Occupying roughly 2,000 square miles of tropical paradise off the coast of Venezuela lies the two islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Known by most people as an awesome place to go on vacation, the country's main industry is petroleum and petrochemicals. For this reason, loafers and job hunters are always on the prowl for vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Part of the nation's appeal as a vacation spot is its tropical climate. Basically, there are two seasons here; a long, hot summer lasting six months and a six-month autumn of rain. Another feather in its cap is the fact that T&T lie outside what is referred to as the hurricane belt. This is a section of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean that are battered each year by hurricanes from June through November. Trinidad, the big island, is a rectangular piece of land with a thick tail in the southwestern corner that points in the direction of Venezuela.
By far the larger of the two islands (1,841 square miles) is Trinidad. It is also the closest part of the republic to South America. There are disputes as to the meaning of its original name. There are those who believe it is from the Arawak's language and means "land of the humming bird." Others are just as convinced that it simply means "island." It was the Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus, who christened it Trinidad as a tribute to the Holy Trinity.
One of the biggest cultural events in T&T is the annual carnival. This is a boldly colorful and boldly bawdy two-day party that is held immediately prior to Lent each year. It's a last chance for the locals to let their hair down before getting down to the serious abstinence of Lent. It was during Carnival four hundred years ago that an entire genre of music was born. Calypso. Soca has recently been introduced to the festivities.
Calypso music got its origin in the 1600s. It was a mixture of West African kaiso music with a strong influence from the slaves of the French Antilles. On the other hand, soca, or "chutney music" as it is lovingly called, comes mainly from the Indian subcontinent.
While Carnival was imported by the French, their slaves were prohibited from attending. Instead, they kicked off their own party, called Canboulay. The word comes from the French for burnt sugar cane. Unfortunately, the celebrations were sometimes infiltrated by what we would probably refer to as gangs, who would start out by singing song duels at each other. Eventually, they degenerated to violent clashes.
The British were in charge at the time and tried to bring the situation under control by prohibiting the sticks and torches used in the disruption of the festivities. When this didn't work, they took it a step further and put a stop to the carnival itself. This did not go down well with the locals and the Canboulay Riots earned their place in history with a massive and violent public outcry.
The authorities finally wrenched control and a gentler version of the Canboulay emerged and this is what is celebrated today. It is still a spectacle to behold and well worth looking for vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Part of the nation's appeal as a vacation spot is its tropical climate. Basically, there are two seasons here; a long, hot summer lasting six months and a six-month autumn of rain. Another feather in its cap is the fact that T&T lie outside what is referred to as the hurricane belt. This is a section of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean that are battered each year by hurricanes from June through November. Trinidad, the big island, is a rectangular piece of land with a thick tail in the southwestern corner that points in the direction of Venezuela.
By far the larger of the two islands (1,841 square miles) is Trinidad. It is also the closest part of the republic to South America. There are disputes as to the meaning of its original name. There are those who believe it is from the Arawak's language and means "land of the humming bird." Others are just as convinced that it simply means "island." It was the Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus, who christened it Trinidad as a tribute to the Holy Trinity.
One of the biggest cultural events in T&T is the annual carnival. This is a boldly colorful and boldly bawdy two-day party that is held immediately prior to Lent each year. It's a last chance for the locals to let their hair down before getting down to the serious abstinence of Lent. It was during Carnival four hundred years ago that an entire genre of music was born. Calypso. Soca has recently been introduced to the festivities.
Calypso music got its origin in the 1600s. It was a mixture of West African kaiso music with a strong influence from the slaves of the French Antilles. On the other hand, soca, or "chutney music" as it is lovingly called, comes mainly from the Indian subcontinent.
While Carnival was imported by the French, their slaves were prohibited from attending. Instead, they kicked off their own party, called Canboulay. The word comes from the French for burnt sugar cane. Unfortunately, the celebrations were sometimes infiltrated by what we would probably refer to as gangs, who would start out by singing song duels at each other. Eventually, they degenerated to violent clashes.
The British were in charge at the time and tried to bring the situation under control by prohibiting the sticks and torches used in the disruption of the festivities. When this didn't work, they took it a step further and put a stop to the carnival itself. This did not go down well with the locals and the Canboulay Riots earned their place in history with a massive and violent public outcry.
The authorities finally wrenched control and a gentler version of the Canboulay emerged and this is what is celebrated today. It is still a spectacle to behold and well worth looking for vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago.
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