Where would CFR be without my talented pals? As this blog languished last week thanks to the less than desirable internet access situation at a certain hotel in Jamaica, BBC Caribbean was interviewing my dear friend (and fellow Emory alumnus) Barry Bhola about his decision to return to Trinidad. I’m sure they won’t mind that I’ve posted the interview here on CFR.

Welcome home, Barracuda!

 

 Barry on brain drain [2:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Resource-rich countries, such as oil producers, often develop slower than less endowed countries. Quite simply, the wealth distorts good governance and decision making. At the same time, the domination of one resource or industry often marginalizes other sectors of the economy.”
- “Tiger Bay”,  introducing the “Open Mike” topic “The paradox of plenty” at The Limey in Bermuda

“The development in West End is not only foreign investment, it’s an investment that the people who are most affected have the least involvement in. While we can celebrate and publicize the size and the magnitude of the project, we need to consider very carefully the impact of the investment on the nearest community.”
- Bahamian Nicolette Bethel writing at Blogworld about development on Grand Bahama

And I’m wondering whether any of Trinidad and Tobago’s government ministers has ever publicly used the word “blog”.

Was just driving past the supermarket and decided to pop in. I emerged with a few pounds of bananas, shampoo and a bottle of wine.

Does this make me:

And would it have made a difference if I’d approached the counter wearing heels and a business suit instead of a sweats and a pair of flip-flops?

“Whoopie we’re on iTunes!!!” Roger of 3canal just tells me via GTalk. So hurry on over to the iTunes Music Store and pick up your copies of Jab Jab Say and 3canal Vibes!

And be sure and listen to CFR#44 for the latest on 3canal and their exploits on the production of “Caribeana Imperia” in Washington DC. Roger reports that they were “being pulled and tugged in every direction” after the gala on Saturday night.

“It’s quite an exciting little thing,” Wendell Manwarren of 3canal told me over the phone yesterday as we discussed “Caribeana Imperia“, the show the band has been preparing over the past few weeks in Washington DC. That’s almost certainly an understatement. “Caribeana Imperia” opened on Thursday 13 July and from all reports audiences had no difficulty getting into the groove.

In CFR #44 the three members of 3canal — Wendell, Roger and Stanton — and choreographer Dave Williams fill me in on the details over the telephone from their DC headquarters.

“Caribeana Imperia” runs at the Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington DC from Thursday-Sunday until July 30. The show is directed by Hugo Medrano and Wendell Manwarren.

Mentioned in the episode are the Caribbean writers Martin Carter, V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott and Earl Lovelace.

The song played in the episode is “Imperia” by 3canal. Purchase your 3canal CDs at CDBaby.

Listen to the podcast by using the player at the top of the post or access it using any of these methods:
Download MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Subscribe via Odeo

Please consider supporting us by buying a CFR t-shirt, and if you’re an Amazon.com shopper, you can also support CFR by initating your purchases by clicking on any of the Amazon.com links on the site.

We’re always tickled as well when you check out Caribbean Free Photo, our photoblog, or put yourself on our Frappr map.

 

 CFR #44 [18:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A draft of the post to accompany the soon-to-be-released CFR episode #44 got published by mistake, and may have gone out in my RSS feed. If you’re one of the unfortunate souls who received this ragged piece of nonsense in your RSS reader, or happened to see it online during the few minutes it was there, please accept my apologies.

To make it up to you, I’ll try and get the show up by nightfall.

Quite by accident, I’ve downloaded and installed the Catalan version of Firefox. Thought of dumping it, but then figured, hey–why not?

I blog because the medium is like no other. You can write quickly, but you cannot be as telegraphic or fragmentary as you can in notes to yourself. That forces ideas out. You can be trenchant or unsure; you may not yet know how the current fragment will fit in your final manuscript. But you can still write, and you can receive interesting comments from people you don’t know or wouldn’t meet.

Blogging, said one of my students, may be one of the last available venues for free speech. I like reading blogs. I find it inspiring to discover how very many people are reading and writing to the void. I like catching their words and images as they fall.

Professor Zero, writing on July 10. I should also say that I was a member of “that audience” in front of whom the Prof. outed herself as a blogger. Hadn’t realised we were such a select company.

Could Zinedine Zidane soon be headed for Guyana to help fight crime?

If Guyana-Gyal has anything to do with it, don’t be surprised.

UPDATE (July 12): And now the cheeky Jeremy Taylor, over at the Caribbean Beat weblog, adds his two cents.

Here’s the very welcome news circulating this morning among members of the Global Voices community: Hao Wu has been released.

Hao, as CFR readers may recall, is the documentary filmmaker and blogger who was detained by the Chinese government only ten days after he became Global Voices‘ Northeast Asia editor.

Read more about Hao’s release at the Free Hao Wu web site.

“. . . the result is a production that combines 3canal songs with the poems of several revered Caribbean writers. Through loosely tied scenes, actors and dancers present a picture of modern island life, for all of its richness and troubles.”

From an article about “Caribeana Imperia” in yesterday’s Washington Post. The show opens July 13, so get your tickets now!

I’ve decided I’m going to enter this. Somebody please hold me to it.

Want visitors to have accurate information about your country? Then why not help update the Caribbean page at Wikitravel (and learn about wikis in the process).

Read more about Wikitravel at the Creative Commons web site.

Digging around in my Libsyn archives today, I came across this 2005 video for 3canal’s “A Happy Song”, which I’d compressed and uploaded ages ago but never did anything with. I figure now’s as good a time as any to unveil it. The video was directed by Walt Lovelace and Wendell Manwarren.

“Happy Song” is from the CD Jab Jab Say — grab yourself a copy at CD Baby.

In other 3canal news, according to the reports out of Washington DC, preparations for the show “Caribeana” are going swimmingly.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’ve just uploaded the third episode of the Global Voices Show over at the Global Voices site.

You can listen to both versions (MP3 and Enhanced AAC) of the show by using the embedded player above, but for show notes and links please check out the post over at Global Voices. (Hint: the AAC version is smaller and prettier).

 

 GV Show #3 (AAC): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 GV Show #3 (MP3) [18:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download