise Our Cups started because my hands were shaking so much (I have a full vid of the song from months ago tho if anyone wants to see it just search on my blog)

[forgedfromlove]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The National Archives of T&T (@nationalarchivestt)

From @nationalarchivestt:

“#DidYouKnow This month is African History Month in Trinidad and Tobago? Since 1976, November has been dedicated to the celebration of the people of African descent who have shaped our nation.

It is fitting that African History Month follows Calypso History Month because calypso is in itself, rooted in our African heritage.

While research on the roots of calypso is ongoing, many sources point to Kalinda/Calinda (stickfighting) bands during the era of slavery as the origin of the genre in T&T.

The well-known calypsonian & anthropologist Hollis "Chalkdust" Liverpool has written about the function of the chantwell/chantuelle in Kalinda, describing them as persons who sang songs to inspire stickfighters into action. They also provided melodies for carnival masqueraders during Canboulay.

These songs, called cariso songs, were usually about protest against the ruling upper class. The power of the chantwell & their songs is reflected in the names that were chosen by them.

Tobagonian anthropologist & folklorist J. D. Elder wrote that "chantuelles identified themselves with the heroes of war and named themselves The Iron Duke, Pharoah, the Duke of Marlborough, Black Prince, etc." This culture of naming among chantwells, and later, calypsonians, continued into the 20th century.

Known as a sobriquet, these names were calypsonians' stage names. From the early 1900s, we see the continuation of sobriquets inspired by war and conflict like "Atilla the Hun," "Black Stalin," "Sir Lancelot," "Dictator," "Lord Invader," and "The Mighty Bomber."

Some calypsonians adopted ironic and witty sobriquets like "The Mighty Sparrow," "Tiny Terror," and "Bitterbush." Others chose to retain part of their birth names in their sobriquets, like "Lady Baldwin," "Singing Sandra," "Singing Francine," "Lord Nelson," "Singing Sonia," and "Marvellous Marva."

This photo shows some of "The Great Calypsonians" from "120 Years of Calypsoes to Remember" by the Mighty Sparrow, c. 1963, which is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Booklet Collection. At the time, the calypso music industry was still male-dominated, as is reflected in this photo.”

[audaciousevolution]

🎶 Parang: A Celebration of Togetherness and Culture 🎶

In Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas comes alive with the vibrant rhythms of parang music, a tradition that goes beyond melodies. It’s about community, connection and the festive spirit of sharing. From visiting homes with heartfelt songs to enjoying treats like black cake and sorrel, parang brings people together like no other tradition.

Festivals like the National Parang Festival preserve this cherished art form, showcasing legendary bands and emerging talents who keep the music thriving. Parang is our heritage, a celebration of who we are, and a reminder of the joy of the season.

Whether in Paramin or at your Christmas lime, parang unites us, reminding us that the true spirit of Christmas is in music, laughter and love.

What’s your favourite parang memory? Share it below!

[burlveneer-music]

Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band - BRSB - new album is a mix of covers and originals

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7”s and three critically acclaimed full length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their fourth album BRSB, Bacao are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega hits to underground album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago. While part of the allure of a new Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band album is finding out what covers they do it is equally intriguing to see what original tunes they cooked upland this record is foul of stand out originals. The album opener, “In The Crosshairs” is a rough and tough mid tempo head nodder while both “Grilled” & “Treasure Quest” pick up the tempo with heavy African Funk influences on both. Bacao goes deep with “Hazy Memories”, a bass heavy slow burner that walks a line between hypnotic and hype. All these originals stand as testament that the term “cover band” is a shoe that could never fit Bacao. However, in the tradition of steel pan music, they do a heavy amount of covers. This time around there is a big West Coast Hip Hop influence with covers of Game & 50 Cent’s “How We Do”, Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg’s “Nuthin But A G Thang”, and Tupac’s “Got My Mind Made Up” all of which take on new energy and lend themselves to the BRSB steel treatment. Bacao puts another certified dancefloor filler on their resume with their cover of Claudja Barry’s uber Disco classic “Love For The Sake Of Love” which they flip into a dubbed out affair aptly changing even the title to “Love For The Sake Of Dub”. Pulling from the contemporary smash hit section of Hop Hop they cover Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and “Love$ick” by Mura Masa & A$AP Rocky. Then they go very unexpected with “Stranger Things Theme” where they take the synth heavy theme song to the hit show and give it a more hypnotizing tone than the original.

[rabbitcruiser]

Boxing Day

The best way to celebrate the day is to take part in festivities in a country where Boxing Day is a bank holiday or public holiday. Watch some soccer, rugby, or cricket games, or go on a traditional fox hunt. If you can’t be in a country where these events are taking place, you could still get together with family and friends and eat leftovers from Christmas, or make some foods traditionally eaten on Boxing Day. You could also go shopping, as this is another important part of the day in many countries.

Boxing Day takes place the day after Christmas and is primarily observed in the United Kingdom, where it started, as well as in countries that were once part of the British crown. There are a few possible theories as to how it got started, but its exact origin is unclear.

One theory says it was inspired by Christmas boxes. In seventeenth-century Great Britain, boxes holding a present or gratuity were given to tradesman and workers in service industries for their previous year’s work. This went back to an even earlier tradition where servants would wait on and serve their rich masters on Christmas Day and would visit and celebrate with their own families on the day after Christmas. Their rich masters would sometimes give them a box with leftover food, a bonus, or another type of gift.

The day may have also stemmed from alms boxes that were put in Anglican churches on Christmas Day or during Advent and opened on the day after Christmas. These boxes collected money for the poor. Similarly, boxes were put outside of churches to collect money on Saint Stephen’s Day, which is held the day after Christmas. The events in the song “Good King Wenceslas” take place on Saint Stephen’s Day. The song recounts a story of King Wenceslas, a Bohemian king of the tenth century, bringing food and wine to a poor man. There is one other possible source for the beginning of the day. Ships once set sail containing a box of money for good luck. If the trip was a success, the box would be given to a priest, and he would open it on Christmas and give its contents to the poor.

Boxing Day has been a bank holiday in England, Wales, North Ireland, and Canada since 1871. It is celebrated in Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria. It is celebrated in Hong Kong, where the United Kingdom held sovereignty until 1997. In Ireland and in parts of Spain, it is known as Saint Stephen’s Day. It is celebrated as Second Christmas Day in some European countries, such as Poland, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands; it is celebrated as such in Scandinavia as well. Boxing Day is generally not celebrated in the United States.

In some countries where it is celebrated as a bank holiday or public holiday, it is observed a day or two after December 26. If December 26 takes place on a Saturday, it may be observed the following Monday. If December 26 is on a Sunday, it may be observed on the following Tuesday. This is not always the case, however, as it is often observed on a Sunday if it falls on a Sunday.

Boxing Day is a day of the gathering of family and friends. Leftovers from Christmas are commonly eaten. Popular foods include baked ham, mince pies, Christmas cakes, and other desserts. In many countries of celebration, it is a shopping day similar to Black Friday. Sales take place and many retailers run them the whole week. Although, in some places, such as in parts of Canada, stores aren’t allowed to be open, in order to give families time to be together instead.

Sports are an important part of Boxing Day. In the United Kingdom, the top football (soccer) leagues of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland play games. Lower leagues play games as well, and rugby leagues also hold matches. In various countries, events of other sports, such as cricket, horse racing, yacht racing, hockey, and boxing are often held to celebrate the day. Fun runs and swims in the cold English Channel take place. Fox hunting meets have been held for hundreds of years. A law passed in 2004, which went into effect the following year, banned the use of dogs to attack animals during hunts. But hunters have still used their dogs to chase artificial scents on the day, and have still gone on hunts where dogs are used to flush out foxes, but not to attack them.

Boxing Day, also known as Saint Stephen’s Day and Second Christmas Day, is being observed today! It has always been observed annually on December 26th.

Source

[mistavybe]

🎶 It’s our Anniversaryyyyy… 🎶

I honestly cannot believe i’ve been on this app for 14 years today! Kinda wild to think it’s been this long tbh 😱.

It has been a crazy ride, but in retrospect I wouldn’t have it any other way, for better or for worse 🙏🏾.

Some of the most important people in my real life now like @entirely-of-flaws and @soulsistrin I actually met first on this app, and for those blessings alone I will be eternally grateful.

I’m also grateful for some of the posts i’ve done on here that wound up becoming downright infamous on this here platform lol… anybody remember my viral Tim Burton post back when that problematic Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children came out?

👇🏾

👆🏾

Thanks to this post of my opinion about the subject, I had literal Nazis in my Inbox and Replies arguing with me for like… years lol! Tbh I still get occasional Alt-Right pushback on this one up to now which is wild considering the original post went up in 2016. 🤦🏾‍♂️ (Feel free to peruse My #TimBurton Tag for more on that lol)

Tumblr was also where I came to process my grief after losing legends that I admire(d) whose sudden passings rocked me to my core 😥.

RIP Prince! And RIP Chadwick Boseman! 🙅🏾‍♂️

Anyway, I say all that to say “Wow! Can you believe i’ve been on Tumblr for 14 fricking years?! 😱”

Thanks to everyone who i’ve met on or offline from here, to anyone who has read and/or interacted with any of my Posts or Reblogs… thanks to my Tumblr community.

RIP to those I encountered on here that are no longer with us in this life 🙏🏾.

And long live those of us who continue to persevere on this particular platform and on the Hellhole that is the Internet in general.

Here’s to… another 14 years? Do we think Tumblr will even be around that long? I kind hope so tbh. Here’s to many more years!

Now go stream “Anniversary” by Tony Toni Tonē and have a great day/week/month/life! 🔊🎶

(Fun Fact: Tony Toni Tonē’s now-classic song “Anniversary” was actually recorded in my country - Trinidad And Tobago - back in the early 90’s, along with the test of their iconic album Sons Of Soul. I actually got to meet the Tonys while they were here recording because we worked out of the same studio at the time and they were bice eboufh ti let mr and my crew bzck then sit in on some of their sessions, which helped me learn so much and become the musician/songwriter that I am today! 🙌🏾)

[return-of-the-trinidude]

Tag Game

Tagged by @katniss-evermeme

1. Are you named after anyone? Other than the Biblical prophet? No.

2. When was the last time you cried? Genuinely do not recall. I have not had much reason to cry recently.

3. Do you have kids? No, but I really really want kids.

4. What sports do you play/ have you played? I did archery during my last year of high school. I was pretty good at it too. Won a club competition and everything.

5. Do you use sarcasm? I am too socially stupid to use or recognize sarcasm.

6. What is the first thing you notice about people? Their face. I start breaking down the features of their face instantly, sometimes even before I notice I'm doing it.

7. What's your eye color? Brown

8. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. My brain likes to latch on to horror movies and re-enact them at 3 am when I wake up to use the bathroom.

9. Any talents? I get told that I'm a pretty good writer, though I haven't written anything in a while. I've also been told that I'm very good at explaining stuff, so I guess that counts.

10. Where were you born? Trinidad and Tobago

11. What are your hobbies? Reading, video games, sleeping, hiking, hanging out with friends. Recently picked up jogging as well but I'm not sure if it counts as a hobby yet.

12. Do you have any pets? Not at the moment. My last dog passed away when I was in high school.

13. How tall are you? 5'10"

14. Favorite subject in school? English Literature. You're telling me I get credit for reading books? Seems like a win-win to me.

15. Dream job? I'd like to be a professional writer some day, but I gotta say, I love the job I have right now, and I wouldn't mind staying here, even if I know it's not possible. I also fantasize about joining Holostars, but that one's far out lol.

Tagging @steampunkforever @genuine-hyperbole @shenzi-hemlock @supreme-leader-stoat @songs-of-stones

[queen-tashie]

Get to Know Tag

Thanks @surroundedbypearls for the tag!!

Rules: Tag 10 or more people you want to get to know better

Relationship status: married

Favorite color: I have no one favourite colour, but I tend to lean towards jewel tones for each of the primary colours.

Song stuck in my head: Interference by Sound Stabs. No lyrics, just music and a whole lot of bass

Favorite food: I have no one favourite food, but I love meals with depth of flavour like curry, stir fry, soup, etc. I'm also obsessed with this Thai green curry recipe my friend sent me. I've made it twice now and it's incredible every time.

Last song listened to: Same as above, Interference by Sound Stabs. For some reason that was The Mood(TM) when I was coming back from the dentist this morning.

Dream trip: Someplace with a bunch of delicious seafood. I've not travelled a lot in my life, mostly domestic travel. Let's say Trinidad & Tobago, or perhaps Greece. They just seem like cool places.

Last tv show/movie: We were watching Invincible before the holidays in December, haven't picked it back up yet (read: completely forgot about it until now).

Spicy/sweet/savory?: Savoury and spicy if possible, but all in all I tend towards lovely savoury foods. Though I don't mind some chocolate or ice cream now and again :)

Last thing I googled: "Emulsion meaning" because I keep hearing it in reference to cooking XD

I'll leave this tag open, so feel free to jump in, and tag me if you do so I can learn about you too! <3

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

This Is Soca, Vol. 2 1986 Soca / Calypso

I don't think that I've ever deliberately gone out of my way to listen to soca or calypso music before (soca is a term that stands for soul-calypso), but this ephemerally contemporaneous LP from London Records claims to represent the best of an array of the Trinidadian stuff from 1985 and 1986. So, as something of a perpetual music explorer myself, color me both intrigued and excited to start to dig into something totally new! 😊

And here's some takeaways: one, I don't think that this is necessarily a great album for just sitting down and straight-up listening to, but if I was glued to a stool at an outdoor Caribbean beach bar with this coming out of its speakers, and I also had a few Modelos in me, I could definitely see my stupid tourist ass vibing real hard to some of this stuff, especially a song like "Too Young to Soca," sung by Machel Montano, who was just 11 years old when he made it. But by that same token, if I had the job of tending that outdoor Caribbean beach bar, and I had to hear all of these songs at least once a day, there's a slight chance that they might actually cause me to go insane 😅.

Secondly, a solid chunk of these tunes sound like they could play in the first act of some hypothetical, animated, Caribbean-set Disney flick, in which everyone—the people, the animals, and even the plant life—all sing and sway together in perfect harmony, before any real conflict starts to arise. So, in that sense, this stuff's just a little too polished and clean for my liking. And I also think that you can draw a straight line from this very cheery 80s soca vibe to some of 90s and 2000s Europop's most insufferable and overly sugary tendencies, especially the kind that imported Latin and Caribbean sounds; like this total monstrosity from Loona, for example 😫.

That said, I still managed to discover a couple awesome tunes on here. One is the danciest track of the bunch, a polyrhythmic floor destroyer with a bunch of stabbing horns on it by a guy from Montserrat (a British territory a few hundred miles north of Trinidad and Tobago) called Arrow, who was apparently the island’s first soca star and enjoyed himself a very long and fruitful career. "Party People Rock" is a super infectious track.

And the other great song is one that intermittently features some steelpan on it, which I think is one of the world's most underappreciated instruments. It's called "The Hammer," by Charlies Roots, and despite the song only receiving just a sprinkling of that steelpan, there's no doubt that it would be significantly worse off without it. The steelpan has just such a cool and relaxingly unique sound to it. I definitely need more of it in my life.

So, there's probably a better introduction to soca music than this album—one that spans more years than just 1985 and 1986—but I'm still glad I managed to find a couple goodies on here. Was definitely expecting to hear a lot more steelpan, though. Maybe it's not actually as central to soca as I thought it was, or maybe this album is just leading me to a wrong conclusion. Guess I'll have to listen to some more in order to find out 🤔.

Highlights:

Arrow - "Party People Rock" Charlies Roots - "The Hammer"

[mymusicbias]

[galleryyuhself]

Galleryyuhself - A look at the unique, special life of a Calypso Icon who has now left us. The Great Denyse Plummer.

Galleryyuhself is pleased to share images over the years of her many calypso albums. It is a study in times passing fashions, fads and fun.

...........................................................................................................................

Galleryyuhself - from one the many fans...

Waking up to the sad news of the death of one of my calypso heroes and former calypso monach Denyse Plummer

She was a true patriot, sister of the soil, kaisonian legend and raw talent who changed the course of the artform, making it something that belonged to all of us, regardless of class, creed or skin colour!

She remained loyal to her country and the artform, despite facing discrimination and hostility as some viewed the colour of her skin as having no place in the calypso arena. She was greeted with a toilet paper waving audience who threw corn husk at her in Skinner Park, yet she persisted and sailed towards stardom, to become one of most successful and well known calypsonians worldwide, taking the crown with her rendition of my favourite love song to Trinidad and Tobago - Nah Leaving.

Listen to it here and see her perform in all her Trinbagonian glory!

As a young calypsonion, I myself faced hostility from some of my fellow junior artistes, who did not shy away from telling me that kaiso isn't for "white people", referring to the fact I was a few shades lighter than what they deemed to be accepted into the prestigious circle of who can represent OUR culture on the big stage. Denyse was a huge inspiration to me then and will remain so forever.

Thank you, My Queen. Thank you for everything you have done for women in calypso. Thank you for loving our culture and our country so fiercely and unapologetically. Thank you for showing us what true patriortism looks like. Thank you for your beautiful voice. Thank you for the music.

Go fly high now...

Woman is Boss!!!

[sexypinkon]

Sexypink - A major Icon has left us richer, sadder and grateful.

............................................................................................................................

The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago extends our condolences to the family and friends of the legendary Calypsonian, Gospel Singer, and former Calypso Monarch, Denyse Plummer.

Denyse Plummer broke barriers when she first emerged on the calypso scene during the 1980s, facing criticism onstage at Skinner Park as a “mixed”, female calypsonian in what has traditionally been seen as a male-dominated field. She never let this deter her however, and adamantly portrayed her love for her craft to the best of her ability, which earned her multiple crowns as Calypso Queen, and the 2001 Calypso Monarch Title with her popular song, “Nah Leaving”.

She began singing from an early age as a student at Holy Name Convent, and with their choir won several youth music competitions. Additionally, she participated in popular local talent competitions: "12 and Under", and "Scouting for Talent." As an adult, she regularly performed at the Chaconia Inn in Maraval during the 1970s-1980s.

Plummer released her first album in 1978. Her popular melodies eventually made their way to the ears of Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, who invited her to perform the Phase II Pan Groove steelband’s Panorama song, “Pan Rising” in 1986, although she had never sung calypso before. Her infamous debut at the Calypso Monarch semi-finals at Skinner Park saw jeering crowds throw projectiles at her on stage which she then incorporated into her performance, winning herself the respect of her audience and revealing why, “Woman is Boss”, as her 1988 song stated.

Following this, she was invited by calypsonian Superblue to perform at his Culture House calypso tent, and then at the late Aldwyn Roberts’, (Lord Kitchener’s) calypso tent The Revue, where she remained for 18 years. She enjoyed a successful calypso career and performed widely abroad as well, even winning Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre in New York in 1989.

From 2015 until her passing Denyse Plummer had become a performer of Gospel music, but still incorporated the rhythm and music of calypso into her songs. In 2011, she was awarded the Trinidad & Tobago Hummingbird Medal Gold for her contributions to culture.

This photo is courtesy of the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, July 26, 2023, which is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Newspaper Collection.

References: Sookdeo, Bavina. “Denyse Plummer Privileged and Honoured.” Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 8 Feb. 2013.