Parrotbeetie

In this episode, Raafeke comes with the long awaited end of the Nation Series, which has been ongoing since episode 6 of the podcast. After a year of creating content with a few pauses, Raafeke reflects on what this project has done for him as a writer and a West Indian person. In this episode, Raafeke announces that the draft for Parrotbeetie as a collection of short stories is now complete, and...

In this episode, Raafeke talks about his Halloween experience in NYC before diving into into the last song of the Moko Collection. A recording of the Big Drum Dance song "Hou Mwen Ba File" is shared and broken down before Raafeke's affiliated short story, "A Farmer's Sword" is narrated. If you are a enjoying the content on this podcast, please share and subscribe! Also,...

In this episode, Raafeke talks about the importance of textual sources in research before introducing Carriacou's Moko Nation, preserved via it's Big Drum Dance Tradition. He also discusses the history of the Moko Jumbie in the Caribbean before sharing a recording of the Big Drum Dance song "Se Mwen Nani Moko" and narrating the story he wrote that was inspired by it. Important So...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns with a strong reminder to stay properly informed about the Palestinian genocide before starting and concluding the brief Hausa Collection. This is done with an introduction of Hausa people, the breakdown of "Hausa Wele", the Hausa nation song in Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, and the narration of Raafkee's story "Scream Hausa Scr...

After nearly 3 months away from Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns with another episode to bring the Kongo Collection to a close. In this episode, Raafeke also gives a recap on his life, reflecting on his writing journey after recently turning 23, discussing how the work of others influences his own creations, and sharing another song from Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, known as the "Free Ring&qu...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns and shares an important call to action for listeners to become aware of growing tensions in West Africa, specifically between Nigeria and Niger. The podcast then resumes its usual trajectory with an introduction into the Kongo Nation and history behind the Kingdom of Kongo, before sharing how these groups of people have survived in the diaspora. Thi...

In this episode on Parrotbeetie, Raafeke returns solo, starting off with a recap on the importance of drawing connections from media to inform our understanding of ourselves, even if things seem unrelated. He talks about the importance of queer shows, suchas Heartstopper and Sex Education, before sharing his thoughts on his current read; Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde. Raafeke then goes on to concl...

In this episode, Raafeke is joined by Deanna Lyncook, host of The History Hotline podcast. Together, the two of them discuss the importance of Caribbean studies, the preservation of Caribbean culture (as well as its commodification by the West), and how Caribbean migrants have preserved their culture in the US and UK. If you are enjoying the show, please take time to subscribe and follow us on Ins...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke kicks off the Arada Collection, but not before discussing NYC pride, the recent Supreme Court Ruling around LGBT rights, and his thoughts around the book "All About Love" by bell hooks. As he transitions to the meat of the episode, Raafeke shares historical context on who the Arada nation of Carriacou is, and how they exist not only on the small i...

Raafeke returns with another episode on Parrotbeetie to discuss the importance of black art and representation in the media, highlighted by his recent experiences with "The Lion King" on Broadway and the film, "Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse". The episode then segways to a discussion around the last songs of the Igbo nation in Carriacou's Big Drum Dance, titled "E-...

In this episode, Raafeke is joined by guest speaker and writer, Jami France, allowing her to share her background and experience as a romance novelist. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and follow Parrotbeetie, Raafeke, and Jami on Twitter and Instagram for more.

As Parrotbeetie draws closer and closer to the end of the Igbo Collection, Raafeke returns with another episode to highlight the celebration of Pride Month and a brief history on lesbian relationships in Carriacou, as well as the death of famed Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo. Raafeke also shares a recording of the Big Drum Dance song, "Igbo and Dem", breaking down its meaning before narra...

In this episode, Raafeke returns solo to bring his Parrotbeetie's audience back into the thick of the Igbo Collection. To start, he takes listeners back across the waters to Guyana to discuss the importance of mental health and the ongoing suicide epidemic within Guyana before touching on parallels beginning this crisis and the similar results that occurred among Igbo and other enslaved people...

In this episode, Raafeke returns from his unintended hiatus with a guest and foreign cousin, Isaac Barnswell, to represent the UK. Together they discuss black identity in the context of the United Kingdom, United States, West Indies and Brazil, adding to the complex conversation around the various diasporas that exist within the African diaspora. If you like this episode, please leave a review and...

In this episode, Raafeke gives a brief recap of his life and about his restates his mission for Parrotbeetie before sharing a recording an interview of the Carriacou Big Drum Dance song, "Igbo Gwinad-o". This episode is concluded by the breakdown of this song, and the subsequent narration of Raafeke's short story, "Carriacou Igbo". Please follow this show, leave a review, a...

In this episode, Raafeke continues on with the Igbo collection and continues conversations from last week, specifically highlighting Obeah in the West Indies and the religion/spirituality's ties to the Igbo and Africa. Raafeke then shares a recording of the Big Drum Dance song, "Ovid Oh Ba Gade" and breaks it down before narrating his short story, "Obeah in the Land". Sources and Links: Radiance L...

In this episode Raafeke returns solo and kicks off the latest collection inspired by the Igbo nation of Carriacou. He goes into detail about the Igbo people in Nigeria and abroad, taking us to Haiti and tying the famous lwa, Legba into the conversation with historical facts and his own supernatural experience. This is followed by the introduction of the Big Drum Dance Song "Ibole Ibole Woy Yo...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke invites Bajan influencer and digital specialist, Luke to shed light on history, changes, and queer life on the tiny island Barbados. The two of them discuss Barbados creation as a slave-holding colony, its subsequent growth, independence, and most recently, elevation to a republic. This conversation is mixed with discussion around the island's Crop Over fes...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke takes us out of the West Indies and across the Atlanta to Sierra Leone with facts about the country's history and culture. He then goes into detail about the Temne people, an ethnic group in Africa that has continued to thrive in Carriacou as part of the Big Drum Dance, making Carriacou's Temne nation the only clear remnant of Temne culture in the Caribbean...

In this week's episode, Raafeke shares some touching experiences he has had, from the healing benefits of working with clay to the power and importance of reading black authors, specifically Toni Morrison. He then touches on the world's biggest AI sensation, ChatGPT, and what it means for writers before sharing a recording of the song, "Mbadi-o Dem Dei-o", a traditional wake and Nancy song perform...

In this episode, Raafeke recaps the importance of black history and shared new knowledge about Soujourner Truth, keeping in line with Black History Month. He then shares history around Petite Martinique, Carriacou’s small neighbor, before sharing the Nancy story/song from Carriacou, titled “Humble-o”. This episode is concluded by a narration of Raafeke’s own story, titled “Petite People. Please le...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke salutes the African diaspora within the borders of the United States and Canada with a collaborative episode with famed Hoodoo creator, HipHopandHoodoo. The two creators discuss the importance of revivalism in traditional and diasporic African religions, as well as how story-telling has affected and continues to exist within the diaspora, both in the West I...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke opens the show by highlighting Grenada's Independence Day which had passed 2 days prior, marking 49 years of freedom from British rule. Raafeke then goes to share the work of the non-profit Caribbean arts and education organization, Big Drum Nation, founded by the late Winston Fleary. The episode continues on with information and context around Grenada and...

In this episode of Parrotbeetie, Raafeke picks up where he left off last week by sharing more information about language in the British West Indies, specifically patois, creole, and pidgin, and its connection to languages in the U.S. and West Africa. He then shares his findings about what he calls the Orisha of Carriacou, Oko, before narrating his short story, "A Farmer's Cry" inspired by the Big...

In this episode, Raafeke touches on a range of topics, from the importance of tradition, the history of Sam Sharpe in Jamaica, and the idea of "Nation Language" among Caribbean writers before breaking down the song, "Salamani-o", from Carriacou's Big Drum Dance. Afterwards, Raafeke narrates his short story, "Mama, Weh Yuh Deh?" Be sure to subscribe to the show and share on social media with the ha...