Trinidad and Tobago’s Mango Festival celebrates the king of fruits
The dual-island Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago is known for its superb cuisine and spectacular street food, but on certain days in July, the nation of foodies will pay homage to the king of tropical fruit.
Sweet, juicy and versatile, delicious mangoes of every size and type will be the focus of Trinidad and Tobago’s fourth annual Mango Festival.
Featuring a mango market, mango products, grafting demonstrations, exhibitions, children’s activities, games, mango-eating competitions, and other entertainment, Trinidad and Tobago’s Mango Festival offers mangophiles every imaginable mango-made delight, from soaps and preserves to candles and gift paper.
A highlight of the festival is the mango market where a variety of the locally-grown fruit, including the sinfully sweet Julie, considered the queen of mangoes, which was developed in Trinidad, and other varieties with whimsical names such as Rose, Hog, Calabash, Douxdoux, La Brea Gyul, Turpentine, and Graham – a seedling of the Julie mango – can be purchased.
Preceding the festival will be the island’s second Mango Conference on July 4, which is also being hosted under the auspices of the Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP) of Trinidad and Tobago.
Highlighting the contribution of rural communities and agri-entrepreneurs to national economic development, Trinidad and Tobago’s Mango Festival also promotes economic opportunities through the sustainable use of the mango, and educates participants on the many benefits of the much-loved fruit.
Known as the “king of fruit” throughout the world, mangoes were brought to the West Indies by Portuguese traders. In some cultures, the mango tree is a symbol of love, and the fruit is known to be bursting with flavor as well as protective nutrients including vitamin C and beta carotene.
In Trinidad and Tobago, mango trees are planted as part of re-forestation programs due to their extensive root systems that hold the soil and prevent erosion. The fruits are also a good source of food for birds and other animals.
Courtesy of Jus trini tings

Sasha Anne Moses won the competition with her song "Main Witness" 


1st place                - Sasha Ann Moses                                        -              The Main Witness
2nd place               - Wendy Garrick                                             -              Fly Trinbago
3rd place               - Kerine Williams-Figaro                                -              End of Days
4th place               - Terri Lyons                                                    -         The Destructive Phrase
5th place               - Giselle Fraser-Washington                         -              The Argument
6th place               - Genisa St. Hillaire (Nisa)                             -              The Market Place
7th place               - Tammico Moore (Spicey)                            -              Missing You
8th place               - Morisha Ransome                                        -              Chief Servant
9th place               - Makeda Darius                                              -              Baptism
10th place             - Alana Sinnette                                               -              Skeletons

Or so my Trini sources tell me...  

Did you know that our own Soca superstar Machel Montano is the first ever recipient of the Barbados Independent Film Festival Digicel Award?  Yes, he was honoured on January 11th at the opening gala of the inaugural Barbados Independent Film Festival (BIFF) for his work in the 2016 indie film, Bazodee.
The award was presented by Stephen Lang, US actor and screenwriter, who said the artiste artiste had a bright future ahead in film:“He’s got it in him to have as surprising, as stunning, as creative a career as an actor as he has had up ‘til now as a songwriter, as a producer and as an artist.”
Noting that it was important to nurture young talent in the film industry, Montano also highlighted the importance of Caribbean unity and seeing Caribbean stories on the big screen.
“This is a time when technology is on the rise – young people love to create,” Montano observed. “But most importantly, we have to tell Caribbean stories.”
“We hardly see our stories on the silver screen. Telling stories is about sharing – sharing who we are. People from the Caribbean have an important role and story to share with the world. We were brought here from all over the place and crammed into these… small spaces to exist. And we have found some way to love each other’s traditions equally as much as we love our own…”
Congratulations on the win!!   Enjoy this clip of one his songs from the movie.

​At 76 years young, our Tobago born Calypso Queen is doing extremely well in Europe, riding high with a platinum-selling album, performing before sold-out audiences and is even up for a French Grammy!! During her career, she was the first female Road March winner and first woman to win the Calypso Monarch title. But she has also survived some personal setbacks - twice beating cancer.   She is now taking Carnival 2017 by storm with her latest hit "Leave Me Alone" with Machel Montano. Watch the video and listen to them on the Home page
And if you think she's done, think again, she's now working on her next album!!!  Hats off to you Queen Rose and congratulations on your nomination for the French Grammy!!
Here she is telling us how she feels