This article first appeared in Caribbean Beat magazine, Issue 185 (November/December 2024) as “Angela Hunte: Phoenix Rising“ Two years ago, Trinidadian-American Grammy-winning songwriter Angela Hunte underwent heart surgery, temporarily stalling a multi-decade career defined by commercial singing and songwriting growth and success. That two-year delay between surgery and the launch of her new CD, Mango ..read more

These reviews appear in the November/December 2024 issue of Caribbean Beat Magazine. Nataki Lendor Til All Hear (Self released) Gospel music, praise and worship, revelations and testimonies are best experienced live. This new live album by powerhouse vocalist Nataki Lendor captures the thrill of being blessed with an excellent voice and messages that preface the sung tracks ..read more

These reviews appear in the September/October 2024 issue of Caribbean Beat Magazine. Angela Hunte Mango (Self released) Trinidadian-American Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Angela Hunte has released a new album that smartly incorporates the rhythms and tropes of most of the hippest music from the African diaspora: soca, hip-hop, reggae/dancehall, gospel, soul, reggaeton, and Afrobeats. It’s not too much — just ..read more

In Trinidad and Tobago, the creative industries are dead if one is to take a hint from Finance Minister Colm Imbert at his annual Budget Statements. His most recent one, September 30, 2024, his ninth, continues a trend begun in 2020 when he changed the words “creative industries” to “creative and cultural industries” (CCI) in ..read more

Against the backdrop of Calypso History Month in Trinidad & Tobago (October), Nigel Campbell looks at the trailblazing women of calypso — from the 19th century pioneers like Sophie Mattaloney through to the contemporary soca and calypso artists — from Lady Trinidad to Calypso Rose, from Destra Garcia to Nailah Blackman, and more — who continue to revolutionise the artforms ..read more

The text analyzes the ranking and success of soca artists within the Caribbean music landscape, utilizing Chartmetric data. It discusses the fragmented state of the industry, highlighting key artists like Kevin Lyttle, Machel Montano, and Nailah Blackman. The lack of substantial growth among artists and the need for cohesive strategies are emphasized ..read more

Prior to the Trinidad and Tobago Budget speech carded for 30 September, Nigel Campbell and Dr. Jo-Anne Tull chat with host Jayron ‘Rawkus’ Remy, on The NOW Morning Show on TTT, on the importance of investment, both public and private, in the cultural and creative industries within the national economy. The trends of under investment ..read more

These reviews appear in the July/August 2024 issue of Caribbean Beat Magazine. D-Day Monty Alexander (Peewee!) An artist of the calibre of legendary Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander — more than 70 albums over a 6-decade career — when making new music, it can be argued, is “making events, not just records.” A grander vision than a ..read more

An edited version of this article was published in the July/August issue of Caribbean Beat as “Nicholas Brancker; Beyond the Bajan Invasion“ Prolific Barbadian music producer and noted musician and bandleader Nicholas Brancker is critical to the spread of soca beyond the boundary of its Trinidad genesis, and equally important to the spread of the ..read more

An edited version of this article was published in the May/June issue of Caribbean Beat as “Three Island Songbirds”. Hundreds of travel writers have come to the Caribbean — these “Happy Isles”, this “Continent of Islands” — over the decades to describe the region to international audiences, to affirm or condemn our aesthetic and landscape ..read more