Beenie Man faces Trinidadian backlash again, seeks to clear air

For the second time in just under two years, dancehall superstar Beenie Man is seeking to clear the air after offending the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The Girls Dem Sugar deejay stirred controversy earlier this week when, during an interview on New York’s Hot 97, he suggested that Jamaica started carnival celebrations before Trinidad and Tobago, attributing its origins to late Jamaican music pioneer Byron Lee. Carnival has deep historical roots in Trinidad and Tobago and several other Caribbean islands, with the celebration originating during the period of slavery.

In contrast, Jamaica only began celebrating carnival on a national level in the early 1990s. Against that background, Beenie Man has been chided across social media since his remarks surfaced online. On Saturday, in a post on social media, he apologised for his comments, indicating that he got his "history wrong". Trinidad and Tobago, let me clear this up with love. I got the carnival history wrong, and I apologise. I confused my memories of Byron Lee’s contribution to carnival in Jamaica with the wider history," Beenie man said, adding "Your carnival has its own rich history, and I respect that. I never intended to disrespect your people or culture, but I understand why…