分类： entertainment

The Southern Academy of the Performing Arts served as the magnificent backdrop on December 5th for the Trinidad Renaissance School’s annual Christmas concert, where students delivered a breathtaking theatrical interpretation of the biblical nativity story. The young performers transported audience members through an evocative journey depicting the birth of Jesus Christ with remarkable artistry and devotion.

Through meticulously crafted costumes and carefully choreographed movements, the production brought to life the essential figures of the Christmas narrative. Students embodied Joseph and Mary with touching reverence, while others transformed into celestial angels, vigilant shepherds, pastoral sheep, and the pilgrimage of wise men traveling to Jerusalem. Each scene transitioned seamlessly as the children moved across the stage with purposeful coordination.

The musical dimension of the performance proved equally impressive, with students demonstrating both vocal and instrumental excellence. The program featured a diverse repertoire of Christmas classics including a serene rendition of ‘Silent Night,’ the jubilant ‘Jesus is Born,’ and David Rudder’s uplifting ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain.’ The young musicians further showcased their versatility through skilled violin performances of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ and a powerfully delivered recital of ‘O Holy Night.’

A particularly memorable segment featured children reciting carefully selected biblical excerpts with clarity and conviction, drawing appreciative responses from the captivated audience. The production reached its triumphant conclusion with an energetic performance of ‘Joy to the World,’ leaving attendees with a powerful sense of holiday spirit and artistic appreciation.

An extraordinary artistic homage to calypso legend Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) continues its international journey with the exhibition ‘Sparrow Come Back Home,’ currently showcased at Cincinnati’s Weston Art Gallery through January 11. The exhibition features an impressive collection of 360 meticulously crafted ceramic tiles reproducing both front and back covers from 180 of Sparrow’s albums and 12-inch singles, complemented by career timeline displays and memorabilia cases.

The project originated in 2010 when visual artists Carmel Buckley and Mark Harris received an invitation to participate in Sculpture Key West, Florida. Drawing upon Harris’s Trinidadian heritage and childhood exposure to calypso music, the artists conceived an installation that would celebrate Caribbean cultural legacy. Their initial concept involved creating 20 hand-made tiles with decals of Sparrow’s record covers, installed within botanical gardens with accompanying Trinidad-recorded music.

Over subsequent years, the exhibition evolved into a comprehensive archival project utilizing German-printed decals fired onto commercial tiles. The collection expanded significantly through collaborations with British collectors Graham Johnstone and Dmitri Subtsky, encompassing rare covers produced in diverse locations including Nigeria, demonstrating the global reach of Caribbean music migration patterns.

The exhibition has enjoyed multiple prestigious showings, including presentations at Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts (2014), Cincinnati’s Clay Street Press Gallery (2016), and London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts reading room (2016-2017). The London engagement featured screenings of the documentary ‘Calypso Dreams’ and a DJ set by artist Peter Doig during opening ceremonies.

As Mighty Sparrow celebrates his 90th birthday milestone, the artists express hope for future exhibitions during New York Carnival celebrations and potential Caribbean presentations, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. While considering permanent placement options, logistical challenges remain due to the substantial weight and fragile nature of the ceramic pieces.

After nearly five decades of dedicated artistic practice, Barbadian-born Trinidad-based painter Winston Stewart, professionally known as Sundiata, unveils his comprehensive exhibition \”Visions\” at Arnim’s Art Galleria in Port of Spain. The 75-year-old artist presents approximately 40 oil and mixed-media works that represent the culmination of his lifelong engagement with visual expression.\n\nSundiata’s artistic philosophy centers on raw authenticity, allowing each piece to communicate directly with viewers without intermediary interpretation. \”They’re just an insight into my interests, of how I perceive things and see things,\” the artist explained regarding his exhibition. His creative inspiration derives from continuous engagement with his environment—visual, mental, and social—translated through the distinctive language of art.\n\nThe artist’s background reflects a remarkable synthesis of disciplines. Holding formal qualifications in art, science, and economics, Sundiata received training at the University of Reading in the UK, studied constructivist art in Moscow, and pursued artistic development across multiple countries. This multidisciplinary approach informs his perspective that creative individuals inherently possess capabilities far exceeding societal expectations.\n\nSundiata’s professional journey began with a definitive commitment at age 23 when he abandoned conventional career paths despite societal pressures that dismissed artists as \”crazy or gay.\” His early determination manifested through self-organized exhibitions when traditional galleries rejected his work, eventually leading to international recognition through collector interest and institutional validation.\n\nThe exhibition showcases Sundiata’s stylistic evolution from realism to more expressive forms, featuring architectural elements, figures, still life, and abstract compositions that incorporate aspects of Trinidadian culture. Works including \”Boogsie is Sharp,\” \”Frontline,\” \”St James Hosay,\” \”Femmes aux Mangoes,\” and \”Morning Greetings\” demonstrate his refusal of rigid categorization.\n\nNow celebrating 45 years of marriage and fatherhood, Sundiata maintains his daily artistic practice while rejecting commercial considerations or trends. He creates from genuine motivation rather than market expectations, valuing artistic honesty above external validation. Despite his extensive experience, he remains committed to continuous learning and exploration within his craft.\n\n\”Visions\” runs from December 15 through January 9 at Arnim’s Art Gallery in Port of Spain, offering viewers an intimate glimpse into the mind of an artist who has devoted his life to authentic creative expression.

In the small village of Sangre Chiquito near Sangre Grande, Trinidad and Tobago, a preschooler has become an unexpected viral sensation through his authentic embrace of traditional parang music. Four-year-old Beltino Chandlin Ramdeen, whose spontaneous maracas performance captivated the nation, demonstrates a natural musicality that runs deep in his family’s heritage.

The heartwarming story began when Beltino’s grandmother, Allyson Bengochea-Gyton—an established parang vocalist—shared video footage of her grandson confidently shaking maracas (known locally as chac-chac) while dancing with uninhibited joy. The clip rapidly accumulated thousands of views, resonating with viewers across the country who were charmed by the child’s genuine enthusiasm.

Parang, derived from the Spanish word ‘parranda’ meaning a festive celebration, represents an integral part of Trinidad and Tobago’s Christmas traditions. Typically, parranderos move between households, spreading seasonal cheer through vibrant music, dance, and communal sharing of food and drink while celebrating the birth of Christ.

For Beltino, however, parang transcends seasonal celebration—it constitutes his daily reality. ‘We don’t wait for Christmas to play music,’ Bengochea-Gyton explained. ‘Some of our videos with him were completely spontaneous—just sitting in the afternoon doing nothing, and he will put on music and start shaking his maracas.’

The young boy’s musical inclination appears deeply genetic. His grandmother leads her own parang and Latin ensemble, Ritmos Calientes, while his late grandfather, Hanuman Ramdeen, played both maracas and cuatro. The musical legacy continues with his step-grandfather Leo Gyton, a lead vocalist and skilled cuatro player, plus multiple extended family members who actively participate in Trinidad’s music scene.

Beltino’s relationship with his grandmother is particularly harmonized through music. ‘He calls me his Nani,’ she shared, ‘so he will always say, “Nani, sing for me and I will play.”‘ His learning capacity astonishes the family—he recently absorbed Spanish lyrics simply through listening, without formal instruction. His current favorite is a Latin piece by Peruvian band Corazón Serrano.

This Christmas, the four-year-old has requested a cuatro from Santa Claus, supplementing the maracas he already guards possessively. His family remains committed to nurturing his talent, with plans for music school should his interest persist. Meanwhile, Beltino himself dreams of becoming a doctor—potentially while leading the family band.