IT’S OFFICIAL! Pannist Joshua Regrello is now a Guinness World Records title holder.
“I am now a Guinness World Records title holder for the longest marathon playing steelpan/steel drums,” he said on a social media post on May 30, confirming that Guinness approved his record-setting feat. Guinness recognised Regrello’s achievement of playing the steelpan continuously for 31 hours back in December.
Regrello said, “Months ago, we came together with one mission: to make history through the power of steelpan and unity. Today, that dream is a global record.”
He said the journey to official recognition was detailed. “Every requirement was carefully met and every standard upheld. But one thing mattered most to us, that the word steelpan, our national instrument and our pride, was included in the official record title. That representation means everything, and we have accomplished it.”
Regrello thanked his intellectual property law consultant, Carla Parris, who, he said, liaised with the Guinness World Records offices in Miami and London.


“To everyone who believed, supported near and far, from the early planning to the final note, thank you. We have done it. This is more than a personal milestone, This is a win for steelpan, our culture and our people. This is by all of us, for all of us.”
(Source:  Newsday, May 31, 2025)

​A very popular ornament worn by women of indenture and their descendents is the 'kāṛā'. It is a thick metal ornament that resembles the 'berā' worn on the wrist, but thicker with a wider comference to accommodate the diameter of the ankle.
It is no longer seen in the Caribbean as it is no longer en vogue now and possibly because of its cost. However, we still see it in old pictures of indentured labourers and their descendents or in pictures of Hindu history like on the ankles of painting of the monkey god, Hanuman.  (Source:  Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, May 30, 2025 and the Caribbean Hindustani)

EXPECTATIONS are high as Miss Trinidad and Tobago Anna-Lise Nanton will vie to become Miss World 2025 at the pageant in India being held on May 31 at 9 am (TT time). The pageant will be broadcast "live" on CNC3 Television.
Local franchise co-owner Navin Boodhai told Newsday on May 29 that about 144 dedicated fans of Nanton would be hosted free of charge to watch the event at Imax Cinema at #1 Woodbrook Place, Port of Spain.
"At this point in time, we have our technical guys there at Imax just testing it out to make sure everything will work and by the morning we will be advertising on a first-come registration basis."
Newsday asked his message to TT heading into the final countdown.
Boodhai replied, "I think the message to TT is really one of patriotism.
"Anna-Lise doesn't only represent Anna-Lise; she represents TT and everything that is good of TT."
He said what was being promoted and celebrated were the aspects of TT that stood out on the global stage.
"And that is what she represents for us.
"She has take the best training that she could have and the best trainers in TT, she has taken the best stories of TT, our flora, our fauna, our cricket, all of those things..
"She is representing us internationally. All I ask TT is to lend support.
"Whether she brings home the crown or not, she is our queen."
Boodhai said that fact should be celebrated by the population.
"But as we say that, we do think she has what it takes to bring the crown. And that is what we are looking forward to, second only to Giselle Laronde-West, who actually is one of her trainers as well."
On May 26 Newsday reported that Nanton has qualified for the quarter-finals due to her amazing performance in several early events.
The Miss World Organisation's scoreboard has ranked her in first place with 205 points.
Nanton won the Americas and Caribbean region in the Head to Head debate, where she spoke on women's rights plus climate change.
She placed first in the world the shuttle run, one of the three events in the sport/fitness category, in which she was globally fourth overall.
Nanton was also a “talent finalist” for her aerial acrobatics display.
(Source;  Newsday, May 30, 2025)
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​CARIBBEAN filmmakers will take centre stage at the Cannes Film Festival during the first-ever Caribbean Day at Pavillon Afriques on May 21.
The event will feature The Tall Boy, a compelling documentary on Trinidadian Carnival icon Peter Minshall, directed by Life Garland and the Curaçao-set drama Double Play by director Ernest Dickerson.
A media release said this landmark event will spotlight the dynamic creativity and growing influence of the Caribbean film industry with a full day of screenings, panels, and networking opportunities.
Hosted by Pavillon Afriques, the premier space for African and diaspora cinema at Cannes, Caribbean Day is tailored to connect regional storytellers with international producers, distributors, investors, and media executives. The initiative promises to elevate the visibility of Caribbean talent and content in one of the world’s most prestigious cinematic arenas, the release said.
Attendees will also engage with leading Caribbean filmmakers, producers, and industry thought leaders through panel discussions, followed by a curated networking session and a celebratory after-party headlined by singer John G.
Mark Walton, ambassador for Pavillon Afriques and associate professor at The New School said, “Caribbean Day is a call to industry professionals looking for fresh stories, new talent, and untapped co-production opportunities.
“The Caribbean is open for collaboration and ready to take its place on the global film stage.”
The initiative also underscores the powerful role of film and television in tourism marketing.
“We’re proud to support Caribbean Day at Cannes, which strengthens the bridge between tourism and the creative industries,” said Faye Gill of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
The Jamaica Tourist Board is the official sponsor of Caribbean Day, reinforcing Jamaica’s leadership in regional cultural promotion. Pavillon Afriques founder Karine Barclais emphasised that Caribbean Day is a “natural evolution” in the platform’s mission to showcase global black cinema, the release said.
With more than 3,500 professionals from 61 countries attending Pavillon Afriques in 2024, Caribbean Day marks a significant step forward in spotlighting the Caribbean’s rich storytelling tradition and global film potential. (Source:  Newsday May 23, 2025)

PRESIDENT of the Tobago Hindu Society Pulwaty Beepath has one major wish for this year’s Indian Arrival Day observance.
She is hoping that significant progress will be made on the organisation’s Hindu temple in Signal Hill, which, when completed will be the first in the island’s history.
“We are still in the process of building the temple and anybody wanting to donate anything towards the construction, it will be greatly appreciated because right now we have to get lights, water, windows, doors. So are looking at the end of the year to see how far we will reach with the construction of the temple,” she told Newsday on May 20.
The Tobago Hindu Society hosts its annual Arrival Day celebration at the Gulf City Mall, Lowlands, on May 24, from 5 pm-8 pm. It is one of the organisation’s signature cultural events.
Pundit Ramdath Mahase is expected to officiate.
Indian Arrival Day, observed on May 30, commemorates the arrival of the first indentured labourers from India on the Fatel Razack in May 1845.
Beepath said the Hindu Society’s Arrival Day function has been in existence since the organisation was formed in 1992.
“We started observing Divali functions and Arrival Day up to this present time. We have been having these things for the many years and we never stopped.”
She said the event continues to grow.
“Every year, we have more and more people attending the function. So the event is definitely growing. This year, we are catering for about 300 people.”
Beepath said the event will feature performances from several artistes, including the Kashmir Indian Orchestra, Archarya Rukminee Holass Beepath, Govinda Ramlogan (Tobago Channa), Beesram Seudath, Mia Beepath, Sanjay Sharma, the Mahatma Gandhi institute for cultural co-operation among others.
She said Niall George, assistant secretary, Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, is scheduled to deliver an address on behalf of Chief Secretary Farley Augustine.
A representative from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute is also expected to address the gathering.
Deputy Chief Secretary Dr Faith Brebnor and other members of the THA, including the Minority bench, have also been invited.
Beepath, who has been at the helm of the organisation for more than 20 years, said she was pleased to again celebrate such a significant milestone.
“The East Indians arrived in this country in 1845 and its 180 years now. There are a lot of East Indians living in Tobago and many of them are going back and forth to Trinidad to work.”
She added many of them have joined the Tobago Hindu Society and were actively involved in the organisation and assisting with various projects.
Beepath said the organisation’s main goal is to complete the temple.
The construction of the temple suffered a setback in January when thieves stole an estimated $40,000 worth of material from the site. Beepath said the society has not yet received an update on the status of the investigation.
Workers from the Unemployment Relief Programme, who are helping to construct the building, discovered that about two tonnes of steel and two pallets of blocks were missing from the site when they showed up for work on January 21.
The National Commission for Self-Help donated the steel while Almandoz Hardware in Scarborough donated the blocks.
The Tobago Hindu Society turned the sod for the temple in February 2022 on four plots of land it got from the former Orville London-led THA administration some nine years ago.
Present at the sod-turning were Secretary of Culture Tashia Burris, area representative Nigel Taitt, then India High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu, THA presiding officer Abby Taylor and other religious leaders.
Beepath told Newsday the project started about two years ago with the assistance of the commission.
She thanked the government, THA and the other entities that have assisted so far with the construction of the temple.
“Beside the government, we have a lot of private people that contributed immensely and I want to thank everybody for helping it to reach this far.”
Regarding its Indian Arrival Day function, Beepath thanked the Tobago business community for its support over the years.
“Throughout the years we have been depending on them and up to the present time we have to thank them because they are the ones who really support us.”
She said the Division of Tourism and Culture also assisted with funding for the programme.
Beepath urged devotees and all others to come out and enjoy the function.
Admission is free and meals will be provided.  (Source:  Newsday, May 21, 2025)

Left to Right:  President of the Tobago Hindu Society Pulwaty Beepath;Seeta Beepath Combie and Govinda Ramlogan (Tobago Channa) will perform at the Tobago Hindu Society's Indian Arrival Day celebrations on May 24 at Lowlands Mall.

Shenelle Ramkhelawan is the new Miss Supranational Trinidad and Tobago.
The 29-year-old beauty from La Romaine triumphed over 17 other contestants to claim the national title over the weekend.
Ramkhelawan is a Senior Network Engineer at Republic Bank Limited. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Project Management at the University of the West Indies.
She will represent Trinidad and Tobago next month in Malopolska, Poland, where she will compete against more than 80 women from around the world in hopes of succeeding Harashta Haifa Zahra of Indonesia as Miss Supranational 2025.
Meanwhile, Le Vaun Oliver is the new Mr Supranational T&T.
Oliver hails from Arima.
He competed against  Richard Noel – Mister Valencia and Cryss Downes – Mister Rio Claro to succeed Anderson Subero as Mister Supranational Trinidad and Tobago.
The Mister Supranational competition is set for 28 June 2025 in Poland.
(Source:The Loop, May 6, 2025)

With the global rise in popularity of our national instrument, the sweet sounds of the steelpan have become increasingly familiar, thanks to faithful members of our diaspora who act as good stewards of the culture to ensure that it is preserved and shared.
One such individual is Wanda Atkins, president of Calyps’Atlantic, a steelpan ensemble based in the Western French city of Nantes.
The isolation of the pandemic pushed Atkins to start thinking about using the internet as a medium to foster camaraderie between the disparate groups, and thus, the French Panorama was born.
Now in its fourth year, the online event is still going strong and on April 26, roughly 300 players from eight bands across different cities show their skills and compete against each other with original arrangements and evaluated by a panel of esteemed judges both from T&T and abroad.
This year’s lineup of judges includes Panorama’s first female title holder, veteran pannist and arranger, Michelle Huggins-Watts, former National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) artistic director and conductor Akua Leith, Northern Illinois University School for the Arts Steelband Director Yuko Asada and steelpan recording artist, Yoshihiro Harada, the first Japanese national to play in a T&T band. In previous years, American-born jazz musician and steelband arranger Andy Narell, Panograma founder Nevin Roach and half of DnK Steel, Danielle George were among those on the judging panel.

Atkins spoke of the pushback she initially received after floating the idea to some colleagues in the French pan fraternity, saying that while they seem to love playing the instrument, getting the French players to associate music-making with competition was another thing entirely. The French, she explained, don’t view music as a competitive activity in the way that they do with sports.
“People were against it,” she admitted, surmising that she “must have talked to the right people,” as everything started getting off the ground not long afterward.
The members of the French bands, while mostly from mainland France with a few hailing from the French West Indies, are not all newcomers to the instrument. Although many of them learned to play the instrument by rote, others are more seasoned musicians who have visited Trinidad and played with local bands—including Hadco Phase II Pan Groove and WITCO Desperadoes, among others—over the years.
Keeping close to the culture
The bands, although based in France, do not operate in a creative vacuum; rather, they remain very much connected to pan culture, keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in Trinidad and Tobago, which allows them to ensure that their repertoire is up-to-date. Collaboration with veteran Trinbagonian arrangers and pan tuners is part of this effort. Multiple Panorama title holder, pannist and arranger Duvone Stewart is one such collaborator—he’s served as the band’s artistic director since 2003 and facilitates in-person workshops a few times a year. (You can read more about Stewart’s work with Calyps’Atlantic here.)
For the love of pan
With the event still in its nascent stages, there are no cash prizes for the winners; rather, the champions take home a trophy and earn bragging rights as those who managed to make the best impression on the experienced judges. But the event’s small budget aside, there’s more to the prize not being a monetary one—the French Panorama wasn’t created with the aim of fostering a competitive spirit around pan-playing, but rather to encourage cultural exchange and ambassadorship, build inter-group camaraderie and offer a virtual bridge for members of the various groups to share their love of the instrument where city lines and the business of transporting the instruments present logistical and financial hindrances.
Atkins and the team at Calyps’Atlantic managed to pull off an in-person meeting of the bands only once so far, last May. In the cool warmth of spring, some 14 bands assembled for Pan’Fest, a free, open-air event that offered eager audiences arrangements of soca, calypso, as well as pop and soul numbers, showcasing the versatility of the instrument. Stewart attended as a guest of honour and spoken word artist and poet Anthony Joseph and his band wrapped up the evening.
Good weather, delicious food—including a doubles stand run by Paris-dwelling Trini couple Carla and Justin Audroing—and sweet music made the day a success, however, it was an expensive, herculean undertaking to get all the bands in the same place. Atkins hopes to repeat this in subsequent years, perhaps even to have an in-person Panorama in the coming years.
Her goal is to ensure that the French overseas territories are also included. It’s been more of a challenge to get the bands from the French West Indies to participate, however, this year, Reunion Island will be represented, and Atkins considers that a great start, considering the level of coordination across different time zones and cultures.
In the end, an aspect of the French desire for non-competition remained in the concept, and the event has two categories, judged and non-judged, with participants free to choose which they enter.
“A lot of people feel very intimidated to do it,” Atkins said. “So it would be a shame not to actually give them the possibility [to participate].”
A bridge back home
The first American-born child in a Trinbagonian family, Atkins spent most of her childhood in Connecticut, where she was introduced to music at a young age.
“Piano saved me,” she said, recalling her school days in the US when she was faced with bullying and turned to the piano and the clarinet, among other instruments, as an escape.
Leaving the music behind in early adulthood, it caught up to her when she relocated to Nantes in 1993 after her uncle sent her a tenor pan.
“After I received the pan, everything changed,” she shared.
The unique gift pushed Atkins to go in search of community in her new home, and with her musical background, she couldn’t accept such a gift and not use it.
“I couldn’t just keep it in a box somewhere.”
Atkins soon reawakened her musical side, joining the ranks of Calyps’Atlantic and finding community with the group that she is still a part of some 15 years later.
She said that playing pan serves as a bridge back to the place she calls home, which, interestingly, isn’t Connecticut, but Roxborough and Arima, the places that have given her an appreciation for culture, a love of music, and the identity she wears with pride. She makes an effort to visit every year, immersing herself in the large families that welcome her with every trip.
Through her work with Calyps’Atlantic and her organisation of the annual event, Atkins continues to maintain that bridge, expanding it a little further each year.
She is proud of the work she’s done and is grateful to the many collaborators who join her in celebrating her home culture, who believe in the project and continue to help bring it to fruition. She revels in the atmosphere of community encouraged by the love of the instrument.
“I see all the connections being made,” Atkins said, “It’s tradition, it’s identity. I can’t leave this behind.”
The French Panorama will be broadcast live on their YouTube channel on April 26 at 2pm (Trinidad)/8pm (France) and will be available for viewing afterward.
Check out the channel for interviews with the judges and performances from previous years and their Instagram page for updates.
(Story by Tevin Gall, The Loop, April 3, 2025)

​Nelson Island is one of a cluster of size small islands called the Five Islands located in the Gulf of Paria approximately 2.5 kilometres due south of Chaguaramas. Nelson Island holds so many stories of our historical past.
Firstly, the island was supposedly used as a trading post by the First Peoples before the 15th century trans-Atlantic contact period
From the 1820's, the islands were given out as grants for holiday homes for the British elite living in Trinidad. It was named after Dr. Neilson, who was granted the land. The island was previously known as Stephenson's Island and was used as a garrison in the early 1800s . According to an article posted by National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago it was eventually renamed for Dr Neilson, when the grant was taken back.
Later on in the in the 19th and early 20th century the tiny island served as disembarkation point and quarantine station for East Indian indentured servants to Trinidad. On arrival at Nelson Island everything,including the ship, immigrants their belongings and foodstuff were inspected and fumigated. The East Indian immigrants who were brought to serve as indentured servants on sugar estates in Trinidad after the quarantine period were then transported in small boats to Port of Spain and then dispatched to various sugar estates.
Did you know that the first ship to enter Nelson Island was the Humber on Wednesday December 26, 1866? The Humber brought 473 immigrants from India which brought 473 east indian immigrants: 329 men, 84 women, 32 boys and 14 girls ? Records pertaining to that voyage indicates that of this number 25 immigrants unfortunately, did not survive the journey. Nelson Island, a limestone islet in the group known as the Five Islands off Port of Spain harbour became to Trinidad what Ellis Island was to New York City- a gateway to a new life for an alien people.( Angelo Bissessarsingh , 2010)
In World War Two, the island served as a naval station for the United States Navy, an internment camp for enemy alien internees and a detention centre for labour leader Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler. The island was again used as a detention center 1970 to house 50 individuals associated with Trinidad’s Black Power Revolution. '
Today Nelson Island is listed as one of our heritage sites by the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago who offer tours to interested persons wanting to visit this historical site.
Photo : Nelson Island circa 1940
Credit to following sources:
Nelson Island- Indentureship’s Gateway to Trinidad. Author : Angelo Bissessarsingh
Nelson Island and Indian Indentureship in Trinidad.” The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Five Islands article written by LESLIE-ANN PAUL of the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago published in Newsday Wednesday 29 April 2020

After a year-long hiatus, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival (TTFF), one of the Caribbean’s most influential platforms for regional cinema, is making a dynamic return in 2025 under new leadership – and it’s calling on Caribbean filmmakers to submit their work for this year’s showcase.
In a media release, award-winning filmmaker and new festival director, Mariel Brown says she is heartened by the response to the festival’s return from filmmakers, audience members and supporters of the TTFF. “It feels like there is genuine excitement and energy around this year’s festival,” she said, remarking that supporters have been reaching out to her and the TTFF Advisory Group to express their excitement at the festival’s presence.
“We’ve had a phenomenal response so far. Submissions are up by 40 per cent compared to the last submission period in 2023,” Brown said. “We’re on track to receive over 340 submissions, a clear sign that Caribbean storytelling is burgeoning.”
Under the management of Savant Ltd, the revitalised TTFF is placing a bold emphasis on regional identity and diversity. A new programming team has been appointed, with a clear mandate to spotlight films from the English, Spanish, Dutch and French-speaking Caribbean, the release said.


“We are unapologetically Caribbean,” Brown affirmed. “It’s a declaration which underscores the chutzpah and dynamism of the developing Caribbean film scene over the last decade and a half and the festival’s role within it.”
Brown stressed the importance of representation and visibility for Caribbean people, noting that local audiences have long consumed international content without seeing themselves reflected on screen.
“There’s something deeply powerful about seeing – and hearing ourselves, our language, our music – our lives portrayed in authentic ways.
“That’s what TTFF has always championed: telling our stories to our community, for our community.”
This year’s festival, its 19th edition, will feature 80 films, each screened at least twice to maximise audience engagement and ensure filmmakers receive the exposure they deserve.
The festival will run from September 24-30 in Woodbrook, Port of Spain.
In a move to deepen its regional and international impact, TTFF has also brought on an advisory group comprising leading creative and industry professionals, including: Melanie Archer – award-winning designer and curator (TT), Leslie Fields-Cruz – executive director of Black Public Media (USA), Kareem J Mortimer – executive producer and award-winning filmmaker (The Bahamas/ USA) Renee Robinson – international film industry expert and former film commissioner (Jamaica) and Donna N Thomas – senior business consultant (TT), the release said.
“These are people with deep roots in film, design, business, and international markets. Their expertise is helping to shape the future of the festival,” Brown said.


Since its founding in 2005 by film historian, academic and producer Dr Bruce Paddington, TTFF has remained committed to showcasing Caribbean cinema. It has been instrumental in launching the careers of many of the region’s acclaimed filmmakers, such as Jamaica’s Storm Saulter and Gabrielle Blackwood; Kareem Mortimer and Maria Govan from The Bahamas, Bruno Mourral (Haiti), Vashti Anderson (TT/ USA), Ian Harnarine (TT/ Canada) and Damian Marcano (TT).
“In a very real way, the TTFF has served as a launchpad for the Caribbean film industry. It has spotlighted the region as a hub for creativity and cinematic excellence,” said Brown.
Filmmakers interested in submitting their work can do so via FilmFreeway by May 12.
Follow TTFF on social media: @ttfilmfestival (Instagram, Twitter and Threads); ttfilmfestival.com.
(Source: Newsday May 9, 2025)