When Steel Talks continues its "Spotlight Series" of shedding light on people who have quietly made significant contributions to the steelband movement. Today we focus on Mr. Ronald Emrit whose work and contribution When Steel Talks recently hailed as Site of the Week in our online pan news section. Through his creation of the "Cultural and Sports History of Trinidad & Tobago" website, Mr. Emrit has put together, what When Steel Talks sees as one of the most relevant and comprehensive online resources on Trinidad & Tobago culture. In addition, Mr. Emrit's steelband web information [Steelband - The Beginning] provides the world with some of the most factual and comprehensive information on the people involved with this magical instrument.
The Cultural and Sports History of Trinidad & Tobago website (BestOfTrinidad.com) is a testament to his talent, dedication and commitment to excellence. Below, Mr. Emrit shares his thoughts as to why he has engaged in this massive undertaking, with the When Steel Talks audience.
"I left Trinidad for the USA in August 1965 and, on my recent return visits, I have been disappointed by how much my old community, Woodbrook, has changed. The nights have grown darker and quieter, and the residents seem to disappear in their homes. There is an absence of children on the streets, and an abundance of commercial sites with heavy traffic moving on one-way streets. I concluded that the children of the new millennium will never have the same experiences as I had growing up in an era when the community was residential, and there was excitement, day and night, from cricket and soccer at Queen's Park Oval, soccer at Queen's Park Savannah, steelband music from Invaders and Starlift, ‘mas' from George Bailey, brass music from John "Buddy" Williams, and dancing at the Little Carib Theatre. I knew many of the forgotten people who made significant national contributions in sports and the arts encompassed by the above activities, and I believe that the children of Trinidad & Tobago should be able to go to the Internet and read about them." Ronald Emrit
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