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6 days ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
A woman dropped to all fours in the VVIP section — skirt hiked — and crawled, danced and howled across the plastic flooring at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, as if possessed. Nobody flinched. Nobody blinked. It was that kind of Saturday night. That now-viral moment from the One Caribbean Music Festival captured the chaos and immense frustration that blanketed the event after a cascade of cancellations from the advertised cast.
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1 week ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
Vybz Kartel (Adidja Palmer) pulled out of his highly anticipated concert appearance last night at the One Caribbean Music Festival at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain. The Jamaican dancehall star citied the promoter’s failure to fulfil contractual obligations as the reason for his no-show. In a statement issued late yesterday, Kartel’s management made it clear the artiste would not be gracing any stage in T&T this weekend.
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1 week ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
To embrace chutney music is to appreciate Rakesh Yankaran. For over four decades, the man affectionately known as “De Raja” has shaped, sung, and preserved the Indo-Caribbean soundscape. Son of the late music pioneer Isaac Yankaran and bearer of the mighty Yankaran legacy— Rakesh has long been a cultural standard-bearer for Indo-Trinidadians, fusing Indian classical depth with street-level chutney flavour.
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1 week ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
Chutney crossover singer Anuradha Hansraj has always believed that music is memory. The memory of old Bollywood films, playing from a corner TV in her childhood Penal home. The memory of Sunday bhajans at the Ganesh Mandir in Suchit Trace, where her voice first echoed off temple walls. And now, the memory of a reimagined cover of Lata Mangeshkar’s classic “Na Jaane Kya Hua”—delivered against the scenic hills of San Fernando.
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1 week ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
In the bustling city of Ningbo, China–thousands of miles from the swaying bamboos and uplifting bhajans of home–T&T artist Usha Pollucksingh fills her space with the rich aroma of bubbling curries and the unmistakable sound of pan music. Retracing the steps of her ancestors, Usha has carried the energies of these islands on a reverse journey to the Far East.
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1 week ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
Chutney soca music is much more than fete and rum. It is an oral tradition, a time capsule, a vehicle through which Indo-Caribbean artistes continue to honour the legacies that brought them to these shores. As Trinidad and Tobago marks Indian Arrival Day today, several leading performers in the genre reflect on how their music preserves cultural memory, connects generations, and redefines identity.
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2 weeks ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
For singer/songwriter Chaddy Cub, music has always been about personal salvation, self-expression, and finding his spiritual compass. Born Chad Emmanuel Ramkhelawan, the 28-year-old San Fernando-born musician has emerged as a boundary-pushing talent—fusing afro soul, gospel, soca, pop, and dance into his signature sound. Behind the melodies is a man shaped by faith, mental battles and a mission far bigger than personal fame.
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2 weeks ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
She calls herself a “Floridadian”, a nod to a life split between Miami, USA and Trinidad and Tobago, but these days, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Rai Hana (Raihana Khan) is carving out something uniquely her own. With a sound that blends alt-pop with punk and a Trinbagonian heart-spilling vulnerability, the gifted entertainer is turning heads in the US with her unique sound and musical perspectives.
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2 weeks ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
International DJ and producer Mat.Joe is bringing his global electronica sound to T&T. The German party starter will headline the next edition of SOTU Nights, an electronic music event scheduled for next Thursday (May 29) at Pueblo El Pao, Santa Cruz. The sunrise rave promises a unique fusion of Berlin house music with Caribbean drum and bass. Born Matthias Neitzke, the Berlin-based entertainer says the Caribbean has long been on his bucket list.
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2 weeks ago | 
trinidadexpress.com | Michael Mondezie
A cross-genre chorus of artistes will come together for one cause next month: Damian “Ace” Oliverie. The former 3Suns singer, who fell seriously ill earlier this year, will be the focus of Recovery: The Concert—a one-night fundraising event featuring dancehall, soca and reggae acts, set for Saturday, June 14, at WASA Grounds, St Joseph, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are priced at $200, with all proceeds going directly toward Oliverie’s ongoing medical treatment.
