The ROOTS
Thievery Corporation
DJ Krush
Q-Tip
Crown City Rockers
oh and ...
Beethoven
Kalin Ivanov (Cellist)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
What I'm listening to now....edition numero 7
The ROOTS
Thievery Corporation
DJ Krush
Q-Tip
Crown City Rockers
oh and ...
Beethoven
Kalin Ivanov (Cellist)
West Side at Napa...what a show! but why did people laugh at the wrong scene?
So the musical - West Side Story played at NAPA (National Academy for Performing Arts) over the last two weekends here in Trinidad. So I went last night, my first time inside NAPA and what a place!
I'm not really a big fan of West Side Story, it's too sad, but the local cast comprising teenagers from various high schools as well as adults did an excellent job in my books. I'm no theatre critic, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was shocked and highly irritated when kids and adults started to laugh at the end when Maria grabs hold of the gun from Chino after Tony has been murdered and starts to say now she can kill too, because she hates now.
Now, I ask you 'what the hell is funny about that?' If it's one thing that gets me irritated and ashamed of Trinis is how easily we make a joke of everything. It's serious part, the saddest part of the whole darn play and people are laughing? Are you kidding me?
Why?
Come on Trinis, grow a spine and learn about proper etiquette would you?
Friday, March 18, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
There's bigger things than all of us
Surely no one expected such a terrible earthquake and tsunami to hit Japan. And that's the scary part of life. Things can change in an instant. What was here today could really be gone tomorrow in a matter of seconds. And the people of Japan have suffered immensely.
What's even more scary is the fact that the earthquake was so powerful to have shifted the entire country nearly 13 feet closer to the US! It's shifted the earth's axis as well.
If this doesn't make us wake up and realize that the things that we think we 'control' are really microscopic and petty. Because when mother nature's ready to make a change. All we can do is stand aside and watch. We're all just fooling ourselves. Seriously.
Even the richest, most powerful people on the planet can't control nature.
If that isn't humbling, I don't know what is.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12716870
What's even more scary is the fact that the earthquake was so powerful to have shifted the entire country nearly 13 feet closer to the US! It's shifted the earth's axis as well.
If this doesn't make us wake up and realize that the things that we think we 'control' are really microscopic and petty. Because when mother nature's ready to make a change. All we can do is stand aside and watch. We're all just fooling ourselves. Seriously.
Even the richest, most powerful people on the planet can't control nature.
If that isn't humbling, I don't know what is.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12716870
Friday, March 4, 2011
Who will carry on Calypso?
Over the last few weeks, a local pub on Ariapita Avenue - SHAKERS, had local Calypsonians perform on a wednesday. It is after all, Carnival time and 'tis the season for Calypso, Soca and Mas.
I went ever wednesday and I saw 'Crazy', 'Shadow' and the 'Mighty Sparrow' (not their real names of course, that's their 'sobriquets').
It was great to see them live, up close and personal, Sparrow is unfortunately getting much older and had to sit for his performance. But his voice was strong and sharp as always, maybe that's why people call him the 'birdie'.
There's is one sad reality though, after these guys are gone, who will carry on the tradition of Calypso?
Calypso is our version of the Blues, it's the Caribbean's man tale of life, of love, of social and political situations, you name it. Calypso covers it.
Soca, it's predecessor, only deals with partying, it's mainly music for the season. And the beat is only ten thousand times faster that Calypso. Lyrically, it's not too intelligent either. Not all soca songs are this way, but most are unfortunately.
Calypso in the early years was always supposed to 'take off' just like reggae did for Jamaica. Although it has reached very far, and many foreigners come every year to experience the sensation of Carnival and listen to all the music we have to offer, I honestly do feel Calypso as a music form stayed more low key than Reggae and Soca. But that's just my opinion.
I myself have travelled the globe with KOBO TOWN playing our own version of what I call 'Renaissance Kaiso'. And I know for a fact, people love Calypso.
That is not to say individual calypsonians don't tour the word. On the contrary, many artists travel to Europe and the States on a regular basis promoting our original art form.
But after the old guards have passed on, who will carry the flame? Who will keep the legacy of Calypso alive? Not soca artistes, they're too busy writing a party hit with minimal lyrics.
I hope Calypso will live on somehow, I hope new calypsonians will emerge to carry on this tradition of great lyrical content, political and social satire.
As the calypsonians would say 'Kaiso, Kaiso!'
I went ever wednesday and I saw 'Crazy', 'Shadow' and the 'Mighty Sparrow' (not their real names of course, that's their 'sobriquets').
It was great to see them live, up close and personal, Sparrow is unfortunately getting much older and had to sit for his performance. But his voice was strong and sharp as always, maybe that's why people call him the 'birdie'.
There's is one sad reality though, after these guys are gone, who will carry on the tradition of Calypso?
Calypso is our version of the Blues, it's the Caribbean's man tale of life, of love, of social and political situations, you name it. Calypso covers it.
Soca, it's predecessor, only deals with partying, it's mainly music for the season. And the beat is only ten thousand times faster that Calypso. Lyrically, it's not too intelligent either. Not all soca songs are this way, but most are unfortunately.
Calypso in the early years was always supposed to 'take off' just like reggae did for Jamaica. Although it has reached very far, and many foreigners come every year to experience the sensation of Carnival and listen to all the music we have to offer, I honestly do feel Calypso as a music form stayed more low key than Reggae and Soca. But that's just my opinion.
I myself have travelled the globe with KOBO TOWN playing our own version of what I call 'Renaissance Kaiso'. And I know for a fact, people love Calypso.
That is not to say individual calypsonians don't tour the word. On the contrary, many artists travel to Europe and the States on a regular basis promoting our original art form.
But after the old guards have passed on, who will carry the flame? Who will keep the legacy of Calypso alive? Not soca artistes, they're too busy writing a party hit with minimal lyrics.
I hope Calypso will live on somehow, I hope new calypsonians will emerge to carry on this tradition of great lyrical content, political and social satire.
As the calypsonians would say 'Kaiso, Kaiso!'
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