Planet Thirty

Sabrina Francis is brave as she is charming. The Grenadian chanteuse fell deeply in love with music in her childhood but began her professional singing career in her late teens. Like many singers in the Caribbean, Sabrina held down traditional jobs in order to provide for herself. Though she appreciated the opportunities, she was convinced that her soul could only be happy if she was doing music f...

Take 2 parts historian, one part activist, 3 parts teacher and 4 parts fashion guru and you will end up with a potent blend called Bramma. Bramma is a man of many talents who thinks on many levels. He was born and raised in Trinidad by a Trinidadian mother and a Jamaican father. Having parents from two different countries contributed to his understanding of the Caribbean, its people and its cultur...

I first encountered Olaide Banks when we were both boys. We both attended the same primary school and coincidentally were a part of the same cub scout pack. As an elder cub, he was chosen as one of our pack’s leaders. Olaide was then and is now a natural leader. Upon passing his CXC exams, Olaide went against the grain and began to work at a bank in our native Anguilla. While many were shocked at...

Simply put Tamara Leonard is a warrior. A native of Dutch St. Maarten, Tamara fell in love with business from an early age. Both of her parents were entrepreneurs. Their work ethic and the independence that entrepreneurship allowed had a profound impression on her. Though business was always her first love, she remembers seeing members of St. Maarten’s government being sworn into office after ever...

In the fiercely competitive world of Soca music, it is very difficult for new artists to propel themselves through the wall of already established super stars. Difficult, yet not impossible. The probability of breaking barriers however depends on the artist. Rae is one such artist. She has an unforgettable combination of good looks, superb vocals and personality galore. Added to that, Rae’s formal...

Her name may be Patricia Chin, however, to anyone in or around the music business, she is Miss Pat. Miss Pat, has childhood memories of running behind her mom and dad as they rode their bike to the movies in Jamaica. In those days she says, her mother and father could not afford to take the entire family to the cinema. She and her siblings could only dream about the adventures portrayed on screen....

*The following episode of the Planet Thirty Podcast contains adult themes and adult language. This interview should be consumed by mature audiences ONLY.*   Joy Buchanan is opinionated to say the least. In her estimation she is a beautiful blend of her calm-natured Anguillian father and her expressive Jamaican mother. Joy’s childhood journey saw her living on both islands for a time and eventually...

Terrence “Daddy Hodgie” Hodge- Carty is an architect. No, he does not design homes or skyscrapers, but he does have the ability to lift you way above the earth. Daddy Hodgie as he is known to his legions of fans has masterfully created a catalogue of music that spans over 3 decades. Music, was his only career choice he says. More of a calling. In his early teens he was attracted to the new phenome...

Hans Charles is modest. He’s unassuming. He will sit and have a conversation with you about history, music, TV… you name it. Yet still, you would never guess that he is an Emmy nominated cinematographer. He has worked on films that have won multiple awards including a Bafta and an Oscar. The son of proud Haitian parents, Hans had dreams of becoming a professional musician. Recognizing that the jou...

In the late 70s and early 80s Calypso music began to evolve. The genre, known for its wit, social commentary and coverage of serious issues set to slow tempos and delicate melodies started to adopt faster bpm rates and slightly more risqué content in its lyrics. Lead by Trinidad and Tobago artist Ras Shorty I, this new fusion of sounds; a manipulation and interpretation of percussion, electronic i...

Alwyn “Daddy Jones” Baptiste is a master craftsman. To music lovers in the Virgin and Leeward islands, he is not only a legend but a pop culture fixture. The master keyboardist, arranger and beat maker has been in the business of creating Soca hits for decades. There are very few producers that can match his creativity r his record of hits! Daddy Jones has produced for aritsts and bands and severa...

This Episode is dedicated to my dear friend Alex Horsford whom the world lost tragically in 2016. We’ll always love you and we’ll never forget you bro. #AlexForever. In 2009 I picked up a gig as a morning DJ at a radio station on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. My daily sidekick was Alex Horsford. Alex was a little over 10 years younger than I was. However he had an interest in photography, film...

Jerome Willock is the definition of determination. After moving from his native Montserrat to Anguilla, Jerome continued to learn about his childhood passion. Flying. What began as a dream and quite frankly what seemed far-fetched, became his reality. As luck would have it, his family moved into a house right next to the airport. Jerome would sit and watch planes land and take off at Anguilla’s ai...

Bianca Dijkhoffz has red hair. However, that is not the only unique thing about her. She is a burst of energy and quite honestly one of the most awesome persons you’ll meet. She was raised on the island of Saint Maarten. Her dad is from the island and a mom is from the United States. This gave her a very unique perspective, experiencing the Caribbean, yet having access to the thoughts and perspect...

Welcome to part 2 of episode 50. We continue our conversations with the talented cast of the short film for Busy Signal’s single “Seen it before” Directed by Dameon Gayle. In this episode we learn about the journeys of two very talented Jamaican actors TV Boss and Paul Haughton.

Hello everyone, welcome to the 50th Episode of the planet Thirty Podcast. We would first like to thank you for your support over the past 6 months. Thank you to everyone who shared, downloaded, streamed or even recommended our podcast to a friend. To all, we are truly grateful. This 50th episode also marks the start of our monthly partnership with VP Records. VP Records is legendary. They have bee...

Denecia Niles is a multi-tasker. She grew up in the Caribbean with a passion for football. As she says, Football was my life. She also grew up with all brothers. Denecia was crushing stereotypes from the very beginning. She was fearless on the field and had no problem facing the best among the boys, whether at home or in school. She took this forward approach into what would become her second pass...

Nicolas de Toranto is a world traveler. But seeing the world from different perspectives is nothing strange for Nicholas. Nicholas grew up in Germany his mother is English, his father is half English, half German. However, his last name made its way to England all the way from Italy. With such complexity in his family, Nicholas was destined to become a storyteller. After high school in Germany Nic...

INOJ knew that she was destined for a career in music. She blames her parents. She recalls her mom and dad putting a radio in her room as a very small child in order to keep her quiet. This she credits with allowing her to feel the magic of music and thus her love affair began. Her childhood was also filled with singing, and stories from her favorite musicals and plays. If ever she was naughty and...

Brad Hemmings’ father is Jamaican. His mother Trinidadian. Both islands are rich in culture and history. Jamaica has gifted to the world reggae music, while Trinidad and Tobago has gifted the steel drum, Calypso and Soca music. It is with this portent blend of music, food, knowledge and vibe that Brad Hemmings was raised. Brad grew up being influenced by and understanding the beauty of Caribbean m...

Niik is perhaps one of the most demure artists that you will ever come across. She is very soft spoken and well… quite shy. But there are several layers to Niik. You should in no way allow her shy appearance to dictate your total opinion of her. Niik grew up competing in pageants and singing competitions. Winning many of them of course. In her teen years her star really began to shine as she was c...

Jason Edmund is the definition of enterprising. Born and raised on the island of Antigua, Jason learned the value of hard work and to always insist on the highest levels of customer service. You see, Jason’s dad was the manager of one of Antigua’s top resorts. Even as a child, he marveled at the way guests’ faces would light up upon being treated well. Whether he knew it or not, these experiences...

France’s Coco Chanel is famous for creating the Little Black Dress and the Skirt Suit. Detroit’s Tracy Reese is one of the most important African American designers of our time having dressed A list actors and at least one first lady. Meiling is widely considered the mother of modern fashion in Trinidad and Tobago. Charla Hobson is just that for the island of Anguilla. Growing up she remembers mat...

I can’t say that house music was a staple over the airwaves or on deejay sets in the Caribbean when I was growing up. However, I do remember hearing the pulsing rhythms and deep steady basslines on TV and sometimes in stores. What was this music? It made me feel happy the way Soca music did, but it sounded so different. As the 90s dawned upon us I heard this genre more and more. But how could I ge...

Melissa Mussington is passionate about fitness and pizza. One, slightly more than the other. Whether it is pizza or working out, one thing is for certain, Melissa is disciplined and driven when it comes to what she likes. Melissa grew up surrounded by a family of musicians on a Caribbean island. Though she loved music she and her family realized that she had tremendous talent in sports. Tennis, vo...