Savi Naipaul Akal: her side of the story | Snapshot By Ingrid Persaud | Issue 153 (September/October 2018) They’re the Caribbean’s great literary dynasty, but for decades their story has been written only by the Naipaul men. A new memoir by Savi Naipaul Akal tells another side of the tale, reports Ingrid Persaud
Balandra | Wish you were here (July/August 2018) By Caribbean Beat | Issue 152 (July/August 2018) Postcards from the Caribbean’s most extraordinary places
Mother knows best | Be well By Shelly-Ann Inniss | Issue 152 (July/August 2018) For centuries, Caribbean women delivered their babies with the help of traditional midwives. Now a new generation of mothers are opting for natural birthing centres like Trinidad and Tobago’s Mamatoto, reports Shelly-Ann Inniss
Nailah Blackman: welcome to the evolution | Snapshot By Laura Dowrich-Phillips | Issue 152 (July/August 2018) With music in her bloodline, T&T’s Nailah Blackman was almost destined for a career behind the microphone. She was the breakthrough performer of Carnival 2017, still a teenager — but, as she tells Laura Dowrich-Phillips, her ambitions go beyond soca, to another stage of musical evolution
OK to be proud | Inspire By Bridget van Dongen | Issue 152 (July/August 2018) Six years ago, the tragic suicide of a teenager motivated the launch of an initiative to support young LGBTQ people in Trinidad and Tobago. Bridget van Dongen reports on the Silver Lining Foundation, and how they work to protect the vulnerable
Some like it hot: Trinidad pepper sauce | Cookup By Franka Philip | Issue 151 (May/June 2018) It may be the quintessential Trini condiment, and many can’t imagine a meal without pepper sauce. Franka Philip investigates how T&T’s hot peppers have become internationally famous for their delicious sear
Port of Spain: the story of a city | Backstory By Judy Raymond | Issue 151 (May/June 2018) A childhood encounter with a touring steelband began Stephen Stuempfle’s connection with Trinidad. Now the US scholar has written an illuminating history of Port of Spain in the era before Independence. As Judy Raymond learns, Stuempfle’s research has only deepened his love for T&T’s capital
Love is in the air | Round trip By Caribbean Beat | Issue 151 (May/June 2018) For many lovebirds around the world, the idea of a Caribbean wedding — making vows on the beach, with a backdrop of glimmering blue sea — seems like a dream. And it easily comes true
André Alexis: the puzzle of “home” | Closeup By Donna Yawching | Issue 150 (March/April 2018) Born in Trinidad, brought up in Canada, writer André Alexis is a “Nowherian” — and that complicated identity, along with his passion for exploring big ideas, drives his philosophical and deeply literary novels. A recent string of awards has raised his international profile, but as Donna Yawching learns, it was no overnight success for one of the most original writers in both Caribbean and Canadian literature
A Commonwealth Games gold relay repeat? | The game By Kwame Laurence | Issue 150 (March/April 2018) As the Commonwealth Games open in Australia’s Gold Coast, can Trinidad & Tobago’s 4×400 relay team, the reigning world champions, repeat their victory? Kwame Laurence reports
Ben Dennis: “That right there, that’s Africa” | Cookup By Franka Philip | Issue 150 (March/April 2018) When US chef Ben Dennis arrived in Tobago, he was astonished to find traditional recipes that recall those of his Gullah ancestors. He talks history and heritage with Franka Philip
Miriam | Showcase By Michelene Adams | Issue 150 (March/April 2018) “Every Saturday is the same story.” A tale of a woman and her four persistent suitors — fiction by Michelene Adams
Winston Duke: “I’m unfinished” | Own words By Caroline Taylor | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) Tobago-born actor Winston Duke, appearing in the eagerly awaited Black Panther movie, on his love of stories and magical realism, how his village childhood shaped his ethos, and his love of soca music — as told to Caroline Taylor
Ten for the Road By Caribbean Beat, Philip Sander and Attillah Springer | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) Of the eighty-plus songs that have won the official Road March title, some are little remembered, some have become “back-in-times” favourites, and a few are considered landmarks — whether for their musical qualities or for trends they ushered in. Here are all the recorded Road March winners up to 2017 — and our picks for an all-time Road March top ten
Escape to Tobago | Destination By Caribbean Beat | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) Even at the height of Carnival season, Trinidad’s sister island maintains its laid-back, tranquil vibe. Need to escape from the fetes and frenzy? Welcome to Tobago’s beaches and bays, forests and waterfalls — a natural vitamin shot for the soul
Walk tall, moko jumbie | Closeup By Ray Funk | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) It’s one of the oldest masquerades in T&T’s Carnival, brought across the Atlantic from West Africa. The moko jumbie tradition once seemed to be dying away, but in recent years a handful of enthusiasts have created a moko jumbie revival, training hundreds of young people in the art of stilt-walking. Ray Funk investigates, and explains the power of these towering figures
Word of mouth (Jan/Feb 2018) By Various Contributors | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) It’s Carnival time! Come on a panyard lime with Barbara Jenkins, experience the thrilling, shape-shifting ritual of J’Ouvert in a poem by Shivanee Ramlochan, and discover Carriacou’s unique Shakespeare mas. Meanwhile, Jamaica celebrates its musical heritage at Reggae Month
How to win the road (march) | Backstory By Mark Lyndersay | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) T&T’s Carnival is full of rivalries and competitions, and none is more fierce than the annual Road March battle. Mark Lyndersay traces the history of the musical title that reflects the will of masqueraders on the street — and we dare to share our picks for the top ten Road March songs from the 1930s to the present day
Trinidad & Tobago Road March Poll By Caribbean Beat | Issue 149 (January/February 2018) Vote for your favourite Trinidad & Tobago Road March tune of all time in our mega-poll
Defenders of the faith | On this day By James Ferguson | Issue 148 (November/December 2017) Exactly a century ago, anti-African prejudice prompted Trinidad and Tobago’s colonial legislature to ban the indigenous Spiritual Baptist religion. But, as James Ferguson explains, the draconian law never dissuaded the Baptist faithful
