Category Archives: Culture

Carnival, Culture, General T&T, Media, Violence

Brute force in the band

Newsday Editorial
February 11 2016 – newsday.co.tt

CarnivalTHE POLICE must investigate the circumstances surrounding video images which purported to show a man being beaten by the private security guards of a Carnival band. The footage raises deeper questions which have, over the years, been left unresolved in relation to the regulation of private security guards and our national festival. The footage, which circulated on social media on Carnival Monday, shows a band of about a dozen guards from the band Yuma — identified merely by black t-shirts saying “Yuma Extraction” — ganging up on a man, who has been identified as PNM councillor Jason Alexander. The incident appears to have occurred not on private property, but rather in a public street.
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Culture, General T&T, Hindu, India, Religion, Schools

Hindus observe Kartik Snaan

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By Seeta Persad
November 26, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

Kartik SnaanHINDUS across the country yesterday observed the religious event of Kartik with many going to the beach or river to hold pujas (prayers) and pray.

All Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) run schools were closed to allow for entire families to pray together. Kartik Snaan is the name given for the months of October/November in the Hindu calendar. During this holy time Nav Ratri, Divali and Ramleela are observed and celebrated.
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COP, Culture, Elections, General T&T, Opposition Party, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, UNC

The last ‘pahalwan’

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By Raffique Shah
November 23, 2015

Raffique ShahThe battle for leadership of the UNC has ignited a discussion on leadership in a broader context, with the party’s founder, Basdeo Panday, weighing in on the issue.

According to my columnist colleague Sheila Rampersad, Panday told her that Indians tend to seek a “pahalwan”-Hindi for warrior, strongman-to lead them. Sheila cited Panday himself as an example of the phenomenon. In 1973, he succeeded Bhadase Maharaj as leader of the sugar workers’ union, and in 1977 he succeeded in transforming the only organic inter-racial party ever (my view…I was a co-founder), the ULF, into an Indian party.
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Culture, General T&T, International, Media, Religion, Syria, Violence

Islamic Front leader on T&T fighters in Syria

2 Comments

‘I nearly joined Isis’

By Shaliza Hassanali
November 22, 2015 – guardian.co.tt

Umar Abdullah, leader of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah, also known as The Islamic FrontThirteen years after Umar Abdullah, leader of Waajihatul Islaamiyyah, also known as The Islamic Front, was sought by US and British Intelligence for supporting al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and jihad (holy war), he has admitted that he almost joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) as a frontline fighter.
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Culture, General T&T

Taking calypso to the next level

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By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
October 26, 2015

Dr. Kwame NantambuAs the Trinidad/Tobago United Calypsonians Association (TUCO) is currently celebrating “Calypso History Month”, it became supremely imperative for this writer, albeit lover of the calypso art form, to pen a few thoughts about the need to take the art form of calypso to the next ultimate international level.

Now, for the past umpteen decades and counting, the calypso genre has been posited within the local myopic confines of the Ministry of Arts and Culture.
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Crime in T&T, Culture, General T&T, Law, USA

Decriminalise it

4 Comments

By Julien Neaves
February 22, 2015 – newsday.co.tt

MarijuanaWITH Caribbean neighbour Jamaica making moves to decriminalise marijuana University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Emeritus Kenneth Ramchand is renewing his calls for marijuana to be decriminalised in Trinidad and Tobago for medicinal purposes.

In January this year the Jamaican Government tabled the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act, 2015 in that country’s Senate to decriminalise marijuana for medicinal, religious and personal use.
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Culture, General T&T

Kaiso, boy!

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By Raffique Shah
February 15, 2015

Raffique ShahI waited patiently for Calypso Fiesta, the Mother of all Calypso shows, which featured 41 of the top calypsonians for this year. I did not trust the 20-plus radio stations in the country since those that feature local music kill us with pumping, jarring noises accompanied by voices that all sound hoarse as if the artistes are stricken with sore throats, that they tell me is soca.
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Culture, General T&T

Killing Us Noisily

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By Raffique Shah
January 03, 2015

Raffique ShahEight o’clock Saturday morning and as I start writing this column, all is quiet on my block, suspiciously so. It’s cool and sunny, and I hear birds chirping, see them flying past my windows. Butterflies add a colourful touch to this gift of nature, a peaceful cul-de-sac located mere metres away from a busy, noisy, dusty main road.
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Crime in T&T, Culture, General T&T, Law, Murder, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, Violence

Architects of our own demise

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By Raffique Shah
June 15, 2014

Raffique ShahI am writing this column knowing that it will not be read by the target audience—young, black and ‘er…unschooled men.

Few if any in this group read anything, least of all newspapers. If they pick up an Express, it would be to watch a photograph of some dead “bredren”, felled by bullets from police or criminal, same difference, and to wonder if they, upon meeting a similar fate, would make a pretty corpse.
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