Tobago Music
Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoTambrin Music The Tambrin, similar to the Tambourine Drum is an indigenous instrument to Tobago. It is a circular percussive instrument, said to have been created by slaves after their drums were confiscated, on the plantation. Originally, slaves used animal skin to cover circular old cheese boxes, available at that time, as replacement for their banned drums. At present, the Tambrin drum is made from the wood of the Latan tree or Wild Cassava which is easily bent and covered with skin of the goat. Many say that the skin of the she goat (ewe) is better for making the high pitch of the Cutter while the skin of rams is better for making the deep tones of the Boom and Roller. The entire process takes 2-3 months. The Tambrin drum is used mainly at ceremonial occasions. It usually accompanies the Reel and Jig, at occasions such as Weddings, Christenings, Thanksgivings and Healing Ceremonies. Before the Tambrin is played it is heated over a fire until the right tone/pitch is attained. A typical Tambrin Band consists of five players, playing the following instruments: 1 Cutter 1 Roller 1 Boom 1 Fiddle (lead instrument) 1 Triangle or Steel At present, there are several Tambrin bands in existence in Tobago. Some that may be mentioned are: The Royal Sweet Fingers Tambrin Band The Mt. Cullane Tambrin Band The Unity Tambrin Band At present a move is on by the Division of Community Development and Culture to revive the art form, among schools and villages in Tobago.
Tobago Art Galleries and Museum
Tobago, Trinidad and Tobagohe Art Gallery (Lowlands) Mr. Martin and Rachael Superville 1 868 639 0457 Dillon's Art Studio & Gallery (Tamarind Villa, Lambeau) Dillon Richards 1 868 330 0418 mrdillonrichards@gmail.com Mon - Fri 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Dive Museum (Bacolet) C/O The Cotton House 1 868 639 2727 Mon - Fri 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Sat 8:00 am to 12 noon Fort King George (Scarborough) +1 868 639 3970 Mon - Fri 9:00 am- 4:30 pm Entrance Fee: Adults:$10. Teens: $5. Children: $2. Kimme Museum (Prospect) +1 868 639 0257 www.luisekimme.com Sundays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Entrance Fee: TT$20.
Folktales
Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoFolktales are stories relating to the traditional culture of a people, usually handed down from generation to generation, by word of mouth (oral tradition). Tobago has a very rich oral tradition as well as legends that have been passed down from our African ancestors. Superstitions are beliefs in or fears of the unknown, mysterious or supernatural. Common superstitious characters commonly heard of in Tobago include Mermaids, fairy-maids, Soucouyants, La Diablesse, Duennes and Spirits or 'Jumbies'. Mermaids
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Tobago Goat Racing
Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoIt is Popular and fun and for nearly 80 years, Buccoo, a small village on Tobago's south-western side, has been conducting goat racing. Started in 1925 by the late Samuel Callender, a Barbadian native, this was in fact the poor man's equivalent to the horse races, which was reserved for the local gentry at the time. Horse racing occupied Easter Monday on the calendar and the following Tuesday was declared 'Easter Tuesday' in Tobago and dedicated to the racing of goats for the entertainment of the 'lower classes'. The races were held on one of the village streets, now called Chance Street, but were relocated when the road was paved and the area developed. The next venue known as the 'Battery' proved to be an unpopular location due to the proximity of overhanging cliffs at the finish line. The event then changed locations for the final time 21 years ago to its current venue neighbouring the Buccoo Beach facility. Since its inception, the event has been planned and organised by a sub-committee of the Buccoo Village Council now referred to as the Buccoo Goat Race Festival Committee. Although Easter Tuesday is 'officially' Goat Races Day in Tobago, the activity now occurs more regularly on the entertainment calendar at events such as the Tobago Heritage Festival. The sport has been adopted by the nearby village of Mt. Pleasant for the past few years. Strength and speed are required of a good racing goat and this is achieved by the hard work and dedication of the owners, trainers and jockeys. The animals are trained for at least two months prior to racing and during this period they learn to walk at increasing speeds until they're running in front of the trainer with a rope round their neck as on race day. A swimming routine to build muscles is also a critical part of the training as is diet. It is thought that nanny goats are better runners. However, billy goats are the preferred choice since they live longer. A racing goat can live as long as 13 years given the correct care and attention. The jockeys are a critical link between winners and losers as their speed must be akin to that of their charges. Often a goat will outrun the jockey and become disqualified. Therefore the training, diet and other physical activities are also regulated during the time leading up to the races for this test of speed and endurance. Like horse racing, classification is important to the stakeholders. The Buccoo Goat Race Festival Committee uses these classifications: C2 – First time runners, C1 – Runners from the previous year, B – Running for the past two years, A – Most experienced runners. The event starts with a somewhat noisy street parade where booths offering crafts, T-shirts, food and drink line the route. Many residents also open their homes to the visitors and provide delicious local cuisine for the occasion. The Goat Race Festival has now become a major event in Tobago's tourism calendar. The Tobago House of Assembly's Department of Tourism have sponsored the races over the years. The Goat Race Festival has evolved into a truly family affair where generations meet through tradition and visitors caught up in the festive atmosphere become honorary
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Moriah Ole Time Wedding
Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoDesigned to highlight the European influence on Tobagonians, the Moriah Ole Time Wedding is actually a re-enactment of what weddings on our island were once like. Ask any village elder and they will tell you that conventional invitations are merely an insult to the memory of the "free for all" real Tobago weddings once were. Watch them gleefully reminisce about watching or being a part of the winding procession making its way through Kitty Bamboo Gully all the way up to Lincoln Gap. Now merely a show, the Moriah Ole Time Wedding attracts hundreds of spectators each year and can be easily called the trade-mark event of the Tobago Heritage Festival. The men are outfitted in black stovepipe/top hats, black and white three piece suits (inclusive of mandatory scissor tail coats), bow ties, white gloves and umbrellas to shade their female partners of course. However, if you think the men are a sight to behold, the women are just as or even more "gussied up". The women wear bustle dresses, wide-brimmed hats colourfully adorned with flowers and as much jewellery as possible. Activities for the wedding begin on Friday with the Bachelor Night which includes Tambrin music, traditional dancing, food and drinks. On Saturday, the actual wedding day, the village showcases the Bridal Affair which is intended to demonstrate the stages of preparation the bride goes through. This is followed by the Wedding, the trek to the reception ground and a show. Generally, the event is quite cheerful since both bride and groom are usually heckled throughout the ceremony by family members of either spouse or by a jilted lover perhaps. To the sounds of fiddles and Tambrins, everyone "walking de wedding" dances the "Brush Back" as they make their way from the church to the streets. Cultural entertainment, food and drinks help to round up the afternoon at the reception ground but no wedding is complete without speeches. The audience listens attentively to speeches that are sure to leave you in stitches. In true Tobago style, "come leh we go" for there is no other experience quite like the Moriah Ole Time Wedding
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Tobago Bio's
Tobago, Trinidad and TobagoCalypso Rose is a living legend and icon in the calypso world, having taken the art form to every continent, while opening the door for other women to follow. Born MacCatha Lewis (after General Douglas MacArthur), Calypso Rose began performing in her native Tobago when she was 15. Rose won the Calypso Queen competition five years in a row, while also trying to compete in the male-only Calypso King contest. In 1978, Rose captured calypso's premiere title with "I Thank Thee" and "Her Majesty", breaking down the gender barrier, causing the title to be renamed the Calypso Monarch. Rose also became the first woman to capture the coveted Road March title, an honour she held for 21 years, until Sanell Dempster captured the championship on the road with "River". In 1978, by order of the Queen of England, Rose received the Medal of Merit from the Trinidad and Tobago Government. Shurwayne Winchester Born and raised on the smaller of the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean soca artiste, Shurwayne Winchester brings variety and exclusivity to the musical genre that continues to grow both regionally and internationally. Shurwayne's journey to stardom began at a very tender after, while still in the care of his parents on the island of Tobago.At the age of 12, he entered the competition arena, consistently making yearly contributions that impressed and propelled him to advanced stages. His ability to both pen lyrics he loved and sing them in tones far beyond what was expected of his age, gave him the fortitude to compete against some of the best in the industry. Throughout his career he has gathered experience and obtained the required understanding of the music business through his affiliations with a number of bands, most notably, that of Caribbean Traffic Jam, of which he quickly became frontline singer. Within his tenure with the band, Winchester achieved numerous monarch and Road March titles. In 2004, having already make a name for himself as a crooner for the ladies with tracks such as "Baby Love,' and "Under My Spell," Shurwayne moved to gather the masses with the road tune, "The Band Coming," copping the title of road March King for that year, much to the satisfaction of his fans. In 2005, with memories of what his achievement afforded in 2004, he did it yet again with the infectiously up-tempo track, "Dead or Alive," accomplishing that which many in the industry only dream of. Inspired by the possibilities the lie ahead, the young man whose stage performance propels thousands of hysterical fans from North America and the Caribbean across the Atlantic, to Europe and India, into an effortless frenzy of excited abandon, continues to break musical barriers, and in late 2008, this was again proven when he formed his very own band, Y.O.U.- Yes One Unit. Mighty Shadow Winston Bailey (born October 2, 1941), better known by his stage name The Mighty Shadow or Shadow, is a calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago. Bailey was born in Belmont, a suburb of Port of Spain in Trinidad, but grew up in Les Coteaux, Tobago with his grandparents.He began to sing at a very early age and he wanted to be a singer although his grandfather told him he must be a lawyer. He won the Road March in 1974 and 2001 with "Bassman" and "Stranger" respectively. He won the Calypso Monarch in 2000 with "What's Wrong With Me" and "Scratch Meh Back." Shadow is also known for his unique dance in which he jumped to the tempo of his music in "skip-rope style" with both feet in the air at the same time. He won the Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal (Silver) in 2003. He was the first to win both the International Soca Monarch and the Trinidad Road March competitions simultaneously, a feat he accomplished in 2001 with his song "Stranger Mighty Shadow P.O Box 1068 100 Alfred Crescent Bon Accord Intergrated Development Bon Accord Tobago, W.I. divakay2007@hotmail.com PERFORMANCE HISTORY 2009 Jazz in the Pan Yard - RBTT Redemption Panyard - Bethel Tobago 2008 Kay Alleyne Victory Concert – Quuens Hall, St. Ann's, Trinidad 2008 Caribbean Gospel meets American Gospel Featuring Pastor Shirley Ceaser, Pastor Juanita Bynum, and Yolanda Adams – Madison Square Garden – New York City, New York 2008 Mother's Day Concert Featuring Lionel Ritchie and Brian McKnight Queens Park Oval, Woodbrook, P.O.S. Trinidad 2007 Miss Big, Bold & Beautiful Caribbean Crownen Queen – Antigua 2007 Digicel Rising Stars Trinidad & Tobago Winner – P.O.S. Trinidad 2006 Greatest Love Mother's Day Concert Featuring Maxi Priest, Regina Belle, Atlantic Star, and Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes – Jean Pierre Complex, Trinidad 2006 Plymouth Jazz Festival Featuring Elton John – Plymouth, Tobago 2006 JCarifesta IX - Tobago ,W.I. 2005 Plymouth Jazz Festival Featuring Diana Ross, Vanessa Williams – Plymouth, Tobago 2005 Full Gospel Festival Champion – San Fernando, Trinidad 2005 Freddie Jackson Featuring The Temptations – Queens park Savannah , P.O.S. Trinidad 2004 Mother's Day Concert Featuring BOYZllMEN and Melba Moore – Pier II, West Trinidad 2004 Kay Alleyne Gospel Concert – Aruba 2004 Gourmet Jazz Festival Featuring Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Ojays - Plymouth, Tobago 2002 Bi-Annual National Music Festival – Trinidad, W.I. 2000 Yolanda Adams Concert – Center Of Excellence, Macoya, Trinidad Awards 2008 Award for Best Original Composition "Lord I Will Lift You Up" 2007 Miss Big, Bold, and Beautiful Caribbean Overall Winner CROWNED QUEEN Antigua 2007 Digicel Rising Stars T&T Winner Trinidad & Tobago 2007 World Championship of Performing Arts 1 Overall Industry Award 2 Gold Medals 1 Silver Medal 1 Champion of the World Placque Hollywood, California U.S.A. 2006 World Championship of Performing Arts 1 Overall Industry Award 2 Gold Medals 2 Champion of the World Placque Hollywood, California U.S.A. 2002 Bi-Annual National Music Festival Overall Champion Trinidad & Tobago Hollywood, California U.S.A. 1999 Bi-Annual National Music Festival Merle De Coteau Albino Award Best Junior Vocalist – Trinidad & Tobago 1999 Bi-Annual National Music Festival Gene Abdool Memorial Award Most Outstanding Vocalist – Trinidad & Tobago 1996 National Music Festival Second Place Award
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