Being a Trini (?)

Acceptance. Understanding. Open-mindedness. Willingness to explore. Individualism. Originality. Discovery. Expansion. Creativity. Stepping out of predefined and potentially confining boundaries. Creating new forms. Expressing. Totality. Limitlessness. Being myself/yourself/ourselves.

My 6 year old nephew's silhouette in this scene from the Street Life video

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An interesting debate was started yesterday, sparked by a comment made by Nuff (said).
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I understand where Nuff is coming from ... and, as such, I am inspired to express the following thoughts. The premise used is one that I have encountered often over the years. Personally, in terms of my own art and music, I have received comments like: "Your music is too foreign" ... or "Your art is not local" ... or "Your work is too different. People won't understand it."
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I 'accept' those comments because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I ignore those comments because I am putting out creative work in response to inspiration from a place that has nothing to do with my geography ... and has no basis in efforts to please anyone. There are those who like it, those who don't like it, those who are confused by it, those who walk away from it, those who thank me for it, those who are inspired by it.
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The other day in a TV interview, one of the women interviewing me said (in reponse to my talking about my work): "Your art is too sophisticated. I'm getting the feeling that it makes people think." Hmmmm ... Another misconception ... Trinis don't and can't think! Or feel,
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And what is this word "too"? What does it really mean? Too different ... Too sophisticated ... Too foreign ... Too me?
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Why underestimate the abilities of someone from Trinidad or Tobago to understand, appreciate or feel anything that is "different"? I have a saying I came up with a few years ago in response to that very premise. I used it in a post a few months ago: Everything was a strange combination before we got used to it. Once upon a time Trinis did not know about doubles or roti (of Indian origin). Now it is one of the national staples.
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In the past two years when I've been to England for two of my films, I've seen the difference in the way that people take in the work and show their appreciation for it. They take it for what it is - not for where it's from (even though they will naturally acknowledge the artist's country of origin). When All of Emily showed in Manchester, a pin could have dropped throughout - and I would have heard it. The silence of attention and appreciation, undistracted by trivialities. And back home: silence yes ... or the odd "Oh my God!" ... or the man who got up and walked out with the loud comment of "What de hell is dis?!" when a particular scene disturbed him.
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And on a personal level I also felt the difference when abroad - appreciation of me as a creative person, of the work created, a willingness to discuss and ask questions ... rather than making flippant comments that have nothing to do with anything ... such as "Dat's not a Trini film" (or rather, flim) or "Why yuh didn't put a pan in yuh video?" or "How come yuh eh use calypso?" or ... bla bla bla, etc etc etc. I'm not saying all TT's think like that ... and neither am I putting down those who do.
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Perhaps someone reading this may say: "She divorcin' sheself from she culture, boy!" Is that possible? (And by 'culture' I don't mean pan, calypso and Carnival). Someone asked me recently in an interview if, as an artist, I was frustrated and stifled by Trini society. My answer was no. I recognize the limitations that exist and I believe that who I am now as an artist has, to an extent, been shaped by those limitations. One can either give into the "lack" of something, sit back and be frustrated, waiting for others to offer you opportunities ... or override the lack of interest in and support for creative ventures and create your own opportunities.
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Question: What is 'culture', then ... if it's not pan, calypso and Carnival? To me it is the spirit of a place. Does spirit have boundaries? Does spirit express itself through one medium? In one 'language'?
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Criticism. What is it? Where is the consctructive criticism within our society? The criticism that enables people to grow and stretch beyond themselves by seeing where they can improve. I've seen creative peers crippled by newspaper critics who seem to sadistically enjoy ripping their work to shreds. None of it sounds consctructive to me.
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In closing, I'll dedicate a line from Malik's song to the Trinbagonians who are too interested in haggling over whether something is "local enough" or not to see the work for what it is: OPEN YUH EYES, I KNOW YOU AIN'T BLIND.
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This is Elspeth Duncan from Trinidad & Tobago and this is her work. Fullstop.
And ditto for the countless others who produce (and will continue to produce) work that is inspired by something other than the cliche of 'nationality'.

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- Elspeth -