Caribbean Hard News
Archived: NCC Chairman: No Confirmation on Whether Carnival 2022 Will Take Place in T&T, But More Vaccinations Could Be An Impetus for It.
Artistes and other carnival stakeholders are patiently awaiting word on whether Trinidad and Tobago will host Carnival next year. Last week, news emerged that officials charged with making this decision were in closed door meetings to discuss the way forward. This morning, National Carnival Commission Chairman, Winston ‘Gypsy’ Peters, told EBUZZTT that he could not confirm whether there would, or would not be a Carnival next year. He however urged the population to take advantage of the buffet of vaccine options available, indicating that the more people that are vaccinated in the country, would be a driving factor in the decision.
The NCC Chairman explained that the meeting last Friday between himself and the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism occurred to discuss the possibilities of hosting something that resembles the traditional carnival experience. “We are trying to see what can be done, collectively ; What can be done safely in order for us to have carnival-like activities in certain safe zones,” said Peters. He however said to date, no concrete decision has been made.
Miami Carnival took place in October and the NCC Chairman experienced it first hand. He said it was well executed and admitted that while some aspects of Miami Carnival’s safety protocols could be emulated here in Trinidad and Tobago, he would not say that this is a reason for Trinidad and Tobago to host the festival. “Miami Carnival is a totally different thing to Trinidad- different place, different laws and different cultures and so, we have to do what is best for us. I was there. They did great, and we can in some ways emulate some of what they did, but I would not say that because Miami did it, that’s a reason we can do it. I will say that yes, we can in fact emulate some of what Miami did because it was people from the Caribbean who were in Miami Carnival, so it can be done, but Trinidad is a totally different place so we would have to apply totally different principles to what we are doing.”
Trinidad still in limbo as it relates to the vaccination process, and recent case increases and death toll numbers, making news headlines, Peters urged the people of Trinidad and Tobago, inclusive of artistes and other creatives in the sector, to go out and get vaccinated. ” I am leading the way as a vaccinated person. I am asking the artistes, people in the culture industry and all of Trinidad and Tobago to go out there and get vaccinated so we can have a better chance of beating this pandemic. Trinidad is a small place and whatever monies we have in this place is finite you know, so we have to do the best that we can to contribute to the preservation of ourselves, our country and indeed our scarce resources,” he said.
I am asking them to go ahead and get vaccinated because those vaccines cost a lot of money and the government did all that they can to have vaccines for everybody to be vaccinated. When we didn’t have the vaccines we wanted to protest that the government wasn’t doing this and that.. now we have a buffet of vaccines to choose from so you can go get whichever one you choose and yet we have this hesitancy. I am asking people – the world may never be normal as we know it again, so I am asking that we do as best as we can to contribute to the normalcy that we want to see so that we can be as normal as we possibly can in this country.
The NCC Chairman said that he is of the firm belief that if an announcement regarding the hosting of carnival-type activities and an intent to allow vaccinated persons to enjoy such, is announced early enough, it could be an impetus for a lot of people to get vaccinated.
Caribbean Buzz
Belize’s Shyne, Talks Culture and Governance at Island Music Conference. Challenges Caribbean Leaders.
Belizean political leader and notable Hip Hop figure , The Honourable, Dr. Moses “Shyne” Barrow has identified Jamaica as a regional blueprint for how culture and governance can work together to build sustainable industry.
Delivering a keynote address entitled, ‘From Stage to State’ at the Island Music Conference (IMC) in Kingston, Jamaica last week, Barrow urged Caribbean governments to move beyond symbolic support of the arts and toward structured public–private partnerships.
“These conferences are so very important,” he told delegates, describing information exchange as critical in an evolving global music economy. Responding to a question from Overtime Media about cultural influence as an economic engine, Barrow pointed to Jamaica’s global footprint. “The work of great musicians such as Bob Marley and Shabba Ranks, as well as the development of Reggae and Dancehall music, has done more for the Jamaican tourism product than anything else,” he said.
PHOTO: Overtime Media.
According to Barrow, Jamaica exemplifies how successive political administrations, despite partisan rivalry, maintained consistent implementation policies that enabled private-sector investment in the music industry. “They were fighting each other, but giving the same implementation,” he noted, crediting that alignment for helping Jamaican music achieve unmatched global recognition.“There is no one in the world who does not know about Jamaica — its music, its food and its culture,” he noted.
Barrow framed his own political evolution as rooted in Hip Hop’s entrepreneurial DNA. Calling his transition from performer to legislator “quintessential Hip-Hop,” he cited moguls who expanded beyond music into business and influence, arguing that creative thinkers belong in positions of power. “We belong in parliament. We belong in the cabinet. We belong in the Prime Minister’s office and in the President’s office,” he said. He also addressed emerging challenges facing the creative sector, particularly artificial intelligence and intellectual property protection.“We need to protect our rights. We need to protect our work and that can only be legislated,” Barrow warned. “If we don’t get involved in the legislative process, we’re going to wake up one day and find that our rights are gone.”
Calling the human mind “the greatest thing on planet Earth,” he cautioned against over-reliance on technology, stressing that creatives must remain central to innovation. Reflecting candidly on his past, including a decade of incarceration following a 1999 nightclub shooting, Barrow described his return to Belize as a shift toward service. “By then, my dreams had already come true,” he said. “But when I looked around my country, I saw people still struggling. So I chose a life of service.”
Barrow also revealed plans to return to the stage with a world tour marking the 25th anniversary of his debut album, while reaffirming his commitment to public service. Closing his address, he challenged Caribbean leaders to diversify the profiles of those shaping legislation.“The Caribbean’s creative class has already shaped global culture,” he said. “Now we must shape policy.”
– NIGEL TELESFORD / Overtime Media.
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Caribbean Hard News
T&T SOE Triggered by Reprisal Forewarning By Police Following Holiday Murders.
The toll of 61 murders for the month of December has triggered Trinidad and Tobago’s police and the government’s urgent reaction on Monday. A State of Emergency has been declared across the nation, but according to the National Security Minister, the SoE will specifically target criminals and not law abiding citizens.
The issue of high powered gun use across the Caribbean region, and specifically in Trinidad and Tobago, is something of major concern, according to government. This morning it was noted that events that have taken place over the past month, with further violent attacks over the past seven days, crystallized the situation to authorities. The police, according to government officials, are of the view that reprisal attacks are forthcoming – something that will ultimately affect law abiding citizens.
A curfew will not be immediately implemented, according to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young. Further to that, public gatherings and marches will not be denied or restricted. The SoE will however give police the right to stop and search as needed, enter private premises to search without warrants and detain persons deemed suspicious of criminal activity, without warrants. Those held will be detained for 48 hours at the onset, with the possibility of a request for an extension, which may be allowed for up to seven days. There will be no bail application allowed during this time.
On Monday, during the government’s press conference Minister Young said the decision not to implement a curfew is done in a bid to avoid economic interruption.
Trinidad and Tobago has recorded more than 614 murders for the year thus far.
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