The islands of T&T are known collectively as the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. They are located off the coast of South America and, together with a bunch of smaller islands, they occupy an area of 1,980 square miles. The main enterprise in the country is petroleum and petrochemicals. Because of its amazing weather and laid-back lifestyle, the islands are a magnet for tourists. You could say that job seekers and tourists are constantly seeking vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Luckily, the country lies outside the hurricane belt, an area in the Atlantic Ocean that is prone to hurricanes between June and November each year. This contributes to the islands' appeal as both a tourist destination and the petroleum industry. The islands enjoy a tropical climate, with six months of blazing sunshine and six months or torrential rain each year. The larger of the two islands is shaped predominantly like a rectangle with a thick "tail" in the southwest corner pointing towards Venezuela.
By far the larger of the two islands (1,841 square miles) is Trinidad. It is also the closest part of the republic to South America. There are disputes as to the meaning of its original name. There are those who believe it is from the Arawak's language and means "land of the humming bird." Others are just as convinced that it simply means "island." It was the Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus, who christened it Trinidad as a tribute to the Holy Trinity.
A popular tourist attraction is the annual national carnival, an extremely colorful and somewhat racy two-day event held every year just before Ash Wednesday. A celebration of dancing, music, parades and masquerade, carnival serves as a final fling before the long period of Vatican-inspired abstinence known as Lent. The predominant music of the festival is normally calypso, although soca has been making inroads and becoming very popular.
It was during the 1600s that calypso was born. Then, it was a blend of kaiso from West Africa with a strong influence from the French. The instruments of soca come from the Indian subcontinent. Hence its nickname, "chutney music." Calypso uses a greater variety of musical instruments: clarinet, flute, trombone, saxophone, steelpan, congas, bongos, violin and more. Soca, on the other relies on the dhantal, tabla and dholak and a few others.
Four hundred years ago, when French slaves were not permitted to attend Carnival, they invented their own party to coincide. It was called Canboulay, after the French words for burnt sugar cane. Like many big parties today, Canboulay somehow got hijacked by troublemakers who would start slinging insults at each other using songs as weapons. As the party wore on, it would degenerate into the equivalent of a barroom brawl.
The British authorities took umbradge at this and tried to ban the weapons that were used in these clashes, principally torches and sticks. It didn't help to put an end to the violence so they got tough and put a stop to Canboulay outright. The partymakers, who adored their yearly festival, rebelled.
After some bloody skirmishes, called the Canboulay Riots, the British police brought the scene under control. What emerged was a more subdued carnival, which led to what is now celebrated today as Carnival. It is worth seeking out those vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago to sample the present-day festival.
Luckily, the country lies outside the hurricane belt, an area in the Atlantic Ocean that is prone to hurricanes between June and November each year. This contributes to the islands' appeal as both a tourist destination and the petroleum industry. The islands enjoy a tropical climate, with six months of blazing sunshine and six months or torrential rain each year. The larger of the two islands is shaped predominantly like a rectangle with a thick "tail" in the southwest corner pointing towards Venezuela.
By far the larger of the two islands (1,841 square miles) is Trinidad. It is also the closest part of the republic to South America. There are disputes as to the meaning of its original name. There are those who believe it is from the Arawak's language and means "land of the humming bird." Others are just as convinced that it simply means "island." It was the Spanish explorer, Christopher Columbus, who christened it Trinidad as a tribute to the Holy Trinity.
A popular tourist attraction is the annual national carnival, an extremely colorful and somewhat racy two-day event held every year just before Ash Wednesday. A celebration of dancing, music, parades and masquerade, carnival serves as a final fling before the long period of Vatican-inspired abstinence known as Lent. The predominant music of the festival is normally calypso, although soca has been making inroads and becoming very popular.
It was during the 1600s that calypso was born. Then, it was a blend of kaiso from West Africa with a strong influence from the French. The instruments of soca come from the Indian subcontinent. Hence its nickname, "chutney music." Calypso uses a greater variety of musical instruments: clarinet, flute, trombone, saxophone, steelpan, congas, bongos, violin and more. Soca, on the other relies on the dhantal, tabla and dholak and a few others.
Four hundred years ago, when French slaves were not permitted to attend Carnival, they invented their own party to coincide. It was called Canboulay, after the French words for burnt sugar cane. Like many big parties today, Canboulay somehow got hijacked by troublemakers who would start slinging insults at each other using songs as weapons. As the party wore on, it would degenerate into the equivalent of a barroom brawl.
The British authorities took umbradge at this and tried to ban the weapons that were used in these clashes, principally torches and sticks. It didn't help to put an end to the violence so they got tough and put a stop to Canboulay outright. The partymakers, who adored their yearly festival, rebelled.
After some bloody skirmishes, called the Canboulay Riots, the British police brought the scene under control. What emerged was a more subdued carnival, which led to what is now celebrated today as Carnival. It is worth seeking out those vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago to sample the present-day festival.
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Job seekers looking for vacancies in Trinidad and Tobago can turn to the suggested website for info. Here is the latest listing at http://www.trinidadjob.com.
