At the turn of the last century, steel pan pioneer Ellie Mannette was filmed in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the subject of a documentary, ‘Man of Steel’, by Caribbeing® founder, Yao Ramesar. Mannette, who can justifiably lay claim to the title of father of the modern steel drum, provides here a revealing chronology of the invention and evolution of the modern steel pan in its birthplace of Trinidad. Starting in 1930s Port of Spain when he first encountered Alexander's Ragtime Band, Mannette chronicles his myriad innovations, including turning the drums from convex to concave in 1941. He concludes with the quaduet, which he was working on at the time of this interview, a new solo instrument comprising four pans, with a near four octave range.

Caribbeing® founder yAo Ramesar caught up with Vincentian writer Philip Nanton on a beach in Barbados, where he resides, to down a couple beers & talk about his seminal biography of legendary Vincentian jazzman & poet, Shake Keane. A reading from RIFF : https://youtu.be/8Ftq0RQcm5I Jazz & poetry by Shake Keane : https://youtu.be/mFtbP1wQaAo Launch of RIFF with Philip Nanton : https://youtu.be/ANehsC28xoI

A fraction of interviews with Midnight Robber Brian Honoré filmed by yAo Ramesar for his series on Trinidad's traditional Carnival characters.

A fraction of an interview with Kwame Ture(FKA Stokely Carmichael) filmed by Caribbeing® originator yAo Ramesar on location in Trinidad in 1996. Kwame & yAo were reminiscing about Howard University, close encounters in the DMV with Gil Scott-Heron etc. just before filming. After the camera was on yAo declared that "the revolution will be televised", to which Kwame countered in his best Trini accent, "Doh count egg in fowl bottom, yAo!" As they started shooting there was loud music down the beach, so they stopped & walked towards the comotion. A family was sprawled out on the sand, eating, drinking & singing Indian folksongs. yAo said, "We need about an hour of quiet to do some filming with this fellah" & they asked if he was an African King. "Yes" he replied. "Take a drink nah, we puttin' out two plate for you!" Kwame started dancing with the family matriarch, twirling her around, the two of them laughing like children. That became the opening of the film.

Excerpt from a interview with Edgar Whiley, traditional Carnival icon who  embodied the Bat 'Mas. He is joined by his son Matthew(Son of Bat Man). Filmed in the mid-1990s by Caribbeing® originator yAo Ramesar. Edgar Whiley lived across the street from T&TEC, the power station in Trinidad. Sound recordist Austin Wilson wrestled with this, delivering intelligible monologues under the circumstances. Available on Anchor, Apple, Pocket Cast, Radio Public, Tune In Radio, Breaker, Overcast, Pod Chaser, Deezer, Spotify, Anypod, , Google Casts & Podcast Addict.

Traditional Carnival icon & custodian of the Minstrel 'Mas, Theresa Morilla Montano expounds on inhabiting this seminal character & her conservation of the Patois language. Available on : Anchor, Apple, Pocket Cast, Radio Public, Tune In Radio, Breaker, Overcast, Pod Chaser, Deezer, Spotify, Google Casts, Anypod, Podcast Addict.

Narrie Approo, masquerader extraordinaire & Black Indian in the pantheon of traditional Carnival characters, expounds on his 'mastery. Here's the 1st snippet from interviews I filmed with traditional Carnival characters about 25 years ago. The sound recordist was the late great Austin Wilson, a  veteran masman in his own right. Austin was my long-term collaborator, starting with our filming of the living pioneers of the steelpan in 1992. This suite of Carnival podcasts is dedicated to him, one of my greatest teachers - yAo Ramesar

In his first solo exhibition 3RD WORLD ARMERICA, Gary "Astro Clouds" Martin time travels to the present through a sprawling arc of pain. Routed & rooted in the indigenous Caribbean & worldly in its scope, Gary's art resonates from his hometown Arima with the fresh urgency of  Basquiat. Entering 3RD WORLD ARMERICA you're greeted by an indigenous warrior brandishing a machine gun. Inside, an army of pencils, pens & brushes awaits. www.eastyard.org www.caribbeing.net

Prof. Michele Alexandre, Dean of Florida's 1st law school, Stetson Law, recalls her upbringing in Duvalier's Haiti before fast forwarding to US voter rights protection in these crucial times. Apologies for the spotty audio at our end, resulting from weather systems in Trinidad where Caribbeing® is headquartered.https://atticusreview.org/black-joy-crossing-time-and-space/

Trans activist & artist extraordinaire Xoë Sazzle on essence, transcendence & freedom. NB  MIND THE GAP :  Weather systems due to climate change  may result in occasional interruptions of the flow.

Activist-at-large Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh's journey from his Claxton Bay roots to his  actions on behalf of the planet. NB  MIND THE GAP :  Weather systems during recording resulted in occasional interruptions(blame climate change).

A conversation about Caribbean cinema with Mary Wells, award-winning Jamaican filmmaker credited with the first narrative feature to be written and directed by a woman in Jamaica(Kingston Paradise/2013). https://youtu.be/eAafV1ATabU

Ethiopian/Eritrean artist Turunesh on living & working in Trinidad, her first doodles in a cafe in Europe & how art heals our communities

Award-winning poet & essayist Andre Bagoo on metaphor, nostalgia, silence & the haircut.

Poet & literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller remininises about his baptism in the Black Experience at Howard University in the late 1960s, where he first developed his voice. From literary  influences like Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez & Kamau Braithwaite, to Marcus Garvey, CLR James & George Padmore,  Ethelbert cites a pantheon of thinkers & actors who have shaped our recent history. Finally, he riffs on mythology & language, white supremacy, systemic racism, the murder of George Floyd & the spectre of racially neutral "Robo Cops".

At the start of his 68th mango season, Calypso Royalty, David Rudder shares his memories of childhood in Belmont, Trinidad, Aunty Kay & the iconic Rediffusion box in his home that brought music to life.

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St. Lucian playwright Travis Weekes' journey through Caribbean language, theatre & poetry. Note : Intro is in Creole, continues in English

Artist Xtraordinaire Akuzuru reflects on the ritual(s) of Carnival & the transcendence of her spatial works in these peculiar times.  http://akuzuru.blogspot.com/?m=1 https://coleccioncisneros.org/editorial/featured/caribbean-popular-caribbean-contemporary-current-artistic-practices-trinidad-and

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