Category Archives: Culture

Remembering Jizelle Salandy (Giselle Salandy)

Jizelle Salandy’s Send-Off

TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: January 07, 2009
Posted: January 10, 2009

Hundreds of people turned up at the St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church in La Romaine to remember and bid farewell to the World Boxing Champion Jizelle Salandy. They came in buses, maxis and cars from all over Trinidad to pay their last respects. Many persons in attendance admitted that they did not know Jizelle personally but her life inspired them in some way.
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Boxing champion Giselle Salandy is dead

TrinidadandTobagoNews.com Reporters
January 04, 2009

Undefeated Trinidad and Tobago boxing champion, Giselle Salandy, died following a vehicular accident on the Beetham Highway, on the outskirts of Port of Spain, this morning, January 4th 2009. The 21 year old boxing sensation succumbed to her injuries at the Port of Spain General Hospital around 8.29 a.m. Reports state that Salandy was driving west into Port of Spain a little before 7 a.m. when she crashed into a concrete pillar upon reaching the National Petroleum (N.P.) overpass just before the Bhagwansingh turnoff. Miss Salandy and other occupant of the Toyota Yaris, national female footballer Tamar Watson were injured and both were rushed to hospital. Most recent reports indicate that Watson suffered two broken legs and is in a critical condition.
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Failure of the Eurocentric Development Model

By Ras Tyehimba
December 07, 2008

A statue of Christopher Columbus in Port of SpainMany people agree that this country is in serious crisis. However, I find that many of these perspectives on the state of Trinidad and Tobago rarely touch on the roots of the issues, especially as they fail to recognize that many of the problems we face are built into the very fabric of Caribbean and Trinbagonian society. Thus, addressing these problems calls for a fundamental questioning of the origins and evolution of our society.
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Of fools and spirits

By Raffique Shah
Sunday, November 16th 2008

Trini PeopleCALL me The Trini-Spirit. In this incarnation I wield power and influence over all in this land. Like a true Trini-Genie, I pop out of a bottle and control the minds of men and women, from ministers and criminals to aberrations like Juliet Davy. When I see the antics of our politicians, criminals and crazed-motorists, I feel proud they all sip from my bottle and not any bogus chalice.
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Daly Questions ‘Illegal’ Rally

PM wrong to take part

By Ria Taitt Political Editor
trinidadexpress.com

PNMPresident of the Law Association, Senior Counsel Martin Daly, yesterday criticised Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s participation in a ‘march’ last Friday at Woodford Square, Port of Spain.

Daly raised the question of whether the Prime Minister had committed a criminal offence.
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The Motion of No Confidence in the Prime Minister

PM: Tell dem leave me

By Rhondor Dowlat

PRIME Minister Patrick Manning yesterday made his defence against an Opposition motion of no-confidence not to the Parliament but to Woodford Square, Port-of-Spain where thousands of PNM supporters gathered to stand with him.
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Stephen Rwangyezi Speaks

Stephen RwangyeziThe Ugandan cultural group Ndere recently completed a very successful tour to Trinidad and Tobago as part of this country’s Emancipation celebrations. The term ‘ndere’ means flute, and this name appropriately captures the richness of the Ndere experience. The troupe was founded by Stephen Rwangyezi in 1984 to promote and develop African culture and arts, rekindle African pride, and to organize, develop and enable the artistically talented but socially disadvantaged young people to better their lives and realize their ambitions. Theirs is a mission to rekindle the sense of self, pride and confidence among Ugandans which were shattered by colonialism that branded every African cultural practice as evil, primitive, shameful, and backward.

In this interview, Stephen Rwangyezi shares his perspectives on a range of issues, including African/Ugandan culture, the contribution of the African ethos to world civilization, the debilitating effects of Slavery and Colonialism, and his visit to Trinidad and Tobago.
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Continuing racial prejudice cycle

By Suszanna Clarke
Tuesday, August 19 2008
newsday.co.tt

African HairBack when I had decided I had grown tired of having straight hair, I’d cut it all off, leaving just an inch or two of my own naturally curly hair remaining.

I had loved it — the ability to wash it everyday, not having to worry about the wind messing it up and not having to buy any styling products other than a bottle of gel. The reaction of others was different; some loved it, others hated it. It also had the unpredicted benefit of getting rid of an ex who had been hovering hopefully in the background for years. Later he told me the first time he saw it he’d swore I had a male twin. My boyfriend at the time loved it. It reminded him of Maracas. He’d said. All the waves.
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T&T Needs Enriched Public Discourse

By Verna St. Rose Greaves
August 18, 2008

I tasted my blood
At birth
So that I
May not know war:
Ocean of blood show me where you flow
River of bile tell me of your source
I bit my tongue
Before I slept
So that I
Could talk back at death:
Hills of flesh let me know your root
Mountain of bones mould me into ivory

Femi Fatoba – Petals of Thought

ViolenceJuly 19th 2008, I sit in the International Convention Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. I listen intently to the keynote speaker ten year old, university student Anfani Okosun. He speaks to issues of human rights and social justice, about putting an end to human suffering, and preserving the dignity of the person. He challenges us to remember those who perished under bad regimes and the impunity afforded their victimizers. He is scandalized by the usurping of the world’s resources by a few and implores us to work towards the dismantling of oppressive systems and structures. The positive traditions in our histories he says must be used to battle against the enormous challenges we face.
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