Trinidad Talent Mastana Bahar

"We want back we Local"

Sometimes when I look at television I often wonder, who are we? are we even Trinidad any more? why are so many of our local shows made to mimic that of American Television? What about our culture, have we all lost the talent to think local and not just do as" monkey say monkey do". Before there was cable our local stations would showcase what it meant to be a true 'Trinbagonian' in shows that were rich with our culture, they were shows that we looked forward to. Who remembers "Calabash Alley" aired on a Sunday night now that was "comess" it was our very own soap opera made right here among our local, by our locals and for our local.  Today all that is local has been plagued with what i like to call the "copy cat" fever, its like we have become the worlds best followers and can no longer be leaders.

American television has some called American's next top model we have a Trinidad's next top model, American television has American's next dance crew, we have Trinidad's next dance crew...

We have become so lazy not only in creating our on programs but we have also now even steal the name from our American counterparts...

I would like to see Trinidad rise again where local programming and its content is concerned and not have to rely on the American programs to come up with our next idea...we have come so far as a country yet the world still see us as the worlds greatest COPY CATS......

What About .......????

What about those locally produced shows we had on television back in my days? Although i was only born yesterday! i still remember the one that shaped my upbringing:

1. Ricky Ticky (Children's show)

2. Twelve and Under- who knew ho wto speak the Queen's english better than Aunty Hazel! I always used to feel as though she spoke to me specially while on her shows.

3. Mastana Bahar

4. Scouting for Talent

5. West WoodPark- I used to be angry when i miss an epsiode for one reason or another!

6. No Boundaries- Ogosh boy!!! this one took me back real far hmmm. Can you remember this one?

All of these shows were locally produced and catered to a certain niche in society; from highlighting talent to soap oprahs. Can you remember any of them that you saw growing up?

Scorch

Scorch Magazine has been published 10 times annually since 2004. It is the brainchild of radio personality and entrepreneur Kwasi ‘Hypa Hoppa’ Hopkinson. From inception, this free magazine has stood out as unique. Its writing style is conversational, favoring the local vernacular over the Queen’s English. The events it covers are current, totally local and can sometimes be described as an indigenous comical tabloid. It pokes fun at local celebrities and public figures in a way that can never be described as subtle.

The Bold Issue (Vol 3: October 10), besides heavily promoting a line of Angostura rums, devotes a lot of space to attracting and securing a mate. In the article entitled “Staying in Your F*cking Bracket”, an individual is encouraged to honestly assess and rate themselves on their level of desirability and then seek a mate who is on par with them. The language used throughout the magazine is candid and not for the faint of heart. If not clearly stated, the implication is barely concealed. A primary school student is capable of connecting the inferences of profanity, sexual innuendos and crude jokes.

Giving credit where it is due, the magazine also attempts to focus on intellectual topics such as health care, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival and how to tell a ‘good girl’ from a ‘bad thing’ (sic). What caused me to be in awe was how come this very ‘liberal’ magazine has been allowed to exist in our very ‘conservative’ society without a hint of public outcry?