If you’ve attended cultural events in Trinidad and Tobago and even other countries for that matter, chances are you’ve seen Kleon McPherson.
For almost ten years, the spoken word artiste has captured the hearts of audiences with his riveting, true-to-life pieces and folksy appeal.
The Plymouth-born performer has continued to take his talent to new heights.
On Friday, McPherson launched a five-minute film, simply titled Tobago, showcasing various aspects of life on the island.
“It is a film highlighting Tobago through a tourism lens,” he told Sunday Newsday.
Indeed, the feature, produced and edited by Leetech Media Ltd, offers vibrant snapshots of the picturesque tourist destination – from its resplendent, “crystal clear” waters and idyllic landscape to its treasured pastimes and traditions.
Viewers will also learn some important facts about Tobago’s history, including its Main Ridge Forest Reserve, the oldest protected rain forest in the western hemisphere.
McPherson observed the entities that did tourism expos on Tobago, pre-covid19 often carried large contingents of performers to display different elements of life in the island.
But he said the video offers viewers – tourists and locals alike – a brief, easily digestible visual that can be marketed in a way most people can appreciate, moreso given the ongoing covid19 restrictions where there is more emphasis on digital as opposed to physical contact.
The film can be seen on all of his social media platforms.
McPherson said the project, which took about two and a half years to complete, was an eye-opener.
[caption id="attachment_919386" align="alignnone" width="450"] Kleon McPherson has been a spoken word artiste for ten years. -[/caption]
“Going through the process, I realised that an important role needs to be played in terms of archiving material on Tobago. Visually, we have not been doing what we are supposed to in terms of recording stuff as time passes.”
Creating the film, though, was not unfamiliar territory for McPherson.
In January 2019, he directed a four-minute spoken word video, Back in Times, which copped the prestigious Carmichael Award for Exceptional Storytelling at the Barbados Independent Film Festival. The festival was held at the Walled Garden Theatre. The premiere was held at Movie Towne, Gulf City Mall, Lowlands,
The film, which was featured in Los Angeles and Florida, was intended, in part, to give exposure to spoken word artistes in Tobago. It also paid tribute to some of the island’s leading personalities.
After winning the award, McPherson had told Newsday, “I feel very proud and humbled to win such a prestigious award, taking into account that last year (2018), Green Days by the River won that award. So, to even be within that same category of great films is a good thing.”
[caption id="attachment_919384" align="alignnone" width="773"] Spoken word artiste Kleon McPherson says it took him two years to create his new video, Tobago. -[/caption]
A research specialist with the Tobago House of Assembly, McP
