Emancipation Village returns to the Queen's Park Savannah

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Some people in T&T still think the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village has been at the Savannah since time immemorial. But for the last three years, it's been relocated to the Jean Pierre Complex. However, for Emancipation Day celebrations this year (which climaxes on August 1), the Village returns to the people's space in the Queen's Park Savannah.

This year marks the 171st anniversary since the emancipation of the slaves, and the 175th since the abolition of slavery in the former British colonies. The slave trade was abolished throughout the British empire in 1807.

The relocation to the Savannah may not be permanent, however, as the change in venue is largely due to activities around the inaugural Caribbean Games at the Complex. Nevertheless, returning to the Savannah also means a return to the original parade route. This year's procession will originate near the site of the Yoruba Village at Besson street, cross the Piccadilly Street bridget, pass the All Stars Pan Yard and site of the original Canboulay Riots on Duke Street, and then northward to the Queen's Park Savannah.

Khafra Kambon, chairman of the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) which is the organising body for emancipation commemorations, has announced that the theme for this year's events is "Sieze opportunities as the world changes". He says that this year's economic downturn provides an opportunity for those in the African diaspora to return to "traditional values".

WeBeat set to rock St James

Here's what's in store for the WeBeat 2009 Festival, which runs June 5–13, 2009. Most events are at the St. James Amphitheatre on Western Main Road, unless otherwise indicated.

FRIDAY JUNE 5
8 pm: Honoree’s Dinner, featuring David Bereaux & Friends and Arthur Marcial

SATURDAY JUNE 6
8 pm: WeLime, featuring K.V.Charles, Skatie, and St. James Tripolians at The Harvard Club

SUNDAY JUNE 7
7 am: WeBeat Fun Race (for a cleaner and crime free St. James)
4 pm: Opening of Craft Market, featuring the NP Ultra Sounds Youth Steel Orchestra and St. James Tripolians

MONDAY JUNE 8
10 am: Health Day, in collaboration with the Port of Spain North Lions Club
7 pm: WeTalk (Sidewalk Historians Talk Show) at the St. James Library

TUESDAY JUNE 9
8 pm: bptt WeTalent Finals - Amateur Talent Night, featuring the 12 WeTalent finalists, with guest appearances by Neisha Guy and the Roy Cape All Stars featuring Blaxx

WEDNESDAY JUNE 10
4.30 pm: WeBeat Football Game at the St. James Barracks
8 pm: Jazz Beat, featuring the Divine Echoes, T&T Police Band, Pelham Goddard & Friends, Calypso Rose, Ken & Crew

THURSDAY JUNE 11
8 pm: Pan Explosion (A Night of The Stars), featuring Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars, Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, Codrington Pan Family, Angostura Woodbrook Playboys, and St James Tripolians
7 pm: WeTalk (Sidewalk Historians Talk Show) at the St. James Library

FRIDAY JUNE 12
8 pm: We Vintage Kaiso, featuring Calypso Rose, Pink Panther, Chalkdust, Baron, Conqueror, Superior, Valentino, Funny, Crazy, and Johnny King

SATURDAY JUNE 13
7 pm–2 am: Steelband Parade along Western Main Road, St. James
7 pm: WeTalk (Sidewalk Historians Talk Show) at the St. James Library

T&T Fashion Week

Trinidad & Tobago Fashion Week kicks off this weekend, with the action in this second annual installment centred around the new Hyatt Regency Hotel on the new Port of Spain Waterfront instead of Woodbrook's Adam Smith Square. The event runs May 29 through June 2.

Thirty-nine designers (up three from last year) and 41 lines will be showcased during the 5-day festival. Headliners include Meiling, Heather Jones, Garnett D’andrade (Simply Garnett), Shaun Griffith Perez, Stacy Smith, Dominique La Roche (DLR 'D') Claudia Pegus, Christian Boucaud, Dianne Hunt (Radical Designs), Francis Hendy as well as Mark and Ava Daniels (Avark from Barbados).

The theme of the event is supposed to be "save our earth", but I haven't been able to find exactly how the event and the designers are promoting sustainable fashion or raising environmental awareness. Do any of our readers have the inside scoop?

In any case, here's a look at the calendar of events, where each evening's event has a "green" theme, and includes both established and up-and-coming designers:

Friday May 29
Theme: Breaking Ground

• Heather Jones Designs
  
• DLR ‘D’
• Faraii
• Michael's Vogue Designs
  
• Lisa Laurie Clothing
  
• Brown Sugar
  
• Millhouse Mens' Wear
  
• CPFS

Saturday May 30
Theme: Clean Air

• Meiling
• DAV Originals
• Queen Esther Designs
  
• CIA’s Fashion
• Glen Montes de Oca
  
• Radical Designs Menswear
  
• Sean Griffith Perez Designs
  
• The Cloth
  

Sunday May 31
Theme: Tree of Life

• Peter Elias
  
• AVARK
• PILAR
• Sonia Mack
  
• M SQUARED
• Ivaek Archer
• Christian Boucaud Designs
  
• Zadd & Eastman
  

Monday June 1
Theme: Living Green

• Claudia Pegus
  
• Simply Garnett's
• Stacy Smith Designs
  
• Mariska's
• KAJ Designs
• Earth Member for Life
  
• BOY BOY
• Radical Designs
  

Tuesday June 2
Theme: On the Waterfront

• Francis Hendy
  
• Shurnel
• Contours
• Ecliffe Elie Designs
  
• GQS Genuine Quality Styles
  
• Calvin Southwell
  
• Saleem
• Concept Studios
  

Tickets for the event are $100 and available at DH Gift Shops West Mall and Long Circular Mall.

Philo returns with second installment of No Men Allowed

After last year's successful fundraiser for the Rape Crisis Society, the Advocates for Safe Parenthood: Improving Reproductive Equity (Aspire) teams up with Lifeline to bring the country’s best female comedy talent together for a good cause and a good laugh this weekend.

No Men Allowed, hosted by popular entertainer Philo (short for Philomena Alexis-Baptiste, a charcter portrayed by actress Deborah Maillard), plays the Queen's Hall in Port of Spain on May 28 and the Naparima Bowl in San Fernando on May 29.

This year's theme is "single, sexy, soul", and Philo plans to bring some romance to the strictly-adults-only affair.

"I is real sexy when I in de mood. I plan to bring soul," Philo assures us. "I single, so some lucky fella might just hit jackpot if he play he card right. He would not have to work. I will mind him and all he have to do is mind the children..." But that's not all: "I have something especial for the men, and the oilmen from South. My grandmother used to say there are no true love just 'rather' and 'prefer'. I prefer the oil money," Philo concludes.

Apart from MC Philo, headliners for the two-night event include chutney artist Drupatee, and actresses/comediennces Nikki Crosby, Mairoon Ali, Penelope Spencer, Nicky Carew, Princess Donelan and many others.

Lifeline: helping mega-producer, Sheldon $hel$hok Benjamin

Friends and colleagues of prolific and popular Trinidadian producer Sheldon "Shel-Shok" Benjamin – who has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, an extremely virulent form of cancer – have come together to organise an event to raise funds for his treatment and for the T&T Cancer Society.

The expensive combination of treatments used to combat the disease include chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, radiation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The concert event, called LIFELINE, features an all-star line-up which includes 3canal, Russell Leonce, H2O Phlo, Rocky, Denise Belfon, Allison Hinds, Destra Garcia and Machel Montano HD. LIFELINE will be hosted by Shal Marshall, and takes place Sunday June 7 at the Zen Nightlub on Keate Street in Port of Spain. Tickets are $150 general admission, and $300 VIP.

In addition to the fundraising event, well-wishers can make individual donations directly to a bank account being used to collect funds. The Republic Bank (Tunapuna East branch) account number is 250-022-596-231. The code is 250-022-596-231 (RBNKTTPX) for overseas donors.

For more information on LIFELINE, click the poster below, or call (all prefix +868): 783-6542; 741-9529; 715-4106; 332-5323; 689-9348; 689-9470; 747-6548 or 320-7045.

For more on Benjamin and his stellar international career:

• The Facebook group discussion about his long list of songs and collaborations
• Benjamin's official MySpace page

Mark your calendars: Red Earth Eco Festival returns May 31

The Red Earth Eco Festival returns this year in commemoration of World Environment Day (June 5), with activities running May 29 to 31, culminating on the final day with a concert scheduled for 3pm.

The Festival is run by the Red Earth nonprofit organisation, founded by environmentally concerned citizens who saw an opportunity to raise awareness about conservation through the arts. The Festival presents performances that are staged with as small a carbon footprint as possible. Instead, most acts perform unplugged, in the exquisite natural environment of Tucker Valley in the Chaguaramas National Park.

This year's programme will feature an eclectic mix of Aboriginal and contemporary performances by local and regional artists, outdoor cinema, beach clean-ups, a farmers' market, stargazing, picnicking, hiking, and more. Here's the tentative programme:

Friday 29 May

• 8.30am-11am: Nature tours for schools, hike to Edith Falls (free for schools, by reservation only: 868-633-6992)
• 10.00am-12:00pm: Working with the Earth – clay & craft workshops, storytelling (free for schools, by reservation only: 868-633-6992)
• 1:00pm: First Citizens Series: aboriginal dance & rituals of Australia & Trinidad (free for schools, by reservation only: 868-633-6992)
• 6.30pm: A Night Under the Stars ($30) – open air cinema (all ages), star-gazing camping
  

Saturday 30 May

• 7.30am: Nature Tour ($40/$30) – Covigne River Trail (by reservation only – CDA: 868-634-4346)
  
• 8.00am: Beach clean up, Chacachacare (by reservation only: 868-389-6623)
• 8.00am–4.00pm: Dream Time: Mystic Intervention (free) – interactive art experience
• 10.00am–12:00pm: Working with the Earth ($20) – clay & craft workshops, storytelling (by reservation only: 868-633-6992)
  
• 11.00am: Workshops ($50) – didgeridoo playing, body painting, traditional song & dance (by reservation only: 868-389-6623)
  
• 1.00pm: Survival Training in the Bush (free, by reservation only: 868-685-3213)
• 4.00pm: Ritual Blessing of the Performance Space (free)
• 5:00pm: Red Earth, Fire Words (free) – spoken word performances
• 7.00pm: Dream Time ($150)– Descendance -(aboriginal dance company from Australia), 3canal and other local performers, unplugged

Sunday 31 May

• 9.00am: Nature Tours – Gasparee Caves ($95/$65) and hike to Macqueripe ($40/$30). By reservation only – CDA: 868-634-4346
• 9:00am–1:00pm: Farmers Market – organically grown food
• 9:30am–10:15am & 12:30am–1:15pm: Permaculture Workshop (free)
• 11.00am: The Screening Room (free) – all day screenings of films/documentaries
• 3.00pm: Healing From the Earth – medicinal plants trek, Mt St Catherine (free, by reservation only: 868-685-3213)
• 5.00pm: Picnic & poetry (free) – performance poetry, open mic performances
• 7.00pm: Rock The River Bed ($150) – local performers unplugged; Descendance (aboriginal dance from Australia)
  

Photos courtesy Adelwyn Holder

The Marionettes Chorale puts out open call for string players

The Marionettes Chorale is getting ready for their 45th anniversary concert this July 10-12 at Queen's Hall, and are assembling a team of string players to compliment their core steel, brass, percussion and woodwind orchestra.

The choir is putting out an open call to the music community for talented local string players to join this special 45th Anniversary Orchestra. Interested candidates should send an email (preferably a performing resume) outlining experience and training to email@marionetteschorale.com.

Participation in the Anniversary Orchestra in no way supersedes or preclude membership in existing local orchestras, but rather is an invitation to join with the Chorale in celebrating this special anniversary in unprecedented style.

For more information, please send a message to email@marionettes chorale, or visit details of the open call on the Chorale's Facebook page.

Beach cleanups and more for World Environment Day in Trinidad

World Environment Day is June 5, and local environmentally conscious organisations and individual citizens are banding together to do their part in raising awareness and promoting conservation of the islands' natural resources.

On June 7, the Mayaro Environmental Wave (MEW), in collaboration with the Trinidad & Tobago National Commission for UNESCO, will host an all-day programme of activities, including an environmental walk; beach cleanups; a sand sculpture competition; and a games event.

For more information and to register, contact Andy Paul at (868) 396-9898, 794-7561 or acpaul2@hotmail.com; or Zia Zan at (868) 734-1531 zia_janboi@hotmail.com.

From Twitter 05-11-2009

• 19:39:25: Applauding: "Kid-friendly zoo in two years' time | The #Trinidad Guardian" ( http://tinyurl.com/pmz5fb )
  
• 19:50:20: - "Hollywood Film Features Original Pan Score" #trinidad ( http://tinyurl.com/pr6j3g )
  
• 20:09:38: is experimenting with WordPress, to see if we should move our blogs across. Fellow bloggers, which is your pick? Blogger or Wordpress?
  

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Lilliput Children's Theatre presents "Lagahoo" at Queen's Hall

Trini folklore has it that to see "lagahoo", you have to take the "yampee" (the dried mucus that gathers in the corners of the eye) from a dog’s eye, put it in yours and look through a keyhole at midnight.

But Lilliput Theatre, one of the country's foremost performing arts training and performance groups in Trinidad for children and young people, is offering a glimpse of the mysterious lagahoo right in Queen's Hall.

Lilliput Theatre’s Lagahoo started as all their shows do, with a junior Carnival band designed by Merylle Mahabir. From the concept that sparked the costume design, ideas were hatched and nurtured and developed into a script by the drama class.

This year’s production investigates local folklore through one of our lesser-known, more elusive characters, using traditional and contemporary storytelling to ask questions that nobody seems to have answers for any more.

The lagahoo is best-known as a shape-shifter capable of wielding the dark arts, but the full range of its power is open to debate and speculation.

Artistic director, producer and choreographer Noble Douglas and director Wendell Manwarren of 3canal have led Lilliput Theatre on a journey to explore both the traditional folkloric lagahoo, as well as contemporary incarnations.

The cast and the audience will be left with some compelling questions: when nobody whispers about lagahoo in the dark of night anymore, when nobody tells the stories, can lagahoo continue to exist? Does the shape-shifter assume a new form in keeping with the times, no longer known as lagahoo but manifest as some new danger? What happens to folklore characters when nobody believes in them? Do they simply fade away or do they strike back?

Lilliput's Lagahoo goes up this Friday-Sunday 15-17 May at Queen's Hall. Tickets are $85 for adults, and $70 for children and are available from Crosby's Music Centre (St. James), the Queen's Hall Box Office (868-624-1284) and members of the cast.