4 <strong>Trinidad</strong> GEODYSSEY | TRINIDAD www.geodyssey.co.uk/trinidad 020 7281 7788
<strong>Trinidad</strong> An island bursting with life. A joy for nature lovers, fi lled with jewel-coloured tropical birds, butterfl ies and fl owers. A melting pot of vibrant cultures with Carnival at its very heart. <strong>Trinidad</strong> is for the most part outside the mainstream Caribbean tourist trade of ‘sun, sea and sand’. It attracts instead a variety of visitors interested in wildlife, nature and the island’s rich culture. Walking and trekking are also good options. There are some excellent local beaches along the north coast: crescent bays with quiet sandy beaches backed by palm-trees, fi shing villages enlarged by a few beach houses and very few hotels, and livelier beaches near Port of Spain serving its week-enders. <strong>Trinidad</strong> lies only 7 miles off the coast of Venezuela and the South American continent, to which <strong>Trinidad</strong> was once joined. To the north of <strong>Trinidad</strong> is the Caribbean Sea, to the south the Orinoco runs into the Atlantic. It is just 50 miles from north to south and 30 miles across the centre. Columbus passed <strong>Trinidad</strong> on his third expedition; Sir Walter Raleigh called in and raided the main Spanish settlement on his way to the Orinoco and his search for El Dorado. Though increasingly settled by the French, Spanish rule continued until the end of the eighteenth century, when <strong>Trinidad</strong> was surrendered to Britain. The plantation economy begun by Spain continued beyond the end of slavery in 1838 with the indenture system that, until 1917, brought destitute workers from India on pittance wages. Independence came in 1962, under the brilliant radical Dr Eric Williams. <strong>Trinidad</strong>ians trace their heritage to many origins. Some have roots among the Caribs that lived here before the arrival of the Europeans, many are descended from Africans brought to the island in the barbarity of the slave trade, others have European, Indian, Chinese, or Arab backgrounds. Mutual respect, tolerance and the celebration of diff erent cultures are themes that run through the island’s life, centred on the capital, Port of Spain. Here you’ll fi nd one of the most multicultural, vibrant and cosmopolitan societies in the whole of the Caribbean. Outside the capital and a few small towns, rural communities lead a simpler, more relaxed, rather upright way of life. Musically, <strong>Trinidad</strong>’s heyday came with the popularity of calypso. Now replaced by soca, one of the most danceable beats, <strong>Trinidad</strong>’s popular music stays at home and has not found the same recognition as reggae or rap. But <strong>Trinidad</strong>’s Carnival still leads the Caribbean in music, costume, dance and sheer partying. The lead-up to Carnival is almost as good as Carnival itself, with lots of practice events–as much fun, and in more manageable doses. GEODYSSEY | TRINIDAD www.geodyssey.co.uk/trinidad 020 7281 7788 <strong>Trinidad</strong> Music <strong>Trinidad</strong>’s music is constantly evolving in its own way, spinning off new forms all the time. The calypso is unique to <strong>Trinidad</strong>. Originating in the 1940s and 50s its innocent-sounding lyrics have an edge–parodying the issues and gossip of the day or charged with a political, social or cultural message. If you fi nd yourself in the company of a calypsonian you should certainly stump up for a tune, and listen carefully for the little jokes about you and your companions wittily inserted into the song. Another <strong>Trinidad</strong>ian invention is the steel pan, which spread far and wide to lend its special lilting sound all around the Caribbean and beyond. There are commercial pan factories in Port of Spain, but for the genuine article our best guides know one of the few neighbourhood makers still bashing the living daylights out of red-hot oil-drums in their backyard to make these compelling instruments the hard way. The most commonly-heard street music these days is soca, which emerged from calypso in the 70s. It speeds up the calypso beat, adds a bassline, and a touch of Indian drumming borrowed from chutney (another mostly <strong>Trinidad</strong>ian invention). Lyrics are less important than creating that party vibe. ‘Hot Hot Hot’ is a classic soca tune that everyone knows. 5
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