Tunapuna is a town in the

East–West Corridor The East–West Corridor is the built-up area of north Trinidad stretching from the capital, Port of Spain, east to Arima. The term was coined by economist and political philosopher Lloyd Best, after gleaning the works of a technocrat named ...

of the island of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Town

Tunapuna is located between St. Augustine,

Tacarigua Tacarigua (originally San Pablo de Tacarigua) is a town in the East–West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago, located east of Tunapuna, north of Trincity and west of Arouca. It is on the banks of the Tacarigua River. The city is governed by the Tu ...

and

Trincity Trincity is a planned community in northern Trinidad. It is located along the East–West Corridor south of Tunapuna and north of Piarco. Trincity was developed by Home Construction Limited. In recent years Trincity has been one of the major gr ...

. Tunapuna is the largest town between San Juan and

Arima Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of th ...

. It is an important market and commercial centre, and is the seat of the

Tunapuna–Piarco Regional Corporation Tunapuna–Piarco is one of the 9 regions of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the most populous region in the country by total population and the fifth-largest by total land area. Geographically located in Northern Trinidad, Tunapuna–Piarco shares its ...

. The Tunapuna Parliamentary seat is a marginal, hence popular wisdom dictates: ''"If you win Tunapuna, you win the elections."''

Carnival

For more than one hundred years, Tunapuna has been a Carnival venue. Each year this regional carnival, which is a showcase for traditional and conventional mas, steel band, and stick fighting, is organised by the Tunapuna Carnival Committee.

Notable people

The renowned writer and scholar

C. L. R. James Cyril Lionel Robert James (4 January 1901 – 31 May 1989),Fraser, C. Gerald, '' The New York Times'', 2 June 1989. who sometimes wrote under the pen-name J. R. Johnson, was a Trinidadian historian, journalist and Marxist. His works are i ...

was born and is buried here, and popular 1950s

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Winifred Atwell Una Winifred Atwell (27 February or 27 April 1910 or 1914There is some uncertainty over her date and year of birth. Many sources suggest 27 February 1914, but there is a strong suggestion that her birthday was 27 April. Most sources give her ye ...

was born here. The song ''Tuna Puna Trinidad'' was the B-side of a single released by

Petula Clark Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades. Clark's professional career began during the ...

in 1955. Songwriter, composer, writer and director

Donald Heywood Donald Heywood (24 October 1896 – 13 January 1967) was a Trinidadian-born American songwriter, composer, writer and director. He is best remembered for composing "I'm Coming Virginia" in 1926, which became a hit for Ethel Waters. He became a pro ...

, best remembered for composing "

I'm Coming Virginia ''"I'm Coming Virginia"'' is a song composed in 1926 by Donald Heywood with lyrics by Will Marion Cook. It is often wrongly attributed to vocalist Ethel Waters, who first recorded it on September 18, 1926 with Will Marion Cook's Singing Orchestra. ...

" in 1926, which became a hit for

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

. was born in Tunapuna in 1896. Professional footballer Stern John was born in Tunapuna.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad (island)