Arts, Music & Literature

Calypso, soca, writers, visual artists, theatre.

8 articles

Costume maker bends silver wire into a large wing frame on a workshop table covered in feathers and fabric in St George's, overhead angle, bright fluorescent light

The Craft Behind Spicemas Costumes: Mas Camps, Wire and Design

Spicemas costumes are designed and built for months in Grenada's mas camps. How a band theme becomes costumes, who makes them and how the craft is changing.

14/10/2026 8 min read

Older fiddler and young guitarist play together on a village doorstep in Carriacou at twilight, neighbours listening, eye-level shot, warm lamplight and blue sky

Arts, Music & Literature

Fiddles at Christmas: Carriacou's String Band and Parang Explained

Carriacou's string band and parang traditions keep fiddles, cuatros and witty serenades alive. How the music works, what the songs mock and when to hear it.

14/10/2026 8 min read

Teenagers practise on chrome steelpans under a tin roof panyard at night in Grenada, coloured bulbs overhead, wide shot from behind the bass drums, lively mood

Arts, Music & Literature

Inside a Grenadian Panyard: How a Steel Orchestra Gets to Panorama

How Grenada's steelbands prepare for Panorama: the pans, the arranger, the long rehearsal nights in the panyard and why steelpan still matters to communities.

14/10/2026 8 min read

Visitors walk slowly through a bright white gallery hung with colourful abstract canvases and a sculpture of figures, wide angle from the doorway, soft daylight

Arts, Music & Literature

Grenada at the Venice Biennale: How a Small Island Got a Pavilion

Grenada has shown at the Venice Biennale since 2015. Who represented the island, how a national pavilion works, and the debates it has raised at home and abroad

14/10/2026 8 min read

Elderly man paints a bright wooden boat scene at a small table on a porch in L'Esterre, Carriacou, sea glinting behind, close side angle, morning light

Arts, Music & Literature

Canute Caliste: The Carriacou Painter Who Saw a Mermaid

Canute Caliste painted Carriacou life and mermaids in a self-taught style collectors love. His story, his subjects and how to spot genuine work today.

14/10/2026 7 min read

Woman reads a paperback in a hammock on a wooden veranda overlooking green hills in St David, afternoon sunlight through palms, side angle, relaxed mood

Arts, Music & Literature

Reading Grenada: Writers and Books That Explain the Island

A reading list for Grenadian literature: Merle Collins, Jacob Ross, Tobias Buckell and others, with what each book says about the island and where to start.

14/10/2026 8 min read

Young producer adjusts a mixing desk in a small home studio in St George's at dusk, drum machine pads glowing, over-the-shoulder view, cool blue light

Arts, Music & Literature

Jab Soca: How Grenada Built a Sound That Conquered Carnival

Jab soca is Grenada's heavy, drum-driven carnival music. Where it came from, how it differs from Trinidad soca and why Mr Killa's 2019 win mattered so much.

14/10/2026 8 min read

Calypsonian in a sharp suit gestures mid-song on an outdoor stage at night in St George's, band behind him, low angle from the crowd, warm stage lights

Arts, Music & Literature

Why Grenadian Calypso Still Matters: Kaiso as the Island's Commentary

Grenadian calypso is the island's sung editorial page. How kaiso works, what the Calypso Monarch rewards, and why politicians still listen every August.

14/10/2026 8 min read

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