Alana Rajah: devoted to the dance | Backstory
Originating in south India almost two thousand years ago, Bharatanatyam, a major classical dance form, is little known in Trinidad, where most Indian cultural traditions are rooted in the north of the subcontinent. Alana Rajah has set out to change that. Trained at the Kalakshetra school in Chennai, her goal is to establish Bharatanatyam in her home country — adapting and improvising as needed. Sharda Patasar learns more
Assembling fragments | Portfolio
A new exhibition in Toronto brings together an important collection of historical photographs and the work of contemporary Caribbean artists, to show how our stories and ideas have evolved over time
Canisia Lubrin: in the light of language | Closeup
Few Caribbean poets have enjoyed critical acclaim as sudden and early as St Lucia-born Canisia Lubrin. Her sophomore book The Dyzgraphxst has won a slew of awards, but, as Shivanee Ramlochan learns, Lubrin’s concern is not with the spotlight of fame, but with the luminous possibilities of language itself
Annalie Prime: the prime factor | Snapshot
Raw emotion and relatable lyrics are what draw listeners to T&T singer-songwriter Annalie Prime, says Laura Dowrich
Tavares Strachan: hidden figures | Closeup
The imaginative power of art meets the materials of science in the continuously innovative works of Bahamian Tavares Strachan, which meditate on history’s unsung heroes, writes Andre Bagoo
Grand Anse, Grenada | Bucket list
These two miles of brilliant white sand on Grenada’s southwest coast might be the Caribbean’s most famous beach — for good reason
Natural healing | Discover
For generations, Caribbean people have used local plants — leaves, seeds, roots, and more — for medicine. But scientific research into these folk remedies has lagged behind. At the University of the West Indies campus in Mona, Jamaica, the pioneering Natural Products Institute is working to change that, Erline Andrews learns
Nicole Awai: out of the depths | Closeup
“Multiplicities” — of subject, form, and even medium— abound in the work of Trinidad-born artist Nicole Awai. She draws on personal memory, communal history, and sites of the imagination like Trinidad’s famed Pitch Lake, writes Andre Bagoo
