SEMSEC in Trinidad!

March 3, 2016, on a Jet Blue flight from Ft. Lauderdale [upper left corner] to Port of Spain, Trinidad [lower right] for the 2016 Society for Ethnomusicology Southeastern and Caribbean Chapter Meeting in San Fernando, Trinidad-Tobago [barely off the coast of Venezuela].

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Mid-flight, the eastern edge of Hispanola just visible over the right wing

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Eastern Edge of Hispanola

We were greeted at the airport by an esteemed chauffeur and his trusty sidekick. 

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Don Quijote y Sancho Panza

And narrowly escaped certain death on an hour-long ride to the hotel on the “Fun Bus.”

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The Fun Bus

Our conference residence was the beautiful Royal Hotel in San Fernando, on the Southwestern tip of Trinidad.

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Royal Hotel, San Fennando
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Looking Southwest from the Hotel Royal Atrium

First order of business, beer and food.

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1 TT dollar = 15 cents US

Apparently, in Trinidad, beer is gender-specific, and the food is an eclectic mix of Caribbean, Indian, and Chinese–spicy and delicious!

Stag and Pies
I’ll have a Carib?

and some potent rum.

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Not Less than 75%!!!

The first night in we were invited to a rehearsal of the Skiffle Steel Orchestra just down the road from the hotel.

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Graphic Wall at Skiffle Pan Yard
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Monument Across the Street from the Skiffle Pan Yard caption reads: “A Tribute to the Steelband Movement – by – the town beautification committee of San Fernando Borough Council – 23rd December, 1977”

The SEMSEC conference began in ernest the morning of Friday, March 4th. Many interesting panels and papers were presented.

The overall theme of the conference was the role of the percussive engine room of the steel pan orchestra, which provides its energy, forward momentum, and driving force.” 

My own presentation explored the potential of acoustic space as a sonic engine room.

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“Pilgrim Monumental” © 2016 (Gillis, Cunningham)

…my profound conclusions!!!

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IMG_4693The keynote speech of the conference was presented by Dr. Hollis Urban Lester Liverpool aka calypsodian Mighty Chalkdust, who holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan, and is the eight-time winner of Trinidad’s Calypso Monarch competition.

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“Chalkie” presented a dynamic keynote which included historical and contemporary perspectives on Trinidad’s calypso tradition.


A stimulating Saturday morning session was followed by an epic journey to Maracas Bay on the north shore of island. A harrowing bus ride over the mountains, led us first to the scenic overlook…

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Ethno Beach Invasion

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…and then down a winding road to Maracas Beach, where waves were body surfed, glasses lost, and shark bake consumed.

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all in all, a perfect conference!