Annotated Bibliography

Eastman, Rudolph, and Warner-Lewis, Maureen. “Forms of African Spirituality in Trinidad and Tobago.” African Spirituality. Ed. Jacob K. Olupona. New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, 2000. 403-15.

            Though “Forms of African Spirituality in Trinidad and Tobago” is from a large collaboration, and is somewhat short in comparison to the other sources, it is no less detailed and informative.  This piece focuses on religions of Trinidad and Tobago derived from African traditions.  It begins with a concise history of African slave arrival in Trinidad, and thus, opens the stage to explain the traditions that were brought with them.  For a paragraph, the authors remark on the Carnival characters derived from African spirits that appear in costumes like “the midnight Robber.”  With great detail, the Orisha, the Vodunu, and Spiritual Baptist Faith religions are defined including each religion’s ceremonial practices, deities, and values.  In the conclusion, the authors comment on the hybridization of Trinidadian religions because of the introduction of Protestant beliefs from Britian. 

            The reference and notes preceding the text are resourceful.  I would recommend this article for both student and professor because of its one of a kind information.  The style of writing is comprehensive yet includes abstract ideas.

Hosay Trinidad. Ed. John Bishop. Perf. Peter Nabokov. Documentary Educational Resources, 1999.

             I chose this informative and entertaining film because it provides images to correspond with the text from other sources.  The narration is as equally informative as the visuals.  Similar to the other sources, this film supplies a history of Trinidad, clarifying the Indian presence in the culture.  Interviews of native Indo-Trinidadians are personal and emotional, and give an emic view of Muharran and the Hosay Festival.  The days leading up to the Hosay Festival are described by the natives, including dietary restrictions that one must abide by during Muharran.  A step by step description of the construction of Hosay festival floats are in depth.  “Hosay Trinidad” is unique in that it is strictly on Indian culture in Trinidad. 

            I trust the information in the film because it was sponsored by the notable Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.  An emphasis on craft art, specifically drum making, makes this film a great resource for art and music historians.    It was shown at both the Society of Visual Anthropology Film Festival in 1998 and the Vitas Folklore Film Festival in 1999.

Lewis, Samella., ed. “Contemporary Art of Trinidad and Tobago”. The International Review of African American Art. 8 (1989): 8-64

“Contemporary Art of Trinidad and Tobago” is comprised of sixteen smaller articles each dealing with a different artist from either Trinidad or Tobago.  Five authors contributed to the completed article.  Throughout the article there are numerous images of each artist’s work, which gives the reader a better understanding of his or her style that is spoke of in the text.  Influences on their art such as modernity, African culture, politics, and music are presented in their life stories.  There is a brief overview of the history of calypso and the role it plays in the visual arts.

            The information given is succinct and relies heavily on the artist’s own words.  The quotes from the artists add to the authenticity of the information.  The article about Peter Minshell tackles issues of the exploitation of Carnival, and because of this it is a bit more scholarly.  Overall, however, the article is easy to read and would be an excellent resource for anyone who is having trouble finding information regarding the visual arts in Trinidad and Tobago.  The authors who contributed have studied subjects such as folklore/ethnomusicology and Caribbean visual art.  Samella Lewis is an art historian, a professor of art at Scripps College, and the author of African American Art and Artists.

Mason, Peter. Bacchanal! The Carnival Culture of Trinidad. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998.

            If you are looking for one book that contains all the elements of Carnival, Peter Mason’s Bacchanal! The Carnival Culture of Trinidad is it.  The introduction alone is packed full of information and propels the reader into Carnival culture.  Divided into six sections entitled Kasio!, Steelpan, Playing Mas, Don’t Stop the Carnival!, Woman is Boss, and Past and Present this book discusses about every aspect of Carnival.  The music, the costumes, the history, the politics, the commercialization, women’s roles, and Indian influence are all explained in this all-inclusive source.  Within the sections discussing music and costume design there are helpful lists of famous artists, musicians, and Mas' Kings and Queens.  Colorful pictures in the center of the book take the reader to Port of Spain during the organized chaos of Carnival.

            Mason’s style of writing is simple, but it not elementary in ideas and theories presented.  This is by far the most useful resource I have found on Carnival.  The book contains both a bibliography and discography for further reading and listening.  Also included is an appendix of the winners from numerous competitions from 1956 to 1998.  Peter Mason is a regular writer for newspapers in England and currently teaches at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica.  He makes regular visits to Trinidad.

Mohammed, Patricia. “Reflections on the Women’s Movement in Trinidad: Calypsos,   Changes and Sexual Violence.” Feminist Review. 38 (19??): 33-47.

Mohammed’s “Reflections on the Women’s Movement in Trinidad” takes a brief look at the history of feminism in Trinidad from the early 1970’s to the late 1980’s.  the article begins by giving examples of oppression directed towards women, especially violence, existing in calypso lyrics.  The lyrics are from both women, a rarity in Trinidadian music, and men calypsonians.  The rest of the article concentrates on feminist movements and organizations in Trinidad today, and the struggle that these groups face to make women’s equality more prevalent in society.  The article ends with a call for justice for women by the author.  There is a section inserted in the middle of the article that explains how women’s rights how changed since the independence of Trinidad in 1962.  In this section, the author mentions women in education, women in both the fields of medicine and law, and laws passed over the years to protect women’s rights. 

Mohammed’s style of writing is easily understandable to the average reader, but it is important for the reader to know a little about Trinidadian culture and calypso music.  She gives examples from different musicians throughout the article, which would be helpful to a researcher who wants examples from non-mainstream artists, particularly women.  Most of the author’s research is from her own studies of women in Trinidad.  Mohammed helped to establish the Women’s Studies Programme at the University of the West Indies, and has been an activist for women’s rights in Trinidad for several years.

Nunley, John. “Masquerade Mix-up in Trinidad Carnival: Live Once, Die Forever.” Caribbean Festival Arts: Each and Every Bit of Difference. Ed. Nunley, John W., and Bettleheim, Judith. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1988. 85-116.

“Masquerade Mix-up in Trinidad Carnival: Live Once, Die Forever” first introduces the reader to Carnival by quoting what Carnival means to different people.  Geoffrey Holder, an artist from Trinidad, describes Carnival as “a grand release” where one is “purified and revitalized (85).”  The introduction also briefly mentions how Carnival arrived in Trinidad, though this is touched on more extensively in the concluding sections.  This article gives a very detailed description of the months, weeks, days, and hours leading up to Carnival.  The reader is taken through Carnival from the September before Fat Tuesday when the preliminary designs and themes for the bands are presented to the day after when everyone drags home to rest from two days of feteing. 

The many cultures that influence Carnival are introduced with an emphasis placed on African influences on costumes and themes.  The costumes are then described in greater detail in accordance with ideas of aesthetics and artistic composition.  The preceding paragraphs explain many of the most well known costume designers and their different styles.  Pictures of the costumes are included sometimes taking up an entire page to show the beauty of the work.

The latter part of the article goes into greater detail of the evolution of Carnival concentrating on the influence of slaves from Freetown, Sierra Leone.  It was very interesting to read how tame Carnival is today in comparison to how it was in the late nineteenth century when Carnival had its roots in slave liberation.  The evolution of carnival music is also introduced.

This is a great source of information for both a researcher and a first time reader of Trinidadian culture.  It is both simple and full of useful information.  It is evident that John Nunley knows a great deal about the information.  He has also written Moving With the Face of the Devil: Art and Politics in Urban West Africa.

Nurse, Keith. “Globalization and Trinidad Carnival: Diaspora, Hybridity, and Identity in Global Culture.” Cultural Studies. 13 (1999): 661-690. 

“Globalization and Trinidad Carnival: Diaspora, Hybridity, and Identity in Global Culture” begins by explaining the basics of Trinidad’s Carnival.  Nurse so boldly purports that he will discuss what other articles about Carnival leave out.  Nurse’s main argument is that not only does the center of society influence the periphery, but the periphery greatly influences the center as well.  Evidence of “periphery-induced creolization in the cosmopolis” (Patterson, 1994: 109) is the abundance of festivals throughout the world in places like Notting Hill and Toronto modeled on the father of all carnivals in Trinidad.  Nurse later theorizes reasons why carnival exists, and he questions the belief that carnivals exist as a mechanism for social, politic control among the lower/working class (this I found very interesting).  As with the other articles on Carnival I’ve read, Nurse gives the history of Trinidad’s Carnival beginning from the arrival of African slaves to the area.  Later in the article, Nurse speaks of Carnival today and how it has become extremely commercialized and modernized.  He briefly mentions women’s roles as well as Jamaican influences present in Carnival.

            The broad use of references and quotes make this article unique, and is it obvious that Nurse did his research on the topic.  His style of writing is, at times, “wordy”, and I found myself looking to a dictionary more than once.  The information, however, is very useful, and the theories presented are insightful.  I would not suggest this reading for those who are not familiar with the effects of globalization because Nurse utilizes heavy jargon.  The notes at the end of the article are helpful to further define the topic, and included in this section are statistics about Trinidad’s Carnival and other carnivals abroad.

Ramnarine, Tina K. Creating Their Own Space: The Development of an Indian-Caribbean Musical Tradition. Kingston: University Of West Indies Press, 2001. 

            Ramnarine’s scholarly approach to the topic of Indian Caribbean music in Trinidad examines the history of Indian presence in Trinidad, the development of chutney music, and the changing face of chutney today.  The introduction begins with information on the arrival of Indian indentured servants to Trinidad in 1845.  She later explains how Indian identity is carried out in the music structure and lyrics of Indian-Caribbean music.  Examples from chutney songs give the reader greater insight into the Indian themes that are expressed in the music.  Ramnarine also includes interviews with local chutney musicians.  She grapples with post colonization and post modernity in the latter part of the book, and theorizes how they may affect Indian culture in Trinidad in the future.

            As in Regis’s The Political Calypso, Ramnarine provides of glossary of Indian terms for the unknowing reader.  The reference section is elaborate, and filled with examples for continued research on the topic.  She does tackle heavy issues in the text, but her style of writing makes them easy to grasp.  Both student and professor can benefit from this book.  Tina Ramnarine teaches ethnomusicology and social anthropology at the Queen’s University of Belfast, Ireland.

Regis, Louis. The Political Calypso: True Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago 1962-1987. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1999.

            The opening quote from The Political Calypso: True Opposition in Trinidad and Tobago by Bro Valentino (1980), “as sure as Calypso is the culture of this Land, the Calypsonian is the only true opposition” sums up the ideas expressed in this book.  Regis sheds light on the evolution of calypso music during and after the nation’s independence from Great Britain.  Lyrics from various calypsonians are documented throughout the text to recount the political opposition against British establishment present in the music.  Regis gives his personal opinion throughout the book about the political standing of the calypsonians.  Examples from both popular and unknown artists are given in the book beginning with the early years of Independence in 1956 to the late 1980’s.

            This book is more on a scholarly level as far as the style of writing and the usefulness of the material is concerned.  This fact, however, should not stop either the novice or the expert to take part in the research because it is very thorough.  I found especially helpful the glossary of local terms in Appendix 1.  The reader will also find the notes and bibliography useful.  Louis Regis teaches at Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive School in Trinidad and has also written The True Master and Black Stalin: The Caribbean Man.

Sing Me a Rainbow: An Artistic Medley from Trinidad and Tobago. Meridan International Center. 23 February 2002. http://latino.si.edu/rainbow/

            This Internet site offers the ability to view vibrantly colored works by two-dozen artists from Trinidad and Tobago.  A short biography of each artist is included below thumbnail images (which can be made larger by clicking on the image) of their work.  An extensive history of Trinidad and Tobago’s artistic development is just a click away along with the names of even more artist from the area both present and past.  Of course there could not exist a resource on Trinidad and Tobago without mentioning Carnival, and this site details costume design.  Once again beautiful pictures are added.  Art is not the only information available from the site, one can learn about the natural history of Trinidad and Tobago simply by clicking on the link.