· April, 2007

Stories about Trinidad & Tobago from April, 2007

Trinidad & Tobago: Akon Controversy Continues

  30 April 2007

A hip-hop artist, a 15 year-old girl, a Port of Spain nightclub, some YouTube - and subsequently, WestIndianTube - videos. The Trinidad and Tobago blogosphere wasted no time in sounding off on the April 12th scandal that's raised numerous issues for the citizens of the twin-island nation.

Trinidad & Tobago: Zen Closed

  27 April 2007

Trinidad Carnival Diary confirms that Zen, the nightclub embroiled in controversy following the Akon and Machel Montano incidents, has been closed indefinitely.

Trinidad & Tobago: Political Satire

  26 April 2007

Nicholas Laughlin has a chuckle at some satirical political columns that ran in the Trinidad Guardian close to half a century ago and asks, “Could anybody working on the Trinidad newspapers today come up with something like this?”

Trinidad & Tobago: Getting Your Blog Read

  26 April 2007

Caribbean Public Relations asks the question, “What is it that gets a blog read by lots of people?” and comes up with some helpful advice: “You can form relationships online at minimum costs with maximum reach once you do it right.”

Caribbean: Farewell to a cricketing legend

  25 April 2007

In the early ’90s, the West Indies' dominance of the international cricket scene entered its long decline. There were fewer victories to celebrate, fewer exceptional demonstrations of the brilliance to which West Indian fans had become so accustomed. And when there were bright spots, they often came courtesy of one man: Brian Charles Lara. Lara played his last ever international cricket match in Barbados on April 21, 2007, in front of thousands of fans and visitors. The Caribbean blogosphere pays tribute to the man some consider the greatest cricketer of all time.

Trinidad & Tobago: Naipaul's Reading

  23 April 2007

Posting from Trinidad, where Sir Vidia Naipaul is making several appearances in honour of his 75th birthday year, Caribbean Free Radio reports from one of the author's readings: “Naipaul’s reading style isn’t particularly good, in the classic sense, but his stilted, slightly quaint delivery is oddly effective, and easy on...

Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago: More Thoughts on VT

  20 April 2007

Posting from Trinidad, Thebookmann is concerned that the media has played into the VT gunman's “sick little cold, dead hands” by broadcasting footage of the killer “unleashing his hateful rage to a camera. The airing of such imagery is a grave mistake…something that I have seen for too long in...

Trinidad & Tobago: Lara is Out!

  20 April 2007

Following his team's victory over Bangladesh yesterday, beleaguered West Indies Cricket Captain Brian Lara has announced his retirement from the sport. Caribbean Beat Blog was shocked at the news, but West Indies Cricket Blog “felt a pang of sadness when the inevitable happened. We all knew this day was coming...

Trinidad & Tobago: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

  19 April 2007

Trinidadian blogger Elspeth at Now is Wow responds to a comment on a post she had written about American rapper Akon's appalling behaviour on stage with a female fan, in the context of Elton John's upcoming performance at the Tobago Jazz Festival: “Yes, women should respect themselves and not cheaply...

Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: VT Tragedy Hits Home

  19 April 2007

Writing from Jamaica, The Life and Times of Michmac is saddened by the tragedy at Virgina Tech, yet relieved that “somebody up there is looking out for me”. And TNTLime.com reprints an article from Newsday, which interviews a Trinidadian who is a student at VT: ““It is hard to take...

Trinidad & Tobago: Anamunthodo Freed

  18 April 2007

Anita Anamunthodo, mother of four-year-old Amy who was raped and beaten to death in Trinidad last year, was yesterday freed on six charges of willful neglect and child abandonment. Francomenz notices parallels between what happened in that case and journalist BC Pires’ diagnosis of a general West Indian malaise.

Trinidad & Tobago: Naipaul's Visit

  18 April 2007

Writer (and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 2001) V.S. Naipaul is in Trinidad for a week of celebrations honouring his 75th birthday year. Jonathan Ali shares his thoughts on the visit.

Trinidad & Tobago: Salt Fish

  17 April 2007

Thebookmann takes a detour from his Caribbean Fruit theme to photograph saltfish (salted cod), a popular regional dish that has also been the subject of double entendre in some of Trinidad and Tobago's most entertaining calypsoes.

Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Bombastic?

  17 April 2007

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have been baring their teeth at each other recently over two major issues. The first is that Trinidad Cement Limited acquired a 43.5% stake in Jamaica's Carib Cement, a move that has not sat well with many Jamaicans, especially following last year’s debacle over cement...

Trinidad & Tobago: Why Blog?

  16 April 2007

Can Cook, Must Cook recently had a discussion with three other Caribbean food bloggers – the happy outcome was that “it’s become more and more obvious that there are several reasons why my fellow bloggers and I must continue doing this.”

Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut

  13 April 2007

Both Caribbean Free Radio: “Like many of my ilk (US-educated Trinidadians of a certain age?), I had my Vonnegut phase” and The Latin Americanist: “One of his best science fiction novels was 1963’s Cat’s Cradle which was set in the fictional Caribbean island of San Lorenzo and whose ruling dictator...