Planet Thirty

Today’s guest is someone whose journey perfectly embodies the spirit of innovation, patriotism, and purpose-driven leadership: The Honourable José Vanterpool, Anguilla’s Minister of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, IT and E-Government Services. In this conversation, we trace José’s path from the moment he received his very first laptop as a graduation prize, a moment that sparke...

Welcome to another journey inside the kaleidoscope of Caribbean brilliance. In this episode we sit down with an artist whose voice carries the vibrancy of steelpan and the passion of calypso, yet is anchored in a soul that never forgets its roots. She is none other than Lil' Bitts, soca powerhouse, actress, cultural ambassador, and daughter of Trinidad and Tobago. We had the pleasure of tracing he...

Throughout history, the machine that is the music business, has trained, molded, and branded artists to fit their expectations. Rinse and repeat. In some instances the formula has worked. However, even the industry is knocked on its back when an artist like Nailah Blackman emerges. Young, intelligent, sophisticated, truly unique vocals, master of several instruments and an incredible dancer. Most...

From the moment he stepped onto the stage as a bright-eyed primary schooler in the Prince and Princess Show, it was clear, Viggy Da Artist had that something special. A magnetic presence, a natural gift, and a love for performance that could not be denied. But as fate would have it, the journey wasn’t so simple. While music tugged at his soul, cricket whispered dreams of global glory. For years, V...

She grew up on the beautiful island of Anguilla, the daughter of two teachers, in a home where discipline was law and excellence was expected. As a child, Nicole Beal dreamed of following in her parents' footsteps. She admired the way former students would stop them in the streets, offering warm greetings and heartfelt thanks, proof of the impact they had made. Teaching, she thought, would be her...

The road less traveled can lead to the most extraordinary destinations. Miekaile Browne, is  a name that is quickly becoming synonymous with brilliance in the worlds of dance, fashion, and film. Born and raised on the serene shores of Anguilla, a tiny gem in the Caribbean, Miekaile’s first love wasn’t center stage; it was the race track. Coming from a family of athletes, it was only natural that h...

Special thank you to Mr. Rickiell Hodge and the Communications Unit of the Government of Anguilla and Mr. Gilbert ‘GAF’ Fleming of Titanium Audio Visual for their technical assistance for this episode of the Planet Thirty Podcast. Cora Richardson-Hodge is a woman of firsts, of fierce devotion, and of purpose forged by both love and legacy. She holds the history-making title of Anguilla’s first fem...

Heather Baldwin Mc Dowell is a reservoir of information. She makes any conversation about the arts, especially music come alive. She lives and breathes culture, rhythm, melody and harmony. A native of Trinidad of Tobago, Heather grew up with a father who was a connoisseur of music and a mother who was a fashion forward seamstress who patterned and created dresses for some of Trinidad’s most stylis...

Young Dennis Liburd was an exceptional athlete. In an alternate reality, this interview could have been with super star basketball player Dennis Liburd. Liburd may have followed in the footsteps of fellow St. Croix native Tim Duncan and entered the NBA. Conversely, we could have been chatting with Dennis Liburd the professional soccer player and his preparation for the next world cup. Either of th...

Nessa Preppy burst on to the music scene in Trinidad and Tobago a little over a decade ago. The Arima native with a multicultural background including German and First Peoples is the embodiment of what Trinidad represents. A potpourri of features and cultures all masterfully blended to create something… or in this case someone unique.  A lover of all genres, her Soca songs were delivered to audien...

Marva Carty is a renaissance woman. Life has taken her to many countries, introduced her to many hobbies and has offered her experiences beyond her wildest dreams.   Marva was born in London England but at an early age she was whisked away and taken to her mother’s homeland, Trinidad. It is here that Marva would adopt the wonderful habit of reading. She confesses, she read any and everything. She...

Darius James says that he has always been a BIG THINKER. When you hear his story, you may agree that even the word BIG is too small to describe the way Darius thinks. Born in Dominica, Darius says that he has always felt that his purpose in the world was to execute big projects with the intention of helping others. Darius’ father introduced him and his siblings to music. His father lived abroad fo...

The Honorable Haydn Hughes is the son of a politician. The Honorable Haydn Hughes became a politician. He admits that this was not always in the cards for him. His high school days were spent hanging out and admittedly skipping some classes. His behavior, however, did not reflect his intellect. While the lessons in the classroom may not have intrigued him, he was inspired by books and authors outs...

If you didn’t know that it was reality you would be convinced that it was a fairytale. Young man from a tiny Caribbean Island with a love for music records song for his island’s carnival festivities and the song shoots to #1 in the world. It could have been a fairytale. But it actually happened. Kevin Lyttle grew up on the island of St. Vincent. His love of the arts lead him to join his uncle’s da...

Dr. Tremane Bartley is the eldest of three siblings. Him, his brother and his sister were raised by parents who were entrepreneurs. His younger siblings took notice of his hard work as he paved the way for them by setting a good example. In his last year of high school, a chance meeting one morning would lead him into a full scholarship at Benedict College, a prestigious HBCU in South Carolina. Hi...

If you are a friend or a member of her family, then her name is India. If you are a fan of competitive gaming and in particular Rocket League, then her name is Alanis! At just 16 years old, India Browne is already making history. In 2022 she became the youngest female from the UK to win a gold medal in E Sports at the Commonwealth Games. She may be just a teen; however she is as focused as an expe...

Daryl C Thompson has solidified a sound reputation as an artist in the Northeastern Caribbean. However, he is a sage of sorts. Not only does Daryl run his family’s business successfully, but he has used his experience and education to assist young entrepreneurs to start their ventures the right way. Do you need to rebrand? Ask Daryl. Would you like a beautiful painting? Ask Daryl. Need new logo? Y...

Chicago is a special city. Two former first ladies, Robin Williams, Jennifer Hudson, Walt Disney, Bernie Mack and today’s guest T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh are all products of this spectacular city. It is certainly a blessing to be gifted in one facet of the arts, however T’Keyah executes at an extremely high level in multiple areas. The director, actor, writer, producer and poet has struck gold on and...

Barth! If you have never heard the name, it is now time to remember it! Barth is poised to be the next big… no colossal thing in fashion. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Barth was influenced early on by styles, cuts and colors on the streets of New York. New York City’s streets are infamous for doubling as the world’s favorite runways and catwalks. Unknown to a young Barth, these sights would influen...

This episode is dedicated to two of the most kind, loving, intelligent, creative and humorous souls that the world lost within the past decade. Erika Cannegeiter was a dear friend to me and this episode’s guest the Honorable Perin Bradley. Kareem Bradley was a very very close friend. To say I miss his presence is an understatement. While I miss him as a friend, my guest misses him as his brother....

Her name says it all. Flyy Moon. Her personality, her spirit and her art invite anyone who crosses her path to elevate and indeed ascend to the level of…. Flyy Moon. Born and raised in Compton, Flyy Moon discovered writing at an early age. When her heart and pen first connected, beautiful poems decided to manifest themselves. That was followed by stories, then plays and scripts and all sorts of wo...

Many times in the world of film and television, people are encouraged to pick a role. Producer, Director, writer? Which one are you? Sometimes however, someone like Twilla Amin arises. Twilla has experience working as all of the aforementioned and more. Born in North Carolina to an African American Mother and a Cameroonian father, Twilla fell in love early with art and media. By childhood she was...

TK Dawkins is an intellectual. TK Dawkins is a leader. Perhaps most importantly, TK Dawkins is an executer. Born and raised in Jamaica, TK Dawkins had dreams of becoming an attorney.  Afterall, society dictated that that was the path to success. Luckily, by the time TK entered University she realized that success could be reached via many paths. TK took advantage of everything the university exper...

Simply put, Janay Reymond is a creative and has always been. Though she was fascinated by all forms of art, fashion mesmerized her most. Her paternal grandmother was a seamstress, while her maternal grandmother owned one of the most popular boutiques on her native Anguilla. Janay was smitten by clothing and in particular swimsuits. As a little girl she would sketch patterns for all types of clothi...

Maya Gilliam is a consummate entrepreneur. This introduction could possibly end right here. My first sentence more than aptly describes Maya, but, she is so much more. Born in the Tar Heel State, North Carolina, Maya was surrounded by a family teeming with entrepreneurs and investors. She remembers observing family members as they tended to their separate businesses and made decisions. Her lessons...