models & confidence (?)

little bit more representative

                                       

a few days ago i had an assignment that was a "meet the finalists" bit for the local leg of an international model search competition. i had to produce a feature. things were not the way i thought they'd be when i got to the hair studio so i winged it a bit. picked out a few random girls and started asking them about their careers and what they hoped to gain from the competition. got the same answers. over and over. switched up the questions a bit. nothing. (how was i supposed to get 500 words or more from that?) so then, i speak to the coordinator/head stylist - a man. and he has a lot to say. the girls - and i am not using the word girl lightly. contestants started at age 13 - were getting makeovers. why? because these men had to "create the right look"

inna modja: malian sensation

                                        

"In spite of the close ties that she maintains to her home country, Modja’s music is definitely a departure from what we usually think of as World Music or “African sound”. But then, what is African sound? And should upcoming African musicians like Inna Modja embrace influences from all over the world; or should they be ambassadors of their own musical heritage?" 

Getting Results.

20 years from now, there will be an inquiry into the 2011 SOE. the future government will be praised for finally looking into it. and that will be the best result of the entire process. 

CURFEW ENDS!

...But State of Emergency stays, says PM

there are none so blind as those who will not see. 

what a shame (on me)

how have i been living my life by only knowing one maxwell song? who was keeping it a secret that this man is the truf (that's the truth truf!) it really is a shame that i'm just now discovering him. how many real life situations could this voice have soothed? i guess its better late than never.

oh so awkward

man, issa rae/J, you're so cute i'm gonna let that dating a white boy thing slide. its just refreshing to be able to relate to this series even though these aren't my exact experiences. this girl is gud. real gud. can't believe i have to wait until DECEMBER!!! to see another episode. episode 10 really left me hanging.

civil rights & the nypd

the nypd is still fryin' niggas

we remain ingredients
in their pan seared
stir fried and sauteed
poisonous dishes
burned and burnt
marred and charred

we need more heat
so the oil in the pan
can sizzle, then spit
hot in their faces
sending them running
to wipe the shame away  

N.Y. police officer charged with civil rights violation

rest in peace

when i was in high school i was on the school newspaper. one year we were doing either profiles for black history month or women's history month. you were allowed to choose who you wanted to write about. among the people i chose was wangari maathai. my teacher did not know who she was. i'm pretty sure i had chosen all african/black women and i remember the teacher (who was european/white) saying, "these are such interesting choices. how did you find out about all these people?" and i was shocked that she did not know about the first african woman to win the nobel peace prize (or about the other people on my list. where did she live, in the ground?). i felt like this was common knowledge. it was a major moment in history. its a pity the way the world works where it takes death for greatness to be appreciated.

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dies

this week [25-09-2011]

a weekly round up with a tune for your listening pleasure. september 23 is john coltrane's birthday. be blessed! 

• check out dr. jared ball's review of Defying the Tomb, a prison narrative focusing on gaining social consciousness: Defying the Tomb, Defying Ilogic 
• also check this cool website SeeingBlack and their weekly round-up: The 411
• Unfortunately, Troy Davis has been killed. However, the good people of the Georgia parole boards etc were able to spare the life of this man (who evidence proved had committed murder) 3 hours before his execution (albeit this was four years ago): Killer spared from death hours before execution
• University of The West Indies, St Augustine recently published an interview with Shani Mootoo for which i was present (and they mentioned that for a reason which i don't understand): Connect with Shani Mootoo. 

do not forget the past

do we cry for brewer like we did troy?
do we kill the racists too?
do we forgive? is it human to forgive?
will i sign an amnesty international petition for king?
hoping they stay his execution
and knowingly shake my head at the news of his death
four hours and eight minutes later?
is there a difference between death by lethal injection
and death by severing a body from a head?
how many black babies with white blood in their veins
in their hair textures, smeared on their pale, in-between faces,
were not killed during slavery?
how many mothers nurtured children of rape?

Man executed for dragging death of James Byrd

i am troy davis

they are going to kill troy davis 

you can call georgia if you like 

(call where. call who.)

call them 

call the board 

call the DA 

call the white man 

or the black man 

they are going to kill troy davis 

the same way they arrested him 

and convicted him 

and ignored appeals 

and truth 

shit. they ignored reasonable doubt

they are going to kill troy davis 

the same way they expel us from their tribes 

and leave us out of the mainstream lives 

and history books 

we are not shit in the eye of the beholder 

we are not blind 

Save Troy Davis!

if saving this man's life is as easy as filling out an online form well, we shouldn't even have the issue of troy davis' life to talk about.

take some time to look at the details of his case: 

• Troy Davis Action Website
• Amnesty International Petition 
• Listen to Ben Jealous on Democracy Now 

sign if you think justice needs to be served. i guess its that easy.

you can also call the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole:

• Stop the State Murder of Troy Davis on September 21st! 

this week [16-09-2011]

• the next time someone asks me why i'd rather live outside of the US i will simply point them to this article on truthout.org, "hail to the true victors of rupert's revolution", after i quote the last line: 

The American historian William Blum has kept the record. Since the Second World War, the United States has crushed or subverted liberation movements in 20 countries and attempted to overthrow more than 50 governments, many of them democratic and dropped bombs on 30 countries and attempted to assassinate more than 50 foreign leaders.

surprising europe?

in a recent episode of the aljezeera programme surprising europe called "under pressure" the most surprising aspect of the show was the lack of analysis and "in depth" reporting. the episode was meant to highlight the harsh realities of african immigrants in europe but the show was seriously lacking. there didn't seem to be any digging - the interviews with a prostitute and a small time drug dealer (who after 4 months of looking for a job decided that drugs was easier) and "experts" really did not shed any light on statistics or the systems that lead to these lifestyles. 

this week [9-11-2011]

this joint (the blog not the song, although the song is pretty hot) is bumpin'!

• kofi taharka of NBUF put together a few words from the reverend dr (martin luther king jr) trying to get people to get off the "i have a dream" thang. check it out here: stop pimpin' dr. martin luther king jr. 
• Nigerian women writers speak. (i would just read the quotes and keep it moving if i were you. no offense to the author): Woman Power
• An exhibit of artwork by Palestinian children in California has been cancelled due to the lobbying of pro-Israel organizations. If you had any questions about the importance of culture in shaping minds, this might answer some of them: Oakland Museum Shuts Down Palestinian Children's Art Exhibit 
• Amnesty International USA has an online petition for Troy Davis who is on death row for the murder of a police officer although there is evidence to suggest that he is innocent. Not sure if getting him off will be as easy as entering you email address online but it might be better than doing nothing: Don't Let Georgia Kill Troy Davis 
• Opinion piece on the drought in Somalia. Short and to the point: They are not starving, they are being starved

POWER!

the SOE has been extended for next 3 months in trinidad & tobago. 

emergency POWERS regulations 2011 see below: 

run down & round up: THIS WEEK [02-09-11]

the first joint was so good we had to do twice! 

• Danny Glover is directing a film on Toussaint Louverture for which he says he was unable to get money for in Europe and the US because there are no white heroes in the movie. That's not a surprise. Just wish he had been able to find some Haitian actors for the lead roles. I guess having the likes of Don Cheadle and Angela Bassett will bring the audience though. Here's the article: Danny Glover's Haiti film lacked "white heroes", producers said
• Last week, I had the chance to interview a group of Merikin descendants. Had never heard of them before. The Merikins are descendants of formerly enslaved African-Americans who escaped to fight with the British in the War of 1812 and were settled in Trinidad thereafter. Check it out: Unveiling the History of the Baptist Companies 
• My friend and model Tiffany Okafor raises some questions about recently printed t-shirts for children which said "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" Can't imagine the trauma caused to "fat" children by this. Check it out: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels t-shirts sold to children" 
• So some people were outraged by this bit of stereotyping happening on a Lifetime TV reality show: Racial Stereotyping for Little Girls
• Opinion piece in Essence about Gentrification in DC. Actually an interesting take on the so-called  "black gentrifiers": Sound-off: Gentrification Ain't All White Folks' Fault   
• This article speculates about changes in Libya if the rebels takeover. It suggests a move towards a more Arab alignment is likely. Gadhafi had been a major supporter of the African Union and the creation of a United States of Africa: New Libya More Arab, Less African 

Harry Potter Works

Voldermort or He Who Must Not Be Named

i guess you could say i was into harry potter when i was younger. i read all the books. and now i've seen most of the movies. if you haven't read the series or seen the movies then you may not know that the villain harry must defeat is named voldermort. people who are afraid of voldermort or just too disgusted by his name, which was almost everyone, called him He Who Must Not Be Named (HWMNBN since i like acronyms). so i'm going to rekindle my relationship to these books.

in order to do this, readers will have to get most of their information from the links i provide below:

• an opinion piece about HWMNBN: Emergency Break 
• an update about the technology HWMNBN uses in his plight to become the "Dark Lord": Police service to benefit from new intelligence  
• an example of the fact that when HWMNBN waves his wand, the effects are lasting: More emergency, less curfew coming 

short words from The Morning After

for some reason it just feels like a good time to share some quotes from Horace Campbell's foreword to Eusi Kwayana's The Morning After (2005). this is a book that belonged to my father. i've had it on my reading list for a while and put it my bag the other to read while on the bus because it was smaller than the other book i was reading. turned out there was some fitting information. will share more as i read more. The Morning After is generally about Guyanese politics, crime and ethnic divisions.

In both Jamaica and Trinidad, the levels of violence and murders have reached proportions that now approximate the period of enslavement when lives were dispensed with at will. Both societies have become enmeshed in the international capitalist trade associated with the drug business and the local accumulators are linked in the whole process of using guns, illicit dealings and wanton killings.  

It is not by accident that this wave of violence everywhere is occurring at precisely the moment when the international war on terrorism is being used to roll back the demands of oppressed peoples for a new mode of economic organisation.

There had been a debate within ASCRIA (political organization), whether it was the European planter or the Indian businessperson who was the enemy of the African people. It was agreed that the enemy was  the system of capitalism and while the Indians and Africans were rivals, there could be no revolution of one race in Guyana. 

run-down & round up: GENTRIFICATION

A New Day in Old DC, Studio Lafoncette Photography

noticed i had many articles on the same topic happening in different parts of america saved and decided to share in  one fluid motion. a good film about this situation of gentrification is Flag Wars. 

Is Jus' ah Photo: Studio Lafoncette Photography . 

in washington dc:

• A Population Changes, Uneasily 
• A surprising look at 'Faces of Petworth' 
• Is Jus ah Photo

in new york:

• For new life, blacks in city head south
• Memories of Sugar Hill

run down & round up: THIS WEEK [26-08-11]

the facebook page was really supposed to the space where i post interesting/related links with information i want to share but not actually blog about in detail. sometimes in my internet-ing though, i read or watch and don't post for you to see. so here's a quick run-down & round up of some of the things i've come across this week. 

• Commentary on newly proposed Nigerian national literature prize. The amount of prize money and approach is reminiscent of the, not one but TWO, NAPAs (National Academy for Performing Arts) in Trinidad: NLNG Prize and Ad hoc culture (Incidentally, do they plan on building a NAPA campus in Tobago?)
• Looking at Columbus' voyage as a major catastrophe from an ecological point-of-view (re: diseases that killed people on top of/in addition to slavery. Comes up in new book by Charles Mann. Featured on NPR
• This documentary which looks at the FBI repression of the film The Spook Who Sat by the Door needs help financing broader distribution. Check out this link: Infiltrating Hollywood: The Spook Who Sat by the Door
• A new school opened in Texas week with an African centered curriculum. What do you think? Siafu Village Academy 
• My sister in liberation had an article published about her experience with reconnecting to the earth. Check it out: Agriculture's necessity in liberation
• The charges of rape against Le Great Seducer aka Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been dismissed although pending appeal. What can I say? The "isms" are thorough in their oppression. See Huffington Post article: Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape charges dismissed. 
• Piece about the woman who I believe is the Queen of Eternal Sorrow & the Epitome of Joy: Frida Khalo. She wore corsets for most of her life to brace back injuries. Frida's Corsets
• Andile Mngxitama advocates for SMS (text messaging) democracy. He says that rather than vote every five years, citizens in South Africa should be voting every week on the issues that affect them. What do you think? Time to move away from ballot box to SMS democracy
• Check out Mario Gerth's "African Portraits". Some very strong imagery: African Portraits 

SUS!

in the papers they had a photo of the police searching "suspects" shortly after the SOE went into effect but what were they suspects of? as matter of fact, what was the photographer doing there and why wasn't he searched? the SOE is eerily reminiscent of the UK's SUS law where: anybody could be stopped and searched if officers merely suspected they might be planning to carry out a crime. the SUS law impart led to the Brixton riots of 1981 and made it  much easier for police officers to harass black people without being charged of discrimination. When protests erupted in Brixton against SUS this is what was going on: ...mixture of high unemployment, deprivation, racial tensions and poor relations with police were not unique to Brixton. what is the unemployment rate in t&t? what sort of relationship do residents of these crime hot spot areas have with the police?

S.O.E. Day 3

to quote a friend: "When you call a state of emergency, you signal to the world that the country is in a state of disarray and that natural functions of the "protective services" are insufficient to maintain stability in a country. Once people perceive instability it's difficult to shake that  mindset - for non Trinis outside, and even some Trinis" 

S.O.E. Day 2

State of Emergency (S.O.E.) Day 2

                                                         Mykal Rose "Shootout" - police & tief 

• The Attorney General literally declared war on all criminals. He actually used the words "declare" & "war"
• The first casualties of war were two alleged bandits in Arima. THE POLICE HAVE KILLED both of them and detained their third accomplice.  They were applauded for their efforts to fight crime. 
• An unarmed civilian near the scene of the crime (but not involved) was shot in the right side of his body during combat  and is said to be in stable condition.  
• Police officers do not want to say whether the bullet that injured this unarmed civilian came from the "bandits" or themselves. 
• Superintendent Brebnor was quoted following the confiscation of weapons from the bodies of the dead bandits: "This is what we are up against. This is the type of high powered weapons that we police officers have to face-off with by criminals" And yet, no police officers were injured and it was the "bandits" who died and an innocent man who suffered. 
• I find it interesting that when the crime hotspot areas were first announced at midnight yesterday, Icacos was one of the areas on the list. In the newspaper reports today, however, Icacos is no longer on the list. Apparently, it is common knowledge that Icacos is where all the drugs and guns coming into Trinidad arrive, which is also interesting seeing as Icacos is a small village and the COAST GUARD has a large station there. Why would a known drug/gun trafficking site be taken off the list of areas where extra policing is needed? 

But is the SOE legal?

1. The PNM (opposition party) is saying that the SOE was not executed properly.This is true but the only reason they brought it up is so that next election they can bring it up again. But if it wasn't executed properly shouldn't it be null and void? 

2. Where is the commissioner of police? Did I hear that he was on vacation? How can you order something as grave as an SOE without the police commissioner being in the country? How much are we paying this Canadian man again?

3. What is the justification for the absolution of rights of "law abiding" citizens? 

If you do live in a hotspot area, however, since you have to stay at home tonight anyway take a few minutes for good laugh (well in the first part anyway afterwards she just makes sense) and watch comedian Rachel Price's commentary on the situation. She asked the same question I asked my aunt last night: where are all the vagrants going to be during the curfew hours?

Deja VU!

"Seems like you're everywhere it's true.
Gotta be having Deja Vu"
- Beyonce Knowles

Am I trippin'? Or did I write a blog two weeks ago about "racist" advertising?

on T&T state of emergency

According to this article [SEE ARTICLE HERE] over the past eleven years, police officers in Trinidad & Tobago have been responsible for 256 murders. Of course, these statistics were gathered from a police service department so I think its fair to doubt them. These statistics also do not include the number of people who were injured by the police (or framed or unlawfully searched or arrested). There is a back log of 1,000 complaints against officers filed with the Crime & Problem Analysis department as of February 2011 according to the article. 

on south african film and black butterflies

In something reminiscent of an accident, I ended up watching the film Black Butterflies the other day. (Not sure what rug I've been living under to have not heard about the film before) I did recognize that there was a  powerful story within the mini biopic of  the South African poet Ingrid Jonker which dealt with the limited expectations of womanhood and sexism and double standards and so on. I didn't know where the movie was going exactly but I think even before it started I just felt like this would be the same thing all over again. Yes, this was essentially good cinema. Maybe even great. Yes, Ingrid Jonker had an interesting story.  But in the larger scheme of things, in the South African context, the fact of privilege and "whiteness" cancels out all of that. While watching I remembered something I'd read by Haile Gerima that really highlights the complexity of South African cinema (although the director and the lead actress are both Dutch but then again that's a whole other conversation by itself about identity). He was speaking at a program in London on South African cinema soon after Mandela's release: 

A most interesting concept thrown carelessly around at this panel was so-called "non-racial cinema."  When it was my turn to speak, I organized my thoughts on the future of South Africa in the following manner. First, I stated there was no such thing as non-racial cinema, especially not in South Africa, a country founded on the notion of white supremacy. With independence, cinema would have to celebrate all races and specifically African people, whose image and story had been so brutally suppressed. I felt that in the new South Africa, film would have to dramatically dynamize culture. In fact, I went on to suggest, in order to correct the past abuse of color privilege, most of the white filmmakers would need to refrain from future film projects and take responsibility for producing and financing the filmmaking of African in South Africa. The whole auditorium exploded. Most of the whites lost their center of intellectual gravity. However, I went on to suggest that by virtue of heir credentials and professional experience, which they had attained in the old South Africa, white South African filmmakers would continue to be in prominent positions and still be able to make films about other South Africans strictly because of their very privileged backgrounds. 

To read more see here. 

This week in the news...

This week in the news racism is alive. 

The station has issued an apology saying that "we accept responsibility for the mistakes that were made..." But this was not a mistake. The second half of the interview was deliberately cut during editing because it is more comforting to believe that a 4-yr black boy from the South Side is already a gang-banger than it is to believe he has any morality about him. This is also the more profitable route. 

It is also comforting to have a black president who is "diplomatic" and a "man of character". After referring to Obama as a "tar baby" Rep Doug Lamborn says "I am sure that he will not take offense and he'll be happy to accept my apology because he is a man of character.” What he meant was, Obama will accept the apology because we have the nigger in check. Lamborn does not only know that Obama will accept being called a "tar baby", he knows that Obama will be HAPPY about it too. A black president who knows his place is comforting. I am really interested in what Obama will have to say about this... (poker face) 

Tha's da truth Truth!

So I stumbled upon a news brief about DirectTV removing an ad from YouTube because "the content of the associated posts was developing into an R-rated dialogue that had nothing to do with the spot itself." A DirectTV spokesman said that the campaign was "tongue-in-cheek comedy". The ad is a blinged out boxer named Tommy "the Truth" Thompson who apparently smiles after the little boy character Half Truth punches an elderly white waiter at the end of the commercial. The ad is no longer available on YouTube but this version is:

To me, I'm not seeing anything different here from what you see on BET or in Hollywood depictions of a black boxer. Since the video was taken down, I can't see what comments were made exactly but according to AdWeek there were accusations that the commercial fed into stereotypes, racism, reverse racism and even elder abuse. I guess I know what the big deal is but I'm still trying to figure out what was the big deal? Who was making these comments? Reverse racism is non-existent. These are the same stereotypes we find in other commercials, music videos, TV sitcoms, movies, etc. Where is the "anger" about this coming from in isolation from all this other stuff? So DirectTV removed the ad from YouTube although they still plan to use the campaign what has been achieved? What has changed?  

The Debate Continues! (Found Lost Post)

One of the first pictures that came up after a Google search of the word "feminist" Apparently, this is what they look like. You think her hair is natural?

This was the follow up post to one written about being labeled a feminist earlier this year. Just as a disclaimer I would like to say that at this particular junction in my life I do not identify as a feminist if there is any confusion.

Interview Fridays: GA Gardner Talks Political/Non-Political Art

Elements of Hope, GA Gardner, 2008

This edition of Interview Fridays features the Trinidadian mixed-media artist, GA Gardner speaking about art and politics. 

Symbolism and the UN's African Year

The United Nations has declared 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD). According to the IYPAD homepage, "In proclaiming this International Year, the international community is recognising that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected." 

Dodson, really?

The Antoine Dodson "phenomenon" is confusing. Or maybe it's quite understandable. There's obviously good money in doing a lot of nothing and letting white people play you for a fool. 

Hello Twilight Zone, Hello Weave Theft

This New York Times article about the rise in weave theft and "illegal" sales in the US, including someone actually being killed for $10,000 worth of weave (yes, as in the hair weave) cements my feelings that there are people not living in the same world as me. I live in a world where people do not die over weave. Some people live in a world where $10,000 worth of weave is worth one human life. The question is as always, who is buying the weave? Who's mentality is so damaged that weave is worth that much? Who is committing the crime and who is doing the time? Who is making the money from the expensive weave?

Sunday Stroll (2): give the drummer some

after the performance i bumped into the 8 year old drummer and told him how wonderfully they performed. he gave me the most endearing and grateful smile. it was a confident smile: he knew he beat that drum like a seasoned player. but i guess it's always nice to hear a compliment.

Sharing and a Sunday Stroll (1)

when i was in high school, i wrote a poem about loving sundays.

sunday can be a good day to take a stroll down memory lane (cliche intended)

i noticed my collection of videos from various concerts and festivals was mostly taking up space on my laptop. here's the sunday poem and some footage of zap mama at the cape town jazz festival in 2009.  

On Malcolm X

A recent article in the Huffington Post (Malcolm X was "Gay for Pay" New Book Says) weighing in on the "Malcolm X was gay and its in Manning Marable's book" issue made me gather up my thoughts about the "issue".

!another madwoman ranting(?) about rAcE(?)!

jotted down a few thoughts in a notebook while travelling week before last and i'm finally getting to put them up here. hopefully i won't be guilty of belaboring a point. this may turn out to be one post in many on my thoughts about rAcE! and t&t as there are so  many pockets with musings on the topic and i don't know where to start or end my responses and get my thoughts out. this may be the first and last post on this topic for those very same reasons:  

Madwoman Rant



Photo from the T&T Guardian

Ah hear a madman bawl as he spread out on a wall
He say, "Dis is it, dis is it, dis is it, I’ve been hit!
No time to give up brother, no time to quit!"
Was the chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of de madman. It’s the only salvation
Ah say de chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of the madman, Lord, is de only salvation.
----- "Tales from a Strange Land: Crossing the Bridge, A Madman's Rant"David Rudder, 1996

Interview Fridays: Zeno Obi Constance Con't

Zeno Obi Constance

Last month, distinguished Trinidadian author and playwright Zeno Obi Constance released a new book, The Man Behind the Music: The People's Calypsonian, on the life and music of noted calypsonian Brother Valentino. Constance is a self-proclaimed calypso collector and has been studying Valentino’s work since his university days. This is part two of the interview first posted last week. 

thoughts on black gentrification in DC

a friend recently sent me an article form the Washington City Paper about black gentrification and asked me what i thought. here i go: 

1. first off, the way i see it a black gentrifier is of similar value to a black racist. i do not believe that black people can be racist. racism is a system of material based oppression that situates itself on the notion of race. so in order to be a true racist you must have the power to subjugate. you must be able to marginalize an entire population of people (the way "whites" have done historically to "blacks" in the US and around the world"). because black people are not able to do this (subjugate/marginalize) other races then they cannot be racist. black people can hold prejudices against people of other races, they can harbor self-hate reflective of centuries of negative interactions with other races, but they cannot themselves be racists. calling a black person racist is blaming the victim- like saying a female victim of rape was asking for it because she wore skimpy clothes. so i think that premise of the article is faulty.  

Interview Fridays: Zeno Obi Constance on New Book, Calypso & Valentino

Last month, distinguished Trinidadian author and playwright Zeno Obi Constance released a new book, The Man Behind the Music: The People's Calypsonian, on the life and music of noted calypsonian Emrold Phillip, Brother Valentino. Constance is a self-proclaimed calypso collector and has been studying Valentino’s work since his university days. This interview, which will be presented in two parts, covers the story behind the book, his friendship with Valentino and his thoughts about the state of calypso music in Trinidad & Tobago. 

Zeno Obi Constance

KAISO! (10): this blog is untitled...

i have purposely kept poetry off this blog thanks to a certain level of paranoia. in a strange way, i remind myself of old masters (though i have not reached close to that status) who hide to practice their craft for fear of business being siphoned from them or their ideas being “stolen” or just plain fear of the exposure. but here is the beginning of a piece i just happen to feel compelled to share. a good carnival does wonders. there is no title.

KAISO! (9): ca'naval is cOloUR, ca'naval is HAIR!

Carnival Hair on Calvary Hill, Port-of-Spain, 2011

all de bad talk i bad talk relaxed hair in the past (and probably present), i am in love with carnival hair!* something about the effortless pageantry involved called out to me. what clicked was this: say what you want about black people straightening their hair to imitate whiteness, there is an unprecedented style and character found in black hair care. carnival hair runs the gamut of possibilities from dreadlock mohawks to multi-colored weaves styled and shaped in all fashions.  the real kicker was to notice that carnival hair was not solely a female phenomenon; the fellas sported their share of extravagant hair as well. this was street art at its best. yet, the bearers of these bobs, braids, pompadours and more didn’t behave as if their heads should be made into busts to be placed in museums; theirs was a practical approach. this was a carnival art, gracefully adorning the crown, being noticed and being proud.

*carnival hair- extravagant hairstyles worn during the carnival season that can be unusually colorful.

Check out the cArnival hAiR page for more photos!

KAISO! (8) ca'NAvaL is OVER! buT YoU cAN sTilL bLoG ABouT iT!

Masquerader crossing the stage with Vulgar Fraction. The presentation was "Coalition" This was an independent mas band. 

no one has to tell me what’s going on. carnival is over. auf wiedersehen. until next year love. there is dub blasting from the neighborhood watering holes. no other signs necessary. that fat woman sang ages ago. for those of us who wish to, this is the time to reflect. and for others this is simply a time to “move on.” conversation was a large part of this year’s carnival experience for me. tuesday night after that final grain, chippin’ with phase II, we talked. we talked about the season, the bacchanal, our convictions, we laughed, we shared ideas. a few things that came up:

KAISO! Part 7 (& de nex' half): Mas Women

Part 2 of the interview with photographer Leslie Robertson-Toney of Studio Lafoncette Photography on Mas Women 

Do you ever get from behind the camera? (during Carnival that is).

I occasionally party, however I find it hard to justify the expense of most of the new “all inclusive fetes” that are en vogue in Trinidad, so I’m not likely to be at most of those. I really like playing mas, but again, the price and quality of adult mas has been disappointing in recent years. I hope to be able to do that again soon. Playing mas is a big part of the carnival experience that feeds my soul - there is something spiritual about mas for me that I can't fully articulate, so it's difficult for me to miss that. The catch 22 is, if there’s good mas, I want to be behind the camera as much as I want to be in costume.

KAISO! Part 7 (& a half): Mas Women & Women Behind De Mas

Female Masquerader Carnival 2010, Leslie Robertson-Toney

                                        
Around this time last year the Washington DC based photographer, Leslie Robertson- Toney of Studio Lafoncette Photography, was gearing up for the Trinidad Carnival season armed with a heavy duty Nikon camera, tape-recorder and a list of interview questions. These items made up her research tools for a multi-media exhibit entitled, Mas Women & Women Behind de Mas: A Photo Exhibit, held in April of last year at the Emergence Community Arts Collective in Washington DC. The exhibit included audio, video and original photography that focused on female masqueraders, designers and band-leaders. The aim was to gauge the role of women in this art-form, to seek out their inspiration; moreover, to find out whom these women were. In turn, I am taking the opportunity to find out who Leslie is, what inspires her work and what she thinks about Carnival.

A short word on the "Best New Artist"

This part of Steve Stoute's letter is where I really started shaking my head: "how is it that Justin Beiber, an artist that defines what it means to be a modern artist, did not win Best New Artist?" In his New York Times full page ad, where he takes the NARAS to task for not being "in touch" with pop culture, Stoute slams the Grammys for understanding the "imapct"  and "cultural relevance" of people like Justin Bieber and Kanye West enough to use his name in the billing to boost ratings, but not enough to give them awards. I'll start with a positive response; the woman who won Best New Artist, Esperanza Spalding, is good (with a black American emphasis hinting that good is a gross understatement to her talent and artistry). 

In Solidarity: Ending Mass Incarceration

Think of Haiti, think of Los Angeles
Think of South Africa, think apartheid
Sisphyian curse- Black America's
Forever to struggle
Against subordination at home; against oppression-
Fighting to ensure that justice
         and fairplay are assured
That Black America, America, remains
         an opportunity to the ambitious
A haven, refuge, to the oppressed
To the politically distressed of the diaspora.
When America assumed leadership of the free world
Black America assumed leadership of the Black World
To defend human rights to freedom, independence
        and self-determination.

Excerpt "God Bless Black America" Blood That Thickens: Short Stories & Poems by Maurice M. Horsham

I've heard people say that when America sneezes the Caribbean gets the cold. On the surface, this statement is more about the closeness of the region to the US, but it can be understood in so many ways. Does America just make the Caribbean sick?

KAISO! part 6: Buhwamoder, Modern Minstrel. But wha de modda?

For the sake of time and the Twitteratti, who in this day and age for the most part cannot take long, heavily cited blogs, I will try to keep this short and get straight to the point: Buhwamoder,*** the man behind the song "Bend Right Over," is a modern-day minstrel; an Arab man in black face. Yes, they do still exist, but wha de modda?  

KAISO! Part 5: What about the music?

Asking the question why Buhwamoder gets more airtime than Kurt Allen in Trinidad is the same as asking why Lil' Wayne gets more airtime than Talib Kweli in the US. To me, it seems as though something is unbalanced in both cases but my taste might just be "different" Even though I wine, jump, and chip to the same soca "riddims" if at a party (where I am not in charge of the music selection), I have a "different" relationship to the music. I wouldn't buy a Buhwamoder CD if there was one.

(re)-viewing black history month: interview with south-african activist Andile Mngxitama

February has now come to be known as Black History Month  (BHM) in the US. Initially Negro History Week, since 1915 the celebration of black achievement pioneered by Carter G. Woodson has transformed into a month of activities. Before his death, Woodson himself had become weary of the commercial aspects of BHM. He advocated that the study of black history be a year-round movement. Although there are now BHM celebrations all over the Diaspora, it does not seem that black history has 365-day shift Woodson envisioned. The presence of BHM around the world is important because there has been in recent years a global push towards multiculturalism – an agenda which it’s likely that events such as BHM would boost. South Africa is one “multicultural” society where pockets of BHM celebrations can be found. This interview with Andile Mngxitama, South African author and activist, questions the value of current commemorations of BHM.   

KAISO! Part (4): Moko Jumbie

Gayelle The Channel has launched their coverage of Carnival and as usual they have some great programming. There was a segment on recently about the Keylemanjahro Moko Jumbie School  showing the processes behind concepts for bands each year, the training, and most importantly the creativity and dedication of the members. Here's a similar documentary on the history of Moko Jumbie in the Caribbean:

The Moko Jumbies are the spirits that guard Carnival bands: 

In Iwoye, a Ketu town in West Yoruba country near the Dahomey border, the "Gagalo" silt dancers come out at the annual festival held to honour the supernatural protector of the town - "Orisa Oluwa." It is a harvest festival at which yams are offered and the stilt dancers must perform before the harvest begins...In Trinidad today and in the US Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix, especially, an abundance of stilt dancers can be seen. They are called in both places the "Moko Jumbie" (Rituals of Power & Rebellion 65-66)    

KAISO! Part 3: Gripping for Dear Life Behind A Skirt

Doused in blue paint and demanding money he drew nearer. "Pay de devil!" he sang while ferociously beating his biscuit-tin drum. This is mas? Or this is madness? I being too young to tell the difference gripped for dear life behind my aunt's skirt that Carnival morning. I was not letting this madman get my money or my sanity. 

                                            


Fright is a family tradition (with all due smiles and respect). My grandmother has told me that when she was young and heard the devil mas bands coming down the street, she found solace in bed! My sister remembers cowering in the back seat of a car while devil masqueraders stopped traffic drenched in oil, adorned with menacing horns, pitch forks and tails. Yet while I have fear to follow, devil masquerade has another narrative: 

KAISO! Part 2: de reason why

so why do i care about (anti) master narratives, mas and a set of other things people already dash by de way side? its simple: memory is a hell of a thing and i just happen to think its important. chalkdust had his reasons too:

KAISO! Part 1: de dame lorraine

this is the first line of a poem I haven't written yet:

the consistent experience is the mother.

maybe this will turn into a poem about "dame lorraine" mas (as in mask or masquerade). to start the KAISO! ca'naval series i'm posting an excerpt describing the ancestry of "dame lorraine." i've seen many non-Caribbean people give male masqueraders dressed as women strange looks at Caribbean Carnival parades in the US.