MokaCreations is a local Ottawa craft site offering gifts at reasonable prices.  We offer free delivery in the National Capital Region for all sales over $25.  100% of the sales goes to charities in support of education on the various caribbean islands e.g. The Marco Depestre Foundation of Ottawa; and here in Ottawa in the form of a scholarship to the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Ottawa via SERVIAM.
We do custom orders, so if you have something specific you would like to see printed on one of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us by email.
Visit our website at mokacreations.ca
Thank you in advance for your support.
​

Trinidad and Tobago has made National Geographic's annual list of superlative destinations for travellers to visit next year.
The list, which features 25 breathtaking places and experiences for 2023, was split into five categories including community, nature, culture, family and adventure.
The 'Best of the World 2023' list is as follows:
Community: Where conservation benefits everyone

• Greece — Visit the Dodecanese Islands where women-led ventures are leading the charge in sustainable tourism.
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Spend a long weekend in a vibrant Great Lakes city that celebrates its cultural community as much as its breweries.
• Alberta, Canada — Experience how long-held traditions and contemporary perspectives intersect with Indigenous tourism outfitters.
• Laos — Board a new high-speed train that makes lesser known regions accessible to tourists and brings economic opportunities to locals.
• Ghana — Explore Black heritage and hang out with a fashion-forward crowd in the capital, Accra.

Nature: Escapes to wild, beautiful places 

• Botswana — Marvel at the biodiversity as well as the programmes to rehabilitate endangered species, create wildlife corridors, and develop community-owned tourism projects.
• Scottish Highlands — Linger in the place where a rewilding movement is aiming to restore the original landscape and native flora and fauna.
• Slovenia —  A longtime leader in sustainable tourism, set off on new gastrotourism biking routes that visit farms, vineyards, cheesemakers, and other food producers.
• Big Bend National Park (Texas, United States) -- The park brings to life the frontier legend of Texas but the landscape will also surprise you.
• Azores, Portugal — Applaud award-winning sustainability programmes that conserve the natural wonders of this volcanic archipelago known for whale watching and thermal springs. 

Culture: Places where history and heritage rule

• Egypt — Visit King Tut’s new home at Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum and see Luxor’s Avenue of the Sphinxes.
• Busan, South Korea — Visit the nation’s second-largest city.
• Italy’s Appian Way — Make a pilgrimage through Europe’s ancient "superhighway".
• Charleston, South Carolina — Explore culture and history - with a side of Low Country cuisine - at the International African American Museum.
• Longmen Grottoes — See one of the world’s largest assemblages of stone statues at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Henan Province, China.

Family: Inspiring journeys for all ages

• Trinidad and Tobago — Help save the turtles in one of the most important leatherback turtle rookeries in the world.
•  Switzerland — Ride the rails to quaint Alpine towns for chocolate, hiking, and skiing.
• San Francisco, California — Gather around a campfire with Golden Gate views at Presidio Tunnel Tops and hike the urban Crosstown Trail.
• Colombia — Go birdwatching in the avian paradise that is also the enchanted land of Disney’s Encanto. 
• Manchester, England — Visit the playing grounds of a storied soccer team and be inspired by the city's art scene.

Adventure: Adrenaline-pumping outdoor excursions

• Choquequirao, Peru — An isolated Inca site that’s under the radar but soon to be more accessible.
• New Zealand —  Rekindle your sense of adventure post-pandemic in the country that invented bungee jumping.
• Utah, United States of America — Get your adrenaline rush in less visited areas of the popular adventure state.
• Austria — Hike the cross-country Bergsteigerdörfer network of mountaineering villages to sample local culture.
• Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico — Its protected waters boast the largest aggregations of sharks and manta rays in the world. (Source:  The Loop, October 26, 2022)

Several cocoa entrepreneurs will be able to take their businesses to the next level after being successfully matched with investors, said InvesTT.
In a statement the state agency said the Trinitario Cocoa Webinar Series, done in collaboration with the European Union, came to a conclusion on September 28, 2022.
The organisation said the grand finale of the three-part series, entitled “The Cocoa Pitch”, was designed as a ‘Shark Tank’ styled business pitch event.
Two youth start-ups and five medium-sized cocoa SMEs were given the opportunity to present a robust business pitch to investors, resource providers and key industry players with the aim of accessing technical, financial and capacity-building support and mentorship to start-up or scale their cocoa business operations.
EU Ambassador Peter Cavendish said the EU was proud to have been part of this venture.
“The Trinitario Cocoa Webinar Series has become a rich carnival, caravan tour of Trinidad and Tobago’s cocoa and chocolate producers. This heritage industry is moving forward to find and delight consumers worldwide with what every Trinbagonian knows, that the best chocolate is close to home – and the European Union has been proud to be a part of this dynamic.”
Trade Minister Paula Gopee Scoon said the sector is "a strategic commodity with the potential to generate foreign exchange and contribute to economic diversification.”
"The exports of primary and value added cocoa products increased by 31% over the period 2020 to 2021, from approximately TT$93 Million to over TT$122 Million. Of this increase, the European market accounted for 41%.”
“There is a clear demand for our products, however, what is needed are innovators to create new products and experiences, and entrepreneurs to ensure that these products are made available.” 
Sekou Alleyne, President, InvesTT said the venture will aid the local cocoa industry.
“The success of episodes 1 and 2 and the execution of The Cocoa Pitch event have enabled us [InvesTT] to fast forward the cocoa business agenda by facilitating investor matchmaking opportunities among European chocolatiers, investors and local cocoa stakeholders.”
Pramilla Ramdahani, Vice President, Investments, InvesTT also shared that the Series aimed to increase bean to bar opportunities and joint venture/FDI opportunities.
With 750 attendees in Episodes 1 and 2, and 244 attendees in Episode 3, representing over 32 countries worldwide inclusive of the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Singapore, Ghana and Jamaica, Mrs Ramdahani expressed confidence that the outcomes of the webinar series will contribute towards the development of a thriving and collaborative cocoa ecosystem.
The organisation said two youth start-ups;  GEM, owned by Giselle Mills and 19-year-old youth cocoa entrepreneur Oshun Matthews, owner of Tamana Mountain Chocolate both delivered strong business cases.
Three SMEs presented their pitches next; Ashley Parasram, founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company, Tobias Schulze Frenkling representing the Original Trinitario Cluster and Vanessa Moses, Director at Caribbean Roasters.
At the end of each pitch, the distinguished group of panelists comprising Crisen Maharaj, Manager of Capacity Building and Funding at ExporTT, Michael Mcquilkin, Manager, Investment Banking at Republic Bank, John Hadad, Group Co-Chief Executive Officer, HADCO Group, Sandy Roopchand, CEO/Managing Director at Royal Castle and Markus Mann, Producer-Artist-Entrepreneur, shared thoughtful comments and invaluable insights on how each entrepreneur/enterprise can advance their cocoa ventures through various grant funding programmes and partnership and/or mentorship opportunities.
The panellists also posed a series of questions to each pitch presenter which enabled presenters and the live virtual audience to gain firsthand insights into the requirements for a compelling, investment-ready business case.
Next on the agenda was a special presentation made by Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan, Director at the Cocoa Research Centre, UWI, where he highlighted the Chocolate Island initiative, a cocoa, carbon and community innovative project which seeks to attract Impact Investment into the cocoa sector in Trinidad and Tobago, and contribute towards building sustainable cocoa based supply chains.
All attendees were then given a sneak peek into a short film entitled “Trinitario – On The Edge”, produced by filmmaker Denise Speck, who joined from Europe to introduce the trailer video. The documentary explores the storyline of the world-famous Trinitario Cocoa, birthed right here in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Cocoa Accelerator Network was highlighted after, whereby the live virtual audience and all pitch presenters would have been edified on various opportunities to access resources and/or funding required for business growth, such as the Shaping the Future of Innovation project, the Linking Farmers Platform and Government’s Grand Fund Facility, the latter allowing individuals to access up to a maximum of TT250,000 to finance 50 per cent of the cost of acquiring new machinery and equipment.
Albada Beekham, Director of Research at the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to support cocoa agri-entrepreneurs through the Agriculture Finance Support Programme, among other initiatives.
All three episodes in the series were moderator by Jessie-May Ventour, a seasoned broadcaster and media professional who effortlessly managed the conversations and ensured a seamless, interactive, informative and enjoyable experience for all. (Source: The Loop, October 3, 2022)

In keeping with time-honoured tradition, President Paula-Mae Weekes was pinned with the first poppy on Thursday.
Making the presentation at the Office of the President were Colonel Lyle Alexander, Denzil Mason and Hilton Clarke of the Trinidad and Tobago Legion of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League.
The annual distribution of poppies commemorates Remembrance Day, the day on which the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany took effect - the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 and so is observed annually on November 11 in honour of the fallen soldiers of World Wars I & II.
The Trinidad and Tobago Legion of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League is a member of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League which assists ex-Service men and women who served The Crown, and their widows, who are now in need. (Source: The Loop, Oct 14, 2022)

VETERAN broadcaster and newspaper columnist Yusuff Ali died peacefully on Sunday at his home in London, England.
He was 85.
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) shared the thoughts of two other veteran journalists, Dominic Kalipersad and Neil Giuseppi, who worked with him and described him not only as a pioneer in the field of journalism in Trinidad and Tobago but as an individual who helped shape the media landscape as we know it in T&T today.
“His rich voice, charming smile, and piercing interview style endeared him to viewers of Panorama, the flagship evening news programme of the-then lone television station (Trinidad and Tobago Television),” said Kalipersad. 
“A former teacher at Five Rivers TIA School, Ali’s entry to media, however, began in radio. He was among those who opened 610 Radio (Radio Guardian) in September 1957. It was there that he learned the craft of radio broadcasting, news-writing and broadcast journalism,” he said.
“Under the tutelage of media heavyweights such as Larry Heywood, Frank Hughes and Ed Fung, Ali worked alongside great radio personalities such as Desmond Bourne, Freddie Wharwood and Ashton Chambers, as well as ace reporters John Babb and Geoff Lewis,” Kalipersad added.
Eventually, he became chief editor at the station, where they pioneered hourly news bulletins.
After four years at 610 Radio, Ali left to take up an announcer’s position at Barbados Rediffusion and, later, as an international functionary at a United Nations agency in Geneva.
In the late sixties, he returned to Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) in the post of news director/Panorama producer and built a news team that started the journalistic careers of Giuseppi, Dale Kolasingh and Jai Parasram.
Ali left TTT in 1975 for a position at the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House in London.
For 25 years he wrote a newspaper column, first with the Sunday Guardian then with Newsday.
Broadcaster Giuseppi described Ali as one of the greatest news personalities this country has known.
“When I joined Trinidad and Tobago Television in July 1971, Yusuff was the news director and on that day began a friendship that I have always treasured and I became part of a team that day that comprised Yusuff, Ed Fung and Dale Kolasingh, all of whom have now passed to the Great Beyond,” he said.
He said that Ali was the consummate professional who insisted on standards of excellence at all times.
“ ‘There’s a time for work and a time for play’, he would say, ‘and when it’s time for work, I don’t want to hear about play’. And he lived that philosophy to the hilt,” said Giuseppi.
“Yusuff, my friend and mentor, you have left an indelible mark on the news media in Trinidad and Tobago and this country will always owe you a debt of gratitude,” he said.
(Source: The Daily Express, November 2, 2022)

Turn your devices to ITV and tune in to this year’s edition of Voice UK and, at some point, the sound coming from it will be familiar.
It's soca from Rodell “Triniboi Joocie” Sorzano.
The 33-year-old, UK-based Trinidadian is a semifinalist in the 11th season of the long-running show the Voice UK, which began in 2012. He will deliver his semifinal performance on Saturday.
This year’s judges are Will.i.am., Anne Marie, Sir Tom Jones and Olly Murs.
Triniboi Joocie's journey to being the first soca artiste on the show began 12 months ago.
However, he is not the first to perform in such international shows. In 2018, Olatunji Yearwood competed in the UK’s X Factor. Other Trinidadian, non-soca artistes have also competed in these types of shows. Earlier this year, 16-year-old Camryn Champion secured a spot on American Idol.
Triniboi Joocie said, “The competition decided to contact me. The talent scout for the show reached out twice, actually. The first occasion they contacted me, I declined. I said, ‘No. These shows don’t really represent artistes that I regard as artistes. I think it is quite manufactured.’
“Then they contacted me again and assured me that they were interested in me as an artiste and what I bring to their platform. Basically. I guess, they were changing their whole scope on the show and how it is represented.”
There were multiple auditions before he reached the live stage with the blind auditions.
“It was just a very nerve-racking, exciting experience. But I was reassured I could be as true to who I am and they appreciated that.”
He first appeared on episode five, which aired on October 1.
At the audition, he was asked to sing four songs.
“I came in, sang, and they were like, ‘Yes! Yes! Triniboi, we love this.’”
After multiple meetings and more auditions, he progressed to blind auditions. At the October 1 blind audition, he sang his 2020 song Bottle Over Head, which saw British singer/songwriter and judge Anne Marie turning around quickly.
“I was the first act on the second day of auditions. At 6 am in the morning, I gave them authentic soca,” he said.
He then progressed to the callbacks, at which he did a Trinidadian-style version of Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care.
It is important for Triniboi Joocie to be anauthentic soca artiste on this platform because, for him, he feels the soca that has made it to the charts previously has either been diluted or had different elements added to it.
Being on shows like these is also opening people’s minds more to soca and its many possibilities, he said. It was making people more receptive to the indigenous genre being played throughout the year, as opposed to only at Carnival time.

During the callbacks, Triniboi Joocie was sent a song two days in advance and then had to make it his own.
“And I asked them, 'How far can I take the song?' and they said, 'Listen, 'juice' it. Make it Joocie. Give us Triniboi.' And I said, ‘Yuh sure? Because I will take it out of that box and approach it like a Soca Monarch performance, basically.’
“And they said, ‘Yes. Do you.’”
He said that was when he was able to stand out from the other competitors.
He thinks because soca is such a new genre, to some, it might be difficult to describe.
“What Anne-Marie said is, 'Triniboi is fun.' They are associating my performance as fun. It is happy.
"But really I want them to understand there is craft. There are depths to this. There are layers.”
He believes moving to the UK in 1998 allowed him to immerse himself more in TT’s culture because he was away from it. He grew up in Laventille before moving to the UK. He is also a science teacher.
That is why he is a Notting Hill Carnival ambassador. He has been advocating for soca in Europe for over a decade, an earlier press release about his entry to the show said. He was also the UK’s Soca Monarch in 2012 and 2013.
In June, Triniboi Joocie performed the late Lord Kitchener’s Pan in A Minor, backed by a 100-piece pan ensemble, at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration at Buckingham Palace.
No matter the outcome of Voice UK, Triniboi Joocie intends to give it his best for soca, TT and the region. Using a cake analogy, he said this was simply one of the many "flavours" he was adding to his career, as the bowl was still mixing.
Another press release said his decision to take part in the show was an intentional move to advance his career as well as showcase the culture of TT and the Caribbean.
Triniboi Joocie also thinks once people take the music seriously, it will be recognised.
“Often enough, we are afraid to be as authentic as we should be. To make it palatable, we water it down.”
Afrobeats is now mainstream music because its artistes stuck to the roots of their music and were unified, he said.
He said if soca is constantly changed it would not have an identity or a recognised factor that would make people say, “That is soca.”
He called on soca artistes to be more confident in what they do.
The message that Triniboi Joocie wants the world to take away from his appearing in Voice UK is that soca is not only about fun, it is the song of a people and place that are underrepresented in the mainstream industry, and it, too, needs its day in the sun. 
(Source: Newsday, Oct 21, 2022)

​A FAMOUS but now largely forgotten Trinidadian singer, the late Mona Baptiste, will be remembered on October 22 in Dublin by the Epic Irish Emigration Museum, which records the global impact of Irish emigrants and their beliefs and heritage.
She is also now featured in the museum's exhibition Revolutionary Routes: Ireland and the Black Atlantic.
Saturday's event will consist of a talk by Baptiste's biographers, Bill Hern and David Gleave, who earlier this year published their book What about the Princess? The Life and Times of Mona Baptiste.
Hern was quoted online as saying that a few years ago, one day over coffee, the two men had reckoned that in line with the 70th anniversary of the 1948 arrival of the Empire Windrush, bringing West Indian migrants to the UK, they should explore the lives of some of those original passengers. Why had they gone to Britain and what did they achieve?
"Gradually, though, as we found out more and more about her, we realised there was a whole book to be written about just one passenger. Passenger number seven on the passenger list was Mona Baptiste and her story is a remarkable one. "Mona was a big star for several decades but is now largely, unjustly in our view, forgotten. We hope our book, the first full-length biography, will bring her the recognition she deserves."
Hern said Baptiste was a black woman from humble origins, overlooked by history, a shortcoming he hoped the book would help remedy. A book review on the Amazon website recalled her arrival in the UK."In June 1948 Mona disembarked from the Empire Windrush ship at Tilbury. Like so many of her fellow passengers she had travelled from the Caribbean to England to start a new life, and what a life it turned out to be!"
Within weeks of disembarking she made the first of countless radio appearances and she would go on to feature regularly on the television, produce a string of popular records, and appear in many films as well as stage shows in London, France and Germany."Truly a superstar in her day, Mona deserves to be remembered in the United Kingdom she loved and in the land of her birth, Trinidad.
"A statement from the museum said Baptiste was a legendary Trinidadian-born singing sensation, with a fascinating life story."
Baptiste, whose musical genres were calypso and blues, had a successful international singing career and appeared in several films."Within two weeks of arriving in England she was featured on BBC radio and was soon singing with the bands of Ted Heath and Cab Kaye and as part of the Stephane Grappelli Quintet." Heath later became British prime minister. "
French star Yves Montand invited her to appear in Paris and her fame quickly spread across the continent. Her greatest success would come in Germany in the 1950s and 1960s when she was one of the highest paid entertainers in that country."In London, she met and married Liam Morrison, and in 1972 returned with him to his native Ireland, which she would eventually call home. (Source:  Newsday, Oct 21, 2022)