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A piece written by me, Atifah Ibrahim, about what I have observed about my social environment. It is writtten it is a piece about Afro-Trinidadian consciousness entitled, A Journey Longer Than Time

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Idrees Saleem. Idrees, who has been a friend of mine for almost a decade, is the 2014 National Poetry Slam champion and also a finalist in this year's Slam. He says that, "Spoken word fills the gap -- where calypso is for the older generation, spoken word is what the youth want or are asking for." He also notes that organisations such as the 2 Cents Movement are major in the development of spoken word for the region as they provide a platform for the youth to be heard.

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In order to complete this portfolio, I had to search for a relevant piece of news relating to the Caribbean and Poetry. After combing through dozens of websites and journals, I realised that the problem was right there sitting in front of me. The problem is that there is no news on Caribbean poetry. This, to me, indicates the low esteem to which poetry is held in the Caribbean today as compared to in the times of Derek Walcott, Olive Senior and Kamau Brathwaite. Poetry in the Caribbean was once a force to be reckoned with; with world renowned and award winning artists being produced by the region. However, recently the Caribbean poetry industry and even by extension Caribbean art is ebbing away, which means that we are losing one of the most important means of Caribbean expression. This loss of recognition can be a gateway to the loss of respect for poetry and art and in turn lack of morale amongst upcoming poets, writers and artists. The issue now is finding ways to get people more interested in poetry and art and restoring it to its former glory which is the goal of young poets today. Although, they are still unable to penetrate the mainstream and international forums as well as the poetic giants before them, they have come a long way and have a long way to go.

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This Caribbean Civilisation syllabus which was packed with enlightenment, consciousness and culture put forward under topics such as cultural expression, Caribbean identity, enslavement and emancipation amongst so many others, all helped to create the aware Black Caribbean woman that I am today. The course load was not so much a "load" but more of the passing of wisdom and responsibility onto us, the upcoming generation of Caribbean intellects. The cognizance of the Caribbean journey--from the struggles to the victories--has instilled into me a determination to move forward and a passion for my history that I never before possessed. The detailed lectures and the informative but entertaining tutorials were experiences that I am grateful for and the opportunity to study this course is one that I will never forget.

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Gardening in the tropics, you find poetry in some unexpected places.                                       -Olive Senior

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Gardening in the tropics, you find poetry in some unexpected places.                                       -Olive Senior

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This is an open mic event birthed by Muhammad Muwakil in his quest to revitalise Caribbean poetry. It is the longest running event of it's kind in Trinidad and Tobago and is held on my campus, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Upon learning about this event when I entered the university, I immediately recognised that the university is one that respects and values student opinion as it allows this spoken word based event to occur on campus grounds. Paired with my knowledge of Caribbean Expression gathered from FOUN 1101, I fully understand the importance of student expression in a university as it means that students are more comfortable and content attending a school where they are able to voice their thoughts without judgement

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Spoken Word is a form of poetry meant for onstage performance. The artists or performance poets, capture their audiences with the use of rhythmic voices and elaborate word play. As previously mentioned, there was a boom in the predominance of Spoken Word in the Caribbean which occurred in the 2010s. This was basically the revitalisation of poetry in the Caribbean as it was before this beginning to be forgotten and was started in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, largely spear-headed by Muhammad Muwakil. Muwakil created a revolution based on the power of language; with the only weapon being the word.

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The introduction of this national poetry competition in 2012, which quickly became the largest spoken word event in the Caribbean, meant that young Caribbean performance poets finally had an outlet and a means of letting their voices be heard. The poets mainly focus on pieces of social commentary and themes of self-discovery and identity are always heavy in the atmosphere of the competition. I believe that this Slam is not only important but it is also  imperative as it allows a safe place for youth to express their views on issues affecting their societies and themselves personally, especially for those who feel like they do not otherwise have a voice. Although the competition still can improve in terms of popularity and marketing to those who are unaware of it, The FCNPS competition is another positive step in the way of fortifying Caribbean poetry and validating young Caribbean writers.
This year's National Poetry Slam Finals will be held on April 30th at NAPA, Port-of-Spain.

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The terms "Caribbean" and "West Indian" are usually used interchangeably by people concerned with the literature of this portion of the world. However, "Caribbean" embraces the literature in all the languages of the area such as English, French, Spanish and Dutch but by “West Indian”, it is meant only the writings of the islands where English is the official language. Hence in this portfolio, "Caribbean" is loosely used to mean the literature of the English- speaking Caribbean, otherwise known as West Indian literature.

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As a Caribbean student who has always been interested in literature and poetry, it was inevitable that I was introduced to the works of the late, great Sir Derek Walcott (d. March 2017). His works will forever resonate in the minds of Caribbean people and he will always be remembered as one of the first internationally recognised and Nobel Prize winning Caribbean poets. His success saw to the validation and celebration of Caribbean poetry and by extension Caribbean life.

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Although art covers an extensive collection of differing means of expression such as, paintings, sculptures, and theatre, poetry remains one of the most prominent forms of Art in the Caribbean. Caribbean literature and poetry celebrates a new ethos and identity as it establishes the West Indian identity as separate from European. It accounts for the present while also projecting for the future. This is why poetry will always be an important means of expresion. The poetic renaissance of the region skyrocketed during the mid 1970s as Caribbean poetry gained a sort of accreditation as it was increasingly being published in Britain and North America. Islands including Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, produced some of the Caribbean's poetic giants such as, Derek Walcott (St. Lucia), Olive Senior (Jamaica), Kamau Brathwaite (Barbados) and John La Rose (Trinidad). These writers all paved the way for Caribbean poetry and today's artists who have also continued on the evolution of Caribbean poetry. One such example is the recent dominance of Spoken Word amongst young Caribbean poets, a predominantly oral style, as a response to the continuously developing society.

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The CAM was a council formed in London 1966, intended for writers and artists from the Caribbean, who were living in the UK at that time. Conversations, art exhibitions and other forums provided opportunities for exploration of new directions in Caribbean arts  at a time of political and social change. The founders; Barbados born Edward Kamau Brathwaite, poet and historian, Jamaican broadcaster Andrew Salkey and political and cultural activist John La Rose from Trinidad, thought that Caribbean writers of the UK were marginalised but they decided to create an inclusive group that was far separated from the Black Power Movement and hence, anyone was able to join.
Photograph showing the Launch of "The Caribbean Artists Movement: A Literary and Cultural History" at the New Beacon Bookshop, London. April 1992. From Left: John La Rose, Andrew Salkey, Kamau Brathwaite, author Anne Walmsley. In the background, Pearl Connor-Mogotsi.

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Art is expression born from imagination and skill and usually represents the intimate thoughts and feelings of the artist. It may be influenced by personal, societal and historical factors. Similarly, Caribbean art, to those who are connoisseurs of the crafts, is an otherworldly experience with much emotional power as it tends to speak volumes of history and the Caribbean journey. Art in the Caribbean tends to be stylistically influenced by European standards due to colonisation in the 16th century and so the arts in this century are seen to be hybridised. This adoption of European traits into our art is particularly interesting as it opens our eyes to the ideological impact of the era of the Crown. However, Caribbean artists of today are becoming increasingly aware of their own identities as Caribbean individuals which is obvious in their works of social commentary among others. This is especially manifested in the poetry and more specifically, spoken word pieces of Caribbean poets.

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We must first understand culture before delving into cultural expression. Culture, according to John J. Macionis and Ken Plummer, is the values, beliefs, behaviour and material objects that constitute a people's way of life. Therefore, cultural expression embodies the beauty of humanity and is simply the means by which culture is portrayed. Cultural Expression can be tangible, such as books and sculptures, or intangible, such as poetry and folklore.

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This is a portfolio about Art. The ultimate representation of a classic "Voice for the Voiceless" story. My hope is that Caribbean Expression, specifically poetry and spoken word is showcased; from it's historical beginnings to contemporary happenings as it has proved itself to be one of the core forms of expression of Caribbean people.