Once again, we are pleased to announce an exciting series events for International Creole Month, right here in T&T! October is also Calypso History Month (see Tuco Trinidad-Tobago’s page). Let’s never forget that Patois is the root language of Kaiso!
Join with us as we celebrate International Creole Month T&T styling from Talparo to St Augustine to Port of Spain to Paramin! Check out our Calendar of Events on Google here and on Trello here.
Here is an overview of events celebrating Creole Language and Culture
Roman Catholic Masses
There will be three Patois/Kwéyòl masses in three (3) parishes:
Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. Church, Paramin (Sunday 27 October 2019 at 7:00 a.m. - see below for the event at the Alliance Française Trinidad and Tobago right after)
Still in Talparo, the Talparo R.C. School celebrates Creole Month on Thursday 24 October, starting at 1:00 p.m.
The Alliance Française celebrates Creole Month in style with an exciting bèlè workshop (Gregor Breedy and Emelda Lynch-Griffith), and a vibrant panel discussion on the French and French Creole influences that permeate the heart and soul of Trinidad and Tobago with Dr Jo-Anne S. Ferreira (UWI, St Augustine), Nnamdi Hodge (Couva Secondary), Michelle Mora (Talparo RC School), and Claudette Sinnette of Maraval. Keep in touch with the event, Le Mois Kréyol #3, here.
theatre, led by well-known St Lucian theatre director and playwright, Dr Travis Weekes,
Creole films
Creole head wraps with Nicole Taylor
French-lexicon Creole student posters
Cocoa tea with the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC)
Creole songs, and
a discussion between Professor Emeritus Lawrence D. Carrington and Professor Emerita Bridget Brereton on John Jacob Thomas, Trinidad’s 19th century intellectual.
Prof Carrington was recently awarded the Chaconia Gold for Language and Development, for his work on French Creole (Patois, Kwéyòl). The Chaconia Medal (Gold) may be awarded for long and meritorious service, tending to promote the national welfare or strengthen the community spirit in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the Citation read on Republic Day, “Professor Lawrence Carrington, Professor Emeritus, University of the West Indies, in the spheres of language and development. Lifelong academic and educator, Lawrence Carrington has played a key role in the development of the French Creole language in the Caribbean. Professor Carrington has conducted extensive research on the nature of Creole languages and has served at the highest levels of administration throughout the region. As Pro Vice-Chancellor of UWI, he led the development of the UWI Open Campus. A prolific author, Prof Carrington has produced scores of influential publications and spearheaded the development of a common spelling system of French Creoles of the Eastern Caribbean.”
Prof Bridget Brereton is one of our most eminent historians, and has written about John Jacob Thomas and much more. Here are some articles by Prof Brereton about John Jacob Thomas: