Parang, parang!

“Parang, parang, parang,” the late singer, Singing Francine, sang and as Christmas Day draws near, there will be events featuring Trinidad and Tobago’s indigenous seasonal sound.

For the National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago, these parang events with high youth attendance are signalling a renewed interest in the genre.

Its president Alicia Jaggasar said despite initial financial challenges, which saw the cancellation of some of its events like its La Razon de la Parranda on December 9, the season has been good.

Some bands even had three-four gigs a day, she added.

The association launched the season on October 14 and then went on to host the first-ever Parang Tent on November 23, December 7 and 17.

“With the tent we saw it grow from the first to the last night. The beautiful thing about it was that some people came every night and when they came, they brought people.

“It was new to many but everyone who came – we did not have hundreds flocking the venue – but those who came were in high praises…”

Jaggasar said it was a success for the association and they looked forward to doing it again next year.

She said the association was truly appreciative of financial sponsorship from businesses like Ibis Flour, National Flour Mills, National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) and added that the association was looking forward to the support from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

“We are grateful and most grateful to the media for its support. Everyone we met out there said, ‘Yes, yes you all have a presence. We are hearing allyuh, we are seeing allyuh. They would tell us they are seeing the articles and that kind of thing.

“That is good for us, that we were seen and heard. We may not have got the kind of support we wanted for this year but I think it augurs well for 2024.”

NPATT said it intends to start its fundraising for 2024 soon after Carnival.

There are also a number of plans in place for next year including the return of the festival and more competitions.

Jaggasar said there is renewed interest for parang in TT particularly among the youth. She shared that she attended Paramin Development Committee’s event on December 18 and a mature patron there commented on the high number of youth at Parang on Paramin Hills on December 15.

Jagassar said she smiled because many people said parang was dying but this person saw that it simply needed to be repackaged.

“There has been a renewed spirit among the parranderos and among the youth,” she said citing young parranderos like Afeisha Brown.

Jaggasar said there were new parang groups coming up and the association needed to be “poised and ready” so it did not lose the youthful vibrancy rebuilding in the artform.

Jagassar said the Junior Parang Festival played a part in that youthful regeneration.

“Coming out of the junior parang, some of the schools – especially those coming out of the secondary schools – they actually form bands. This year we actually had one of the bands joining the association to be a part of the seniors,” she said.

This was happening more and more, with the junior festival feeding the artform for its continuation, she said.

She and her team plan to have three parts to next year’s competition – primary, secondary and some form of tertiary. The tertiary category would accommodate those evolving out of the secondary category.

Jagassar said she was also heartened this season by those organisations which sought partnerships with the NPATT like Naparima Bowl and Tourism Trinidad Ltd.

The association hopes to close Christmas 2023 with Lewah at Point Fortin’s St Anthony’s RC Church on January 6.

For her, the season would not have had the success it did without public support and so she thanked all of TT for its continued love and support for parang.

Parangthon is one of this weekend’s event.

Its organiser Marc Hospedales said he anticipates this year’s event to have more people than last year’s. Hospedales is also the leader of parang band Hermanos Latinos.

Last year, parang on Ariapita Avenue drew an audience of about 2,500. This year Hospedales and his team are looking forward to about 5,000 people or more.

It will start at about 5 pm and move from bar to bar starting at De Verteuil Street.

He said he has been involved in parang since he was born and hopes to take parang mainstream.

As the owner of Wing It, Ariapita Avenue; Hospedales said he wanted to bring the music to TT’s social capital (the avenue). It started last year after he planned it with his business associates.

The parranderos will stay at about 15-20 minutes at each bar.

The final stop will be between French and Gatacre Streets where it will be blocked off and there will be a main stage where people can enjoy parang or soca parang from performers like Scrunter, Marcia Miranda, Lara Brothers, Voces De Promesa among others.

Here are some of the parang events taking place this weekend:

December 22: La Familia De Carmona Y Amigos – Rising Star Restaurant and Grill, San Fernando

December 22-24: Arima Christmas Village Expo, Arima Amphitheatre

December 23: The Beer Station’s Grand Parang Lime, Aranguez Main Road

December 23: Parangthon – on the Avenue, Ariapita Avenue

December 23: Parang with Rome, Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies , Valsayn