I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco
Jamaican cultural commentator uses Twitter to draw attention to outstanding Caribbean accomplishments
Jamaican Twitter user and cultural commentator Wayne Chen often posts interesting tidbits about Caribbean personalities and pioneers on the social media platform.
Seven-year-old Coryn Anaya Clarke, a self-published author from Trinidad & Tobago, wants kids to know the joy of reading
Can a seven-year-old encourage other children to read by writing and publishing her own stories? This young Trinidadian author is certainly trying.
A Trinidadian runner takes time out for photos of poui trees
One of the most beautiful aspects of the dry season in Trinidad and Tobago is the blossoming of the poui.
The threat of bush fires in the Caribbean is a hot-button issue
The Caribbean's culture surrounding fire is contributing to the harsh and dangerous effects of the dry season.
A true ‘Trini’ has died, but her life should remind Trinbagonians how to be good citizens
Kathryn Stollmeyer Wight was something practically every citizen of this country proudly claims to be — a Trini — but what does that actually mean?
Trinidad & Tobago's Carnival 2023 playlist revs you up, then cools you down
More fun and fabulous tracks from 2023's much anticipated Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, which takes place on February 20 and 21.
From nostalgia to a touch of ‘horn,’ Trinidad & Tobago's long awaited Carnival has a super soca playlist
With less than a week to go until Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the festival's soundtrack is capturing a wide range of emotions.
Rihanna brings pride to Barbados in spellbinding Super Bowl performance
"Y'all [don't] understand the pride. #Barbados is 166 square miles. A ridiculous number of people live no more than a mile from where their ancestors were enslaved. And from all that...#Rihanna"
Trinidad & Tobago's 2023 Carnival regulations read more like respectability politics
"Who determines what or whose representation venerates the spiritual in the mas? The mas by definition IS the spiritual and the profane. And this is an act of war."
An iPhone perspective of Trinidad & Tobago's Panorama competition
Wanting to travel light, I decided my smartphone would have to suffice for photo-taking. The results offer an on-the-ground view of the 2023 Panorama experience.
Reel: The beauty of the Obatala Festival, an Orisha tradition in Trinidad & Tobago
Each year, Orishas participate in the Obatala Festival, which pays homage to the figure in Yoruba mythology who was charged with the task of creating the earth.
Professor Gordon Rohlehr, the ‘finest mind regarding calypso,’ dies at age 80 in Trinidad
Rohlehr's dedicated much of his life to to researching and writing about the significance of Caribbean culture — particularly calypso — as well as its literature, oral tradition, and cricket.
Trinidad & Tobago's International Soca Monarch competition is cancelled, and Carnival lovers are either shattered or unfazed
Even as organisers cited financial constraints as the reason for the cancellation, the government called it "unconscionable" for a private event to expect the state to underwrite its full cost.
‘Joy and wonder’: Morning affirmations in preparation for Trinidad & Tobago Carnival
Breathing in joy and breathing out restriction, writer and cultural worker Attillah Springer puts people in the right head space for the first Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in two years.
Anthony Joseph is the second Trinidadian in three years to win the T.S. Eliot prize for poetry
The judges of the prestigious prize called Joseph's collection "luminous," adding that it "celebrates humanity in all its contradictions and breathes new life into this enduring form."
Is Trinidad & Tobago Carnival's ‘Fantastic Friday’ big enough for two major soca events?
Performer Machel Montano has announced the staging of a concert on Carnival Friday 2023, clashing with the International Soca Monarch event traditionally held on the same day. Soca fans weigh in.
The year in review: What the Caribbean looked like in 2022
The stories the Global Voices Caribbean team covered this year saw a stronger leaning towards pressing concerns like the environment and crime.
Trinidad & Tobago's calypsonian Black Stalin, the quintessential ‘Caribbean Man,’ dies at 81
A fiercely independent thinker and lyricist, throughout his long and vibrant career Stalin always managed to put a highly original, intelligent spin on the issues of the day.
Self-taught Trinidadian photographer Jason C. Audain pushes boundaries with the use of AI
While some photographers may rue the day AI had such an impact, autodidact Jason C. Audain, known for his images of traditional Trinidad and Tobago Carnival characters, thinks otherwise.
Art curator Mark Pereira's murder during a home invasion leaves Trinbagonian netizens nervous about crime
Trinbagonian art dealer Mark Pereira was shot and killed on December 19, apparently during an attempted robbery. The loss has plunged the art community into mourning and reignited concerns about crime.
In the midst of Trinidad & Tobago's parang season, calypsonian Singing Francine passes on
Her music had a melodious quality, with strong hooks that encouraged listeners to sing along, no matter how serious the topic — a mellifluence that helped her seamlessly transition to parang.
