Caribbean Beat Magazine

12/09/2026

This month’s listening picks from the Caribbean — featuring reviews by Nigel Campbell of new music by Kaiso Street Collective; Kelissa; David Rudder; Shaggy; Krisirie; and TRISHES.

Jesse Ryan Kelissa Music David Rudder Shaggy TRISHES Nigel A. Campbell

08/09/2026

Maria Montez — the Dominican Republic-born starlet who was the face of Universal Studios through much of the 1940s — was a larger-than-life character whose storied life and untimely death seem ripped from a Hollywood film. 🎬 James Ferguson looks back at the inimitable “Caribbean Cyclone”.

📷: Zuma Press Inc/Alamy Stock Photo

04/09/2026

Shelly-Ann Inniss rounds up the major festivals, holidays, and celebrations across the region this September and October in our latest issue.

📷:
CPL: Courtesy Caribbean Premier League/CPL T20
Amerindian: Courtesy Amerindian Heritage Month
Nevis Marathon: Courtesy Nevis Marathon & Running Festival
Edwidge Danticat: Courtesy Brooklyn Book Festival
TTRW: Courtesy Trinidad & Tobago Restaurant Week
St Lucia’s Dive Fest: TravelPhotoBloggers/Shutterstock.com
Tobago Cycling Classic: Courtesy Tobago Tourism Agency
World Creole Music Festival: Courtesy World Creole Music Festival
Tobago Blue Food Festival: Courtesy Tobago Festivals Commission
COCO Dance Festival: Courtesy COCO Dance Festival

CPL T20 Discover Guyana Nevis Marathon & Running Festival TTRW 365 Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Tobago Tobago Festivals Dominica Festivals COCO Dance Festival

02/09/2026

In the new September/October 2026 issue of Caribbean Beat ( #196), meet acclaimed Barbadian artist Sheena Rose and Jamaican-British deaf poet and author Raymond Antrobus.

Learn about why Tobago Carnival has become a bucket list experience for culture lovers; how madras fabric came to be a symbol of Caribbean Creole heritage; and about how Trinidad & Tobago’s cocoa and chocolate producers are building on the islands’ rich Trinatario legacy.

Explore the hidden history being unearthed at Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); how the region is continuing to battle influxes of sargassum seaweed; and the Caribbean roots of 40s screen siren Maria Montez (the “Queen of Technicolor”).

And as always, discover unforgettable regional events, experiences, and destinations before catching up on new Caribbean music and book releases, and testing your mettle with our puzzles and brain teasers.

Enjoy it all in your take-home copy on your next Caribbean Airlines flight; via a print or digital subscription; or read for free online along with classics from our archive (link in comments 👇)!

📷
The Lopinot Historical Complex, its great house pictured here pre-refurbishment, is among the Trinidad estates that embody the island’s enduring cocoa legacy: credit Chris Anderson

Caribbean Airlines MEP Publishers (Media & Editorial Projects Ltd) Chris Anderson

People | Culture | Lifestyle | Travel Destinations

27/08/2026

When hiking to Pinching Bay — one of Antigua’s hidden gems on the west coast — you might come across the distinctive woody vines (Abrus precatorius) that bear jumbie bead pods.

Visit Antigua and Barbuda

One last look of distinct Caribbean landscapes and experiences

24/08/2026

Coconut palms are an iconic part of Caribbean landscapes and culture. But, for decades, several islands have been hit hard by lethal yellowing, which can quickly devastate local trees. Gemma Handy explores how the Caribbean’s fight to save our coconut palms has been bearing fruit.

Coconut palms are an iconic part of Caribbean landscapes and culture. But, for decades, several islands have been hit hard by lethal yellowing, which can qu ...

19/08/2026

George Stiebel, Jamaica’s “first Black millionaire” who died 130 years ago, built Kingston’s iconic Devon House — the Georgian-style mansion and last surviving structure of Millionaires’ Corner. As the city undergoes immense transformation, James Ferguson writes, Devon House is a testament to the island’s history of ambition and resilience.

George Stiebel, Jamaica’s “first Black millionaire” who died 130 years ago, built Kingston’s iconic Devon House — the Georgian-style mansion and last surviv ...

15/08/2026

Teddyson John has been on a mission to bring his authentic St Lucian Creole identity to soca and regional Carnival music — helping expand what it can be, and who it can reach. Nigel Campbell reports.

Teddyson John Kes the Band NPR Music Stripped Travel Saint Lucia Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival Nigel A. Campbell

Teddyson John has been on a mission to bring his authentic St Lucian Creole identity to soca and regional Carnival music — helping expand what it can be, an ...

11/08/2026

Dominica has been a mecca for soap production in the Caribbean — including the iconic “blue soap” that is so interwoven with Caribbean life and culture. Natalie Dookie learns how the Dominica Coconut Products Successors Ltd has become such a regional industry leader, and how they continue to sustainably innovate and diversify.

Dominica has been a mecca for soap production in the Caribbean — including the iconic “blue soap” that is so interwoven with Caribbean life and culture. Nat ...

07/08/2026

Trinidadian film producer Jolene Mendes made history when she won the Grammy for Best Music Video last February. Fayola Fraser charts her journey, and Mendes’ unwavering commitment to helping develop a sustainable Caribbean film industry.

Fayola Fraser

Trinidadian film producer Jolene Mendes made history when she won the Grammy for Best Music Video last February. Fayola Fraser charts her journey, and Mende ...