International Buzz
Archived: Angela, Rihanna, Heather, Fay-Ann React. Two Black Men Shot Dead in America This Week.
“At this point if you ain’t angry as a black person you’re just as guilty” – Angela Hunte
Alton Sterlin was shot dead by police in Louisiana on Tuesday
Philando Castile was shot dead by a police officer in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Two African American men have been killed at the hands of white police officers in America, in the past two days. There has been an outcry, crossing borders, with the hope that justice will come and the unfair handling of black people by white police officers, will end.
Angela Hunte questions the killing of two black men this week in America.
37 year old Alton Sterling was shot dead by police officers in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana on Tuesday. His death was followed by the senseless shooting and subsequent death of Philander Castile after he was pulled over by an officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota on Wednesday. (CLICK LINKS TO READ MORE)
Brooklyn, New York born Angela Hunte, whose parents are Trinbagonian, is just one of many people across the world who’ve spoken out in condemnation of this week’s shootings. T&T’s Nicki Minaj has also made her voice heard, saying:
“Will thereby conviction now? Probably not. #RIPAltonSterling. Hug the people you love a little tighter. Tell them you love them a little more often.”
Tony and Grammy award winning singer and actress, Trinidad and Tobago born, Heather Headley posted the following image to Instagram. In her caption she said, “Jesus Wept! And so am I…”
Barbados born Rihanna too has voiced her anger over the situation. Her subtle statement reads, “RIP Alton Sterling #howmanymore”
Fay-Ann Lyons with Major Lazer’s Diplo in the US.
In Trinidad and Tobago, soca artiste, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez who often travels to the US, like many other Caribbean entertainers, showed her disdain for the situation, saying:
“Sad is the day, sad is the hour, sad is the second when a death brings a million arguments and a million opinions… But at the end of the day… sad be the day.”
In essence, her words expressed the fact that regardless of how the situation is looked at, lives have been lost. Her sentiment echoed the consistent reaction by black America that #blacklivesmatter.
International Buzz
Trinidad and Tobago’s Kes The Band Shares Feel Good Soca Vibes on NPR Music’s Tiny Desk.
Internationally acclaimed, Trinidad and Tobago band, KestheBand scored big points, delivering a vibrant, culturally rich performance on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts. The pre-recorded showcase was uploaded to YouTube, for the viewing enjoyment of over 12 million, on Friday, May 8th. It was recorded at NPR Music Headquarters in Washington, DC.
The set featured classic Soca hits including ‘Hello’, ‘Fallin’, ‘Rum and Coca Cola’, ‘Jolene’, ‘Cocoa Tea’, ‘Wotless‘ and ‘Savannah Grass’. Also featured in the spotlight were three other Caribbean musical superheroes – Calypso Queen, Terri Lyons, Ace pannist, Dane Gulston and St. Lucia’s very own, Teddyson John. Their accompaniment added both visual and acoustic appeal to the showcase, likewise the men who musically embellish Kes The Band.
Lead vocalist of Kes the Band, Kees Dieffenthaller, reflecting on the historic moment for the band, said it was an honor. “Performing at Tiny Desk is an incredible honour that we’ve dreamed of for a very long time. This moment is a powerful reminder of how far Caribbean music can travel when it stays true to its roots. To strip it down, feel every note, and share that energy with the world in such an intimate space—it’s something we’ll carry with us for the rest of this journey.” Dieffenthaller added, “We are vessels of sound and song, and this moment is so much bigger than us: it’s about our culture, our people, and our joyful connection we bring through music.”
NPR Tiny Desk host and series producer Bobby Carter praised the band’s performance. He need that Kes the Band brought something truly special to the NPR Tiny Desk, defining that special something as a sound that feels both deeply rooted and globally resonant. He said that ahead of Caribbean American Heritage Month, celebrated across the US throughout June, Kes The Band’s performance is a celebration of Caribbean culture in its most dynamic form.
The outstanding showcase comes as KestheBand completes the European/UK leg of the ‘Roots, Rock, Soca’ Tour, which officially kicked off in Paris, France on April 30th – including historic sold-out dates in London and a double-run in Amsterdam. The tour, hosted in collaboration with Live Nation and WME, is set to kickstart its North American journey with Seattle, Washington State on May 28th and marks the beginning of an expansive international journey connecting audiences through Caribbean sound and spirit.
Caribbean Buzz
Machel to Government and Corporate: “Let’s Teach What I Learnt at UTT at 50, At 9-Years-Old.”
Even as he celebrates his 12th Road March title win, Machel Montano’s words uttered earlier in the season, has left a tremendous mark on those who were lucky enough to hear him speak. At the premiere of his documentary, ‘Like Ah Boss,’ on February 10th, Machel called on the government of Trinidad and Tobago, and corporate bodies operating in the country, to invest in the country’s youth, from an earlier age.
“Let’s not wait that long to know who we are,” urged Montano, in response to Ebuzztt’s question as to what he would say to his 9-year-old self. Machel said while he was able to go back to school to study Carnival Studies at the age of 50, his hope was that children who are in touch with who they are, even at the age of 9, would be given the opportunity to develop their skillsets and talents, from an earlier age. “Let them learn the history of where Chutney music come from and where Calypso come from and if we teach that you will see how deep this is and then, let’s teach that along with classical music training and vocal training and piano playing and reading music and writing music. Let’s make these youths not have to struggle how I had to struggle,” he pleaded.
Referring to young Angelo Gore who appeared on stage with him at Monday Madness, one night prior, Machel said, “This little boy is singing in key. This little boy is amazing and you know nobody have nowhere to go and put him tomorrow to make him 10X. We not doing that in this country. Like we don’t care!” he expressed.
Machel said in Trinidad and Tobago there are people across society who are so incredibly talented, however with no proper programs to their benefit, the talent is wasted. “We have people making roti, who playing pan. We have people driving taxi and playing pan. How they remembering all ‘dem’ notes for eight minutes?” he questioned.
The artiste said while there is a lot of talent in the country that is not recognized and often bypassed, he is no longer going to be waiting for government or private corporations to recognize that. “I am going to use my money and other people money – my friends money, Junior Sammy and I will build it,” he said, to some laughter. He was not kidding though. The artiste and his Monk team have already begun working. “We have SoundBridge,” said Che Kothari- Montano’s manager. “We have a SoundBridge programme now where we did interviews and we built a whole system that will live online that will teach youths about Marketing, Producing, Songwriting, Performing – every single thing, all the secrets; and we will be there to hold their hand,” said Machel.
Kothari said SoudBridge will break down Machel’s journey in an educational way. “Elizabeth has an incredible book and then there’s the documentary and the next phase is this SoundBridge programme which is essentially Machel’s journey but in an educational way – workshops, tutorials, interviews with collaborators, management books. It’s going to break down Machel’s journey and his team, and the behind the scenes of how to make it happen,” said Che. He said the programme would be online but there would also be physical workshops as they tour everywhere they go.
WHAT WOULD MACHEL SAY TO HIS 9 YEAR OLD SELF.
“I know the education that was coming to me, was not serving me – not everybody have to be a doctor or a lawyer or a politician or some kinda office worker. In Trinidad we think big job is administration- yuh in de bank, yuh is ah executive. We look down on pan tuners, we look down on calypsonians and we think they are just jesters. We are not. This is creativity. Creation is the highest form of human existence,” said the entertainer.
Machel says youths today should educate themselves on the things that they like. “Whatever it is, hone a skill. I drop out of school. My mother start to cry. My father say, “ok.” I went and find somewhere to become a Sound Engineer. Learnt production, learnt recording, learnt troubleshooting, learnt engineering. That is why I always a step ahead of them. I know things. I went to school and I have some things under my bel,” said Montano.
Machel says he would have liked to have been better vocally trained at a higher level, in Trinidad and Tobago. “I would’ve liked to have been learning my thing, in a highly professional environment and I think that’s what is missing. I often bawl out and say we need a school for the Arts that looks like QR – big concrete, big windows, big stained glass windows and it have the best- Boogsie and Carl Jacobs and David Rudder working – all de men who know things, working alongside people from Julliard and Berkley – we mix it up nah, so we know making sure we getting people who understand the highest of heights.”
On Ash Wednesday, it was announced that Machel Montano had sealed the deal, once again, securing a Road March title in his country. It was his 12th title which has secured his place in history, having surpassed Aldwyn ‘Lord Kitchener’ Roberts for the most Road March titles in T&T.
