Radio Bimshire Presents

This episode features an excerpt from Brown Girl, Brownstones , the debut novel of Paule Marshall. Born to Barbadian parents in New York, Marshall’s groundbreaking 1959 novel explores themes of migration, belonging, and identity. This excerpt was read by Heather Barker, recorded live at CARIFESTA XV in 2025. Find Paule Marshall's novels at the National Library Service.

Off The Shelf - a new series of readings of Barbadian writing - begins with a miniseries of performances recorded live at CARIFESTA XV in 2025 by contemporary Barbadian writers reading from classic Bajan authors. Hear "We Country" by Bruce St. John, performed by Kenneth "Jack" Lewis and Winston Farrell. Discover the works of Bruce St. John in his anthology, Bumbatuk: Poems in B...

As full emancipation approached in 1838, the fight for true freedom intensified. Join Dr. Henderson Carter as he recounts the compensation meetings at Apes Hill, where 400 apprentices demanded land, money, and their homes. This episode also covers riots at Belleplaine and Walkers, St Andrew, and acts of defiance challenging planters, revealing the unwavering spirit of resistance. Recommended readi...

Explore two remarkable moments of rebellion as the end of slavery loomed. In this episode of "Sounds of Freedom," Dr. Henderson Carter details the uprisings that occurred during the Great Hurricane of 1831 and the 1834 New Year's Day conspiracy. Discover how enslaved people seized opportunities for resistance amidst chaos and imminent change.

Uncover the layers of resistance hidden within a slave song from the 1760s. Historian Dr. Henderson Carter explores the deeper meanings behind "Massa buy me, he wouldn't kill me all," a song now listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. This episode also delves into Joseph Griffith's 1823 plot, showcasing the constant and creative ways enslaved people fought for their freedom.

Dive into the heart of Barbadian resistance in "Sounds of Freedom." This episode unveils the little-known story of Tony, a man whose extraordinary courage during slavery became a symbol of defiance. Featuring insights from Ambassador David Comissiong, explore the 1675 conspiracy and Tony's unwavering spirit against oppression. Discover how his words echoed through generations, reminding us that th...

In this episode, hear Edward Kamau Brathwaite’s tribute to Cuban poet Nicolás Guillén. Recorded in 1976, this poem reflects on the shared Black Atlantic experience and the struggle for cultural affirmation. Brathwaite honors Guillén as a fellow warrior in the fight for social justice, celebrating the power of poetry and solidarity across the diaspora.

Edward Kamau Brathwaite reads“Cane” from Islands . This stirring reflection on the role of sugar cane in Caribbean history explores the journey from bondage to freedom. “Cane” symbolises both suffering and survival, reminding us of the resilience that led to liberation.

Hear Edward Kamau Brathwaite read three powerful poems: “Mammon,” “Unrighteousness of Mammon,” and “Naming.” Drawn from The Arrivants , these poems confront the legacy of colonialism and the power of language to reclaim identity. Explore themes of profit, memory, and the redemptive power of naming in African traditions.

Continue the journey with Edward Kamau Brathwaite as he reads two poems from his collection Islands , recorded in 1973. "Pebbles & Islands" and "Coral" delve into the Caribbean experience—fragmentation, memory, and the search for unity. Brathwaite uses imagery of islands and coral reefs to reflect on shared heritage and resilience.

Continue the journey with Edward Kamau Brathwaite as he reads two poems from his collection Islands , recorded in 1973. "Pebbles & Islands" and "Coral" delve into the Caribbean experience—fragmentation, memory, and the search for unity. Brathwaite uses imagery of islands and coral reefs to reflect on shared heritage and resilience.

We begin the first episode of "Sounds of Freedom" with the late Alfred Pragnell, known for his warmth and connection to Bajan culture, reading "The Dust" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite. This poem explores the legacies of slavery, the resilience of the people, and the beauty in everyday life, capturing both the dialect and the weight of history.

For folk historian G Addinton Forde, who was born in Blades Hill, St Philip, life revolved around the streams that poured out of the nearby Three Houses Spring, one of the oldest water supply sources in Barbados, centuries before water from the island's limestone aquifers was piped to standpipes in communities across the island.

The late historian Trevor G Marshall shares a story of life at the standpipe, not just a source of piped water to the villages of bygone Barbados but a meeting point - in love and war.

Beyond the wash basin, the Barbadian washerwoman was a central figure in the community and for the planters and other VIPs. On this episode of Standpipe, the late historian Trevor Marshall explores the social dynamics at the standpipe, the informal networks of support, and how these women contributed - and restored - the fabric of Barbadian society, one wash load at a time.

The standpipe was once a central feature in villages across Barbados, dating back to the 1860s. But it took a devastating cholera epidemic that claimed the lives of more than 20,000 Barbadians in 1854 to push the colonial government to bring piped water, first to the capital, Bridgetown, and eventually, everywhere. The late historian Trevor Marshall in his last recorded interview picks up the stor...

In his last interview a few months before his death in February 2025, the renowned folk historian, educator - and proud product of the rural eastern parish of St John - Trevor G Marshall, describes how important wash day was in the lives of Barbadians, even when most people had few clothes.