Jahllano…Medz Boss…Tafari. Congratulations if you know any of these names because they are some of the global trending performers in Trinibad music. You may not like their lyrical content nor their messaging, but the Trinibad music genre is a true reflection of our environment.

Trinibad is related to dancehall music and the reality is that the artists often attract millions of views and comments on YouTube.

A person’s creative expression is influenced by their surroundings, experiences, culture and their interactions at all levels. In the same way a plant bends toward the light, and even at night you can see the bend in the stalk and know which way the light will fall during the day, you can listen to these artists and sense their struggles caused by their environment.

Cementing his position as belonging to the 14th century, the Prime Minister threatened to ban Trinibad music some time ago; a decree which in today’s world is completely unenforceable. Fortunately, he seems to have moved away from that kind of thinking, because if you want to add fuel to the flame, banning would certainly have done so.

Another attempt at de-emphasising the music was Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy’s recent glaringly tone-deaf request to Trinibad musicians to be more positive in their creations.

Like it or not, Trinibad music reflects the reality of our society. If we want to change Trinibad music we have to change the environmental experiences of our people. Such environmental transformations will occur neither overnight nor by command.

What is needed is a strategy to grow Trinibad, but the development of such a strategy means thinking far out of the box and requires identification of a strategic thinker with an interest in the positive development of our country.

If that strategic thinker was inspired to move from strategy to action, they would focus on changing the social environment and creating opportunities for collaborations and conversations to introduce new ideas and perspectives fostering creative thinking.

If that strategic thinker understood the potential future of Trinibad music, they would take action to ensure that our education system was restructured to improve student outcomes, whether academic or otherwise.

That strategic thinker would invest time and resources in helping us understand the historical context of our country. The creation of our steelband industry is based on how we reacted to our cultural and historical realities.

Trinibad music will continue to rise in popularity because it incorporates local slang, soca, chutney, calypso and dancehall beats, while reflecting the anger, anxiety and violence which are our current reality.

A strategic thinker would recognise Trinibad music as a litmus indicator and create an action plan to help our society navigate our dismal reality and emerge as a re-energised people of fun and enjoyment.

TT, the time is now for us to pivot towards the development of the creative industries. This means exploiting the interplay between “human creativity, intellectual property, knowledge and technology” to diversify our economy. Trinibad can help us.

DENNISE DEMMING