Government to audit Carnival

by Laura Dowrich-Phillips - Loop magazine

The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts is making moves to hire an expert to start the assessment this year.

Speaking to Looptt today, Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly. Minister of Community Developmen

…BUT WE HATE THE SOCA by Burton Sankeralli

It appears as if everyone enjoys bashing today’s young people and their music. But so-called art forms are not abstract inventions

imposed on history. Rather they are carried in the vital living of community…and the engulfing violence.
So let us att

5Star Akil makes VEVO with "Different Me" - 2016 tune of choice for Desperadoes & Soforzata

Directed by: Cowin Thorpe

Filmed By: Gabriel T.I Nagee

Executive Producer: Akil Borneo

Director of Photography: Melvern Isaac

Editor & Colorist: Cowin Thorpe

Behind The Scene & Grip: Melvern Isaac

Play back & Lighting: Ikenna Douglas

Makeup Artiste: Lise

Improvements to Greens as party brands pull out of pan

by Laura Dowrich-Phillips  -- LOOP Magazine

Improved lighting, more security and extra parking are some of the improvements that have been made to the North Greens for this year’s Panorama semi-finals.

The improvements came in response to complaints

Single Pan Prelim Results - Moving on to the semi finals - Panorama 2016

Fetes at risk -- Trinidad & Tobago

One of the country's three copyright organisations, the T-T-C-O is threatening a showdown with promoters. The organisation plans to take legal action or disrupt events if promoters fail to comply.
But one promoter responds by challenging the organisat

The Caribbean Mourns David Bowie

“Bowie is watching you” — posters for the David Bowie exhibit at the V&A. Photo by Sarah Stierch, CC 2.0.

The Caribbean, like much of the rest of the world, woke up to the news that musician David Bowie — that t

Humility was Jit’s hallmark

By Raffique Shah -- Trinidad and Tobago News Blog

“I don’t know who Jit Samaroo was, but listening to others speak, he must have been a great man…my condolences to his family.”

That was a caller from Princes Town to TV6’s Morning Edition’s host Hayde

Socadrome stays for 2016

BY: Laura Dowrich-P... Loop

The Socadrome will continue to feature as part of the Carnival Monday and Tuesday parade in Port-of-Spain.

However, the bands that utilise the facility may still cross the Queen’s Park Savannah stage on those days.

Kenny D

Giant of the Titans -- Pan's past, present and future share their thought on Jit Samaroo with WST

“Jit Samaroo was the consummate musician. He created a lasting body of wonderful music for the steel orchestra but his humility, his quiet strength, his willingness to share his knowledge and wealth of experience, left a blueprint for musical life...

The UWI remembers a native icon- Dr. Jit Samaroo

Veteran steel pan arranger, Dr. Jit Samaroo. (Photo courtesy The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus)

“The University recognised him because he was creative, innovative and he broke a lot of barriers.” This is how Pro Vice-Chancellor

South Central Pan Prelims Pan lovers treated to soca classics

By Richardson Dhalai - Trinidad News Day

Under a cool evening’s sky, pan lovers were treated to a variety of scintillating pan arrangements ranging from the soca classics of Super Blue’s “Get Something and Wave” to Machel Montano’s 2016 offering “Tem

Pan prelims fail to pull crowd in South

By Innis Francis - Trinidad Express

NCC audit coming after Carnival... Pantrinbago gets $30m, biggest slice of the pie

Chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Kenny Da Silva says it is time the commission raises its own funds and not depend on the public purse to stage the greatest show on earth.

When Carnival 2016 comes to a close on February 9, Da Silva

The Saga of Jit Samaroo - From Nobody To Somebody to Iron Man to the Great Beyond

by Simeon L. Sandiford

“Somebody will win this Panorama” quipped Keith Matthews of Trinidad All Stars as no fewer than nine bands played Winsford ‘Joker’ Des Vignes’ title song of 1989. In 1990 Jit whipped the field again with Lord Kitchener’s immort

JIT by DALTON NARINE

A When Steel Talks Exclusive

Global - Just a single name encapsulates this slight man, what he became and the huge legacy he left pan and country.

Imagine a shy East Indian panman/ arranger from Surrey, Lopinot, not your ordinary panist at all, being

NCC looking to return traditional mas to Savannah stage

Time may be allotted for traditional mas only on the Queen’s Park Savannah stage on Carnival Monday.

The National Carnival Commission (NCC) is considering a proposal to return traditional mas to the Carnival in Port-of-Spain by allocating time on sta

A Tribute to Dr. Jit Samaroo by Mark Loquan

This morning I awoke to the sad news of the passing of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural icons, Dr. Jit Samaroo, who came from very humble beginnings to not only create history in the Panorama arena with 9 winning arrangements, but has also compo

Iconic Steel Band Arranger Jit Samaroo Dies on the Eve of Trinidad's Panorama Music Competition

Screen grab of a YouTube video of Trinidadian artist Darren Cheewah painting a mural of the late steelpan composer and arranger, Jit Samaroo in the Renegades panyard.

The steel pan is the only surviving instrument to have been invented in the 20

Jit Samaroo’s funeral today

Saturday, January 9 2016 - Trinidad Newsday

THE funeral service for late pan icon, Jit Samaroo, takes place at 1pm today at the Aramalaya Presbyterian Church, Cochrane Street, Tunapuna. Samaroo’s remains will then be taken to the Surrey Village Publi