Originally written for and published in Caribbean Beat magazine in 2013 The half-century anniversary of Trinidad’s popular Marionettes Chorale It was all a little inevitable. My mother was the conductor, and my two godmothers were the executive management. Some of my best-established blackmailers are those who can recount me “conducting” from the audience as a pre-schooler, with …
Tag: festivals and events
Love after love | Caribbean Beat
Originally written for and published in Caribbean Beat magazine in 2008 Painting the Spectrum: A Celebration of Love It takes a fair amount of courage to put on a film festival in the Caribbean. Resources are often limited in terms of funding, venues, and sourcing Caribbean-oriented material. Nevertheless, in the last few years, festivals have emerged in several …
The books are back: the Caribbean Literary Festival | Caribbean Beat
Originally written for and published in Caribbean Beat magazine in 2007 Just in its second year, the Caribbean Literary Festival is set to return to Antigua this November. The festival was launched by Montserrat-born sisters Joy Bramble, founder of the Baltimore Times publishing company, and Pam Arthurton, founder of Carib-World Travel. They wanted to make a contribution to the …
Continue reading The books are back: the Caribbean Literary Festival | Caribbean Beat
Songs of freedom | Caribbean Beat
Originally written for and published in Caribbean Beat magazine in 2007 This September, Geraldine Connor’s epic musical Carnival Messiah will be presented in a rather unusual setting. The mammoth production will be staged under a 1,000-seat big top on the lawn of the sprawling Harewood House, home of the Queen’s cousin the Earl of Harewood, and an estate …
Jazzing up Jamaica | Caribbean Beat
Originally written for and published in Caribbean Beat magazine in 2007 June is jazz month in Jamaica, with the 17th Ocho Rios Jazz Festival continuing this year as the main attraction, running June 9-17. Founded back in 1991 by Sonny Bradshaw, the festival started as an experimental one-day event they called the Ocho Rios “Mini” Jazz …
Review: Carnival Messiah (2004)
I had heard all the buzz, and I’d read the awful deconstructions in the press, and was eager to see how I felt about Carnival Messiah. As I expected, I could see where the strong feelings for and against the production had originated. The programme described it as a ‘two-hour spectacular’, but in reality, it was some three and a …
A Marionettes concert diary
Originally assigned for and published in the Trinidad Express Newspaper in 2001 February. Carnival is over. Marionettes Chorale practices begin again. The holy Trinity (conductor Gretta Taylor, secretary Joanne Mendes and Assistant Musical Director Susan Dore) and the organising committee have been talking about a gospel, folk and spiritual CD to showcase local compositions and …
