Page 4 CentralBeat/CentralPeople August 2016 Sookdeyah Seeraj, 93 – A Life Well Lived By Vashty Maharaj grandchild. “Everywhere you go every- Editor body knows Nani and you have to stop and wait for she to talk to everybody!” At 93 years old, Sookdeyah Seerajh is a woman surrounded by love. “And her brain strong,” says daughter The love overflows from the fam- Neesa. “Sometime we having a lil conver- ily of what felt like 50 people surrounding sation and I am trying to remember some- her on the Sunday when she sat down to thing and I can’t remember, and she will talk with Central Beat – but, in fact, there remember.” might have been closer to 20 people, among them a bevy of great grandchil- Her daughter admits that they were dren who had come out to see Nani talk to brought up under very strict conditions ‘the reporter’ at her Freeport, Central and licks were shared aplenty. They don’t Trinidad home. hold it against her though because Nani is There is a lot of laughter and gentle still strict with her grands and great picong as the family gathers to talk about grands, but in a more understanding way. ‘Nani’. When Sookdeyah prepares to come outside to talk, her daughter and “She is an old woman with modern grand-daughter sitting outside in the shed day thinking,” says Neesa. “If you have a laughingly send her back inside. “We problem she would come up with a solu- have to take pictures lady, go comb your tion that you wouldn’t even think about, hair and put on your ohrni nah,” says her and simple solutions. The way she would grand-daughter Sumatee Goodhar. talk to her grandchildren is totally differ- Sookdeyah takes it in good humour ent to how she would talk to us, her chil- and laughs as she heads back inside to dren. So she moving with the times which pretty herself up for the camera. I think is very good because we still don’t “I am happy,” she says, as we sit Sookdeyah Seerajh, ‘Nani’, poses with some of her 18 grandchildren at her home in do that.” Freeport. down to chat, “I am happy now with my “I tell them to do the right thing, not children and grandchildren around me. I to go in the wrong side. I don’t want them have no problems, I don’t feel lonely.” to go and pick up any boys and thing,” She is calm and smiling as she talks. Sookdeyah explains with her lively smile. But her children and grandchildren say behind that smile is a long history of pain But she is clear that she can only raise and suffering in her early years. Born in her own children and grandchildren and Perseverance Village in Couva, her has no interest in offering any advice to mother had her when she herself was only parents and children out there. 13 years old. Says Sookdeyah, “My mother and “I can’t give advice to young people,” them lived in barracks. My father come she says, “the advice you giving them from India. My mother from Carolina in they not listening. I trying to see about Trinidad. My father come when he had mine I can’t see about other people chil- nine years from India. When I married dren. And when you talking to the parents and come I was working as a labourer they don’t listen too, so I could only raise alongside my husband and my parents.” my own.” “Nani have a lot of stories to tell,” says Sumatee, speaking on behalf of the Apart from the six children she raised, grands. “You can’t get them all in these Sookdeyah also raised two of her grand- few minutes. The kind of stories she tell children, both of whom have gone on to us you will sit down and cry.” live happy and successful lives. While the family is reluctant to go into Sookdeyah with, from left, her son-in-law, Edoo Khan, granddaughter Sumatee, eldest the details of Sookdeyah’s and the fam- son Sonnylal, friend Silla, and daughter Neesa. Says Neesa: “The psychologists and ily’s suffering the one story that stands you getting money. I was working in the she doesn’t complain at all, she will just all those people tell you that when you out for them all is the tale of ‘Nani’s’ year hospital as a nurse and all kinda thing (her enjoy it, she will never make fuss or say don’t have parents the society you grow in Chacachacare, the island once set aside family is shocked at this revelation). I was she tired, she always ready to go some- up in will cause you go wrong. Well we as a domain for lepers. happy, but I was still thinking about the where.” see that in our family it’s not like that be- children home.” “She doesn’t make fuss for nothing cause we grow up in real poverty where Neesa Khan, Sookdeyah’s oldest She returned home to a still alcoholic you know, from the time I say ‘Nani let we couldn’t get anything, everybody have daughter tells the story: “When she had around you but you can’t get anything, her third child she got a skin infection and and abusive husband and took back up we go somewhere’, she ready to go,” says you so poor. Once you have food and you they told her it was leprosy and sent her to raising her children and working to keep Silla Babwasingh, Sookdeyah’s good could play you happy. My nephew who Chacachacare. She spent a whole year them in food and clothing. She was the friend who lives across the savannah from my mother raised did well, he went to there and when she come back the neigh- breadwinner at a time when it would have her in Freeport. Although Silla is younger Presentation College and passed all his bours were taking care of the children.” been extraordinary for most women. She than Sookdeyah by several years the two subjects. All the grandchildren, she Sookdeyah describes it this way: “I bore 12 children in total but only six lived are good friends and liming partners. Silla watches over them, and she will bouf did now have a baby and I use sour things and of those six, two have since passed is the one who called Central Beat to let them up if she see them doing wrong.” so my skin get some spots. My husband on. us know about this amazing woman and But Sookdeyah is not one to dwell on to tell us that we needed to celebrate her “If you come by Nani and you going was an alcoholic so we never had money through a hard time, she will take out so I went to the doctor in the health centre these things anymore. She may share her in our magazine. money and give you,” says another grand- and they give me a paper and I bring it stories with her family when discussing “Nani is the youngest thing you have child. “When she come by you and she and give my husband, because you know the old days but she prefers to focus on in this area here,” jokes Silla. “We know leaving and you going to give she a hug, the now, the life she is enjoying now. them from small, we always across here, when you look so is because she have a I couldn’t read and thing. She and her family have no issue with she is somebody like family. Anywhere I hundred dollars she giving to you. Up to “And they tell me I had to go to a doc- now she always helps.” tor in town and I went and they just see admitting that her life was better when am going she is ready to go, anywhere, she and her husband started living in sep- prayers, temple… Tobago.” She drops the What is the secret to Sookdeyah’s the paper and tell me I have to go. I re- long life? main a year and then I come back. I had arate homes on the compound where three last one with a big smile, as the family three children that time.” different humble family homes can be notes that Nani has been to Tobago many “Maybe the mind I have helped me to The story is admirable for the stoicism found; and that life got better after the times and thoroughly enjoys the travel. live this long,” she says with a laugh. with which she tells it. There is no longer abuser died some years ago. Up until a few months ago Sookdeyah “God have me going. I eat to a limit and Says daughter Neesa: “For her, for her would hop a taxi and head to her favourite time myself as to what I could eat and any pain or grief attached to the telling. age, if you ask her to go somewhere she place, the Edinburgh temple in Chagua- when I could eat. In the morning I take What was it like in Chacachacare tea and biscuit. Lunchtime I will eat my though, we ask, thinking it must have ready to go, she would never say no. For nas. Because of her age the family agreed rice and dhal and talkari. I does drink Eid she spent about three days by me. that it would be best if she not do that Milo, I don’t drink no black tea and cof- been a terrible time for her. But One day we went to walk Princes Town, anymore so they now take her to temple fee and I take my tea sweet. I have no dia- Sookdeyah surprises even her family betes or high blood pressure, nothing like when she says: “Well, I had it good. Be- one day we went to walk in Gulf City every Sunday that they can. that.” cause when you go there you working and Mall, one day we went to the beach. And “Everybody know Nani,” adds another Birthday plans were in the making for Sookdeyah’s 94th birthday at the writing of this piece. We wish her a wonderful birthday surrounded by all the people she loves!
May 2016 CentralBeat/YoungAchievers Page 9 Central sixth formers teach kids for free! By Saeeda M Ali Sushmita rightfully says, “Sixth Members of the formers are clearly very capable Throughout the nation there SFAS team. of doing a good job. If you ask are many children in need anyone from SFAS about the ex- of an education yet lack every single school,” says Jaglal. ics could excel there too.” up. “‘Money doesn’t grow on perience they can tell you it was the sufficient funds to attend Currently, the programme takes “And it’s not mechanical,” trees, we don’t have money.’ If the most fun thing they ever did. school. Because of this, they can place across 23 secondary you keep preaching that story It’s the happiest place ever, right even lack the confidence and de- schools, with another branch in she adds. “Some workshops are that will be your reality. Money next to Disney World.” termination to get an education. South in the process of being ‘step one, do this. Step two, do always appears. In Trinidad we In order to combat this and moti- formed. this. Alright you’re doing team- have a serious poverty conscious- Adeeb outlines what people vate children into discovering work; we’re done. Have a certifi- ness going around; everyone outside the organisation can do to their potential, a group called The programme takes place cate.’ This is 110 percent says, well you have to tighten assist: “They can offer their pro- SFAS - Students For All Students for five weeks from July every interactive, and we teach them to your belt... I mean, you must be fessional help - like someone - has established an academic and year, with classes and activities be free spirited in a positive aware of your surroundings, and making breakfast for the kids, or social community where children from Monday to Friday. The way.” we’re in a recession, but that a psychologist having a work- can get an education, free of committee tracks the progress of does not mean that we are poor. shop about disorders common charge. each student during the pro- SFAS makes it their duty to It is your heart, your friends, among children, or even a busi- gramme and gives out reports, get to the heart of the matters af- your family, that is richness.” nessperson donating to help The idea for the organisation changing their teaching methods fecting the kids, and to let them maintain the goals of the organi- first came about in 1999 when from time to time based on rat- know that their circumstances do A concern that many have sation. Other organisations can the founder Kassie Seetaram, ings from each class. not define them. To do this, the about the group is its operation even reach out to have joint then a Sixth Form student at tutors attend a series of work- by sixth formers; however, as events.” Carapichaima East Secondary, They give breakfast to the shops on how to deal with kids, and his friends had a brilliant children every morning, and dis- with help from founder Kassie “All of us have one goal in idea. They decided to help kids tribute hampers to two children Seetaram and a school represen- mind - it’s to help the kids,” who couldn’t afford an education, in each class for Christmas. For tative, both social workers, who Sushmita adds. “People ask what and started small before realising individual attention, the classes assist from time to time. we get in return, how are we it could become an actual organi- hold up to 25 students with about paid. I mean we never even con- sation. 12 tutors per class. Sometimes, The tutors have to attend a sidered, or thought about being past members who are currently minimum of two workshops in paid, because we don’t care for it. SFAS is now registered with UWI students help out. order to effectively interact with When we see that smile on that the Ministry of Community De- the kids. “It’s a really fragile situ- child’s face when we give them velopment as an NGO, and con- “Whatever knowledge we ation we’re dealing with. Some breakfast on a morning, because tinues to grow every year. At have,” says Jaglal, “it will be come from fragile homes and some of them don’t get lunch or first, there were about 25 kids given.” teachers can treat them badly at breakfast – that’s the only moti- until 2015 with at least 500 kids school.” vation that we need to help them enrolled. The children come from “The ultimate goal of SFAS,” and make a difference. Just...do it Standard 1to Form 5 across says Adeeb, “is to create a net- The workshops, like the tutor- for the kids.” schools in Central, and the tutors work among students, both pri- ing sessions, are delivered with a are all Sixth Form students from mary and secondary, so they can pragmatic approach. Shaueel Per- Sushmita Jaglal and Adeeb Rajab, the current President and Vice many different schools. help each other. Because differ- sadee, the Student Recruitment President of SFAS. ent people have their own Officer, says, “We try to instil the The main branch is at Cara- strengths, and that might be same values we talked about. If pichaima East Secondary which someone else’s weakness - such a the tutors don’t know it, or how at first was the only centre, until network would catalyse the posi- to tell it to a kid, then we have to Sushmita Jaglal and Adeeb tive growth of the students since teach them first. So our work- Rajab, the current President and everyone can help everyone shops basically surround team Vice President and first year else.” building exercises and instilling UWI students, decided to ex- the kind of values that we want pand. “It was never meant to be them to demonstrate to the kids, just work,” says Sushmita. “We so they would also have it. In that “We said, why limit to research different ways that we way, you start from ‘I have it, I Freeport kids when we can do the can teach the kids, you know - give you, you give to the kids, whole of Caroni! And still, we sitting down in the classroom and the kids give to society, and wanted to do another branch, but with notes, that’s real boring, so their homes.” we had to take it one step at a we try to be innovative.” time,” Jaglal says. “We let them know that they The committee draws activi- could be anything, education is Following this, the committee ties from the archives created by free in this country, anything is got a listing from the Ministry of the founders - all while docu- possible; give them that motiva- Education for all the Caroni Dis- menting the process themselves tion to go out in the school term trict schools. “We recruited at with their own successful ideas. and say, this hard, that’s okay. I’m not going to give up,” says SFAS “It’s a holistic development. Sushmita. “Because at the end of founder Yes we tackle academics, but it all it’s going to be worth it. Kassie that’s 50 percent of it. The other And every single morning we Seetaram. 50 percent is helping them with make it our duty to let them their emotional and psychologi- know that they could achieve cal issues that would affect them anything that they want - it’s pos- home. We’re doing this to really sible. Nothing and no one could make a difference in society. Peo- take that away from them, unless ple learn in different ways. Some they let their negative thoughts people don’t like school – that’s get to them.” okay. We teach you trade. We have a time called Playroom Sushmita talks about some- where we do physical activities thing we have all heard growing so those who don’t like academ-
Page 4 CentralBeat/CentralAchievers September-October 2018 HARDEO RAMSINGH and his wife Doolarie surrounded by children and grandchildren at Teacher Hardeo Ramsingh – Felicity’s proud educator By Vashty Maharaj, Editor crying so loudly for?’ And my sister told The cover of the book ‘History of Felicity’ and then take a bike to ride down to the principal ‘He wants to go to school.’ by Mr Hardeo Ramsingh. Felicity and so nobody wanted to go to A t the age of three, Hardeo Rams- He said send him, send him to school. Felicity from the outer areas. ingh would cry to go to school And I went to school there and he en- just over the hedge at his family’s rolled me and of course I had no birth “So that’s how I started to teach, home on Cacandee Road in Felicity. certificate and he put a date of birth, and without passing any exam, both of us, Today, at 89, he is fondly and forever he enrolled me in the school and I start- and that was in 1944. We had to write known throughout Felicity as ‘Teacher ed to go to school really very early before seven exams and I got through with all Ramsingh’, the area’s most outstand- the normal five years.” of mine. I started with my first exam at ing educator and the man who was the with teaching and education. first to take Felicity’s Presbyterian and 15 in 1944 and I finished the last exam Hindu primary schools to new heights of “From an early stage I wanted to do in ‘50. 7 exams ‘44 to ‘50. And then achievement. well. I don’t know what made me get from ‘51 I was selected to go to training that sort of temperament, to do well. I college. When I went to training college, “I was the third in the family, among hated not to come very high in my class- I came back after the two year and I was the siblings,” Teacher Ramsingh ex- es and I went on like that until I reached posted back to the Felicity Presbyterian plains. “I had two sisters who were older the top classes, Standard 6 and 7. And School. than me and we lived next door to the when I reached Standard 6, the principal Presbyterian school. And my sister who saw that I was doing well right through. He was subsequently encouraged by was older than me, immediately above He called me and another student called the principal to get a post at the new me, used to go to school and from the John Subrin and said, ‘look I want to Hindu school in the area since it would time I was three years of age, I used to make two of you teachers you know, cry to go with her because I loved to go you want to become teachers?’ And of - and play with the children in the school course we said yes. He asked our fathers ment. He would later move on to because there were a lot of children in for their agreement and he said ‘alright Waterloo Hindu School where he spent the school here and I used to just crawl get them ready for Monday, get clothes 20 years as a teacher and then principal, through a hibiscus fence separating our and shoes and so on, they starting to and ended his career in education after plot from the school and I would go and work Monday as teachers.’ nine years at the Orange Field Hindu sit down in the school and if they only School. tried to debar me, the teachers or even Mr Ramsingh explains that the reason my eldest sister, I would start to cry. get teachers to go to Felicity in those “Now I never had the privilege to days because they had to travel by train attend a secondary school; that is im- “The principal heard me crying and portant because they did not have even a asked my eldest sister ‘What is that boy private secondary school and in any case to send me to Chaguanas or anywhere Couva or even San Fernando and so on.
September-October 2018 CentralBeat/CentralAchievers Page 5 The Felicity Presbyterian School where Ramsingh once taught. out from a class and made me a Sabha. And that is what motivated me, teacher. Otherwise I would’ve trying to lift the down trodden because I In fact there was no private secondary level, and the next two years I said I must ended up probably in the estate was helped by my principal and I would school in Couva and Central. If you have a full certificate, you know at least as a labourer or become a tailor say that was the motivating factor wanted to go to a school to do the Cam- 5, so I took courses in those subjects and since that was one of the only throughout my teaching life.” bridge exam you had to go San Fernando, I was able to get English, Geography, avenues open other than work- to Naparima. English Economic History and English ing in the field.” Even after retirement Teacher Rams- Language and I completed four O-Levels ingh continued to find avenues for edu- “When I finished at training college and two A-Levels and I felt very com- Because of that inspira- cating others, taking on a role as teacher and I came back, I felt less than other fortable because those people coming tion he found satisfaction in and then supervisor at YTEPP for some people who graduated especially those from secondary school couldn’t tell me moulding young minds and seven years. When older educators got people who went to college after. After anything because they respected what helping his students to achieve forced out by one administration to I came back from training college there I had because it was even superior to unprecedented excellence in make way for jobs for young people he were lots of high schools and the Com- theirs with my 2 A levels and 4 O levels.” the rural Hindu schools of the was disappointed but was soon back mon Entrance exam had come in and Maha Sabha. In the college in the fray when the Basdeo Panday people were becoming very educated In his quest for excellence he went on exhibition of that time he was administration introduced adult centre and coming in into the primary school to to pursue several professional diplomas able to successfully coach stu- programmes with one located in Felicity. teach and they were sort of higher than in teaching and then eventually started dents in all his schools with the me in qualifications because they had attending university as an evening stu- first one making it into Queen’s “And of course when they decided to their Cambridge certificate and I did not dent, and got his BA. Royal College, with more to start the programme over here Panday have anything like a secondary certifi- follow. His detractors assumed asked me if I would be interested and cate, so I felt embarrassed and I said no, “I found it very gratifying to emerge that it was just luck but he I worked in the adult centre program t I have to do something about it and I as a teacher and one of the motivating went on to prove them wrong from 1995 to 2008 but when I turned 80 wrote the London exam, London GCE. factors throughout my teaching career year after year. I said I had enough and I gave it up, but was that I was helped to become some- a number of people who passed through “In the first sitting I got two advanced body by my principal, who just took me He relates: “There began a the adult centre also, they were able great influx of students moving to complete their five subjects at least. into the Hindu school and in Some of them have gone on to become a short time the attendance rose very, doctors and lawyers, and I am proud of very high and the amount of teachers that.” rose considerably from about 8 to about 13 in a very short time. And that is what With all those years of education motivated me. I didn’t stop there. When and an amazing capacity for retention they sent me to Waterloo from here, the of finely detailed information on the both schools in Waterloo, Presbyterian history and culture of the country, Mr and Hindu did not ever win a college Ramsingh has also emerged as a promi- exhibition. Carapichaima Anglican used nent writer in Felicity. His book on Felic- to win. So I went there in ’59 and I told ity is considered a valuable contribution the one of the teachers, I said we have to to the history of Central and another send somebody to write college exhi- on Myths, Legends, Folklore and Social bition. So he said alright, we will try. I Practices in Felicity also has an appre- chose some children and we gave them ciative reading audience. special coaching. And Carol Alladin, she won the first college exhibition. These days Mr Ramsingh spends time So you know with this, it lifted my at his home with his beloved wife of 66 esteem in the eyes of the villagers and in years, Doolarie, and is always willing to the eyes of the ministry as well as Maha receive visitors who turn up to tap his brain and memory for important histori- cal information.
Page 4 CentralBeat/CentralMusic August 2015 ktä|xÜ fàÜ|Çzá – two sisters take the violin beyond the classics By Aryana Chelsea Janelle and forces this: “I learnt to appreciate that what we have, Janine share a what is ours, is good, and I made sure as children they “Out of babes came the violin.” loving kiss with were schooled in the local music. Put them in every It started with two violins, a dedicated mother and environment, they are able to perform well.” her two eager daughters. Unaware as to the reason mom Joan. for choosing to play this specific classical instrument before Janelle felt unsatisfied. She soon realized where Joan recalls a time when learning to play calypso in the first place, Janelle Xavier, one of the two her passion lay and began to actualize it by starting the and other local music was rewarded with “licks” by Xavier sisters, recounts finding out about their possi- “Xavier School of Music” as her daytime job, with loca- her music teacher. Ironically, when she ventured to bly “subconscious” decision to do so. tions in Chaguanas, Diego Martin and Port of Spain. England the first thing they asked her to play was her Laying the foundation for the path they followed, She also talks about being involved in the now- own Caribbean music. their mother and current manager, Joan Bacchus- dissolved Divine Echoes. Xavier, was first a classically trained musician her- Janelle chimes in: “We were also trained by our self. While studying music in England as a double “It was a good experience, you mother. She took us to Tobago to listen to the tambrin bass player from 1978 to 1982 and playing with the learnt more about reading your band. She made sure we went paranging in Paramin. Middlesex University’s orchestra, Joan became preg- own music,” she states. “Your” We played our music. That caused us to make the Eu- nant and gave birth to her two girls. meaning Trinidadian music. In ropean instruments our own.” Janelle continues, “What we found out later on is fact, Joan has placed great im- we had always been in front of the orchestra. We portance on learning to In 2011, after much deliberating throughout the were born while she was in the orchestra. She just put us sight-read and perform our years, they founded their own band to play their own in front with the violin.” local music. music, consisting of the Xavier duo now playing elec- After the three Js; Joan, Janelle and Janine (the second tric violins and other members such as Rodney Har- sister) returned from England, Joan began to teach them Joan rein- ris, keyboardist/musical director; Kevon La Fleur, music. At the ages of six and seven years old, they felt it bassist; Tamba Gwindi, percussionist; and the drummer, was time to take up the task of learning to play another The Jonathan Hensley, formerly David Richards. Janelle also instrument apart from the common choices of piano and Xavier singing. That’s when “out of babes came the violin.” sisters frontlines as the alto lead singer/soloist and vio- From Anselm Walters and Gunilla Tang Kai to the Na- Janelle linist. tional Youth Orchestra under the direction of Shirley (right) “To have a symphonic James, they passed through some locally notable hands, instrument playing playing their violins. and Caribbean music, music But what makes this duo Central-certified? Janine. that you can sing, is quite Originally “Port of Spain” girls, they both migrated to enjoyable,” says Joan, “That Central to live after marriage. has made them unique.” Their mother puts it best by saying, Why the name “Xavier “Life is volatile. It changes.” And, Strings”? given their talent, Central would be Well, one time while glad to claim them as our own. playing at a wedding, they After attending Bishop Anstey were asked their name to High School in Port of Spain, which they responded with Janelle went on to study Geol- “Xavier”. However, it ogy and Environmental Infor- seemed like the MC didn’t matics while Janine pursued find that catchy enough and Biological Sciences and rechristened them “Xavier Spatial Planning. Strings” which apparently Putting their music ca- stuck. reer on hold, due to the The ambitious girls touted “impractica- didn’t stop there; they went bility” of success in music other back to university, this time, than teaching and the University of Trinidad and soca, they fur- Tobago and graduated with an thered their aca- Artist Diploma in Music Perform- demic studies, ance in 2013. journeying to Eng- Speaking of their experience land yet again. When there, Janelle excitedly explains, they returned, they “That was huge. They brought over mu- acquired jobs in their sicians, specialists in each area from the respective fields. US and UK and what they know and expe- However, it was- rience is at a different level. The competition n’t long is ridiculous. You have to be so extraordinary. They taught us our craft. They taught us the technique. They taught us more about read- ing. It was the most worthwhile experience.” Although mostly known for playing cover versions of popular songs such as Farmer Nappy’s “Big People Party” and “My House”, Fay-Ann Lyons’ “Raze” and Michael Jackson’s pop songs as well as others, they fi- nally released their own composition on Satur- day July 25 2015 at Movie Towne, together with their album, Caribbean Violin Elegance. Inspired by the earthquake in Nepal, for their new creation they collaborated with Rodney Harris to give us what Janelle describes as “a pop classical feel with some Caribbean syncopation in between” named Calming River. “It starts calm and then it gets rapid. The idea being that we all have to go through different places in life, so convoluted and so complex. Xavier Strings continues on Page 5
August 2015 CentralBeat/CentralMusic Page 5 ‘Music kept our family together’ Xavier Strings from Page 4 learning the music business After that comes peace, the calm comes back. slowly at our own pace.” It means there’s always hope in any situation,” explains However, not too fast, Janelle. she acknowledges, “Every- Apart from performers, they also regard themselves as entertainers, even hiring a choreographer for their show at thing has been our own jour- Movie Towne to put them in groove. Janelle clarifies, “We always did choreography. We did what we felt.” ney and we’ve been very They’ve got a few notches under their belt including fortunate.” playing for the Tobago Jazz festival, first as an opening act and the second time as a headliner; Jazz Artists on the When CBeat asks how Greens; being one the first acts in the opening of the Point Fortin Jazz two years ago; and collaborating on stage music affected them emo- with known faces such as Desperadoes, Destra and Black Stalin. tionally while being raised They’ve also brought their music to Chaguanas at pri- in a single-parent household, vate events held at Signature Hall and Centre Pointe Mall, as well as performing for the Chaguanas Chamber of Janelle responds, “Music Commerce at its 20th anniversary celebrations last De- cember. was a very stabilizing force, Apart from playing for the National Philharmonic Or- it kept our family together. chestra, Janelle and Janine have spread local music inter- nationally by performing in the US, England, Barbados When we didn’t have a and Spain. radio, we sang. Those times What was the reception like there? “They absolutely loved us. We had a jam session with a The sisters in performance at of deprivation when you had flamenco guitarist and he was in awe,” Janelle states MovieTowne in July. to practice more because proudly. you didn’t have a Barbie, all What can we expect from them in the future? “It’s really all about capitalizing on the marketing op- private events as opposed to public events. So the public of these things came from portunities out there and the music that’s popular. There’s doesn’t really know us.” not having. It’s the reason why we’re still together as a a seasonality to our music that’s popular. We do a lot of team although we don’t get along at times. We depend on To rectify that, they hope to do more school tours, re- each other because that’s what we know.” lease a live recording of their performance at Movie Towne, possibly take on the St Lucia Jazz Festival, as Sharing her advice for upcoming musicians, Janelle well as focus on their marketing techniques and travelling says, “I want to see more children take up the violin and abroad. more classically trained musicians, more indigenous styles of music. We have a greater mix of music that “The music industry is not defined in the same sense comes to us. Everywhere else in the world there’s a lot of that a lot of our industries are. It’s a ‘find your own segregation. We are more ready for the world stage. It’s way’.” She adds, “On the business side, we now under- just about being true to yourself. Whatever it is that you stand our own sound engineering, we understand the are then be that and do it fully. Follow it with your whole management, what it takes to put on productions. We are heart and your whole head. Go after it completely. Just the ones who writes up the invoices etc. We’ve been focus.”
Page 6 CentralBeat/CentralArtist November 2016 The artist, Nickolas Peeteman, with one of his works. Nickolas PeetemanAsSheFlows – creating art for the love of nature By Saeeda M Ali going to see what we’re seeing He has achieved many things Original Sin shy,” he laughs, “meeting people Trinidad can boast of its natu- now. I remember when I was in his five years as a visual artist. “Lots of my work is commis- and explaining my art, but from young, all through Warren Road “Through the exhibitions and so sioned, or it goes through exhibi- there, everything just kicked off. ral, beautiful landscapes and was just cane, cane, cane...and on I get a lot of exposure, so I’m tion,” he says. “I have about two It was very easy after that. That wide variety of flora and fauna. now, there’s nothing like that. in the process of building myself exhibitions a year.” His first ex- was three years ago.” However, such landscapes are Most of our history is gone. And up. Right now I have a piece hibition was at Movie Towne in constantly being polluted, despite art is a way to preserve it. It’s al- being featured around the Port of Spain. “At first I was Continues on Page 7 the efforts of others to prevent ways going to be there.” Queen’s Park Savannah called this. Thirty-two-year-old Nicko- ‘Into the Amazon’, and two other las Peeteman is a local artist from When did he know he wanted featured pieces at Krave Restau- Couva who recognises nature’s to paint? “I always had a liking rant.” In addition to this, Peete- plight and seeks to visually pro- for colours from the age of 9 and man’s art is also being featured mote the conservation of local I continuously practiced. In high on clothing apparel by an Ameri- nature through his art. school I chose art as a CXC sub- can based company called Vida. ject and I had a great teacher who “Nature is a big inspiration to gave me the push to go into art “I actually found my calling me,” he explains. “Nature and fully from there. So that’s how I in 2012. I was home for a while life on a whole are my two major really developed my skills. I’m before I started working with this sources of inspiration as an artist, mostly self-taught so that’s where company and I just continued to because when you look at the my techniques come into play paint and thought that one day I world right now and the way it is with continuous practice. want to be a full time visual being treated and polluted, from artist, and I focused myself to- how it was 20 years ago, it is a “After school, I went into bar- wards that and stuck to it. So I huge difference. And I think by bering because at that time find myself painting almost every showing someone part of my idea graphics wasn’t really a big day. To get into that zone, I use it might actually go a long way; thing, then I studied some music. Meditational music, you won’t litter, and might actu- graphic courses in SBCS. After sometimes reggae – in fact, one ally understand the beauty of that I got a job at a printery and of my biggest inspirations is Bob what we have here because with- from there I moved into the field Marley. He came from nothing, out the earth, we won’t survive.” of creating advertisements.” and made himself somebody, and he’d spread peace and love, and His fascination with nature Currently, Peeteman works as that’s what we’re lacking right sprouted from his childhood. a graphics artist at Persad’s D now in society, you know? I “Growing up in the countryside Food King. “I do visual arts part think you can also bring that built my inspiration because get- time. I actually got more in- through art, it’s just to find the ting up early in the morning you volved in the arts about five correct direction to put it on the see the sun rising over the grass, years ago. I saw myself building canvas so that people under- and the sugarcane...it’s a different a better technique, so within that stand.” feeling. That’s why I’m so close time period I built myself as an to nature. In 10 years we’re not artist, and got recognised.” What other artists does he look toward for inspiration? What are the stories behind “When I was younger, one guy I his paintings? “My first theme used to look at every Saturday was about nature and its preser- morning on Channel 4 was Ian vation, landscape and such, but Ali. He had some painting ses- right now it’s more into surreal- sions, so that taught me. I don’t ism,” he explains. “It’s a deeper have one inspirational artist; I touch into your mind, of how I like a lot of American artists like feel and what I experience per- Bob Ross, Kevin Hill, William sonally, because I’m more into a Alexander - those are guys I ac- spiritual path, so I guess my mind tually looked at and built some opened up into deeper change. techniques from them.” It’s a new trend for us in the Caribbean because when you go In fact, Peeteman is now a to exhibitions you see a lot of teacher of his own. On weekends, local stuff so you know it’s some- he teaches art to adults, and dur- thing new, and I want to bring ing the August holidays teaches that trend into Trinidad and To- kids aged 8-12. bago.”
November 2016 CentralBeat/CentralArtist Page 7 A difficultEdge of the Earth From Page 6 path to follow His art has drasti- Avocat Waterfall, Trinidad cally changed from the first time, with his con- tinued refinement. “It’s a big, big difference,” he explains, “because within the last two years I found my niche so once I go onto the can- vas, everything just hap- pens magically. It’s still a learning process, but the major part of that process is already done. Now it’s seeing what other artists do, maybe getting an idea from it, but I always keep origi- nal to what I have.” Art purchasing is not a common practice in Trinidad, he explains, but the people who re- ally want to buy appreci- ate local landscapes. “If you really want some- body to purchase your art, you have to be origi- nal with it,” he says. Pursuing the arts in Trinidad and Tobago can be a difficult path for many who share this passion of expression. “As a young artist, cura- tors tend to go for the older artists to give them faster exposure so it was a really hard road,” he laments. However, peo- ple eventually began taking notice of the artist which gave him the strength to continue. “From there I decided to get a manager to get more exposure – so we go to a lot of venues and exhibit. And that’s where my career was built. Now, I have gal- leries that want to ex- hibit my work! Even international galleries in London and America.” “Honestly, I think to all the youths out there – it’s a struggle to reach somewhere in life, but the main thing to do is focus on what it is you want to do and never give up. Because God knows your struggle and he will bless you accord- ingly once he sees that your heart is pure and your focus is there. That is the main key to life – you never give up and you don’t back out. When sometimes you reach rock bottom, that’s when you know that good things are going to come. That’s my per- sonal experience. Just never give up.”
Page 4 CentralBeat/TalentCentral February 2016 A Cup of Tea with... singer and musician Kaveesh Maharaj By Aryana Chelsea The singer in training with his capitalizing on my musical talent again ments like manjeera, dhantal and most re- colleagues in India. and I became a little more aware of my- cently, the melodica, he can play them At first sight, Kaveesh Maharaj self, what I feel, how I could start using all. He has never attended a class to learn looks like any other guy strolling him to temporarily replace music with this now to channel it via music.” to play any of those instruments. into Rituals for a cup of tea in the cricket and football. morning but the truth is, he isn’t “any He recalled his first high school per- Apart from his family’s aspirations other guy”. He’s a young vocalist and “One of my dreams was to play for formance while in Lower Six and remem- for him and his inspiration from them, he musician making a name for himself in West Indies,” he says. “I was reaching bers singing Sonu Nigam’s version of reasons that as a vocalist, he needed to be Trinidad’s thriving artistic community. there, I got selected to go to a higher divi- “Tera Ramji Karenge Beda Paar” for the accompanied by musicians, so why not sion but I didn’t go because Common En- Hindu Youth Organization. do it himself? As he introduces himself it becomes trance was there at that time and my apparent why he has quickly become father was like, ‘I don’t want to see you He recalls, “All the girls and boys Why was he drawn to music in the such a popular singer in his homeland. too distracted by the cricket.’ ” started screaming because they didn’t first place? “I care a lot for trivial things,” His voice comes pre-packaged with its know I had the talent, because I used to is his answer in a nutshell, a light way of own melody. Listening for the next hour However, he did go on to become an hide.” indicating his all-abiding passion as an becomes a pleasure as opposed to a all-rounder for his alma mater, Couva artist for life and all its complexities. chore. East Secondary, as opening bowler and From playing instruments to writing We start at the beginning, his family, batsman. his own music, he began performing “I get disappointed when, you know, whose love and support has moulded him again. Taking that simple leap of faith, it others don’t reciprocate or society itself into the person he is today and indirectly Even as he admits to being a ‘cricket opened up newfound doorways for him to doesn’t do that and music helps me with guided his career path. freak’, the lure of the music drew him explore his talent and gain exposure, tak- that. Also, I’m a very spiritual person and back to his real passion. ing him on a never-ending journey. I find one of the ways to connect is He explains that his dad’s family through music.” comes from California in Central He says, “When I was about sixteen Kaveesh tells Central Beat that he is Trinidad. “I grew up in a family that was years old, I couldn’t help it anymore. fully self-taught. To be self-taught in one “I think music is the best medium to very much musically inclined and reli- Music was starting to draw me back; I or two instruments is admirable enough really translate a message, be it emo- gious.” didn’t leave it out completely you know, I but it turns out he has learnt to play eight tional, spiritual or religious,” he adds. was just hiding from public. Nobody instruments entirely on his own! Encouraged by both his father, Narin knew I could sing.” After completing his back-up plan of Maharaj, and late grandmother, Jassodra From the harmonium to the piano, a Literature degree at UWI, he was ready Maharaj, to sing and perform, their moti- Then came the “rebirth”. guitar, tabla, dholak, to percussion instru- to shed the safety net of possibly becom- vation honed his ear for music, manifest- “When I started to — how I could ing a teacher and really commit his life to ing itself in regular attendance to temples say it — find myself more, I pulled back his music. on Sunday mornings and Sai Baba sat- from the sports a little bit and I started sangs where he was encouraged to be a “I just wanted to go and just do the part of the worship. dream of being a musician and singer,” he says simply. “Just being around there it started to get into my head until I started singing on Thus began his journey to becoming my own,” he explains. “When I was two a professional and accomplished singer and half years old, I started singing, sit- and performer. In 2014 he was accepted ting on their laps.” to attend KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, India under the patronage of Dr. Speaking about how he got exposed, A.R. Rahman. he says, “Everywhere I went my grand- mother and father would encourage me “It’s a school which shares a message and push me to sing in little functions. that I really enjoy, which is a fusion of Like when you go by family, ‘Ok, sing Western and Eastern slammed together in this song for them and show aunty how one. So you learn across the board.” you singing this song or sing this song for uncle.’ ” One of the first West Indians to attend the college, it presented a privileged op- Shyness overtook the singing as he portunity and rich experience musically. headed into his teenage years, causing He brought a different flavour to the table, Indian music with a Trinidadian flair. Continues On Page 5 Kaveesh in his element as a performer.
February 2016 CentralBeat/TalentCentral Page 5 ‘India was a game changer’ From Page 4 Kaveesh However, he does believe that his ca- performs with reer trajectory is going upward, from per- He concurs, “Because of my style his hero Anup forming at mass functions to singing with that’s embedded here, they love that.” his guru, Anup Jalota. While he has per- Jalota. formed at the Divali Nagar, receptions and Spending approximately ten to twelve concerts, he hopes to do his own concert months there, he progressed a lot but his and prefer, is not the safest financially it.” He says that many times he has been soon and even release his first official mind still wandered to home. He recounts speaking. So music helps me up to a used conveniently for his talent but he soundtrack, a cover and duet of “Tere facing a number of challenges, including point.” will not allow that anymore. After playing Bina Zindagi Se Koi” with Indian Idol the language barrier — they spoke Tamil with and hiring other musicians to accom- season 4 contestant, Bhavya Pandit. His and little English. “But being there and But he remains staunchly committed pany him, he understands how important reason for covering older Indian music is being around people of all different parts to his choice: “I want to not change, you it is for one to be valued for their time, ex- because it has “a lot more shelf life and a of the world...” can’t change something now, you have to perience and skill. lot more depth”. present something new until people like Yet he says, “I always say Trinidad Kaveesh describe his music as “a has a more cultural strength within it, a merging of elements. It’s Hindustani Clas- very much more mystical cultural strength sical, it’s Western Classical.” within it than what I felt in India.” He dreams of having a Western band India was the game changer for him, with the only thing Indian being his voice. an experience that showed that he needed Committed to being an outstanding ‘live’ to create a new way forward for his music. performer, he’s been influenced by vocal- ists and musicians such as Anup Jalota, “My music has become sweeter after Jagjit Singh, John Mayer, Scorpion, Jour- India because I struggled a little bit,” he ney, Sparrow, Kitchener, Mungal Patasar, says. Orange Sky and Sundar Popo just to name a few. He says that their music taught him “I know what I want, I know what “how to appreciate things in life more, es- field I want to go into, which is my music, pecially other people’s feelings”. I know exactly, exactly, exactly what I want to do but now placing my hands on His ultimate goal, he says is, “to make it, it’s a little bit, how I could say, scat- music that touches people every single tered and a little more out of reach than day of their lives that they need to have it how I would’ve expected,” he states. in order to survive. Music that when you have a break up, when you have a down On the issue of financial stability in a day, when you have a happy moment, the notoriously unstable industry, Kaveesh ad- sound amplifies and speaks for you what mits, “Soca and chutney rule the industry. you can’t say.” It’s the mass, the mass love it. But be- cause I am not really wanting to conform to any of those genres, I would suggest that the fusion type of music I perform
Page 16 CentralBeat/IndianArrivalDay May 2017 Ravi Mahase redefines art with his beautiful murtees By Beena Mahabal before that happened, one day on my own, I took Murtee artist Ravishankar Mahase the airbrush gun and stared painting a murtee that Lord Hanuman Some people are trained for of Freeport. was already in the process of being completed. A rangoli design by Ravi. their profession, others are When my dad saw that the work was progress- born with it. pieces, I believe that it is indeed a ing, he further encouraged me to continue. No Goddess Lakshmi On such person is thirty-nine- gift from the Lord above.” formal training or courses but like I said this is year old Ravishankar Mahase, or my gift from God.” ‘Ravi’ as he is fondly referred by Ravi says he was never formally all. A resident of Chase Village in trained as an artist despite encour- Ravi says that his inspiration comes from his Freeport all his life and an artist by agement to do so by his father. father’s work. profession, Ravi’s job entails mak- ing murtees or religious statues of “As a testimony to that, my fa- “Growing up, I used to see him turn simple Hindu deities. He sculpts the origi- ther used to encourage me to do a materials such as sand and cement into beautiful nals and even repairs and repaints “course” in airbrush painting, but works of art. A lot of our work involves not only existing ones. creating concrete murtees, but we also do repairs and refurbish marble stone murtees and statues, The tagline for his business metal pieces and even plastic.” R&S Murtee world, “Redefining Art, Resurrecting Culture” is some- He says though some pieces may look sim- thing Ravi says he is determined to ple, it takes a lot of patience, materials and skills carry out as such skills require time, to make it happen. effort and patience. A devout Hindu, Ravi says his job has af- Speaking with Central Beat, forded him the opportunity to work throughout Ravi says he has been in the murtee the length and breadth of Trinidad repairing and making business for the past 16 refurbishing hundreds of murtees. years. “My job has taken me to places as far as “My father, Chaman Mahase, Biche, Plum Mitan, Moruga and Penal to name a was involved in the murtee making few. While I have done numerous jobs at private business since he was sixteen years homes and temples, I have worked at some his- old, he learnt and inherited the trade torical sites in the country as well such as the from his father Bhagoutie Mahase. I well-known Paschim Kashee St James Mandir, entered the field in the year 2001, the ever popular Triveni Mandir and even the when I was twenty three years tourist hub in Central, the Temple by the Sea. old…prior to this trade, I worked at United Engineering in Point Lisas “My father and I even made some of the mur- as an electrician. I was urged and tees in the Triveni Mandir and the Temple by the encouraged by my father to work Sea; also if you were to pass by St. Julien’s vil- and join the business so that I lage in Princes Town, you would notice the sec- would always be self-sufficient. ond largest Hanuman murtee in the Caribbean which stands at 18 feet tall…that too was made “When I started to work with by my father and myself.” my dad, I started at the bottom of the ladder, the basic ground work. I Ravi was brought up in a strong cultural and used to mix mortar and cut steel for religious home, his grandfather being the late fabrication of the murtees. I would Sugrim Gangabissoon - a man who authored sev- honestly state though, that while I eral religious books including “An Outline of The learnt methods and ways to create Ramayan” and “It is Dawn, Awake” and he says this too played an important role in his decision to become a full time artist involved in both sculpting and painting. “Being in the business of making murtees, the murtees of course being religious in nature, I have a better understanding of what I do. I don’t paint by guess, but by what I know. My late grandfather always spoke of the importance of not just working hard, but also working for the upliftment of Sanatan Dharma. You see, besides being an author, my grandfather taught Hindi and Religious Education to many students in Central Trinidad. I too was a student of his and from his religious classes, I learnt the details of each deity and what it represented. I held on to this knowl- edge and of course, I transfer it to my work and pieces.” Having inherited skills and knowledge from both his maternal and paternal sides, Ravi says he intends to pass on his knowledge in detail to both of his children, Raveena, 4 and Ravis- hankar Junior, 2. “Though they are both very young, they are already being taught religious and cultural tradi- tions, we take them to the temple as often as we can. My father is a musician, he plays instru- ments such as the Baansuri and harmonium, I am also a musician but I play the dholak and tabla. So even though my son is only two and a half years old, he has already begun to play the dho- lak as well. I can tell that he, too, has a passion for our culture and who knows he may be the 4th generation of artists. “The walls of my home is proof that both my children try to follow me, my toddler is always pretending that he is airbrushing a murtee, except with crayons,” the proud father adds. Ravi says while many may believe that being an artist is not quite a “real job”, it is only so when your culture and passion is hidden. “The sky is the limit when you are living your dream and when you follow your heart. Every task becomes almost effortless, my motto is Redefining Art, Resurrecting Culture and that is what I always intend to do.”
May 2015 CentralBeat/FashionCentral Page 15 TChheagLuaallnaaRsewsoormt aCnolilnescptiiornesby Charu By Vashty Maharaj Having it all: Charu Lochan Dass at centre, with models showing off The Lalla this month of May. Collection. Charu’s rise to fame on the local fash- Quick! Name a popular clothing designer from south of the Ca- Inspiration: Lalla Samlal Bachew in but it resonated with her and was rekin- ion scene came quickly and with much roni River. Like most people you one of the designs she inspired. dled when she did the gowns for the fanfare over the last two years and her probably can’t think of one. Well, in this strong women; in whatever ways we can Miss Universe 2014 show where the boutique CLD was only opened last edition of Central Beat that celebrates help empower women, we want to do theme was ‘empowering women’. April at Gallus Street in Woodbrook. Indian Arrival Day, allow us to intro- that. No one can take stress and deal She is no stranger to fashion though, duce you to Charu Lochan Dass, a de- with things the way women do, so I “When I met Lalla I never thought I having studied fashion design both in signer from Williamsville in Princes think women should not just be ap- would have had the kind of connection India and London and she is the proud Town who is turning the local fashion plauded but recognized in some way or with her that I did because she came owner of Charu Lochan Dass Ltd, a industry on its head and is already set to the other. Whatever little bit I can do across as very powerful and very strong. three-storey fashion centre in her home- take Trinidad and Tobago to new heights and in whatever way I can do it, I want We started interacting and when she town of Princes Town which has been internationally. to help. Because I am a brand and peo- came here, every single time she came going strong for some 14 years. But ple will listen to me. I feel I am in the she came with her husband and her while the clothing there is imported The young designer, who was born in position to help empower women.” daughter. And that sense of family, from Miami, Panama, Curacao and India but grew up in Trinidad, set the which I totally believe in, drew me to other places, CLD features mostly her local fashion world atwitter recently The seed for designing a collection her. It pulled a little string in my heart own designs. when she went against the norm and around one person was planted when a and I said to myself, ‘when I grow up I created a Resort collection around an male friend jokingly suggested she de- want to be like that woman’. Those designs saw her moving ‘ordinary’ Trini woman who captured sign a men’s collection and name it after quickly from her first showing in No- the ideal CLD woman – CLD being the him. She was not ready for that just yet “That is what inspired me with Lalla. vember 2013 at Aria in Woodbrook. name of her fashion house and an She is a successful businesswoman. She Someone associated with New York acronym for Charu Lochan Dass. is strong, independent, confident, so- Fashion Week saw her looks and by Jan- phisticated, she is a balanced woman. uary 2014 she was showing at NYFW. And Central folks will be proud to She was everything we want for a CLD While there she was invited to show at know that the Lalla Collection is named woman. Mercedes Benz Amsterdam this July for Chaguanas’ own Lalla Samlal where she will launch her new Bachew. Lalla, who is now a business- “I wanted to choose an ordinary Spring/Summer collection. In the midst woman, was born and grew up on St woman who is extraordinary in her own of all that she was invited to show at CF Yves Street, Chaguanas and is one of the way. You don’t have to be tall and Style Fashion Week in St Martin, her six daughters of the late Siew Samlal skinny to pull off fashion. Fashion fades clothes have been purchased by a major who worked for the county council, and but style is eternal and Lalla has it. She boutique in Ibiza where the fashionable later the regional corporation, for most already represents the CLD woman: Europeans go to party and she is in talks of his life. classy, sophisticated, very sexy but not to have her work in other major bou- in a raunchy kind of way, very sophisti- tiques in Miami. “I was quite shocked,” Lalla told Cen- cated and with subtle sex appeal.” tral Beat, “because no one has ever ap- “In January last year, before I even proached me to ask me something like Charu notes that she could have cho- went to NYFW the PM was wearing my this. Although I have had people design sen a popular or famous person or a TV clothes on a public platform,” Charu clothes for me before, she really took personality but this was an ordinary notes with some awe. “That was for me by surprise. I really was not expect- woman that she felt a connection with. Vogue Italia, for Masquerade when ing it go this far or this big.” She was re- Now, arising out of the success of the Vogue came to Trinidad. I was just two luctant to do it at first but her husband Lalla Collection she intends to continue months old and they asked me to come and daughter convinced her to go ahead to focus on women of substance for and showcase there. I was just blown and she is now delighted with the out- more collections in the future and, in away. My work is in Vogue!” come. fact, her next collection which will be featured at the Mercedes Benz Amster- She thinks that what people appreci- “I love, love, love the designs and I dam show will be named for another ated was that she was making wearable will certainly buy some pieces,” Lalla local woman whose name she is not yet clothing. says. It is something new to me. I am a ready to reveal. bit excited, still shocked. I wish Charu “I was clear cut from day one that I all the best and if this can do something This Lalla Collection is resort and is a wanted to produce wearable, sellable for her I wish her success. I like a mix- 25 look collection featuring a combina- clothing because I want to create a lu- ture of all kinds of styles and she cap- tion of bold, strong pieces but yet still crative business out of this,” she says. tures that for me.” very feminine. The colours are black and white and an off-white with a few “I always say I am a business woman In terms of other local fashion design- touches of colour. Twelve pieces were before I am a designer. I think a lot of ers the popular businesswoman says she shown at Fashion Coda in Tobago ear- CLD being a success would be because thinks our local designers should con- lier this year and 40 pieces were shown of my experience in retail, which is why sider fashioning their products after at a private viewing for a select audience I was clear cut from day one that I had everyday women and not just models. at The Renaissance at Shorelands earlier to make a lucrative business out of this. “Because they are ones who buy the Because fashion is a business, people clothes and they are the ones who wear don’t understand that, it is not just about the clothes and not just models,” she creativity and you put out something says. that is not even wearable on the runway. You get applauded and then what hap- “CLD has taken a turn in terms of the pens? What are you doing with that direction that we are headed in now,” piece, is it just for show? Fashion is big Charu explained to Central Beat re- business, fashion is big money. We need cently. “This is such a personal and to think that way.” emotional project for me. I want to give back because it was within such a short The designer says that her course co- space of time that we do so well… and ordinator in London always used to say why did we do so well? It was because you either want to be famous or you of the support that we have gotten.” want to be rich, choose one. Asked which one did she herself choose, she Explaining how she came to use ‘or- responds with her typical Charu joie de dinary women living extraordinary vivre: “Well, like everything else in life, lives’ as her muse, she said: “I believe in I say I want it all!”
Page 16 Central Beat/FashionBeat May 2015 The inspired fashions of Charu L Stunning Soft and flowing at The Renaissance. elegance in this ensemble shown at The Renaissance. Intricate detail in this evening dress. The little red dress from RTW collection 2014. White ruled at CLD’s One of recent fashion show at CLD’s The Renaissance. designs. Black glamour in the Ready to Wear Collection from 2014
May 2015 Central Beat/FashionBeat Page 17 Lochan Dass This resort Rich and colourful for Short and chic for dress can go Spring/Summer 2015. Spring/Summer 2015. from day to night as part of the Lalla Collection. black and white is always chic. Vibrant colour in the CLD Spring/Summer collection of 2015. Black glamour in The Lalla Collection. The Lalla Collection is a Resort Collection and this is the perfect resort dress. Soft whimsy in the Lalla Resort Collection. The Lalla Resort Collection showed lots of lovely white dresses.
Page 4 CentralBeat/CharityCentral November 2017 SEWA TT – Young People Serving with Love By Vashty Maharaj Members of SEWA TT He could barely Editor with packages prepared reach the table but Four years ago a group of for flood victims. he was there to 30somethings came to- forethought went into preparing help. gether to start a local simple sandwiches in the imme- branch of the famed organisation other organisations can take it diate days following the local emerge through simple social quired in the country,” Revan SEWA International. In 2017 also and improve on the flooding. The group realised that media call outs or through con- says. “So we also do a minimum many would say that these mil- processes if they do in fact need there was no sense in delivering tacts via friends and family and of three blood drives for the year lennials came of age. improving.” products for cooking given the the wider SEWA affiliates of and our target is to provide at prevailing conditions, neither temples and faith-based organi- least 100 units per year. Of SEWA Intl, according to the As an example of their com- was it always feasible to deliver sations around the country. In- course we surpass that every SEWA USA website, “is a Hindu mitment to fully informed plan- canned goods or heavy-weighted cluded in that support network year, now we want to revise the faith-based, humanitarian, non- ning he says that the hampers foods while wading through are prominent organisations like target to 200 units per year and profit service organization” they put together for relief sup- floods to deliver food. Thus they the Hindu Prachar Kendra hopefully as time goes on we which “is part of a larger move- plies were done following dis- settled on sandwiches that could founded by Ravi Ji and the Chin- will go beyond. Blood is some- ment that started in India in 1989 cussions with a nutritionist, after be easily handed over and would maya Mission. In fact, many of thing that everybody needs. and is active in twenty countries. considering the environmental not require immediate refrigera- the young people who came to- Whether you get in an accident SEWA serves humanity irrespec- impact and also considering is- tion to keep them fresh. gether to form SEWA are ‘gradu- or for other reasons. There is no tive of race, colour, religion, gen- sues like what were the best ates’ of the Kendra and members choosing when and who gets der or nationality.” foods to deliver to flood stranded Another unique aspect of of the Hindu Students’ Council. blood, when we give the blood, victims. SEWA TT’s work is the network whoever needs it gets it.” Revan Teelucksingh, chair- they have been able to organise Because of this growing net- person of the local organisation, “People give food packs all with supermarkets, sponsors, work, after Bret the group was SEWA TT’s members also do emphasises the point of universal the time but we sat down and we volunteers and well-wishers. able to put together over 6000 their part to feed the homeless service regardless of race, reli- took a look at the items and we They have been able to organise meals and after the October through Shamrock House in San gion etc, noting that this is simi- decided with a nutritionist that a system where people can go to floods they provided around Fernando. lar to the Red Cross which is the items that we require are veg- certain supermarkets across the 4000. And yet this involvement Christian based but works for etarian packs, because we are country and purchase a SEWA in disaster relief is neither the “By feeding the homeless everyone. sensitive to people who don’t eat pack for just $100. Those super- only nor the main work of the through Court Shamrock, the meat — and of course those markets right now include Xtra group. Over the past four years people come off the street, they Revan sat down recently with things require refrigeration,” Foods branches, West Bees Su- they have made commitments to eat the food there, they have the Central Beat at his El Soccoro Revan explains. permarket in Diego Martin, Per- provide food packages on three opportunity to take a shower and business-place to discuss the or- sad’s Stores, Super Quality and or more occasions during the it’s a very open environment, ganisation which has been so ac- Based on their work with the some others. The group is hoping year including times like Shivra- they can get any medical help tive during the recent relief nutritionist they put together re- to expand that number in the fu- tri, Eid or Christmas. that they need and then they efforts for hurricane ravaged Do- lief packs with the basics for a ture. “This is all part of the inno- could go back on the street if minica and flood relief efforts meal for a family including sta- vation where the team sat down “We have taken up certain they want. following the passing of Hurri- ples like rice, sugar, potato, flour, and we tried to deal with collec- projects that we thought are re- cane Bret over south Trinidad beans and peas, seasonings like tion and accountability too, be- Continues on Page 5 and what is now known as the garlic and onion, spices and cause the person gets a receipt ‘Divali floods’ of October this more. For the local flood victims and the supermarket can run a re- The ad with the list of supermarkets where relief packages can be year. they put the products in market port at the end of the month or at purchased. bags rather than plastic bags the end of the year and tell us Sewa, he notes, is the San- since the market bags are good how many item packs were pur- skrit word for ‘selfless service’ for long-term use. For the Do- chased, how much money or and the capitalised SEWA is an minican hurricane victims they how many items they have for acronym for Serving Everyone put the package in a bucket with us. All of this goes through their With Affection. the capacity to filter water. accounts so the accountability has to be spot on because it will “In many countries through- “The buckets are actually affect their balance sheet also. So out the world, SEWA does sus- water purification kits. There is a there are checks and balances all tainable projects, green projects, sieve that we put on top and a the way.” projects to help refugees, proj- special water filter. I’m sure you ects to help people who need would’ve seen people sending The actual provision of the help economically and they have tons and tons of water to Do- food or sandwiches made for dis- been working in many depressed minica and the other islands. tribution, takes place through an- areas. In Trinidad we started be- These are plastic bottles, what is other network, this time of coming active about four years going to happen to them? The temples and other spaces where ago. We’ve been doing small sanitation is not working and of SEWA puts out a request, pro- projects and this year was kind course there is a cost of shipping vides some of the money and the of our expansion year where the all that plastic and tons of water. temples take up the mantle, call need was just there. We’ve been Those islands have water on out their members and raise other doing a variety of things but the them, it’s just that it’s not clean, funds to make the sandwiches or disaster relief need arose and be- potable water so we could purify any other food stuff. cause we have been building the the water and they don’t have to organisational structure for the wait for us to send them water, After that comes the volun- past couple years everything just they can do it themselves. And teers to help in packaging or de- worked.” the cost for one of those filters is livery and this comes through about the cost for 10 cases of networking and liaising with Planning and structure are water. That 10 cases of water local government bodies and rep- two things that the 20 or so core will be used out in three days, resentatives. Many volunteers group members pride themselves this could be used for the entire on and it is what they believe year.” will help set them apart from some other NGOs that often are The same kind of thorough forced to operate on a mostly ad- hoc basis. “There are a lot of organisa- tions that do charity work, really good charity work but SEWA is a little bit different,” according to Revan. “Different in approach and different in the way that we do things. The projects that we choose, we actually try to think it through as best as we can so that we make sure that the project is as environmentally friendly as possible and that it is efficient as possible so that whatever we do,
Headline From Page 4 Some of the members of standing that people don’t get up versity, the ethnic diversity of SEWA TT and volunteers who ‘just so’ and just want to do Trinidad and Tobago, we really But of course in that whole came out to help put together something bad to people; if the have everything that we could be process they get the food, they relief packages for victims of politicians could stop wasting so a world class example that the get the opportunity to clean up much time being antagonistic and rest of the world would want to and it just helps generally and if the October floods. just really see the big picture, we follow. We have the creativity, we they want to come off the street believe we could progress and be have the resources, we have gen- there is an opportunity for that, at a dangerous level so by the an example for the world. eral infrastructure as well as there is a programme in Court time she realised what was hap- world class infrastructure that has Shamrock that they could pro- pening, the baby could’ve died.” “I mean when you look at the developed over the years by our vide.”Once a year the group takes cultural diversity, the religious di- people, so these are things, if we part in the annual beach clean-up With all this hard work and could harness all of this, harness and also do clean-up services in commitment what is it that drives the minds of all the different the Ganga Dhara space. There are the young leaders of SEWA TT? backgrounds that we have and also three health fairs held annu- put them working together, then ally. “We believe that once every- we believe that we, as little one works in a spirit of getting Trinidad and Tobago, can make a “We try to go to the far flung the job done, in a spirit of work- big difference in the world.” areas, so we arrange the doctors ing together, in a spirit of under- and all the supplies that they need If you want to reach out to and we do as detailed tests as we SEWA TT you can call them at can including blood tests that 686-6888; email – admin@se- probably are valued at $700 to watt.org or find them on Face- $800. But we try to reach the book. people that normally wouldn’t get it. We have found people that Revan Teelucksingh and his wife we had to send to the hospital im- Anushka Motilal, chat with President mediately because their blood Anthony Carmona during a recent event. sugar was so high and they were just feeling sick and blacking out for two or three days a week and they just didn’t know and they just weren’t going and getting the health care. “We were doing ultrasounds and there was this girl who was fairly large and she didn’t realise she was pregnant. She was 17 weeks and she had gestational di- abetes also and her diabetes was
Page 6 Central Beat/CentralCharity May 2015 Islamic trust in Charlieville aims to serve the needy By Aryana Chelsea Mobarack Ali, Members deduct the cost from their fees. “What the living cannot do, the dead centre, with of the IFST They frequently work through area will do.” That’s the slogan of the Is- members of the go through lamic Fada’il Services Trust. “The dead IFST. the do- representatives and imams within dif- bring people together,” explains Mo- Trust with all members working on a nated ferent communities in Trinidad and To- barack Ali, present chairman of the voluntary basis. clothing for bago. With the imam being the head of IFST. “We went to Parliament to widen our the needy. the Muslim community in each area, scope. We were confined by the act of throughout the country,” Ali clarifies. they are also responsible for informing Although they are currently recog- 1984,” he explains. During the operation of the trust, the the IFST of persons in need. nized as the IFST, Ali indicates that In English, the Arabic word “fada’il” chairman changed from Akbar Khan to they were previously known as the Is- means “social”, therefore the name Sheikh Abdul Majid Ali who took over According to Ali, the imams and/or lamic Funeral Services before the name would read as Islamic “Social” Services from 1995 to 2013. The charity became their representatives have been very co- change. Trust, enabling them to pursue other inactive for a short period until Mo- operative and he proudly divulges that charitable endeavours. barack Ali was elected as chairman in 37 of roughly 46 jamaats in the county At the suggestion of Raibrahim Continuing with their goal of expan- 2013. Now, 15 members preside on the of Caroni were present at their last gen- Khan, a group of Muslim brothers sion, the group purchased the property executive board. Through public dona- eral meeting. They aim to create a unity banded together to create the Islamic at #213 Caroni Savannah Road, Char- tions and rent collected from their head through the charity between all Muslim Funeral Services by taking it upon lieville to set up their head office. They office building, they keep the charity brothers and sisters, no matter their be- themselves to provide a much needed even acquired 2 1/2 acres of land at afloat. liefs. So far their hands have stretched service at no cost. “They saw the need Cemetery Street, Charlieville. Since the rise of new strictly Islamic as far as La Romaine and they’ve al- to establish cheap and efficient burial At first they only served the county funeral homes, they no longer provide ready set foot in Tobago. services for Muslims,” explains Ali. of Caroni but soon they incorporated funeral services, rather they work with Muslim communities (jamaats) across the homes to ensure proper services are “Within two months from now, we “They found that in addition to being the country. It’s a point to note that they rendered. are embarking on Project B which is cheap and efficient, Muslims have reli- aren’t affiliated with any specific Is- “Since 2013 we have sought to get the collection and distribution of new or gious requirements for everything, so lamic organization such as ASJA, St back to the moorings,” Ali indicates. used clothes, which will be displayed in we thought that we would bring it com- Joseph Muslim League etc. The first project they embarked upon our showrooms so that anyone, Muslim pletely Islamic as far as the burial is “We are a non-membership organiza- from the time of Ali’s appointment is and non-Muslim can walk in, see it dis- concerned. So we got together and had tion and by that we serve all Muslims the provision of the bathing and shroud- played and whatever they like, they re- the first meeting at the Calcutta Mosque ing material for the deceased across the quest it and they can have it,” he states. and then subsequently we came to country. They hope that through sup- Carapichaima for the second meeting plying this, the funeral homes will They will be accepting both Western where that happened at the end of and Indian wear with the one require- 1983,” he explains. ment that it be “decent”. In the case of any emergency or natural disaster, In 1984, the Islamic Funeral Services where their office is inaccessible to came into being and they subsequently those who require the clothes, they state nominated Akbar Khan as the Chair- that they will take to the roads to de- man, Mobarack Ali as the Secretary, Dr. liver it themselves. Hamza Rafeeq as the Treasurer and El Faroukh Hosein as the Legal Advisor. Their other works include helping in the building and renovation of masjids Reminiscing about those early days, and assisting people with medical ex- Ali, well respected retired school prin- penses. Approximately sixty percent of cipal from Carapichaima, says, “We their monthly financial intake goes to- bought a wagon, converted it into a wards the poor and needy. hearse and offered free services. As a matter of fact in those days in 1984, Plans for the land at Cemetery Street they were still using the icebox con- are yet to be made. Their initial idea to cept.” erect a Muslim hospital has been scrapped and they’ve returned to the With the icebox still being used at the drawing board, considering other op- time to preserve the body and the tions such as a rehabilitation centre, a bathing being done at home, the only home for the aged and other charitable cost to the family was the burial shroud. possibilities. Due to the vehicle being left in poor condition by voluntary drivers, it be- Generally the organization is pro- came necessary to charge a fee of about moted through word of mouth and by $200 to compensate for gas and pay a the distribution of pamphlets. Ali en- permanent driver. courages any Muslim willing to volun- teer at the charity to do so by contact In 1990 they decided to establish them or their local jamaat. themselves as a non-profit organization known as the Islamic Fada’il Services “I am a firm believer that once you want to serve, you must be given the opportunity to serve,” Ali says. NCIC opens heritage library The formal opening of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) Indo Caribbean Heritage Library and Cultural Re- search Centre took place recently at the NCIC Nagar in Ch- aguanas. The work on the library was done by the Ministry of Works through the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP). The new Indo Caribbean Heritage Library at the NCIC nagar site in Chaguanas. Mrs Nandini Ram- bachan, wife of the Minister of Works, Dr Suruj Ram- bachan, poses with President of the NCIC Dr Deoki- nanan Sharma dur- ing a presentation at the opening of the library. (Photos courtesy the Ministry of Works)
November 2017 CentralBeat/GreenCentral Page 13 CPEF members visited the Institute of Marine Affairs booth after the Nature Seekers Delivering goods to the Couva Children’s Home and Crisis Nursery collected during beach clean-up at Mathura beach. CPEF’s first annual food drive in December 2014. Central Pathfinders: Working to create a green TT By Zainab Kamara CPEF date,” she noted. keep going,” she stated. president, Like most small NGOs the Both Lewis and Indar recog- The consequences of pollu- Delena Indar, tion, global warming leading left, and the CPEF faces a number of chal- nize that the government’s envi- to climate change, agricul- lenges which inhibits the group ronmental policies are crucial to tural mismanagement and defor- group’s from pursuing their more ambi- aiding in eco-friendly NGOs con- estation to name a few, are not cofounder tious aspirations. According to tinuing their work. In order to an- difficult to comprehend. However, Renaldo Lewis, the three major challenges ticipate and prevent environmental finding solutions to these issues the group faces are related to in- issues, the ecological dimensions that are detrimental to ecosystems Lewis. creasing their membership, secur- of policy must be considered and our wider environment is ing financing and having access to alongside other sectors including proving to be an uphill battle. Central Beat. 'We don’t have money a permanent location. but not limited to agriculture, trade NGOs like the Central Pathfinders According to the 1987 ‘Report since we started when and energy to name a few, they Environmental Foundation (CPEF) we were unemployed. “In terms of membership, peo- note. play an important role in facilitat- of the World Commission on Envi- We don’t have land so ple aren’t really inclined towards ing environmental sustainability ronment and Development: Our voluntary service and community However, Indar also empha- through initiatives to promote eco- Common Future’, humanity has we couldn’t go into work. Everybody is looking for sized the need for a centralized lo- logical awareness and projects the ability to make development some of the projects money and this is a disincentive cation to be made available for geared towards environmental con- sustainable to ensure that it meets that other NGOs could for youths getting involved in NGOs to have meetings. She also servation. the needs of the present without NGOs,” Lewis admitted. “As it noted the importance of the busi- compromising the ability of future have done like concerns financing, we started this ness community upholding their According to Renaldo Lewis, generations to meet their own reforestation. We focus NGO stating that our currency was respective mandate as it relates to cofounder and treasurer of CPEF, needs. The CPEF is committed to our knowledge and education. We corporate environmental responsi- the NGO was founded in 2014 by sustainable development and all on projects that don’t have money since we started bility as possible solutions to their a group of university graduates that it entails through their dedica- promote awareness when we were unemployed. We current plight. who specialized in degrees within tion to conserve, preserve and pro- through education don’t have land so we couldn’t go the environmental and agricultural tect the environment whilst because that is the one into some of the projects that other In 2014, in spite of the many sciences spheres but were unable promoting sustainable agriculture thing we could have NGOs could have done like refor- challenges the group has encoun- to find employment within their re- through the many projects they done without money' estation. We focus on projects that tered, they still managed to make spective fields. shepherd and support. The group’s promote awareness through educa- the finals in the Caribbean Science president, Delena Indar, pointed the kids. We are currently in the tion because that is the one thing and Agriculture Film and Video “We wanted to use the skills out a number of initiatives the process of making the game avail- we could have done without competition with one of their short we would have learnt in tertiary CPEF has recently spearheaded. able to the wider public. The game money,” he continued. films ‘Changing Tides-Sustainable education; put it to good use, hone “A huge key project that we did targets environmental matters Use of Wetlands’. This was a huge it and improve on it. That is why was an ‘Eco Info Garden’ at the while taking into consideration Lewis added that it makes it accomplishment for the group and we started the group,” Lewis Warrenville Presbyterian School. local themes,” Indar revealed. impossible for them to have a per- a further incentive for them to con- stated. The project created an educational manent location since they don’t tinue the work they are doing. space where students could go and The group also held a 3-day have the finances to rent an office. Although the group is mostly learn about environmental activi- “enviro” camp earlier this year He pointed out that the group has Sustainable development is not comprised of individuals who were ties. The children grew lettuce and with the home where they had ac- resorted to having meetings at the a “fixed state of harmony” but already partial to environmental af- other crops which they sold to gain tivities and educational sessions National Library or at one of their rather a process of change that fairs, Lewis assures that they wel- funds for the school.” about concepts such as integrated member’s residence. The group must take into consideration the in- come individuals of all fields farming. In the future, the group applied for multiple grants but has tegrated nature of domestic and by including persons who did not pur- The group funds team building intends to do a wetland project fo- so far been unsuccessful in their extension global environmental sue tertiary education, all in the activities such as the regular hikes cusing on endangered species. Ad- quest to attain funding for the proj- challenges, the group notes. The name of increasing awareness and they host and they are currently in ditionally, they hope to provide ects and day-day operations they Central Pathfinders Environmental improving the capacity and techni- the process of meeting with other technical sessions relating to the spearhead. Foundation has undoubtedly taken cal skills of young people as it re- likeminded NGOs to find out how environment and agriculture which up the challenge to be the catalyst lates to environmental matters. they can offer their support and ex- will be available to the general Indar also emphasized the is- facilitating environmental and pertise. They also do an annual public. “The sessions will be based sues the group faced as a result of agricultural sustainability. It is “Our mandate is to enhance the food drive for the Florence Foun- on interesting topics of research or their inability to access funding. clear through their accomplish- capacity of young professionals dation Wesleyan Home. any matter that relates to our man- “Notwithstanding our need to pro- ments thus far that the group is whether you have accomplished mote and contribute to environ- dedicated to securing a future in tertiary education or in the process “We interact with the kids at mental sustainability which of which generations to come can of completing that; to help them the home teaching them environ- course stems from our social re- enjoy a healthy, clean and green and us improve our capacity to mental concepts. We created our sponsibility, these challenges make environment. promote both environmental and own environmental game called us think that our work is no drop in agricultural sustainability in cen- ‘Eco Sketch’ which we play with the bucket. When we actually do To learn more about Central tral Trinidad in recognition of our our work and interact with kids Pathfinders Environmental Foun- social responsibility. Membership and we build their capacity and dation you can visit their Facebook is open to anyone from any field of teach people, we realize that above Page: @CPEnvironmentalFounda- interest because it adds value to all what we do is important. The tionTT Email: centralpathfind- the group and what we can accom- challenges are a huge block in our [email protected] Call: plish project wise,” Lewis told path but the results are why we 620-2337/731-2988
August 2016 CentralBeat/CentralPioneers Page 13 Seereeram Bros: Construction giants of Chaguanas With over 80 years in busi- ness, Seereeram Bros hap- SBL brought the first bank and first pens to be one of the oldest gas station to Chaguanas (Texaco surviving businesses founded in the Chaguanas area. It is only fitting that and Bank of Nova Scotia). They the company has now been honoured were located on Chaguanas Main by the Chaguanas Chamber of In- Road, where Marios/Blimpie are dustry and Commerce for its contri- bution to business and to the now located. development of Chaguanas. A tractor owned by The company’s landmark com- the company pound along the Solomon Hochoy hauling Highway has long drawn the eyes of cane. drivers passing by, many of whom have watched the fir trees that line the most business intuition on his fa- San Fernando Interchange and the Videsh Seereeram, sion is really for me to take over the the front of the compound grow ther’s passing. He founded the com- extension of the highway from Managing Director of operational aspects of the construc- from sprouts into adult trees, adding pany as we know it today, and Tarouba, as well as the extension of Seereeram Bros Ltd, tion business and he and the girls a touch of drama to the brush that enlisted his brother, Ramnaresh, to the runway at the Tobago airport. accepts his com- will probably focus more and be able characterises that area of the high- oversee the mechanical engineering They also undertook construction of pany’s award for to spend more time in the diversifi- way. side, in which he specialised.” the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, contribution to the cation. “With the downturn now and Guyana. development of Ch- the low oil prices slowing down the The growth of those trees have One of the first major contracts aguanas, from the construction industry, you have to epitomised the growth of the family- the company worked on was the de- But even as the company has Hon Paula Gopee- get some sort of revenue stream owned business which has grown velopment of Lady Young Road in been involved in quarrying, trans- Scoon, Minister of coming in. We could now consider a and flourished in its 83 years of exis- the early 1960s. From that start they portation and construction projects Trade and Industry. return to selling concrete on the re- tence and is now one of the largest were also involved in other major for others, it was in the 1980s that three studied abroad after graduating tail market; we only make concrete construction companies in the projects including the Beetham the family company decided to in- from Presentation College Chagua- for our own projects but now we Caribbean. Highway, the Chaguanas Intersec- vest in Chaguanas’s first major mall, nas (Videsh) and Lakshmi Girls could go back into selling it on the tion, the Claude Noel Highway in the Mid Centre Mall. High School (Renuka and Karuna). open market. There is the same op- Founded in 1933 by Seereeram Tobago and the North Coast Road Videsh holds a Doctorate of Engi- tion with quarrying. We have the Maharaj Panday, great grandfather of heading to Maracas, all in the 1960s Videsh explains: “During the neering and is a graduate of Cam- quarry in Santa Cruz which is one of the current generation now operating as well. downturn in the 80s there was a lot bridge University while both his the best stone in the country in terms most aspects of the business, of excess capacity in equipment and sisters are graduates of Anglia of meeting international specifica- Seereeram Bros began with just one Ramjass Seereeram was also in- other resources, so my grandad and Ruskin University in Cambridge – tions. Again, we don’t sell that on the tractor and the unique vision of a strumental in establishing the Divali dad constructed Mid Centre Mall. As Karuna in law and Renuka in Eco- open market but there’s a market for man obviously born to be an entre- Nagar, to promote and protect the with all of their investment deci- nomics and Marketing. it, you could sell that immediately.” preneur, and now employs over 500 culture and heritage of his ancestors. sions, they believe in investing in the people from Chaguanas and around In fact, the first home of the Divali best, which ultimately pays back for Their combined talents fit per- With the future of the company the country. Nagar was at the Mid Centre Mall. itself in the long-run. For instance, fectly with the needs of the family in such capable hands, it is certain an expert in retail space architecture company. Were they nudged in those that the company will continue to be Dr Videsh Seereeram, the Videsh’s father, Shaym from California was brought down to directions? around supporting the development founder’s great grandson and now Seereeram, the Executive Chairman design the mall. He was able to de- of Chaguanas and the wider Trinidad Director of Engineering and Opera- of the company, took over running of sign it in such a way that that the nat- Videsh says: “I think we got and Tobago for many more genera- tions describes it this way: “He pur- the company in the 1980s and he ural flow of air throughout would not gently nudged into it but it was tions to come. chased the first tractor in Trinidad to oversaw other major projects like the require the need for air condition- something we all wanted to do, more (Some information courtesy Ch- work in the cane fields which he ing.” or less. I always liked Science and aguanas Chamber of Industry and owned. This was an enormous risk, Maths, so for me it was either Engi- Commerce) as many people did not even own “It was designed to be built in neering or Physics or Maths, so it cars at that time. So he bought the three phases but only one was built wasn’t like Engineering was com- first tractor at a time when even the and then construction picked back up pletely out of my field.” government didn’t even own a trac- in other areas. But the eventual plan tor, and he started working the cane is to still actually go ahead with Now that they are taking on the fields.” Seereeram made good use of those three phases.” running of aspects of the company, the machine by working, amongst the siblings think this will give their other things, for the Americans oper- Some of that work will likely be father the opportunity to take the ating in Trinidad at the time and the overseen by the new team of siblings company in different strategic direc- government, who did not have this that are now part of the management tions. “The major example is that we type of machinery. Worth noting is structure of the company: Videsh have a lot of real estate and my fa- the fact that in 1935, Seereeram Ma- Seereeram, Director of Engineering ther would like to diversify by going haraj Panday built the Seereeram and Operations; his sister Renuka, into real estate, building more com- Memorial Vedic School in Chagua- Director of Corporate Development mercial buildings and so on. His vi- nas, the first Hindu denominational and Marketing; and their younger school at the time. sister Karuna, Legal Director. All Seereeram passed away in 1945 and after his death his son, Ramjass Seereeram, took over the reins of the business with his brother Ramnaresh Seereeram. Together they continued their father’s entrepreneurial vision by expanding investment and taking the company further into the trans- port area and into the construction sector. Videsh Seereeram explains: My grandad, Ramjass, though the youngest of nine children, showed Ramjass Seereeram, second generation, captured driving a bulldozer in the early days of the company.
3P6age 8 CentralBeat/PillarsOfCentral CENTRAL BEATA|uAguugsutst2, 2001252 The engine of The grinder of the antique the beautiful grinding mill. old mill. Spice Is Life At The Grinding Spot By Vashti Bowlah business: “With all the modern- ization taking place, it’s not as The use of spices is syn- profitable like when my parents onymous to every used to run it. Most young peo- Indo-Trinidadian ple prefer to work in an office kitchen. Masala, curry and rather than to do something like geera are only three of those in- this so there’s really no one to dispensable items that add to train. I continue to carry on the the mouth-watering taste, flavor business because I’ve been and richness in every East In- doing it for a long time and I’m dian inspired dish. used to it.” While the mortar and pestle One thing for certain is that might not be as easily available anyone who has ever tried as it was decades ago, The freshly ground spices from The Grinding Spot, situated along Grinding Spot will never go the Southern Main Road in back to the processed brands: Chase Village fills the void. “Just add a small amount to Anyone with a taste for freshly anything you’re cooking, espe- ground masala and other spices cially if you’re a vegetarian, just the way nani and aajee and you’ll taste the difference,” used to do it, will be thrilled to she added with confidence. learn that the tradition continues The Grinding Spot is the at a nifty little place managed home of ground spices and the by a remarkable woman. place you go when you want The fact that Mrs Indra the taste of spices that are Charles chose to carry on the ground the old-fashioned way. unique business which was Mrs Indra Charles, the woman behind The Grinding Spot. The rich, tempting aroma that started by her parents over 50 This is what fresh ground ning, the material is fed manu- wafts in the air as you enter the years ago is admirable. As she masala looks like. ally to the mill through the fun- compound and homely atmos- explains: “My father and the nel-type feeder where it is phere is something you will owner of Chief Brand Products ground on impact and then col- have to experience yourself. It were good friends and this was lected in a bag. enthralls you with its smell. The the very first grinding mill used “But before all of that hap- nostalgia is in the air for those in their factory. When they pens, I have to parch the raw who would have witnessed their brought in new equipment, he material in that sold this one to my father for big pot on the elders using the fifty dollars. That was a lot of stove you see ‘One thing for mortar and pestle money in those days you over there and certain is that to grind a variety know.” add the other anyone who has of spices so many Although Mrs Charles still years ago. grinds a variety of spices and ingredients like ever tried freshly Mrs Charles ex- other foodstuff, she admits that carapulay ground spices presses her grati- business is not the same as it with some help from her hus- of Earls Colne, England has leaves depend- from The Grinding tude to the late Mr was before: “Back then, rice band when he’s available: certainly stood the test of time. ing on what I Spot will never go Ajeet Praimsingh milling was a major part of the “Most of our customers now The equipment is made up of have to grind,” who was very ac- income because most families are foreigners or those who sell two parts and is completely Mrs Charles used to plant rice long ago and to the supermarkets and usually manual with no electrical added. back to the tive in promoting bring it here to mill, but all of bring in about a thousand wiring. It consists of the engine Indian culture and that changed over the years be- pounds of material to grind at a which is run on diesel, and the The fact that processed brands’ tradition: “He was cause nobody does that any- time.” She goes on to add, grinder. There is an arm which more. Even dhal was a popular “There are also customers who is placed in the engine and the mill is still a good man and item to grind for making sweets want only a small quantity for turned in a rotary motion to functional over six decades later will be missed. He used to refer for Divali, weddings and other household use so I always have crank up the engine until it is amazing: “My father was a customers or arrange with inter- occasions but times change. finished product easily avail- starts, and then the arm is re- very good mechanic and after I ested groups over the years to Now the main items we do is able for them to buy.” moved. This action is similar to got married, he taught my hus- have cultural or educational masala, geera, curry, black pep- starting a crank-start engine band how to fix the mill and tours to view the mill and learn per and a little dhal and rice.” The blue antique cast iron such as the ones in the old maintain it. We’ve been running about the entire process of Mrs Charles works every day grinding mill built over 60 Austin cars. Once it starts run- everything on our own now for grinding spices.” years ago by R Hunt & Co Ltd fifteen years.” That being said, these spices When asked about future plans for continuation of the should have their rightful place in every worthy kitchen.
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