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Jade Huggins: Inspiring next-generation parang

BAVINA SOOKDEO JADE HUGGINS is emerging as one of parang’s brightest young voices. Huggins, 21, spoke to WMN in a phone interview on September 10. A second-year student at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, she is doing a first degree in digital media with a specialisation in animation. The parrandera describes herself as “an artiste through and through.” She is a member of Armonías Magníficas (Magnificent Harmonies) – a group that has placed third in Pan Parang and earned first place at the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition, the TT Music Festival’s parang category, and Viva Parang 2. Huggins, from Diego Martin, is quickly establishing herself as a promising parrandera carrying this traditional artform forward. On September 7, Huggins performed at Start de Parang, the National Parang Association of TT’s launch of Parang History Month 2025, which also signalled the start of this year’s season. She will also take part in the various workshops and seminars hosted by the NPATT during the month. The theme for this year is Nuestra Canción (Our Song). This month, the association said in a news release, is a time to reflect on and celebrate the rich heritage of parang music in TT. Parang is derived from the Spanish word “parranda,” meaning a party or celebration. Parang has become synonymous with the joy of Christmas. Huggins’s passion for music (particularly parang) was something she discovered as a child, but it did not come from home. [caption id="attachment_1178129" align="alignnone" width="768"] Jade Huggins, 21, sings parang and designs her own costumes. -[/caption] “I did not have a lot of cultural exposure in the home, so school programmes were my main source of discovering these aspects of culture,” she said. It was during her secondary school’s inter-house parang competition that she was first drawn to parang: “I felt an instant connection to the genre and the sense of camaraderie.” Since then, performing has been about more than just music. She recalled her early performances with her school band and how the music’s power struck her. “I can remember the way that it brought the crowd together. It felt great to know that the music we made had the ability to bring people together.” Her influences are many – teachers who encouraged her to keep pursuing the artform, and the great women who came before her. “In parang in particular, my biggest influence would have to be the iconic women like Daisy Voisin, Alicia Jaggasar and Sharlene Flores.” So inspired was she by Daisy Voisin that when she entered the La Reine Rive Pageant in 2024, Huggins’ entire presentation was dedicated to the late singer on what would have been her 100th birthday. Representing the Curepe Invaders Performing Company, she performed Voisin’s iconic song Alegría. Though she did not win, she made it into the finals, and credits the experience with shaping her as a performer and giving her greater courage. “The theme of the competition was The Future is Folk, and even though parang is not something that is traditionally done within the Best Village space, I felt as though it was extremely important to portray, as it is a major part of our culture,” she said. [caption id="attachment_1178130" align="alignnone" width="577"] Parrandera Jade Huggins. -[/caption] For Huggins, parang is not just seasonal or tied to Christmas. “We are often paranging year-round, so I know firsthand that it is not just about Christmas.” As a young person, she said, she tries extremely hard to inspire others to get into the artform, learn songs and learn to play instruments, as such things help with cultural retention. “Sometimes the best way to be connected with your ancestors or to feel that connection is by doing the practices that they would have done,” she believes. As an artiste, she says parang provides a lot of inspiration, as it allows her to be constantly surrounded by “a loving, accepting community filled with talented people who often have lots of wisdom to share.” Those experiences, she said, have also shaped her as an individual. As a young female voice in parang, does Huggins feel she brings a fresh perspective to the tradition? “Yes, I do. My band actually prides itself on the fact that we bring a fresh twist to parang, whether it be through the renditions of our songs, the way we arrange them or the clothes that we wear (which were designed by me).” While acknowledging that parang has been male-dominated in the past, she believes change is under way. “A lot of my favourite instrumentalists and other bands are women, and I think there’s going to be a big shift in the future.“ She is grateful that she has not faced many challenges in her journey or felt diminished because of her gender, saying the parang community is extremely inclusive. Asked about opportunities for young artistes to innovate within parang while maintaining its authenticity, she stressed the importance of taking the initiative and creating opportunities in creative spaces. She believes research and learning directly from the source are essential. “So when branching out for new projects or writing new parang music, the best thing to do is learn from the source. That way you can experiment and innovate, while still acknowledging the roots.” Balancing academic studies and parang, especially during at this time of year, has been challenging. “Parang season is at its peak during exam season, so as a student it can be extremely difficult,” she admitted. “It is very important to have a good support system around you during these times so you don’t crash,” she advised other young artistes. Looking ahead, she dreams of recording and expanding her artistry, and is sure of one thing – “In the next five years, I will definitely still be paranging.” She hopes her band will have a few original songs out by then. “Maybe I’ll have a couple singles as well,” she said, adding, “I’d love to incorporate my digital art or animation skills to help promote parang, make music videos, lyric videos cover art…things like that.” Parang also informs her work as a visual artist. Huggins explained, “I try my best to include aspects of the culture within it, whether it be through parang music in certain projects, or taking direct reference of performers to put into my artwork. I never run out of inspiration and I’ll never run out of things to draw.” Asked which artist she would most like to collaborate with, she named graphic artist Nicholas Huggins – no relation, despite their shared last name. She admires the way he portrays TT and its culture through his work, and said his style inspires her greatly. But her ultimate vision is even bigger, as she dreams of being known as a top parang singer. “I’d like to make a big cultural impact. I’d also love to somehow impact the syllabus in schools and ensure that parang history is taught.” Above all, Huggins wants her audiences to feel what she feels. “When I sing, I’d love for people to feel at ease. Music almost serves as a distraction for me – when I sing, I’m taken somewhere completely different, and I love for audiences to feel the same way when they hear me.” What message would she share with other young women who love culture, but are hesitant to pursue it? Huggins encouraged them to take the first step. “While the communities may seem small, once you dive into it you truly realise how big they are and how much support you will have,” she said, adding that being in the right spaces and surrounded by like-minded people can make the journey much easier. Her advice: reach out, ask questions and get involved. “A simple question might be the only thing stopping you from finding your passion and keeping our culture alive.”   The post Jade Huggins: Inspiring next-generation parang appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.