3canal
3canal is a performing and visual arts collaborative, based in Trinidad. Their work spans the media of Music [Rapso], Mas [Jouvay] and Theatre. The members, Wendell Manwarren, Roger Roberts and Stanton Kewley each had their foundation in the Theatre and Mas, and later the Music found them in their mission to "make a statement".
In their early years in 1994, their focus was on the Carnival -specifically the 'Jouvay'- as their platform to make their statement. Jouvay -from the French jour ouvert- is the pre-dawn ritual where revelers mask themselves usually with mud and pigment and take to the streets until sunrise, a journey from darkness to light. 3canal's emphasis in the Jouvay is on the metaphor it represents for redemption, renewal and rebirth, the signaling of a brand new day. They produce of one of the largest 'Jouvay bands' in Trinidad's Carnival and have also taken their Jouvay statement to London's Nottinghill Carnival, 2000 and 2001, New York's Labor Day Parade, 1998, 1997 and Jamaica Carnival, 1997.
In 1997 they recorded their first song "Blue" which was the theme song for their Jouvay Band that year. Blue was a revolution, the band's following crossed 10,000 revelers and left a indelible mark on the music and Jouvay landscape. This signaled their foray into the music business, they later went on to record such hits as Talk yuh Talk, 1999; Salt, 2000 inspired by Earl Lovelace's novel of the same name, and Ben Lion, 2002 a parody on the events of Sept 11th, penned by one of Trinidad's great Icons of music, the Late Andre Tanker.
Their music is called Rapso, a hybrid of Spoken Word and Calypso. Rapso is a new genre which evolved in Trinidad in the early seventies and represents the voice of the people, the voice of the voiceless. 3canal describe themselves as being on a musical adventure. They have recorded five albums and have participated in numerous festivals including, Reggae on the River [San Francisco '02], The 7th Bienal [Cuba '00], El Primer Festival de las Artes de Valencia [Venezuela '00], Montreux Jazz Festival [Switzerland '99], Antillian Feesten [Belgium '99].
Their theatrical experience was gained under some of Trinidad's finest artists, such as Helen Camps of The Trinidad Tent Theatre, Derek Walcott and The Trinidad Theatre Workshop, Peter Minshall and the Callaloo Co and Noble Douglas, Lilliput Theatre. It was in the Theatre that they "cut their teeth" and so it comes as no surprise that they have now come full circle to use this forum to best present their work. Their latest work The 3canal Show, Feb 2004 combined the elements of Mas Music and Theatre, in a collaborative workshop setting, to create a radical departure from mainstream entertainment. The show was a critical as well box office success, but more importantly provided a platform for passing on of Trinidad's rich cultural legacy to the upcoming generation of young performers.
In their own words, 3canal say, "To educate and entertain is Rapsoman vibes, we're on a mission of Peace, Love and endless Possibilities.
 
Internet: [www.3canal.com]
So-14.03.04-19:30 - Markthalle