NOW Morning ShowTalented Trinidadian actress, Khadija Glasgow-Speer, continues to make waves internationally, as she concluded 2022 co-starring alongside popular American actor, Morris Chestnut, in veteran director, Malcolm D Lee’s, “The Best Man: Final Chapters.” Find out all about it as Khadija chats with Natasha about her experience.
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rinidadian author Anthony Joseph has won the TS Eliot prize for his collection Sonnets for Albert. Joseph won the £25,000 poetry prize for his work which is described as an autobiographical collection that weighs the impact of growing up with a largely absent father. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Joseph migrated to the United Kingdom in 1989 at the age of 21.He lived with his grandparents and loved music and poetry from young. He told Loop News in an earlier interview that he grew up in an environment that taught him in order to succeed he had to go away. In addition to producing five poetry collections, Joseph has authored three novels among them Kitch: A Fictional Biography of a Calypso Icon, which was shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness prize and the Royal Society of Literature’s Encore award and was longlisted for the 2019 OCM Bocas prize for Caribbean literature. He is also a musician and had eight critically acclaimed albums to his credit. Joseph is the second Trinidadian to win the lucrative prize. In 2020 dub poet Roger Robinson won the prize. He was on the panel of judges which included Chair of judges Jean Sprackland, and 2021 Costa book of the year winner Hannah Lowe. The judges said each of the shortlisted books “spoke powerfully to us in its own distinctive voice”. Sprackland said: “From this strong field our choice is Sonnets for Albert, a luminous collection which celebrates humanity in all its contradictions and breathes new life into this enduring form." This year saw a record 201 submissions. (Source; The Loop, Jan 18, 2023) This story is being reposted as author credit was previousy omitted. In 1988, Trinidad-born Andrew Madan Ramroop became the first man of colour to own a business in London's prestigious Savile Row. The achievement came 18 years after he had migrated to England from his home at Maingot Road, Tunapuna, where he was born on November 10th, 1952. In 1970, Ramroop left Trinidad aboard the luxury liner Northern Star and headed to England with hopes of beginning a career as a tailor's apprentice. He, however, was turned down for many jobs on Savile Row. "In those early days, my accent wasn't what it is now and I was applying for jobs to be at the front of the shop to cut and to fit and to meet clients," Ramroop told the BBC. "People wanted to protect their own businesses and they were being realistic in saying this guy won't suit the front of the shop," he said gratiously. Ramroop began his London training as a backroom trainee for a Savile Row institution, Huntsman & Son. In 1974, he found a position as an assistant cutter with Maurice Sedwell—the only shop on Savile Row that would hire a non-white tailor. Ramroop mastered his craft, and worked his way to the top, becoming managing director of the business in 1982 and then buying the company in 1988. In the early days, Ramroop was confined to making alterations. The big break came when a client personally asked for him to oversee an entire fitting. Ramroop's reputation was soon sealed through personal recommendations - and at one point he was dressing half a dozen British cabinet ministers. Famously, he also designed the cashmere jacket worn by Princess Diana in her infamous 'Panorama' interview on British television. Over the years, Sedwell sold Ramroop shares in the business, until he had accumulated 45%. The crunch time came in 1988 when Ramroop wanted to leave to set up his own business. Sedwell eventually persuaded him to stay and sold him a further 45% in the business. Eight years after taking over the business, Ramroop expanded the premises from 500 to 3,000 square feet. Located on London’s Fleet Street, Maurice Sedwell Ltd. grew from a gold medal-winning tailor shop to one of the UK’s best known names in Bespoke Tailoring. Today, he owns and runs Maurice Sedwell on 19 Savile Row, making bespoke suits for customers around the world. Ramroop has been featured in a BBC 2 documentary on Black Firsts. He has been named by 'Complex' as one of Britain's Greatest Designers. Among other accolades, Ramroop was the first tailor to be awarded a professorship at the London College of Fashion for distinction in his field in 2001 and, in 2005, was awarded the Chaconia Medal Gold by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. In 2008, the Master Tailor founded the Savile Row Academy (SRA) to train the tailors of tomorrow, and was also handed an OBE honour from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. (Source: Dominic Kalipersad, Nov. 6, 2019) Turn your devices to ITV and tune in to this year’s edition of Voice UK and, at some point, the sound coming from it will be familiar.
It's soca from Rodell “Triniboi Joocie” Sorzano. The 33-year-old, UK-based Trinidadian is a semifinalist in the 11th season of the long-running show the Voice UK, which began in 2012. He will deliver his semifinal performance on Saturday. This year’s judges are Will.i.am., Anne Marie, Sir Tom Jones and Olly Murs. Triniboi Joocie's journey to being the first soca artiste on the show began 12 months ago. However, he is not the first to perform in such international shows. In 2018, Olatunji Yearwood competed in the UK’s X Factor. Other Trinidadian, non-soca artistes have also competed in these types of shows. Earlier this year, 16-year-old Camryn Champion secured a spot on American Idol. Triniboi Joocie said, “The competition decided to contact me. The talent scout for the show reached out twice, actually. The first occasion they contacted me, I declined. I said, ‘No. These shows don’t really represent artistes that I regard as artistes. I think it is quite manufactured.’ “Then they contacted me again and assured me that they were interested in me as an artiste and what I bring to their platform. Basically. I guess, they were changing their whole scope on the show and how it is represented.” There were multiple auditions before he reached the live stage with the blind auditions. “It was just a very nerve-racking, exciting experience. But I was reassured I could be as true to who I am and they appreciated that.” He first appeared on episode five, which aired on October 1. At the audition, he was asked to sing four songs. “I came in, sang, and they were like, ‘Yes! Yes! Triniboi, we love this.’” After multiple meetings and more auditions, he progressed to blind auditions. At the October 1 blind audition, he sang his 2020 song Bottle Over Head, which saw British singer/songwriter and judge Anne Marie turning around quickly. “I was the first act on the second day of auditions. At 6 am in the morning, I gave them authentic soca,” he said. He then progressed to the callbacks, at which he did a Trinidadian-style version of Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care. It is important for Triniboi Joocie to be anauthentic soca artiste on this platform because, for him, he feels the soca that has made it to the charts previously has either been diluted or had different elements added to it. Being on shows like these is also opening people’s minds more to soca and its many possibilities, he said. It was making people more receptive to the indigenous genre being played throughout the year, as opposed to only at Carnival time. During the callbacks, Triniboi Joocie was sent a song two days in advance and then had to make it his own. “And I asked them, 'How far can I take the song?' and they said, 'Listen, 'juice' it. Make it Joocie. Give us Triniboi.' And I said, ‘Yuh sure? Because I will take it out of that box and approach it like a Soca Monarch performance, basically.’ “And they said, ‘Yes. Do you.’” He said that was when he was able to stand out from the other competitors. He thinks because soca is such a new genre, to some, it might be difficult to describe. “What Anne-Marie said is, 'Triniboi is fun.' They are associating my performance as fun. It is happy. "But really I want them to understand there is craft. There are depths to this. There are layers.” He believes moving to the UK in 1998 allowed him to immerse himself more in TT’s culture because he was away from it. He grew up in Laventille before moving to the UK. He is also a science teacher. That is why he is a Notting Hill Carnival ambassador. He has been advocating for soca in Europe for over a decade, an earlier press release about his entry to the show said. He was also the UK’s Soca Monarch in 2012 and 2013. In June, Triniboi Joocie performed the late Lord Kitchener’s Pan in A Minor, backed by a 100-piece pan ensemble, at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration at Buckingham Palace. No matter the outcome of Voice UK, Triniboi Joocie intends to give it his best for soca, TT and the region. Using a cake analogy, he said this was simply one of the many "flavours" he was adding to his career, as the bowl was still mixing. Another press release said his decision to take part in the show was an intentional move to advance his career as well as showcase the culture of TT and the Caribbean. Triniboi Joocie also thinks once people take the music seriously, it will be recognised. “Often enough, we are afraid to be as authentic as we should be. To make it palatable, we water it down.” Afrobeats is now mainstream music because its artistes stuck to the roots of their music and were unified, he said. He said if soca is constantly changed it would not have an identity or a recognised factor that would make people say, “That is soca.” He called on soca artistes to be more confident in what they do. The message that Triniboi Joocie wants the world to take away from his appearing in Voice UK is that soca is not only about fun, it is the song of a people and place that are underrepresented in the mainstream industry, and it, too, needs its day in the sun. (Source: Newsday, Oct 21, 2022) A FAMOUS but now largely forgotten Trinidadian singer, the late Mona Baptiste, will be remembered on October 22 in Dublin by the Epic Irish Emigration Museum, which records the global impact of Irish emigrants and their beliefs and heritage. She is also now featured in the museum's exhibition Revolutionary Routes: Ireland and the Black Atlantic. Saturday's event will consist of a talk by Baptiste's biographers, Bill Hern and David Gleave, who earlier this year published their book What about the Princess? The Life and Times of Mona Baptiste. Hern was quoted online as saying that a few years ago, one day over coffee, the two men had reckoned that in line with the 70th anniversary of the 1948 arrival of the Empire Windrush, bringing West Indian migrants to the UK, they should explore the lives of some of those original passengers. Why had they gone to Britain and what did they achieve? "Gradually, though, as we found out more and more about her, we realised there was a whole book to be written about just one passenger. Passenger number seven on the passenger list was Mona Baptiste and her story is a remarkable one. "Mona was a big star for several decades but is now largely, unjustly in our view, forgotten. We hope our book, the first full-length biography, will bring her the recognition she deserves." Hern said Baptiste was a black woman from humble origins, overlooked by history, a shortcoming he hoped the book would help remedy. A book review on the Amazon website recalled her arrival in the UK."In June 1948 Mona disembarked from the Empire Windrush ship at Tilbury. Like so many of her fellow passengers she had travelled from the Caribbean to England to start a new life, and what a life it turned out to be!" Within weeks of disembarking she made the first of countless radio appearances and she would go on to feature regularly on the television, produce a string of popular records, and appear in many films as well as stage shows in London, France and Germany."Truly a superstar in her day, Mona deserves to be remembered in the United Kingdom she loved and in the land of her birth, Trinidad. "A statement from the museum said Baptiste was a legendary Trinidadian-born singing sensation, with a fascinating life story." Baptiste, whose musical genres were calypso and blues, had a successful international singing career and appeared in several films."Within two weeks of arriving in England she was featured on BBC radio and was soon singing with the bands of Ted Heath and Cab Kaye and as part of the Stephane Grappelli Quintet." Heath later became British prime minister. " French star Yves Montand invited her to appear in Paris and her fame quickly spread across the continent. Her greatest success would come in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s when she was one of the highest paid entertainers in that country."In London, she met and married Liam Morrison, and in 1972 returned with him to his native Ireland, which she would eventually call home. (Source: Newsday, Oct 21, 2022) Little has been published about U.S. actor and media personality Alfonso Ribeiro’s Trinidad-born American parents - Michael, a correctional officer, and Joy Ribeiro - or his grandparents, including his paternal grandfather Albert Ribeiro who was a calypsonian known as Lord Hummingbird.
Inaccurate information on Wikipedia and elsewhere states that his parents were from the Dominican Republic and his grandfather was calypsonian Roaring Lion. Ribeiro, however, has sought to correct this in a number of media interviews, confirming that his grandfather was Lord Hummingbird. In addition, on his Instagram page @therealalfonsoribeiro, Ribiero provided a glimpse of his family. Over the years, he posted separate photos of his father, mother, and grandmother, as well as one with his wife, Angela, at Trinidad Carnival. Ribeiro is best known for the character Carlton Banks which he played on the hit television show Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and as host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. He is quoted as saying, “I’ve got great memories of being in Trinidad. As a kid, we went every summer. That was always amazing. I’ve got great memories. I’ve obviously gone back as an adult many times to play Carnival. I even took my then fiancée, now wife, and we played Carnival and Bliss. I’ve absolutely enjoyed all my Trinidad connections, and it has been wonderful.” (Source: Dominic Kalipersad, May 26, 2022) It's been said that you can find a Trini everywhere, and where a carnival is, a Trinbagonian is known to be behind it. This is the case with the new carnival being born in South East Asia, Indonesia, on the island of Bali. Caribbean Vybez founder Ethan Auguste who first went to Bali in 2019, is organising this first Trinidad and Tobago-themed Carnival in the S.E.A. region. Auguste is no stranger to promoting his culture. He is also known as the pioneer who brought Caribbean culture to the United Arab Emirates back in 2009 and now in Bali. Although Reggae is no stranger to these parts, Trinidad and Tobago's Soca and Carnival is, and this was the mission of Caribbean Vybez when deciding to make Bali its new home three years ago. Bali Carnival planned from September 23 to 28, is already making waves. The event, which takes place at the new Renaissance Bali Hotel, Nusa Dua, will start with a welcome event and continue to the hotel's Atomic 13 pool venue for Glow, the all-white affair on day one. Carnival goers will then don their costumes designed by Trinidadian Aaron Schneider and produced in Bali. Revellers will take to the road for the first Carnival inspired by The Greatest Show on Earth - Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, which leads into a las lap celebration scheduled to go till late in true Trini style.
Bali Colour Festival which will run on the following day will host a special J'ouvert on the beach, followed by a Caribbean Soul Concert with a lineup of top Caribbean talents on the last day of the main activities. "It's been one of my dreams over the years to produce a carnival, and coming to Bali, I saw the potential to create not just a carnival event but an experience many other carnivals don't have in a destination people have on their bucket list. Bali Carnival would hugely boost Bali's tourism during their slower period," Auguste said via a press release. With destination events becoming popular, Auguste is confident that Bali Carnival will secure its place in the carnival calendar, one that all carnival fans would not want to miss. From steelpan to the cuisine of T&T and the Caribbean, this carnival experience promises to be a diverse and captivating affair. To join the inaugural Carnival, visit their website www.balicarnival.com and follow their Instagram @balicarnvial for updates and packages. (Source: The Loop, July 12, 2022) If SHURVONE BRATHWAITE could speak to his teenage self, he’d simply say, “Chill dude. It’s going to be okay.” As a music teacher and performer, this Tobagonian made the “journey of self-discovery” while convincing his mother he wouldn’t be a “starving artist.” Now, close to 12 years later, he believes that he is doing what he is placed on earth to do at this stage in his life. According to Shurvone, “music has been one of the few things that remained constant in my life. There is a song or piece for every emotion I am feeling. Music has taught me the importance of being diligent and focused.” Here is Shurvone’s MENtions story:
—- I had what may be considered a normal childhood. When I wasn’t inside studying or helping with chores, you can find me most times in front of the television watching my favourite shows or outside riding my bike or playing. Up to age of 18, I would either be at my family home or spending time at my great grandmother’s house, which was my second home. My great-grandmother was the rock of our family. She left a financially stable but stressful marriage in Toco to build a new life for herself in Tobago. She worked diligently to raise her children alone. Then when conflict presented itself later in her life, she took some of her grandchildren and raised them as her own. She took care of me by babysitting my sister and I when my mother took night classes to pursue tertiary studies. She left this earth in 2010 knowing she did everything she could to improve our family name and our lives. Those of us who listened to her life lessons are grateful to her and to this day, we still make reference to her in conversations. While my great-grandmother had a great impact on my life, as most Tobagonian matriarchs do on the lives of their children and grandchildren, my mother has been an amazing force. She instilled the value of education from as early as I can remember. I saw first-hand how having an education benefited her and my household, so I knew that I had to follow closely in her footsteps. Looking back on how things played out over time, it isn’t strange that I found myself working in education, instilling the same values my mother instilled in me, to my students. My journey to music education My teachers and friends knew where I was heading before I even considered it. My mother, herself an educator, needed some convincing about my journey into music. I don’t blame her for being sceptical. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for her to hear that I wanted to study music after being a science student in secondary school. We have all heard the “starving artist” story. Yet, she supported me along the way and takes the time to learn about what I do as a musician. I am thankful for her continued support and love. My music teacher at Bishop’s High School Tobago, Mr. Anthony Moore planted the idea of being an educator in my head. After completing CAPE (Sixth Form), I was looking at options for my “gap year” and he suggested that I apply to the Division of Education to be a music teacher. I was already seriously considering studying music and I wanted to experience the school environment from the teacher’s perspective. In September 2010, I walked onto the compound of Roxborough Secondary School and now, almost 12 years later, I know the school environment is one of the places I enjoy spending my time. I am often asked how do I add value to my students’ lives. My response is “by first being human”. I enter my first class with the intention to show them full respect and my aim is to teach music as well as how to be a good human being. “A song for every emotion” Music has been one of the few things that remained constant in my life. There is a song or piece for every emotion I am feeling. Music has taught me the importance of being diligent and focused. As a child, I would constantly get in trouble for humming while people were talking to me. The reason for this is I would be humming the melody of a piece or song that reflected my emotion. Just imagine being scolded for something you did and then as you walked away, your Caribbean Mother heard you humming a “chune”. Lol! I eventually learned that the humming can be viewed as disrespectful, so I started to run my “chunes” in my head. My motivations I’m motivated by my ability to convey the thoughts and emotions of composers through sound. The subtleties of aiming to communicate what a composer was feeling thousands of years ago motivates me in the rehearsal space and is the driving force behind every performance. On an individual level, I’ve also been motivated by Yevgeny Dokshansky, Anthony Woodruffe and Rodrick Urquhart (RIP) who all played a role in my development as a performer. In terms of music educators, I look up to Patrice Cox-Neaves, Dr. Leah Brown, Dr. Roger Henry, Deborah Moore – Kushmaul and Caitlyn Kamminga. As a performer, I have a long list of musicians I love listening to and have found myself adopting certain elements of their performance style. I am inspired by my students as well, the good and the misguided. To my students or anyone thinking of a career in music or as a music educator, I say, if it makes you happy and you can’t see yourself doing anything else, do it. It’s a labour-intensive journey so buckle up for the ride. Be prepared to give it your all. – Shurvone attended St. Andrew’s Anglican, St. Nicholas Primary Schools and Bishop’s High School, Tobago. Between 2011 and 2021, he pursued studies at The University of Trinidad and Tobago, Framingham State University, and UWI – ROYTEC and holds an undergraduate degree in Music (Performance and Ethnomusicology Track), a Master’s degree in Education (Teaching), and a Certificate in The Business of Entertainment. (Source: MENtions,May1, 2022) In addition to his unique name, Amilcar Sanatan is also a man with a unique perspective. He doesn’t confine himself to the “boundaries of the world” he was born into nor the ones given to him. He continues to push against these boundaries through his work with East PoS communities, art, writing and activism. For him, it is about seeking love and justice in all things and contributing to institutions to develop long-term investments and structures that transform environments and lives. This is his MENtions story:
– I loved my younger years. They were full of adventure. I took part in cricket, football, Taekwondo and badminton. I played the piano and, for a short time, the tenor saxophone. I wrote poetry, sang and chanted in school competitions and organised open mic competitions. I enjoyed eating “fat pork” from trees and doubles in Curepe. I spent hours observing the world of taxi drivers, casino workers, Chinese food restaurants, thieves and school children living their freedom without responsibility in the streets. I can’t count the number of times I had to run away from robbers and gun men. In the vacation before Form 3, I was diagnosed with meningitis. I did not understand why all my family members and the parish priest had visited me. I just thought I had a fever and I would be home soon. I did not understand the potential damage and disability that could happen without urgent and effective treatment. After I fully recovered, I lived every day with a sense of joy and gratitude. People die from meningitis. In fact, I have met youth who lost their hearing because of it. I was lucky in terms of health recovery and lucky to have the financial support and network that paid for my health expenses. I understand what it feels like to be a survivor and the privilege of economic class. I never accepted the boundaries of the world I was born into or the ones given to me. I push against these boundaries to this day. “Demanding fairness at a young age” In Form 5, I did English A, Mathematics, French, History, Geography, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Economics and Art. I dropped Physics in Form 4. I achieved one- Grade 1, five- Grade 2s, one – Grade 3, one ‘B’ and one ‘E’. I told my parents that the ‘E’ was for excellence. In Form 6, I did French, History and Management of Business. Again, I was a student with an average academic performance. My first protest was in secondary school, demanding fairness regarding the right to grow my hair naturally at any length. I really think this is where I came into my own. Since then, the school has changed their position and young men whose hair grow in diverse textures and directions continue to contribute to the school’s success. They chose collective freedom and individual creative expression rather than tradition and control. Bishop Anstey Trinity College East (BATCE) is the school of collective freedom and individual creative expression in Trinidad and Tobago. These values are essential to the development of the leaders in our society. I also served as President of The UWI Guild of Students, national representative for the Commonwealth Students’ Association and in the leadership of the Global Student Forum. My early university student years involved poetry, student organisation in U.WE SPEAK, public advocacy in the media, on campus and in Port-of-Spain, commissioning graffiti art on the “whisper wall,” organising with the Socialist Student Conference, winning the lobby for improved watercooler facilities on campus, and networking the Caribbean youth and student movement into the global student movement. “I have a calling, not a career” At University, I completed a B.Sc. degree in Psychology and an M.Phil. degree in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies. I made the decision to set standards for my academic performance in my current Ph.D. in Cultural Studies programme. I’ve received A’s in all my courses and I was the recipient of the Elsa Goveia Scholarship for Caribbean Studies at The UWI. As you can see, my areas of study do not show a clear career path. In fact, they show that I have the capacity to serve in multiple sectors and areas of development. This is why I believe that I have a calling, not a career. I also lectured in Gender and Development and Geography. In both disciplines, I brought the work of the classroom into public space. When I teach, I exchange knowledge and affirm the spirit of students committed to a more fair, equal and just nation, Caribbean and world. “Connect the work to ordinary people” I seek to understand, describe and transform my world. My art, academic writing and activism are all essential to that process. Combined, they advance leadership. My mother and father were my first advisors. They both emerged from contexts of poverty and rose to the ranks of community-based, regional and international academic and civil society leadership. For leadership, you need to develop confidence and you need to be properly trained. To be a transformational leader, you need to connect the work you do to ordinary people. I am neither a man of providence nor certainties. I do not know what my purpose is in life, if there is one. I seek love and justice in all things. I want to contribute to institutions, to develop long-term investments and structures that transform environments and lives. I do not seek fame or riches on this earth. I want to be useful to others in this brief life while loving people and places along the way. “I serve the people of East Port-of-Spain with my heart, mind and hands.” Currently, I am the Project Coordinator for Socio-Economic Projects at East Port of Spain Development Company. I work full time in Laventille with a mandate for social and economic transformation of communities. My everyday reality moves from Latrine Eradication Programmes to empowering women in sewing classes to reflections on inclusion in urban planning and governance. Now that I am here, I am more committed to deepening the democratic process and participation in development. What is the ladder for women and men, young and old, who may not have completed secondary school? When we provide educational opportunities, how do we match them with economic opportunities? This is hard work. Deep relationships with the people, not public relations, change lives. Mrs. Nadia Figaro-Adams first introduced me to trainees and residents at SERVOL Beetham Campus where I organised youth-led workshops on gender-based violence, student governance and spoken word open mics. My father was raised in Laventille. Commitment brought me to this place. There is something special about workers who can do desk research, coordinate programmes, engage communities and communicate professionally in the street, over a drain, in the track and by email. Ah special? Growth has little to do with CVs and a public profile I am inspired by movements. At my desk, I have portraits of María Elena Moyano of Peru, Marielle Franco of Brazil, Amílcar Cabral of Guinea-Bissau and Father Michael Makhan of Trinidad and Tobago. These are leaders of movements who worked among the poor. I also have photos of my grandparents and parents on my desk. I come from a family of cocoa labourers on one side. My family is a movement. I am committed to the work of the poor and my family. I have learnt from many professional and public leaders – close up and at a distance. Policy-makers, professors and priests influenced my vision and work in some way. However, the professional part is easiest. I think character is the hard part to build. Growth has little to do with CVs and public profile, it has to do more with attitude, care, humility and commitment. Mentors are not people to help me make the next professional step, that is on me. Mentors get my mind right. My sixth form principal, Mrs. Joan Mason provided a model of leadership for me at a young age. She showed me how to elevate the standards of institutions while providing care for people on a one-on-one basis. Different models of leadership There are many examples of black male leadership in Trinidad and Tobago. What I would like to see more of are models of leadership that embrace young men and work through their vulnerabilities; a model of leadership that is accountable to women’s rights and the livelihoods of women and girls; a model of leadership that is democratic, believes in the equality of all people; a model of leadership that builds boys and men up with love for themselves, for women and girls and their communities. If I could speak to my teenage self, I would say “You win with love” and don’t worry about losing your virginity, worry about losing your metabolism. But, to the teenager who may be confused about their career or next steps after leaving secondary school or degree programme, I want you to serve well and serve selflessly. Make every day count in your personal and professional development. Excellent work and service, create opportunity for more work and service. (Source: MENtions,May 22, 2022) – Amilcar is a former student of The University School, St Augustine; Combermere School, Barbados; Trinity College East, BATCE Sixth Form School and The UWI, St Augustine. Stoicism, Catholic social teaching, RastafarI livity, the ideal of moksha and the writing of Kahlil Gibran keep him centred. He walks daily for two hours to clear his mind and meditates. Watching sport, episodes of 90 day Fiancé, Catfish or Samurai X and Judge Judy with his mother, are how he spends his free time. One of the best known names in Caribbean literature, Sam Selvon, was born on May 20th in 1923!
As an author, Selvon is celebrated for his vivid depictions of Caribbean life and stories of West Indian migration. Many of his later writings drew from his experiences as a member of the Windrush generation of Caribbean immigrants to Britain in the 1950s. His book, “The Lonely Londoners” (1956) is still recognized as one of the first novels to incorporate Caribbean dialects in its telling of working-class migrant life in the UK. Over the years, Selvon authored a number of books, including “Ways of Sunlight” (1957), “Those Who Eat the Cascadura” (1972) and “Moses Ascending” (1975). In 1976, he co-wrote the screenplay for British film “Pressure” with Horace Ové, celebrated as the UK's first Black dramatic feature-length film. He was a two-time winner of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, a recipient of the Hummingbird Medal (Gold, 1969) and the Chaconia Medal (posthumously, 1994). In the 1980s, Selvon was honoured with degrees from the University of the West Indies (1985) and Warwick University (1989). Born in San Fernando, Selvon attended Naparima College before serving 5 years in the West Indian Royal Navy (R.N.V.R) during WWII, on ships in the Caribbean. After the War, Selvon worked as a reporter at the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper (1945-1950). He also wrote stories under pseudonyms and had some of his work broadcast by the BBC. Encouraged by this success, he migrated to the UK in 1950 with the manuscript of his first book “A Brighter Sun” (1952). In London, Selvon worked several jobs, while his short stories were published by various British magazines. He also produced two television scripts for the BBC: “Anansi the Spider Man” and “Home Sweet India.” Selvon later moved to Canada, where he became a fellow at the University of Dundee, and a professor in creative writing at the University of Victoria. He passed away on April 16th 1994 in Trinidad. In 2018, on what would have been his 95th birthday, Selvon was honoured by Google with a “Google Doodle”. This photo of Sam Selvon is courtesy of the book “Insight Guide to Trinidad and Tobago”, published by Insight Guides, London. This book is part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Reference Collection. (Source: Trinbago Golden Memories, May 26, 2022) |
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