bigdrumnation

Reading Time 1 mins Sisters, Brothers, Today is October 19th, 2021. Life and death and life day. The shock waves of the losses from COVID-19 and with it the passing of stalwarts such as Peter Bain, and the passing too of young people such as Giovanni de Gannes are tremours only,  compared to the seismic shift of October 19, 1983. Still, our hearts are aching, our souls are draining.  Today is a day of deep grief — and even deeper prayers and rising hope. We are not re-living the horror, just remembering not to do evil! Indeed, let us always remember… Read More »October 19, 2021

Reading Time 6 minsSeptember 24, 2021 As replicas of the Trinidad and Tobago red, white, and black national flag fly ceremoniously, I wonder what independence and republican status mean for our twin-island Republic. Once again, it’s that season of folly and frolic when decorative colors of postponement adorn the steel and concrete avenues of poorly maintained structures and now signal the abandonment of patience. Unlike Sparrow’s sentiment that “We Like it So,” we may not have yet found a satisfactory way of extricating ourselves from our self-made dilemma.  Can we catch ourselves in this fall? We are tired, no doubt, frustrated… Read More »Re-Educating Ourselves in the Matter of Independence and the State of the Republic(T&T)–Dr. David Brizan

Reading Time 4 minsSeptember 8, 2021 Monday, September 6, 2021, marked the 136th anniversary of the observance of the First Monday in September as Labor Day. The first Labor Day on September 7th 1885 was the culmination of a long and arduous road of struggle by workers of all races; struggle which included strikes, demonstrations, the Haymarket massacre of demonstrators in Chicago, and the struggle for an eight-hour workday. Congress in 1868 passed the Law and granted government employees the eight-hour day. From the humble beginning of the Knights of Labor to the founding of the AFL-CIO, the Labor Movement has had… Read More »The Labor Movement’s Tradition of Activism–Richard Dunn

Reading Time 1 minsAugust 31, 2021 Nations do not age the way citizens do. Instead, countries should be more resilient as each new generation can continuously renew and reinvigorate the founding ideals. However, nations’ well-being falters if governments do not provide a vision and create roadblocks preventing the present and future generations from interrogating leaders’ policies/pronouncements. Citizens, then, must fashion ways to circumvent obstacles. Thus, while aging tempers the individual, as Shadow elaborates in “Scratch Meh Back,” longevity, under normal circumstances, energizes nation-states. Yet, at 59, T&T is still relatively in its infancy. We offer two articles in our T&T Independence… Read More »Happy 59th Independence Day Trinidad and Tobago!

Reading Time 4 minsAugust 31, 2021 It was perhaps fortuitous that the Prime Minister chose the occasion of the sod-turning ceremony for a construction project for the building of a Panyard for the Desperados Steel Orchestra to remark on the issue of diversification.  Projecting that this space had the potential to become a steelpan entertainment centre to provide tourists with the experience of the steelpan culture of Trinidad and Tobago, the diversification question seemed fitting.  This occasion coming just days before the celebration of the 59th anniversary of Independence must have made the topic even more compelling for the leader… Read More »WE CYAR STAND UP ON ONE FOOT-Clyde Weatherhead

Reading Time 6 minsAugust 31, 2021 So, I was invited to a gathering, largely of strangers to me, to ‘witness’ an un-authored and wordless ‘Letter´ which was being scripted through dance! Yet the dancer, whom I have known for over fifty years since she was a child, was able to captivate and connect us easily because she was the hub to which we were all hinged at crisscrossing angles, representing various interlocking chapters in her life! As a trained actress at Juilliard and a Professor Emerita at Kent University, why didn’t she simply write the letter for her dad and… Read More »REFLECTIONS ON “A Letter Home for Dad.”–Dr. Jennifer Rouse

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Reading Time 3 minsBetween the years 1650 and 1807 approximately 750,000 enslaved Africans were shipped to the island of Jamaica. Through successive revolts by the enslaved Africans and the inevitable decline of the slave system, slavery ended in Jamaica on August 1, 1834. However, the socio-economic, cultural, and political life of the country were still controlled by the landowners and local oligarchy. The struggle for freedom continued, although under different conditions and assumed different forms – from the development of the labor movement, including Trade Unions and Universal Adult Suffrage, to the formation of political parties and the development of… Read More »Jamaica’s Independence: The Struggle Continues — Richard S. Dunn

Reading Time 5 minsThe first week of August is celebrated as Emancipation Day in much of the Caribbean, a testament to our shared history of bondage and a continuing common quest for liberation. This year, many events will be held both traditionally and online. For example, in Grenada, there would be cultural activities and live events, and a panel discussion. Traditionally in Grenada, emancipation Day celebrations are situated during the carnival festivities in Grenada. Therefore, it is a fitting reminder that our expressive culture, calypso, carnival, and our big drum culture, are our liberated voices. Emancipation is the most important… Read More »Happy Emancipation Day!

Reading Time 3 mins24 jiyè 2021 Mpa kwè m te janm li yon liv an Kreyòl lè m t ap grandi Ayiti pandan ane 1970 yo.  Tout liv m te li yo te an Fransè. Kreyòl se lang nou te pale nan mache, nan lari osinon nan match foutbòl.  Ann Ayiti, yo konsidere moun ki pale Fransè tankou moun ki gen “bon jan edikasyon.” Moun ki te pale Kreyòl sèlman yo, yo pa t konsidere yo tankou moun ki edike. Mwen te aprann pale Kreyòl lakay mwen ak nan katye mwen. Pandan tan sa yo, timoun yo te konn rasanble… Read More »Yon istwa inivèsèl pou espire jèn yo– Ketlie Camille