Haitian Contemporary Art exhibit in Washington, D.C.

Tomorrow, the Embassy of Haiti in Washington DC in collaboration with the International Caribbean Art Fair will present a Haitian Contemporary Art exhibit in support of Passport DC. This is the Embassy's second open house, celebrating Haitian culture.

• When: Saturday May 2, 11am to 4pm (with artists' lectures scheduled for 11am-2pm)
• Where: the Embassy of Haiti, 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
• More info: (202) 332-4090, and click on the flyers below.

Amani for Women of the Oral Tradition (RapsoFest)

Toronto-based Amani (Ann-Marie-Woods) is to be the feature performer at the 20th RapsoFest's Women of the Oral Tradition this Sunday.

Sunday's show serves as the curtain-raiser of RapsoFest: the Festival of Rapso and the Oral Tradition. The festival is aimed at promoting the oral tradition and folk culture through performances, lecture-demonstrations, seminars and workshops across Trinidad and Tobago.

Described as a "contemporary blues poet", Amani fuses spoken word poetry and with blues and jazz singing, as heard on her aptly named first CD release, Amani: the words, the rhythm, the music in 2007.

The event will also showcase other local and foreign performers, including Jaylene, a spoken word poet out of the USA; and from T&T Sister Ava, Gillian Moore, Sister Sernia, Sister Shakeela, Ivory (d’ Midwife Robber) and Denise the Poet.

An important part of Sunday's presentation will be a tribute to Cheryl Byron – "Mama Rapso" – who is credited as one of the early creators of rapso along with some of her male counterparts like Lancelot Layne and Brother Resistance (Lutalo Masimba). As one of the few women's voices in the artform, she has paved the way for all the women who came after her.

Women of the Oral Tradition takes place this Sunday May 3 at Bishop Anstey High School, Keate Street, Port of Spain at 6pm. Tickets are $100.00.

Dominica Dive Fest set for July

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The Caribbean's longest-running dive festival kicks off this July in Dominica with an action-packed roster of activities, centred around scuba diving and related watersports.

Organised primarily by the Dominca Watersports Association, the 15th edition of the Dive Fest takes place July 10-19.

"Dive Fest was established to showcase the renowned marine environment of Dominica to visitors and residents alike, and is now one of the island’s signature events," says Colin Piper, Director of Tourism at Discover Dominica Authority.

"Visitors are invited to join in and experience the best the island has to offer, with endless adventures both above and below the surface. If you need a reason to visit Dominica, Dive Fest is it."

CaribbeanTales gears up for summer 2009

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CaribbeanTales – one of Canada's premier multimedia companies – once again takes Toronto by storm over the next few with with a stellar line-up of theatre and film screenings, workshops, forums and panels all celebrating the rich diversity of contemporary Caribbean and Caribbean-Canadian culture.

"Our company is growing and naturally we are incredibly excited to be partnering with such dynamic Canadian institutions as Hot Docs, the University of Toronto, and The Fringe," said CaribbeanTales founder Frances-Anne Solomon.

In May, at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 30 – May 10), CaribbeanTales will be co-presenter of Luciano Biotta’s film Rise-Up, screening at Innis Town. The piece dives deep into the Kingston ghetto where reggae was born, documenting real-life interviews with local established and underground musicians including Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

In July, CaribbeanTales in association with Leda Serene Films will stage the world premiere o Solomon’s new theatrical production Lockdown at Toronto’s largest theatre festival, the Toronto Fringe Festival (July 1–12). Lockdown’s fictional story traces the fortunes of a diverse group of young people held hostage during a high school lockdown. The play stars a number of established performers including Jamaican icon Leonie Forbes (What My Mother Told Me, Lord Have Mercy, A Winter Tale), and rising Toronto actor Michael Miller (A Winter Tale, Get Rich or Die Trying) alongside a diverse ensemble of talented young actors selected through citywide auditions held across the Greater Toronto Area last June.

Lockdown follows the success of Solomon’s highly acclaimed feature film A Winter Tale (for which Caribbean Beat was a media sponsor), which just recently was nominaed for a the Paul Robeson Diaspora Award at FESPACO 2009 (Africa’s equivalent of the Oscars) and won special mention in that category.

The fourth CaribbeanTales Annual Film Festival (July 9-12) will also partner with New College, University of Toronto, and U of T’s Caribbean Studies Program. This year’s theme, Caribbean Film: a Tool for Education and Social Change, features presentations and screenings from filmmakers and producers from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Antigua, the Eastern Caribbean, the UK, Africa, and the U.S.

As Canada's only standalone festival, it will present four days of exciting film screenings, thought-provoking Talk Back sessions, industry panels, hands-on workshops, a filmmakers’ forum, and a youth day.

This year’s festival honours the award-winning career of director Euzhan Palcy, from Martinique, who became the first woman of African descent to ever direct a Hollywoodfilm, MGM's A Dry White Season, starring Donald Sutherland, Marlon Brando and Susan Sarandon. Considered by many as one of the world's most influential filmmakers, Palcy is best known for her debut feature Sugar Cane Alley which won over 17 international prizes.

Metamorphosis Dance Company presents "Points of Passion"

Metamorphosis Dance Company – one of the country's most dynamic dance companies (and an offshoot from the Caribbean School of Dancing, which celebrated its 50th anniversary a few years ago) – presents its 2009 season Points of Passion at Queen's Hall from April 30 to May 2.

The show features pieces that have been specially created for the season, ranging in style from classical ballet, Trinidadian folk, contemporary Caribbean, and modern to hip-hop/street dance. Choreographers include Andre Largen, who danced with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company of New York; Bridgette Wilson who has recently returned from Toronto; and Nicole Wesley, an American contemporary dancer, choreographer and teacher with the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) who presents new cutting edge choreography; and well-known local choreographers Sonja Dumas, Lisa Beharry, Joyce Kirton, Patricia Roe and Claudia Applewhaite.

Wesley's piece "Seeds" is a glimpse into the ever-changing relationships we have with our mothers. Dumas presents "Counting", a humourous and incisive commentary on crime. Lisa Beharry's choreography brings to the stage vibrant street and hip hop styles, while Joyce Kirton's folk dance theatre piece "Sacred Spaces" is accompanied by a live assemble of musicians and singers that include African drums, tabla, sitar and steelpan.

Tickets are $100, while students may purchase tickets for the April 30 performance at 50% off. For tickets and show information, contact Nancy Herrera, Artistic Director, at (868) 684-6823 or the Caribbean School of Dancing at (868) 625-3225.

Telecom Wars in T&T

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The mobile wars in the Caribbean have heated up in recent years with the demonopolisation of the sector. In fact, recent studies have indicated that Caribbean countries enjoy among the best telecom calling rates in the world.

Irish-owned telecom company Digicel entered the Trinidad & Tobago market about three years ago, and since then has captured about 50% of the market share among retail mobile customers while helping cut mobile calling costs by about half in that country. The company is now taking aim at increasing its share of the corporate market.

The result, says Digicel T&T CEO Niall Dorrian, will be substantial savings for customers as the company sets up a new corporate services division called Digicel Business, which had a "soft launch" earlier this week. Interviewed by the Trinidad & Tobago Business Guardian last week, Dorrian promised "dedicated customer care, dedicated account management with after-sales service, customised solutions and technology which will allow savings of up to 40%".

According to the report, a major factor in the new mobile voice and data war that looms on the horizon for telecom providers is the auction by the Telecommunications Authority of T&T of WiMAX mobile spectrum bands, which allows providers to support data delivery via a number of different modes. While not necessarily faster in every instance, the technology provides increased reliability for end users.

Digicel has purchased eight 2.5 WiMAX spectrum bands, and hopes to launch in the T&T market before chief competitor, TSTT/bmobile, which has purchased 10. "It’s not a race," says Dorrian. "The interesting question is whether TSTT is coming to market with WiMAX and what will they do with the millions they have invested in landline fibre."

For more on the telecom sector in T&T see our sister magazine, the Trinidad & Tobago Business Guide. The last three issues (2007/8, 2009/9, and 2009/10) are all available for free download.

Marlin Madness!

Last year, 15-year-old Sean Mendonca walked away with more than TT$400,000 in the 28th TTGFA Marlin Madness International Game Fishing Tournament in Tobago, as one of our MEP sales representatives Helen Shair-Singh reported first-hand after last year's tournament ("A Perfect Storm & A Monster Fish").

This year, more than TT$1 million will be up for grabs for the angler who can land a 1,000-lb marlin at this year's tournament, set for Pigeon Point in Tobago from April 29 through May 2.

For the first time, the tournament is also introducing use of the 130-lb tackle, which makes snagging the big one even more possible.

Belize to host Third Annual World Conference for Responsible Tourism next month

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Quite rightly, the Caribbean region is realising that sustainable development (including tourism) is not just an abstract Utopian ideal about protecting Bambi, but has a direct impact on every territory's bottom line. Particularly in the current economic climate where Caribbean nations are in strong global competition for dwindling travel and tourism dollars, every additional effort to assuage travelers' concerns about the social and environmental impact of their travel and to ensure the territories' continued growth and prosperity matters.

One of the regional territories putting their money where their mouth is is Belize, promoted as "mother nature's best kept secret". The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is sponsoring the Third Annual World Conference for Responsible Tourism, scheduled for May 19-21. The conference is organised by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) and will take place at the University of Belize in Belize's capital Belmopan. The programme for the conference will feature experts from around the world speaking on local economic development through tourism, the impact of mass tourism on local communities, and climate change.

During the conference, Belize also will launch its new policy on responsible tourism. "Continuing an open dialogue on key sustainable tourism issues, such as its effect on our local community and environment, is critical to the survival of not only Belize but the world as a whole," said Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia Jr. "The BTB is honored to take part in this effort, and committed to utilising the knowledge we have in dealing with some of the critical challenges that we face now, and will face in the future," commented Heredia.

Hosting the conference comes as part of the BTB's recently announced four-year plan to invest US$13.5 million in the promotion and practice of responsible tourism development in Belize.
The locally based arm of the ICRT is charged with the responsibility of organising this year's conference. The ICRT-Belize is part of the ICRT-United Kingdom, and is among the growing group of centres for responsible tourism in other parts of the word such as Gambia, India and South Africa.

Sustainability message at Tobago Jazz

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Anyone visiting Pigeon Point Heritage Park during the Tobago Jazz Festival over the next few days might find something a little different from the sun, sea and jazz on offer somewhere near the main bar and food court.

It's a display called "Being Sustainable" by the organisation Tourism Intelligence International that aims to assist homes and hotels to operate and live more sustainably and in harmony with the local environment by providing a range of elegant, eco-friendly solutions for decor and construction needs.

The Being Sustainable line is unique in that its furniture is actually made of recycled plastic milk bottles. This substance is so tough and durable that it is used for many outdoor purposes, including roofing, decking and railings. Beyond the immediate advantage of these materials not endangering the health of any rainforests and saves these plastic bottles from piling up in landfills, the furniture offers a number of advantages to consumers. Unlike wood, rattan or even metal, there is no need for stripping, sanding, painting or varnishing, and it won’t rust or collect mold or mildew. It can withstand sun and rain, and even sea blast.

So while you enjoy the music and idyllic Caribbean atmosphere, give a thought to sustainable living.

Taste of the Caribbean

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If you love Caribbean cuisine, this is one event not to miss. From June 12 to 14, the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico will be overtaken by visitors to the Taste of the Caribbean culinary festival.

Organised by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) in conjunction with the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the festival aims to provide education and inspiration through seminars, workshops, tastings and demonstrations, created to enhance performance, style and profitability in food and beverage operations. The event also features a trade show.

Eleven teams have signed up to compete from Anguilla, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Trinidad & Tobago, and the US Virgin Islands.

Registration fees for hoteliers and food and beverage delegates are US$175 before May 1. Tabletop fees for the trade show are US$750 plus $175 per exhibitor delegate. Registration fees for all other member categories us US$275 before May 1.

New Trinidad & Tobago Business Guide now available

Our sister magazine – the 2009-2010 edition of the Trinidad & Tobago Business Guide (TTBG) – was published in mid-April, in time to be available to visiting delegations at the fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain. It is now available for free download – alongside the previous two issues – on the Media & Editorial Projects Ltd. (MEP) website.

Now in its third year, the TTBG has had a radical makeover this year, with a complete re-design.

The TTBG maintains its strictly independent viewpoint, however. “Our contributors are all respected experts in their own fields,” says editor and veteran international journalist Jeremy Taylor. “They give us a truthful and objective account of their specialist subjects, without bias and without jargon.”

Contributors to this year’s edition include:

• economist Jwala Rambarran and investment analyst Nesha Debysingh, who examine the state of the economy, the financial sector, the investment arena and the proposed international financial centre.
• award-winning energy specialist David Renwick, who investigates the oil and gas industry, and IT expert Mark Lyndersay (“Bit Depth”) on developments in information technology.
• John Bell, who has headed both the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and the Trinidad & Tobago Hotels and Tourism Association, with a hard look at the realities and prospects of the tourism sector.
• agricultural consultant Wendy Lee Yuen on the work still to be done to produce a recovery in food production.
• Captain Rawle Baddaloo on the shipping industry, and environmental journalist James Fuller grilling the head of the Environmental Management Authority on the EMA’s brief and performance.
• David Jessop, who heads the London-based Caribbean Council, describing the regional context.

Other stories focus on eTecK’s science and technology park taking shape at Tamana, and the state of the country in early 2009, along with its “open for business” message. Twenty-nine tables and graphics provide at-a-glance statistics.

The new is aimed principally at readers and potential investors overseas, and is being distributed free through multiple channels, especially business organisations and Trinidad & Tobago diplomatic missions. It will be formally launched at the 2009 Trade and Investment Convention in Trinidad this June. There it will be available to all exhibitors and visitors in the Business Centre, free of charge.

Caribbean Fashion Awards Honorees

While Trinidad was abuzz with hosting nearly three dozen dignitaries from around the Americas, Barbados was hosting the Caribbean Fashion Awards, honouring some of the best and brightest in the region's fashion industry.

Here are the nominees and winners from last week's event:

Caribbean Female Runway Model
Tennille Stoute (Barbados)
Sara Collins (Barbados)
Jaunel Mckenzies (Jamaica) (Winner)
Gaye Mcdonald (Jamaica)
Sunna Gottshalk (Jamaica)

Caribbean Male Runway Model
Oraine Barnett (Jamaica) (Winner)
Russell Wilkinson (Trinidad)
Kenwyn Millington (Trinidad)
Andre Clarke (Barbados)
Tafari Hinds (Jamaica)

Caribbean Female Photo Model
Tennille Stoute (Barbados)
Jaunel Mckenzies (Jamaica)
Latoya Woods (Trinidad)
Gaye Mcdonald (Jamaica) (Winner)
Sunna Gottshalk (Jamaica)

Caribbean Male Photo Model
Oraine Barnett (Jamaica)
Kenwyn Millington (Trinidad)
Richard Elms (Barbados)
Luck Rebeiro (Trinidad) (Winner)

Fashion Photographer
Dave Cox
Calvin French (Winner)
Don Thompson
Rick Wayne
Maxim Brown

Caribbean Hairstylist
Carlos Eversley (Barbados)
Criag Carter (Barbados) (Winner)
Bally ( Trinidad)
Adzil Stewart (Barbados)
Allison Sutherland (St Vincent)

Caribbean Make-Up Artist
Kirk Thomas (Trinidad)
Greg Williams (Barbados)
Sandra Hoddad (Trinidad)
Miyako Johnson (St Lucia) (Winner)
Paulla Desouza (Guyana)

Female Caribbean Fashion Designer Award
Claudia Pegus (Trinidad) (Winner)
Kuumba Designs (St Lucia)
Michelle Cole (Guyana)
Heather Jones (Trinidad)
Pat Blackman (Barbados)

Male Caribbean Fashion Designer Award
Kingsley Thorne (Barbados)
Francis Hendy (Trinidad)
Robert Young (Trinidad)
Avark (Barbados)
Mill House (Trinidad) (Winner)

Fashion Magazine Cover
She Caribbean (St Lucia) (Winner)
Posh Caribbean (St Thomas USVI)
Shebeau (Barbados)
Caribbean Belle (Trinidad)
Panache Ja Magazine (Jamaica)

Best Fashion TV Programme/Fashion Show or Fashion Week
Barbados Amateur Model Search (Barbados) (Winner)
Caribbean Model Search (Jamaica)
Synergy Super Model (Trinidad)

Best Fashion Show/Fashion Week attended
Islands of the world Fashion Week (Bahamas) (Winner)
Trinidad Fashion Week (Trinidad)
ACF Fashion Weekend (Barbados)
Caribbean Fashion Week (Jamaica)

Upcoming Designer Award
Toni Thorne (Barbados) (Winner)
Andrew Harris (Guyana)
Jaumark Pierre (Trinidad)
Sha Creations (St Lucia)
Tamika Browne (St Vincent)

Barbados Country Designer Award
Pat Braithwaite
Pauline Bellamy (Winner)
Andre King

St Vincent Country Designer Award
Kimya Glawslow (Winner)
Kimon Baptistes
Deb E. Barbour

St Lucia Country Designer Award
Kummba Designs (Winner)
Sha Creation
Shazi International

Trinidad & Tobago
Zed & Eastmond
Claudia Pegus (Winner)
Mill House

Special Awards
Sara Colins

Caribbean Icon Awards
Pat Braithwaite

Industry Achievement
BIDC Barbados

Tweeting the Summit: MEP on Twitter (04-17-2009)

• 09:40:09: Ken Corsbie's YouTube: Guyanese-born and bred, Long Island (NY, USA)-based broadcaster, writer and performer Ken.. http://tinyurl.com/ct4u2x
  
• 12:22:59: Applauding: Music mogul laments increase of intellectual piracy #fifthsummit ( http://tinyurl.com/d4y7f5 )
  
• 12:28:39: RT @FifthSummit -- Investment Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean http://tr.im/j3C8
  
• 12:36:08: Noting: "The Americas Summit | BBCCaribbean.com" #fifthsummit ( http://tinyurl.com/cvxn29 )
  
• 12:40:12: Reading: "Caribbean Needs Stepped Up Trade Integration ߝ World Bank | CaribWorldNews.com" ( http://tinyurl.com/cc2dsa )
  
• 12:43:56: Taxonomy of Amphibians of Kaieteur National Park (Guyana): We just got an email from our friend Michelle Kalaman.. http://tinyurl.com/coch66
  
• 13:22:07: @ CaribbeanNetNews: Report shows faltering transparency commitments in several countries, including Trinidad ( http://tinyurl.com/dy86xh )
  
• 13:22:28: Noting: "Caribbean Net News: US mulls asylum for Haitian immigrants, says Clinton" ( http://tinyurl.com/c9jroz )
  
• 13:23:08: Noting: "Trinidad Express: T&T to fulfil 2001 anti-corruption pledge - Transparency International" ( http://tinyurl.com/chuosu )
  
• 16:17:59: @judettepuglisi The Summit website has confirmed he is at the Hyatt
  
• 16:22:12: @Trinigourmet Just updated and reposted: Summit Advice & Info (updated @ DiscoverTnT Blog -- http://tinyurl.com/dbpmv7)
  
• 16:23:22: RT @triniwebdiva: FLOW cable TV dropping channel signals because of #fifthsummit surveillance equipment
  
• 16:27:40: Has anyone found/uploaded video of officials (esp. Obama) arriving or in transit in Trinidad? Please share them with us.
  
• 16:34:46: @georgiap Oh my!
  
• 16:45:35: Noting: "World Leaders touch down at Piarco International Airport | Fifth Summit of the Americas" ( http://tinyurl.com/daat3c )
  
• 16:49:44: @TriniGirlBlue They actually do have Twitter! LOL.
  
• 16:52:40: Summit Advice & Info (updated @ DiscoverTnT Blog -- http://tinyurl.com/dbpmv7) #fifthsummit
  
• 17:08:06: Reports that CTNTWorld.com's stream is inaccessible to anyone now trying to log on. Anyone else experiencing this?
  
• 17:08:36: has received eports that CTNTWorld.com's stream is inaccessible to anyone now trying to log on. Anyone else experiencing this?
  
• 17:21:03: @Trinigourmet LOL, you're more than welcome.
  
• 17:23:30: @momar @cnewslive Thanks. Followers in North America trying to access the CTNTWorld.com feed are complaining it won't load at all
  
• 17:33:39: @brownskingurl @cnewslive We've been having reports of the same problem. Someone in NJ is showing us via Skype #fifthsummit
  
• 17:34:38: RT @FifthSummit: First Picture Of US President Barack Obama as He Steps Off Air Force One http://tr.im/j57V #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 17:35:03: RT @FifthSummit: "The Beast" at The South Terminal, Piarco International Airport http://tr.im/j5bf #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 17:40:46: RT @FifthSummit: US President Barack Obama Walks On The Red Carpet http://tr.im/j5bE
  
• 17:49:19: @cnewslive Started working about 5 minutes ago, from all reports. Thanks!
  
• 17:56:55: And T&T falls under Obama's spell... Will it last? ;) #fifthsummit
  
• 18:00:09: @triniwebdiva LOL. True -- and he didn't get a standing ovation, though Manning did. Interestingly. #fifthsummit
  
• 18:06:02: @georgiap There is on the C News feed...Is the translation not accesible in the venue/on TV locally? Ah, it's just dropped out. #fifthsummit
  
• 18:06:48: @triniwebdiva It's in and out on the CTNTWorld.com feed. #FifthSummit
  
• 18:08:59: @georgiap We're hearing both Spanish and English (sometimes at once) on the CTNTWOrld.com feed #fifthsummit
  
• 18:25:15: is slightly distraught at the typos which emerged from fast-typed #fifthsummit tweets. Arks pardon, as we say in T&T. ;)
  
• 18:33:30: Applauding: "Chavez and Obama share handshake and big smiles" #fifthsummit ( http://tinyurl.com/dayu4j )
  
• 18:42:16: Love it! RT @Trinigourmet: @ricksanchezcnn hope you're also taking in the #FifthSummit ;)
  
• 18:54:15: @sanman_ish LOL
  
• 19:06:43: RT @FifthSummit: Up next at the Opening Ceremony: The Prime Minister of Belize - The Honourable Dean Barrow #fifthsummit
  
• 19:07:42: is giving kudos to Mr. Ortega's translator for keeping pace! #fifthsummit
  
• 19:14:07: @triniwebdiva They're not tagging it. You have to look in your Friend feed. #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 19:17:09: @j9 Two more after this one.
  
• 19:17:48: RT @FifthSummit: The Honourable Dean Barrow is speaking at the Opening Ceremony now. Up Next is US President Barack Obama #fifthsummit
  
• 19:19:03: @triniwebdiva Or hor... You using TweetDeck? Just look in your "All Friends" pane. #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 19:22:01: @keifel :-P :-) #fifthsummit
  
• 19:22:18: @derren43 Yes he does! #fifthsummit
  
• 19:24:13: @j9 Actually: Obama next and then Chavez last. #fifthsummit
  
• 19:26:36: @j9 Indeed!! #fifthsummit
  
• 19:27:10: is trying to eat and tweet at the same time... :-S #fifthsummit
  
• 19:27:21: @jovanreid You've got it! #fifthsummit
  
• 19:31:07: Enter Obama! What will he say? #fifthsummit
  
• 19:35:46: Aha. Thanks to the hosts, "equal partners" in "sustained engagement"... and gracious reference to Ortega's tongue-lashing! #fifthsummit
  
• 19:44:41: Obama "not interested in talking just for the sake of talking" but interested in "moving in a new direction" #fifthsummit
  
• 19:45:17: Obama: "It is not just the responsibility of the United States to change. All of us have [that] responsibility." #fifthsummit
  
• 19:49:02: @j9 I guess I was right the first time and Manning was to speak after all...But Chavez still scheduled to speak, I believe... #fifthsummit
  
• 19:51:52: T&T Prime Minister Patrick Manning on the podium. #fifthsummit
  
• 19:52:04: @triniwebdiva Agreed. #FifthSummit
  
• 20:01:05: @j9 ROTFLOL #fifthsummit
  
• 20:05:55: @Trinigourmet LOL #fifthsummit #trinidad
  
• 20:11:27: "Bring down de power"! #fifthsummit
  
• 20:12:33: Is that Malick? #fifthsummit
  
• 20:13:26: Oh dear, web stream can't handle all this movement and dancing! Video stuck #fifthsummit
  
• 20:16:19: @keifel Ent? #fifthsummit
  
• 20:16:46: @redibis The synthesised music really leaves a lot to be desired, given the instrumentalists we have locally #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 20:17:09: @cnewslive But the feed has been frozen for several minutes now. #fifthsummit #sota09
  
• 20:19:26: Lula looking bored. LOL. #fifthsummit
  
• 20:27:18: RT @judettepuglisi: David Rudder and Machel, up next #fifthsummit
  
• 20:31:12: Enter David Rudder (if I could see the feed...) #fifthsummit
  
• 21:05:08: Opening ceremony complete. Let us see what the next few days yield. #fifthsummit
  

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

Taxonomy of Amphibians of Kaieteur National Park (Guyana)

We just got an email from our friend Michelle Kalamandeen of the University of Guyana's Department of Biology and the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (which we profiled in the article "It's Commitment That Counts" in the May/June 2007 issue of Caribbean Beat – about a new low-resolution copy the book Taxonomy of Amphibians of Kaieteur National Park, Guyana which is now available for download.

The book was published in 2008 and is written by P. Kok and M. Kalamandeen. It's now available for free download and for hard copy purchase here. Hard copies are available free for people or organisations in developing countries and at publication costs for others.

Enjoy!

Ken Corsbie's YouTube

Guyanese-born and bred, Long Island (NY, USA)-based broadcaster, writer and performer Ken Corsbie – who Caribbean Beat profiled in our July/August 1993 issue – has his own YouTube channel, and has chosen some of his favourite videos to share with the web-savvy audience. In his own words:

Nearly 40 years ago – me caan believe it – I saw/heard Guyanese actor/director/playwright Slade Hopkinson perform a one-man show at the Theatre Guild (it was the first ever that I had seen by a West Indian). A year later I performed my own one-man show – He-One – at TG, and "the rest is history". Dem Two and All-ah-We were natural developments – with the "animal force" of Marc Matthews, the Anansi-ness of John Agard, and the East Indian-ness of Henry Muttoo. In one form or another, these three combinations performed all over Guyana and the Caribbean – from Trinidad to Belize. We have all gone our separate ways – profoundly influenced by those times. Johnny and his wife Grace Nichols, in England, have written/published more than 50 books of story, poetry, plays. Henry has been Artistic Director of the Cayman Islands National Cultural Foundation for the past 20
years, and Marc has written and performed his poetry and story in England and Europe. He and his artist wife Kamal Singh recently moved back to the Caribbean – St. Lucia – my best wishes to their new and sunny lives...

And here are the links:

• "Jumbie Picnic": Marc Matthews' story told at Gimistory (Cayman Islands, 2004)
• "Half Caste": John Agard telling one of his most popular works
• Ken Corsbie at his first Caribbean Comedy Festival in America (1994)
• Ken Corsbie performs wo poems from the "Caribbean Voices" programme (Cayman Islands, 2008)
• "Seawall": Marc Matthews performs (Tower Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana)
• "Dem-Two": John Agard and Keith Waithe (flutist)
  
• "11 o'clock Train": Ken Corsbie performs his adaptation of Marc Matthews' story (Cornelia St. Café, Manhattan, 2008)
• Ken Corsbie at the Cornelia retelling a Reds Perreira story on the experience of asking directions in Barbados
• Ken Corsbie on first arriving in America

KEN’S CHOICES are brief tidbits of unique and interesting people and events in the arts/cultural fields, but don’t often get deserved media attention. For more: www.kcorsbie.com, kcorsbie@optonline.net

Summit Info and Advice

One thing we got a lot of feedback about on our Twitter account was relief for information about the 5th Summit of the Americas. We admit we were a little surprised since there's been so much coverage in the local and international media, and on the main Summit website.

But in retrospect, it might be too much data and too little information, or too much conflicting information, or simply the way it's presented. So what we'll try to do here is break it down with our top questions and answers:

1. What are the security-restricted zones?
It's particularly in Port of Spain & environs, as well as the east-west corridor between Port of Spain and Piarco International Airport. Maps and other details are available on the Summit website here.

• Piarco & environs info & map
  
• St. Ann's & Cascade info & map
  

2. I need more information urgently – whom do I contact and how?

• The Summit National Secretariat has set up a hotline, which will be available to the public and delegates from 8am to 12 midnight between April 15 and 19. The number is: (868) 625-7937 extensions 51159, 51160, 51161, 51162, 51163, 51164, 51165 and 51169.
  
• You can also get up-to-date information via text message (SMS) at TT$0.35 (inside Trinidad & Tobago) per text by texting the word "Help" to 88468 (TTGOV), courtesy TTConnect
  

3. What is the Summit Village, and when can I visit?
It's an indoor and outdoor space showcasing Trinidad & Tobago, as well as its performing arts and local crafts. The Indoor Pavillion is located on the ground floor of the International Financial Centre (IFC), Tower C, at 1A Wrightston Road. The Outdoor Pavillion is located on the waterfront between Femmes Du Chalet (formerly the Breakfast Shed) and the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad). The Village was open to the general public Monday April 13 to Wednesday 15, but is closed to non-accredited personnel from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19. During that time it will generally be open 10am-6pm to those attending the Summit.

4. What's the official Summit schedule?
Click here for more info.

5. Where can I read the draft declaration of Port of Spain?
You can download it in multiple languages here.

More:
Information on the Summit from Caribbean Airlines (Caribbean Beat Blog)

Information on Summit of the Americas from CAL

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has been informed by the relevant authorities that there will be limited disruptions to its scheduled operations during the Fifth Summit of the Americas, which takes place from April 17-19, 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.

However, CAL is recommeding that passengers depart for the airport much earlier than usual, in the event that any traffic pile-ups occur, in order to arrive at the airport three hours ahead of their scheduled flight departure time.

Caribbean Airlines would like to apologise to its passengers for any inconvenience, but the airline will not be held liable for delays or cancellations during this period as they may occur due to circumstances beyond its control.

Make sure to visit the Caribbean Airlines website or call (868) 669-3000 for all updated travel information and use our simple checklist for a hassle-free Summit.

CAL's Summit Traveller Check List:

• Passports for all travellers on Caribbean Airlines flights
• Travel itinerary
• Web check-in print out (where applicable)
  
• Persons accompanying travellers to the airport must have suitable identifications i.e. valid Driver's Permit and/or ID card. To avoid any complications at security check points, it is recommended that travellers limit the number of persons accompanying them to the airport
• Vehicular road map for the Fifth Summit of the Americas
• List of all contact numbers
• Extra supplies in case of delays (water, snacks, games for children, etc)

The Fifth Summit officials have also provided a hotline for anyone requiring more information:

The Hotline numbers are (868) 625-7937 extensions 51159, 51160, 51161, 51162, 51163, 51164, 51165 and 51169. This hotline service will be open to members of the public and delegates from 8:00am to 12 midnight, from Wednesday 15 to Sunday 19 April, 2009.

For more on the Summit, make sure to read Gail Alexander's coverage in the latest issue of Caribbean Beat!

T&T Fashion Week set

The Trinidad & Tobago Fashion Week returns this May 26–30 for its second installment.

The organisation will be holding an official casting call for models next Wednesday, April 22nd in two slots: 11am-2pm, and 4-8pm.

Email fashionweektnt@gmail.com or call/text (868) 707-2433 for more information, and stay tuned to the blog for more info on what Fashion Week has in store.

Caribbean Airlines offers additional flights to Caracas

Image via Wikipedia

Caribbean Airlines announced today that it is increasing its service to South America with the introduction of three additional non-stop flights to Caracas. Starting 21 April, the airline will have 10 weekly return flights on its roster between the Venezuelan capital and Port of Spain.

The additional flights which will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays will be serviced by the airline’s Dash-8 aircraft. The schedule is built to provide excellent connection times in Caracas for passengers traveling from European destinations, as well as inbound connections from Central and South America to Trinidad. The 115 (1hr 55mins) minute flight will include Caribbean Miles accumulation and rewards, web check-in, and the reliable warm service that Caribbean Airlines’ customers have grown accustomed to on all our routes. These services also provide an excellent opportunity for those individuals who wish to take a day trip between Port of Spain and Caracas.

"Caribbean Airlines is committed to providing as many travel options for our passengers [as possible]", says Caribbean Airlines’ CEO Philip Saunders. "Our South American routes are highly utilised by the business community and the introduction of additional services is well within our strategy to fully utilise Piarco International Airport as an international hub linking North and South America. We want to further strengthen our position as the airline of choice in the region".

Caribbean Airlines currently services three destinations in South America with daily flights to Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. Customers are encouraged to visit www.caribbean-airlines.com or contact the Airline’s Reservations Department or their Travel Agent for further information.

And of course, while you're on board, don't forget to pick up your copy of Caribbean Beat, and to take it away with you to share with family and friends!

Special Offer: Plantation Beach Villas this Summer

In addition to links, news, commentary and photos, the Discover T&T blog will now bring you special offers from our sponsors. We're happy to bring you the first promotional offer from Plantation Beach Villas in Tobago!

Two FREE Nights With Every Seven-Night Stay!
For the months of June, September, October and November 2009, rent any of Plantation's luxurious three-bedroom villas for 14 days and only pay for 10, or seven days and only pay for five! With every reservation, you get all that Plantation has to offer:

• Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the compound
  
• A beach-front location surrounded by lush flora and fauna, just off Stonehaven/Grafton beach
  
• Perfect place for a family vacation – kids, grandparents, and the whole family
  
• Located just 10 minutes from the airport, and 15 minutes from downtown Scarborough, Plantation Beach Villas combines rural tranquility with the amenities of town
  
• Guests at Plantation get a 10% discount on Island Girl Catamaran cruises
  

This deal is subject to availability, and can not be used in conjunction with any other offers. Contact Plantation Beach Villas directly for more information or to book your stay.

Media Saturation? Economic slowdowns & the media

In the last few years, changes in regulations have made it easier for entrepreneurs to launch their own TV/radio stations, newspapers and magazines, so there has been a proliferation of media channels in Trinidad and Tobago. And this is to say nothing of the increasing broadband penetration and the growth of the internet on the islands, and the number of companies operating news and entertainment-based websites, hosting streams of radio or TV content, or online versions of print publications (like us).

In the last few years, the T&T economy grew rapidly on the strength of soaring oil prices, and both the government and the private sector were spending lavishly. But with the global economic meltdown, T&T's expenditure in private and public enterprises has ground to a near halt.

Advertising budgets, for better or worse, are among the first to be cut. Then companies begin to downsize. So in this climate of tight budgets and decreased spending, wither the plethora of media outlets that have saturated the market in the last few years?

If there is anything positive to come from the recession, what we can hope is that this economic climate will separate the sheep from the goats, so that the providers with the highest quality content who best serve the needs of their customers are the ones who will survive. Will it be as economists often say: last in, first out?

Two local newspapers, the Express and the Guardian, have both increased their newsstand prices in the last week. It's been a controversial move, but in all fairness both newspapers have kept their prices fixed for years in the face of inflation that galloped to 15% last year, and with advertising revenues slipping, they have to find a way to survive. An extra 50 cents or TT$1 I don't think will break anybody's bank. At worst, it would lead to an extra $20 spent a month which, as one fellow Facebook user commented in a debate on the matter, is less than a fried chicken combo meal at KFC.

The smartest media outlets (in my opinion, anyway) have been even more aggressive in looking for their advertising revenue by emphasing how important it is for companies to stay visible and to encourage patronisation of their products and services, now perhaps even more than ever. Others have been brave enough even to launch new products in this climate–and many have found themselves having to give away new magazines, for example, free of charge to boost circulation and increase awareness. Others are partnering with organisations to pool resources. Still others are throwing in the towel, and looking for greener pastures or surer sells.

And what about us? MEP's been family-owned and run for nearly 20 years, dedicated to our network of clients, supporters and readers, and passionate about the material we produce. We don't intend to go out of business any time soon, and always see a silver lining in the darkest of storm clouds. We have two new websites in the works, new partners, and new distribution channels in the works to turn crisis into opportunity. We look forward to sharing all the developments with you in the coming months... :) Next up: the new Discover T&T website!

How about you, readers? How has the economic slowdown been affecting you and/or your business?

Beat Goes Green

Printing several thousand magazines is not the most environmentally friendly process, nor is keeping huge vessels airborne over land and sea.

This is something Caribbean Beat's two parent companies, MEP and Caribbean Airlines, are mindful of, and both have programmes in place to reduce their – and Caribbean Beat's – carbon footprints as much as possible.

In the last few years, MEP has instituted a recycling programme and donates working electronic equipment to charities and community projects whenever upgrading our machinery. But that's not all:

• We've switched to the much more efficient web-press technology that saves thousands of pages worth of paper wastage for our high-volume magazine production
• Last September, we reduced the size of Caribbean Beat (did you notice?) from from A4 to US Letter, saving about a million pages worth of paper with every issue
• We also brought the production closer to home, moving from a London printery to one in the region, closer to Caribbean Airlines' existing distribution points in the Americas
• Our new printers use soy-based inks containing up to 13% soy oil and 23-25% ink renewables
• We use only FSC certified papers

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) also subscribers to carbon offsetting practices with its fleet:

• CAL has invested in wing tips for their entire Boeing 737-800 fleet, decreasing the company's CO2 emissions by up to 3,825 tonnes last year alone

• For every one tonne of CO2 CAL generates, the company aims to invest in a project to save an equivalent one tonne of CO2 through a project somewhere else – like planting trees or swapping kerosene in remote areas of India for solar panels. Caribbean Airlines partners with The CarbonNeutral Company® in this effort.

• Passengers can join in the effort to reduce the impact of carbon emissions in the environment by choosing to offset their own share of flight emissions with just a small contribution

25th Anniversary Fundraiser for Rape Crisis Society (UPDATED)

The Rape Crisis Society of T&T will hold a telethon in aid of its building fund, as well as entertainment to celebrate its 25th anniversary early next month.

• When: Sunday May 3
  
• Where: St. James Amphitheatre, Western Main Road
  
• More Information: Jacquie @ (868) 678-7549 or Pat at 735-7316

Even if you can't make it, they are still welcoming donations.

Caribbean-Americans move for US census recongition

Census Day took place on April 1, and to mark the occasion, over 60 Caribbean-American community leaders from across the United States met in Brooklyn, New York to push for greater political and socio-economic power in their adopted homelands. For these community leaders, recognition in the US census is a crucial step in achieving this.

Reva Sears, partnership coordinator of the New York/New Jersey Census, explained to the attendees that the census determines how $300 billion in federal aid will be spent each year, for the next decade. Other representatives emphasised that undercounting in the past had led to inadequate funds and resources for their districts and communities.

Felicia Persaud, founder of CaribID – an organisation that is pressing for Caribbean nationals counted through changes to the US census further explained: "if you don't fill out the census form you simply don't exist in America... If you want social services in your city, if you want sponsorship and advertising dollars, if you want investment or for your business to grow, everything we do starts with the census," she continued. "So it is important that we use all tools available – social networks, email signatures, word of mouth, organisations, parties, media, to share the message to ensure that come 2010 the Caribbean community gets its slice of the pie in terms of dollars and recognition on a national level."

Persaud and CaribID emphasise in particular that they want Caribbean nationals and those of Caribbean ancestry not to check any of the existing boxes like Hispanic origin when indicating their ancestry on question eight, and to instead write in their actual Caribbean country of origin or ancestry. Persaud also emphasises that the question of ancestry is being addressed quite separately from that of ethnic identification.

The next US census is set for April 1, 2010 and will be mailed to US households beginning next March.

March Carnival Poll results

OK, we're NOT going to talk about the football. :-|
(But in case you hadn't heard, T&T is struggling in the final round of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa... We were beaten in the USA by the US team 3-0 tonight after lacklustre play.)

In any case, the results are in for the Discover T&T Blog March Mini-Poll! You voted, and here's what you thought about Carnival 2K9:

1) WHO SHOULD HAVE WON ROAD MARCH?
• Destra Garcia -- "Bacchanal" -- 52%
• Faye-Ann Lyons-Alvarez -- "Meet Super" -- 38%
• Blaxx -- "Tusty" -- 8%

2) WHO SHOULD HAVE WON PANORAMA?
• Silver Stars -- 64%
• Phase II -- 21%
• Exodus -- 7%

3) WHO SHOULD HAVE WON CALYPSO MONARCH?
• Tigress (Joanne Rowley) -- "Yuh Ent See Wajang Yet" --52%
• Chalkdust (Hollis Liverpool) -- "My Hart & I" -- 36%
• Brian London -- "A Nation's Son" -- 10%

Actual winners were Faye-Ann, Silver Stars, and Chalkdust.

Stay tuned for the next Discover T&T poll for the month of April... and doh study de football... :-S

PS. Don't forget -- Discover is now accepting submissions of photographs for the 2010 edition of Discover T&T! Email info@discovertnt.com for more!