“Ah believe in the need to believe in something
Ah believe in the power of believing
but most of all I believe in Love
Ah believe in the Love dat ah feeling
and all of the Pain it revealing
but most of all I believe in Love”
I Believe
1999. Written by Manwarren and Roberts.
Produced, Arranged, Programmed, Engineered and Mixed by
Carl “Beaver” Henderson. Assistant engineer Mark “Marka” Wright.
Mixed by Martin Raymond. Recorded & mixed at d’Yard.
Guitars by Dean Williams. Drums Joey Samuels. Steelpan Selwyn Henry
Background vocals – Nakeisha Adams, Kimberly Akow, Elise Arneaud,
Kristy Arthur, Shannon Best, Khadija Bourne, Shimelle Danclair, Kim Gaskin,
Jameila Gay, Genelle Hernandez, Renell Nurse, Adafih Padmore, and
Patrice Stewart
The opening of the 3 Canal Collection
The items in this collection are from the personal archive of 3canal – Wendell Manwarren, Roger Roberts, and Stanton Kewley. Broadly, the materials are specific to the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Festival. These historical documents are a record of the work of 5 artists with an enduring name – 3canal, as well as the work of over 200 artists who have worked with 3canal along their 30- year artistic journey.
In this way, numerous names emerge at different periods in the collection in the artistic areas of Mas, Music, and Theatre. They are Actors, Choreographers, Writers, Dancers, Designers, Producers, Musicians, Vocalists, Photographers, and Journalists. The 7 primary data sources are comprised of Discography & Liner Notes, Sheet Music & Lyrics, Newspaper & magazine articles, Documents such as Scripts & Production notes, Awards & Correspondence, Costumes, and Photographs.
This thematically connected collection is signposted with over 1000 newspaper articles which connect to the other 6 components in the archive. It is a unique collection of items which are not held in any other institution in our Republic. Archives such as this register the importance of primary data specific to the arts of the Caribbean region.
For the astute researcher, these remains can add a little more understanding of the creative imagination in Trinidad Carnival. For the archivist, who thinks in terms of centuries: how will this collection/data be accessible in the future? Sustainable preservation and access rely on money, politics, location, copyright, condition of the records, obsolete technologies, and “cloud rent” [Varoufakis, 2024].
The opening of the 3 Canal Collection
The items in this collection are from the personal archive of 3canal – Wendell Manwarren, Roger Roberts, and Stanton Kewley.
Broadly, the materials are specific to the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Festival. These historical documents are a record of the work of 5 artists with an enduring name – 3canal, as well as the work of over 200 artists who have worked with 3canal along their 30- year artistic journey.
In this way, numerous names emerge at different periods in the collection in the artistic areas of Mas, Music, and Theatre. They are Actors, Choreographers, Writers, Dancers, Designers, Producers, Musicians, Vocalists, Photographers, and Journalists. The 7 primary data sources are comprised of Discography & Liner Notes, Sheet Music & Lyrics, Newspaper & magazine articles, Documents such as Scripts & Production notes, Awards & Correspondence, Costumes, and Photographs.
This thematically connected collection is signposted with over 1000 newspaper articles which connect to the other 6 components in the archive. It is a unique collection of items which are not held in any other institution in our Republic. Archives such as this register the importance of primary data specific to the arts of the Caribbean region.
For the astute researcher, these remains can add a little more understanding of the creative imagination in Trinidad Carnival. For the archivist, who thinks in terms of centuries: how will this collection/data be accessible in the future? Sustainable preservation and access rely on money, politics, location, copyright, condition of the records, obsolete technologies, and “cloud rent” [Varoufakis, 2024].
Welcome
2001 – Written by Manwarren, Kewley, Roberts, Ashby, and Bishop. Produced & Arranged by Omari Ashby. Engineered & mixed by Mark “Marka” Wright. Programmed by The man called Shaft. Guitar by Dean Williams. Recorded at d’Yard.
Archives as Liner Notes:
1998 – Written by Manwarren, Kewley, and Roberts.
Mud Madness
Arranged by Graham Wilson. Mixed by Martin “Mice” Raymond.
Background Vocals: Mairoon Ali, and Cecilia Salazar.
Recorded at GW Music Productions
Discography
Physical media continues to be an artefact of significant historical importance. Liner Notes and credits are a literary form and artistic medium. The subtle erasure of access denies a deeper appreciation and connection of a music’s context, and who made it possible. The design to kill off the hard-copy lessens our mark on our world so that histories evaporate, like a “cloud”.
Music Scores
3canal performed at the Spektakula Calypso Tent on Henry Street, during which several music scores were produced. These works of art – sheet music, are signed by Winston Scarborough, while others are stamped – BRASS INSTITUTE and signed “Woody”.
Lyrics
3canal wrote all their songs, excluding a small few such as Ben Lion by Andre Tanker, Irie Tempo by Kenneth Lara, and Umbayao by Merchant. This holding feature lyrics in its early stages, both handwritten or typed, with edits, or songs which may not have been recorded, or remain unreleased. The collection also preserves 20 journals with handwritten lyrics by Stanton Kewley. Of note, in a January 2002 Trinidad Express newspaper column, Debbie Jacob featured the Ben Lion lyrics.
Newspapers and Magazines
The repository features approx. 1000 digitized articles. The clippings come from our daily and weekly papers, some of which are no longer in circulation. The collection also includes articles from presses such as the Jamaica Gleaner, The Washington Post, and DNA India, and magazines such as Soca News, and Time Out, London. In a November 2003 Trinidad Express Editorial, Keith Smith discussed the lyrics of Good News, it appears alongside a column by Lloyd Best –“How Caribbean economy works”.
Documents
This is another paper-based collection which comprises Scripts, Programmes, Flyers, Letters, Production notes, and ephemera. E.g. The 3canal Show, a coffee-stained minutes of a meeting, and a 1994 Jouvay note which includes “Mauby, and Cockset”.
Printed photographs
A collection of physical photographs from photographers such as Jeffrey Chock, Sean Drakes, Abigail Hadeed, Selwyn Henry, and Mark Lyndersay.
Awards and Correspondence
This series features 2 categories: Trophies, such as the NYC Sunshine Award, and the iconic NDATT Cacique Award. The other category is a collection of correspondence: Fan mail [Tobago, St Vincent, Antigua, Toronto, and London], Thank You and Congratulations cards, and printed emails from 1999 – 2001.
These printed emails from a quarter-century ago are the fortuitous, administrative work of Lesley-Ann Wells.
It is here that the artist John Isaacs is centred in the collection – Condolence cards and letters, and printed emails which were sent to; now deactivated addresses, such as
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Costumes
This is T&T’s first Jouvay band collection to be accessioned, catalogued, conserved, and archived. The costume collection holds 120 items such as the 3canal Jouvay T-shirts & tags, most of which were designed by Roger Roberts. There are also items from designers such as Meiling, and The CLOTH – used in a Music Video or part of the wardrobe for the 3canal Show. E.g. The 1998 Mud Madness Music Video – Tunic designed by Meiling. Wendell Manwarren: “I used this for both the music video and for Jouvay”.
The 3canal show, 2004. Photo by Jeffrey Chock
“As sources fill the historical landscape with their facts, they reduce the room available to other facts. Even if we imagine the landscape to be forever expandable, the rule of interdependence implies that new facts cannot emerge in a vacuum. They will have to gain their right to existence in light of the field constituted by previously created facts. They may dethrone some of these facts, erase or qualify others. The point remains that sources occupy competing positions in the historical landscape. These positions themselves are inherently imbued with meaning since facts cannot be created meaningless. Even as an ideal recorder, the chronicler necessarily produces meaning and, therefore, silences”.
[Michel-Rolph Trouillot, 1995]
Discography
Physical media continues to be an artefact of significant historical importance. Liner Notes and credits are a literary form and artistic medium. The subtle erasure of access denies a deeper appreciation and connection of a music’s context, and who made it possible. The design to kill off the hard-copy lessens our mark on our world so that histories evaporate, like a “cloud”.
Lyrics
3canal wrote all their songs, excluding a small few such as Ben Lion by Andre Tanker, Irie Tempo by Kenneth Lara, and Umbayao by Merchant. This holding feature lyrics in its early stages, both handwritten or typed, with edits, or songs which may not have been recorded, or remain unreleased. The collection also preserves 20 journals with handwritten lyrics by Stanton Kewley. Of note, in a January 2002 Trinidad Express newspaper column, Debbie Jacob featured the Ben Lion lyrics.
Documents
This is another paper-based collection which comprises Scripts, Programmes, Flyers, Letters, Production notes, and ephemera. E.g. The 3canal Show, a coffee-stained minutes of a meeting, and a 1994 Jouvay note which includes “Mauby, and Cockset”.
Awards and Correspondence
This series features 2 categories: Trophies, such as the NYC Sunshine Award, and the iconic NDATT Cacique Award. The other category is a collection of correspondence: Fan mail [Tobago, St Vincent, Antigua, Toronto, and London], Thank You and Congratulations cards, and printed emails from 1999 – 2001. These printed emails from a quarter-century ago are the fortuitous, or prophetic administrative work of Lesley-Ann Wells.
It is here that the artist John Isaacs is centred in the collection – Condolence cards and letters, and printed emails which were sent to; now deactivated addresses, such as
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Music Scores
3canal performed at the Spektakula Calypso Tent on Henry Street, during which several music scores were produced. These works of art – sheet music, are signed by Winston Scarborough, while others are stamped – BRASS INSTITUTE and signed “Woody”.
Newspapers and Magazines
The repository features approx. 1,100 digitized articles. The clippings come from our daily and weekly papers, some of which are no longer in circulation. The collection also includes articles from presses such as the Jamaica Gleaner, The Washington Post, and DNA India, and magazines such as Soca News, and Time Out, London. In a November 2003 Trinidad Express Editorial, Keith Smith discussed the lyrics of Good News, it appears alongside a column by Lloyd Best –“How Caribbean economy works”.
Costumes
This is T&T’s first Jouvay band collection to be accessioned, catalogued, conserved, and archived. The costume collection holds 100 items such as the 3canal Jouvay T-shirts & tags, most of which were designed by Roger Roberts. There are also items from designers such as Meiling, and The CLOTH – used in a Music Video or part of the wardrobe for the 3canal Show. E.g. The 1998 Mud Madness Music Video – Tunic designed by Meiling. Wendell Manwarren: “I used this for both the music video and for Jouvay”.
Printed photographs
A collection of physical photographs from photographers such as Jeffrey Chock, Sean Drakes, Abigail Hadeed, Selwyn Hery, and Mark Lyndersay.
