Laventille is a ward of

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 ...

Etymology

The name ''Laventille'' hearkens back to colonial times, especially when the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

dominated the cultural traditions of the island. One etymological derivation of the name is because the northeast trade winds come to this part 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 ...

before reaching any other part of colonial

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a muni ...

– hence the

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...

ical name ''"La Ventaille"'' (''"The Vent"''). Geographically, it is the source of Orographic

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

for the capital city.

Arts and culture

Laventille is the place where steel pan was born, and it is the birthplace of innovators and world-renowned tuners such as Rudolph Charles and Bertie Marshall. It is the heart of the steelpan world, where pioneer

Winston "Spree" Simon Winston "Spree" Simon (1930 – 18 April 1976) was a Trinidadian inventor, pioneer and musician of the steelpan. Life Simon was born in Laventille, Trinidad. He is credited with the invention of the ''Ping Pong'' steelpan instrument. Simon also w ...

lived and created one of the century's new acoustical musical instruments. It is home to

Desperadoes Steel Orchestra The Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, also called Despers, are a steelband from Laventille in Trinidad, formed in 1945. Origins and evolution A number of youths in the Laventille Road area began calling their group Morocco/Dead End Kids, before some ...

, one of the world's oldest steelbands, still in existence today. It also houses several other bands such as Laventille Hilanders, Courts Laventille Sound Specialists, and Tokyo. Laventille is also the birthplace of other notable people, including Soca artist Destra Garcia.

Events

Coopers trained at Angostura

In 2015, over a three-week period young persons were trained in the art of coopering at Angostura. This training involved the making of barrels from scratch. These barrel which can be used to store the "work in progress of rum" are an intrinsic part of the creation of the rum product.

Economy

The world famous Angostura Bitters is currently produced at the Angostura compound which is located off the Eastern Main Road in Laventille. This product is one of the older products of Trinidad and Tobago which has won many awards and which has been exported to many countries. The bitters forms an essential element in many drinks and dishes. Many of the rums which are produced in Trinidad are made at the Angostura Compound. These rums are exported to many countries and earn valuable foreign exchange for the country. These rums are also used in ponche a creme, the local equivalent of egg nog. For many years, MacFoods Meat processors was one of the larger employers in the area, as their factory produced top quality pork hams, marketed under the label "Blue Ribbon" hams.

Places of interest

Angostura Museum and Barcant Butterfly Collection

The Angostura Museum and Barcant Butterfly Collection are located in the Angostura compound, Eastern Main Road, Laventille. The compound is located on 20 acres of land at Trinity Avenue and Eastern Main Road. This compound is located just on the outskirts of Port of Spain, heading towards Morvant. Access is obtained through the Eastern Main Road entrance. In addition to the Museum, there are several buildings which are located on the compound, such as the Distillery, the Administration Offices and the Special Events Buildings for which bookings can be placed.

Fernandes Industrial Centre (FIC)

The Fernandes Industrial Centre (FIC) is located along the Eastern Main Road, close to the Morvant Junction. The FIC stretches from the Main Road, is intersected by the Priority Bus Route and continues to the Churchill Roosevelt Highway (CRH). However the Compound is not accessible from the CRH. The Centre offers warehousing, distribution and operating space for several different types of businesses, some of these are: Foundation for the Enhancement and Enrichment of Life. FEEL
guardian.co.tt. Accessed 18 October 2022. This Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was founded by Mr Clive Pantin, brother of the late Archbishop Anthony Pantin of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port of Spain, former principal of Fatima College. The organization is engaged in the collection, distribution of food items to those in need and other social services. Peter Sheppard Studio ~ Peter Sheppard has produced artwork which recreate historical scenes of Trinidad and Tobago.

References

{{Coord, 10, 39, N, 61, 29, W, region:TT_type:city, display=title Geography of Port of Spain Populated places in Trinidad and Tobago