Indian Arrival 2016

Indian
Arrival Day
Hindu- and Indian-formatted music

radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago
2016 Trinidad and Tobago Volume 17, Number 1

http://icctrinidad.wordpress.com/
bbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC) 2016 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC) 2016 Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC
Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and

Tobago by Dr. Kumar Mahabir
On May 30th 1845, the
Fath al Razak docked
near the lighthouse in the
Port of Spain harbour
in Trinidad and Tobago.
There were 225 immigrant
passengers on board who
had left India to come to
the British colony to work on the sugarcane plantations
after the abolition of African slavery. They had spent 103
days at sea, enduring a long and dangerous journey that
spanned 14,000 miles (36,000 km). The immigrants were
contracted to work for five to ten years on the sugarcane
estates in a system of indentureship that finally ended in
1917.
A total of 147,596 Indians came to Trinidad over this
72-year period. Although they were promised free return
passage back to India, at least 75 per cent of them stayed
and settled in the New World. In many ways, they brought
India to the Caribbean through their religious traditions of
Hinduism and Islam, and eventually transformed Trinidad
and Tobago into a colourful, cosmopolitan society.
Descendants of these Indian immigrants, who now comprise about half of the islands multi-ethnic 1.3 million
population, commemorate the arrival of their ancestors annually. The commemoration occurs in the form of prayers,
speeches, songs, music, dances and plays which are held
in communal as well as public spaces. At various beaches,
the spirit of history is invoked with the re-enactment of the
landing of the first boat-load of pioneers who gave birth
to the Indian community in Trinidad. The historic day has
been a national holiday since 1994.
The entire month of May has been deemed Indian Heritage
Month, but May 30th holds special historical significance.
On this day, participants gather to honour their ancestors
who had crossed three oceans and travelled halfway around
the world to reach the Caribbean. The descendants gather to
pray for the souls of their fore parents, and to seek guidance
and blessings for the future. Scholars, teachers, elders and
activists continue to share their knowledge of the past as
well as increase public awareness on this important aspect
of the nations history and heritage.
The 2005 edition of the ICC magazine on the theme Temples and
Tourism in Trinidad won an Excellence-in-Journalism Award.
ISSN 1683-4143 Volume 17, Number 1.

Cover and page design
Preddie Partap
Advertising
Ramona Harripersad and Lisa Persad
Chief Financial Officer
Mera Heeralal
Consultants
Hemant Saith, Yaseen Rahaman,
Kiran Maharaj and Lokesh Maharaj
Facilitators
Shamoon Mohammed
and Jacinta Mondezie
Researcher
Samantha Jagdeo
Photographers
2 Story Photography
and Kumar Mahabir
Contributing writer
Jamie Gangoo
Proof readers
Reshma Beharry and Saeeda Ali
Editor-in-Chief and Chairman
Dr. Kumar Mahabir
Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC),
10 Swami Avenue, Don Miguel Road,
San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean
Tel: (868) 674-6008 Tel/fax: (868) 675-7707
E-mail: dmahabir@gmail.com
Website: http://icctrinidad.wordpress.com
Copyright
ICC 2016. All rights reserved. The writing,
artwork and/or photography contained herein
may be used or reproduced ONLY with written
permission of the Chairman of ICC, or his agents.
Disclaimer
Although all efforts have been made to ensure
accuracy of the contents of this publication, ICC
cannot accept responsibility for errors, omissions
or advice given. The views expressed in this
magazine are not necessarily those of ICC.
Editorial
Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad
There are 36 registered FM radio

stations in Trinidad and Tobago
servicing the diverse needs of the
multi-religious, multi-ethnic and
multi-racial society. Nine of them
are Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations: 103.1 FM - The
FirstThe Finest, Sangeet 106.1
FM - The Superstation, 90.5 FM The Peoples Station, WIN Radio
101.1 FM - The News You Want,
The Music You Need, Heritage
Radio 101.7 FM - The Pulse of the
Nation, U97.5 - Hot Like Pepper,
Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM - The New
Awakening, Aakash Vani 106.5 Awakening the Mind and Spirit,
and Taj 92.3 FM - Celebrating
Passion and Culture.
The very first sound of Indian music
on radio was aired in 1947 when
Radio Trinidad - the countrys first
radio station - was launched. The
station broadcasted a one-hour programme, Indian Talent on Parade,
hosted by Kamal Mohammed. While
ground-breaking, the limited time for
Indian music on air would last for
over 40 years until 103.1 FM came
on air in 1993 through the vision of
Marcel Mahabir, Richard Henderson
and Winfield Aleong.
103.1 FM was Trinidad and
Tobagos first Indian-formatted
music station to broadcast 24 hours
a day. Its impact was tremendous
and revolutionary. Advertisers
immediately recognised the incredible economic power of the Indian
community. Its unexpected success
proved that there was a need for an
electronic media dedicated to Hindu
and Indian religious and cultural
programmes. Inspired by its success,
Sangeet 106.1 FM emerged in 1995,
followed by seven similar stations
with Taj 92.3 being the latest to be
aired in 2014.
Radio Jaagriti 102.7 FM also

became a landmark station among
all radio stations in the country.
Established on 2007, it is the first
exclusively Hindu radio station in
the world, the second being Sanskar
Radio 107.5 FM in Leicester in the
UK, which came on air in 2013.
Other Hindu-oriented radio stations exist in the UK, USA, India,
Mauritius and Dubai, but they indulge in pop, folk and non-religious
genres of music. Hindu-oriented stations such as Bhakti Radio, Shaivam
Radio, Sanatan Dharma Radio and
World Hindu Radio are solely internet radio stations. Jaagriti is both an
internet (streaming) and a satellite
radio station. Like Sankar, Jaagriti
broadcasts exclusively Hindu songs
[bhajans], devotional music, discourses and discussions as well as
information on Hindu festivals and
ceremonies. Sankar in the UK and
Jaagriti in Trinidad are really the
only two Hindu radio stations in the
world.
Jaagritis closest competitor in
Trinidad is Aakash Vani, founded in
2008 one year after Jaagriti.
But while Jaagriti is owned by
Hindus (the Maha Sabha), Aakash
Vani is owned by a majority of
non-Hindus who comprise of the
Guardian Media Limited, a subsidiary of ANSA McAL. Unlike Aakash
Vani and all the Indian-formatted
radio stations in Trinidad, all the
profits from Radio (and TV) Jaagriti
are donated to Hindu activities and
institutions. In keeping with Hindu
protocol, and unlike all Indiandirected radio stations, Jaagriti
does not advertise alcohol and meat
products as well as fetes and parties. Moreover, Jaagriti is perhaps
the most popular radio station in the
country among internet listeners,
Dr Kumar Mahabir
Ph.D. Anthropology, University of Florida
Assistant Professor, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)
Chairman, Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd (ICC)
garnering an enormous 2.4 million

webpage hits from June 2015 to May
2016. Through its popular talkshow with the stations director, Sat
Maharaj, Jaagriti is the only radio
to take vocal, uncompromising and
courageous positions on political,
cultural and social issues on behalf
of the Hindu community.
Among all the Hindu- and Indianformatted radio stations in Trinidad,
Radio 90.5 is the most dynamic and
creative. It is the first Indian radio
to stream live on the internet, the
first to introduce talk-shows, the first
to launch a mobile app for smart
phones, the first to collaborate with
Bollywood movie playback singers,
and the first to host the prestigious
Bollywood Music Awards in 2005 in
Trinidad. Radio 90.5 is also the only
radio station in the country to release
and promote Indian films. Almost all
the other Indian radio station create,
promote and/or record religious,
social and cultural activities. For example, Sangeet 106.1 hosts Caura
Fest and Game of Trump.
While most of the Indian-directed
radio stations are located in and
around Port of Spain (6 of 9),
Jaagriti is based in Tunapuna, U97.5
Hot Like Pepper is in Couva, and
WIN Radio is in Chaguanas. Some
stations have similar programming such as Sangeet 106.1 and
WIN Radio 101.1. They indulge in
remixes of different genres of music
such hall and reggae to appeal to
younger audiences. Heritage Radio
101.7 offers a wide repertoire which
includes calypso. While U97.5 caters
to the working class in the Central
and South Trinidad, Taj 92.3 FM
targets mainly professional women
everywhere who are enjoying a
middle- to high-income and living a
modern lifestyle.
HONOURABLE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT, CULTURE AND THE ARTS
INDIAN ARRIVAL DAY GREETINGS 2016
As the Minister of Community Development, Culture
and the Arts, it is a pleasure to present this message to
the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd (ICC).
This edition of the magazine commemorates 171 years
since the arrival of the East Indians to Trinidad and
Tobago. With the theme of this years edition being
Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations in
Trinidad and Tobago, we proudly acknowledge the
reflection of the arts, religious beliefs, and traditions
from India on our culture. For sixty-nine (69) years,
Indian music has been aired on the radio in Trinidad
and Tobago. Today, one quarter of the radio stations in
Trinidad and Tobago is dedicated to this genre of music
and programming.
Hindu and East Indian music provide us with harmonious, emotional, and intense undertones in their songs and instrumentals. The broadcasting of these classical, religious
and contemporary offerings evoke feelings of reminiscence and tribute. The vibrancy
of East Indian rhythms create an opportunity for artistes to experiment with collaborations across genres. These musical and cultural influences create a unique expression
which is all Trinbagonian.
The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts was created to combine community, culture and diversity as we transform our nation. We support the
empowerment of communities while strengthening our creative industries; all in the
context of our diversity and inclusivity. Our programmes and initiatives embrace the
preservation of our diverse cultural traditions across communities in Trinidad and
Tobago.
We are constructing community centres which provide performance spaces throughout
the country. Our outreach projects all possess aspects of East Indian art forms as we
establish opportunities for encouraging youth awareness and involvement.
Our museums pay homage to the history and heritage of our East Indian ancestors.
As one of the longest-running developmental programmes, our Prime Ministers Best
Village Trophy Competition incorporates our national art forms which includes categories for East Indian-influenced dances, folk presentations, and musical performances.
The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts proudly extends greetings to the East Indian community and all citizens on the anniversary of Indian Arrival.
Let us continue to embrace our unique culture and our heritage in recognition of all
which has made us the nation and the people we are today.
Dr the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly
Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts
Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago Indian

Radio Stations by Jamie Gangoo
Call Sign
103.1 FM - The FirstThe Finest
Year Founded
July 1993
Broadcast Network Winfield Aleong Broadcasting Company Ltd.
Call Sign
Heritage Radio 101.7 FM - The Pulse of the Nation
Year Founded
May 2005
Broadcast Network Heritage Communications Ltd.

Location
Port of Spain, Trinidad
Genres of Music
Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Latin, Bhajans,

Kaiso, Chutney, Indian Film songs
Website
www.heritageradiott.com
Live Stream
Audio: www.heritageradiott.com/livestream/
Call Sign
U97.5- Hot Like Pepper
Year Founded
June 2005
Location
St. James, Trinidad
Genres of Music
Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Chutney,

Indian Film songs
Website
www.103fm.net
Location
Couva, Trinidad
Live Stream
Audio: www.103fm.net/live-stream-2/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx9QCcy6
T4w&feature=youtu.be
Genres of Music
Chutney, Bollywood remixes, Indian classical music,

Indian Pop, Bhajans, Indian Film songs
Website
www.hotlikepepperradio.com
Call Sign
Sangeet 106.1 FM - The Superstation
Live Stream
Audio: www.hotlikepepperradio.com/hotlike.php
Year Founded
September 1995
Call Sign
Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM - The New Awakening
Broadcast Network The Trinidad Broadcasting Company Radio Network
Year Founded
November 2006
Location
Broadcast Network Central Broadcasting Services Ltd.
Genres of Music

Location
Tunapuna, Trinidad
Website
www.sangeet106fm.co.tt
Genres of Music
Hindu devotional music, Indian classical music
Live Stream
Audio/ Video: www.sangeet106fm.co.tt/video-stream
Website
www.jaagriti.com
Call Sign
90.5 FM - The Peoples Station
Live Stream
Audio: http://tunein.com/radio/Jaagriti--FM1027-s89338 Video: http://jaagriti.com/media2.htm
Year Founded
August 1997
Call Sign
Aakash Vani 106.5- Awakening the Mind and Spirit
Broadcast Network Caribbean Lifestyle Communications Group
Year Founded
March 2008
Location
St. Clair, Trinidad
Broadcast Network The Trinidad Broadcasting Company Radio Network
Genres of Music
Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Indian

Film songs
Location
Website
www.radio90fm.com
Genres of Music
Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Indian

Film songs
Live Stream
Audio: http://v6.player.abacast.net/826
Website
www.aakashvani1065.co.tt
Call Sign
WIN Radio 101.1 FM - The News You Want, The

Music You Need
Live Stream
Audio: www.aakashvani1065.co.tt
Year Founded
May 2004
Call Sign
Taj 92.3 FM- Tuned in to You
Year Founded
October 2014
Broadcast Network WIN Communication Ltd.

Location
Chaguanas, Trinidad
Genres of Music
Chutney, Pop/Adult Contemporary, Latin, Soca,

Bollywood Remixes, Film Songs, Country, Dancehall,
Reggae
Website
Live Stream
Broadcast Network Upward Trend Entertainment Ltd.
Broadcast Network Side Walk Radio

Location
Genres of Music

www.winhd.tt
Website
www.taj923fm.com
Audio: www.winradio101.com/livestream/
Live Stream
Audio: www.taj923fm.com
Indian Arrival Magazine Day 2016

Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre Co. Ltd. (ICC)
Hindu- and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago
Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM - The New Awakening.
Radio Jaagriti is the only exclusively

Hindu radio station in the world.
Radio Jaagriti 102.7 FM is the only
exclusively Hindu radio station in
the world. Hindu-oriented radio stations exist in India, Mauritius, Dubai
and the USA, but they indulge in
pop, folk and non-religious genres of
music. Hindu-oriented stations such
as Bhakti and Shaivam in India are
solely internet radio stations. Jaagriti
is both an internet (streaming) and
a satellite radio station. Jaagriti
broadcasts exclusively Hindu songs
[bhajans], devotional music, discourses and discussions as well as
information on Hindu festivals and
ceremonies.
Directed by Sat Maharaj, the station

broadcasts the highest number of
local Ramayana yagnas [discourses]
among all Indian-formatted radio
stations. Jaagriti is never short of
personalities and events to highlight,
and has a large listening membership audience. Its owner, the Sanatan
Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS),

manages 43 primary and 5 secondary

schools as well as 20 early childhood centres. The Maha Sabha also
manages 225 temples, a bi-monthly
magazine (Mukdar) and a museum.
It has a number of committees (e.g.
Scouts and Sports) and organises a
number of events (e.g. Ramleela,
Phagwa, Indian Arrival Day and
Baal Vikaas Vihar). With Sat at the
forefront, the Maha Sabha is the
most proactive, assertive and vocal
Hindu organization in Trinidad and
Tobago and the Caribbean.
Radio Jaagriti simulcasts with

TV Jaagriti which also positions
them to emerge as the first Hindu
Broadcasting Network in the world.
Together, they help create, preserve
and promote a unique space in the
electronic media for the Hindu community. Unlike the Indian-formatted
radio stations, the profits generated
are donated to Hindu community
activities and institutions.
There was an enormous

2.4 million page
hits from June 2015
to May 2016, mainly
from listeners from
the wider world
Radio Jaagriti was established in
2007 by the Maha Sabha, the largest
Hindu organization in Trinidad and
Tobago. Jaagritis office and studio
are located adjacent to the Maha
Sabhas Tunapuna Hindu School.
Jaagriti was born out of legal battles
with the PNM government who
refused to grant the radio broadcast
licence. The Maha Sabhas thenattorney Anand Ramlogan fought
the discrimination case in the High
Court, the Court of Appeal and the
Privy Council. After six years of
waiting on trials, the lawsuit finally
ended in 2006, and Jaagriti went
on air on Friday January 19, 2007.
10

Former CEO of Radio Jaagriti,

Devant Maharaj, wrote: No radio
station in Trinidad and Tobago had
generated so much publicity and
anticipation before its launch.
In 2009, the State was ordered to
pay the Maha Sabha close to TT$3
million in damages for its unequal
treatment and delay in granting it a
radio broadcasting licence.
After its legal victory, the station
began broadcasting programmes
such as the Maha Sabha Strikes
Back which instantly became the
most popular talk show among all
radio stations in the country. Like
some Indian-formatted music stations, Radio Jaagriti broadcasts live
discourses on The Ramayana which
consists of 24,000 verses in seven
books (kas) and 500 cantos
(sargas). This epic poem is comparable to Homers Iliad in which a war
was ignited after the abduction of a
woman.
Jaagriti was established as a medium of Hindu expression, reflection and instruction in Trinidad
and Tobago. As Programme/Brand
Manager Mrs. Zelisa Boodoosingh

Rupani explained, Hinduism is not
just a religion, it is a way of life.
Accordingly, the name Jaagriti
translates to The Awakening in
English. To encourage the learning of Hindi, the station has a daily
feature entitled Bolo Hindi which
translates into Speak Hindi. In
keeping with Hindu protocol and
unlike all the other Indian-directed
radio stations, Radio and TV Jaagriti
do not advertise alcohol and meat
products as well as fetes and parties.
Its highest download in web traffic was in September

last year with a whopping 310,568 record hit.
Number of Internet Hits on Radio Jaagriti 102.7 FM
JANUARY 2016
165,719
FEBRUARY 2016
147,416
MARCH 2016
196,081
APRIL 2016
180,977
50000
100000
NOS. OF HITS
150000
200000
Radio Jaagriti received a gigantic number of listening hits on its website stream in the last 12 months. There was an
enormous 2.4 million webpage hits from June 2015 to May 2016, mainly from listeners from the wider world. Its
highest download in web traffic was in September last year with a whopping 310,568 record hit. Jaagriti, like many
radio stations today, broadcasts both on the internet as well as through satellite technology.
Contact information:
Radio Jaagriti
Corner Pasea Main Road Ext. and Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Tunapuna
Phone: 663-2250, 663-8743, 663-8961
Email: info@jaagriti.com
Web: www.jaagriti.com
12

90.5 FM - The Peoples Station
Who are we?

Radio 90.5 began its all Indian
music format on August 17th 1997.
Through the years it has been our
mission to stay a family-oriented
and community-driven entity. We
are dynamic and innovative and give
our listeners the best in entertainment through our music, as well as,
through the talent of our vibrant and
magnetic on-air personalities. Our
projects strive to serve communities
and our special events are sensational! These are the reasons that we
take pride in calling ourselves The
Peoples Station.
At Radio 90.5 we enjoy keeping
busy because we love what we do
and its all for you our listeners - who continue to be a source of
support and inspiration to us to strive
for better together!
Indeed, Radio 90.5 is undisputedly one of the countrys top
radio stations and a proud member of the Caribbean Lifestyle
Communications Network (along
with Music Radio 97.1, Ebony
14

First interactive radio game

show. - Who Wants Money.
First official radio sponsor of
the National Windball Cricket
Tournament.
First East Indian radio station
to launch mobile apps for smart
phone devices.
First East Indian radio station to
collaborate with a Bollywood
playback singer Sonu Nigam,
to release an original song entitled Trini Ladki
ON AIR PROMOTIONS
104.1, Heartbeat 103.5, IETV

Cable Channel 1 and V.A.Film
Productions), where we entertain,
engage, empower and excite.
Music, moods, magic, memories and
more come alive on The Peoples
Station Radio 90.5FM Let Your
Heart and Soul Dance!
90.5 FIRSTS
First East Indian radio station to

stream live on the net!
First East Indian radio station
in the country to have a talk
program!
Since 1997 we have had countless

on air promotions but some notable
ones include: The Oldest Philips
Radio Contest. As part of launching our station and wanting to do
something unique, we asked listeners
to bring in their oldest Philips Radio
to win a cash prize. There was the
Toyota Yaris giveaway.
In keeping with our family tradition mission, we have over the
years, done a promotion on several
occasions, called the Golden Bera
Giveaway. This gave listeners the
opportunity to win a 90.5 Golden
Bera and was aimed at embracing the aspect of the passing on of
a Golden Bera a hierloom that
is important in East Indian tradition. Similarly, we had a Mohar
Giveaway. There is the popular
Cash Call Promotion which gives
listeners the chance to win a cash
prize!
Staying focused on family, and
specifically to engage our nations
youth, we have done our Design
an Eid Card Contest and Design a
Divali Card Contest for numerous
years. Kids were asked to design
their cards, post them to us and
prizes were awarded. And perhaps
one of the most innovative and fun
contests weve ever done was our
Create a Coconut Contest.
We join the nation

in celebration of this
historic journey...
and its precious cargo
COMMUNITY PROJECTS / EVENTS

Radio 90.5s dedication to fulfill our
mission to be a family station and
to enlighten the communities which
we serve have led us to undertake
several community based projects
over the years.
Early endeavours to do so included
projects like our Deepon Ka Utsav
Divali Competition. We focused on
keeping the true traditions of
Divali alive. Temples and communities from across the country were
invited to enter their Divali displays
and celebrations in our contest, the
criteria for which was the use of
traditional materials, originality and
creativity and the depiction of Maha
Lakshmi and Lord Rama.
Our most popular promotion is
Share the Magic of Christmas Toy
Collection Drive. Each year, we
ask listeners to donate toys for us to
take to less fortunate girls and boys.
The week before Christmas, the 90.5
staff jumps on our 90.5 Christmas
Caravan and takes these precious
tokens out to homes and orphanages. But, more than that and what
makes our toy drive unique is that
we actually drive through communities and share the gifts to the underprivileged. It takes time but it is so
well worth it and we cant thank our
listeners enough for their continued
generosity in making this campaign
a success and the one that is closest
to our all our hearts.
16

Our Lend a Helping Hand promotion was another soul-satisfying

venture for us Throughout the year
we would do random drives to collect, food items, clothing and books
and then through the assistance of
various organizations these items
would reach those in need.Radio
90.5 has also proudly sponsored a
cricket team the Bamboo All Stars
for the past several years. In 2013,
we (Radio 90.5 and members of the
Bamboo All Stars cricket team), held
our first Childrens Cricket
Coaching Clinic where over the July/
August holiday children were taught
the well-loved sport of cricket at no
cost.
Also for many years, Radio 90.5 has
been a proud supporter of the everpopular and long- standing IndoTrinidadian cultural show Mastana
Bahar.
And on a more spiritual side,
we have hosted events such as
Divali Mangalam and Saraswatie
Mangalam which we do each year
before children sit their SEA and
CXC exams.
SPECIAL EVENTS
In addition to our community and
charity campaigns, we also have
family, fun-filled events.Our Family
Day was the first such event in 1999.
It was a free event, held at our then
studio location Valpark Shopping
Plaza.
Then came Cookout a cooking

competition where contestants vied
for the best tasting dish in one of
several categories the best sada
roti, the best paratha roti, the best
pepper roti, the best curry chicken,
the best tomato choka, the best original dish and prizes were also given
for the best well-kept cooking site
and the best traditional presentation.
In 2000, we launched the Annual
Easter Kite Flying Contest. Each
year thousands gather at the Queens
Park Savannah on Easter Sunday to
enjoy a day of live entertainment,
giveaways from sponsors, kite flying
and fun, fun, fun! It also incorporated our family tradition/heritage
goal as Kite flying is a huge festivity
in India in the spring.
CONCERT EVENTS
From 2005 to 2008 as part
of the Caribbean Lifestyle
Communications Network, Radio
90.5 co-produced andco-hosted The
Plymouth Jazz Festival in Tobago,
which brought some of the greatest names in music history to our
shores. Over the 4-year period the
cast included singers like Stevie
Wonder, Elton John, Sting, Rod
Stewart, Shakira, Diana Ross, the
late Whitney Houston, Vanessa
Williams and others.Weve also had
special concert events more specific
to Radio 90.5s audience. The first
was the hosting of the prestigious
Bollywood Music Awards in 2005
which brought a battalion of top
Bollywood playback singers (Udit
Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Kavita
Krishnamurthy Subramaniam, Babul

Supriyo, Anuradha Sriram, Jaspinder
Naralu, Raghav and Amir Jamal) to
perform.
Then the Bollywood Movie Awards
the following year. This star-studded
cast included singers Alisha Chinoy,
Sukhwinder Singh and Kunal
Ganjawala; and movie stars Akshay
Kumar, Manisha Koierala and
Urmila Matondkar, giving grand
performances with appearances by
Indian cinema legends - Zennat
Aman and the late Rajesh Khanna.
In 2012 Radio 90.5 was proud to
bring one of Bollywoods most acclaimed and versatile singers - Sonu
Nigam back to Trinidad after a few
years.
In 2013 as Bollywood celebrated
100 years of Indian Cinema,
Radio 90.5 presented A Night to
Remember. The show featured two
singing icons Alka Yagnik and
Udit Narayan. Once again, it was
a successful event with a sold out
audience!
In May 2014, Radio 90.5 presented
Sonu Nigam who performed his
song Trini Ladki, which was a collaborative effort with Radio 90.5.
The song, for which our very own
Kenneth Supersad penned the lyrics,
had a chutney melody and was a
tribute to Sonus Trini fans. It was
released in February 2014 and met
with tremendous response from his
fans worldwide!
FILM RELEASES
In 2010 we released Dulha Mil
Gaya. The movie starred Shah Rukh
Khan, Sushmita Sen, Fardeen Khan
and Ishita Sharma. The music was
composed by award-winning and
acclaimed composer Lalit Pandit.
Some of the movie was shot on location here in Trinidad and released
by Radio 90.5. In 2012 Radio 90.5
presented two of the biggest film
releases of that year, both from Yash
Raj Films. The first was Ek Tha
Tiger which starred Salman Khan
and Katrina Kaif. The film opened
in August and earned blockbuster
18

status within days of its opening and

became the most successful Yash Raj
Film release and the third highestgrossing Bollywood film of all time.
The film ran for six weeks here in
Trinidad.
The second release came in
November and was Jab Tak Hai
Jaan. Once again starred Katrina
Kaif this time with Shah Rukh Khan
as her leading man and Anushka
Sharma. The film held special
significance as it marked the late
Yash Chopras return to the directors helm after eight years and was
his final film. Sadly, he passed away
just a month before its release. The
film went on to become the ninth
highest-grossing Bollywood film
of all time. Here at home it ran for
an unprecedented twelve weeks as
no Bollywood film has played at
Trinidads cinemas for that length of
time.
On December 26th 2013 Radio 90.5
released the years most awaited
film Yash Raj Films Dhoom 3.
Dhoom 3 broke the box office record
for highest opening weekend of a
film in the overseas market.
On October 29th 2014, Radio 90.5
released the years most anticipated
film Happy New Year! From Red
Chillies Entertainment and distributed by Yash Raj Films.
In December 2014, the longest
running film in the history of Indian
cinema - Dilwale Dulhuniya Le
Jayenge, celebrated 1,000 weeks

of romance (as it still shows at the
Marathi Mandir theatre in Mumbai
every day since its release back on
October 20th 1995 to date). The
Yash Raj Films hit was also rereleased in other countries across the
globe to commemorate its 20th year
and Radio 90.5 was proud to have
brought it back to the silver screen
here at home on April 8th 2015. It
gave us a story that redefined love
for generations to come, making it
one of Bollywoods greatest films of
all time!
In December 2015, Radio 90.5
released Dilwale that brought the
iconic pair of Shah Rukh Khan and
Kajol together again after five years.
The Rohit Shetty film saw unprecedented business here in Trinidad
and shows were sold out for the first
two to three weeks of its release.
Radio 90.5FM is also proud to be
a sponsor of the Trinbago Knight
Riders (formerly Trinidad and
Tobago Red Steel and 2015 CPL
Winners). Like its brother team, the
Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinbago
Knight Riders is blazing a trail of
success and we wish them both
continued success.
2016 began on a special note for

Radio 90.5FM as we announced
our formal partnership with Zee TV.
Which has a reach of more than 169
countries and access to more than
670 million viewers globally. Zee is
a frontrunner in bringing innovative
programming to its viewers.
We continue in our commitment to
bring best in entertainment on and
off the air to create positive vibrations and to enhance the lives of
our listeners. We thank all of our
listeners and supporters for making
our journey a rewarding experience.
103.1 FM - The FirstThe Finest

The station holds a historic place in the memory of the Indian community;
it was the first Indian-formatted music radio station in the country.
The Indian presence in Trinidad on
the airwaves can be traced back to
the firstthe finest radio station, 103 FM, which was launched
on July 4, 1993 at Long Circular
Mall, St. James. The station holds
a historic place in the heart and
memory of the Indian community;
it was the first Indian-formatted
music radio station in Trinidad and
Tobago to broadcast 24 hours a day
and offer a space and voice to reflect
the community. Prior to 1993, the
presence of Indian culture on radio

was strictly limited to approximately
15 to 30 minutes of airplay.
The very first sound of Indian music
on radio was heard in 1947 when
Radio Trinidad - the countrys first
radio station - was launched. The
station broadcasted a one hour programme, Indian Talent on Parade
hosted by Kamal Mohammed. While
ground-breaking, the limited time
for the Indian voice on air would last
for over 40 years. Longer hours of
Indian programmes were not considered to be economically feasible.
It was Marcel Mahabir who saw
an opportunity to fill a void in the
market. Mahabir rationalised that the
Indian community consisted of 39%
of the population, and visualised
that a 24-hour, Indian-formatted
music radio station was needed. He
20

proposed the business venture to

his friends, Richard Henderson and
Winfield Aleong. They accepted the
proposal.
Aleong obtained the radio frequency
and also provided TT$2million dollars towards this venture. Henderson
held administrative duties while
managing the news and Mahabir
himself, marketed and programmed
the station. In a multi-racial, multicultural society such as Trinidad
and Tobago, it is no wonder that the
countrys first Indo-centred station
was a result of the combined efforts
of an Indo-Trinidadian, an AfroTrinidadian and a Sino-Trinidadian.
This innovative project was a bold
step with many challenges. For example, the station needed advertising
support which was almost impossible to secure. Many advertising
agencies and businesses believed

that the project would further divide
the country that was already plagued
with historical, racial and ethnic
prejudice. With many anxieties felt
by its investors, 103 FM was born
on July 4, 1993. Sadro Mohammed
was the first announcer followed
by Shamoon Mohammed, Hans
Hanoomansingh, Kailash Bali, Suruj
Rambachan, Aruna Mohammed,
Pundit Capildeo Maharaj and DJ
Mamoo. Sales and marketing were
done by Joy Rampersadsingh
and Ramdeo Eaknath as well as
Advantage Advertising.
After a year of broadcasting, a media
survey conducted by Market Facts
and Opinion (2000) Ltd., found that
103 FM drew 26% of the listeners of the 14 radio stations in the
country. The impact of 103 FM was
tremendous.
103 FM has pioneered the

Curry Duck Showdown
in the country as
well as D Pepper Roti
Cooking Competition.
Twenty-three years later, 103 FM
continues to flourish, appealing primarily to 25 to 45 year-old listeners,
mainly from central and southern
Trinidad. Due to its vibrant Internet
presence, it has also expanded its
reach throughout the Caribbean
region and internationally to countries such as the USA, UK, Canada,
Europe and India.
The station has an innovative
programme format with a mix of
local songs, religious and self-help
segments, news items and music
countdowns. According to a 2014
Market Facts and Opinions survey,
its morning drive time programme,
Prabhaat (meaning Daybreak)
and evening show Catch the
Rhythms, gained the highest
listenership among all Indian radio
stations.
Other programmes such as
Chutney Train and Trinistyles
pay tribute to local singers and
emerging musicians. The Upright

Way is a motivational Islamicbased programme. Programme
Director Hemant Saith promises that
103 FMs programming is guaranteed second to none. Its A Day
in the Life of series highlights
the history and contemporary life
of a community in the country. 103
FM has pioneered the Curry Duck
Showdown in the country. Over 20
teams also participate in its Pepper
Roti competition as well as in the
Surprise Ingredient Championship.
As an independent station, 103 FM
deploys its own news team to go
on daily assignments throughout
Trinidad under the direction of Amrit
Maharaj. News are frequently updated on the stations website as well
as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
In its attempt to maintain its spot as

the firstthe finest, the station has
continuously been involved in various events, promotions and outreach
programmes.
It regularly hosts numerous chutney
shows and Indian music concerts
throughout the year, such as the annual Chutney Soca Road Shakes.
Additionally, the station has been a
partner with the National Schools
Chutney Soca Monarch and Chutney
Brass, an event that encourages and
supports young and upcoming singers and musicians.
Moreover, every Christmas, 103
FM hosts its own Christmas
Bandwagon in which the team
travels to selected areas of Trinidad
and Tobago to treat its audience
with performances by artistes with
giveaways and competitions for both
children and adults.
103 FM
Level 4, Long Circular Mall, St.
James, Port of Spain
Email: admin@103fm.net
Ph: (868) 628-9222/23/24
Web: www.103fm.net/
22

Taj 92.3 FM- Tuned in to You

Taj targets 25 to 45
year-olds, mainly
professional women
enjoying a mid- to highincome and enjoying
a modern lifestyle.
Taj 92.3 FM may be the newest

station to hit the airwaves, but it
has a team of veteran broadcasters as its foundation. Located in
Woodbrook in Port of Spain, the
station was founded by GEM Radio
Five Ltd. and its parent company,
One Caribbean Media Ltd. (OCM)
in October 2014.
OCM was established through a
merger of two of the regions oldest
media enterprises, the Caribbean
Communications Network Limited
(Trinidad and Tobago) (CCN) and
the Nation Corporation (Barbados).
The CCN Group comprises of
the Express newspaper, CCNTV6
and the Grenada Broadcasting
Network Limited. In 2014, research
by Market Facts & Opinions Ltd.
(MFO), a leading market research
company, found that OCM was not
catering for the Indo-Trinidadian audio market. Therefore, OCM felt the
need to launch Taj to fill that void.
24

Taj has been built on the experience

of experts in the media enterprise.
The station is managed by Yaseen
Rahaman, an expert with over 20
years of experience in rebranding
businesses and companies. The staff
also includes radio presenters such
as Rafi Mohammed and Karen Dass,
who have not only witnessed, but
also actively shaped the soundscape
of Trinidadian Indo-centred radio
stations. The name Taj refers to
a crown worn by an Indian prince,
symbolising the youth and prominence of the station.
Two of its featured programmes include The Morning Rush and The
Afternoon Drive. Additionally, the
station hosts and sponsors events
such as Bollywood and local concerts as well as religious festivals

like Ramleela. The station airs
classical, film and Indi-Pop as well
as local music that is broadcasted
at specific times, accompanied by
brief chats with the artistes. Using
an interactive and fun approach, the
learning of Hindi by announcers and
listeners is also encouraged. Taj is
also in the process of establishing its
own news team.
Taj 23.5 FM
5 Rosalino Street, Woodbrook,
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Phone: 623-4202
Web: www.taj923fm.com
U97.5 - Hot Like Pepper

Established in Canada,
the station moved to
Couva in Central Trinidad
to fill a void that was
left by the Port of Spaincentred radio networks.
Meet the most sentimental radio station wooing Trinidad and Tobagos
airwaves, U97.5 FM. The station
has its roots in Toronto where it
began about 23 years ago in 1993
as an ethnic programme on CIAO
Radio in Canada catering for the
South Asian and Indo-Caribbean
diaspora (Trinidad, Guyana, South
and East Africa, India, Pakistan,
Fiji, Afghanistan, Mauritius and
Suriname) with as many as 400,000
listeners in 1999.
U97.5 FM-Radio - Hot Like

Peppers directors are Anand
Rampersadsingh and his wife,
Ingrid. While residing in Canada,
the couple realised that there was a
void in the media market for a radio
station that reflected and appealed to
the Indian diaspora. U97.5 was established in Brampton in Canada and
then moved to Couva in Trinidad in
2005 (formerly Radio Shakti 97.5).
Hot Like Pepper remains the second
Indian-formatted music radio station
in Central and South Trinidad in addition to WIN Radio. The mission of
26

U97.5 is to be stimulating, empowering, informing and entertaining,

with its tagline being, Hot Like
Pepper!
To appeal to its listeners, Hot Like
Pepper hosts religious programmes,
focused talk shows, live broadcasts,
news features, and of course, hot
music! Anand stated, We are a good
audio service provider. We dont
play songs promoting violence,
alcoholism and infidelity. On mornings, there are qaseedas, bhajans
and gospels. There is also the live,
interactive Morning Talk Show
in which listeners call in to express
their opinions on political and social
issues.
To encourage the learning of Hindi,
U97.5 held a pilot programme that
invited listeners to sing Bollywood
songs with correct pronunciations
and win prizes. Any mispronunciations were corrected, and the singers were asked to sing again. For
emerging talents, the station warmly

invites artistes to perform and be
interviewed live in its studio.
The station also takes pride in having its own team reporting on news
items, conferences and religious
events. The station has its own
broadcasting service, Upward Trend
Entertainment Ltd.
Ingrid is currently one of the beloved
announcers on U97.5, winning The
Ethnic Broadcaster of the Year
award in 1999 from the Ethnic Press
Council of Canada. Other popular
hosts are Jairaj Singh and Mukesh
Babooram.
Contact Information:
U97.5 FM-Radio - Hot Like Pepper
Address: Exchange Lots, Couva,
Trinidad and Tobago
Tel: 720-5858
Email: ingrid_u975fm@live.com,
studiou97.5fm@gmail.com
Web: www.hotlikepepperradio.com
Sangeet 106.1 FM - The Superstation

Founded by the Trinidad
Broadcasting Company Limited
(TBC) in September 1995, Sangeet
106.1 FM is the second East Indian
station to be established in Trinidad
and Tobago. After the first radio
station (103FM) became extremely
popular among working-class Indian
listeners, Faz Ali, former programme
director of Sangeet, believed that a
new station would attract the attention of the elites.
The station has been

on a mission to be
the leading organiser
of outdoor events
for its listeners.
Catering for a market of 18 to 40
year-olds, Sangeet prides itself as
the leading station for broadcasting
the most popular local TrinidadIndian and foreign-Indian music, the
latest Bollywood music as well as
remixes of local and foreign music.
Sangeets cutting edge strategy has
been to play a mix of Caribbean
music, chutney, and traditional folk
songs often hybridised with Western
and Afro-Caribbean beats. Sangeet
supports emerging and accomplished
local artistes by providing an hourlong segment every week.
The very name Sangeet, means
music in English which reflects
the stations promise to broadcast
more music, less talk. Some of its
popular programmes include The
Midday Mix, Jhalwa Nights and
Chutney Jhalwa Weekends. Jhalwa
is an Urdu word which means
charisma, luster, splendour, display
or show. Over the years, Sangeet has
been the host and sponsor of major
28

chutney shows such as the popular

annual Caura Fest that takes place
at Caura River. Caura Fest entertains a large crowd with its iconic
performances as well as with promotions and giveaways.
In addition to chutney events,
Sangeet also hosts other exhilarating outdoor promotions such as its
Game of Trump, an All Fours
card-playing competition and the
Sangeet Premiere League, a
cricket tournament which takes
place in communities throughout the
country. The station has been on a
mission to be the leading organiser
of outdoor events for its listeners.
Sangeet broadcasts with 100,000

WATTS of effective radiating power
which makes its signal heard from
as far as Venezuela in the south
and Barbados in the north of the
Caribbean.
Sangeet 106.1 FM - The
Superstation
Guardian Building, 22-24 St
Vincent Street, Port of Spain
Ph: 623-9202 ext. 5443
Email: Jacinta.mondezie@tbcnetwork.co.tt
Web: www.sangeet106fm.co.tt
Our Team is Always Ready.

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24 Hour Emergency Hotline: 628-HART
CHCm is in the unique position of being the

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Aakash Vani 106.5 - Awakening the Mind and Spirit

Aakash Vani draws a mature audience that
consists of persons mainly 25 years and older.
Vani was rated the Number One
Easy Listening Indian Station in a
2009 media track survey.
Aakash Vani 106.5FM was founded

in 2008 as the sister station of
Sangeet 106.1FM, both members of
Guardian Media Limited. Distinct
from Sangeet and other radio stations, Aakash Vani draws a mature
audience that consists of persons
mainly 25 years and older. To appeal to its listeners, its content is
inspirational and spiritual, attuned
to the daily activities around home
and work. Based on this vision, the
station was named Aakash Vani,
meaning Heavens speech, with
the tag line being Music for the
Mind and Spirit.
Programming at Aakash Vani aims to
be always inspiring, motivating and
confident, and, therefore, mornings begin with the talk show, The
Morning Panchayat which is hosted
by Shamoon Mohammed who
highlights current events. It is the
most popular show on the schedule.
Throughout the day, serene music
is played and news items are broadcasted hourly through the simulcast
CNC3, a television station that is
also owned by Guardian Media
Limited (GML). The day ends with
religious and spiritual programmes,
such as readings from the Ramayana
[a Hindu epic poem]. It is due to its
innovative scheduling that Aakash
30

The station also organises major

competitions as well as religious
festivities and events for its listeners
at both the communal and familial
levels, such as live coverage of
poojas [Hindu ceremonial worship].
Its Lights of Joy promotion, for
example, was a Christmas endeavour
through which a selected community got the opportunity to win a
beautifully-lit Christmas tree to be
planted in a prime area in the community. All of its outdoor activities
aim to help strengthen the family
and community.
Aakash Vani, as well as its sister station, Sangeet Radio, is also owned
by GML, as part of the Trinidad
Broadcasting Company (TBC) Radio

Network. TBC is the first radio
network in Trinidad and Tobago
which was launched in 1946 by the
British-based company, Rediffusion
(Trinidad) Ltd, in its attempt to
broaden its broadcasting services
throughout the country. According to
the networks official website, TBC
serves over 100,000 listeners, 64%
more than its closest competitor.
GML has three media sectors: print
(Guardian newspaper), radio and
television.
Aakash Vani 106.5 FM
22-24 St. Vincent Street, 2nd
Floor, Trinidad Guardian Building,
Port-of-Spain
Email: tbcadmin@ttol.co.tt
Tel: 623-9202 ext. 5202
Heritage Radio 101.7 FM - The Pulse of the Nation
Heritage is the word

that defines, drives
and differentiates
Heritage Radio 101.7
from other stations.
Radio Heritage was established
on May 1st 2005 at Les Effort,
San Fernando with the aim of not
only celebrating Trinidad and
Tobagos rich cultural and religious
diversity, but also highlighting the
countrys political, economic and
agricultural heritage. Today, the
stations main studio is located on
Woodford Street, Port of Spain, with
the south office still open for easy
access to persons residing in South
Trinidad.
The Chairman and CEO, Dr. Hans
Hanoomansingh is himself a veteran broadcaster and has served as the
President of The National Council
of Indian Culture (NCIC). For his
outstanding service to Trinidad and
Tobagos journalism and culture,
he received the Hummingbird Gold
Medal in 1990 and the Doctor
of Laws degree, honoris causa,
from the University of the West
Indies in 2010. With this icon
32

managing the station, Heritage

Radio flourishes by broadcasting
Indo-centred programmes such as
Gems of India as well as multicultural shows like Real Kaiso, a
show that highlights Calypso music.
With Shane Jitta in charge of news,
Heritage Radio maintains its own
dynamic news centre with reporters collecting news and covering
events outside the studio. Heritage
Radio is the leading station in the
live coverage of outdoor broadcasts
in all aspects of national and community activities: religious, cultural,
economic, political and agricultural. The station also regularly
broadcasts activities that are largely
Indian- and Hindu-based. It has also
promoted the teaching of Hindi in
conjunction with the Indian High
Commission.
Radio Heritage has collaborated with

other organisations to host concerts
such as the Indar Kanhai Valentines
Day Concert, and religious or spiritual events such as 108 Nights,
a series focusing on the activities
of the Hindu organisation such as
the Chinmaya Mission. In 2013, the
station launched its own biannual
magazine, Heritage Magazine that
explores a wide range of issues.
Heritage Radio 101.7 FM
104 Woodford Street, Newtown,
Port of Spain
Phone: 622-3312/6561, 628-6158
Email: admin@heritageradiott.com
Web: www.heritageradiott.com
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WIN Radio 101.1 FM - The News You Want, The Music You Need
Based in Chaguanas, WIN Caribbean
was established by Mohan Jaikaran
with the goal of showcasing and
promoting East Indian culture as
well as connecting it to the IndoCaribbean diaspora in the USA and
Canada. Jaikaran was the CEO of
WIN Radio, and by extension, WIN
Caribbean HD, until his untimely
death on April 12, 2015.
Previously branded as Masala 101.1
FM, WIN Radio 101.1 FM was
established in 2004 as part of the
WIN Caribbean HD company. In
2013 it became the first local station
to expand its services to Canada.
WIN Radio is also the first existing
radio station to set up its operations
in Chaguanas in Central Trinidad.
U97.5 FM Radio (Hot Like Pepper)
is the second existing station to be
established in 2005 in Couva in
Central Trinidad.
WIN Radio has

recognised the taste
of Indo-Caribbean
youth for crosscultural music.
Adopting the approach of its

predecessor, Masala 101.1 FM,
WIN Radio recognised the IndoCaribbean youths taste for crosscultural music. The stations content,
therefore, consists primarily of
Indian film music blended with genres such as reggae, pop, dub, chutney
and party songs. Its programmes include Back Ah Thursday in which
the station plays music from the 80s,
70s and sometimes 60s, and Fuzion
Drive which airs during evening
drive-time. The station also hosts
events such as its annual Mothers
Day Concert, as well as road trips.
WIN Radio has been a pioneer in
broadcasting Trinidad and Tobagos
Carnival live to North America.
However, no success is without its
challenges. The station is said to be
in dire financial difficulties, owing
the Telecommunications Authority
of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT)
about TT$4 million in outstanding
licencing fees. With the passing
of Mohan Jaikaran, his daughter,
Shantel, and her mother, Indra, are
managing the station operations.
WIN Radio 101.1 FM
Address: Henry & Bonito Streets,
Chaguanas
Phone: 672-7946
Email: wincaribbeanhd.alisha@
gmail.com, service@winhd.tt
Web: www.winhd.tt
34

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Interview with pioneer broadcaster, Dr. Hans Hanoomansingh

By Dr. Kumar Mahabir at Heritage Radio 101.7 FM , Port of Spain, on April 25, 2016
Hans Hanoomansingh began his
career in broadcasting in 1961 with
Radio Guardian, which evolved into
the National Broadcasting Station,
and was later twinned with TTT to
become ICN. Hans now works at
Heritage Radio 101.7 FM as the
Chairman, CEO and a Co-presenter.
Hans was conferred with an
Honorary Doctor of Laws by the
UWI, St. Augustine Campus, in
2010.
The citation read: It may have
taken 70 million years of evolution
to create the human voice, but it
took Hanoomansingh two decades to
perfect it. For when he speaks, it is
as if melody wafts from some magical flute.
Versatile Hans worked as an announcer, producer, editor, news
analyst and an anchor of the then
only local TV news programme,
Panorama. His pioneering programme, From the Silver Screen,
was the most popular programme on
radio in the 1960s.
In 1990, he was awarded the
Hummingbird Gold Medal by the
Government for his long and meritorious service in the areas of culture
and broadcasting.
Would you like to tell me about
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revealed that your From the
Silver Screen was the most
popular among all radio shows.
36

In 1961, I became a broadcaster. I

was recruited on the same day as
Nazim Muradali. During the orientation, Nazim asked the Programme
Director whether Indian music was
being played on Radio Guardian.
The Programme Director said, No.
Dr. Mahabir, I could not have asked
that question because we didnt have
a radio at home, so I didnt know
what programme on radio were in

existence. Having been told there
were no Indian programmes, and
no celebrations of Indian festivals,
I reasoned with them that Radio
Guardian could well be located in
New York or L.A. or Miami, because
it had no local content or limited
local content.
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The first BBC radio survey in Trinidad revealed that From the Silver Screen had
the largest number of listeners among all the programmes on Radio Trinidad.
I was given that opportunity. I
did not go there to do Indian programmes; they did not have Indian
programmes. I went there as a regular broadcaster and news writer, but
the opportunity provided itself to me
and I started an Indian programme
called Melodies of India, 6:15 to
6:30, three days a week.
I was at a funeral last week of a man
called Pretam Singh. The pundit
asked me to speak. I said Pretam
was like a coach to me. He owned
Singhs Record Shop, and he provided me with the records I played.
The first three were songs were by
Mohammed Rafi. The response was
immediate. From 15 minutes I got
half an hour, and then got a whole
programme to present on Indian
cultural activities in Trinidad and
Tobago using local singers like Taran
Prasad and Isaac Yankaran.
38

In the beginning there were no live

performances, but eventually there
were. We called that programme
Cultural Traditions, and then I had
an opportunity to present a film
programme that we called From the
Silver Screen on a Sunday from 1 to
2 p.m.
There was no Butler or Hochoy
Highway. Owners and the film distributers told me that they would be
driving on the Southern Main Road
and would take off their car radio
because it appeared as though every
house in every village, between
Chaguanas and San Fernando, would
be tuned to Radio Guardian.
The first BBC radio survey in
Trinidad revealed that From the
Silver Screen had the largest
number of listeners among all the
programmes on Radio Trinidad.
This programme was aired in the
mid-60s.
www.storebayholidays.com
High Street, San Fernando

Grand Bazaar, Valsayn
Trincity Mall, Trincity
Queen Street, Port of Spain

Long Circular Mall, St. James
Gulf City, La Romaine
Price Plaza North, Chaguanas
Music of the Indian Diaspora in Trinidad

by Laxmi G. Tewari
Caribbeanstudiespress.com
caribbeanstudiespress@earthlink.net
Where it all Began..

by Nizam Mohammed
Tel: 868-293-0094
nizman.nizam@gmail.com
India in the Caribbean

edited by Atluri Murali
Tel: 627-7480 / 627-4027
hoc@hcipos.in
Tassa Drums
by Peter Manuel
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/
orders@press.uchicago.edu
store_bay@hotmail.com
A Dip at the Sangam

by Reuben Lachmansingh
www.roadtobelwasa.com
Tel: 647-341-0861
Doon Pandit: His Life and Times (1900-1958)

by D.H. Singh
Tel: 868-731-4685
indostorm2000@yahoo.com
Landscape of a Babaa
by Pt. Surujdeo Ramnarine Maharaj
Tel: 868-355-4368
surujmaha@gmail.com
A Death in the Family

by Ryhaan Shah
www.amazon.com
www.ryhaanshah.com
The Impact of Indian Music Radio on Trinidad Society

By Parsuram Maharaj
A modified version of an article published in the Newsday on July 8, 2003
minutes given to Indian music on
national radio stations prior to
1993. With the arrival of an Indiandirected radio station, the Indian
community began to feel included
in Trinidadian society. The station
was perceived as the ultimate act
of rebellion against the non-Indian
status quo. Since then, no advertiser
could afford to omit an Indian music
in its media mix.
Several attempts were made to start

an Indian radio station in Trinidad.
But it was Marcel Mahabir whose
inspiration saw the birth of 103FM
on July 4th 1993. So far, there has
not been a detailed analysis of the
impact of the station on the Indian
and non-Indian society except by
Devant Maharaj.
It must be stated that the rationale
for starting and maintaining an
Indian radio station was purely
economic. The impact it had on the
Indian community and culture was
unexpected. One of the most immediate impacts was the change in
the political governance. No doubt,
103 FM created the ground swell of
Indian support for the 150th Indian
Arrival Day Celebrations that virtually launched the political campaign
of the Indian-based party, the United
National Congress (UNC).
The marginalization of the Indian
community in the media in Trinidad
and Tobago was reflected in the 30
40

The all-Indian music station proved

that Indian culture could be an
economic success. This was perhaps its major achievement. This
phenomenal economic success has
since spawned many others. Ten
years after the launch of this pioneering all-Indian radio station, there
are now six exclusively all-Indian
stations. These stations provide daily
testimony that Indian culture is economically sustainable. Equally important is the fact that Indian culture
can survive without the dependence
of State support; this is not the case
with non-Indian culture.
The introduction of Indian music on
radio automatically placed Indian
culture in the national mainstream.
Indian culture could no longer be
easily ignored. To get to any of
the English music radio stations, it
was more than likely that one had
to cross this Indian frequency. The
sub-culture status often ascribed
to Indian culture was now being
shaken. The definition of what constitutes national or Trinidadian
culture was now being challenged
in a real manner. National culture
which was projected as exclusively

steelpan and calypso, was now
challenged by Indian music.
In his article entitled Indian book
publishing in the Caribbean,
anthropologist Dr. Kumar Mahabirs
stated: The advent of talk shows
on these radio stations has revolutionized the means of Indian public
expression in the country. The call-in
segments clearly respond to the
needs of their listeners and serve as a
voice dedicated to the welfare of the
community.
The talk shows emerged as a direct
correlation to the discriminatory
experiences felt by the Indian
community under a new urban-centred Afro-Creole political regime.
They offer solace and solidarity to a
people in political despair, and give
recognition to those who are excluded from the corridors of power. In
response to Afro-Creole talk show
hosts, Indian call-in moderators
demonstrate that they will not be
cowed into silence and submission
by militant voices.
Essays on Indentured Indians in Natal
The Bride from Bombay: Bombay Kay Dulahin

by Bhanmatee Sita Gobin
Orders@Xlibris.com
edited by Surendra Bhana

www.peepaltreepress.com
orders@peepaltreepress.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMljawUjWmQ
Bhanmatee@yahoo.com
Indian indenture in the Straits Settlements
Road to Belwasa
by David Chanderbali
www.peepaltreepress.com
orders@peepaltreepress.com
by Reuben Lachmansingh
www.roadtobelwasa.com
Tel: 647-341-0861
What you need to know about

Hindu death ceremonies
by Pt. Hardeo Persad
(868) 674-7384
swahainternational@gmail.com
www.checkpointtt.com
sales@checkpointtt.com
(868) 488-4159
People at the Margin

by John Gaar La Guerre
Pan Caribbean Publications
Available at bookstores in T&T
IT SOLUTIONS
Networking
Desktop
Laptop Sales & Services
SECURITY SOLUTIONS
Camera Systems
- NVR
- DVR
- IP Cameras
Bio Metric/Card Readers Access Systems
The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS)

The Hindu View of Trinidad and Tobago articles by Sat Maharaj
Volume I
Selected and edited by Dr. Kumar Mahabir
A SANATAN DHARMA MAHA SABHA PUBLICATION
Sat Maharaj has developed Hinduism in

Trinidad and Tobago into a vibrant religion
which is earning its rightful place in the tropical
sun. This collection of articles provides hope
and promise for all those who struggle for
visibility and equality in the Hindu Diaspora.
- Dr. Koenraad Elst, Ph.D., Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
Author of Decolonizing the Hindu Mind (2001) and Return of the
Swastika: Hate and Hysteria Versus Hindu Sanity (2007)
I have grown to admire what Sat stands for and

his advocacy for his group. Sat has worked
arduously to have Indo-Trinidadians included
in the social and national space . I admire his
ability to speak out forcibly about the things in
which he believes and his desire to make the
society more welcoming to all.
Price $100
- Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe, Professor of Africana Studies

at Wellesley College, USA, and President of the National Association
for the Empowerment of African People (Trinidad and Tobago)
For orders, contact: 645-2745, 645-3240, or email: vkmaharaj@live.com, dmahabir@gmail.com


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Indian

Hindu- and Indian-formatted music

2016 Trinidad and Tobago Volume 17, Number 1

Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and

ISSN 1683-4143 Volume 17, Number 1.

Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad

There are 36 registered FM radio

Radio Jaagriti 102.7 FM also

garnering an enormous 2.4 million

HONOURABLE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY

Hindu and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Indian

103.1 FM - The FirstThe Finest

Broadcast Network Winfield Aleong Broadcasting Company Ltd.

Heritage Radio 101.7 FM - The Pulse of the Nation

Broadcast Network Heritage Communications Ltd.

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Latin, Bhajans,

U97.5- Hot Like Pepper

St. James, Trinidad

Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Chutney,

Chutney, Bollywood remixes, Indian classical music,

Sangeet 106.1 FM - The Superstation

Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM - The New Awakening

Broadcast Network The Trinidad Broadcasting Company Radio Network

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Broadcast Network Central Broadcasting Services Ltd.

Chutney, Bollywood remixes, Indian classical music,

Hindu devotional music, Indian classical music

Audio/ Video: www.sangeet106fm.co.tt/video-stream

90.5 FM - The Peoples Station

Audio: http://tunein.com/radio/Jaagriti--FM1027-s89338 Video: http://jaagriti.com/media2.htm

Aakash Vani 106.5- Awakening the Mind and Spirit

Broadcast Network Caribbean Lifestyle Communications Group

St. Clair, Trinidad

Broadcast Network The Trinidad Broadcasting Company Radio Network

Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Indian

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Indian classical music, Indian Pop, Bhajans, Indian

WIN Radio 101.1 FM - The News You Want, The

Taj 92.3 FM- Tuned in to You

Broadcast Network WIN Communication Ltd.

Chutney, Pop/Adult Contemporary, Latin, Soca,

Broadcast Network Upward Trend Entertainment Ltd.

Broadcast Network Side Walk Radio

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Chutney, Bollywood remixes, Indian classical music,

Indian Arrival Magazine Day 2016

Hindu- and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago

Radio Jaagriti 102.7FM - The New Awakening.

Radio Jaagriti is the only exclusively

Directed by Sat Maharaj, the station

Indian Arrival Magazine Day 2016

manages 43 primary and 5 secondary

Radio Jaagriti simulcasts with

Hindu- and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago

There was an enormous

Indian Arrival Magazine Day 2016

Former CEO of Radio Jaagriti,

Manager Mrs. Zelisa Boodoosingh

Hindu- and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago

Its highest download in web traffic was in September

Indian Arrival Magazine Day 2016

Hindu- and Indian-formatted music radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago