Podcast
Corie Sheppard Podcast
Hosted by Corie Sheppard · EN
The Corie Sheppard Podcast
A trusted space for honest, Caribbean-rooted conversations that connect generations, challenge norms, and celebrate culture through real stories and perspectives.
Hosted by Corie Sheppard-Babb, the podcast explores the lives, journeys, and ideas of the Caribbean’s most compelling voices—artists, entrepreneurs, cultural leaders, changemakers, and everyday people with powerful stories. Each episode goes beyond headlines and hype to uncover the values, history, humour, struggle, and brilliance that shape who we are.
Whether it’s music, business, creativity, identity, advocacy, or community, this podcast holds space for the kind of dialogue that inspires reflection, empowers expression, and preserves our legacy. It’s culture in conversation—unfiltered, intergenerational, and deeply Caribbean.
Listen, subscribe, and be part of the stories that move the region forward.
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
We Divide Our Own.....But Welcome Everyone Else
1w ago01:31:09Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat if the biggest thing dividing Trinidad and Tobago isn't race, politics or religion—but the way we choose to treat each other?This week, I reflect on the response to our Dominic Hadeed interview before exploring the conversations that dominated the Emancipation weekend. From the Indian High Commission controversy and the Emancipation Village to politics, identity and national discourse, one question kept coming back:Why do we so often extend grace to strangers, yet struggle to show that same grace to our own people?Along the way, we discuss:The response to the Dominic Hadeed interviewEmancipation, identity and national prideThe Indian High Commission controversyThe Emancipation Village experiencePolitics, race and public discourseWhy supporting culture also means supporting businessWhat it means to build a country where everyone belongsThese weekly conversations aren't about telling you what to think. They're about slowing down, looking beyond the headlines and making sense of the issues shaping Trinidad and Tobago.I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Transcribe →Kes on Taking Soca Global, Family & the Mission Behind the Roots, Rock, Soca Tour
1w ago02:30:15Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailFresh off the Roots, Rock, Soca Tour, Kes joins The Corie Sheppard Podcast for one of his most personal and insightful conversations to date.Known for timeless hits and electrifying performances, Kes reflects on the journey behind the music, the responsibility of representing the Caribbean on the global stage, and why introducing new audiences to Soca has become his mission.In this episode, we discuss:The vision behind the Roots, Rock, Soca TourTaking Soca to audiences around the worldThe stories behind some of his biggest songsFamily, fatherhood and staying groundedCreativity, longevity and purposeThe future of Caribbean musicWhether you've followed Kes from the beginning or you're just discovering his music, this conversation offers a rare look at the person behind one of the Caribbean's most influential artists.This episode is brought to you in partnership with the new Lucozade Sport Ice Kick by Jude Bellingham. With refreshing lemon and lime flavour, plus carbohydrates and electrolytes to help hydrate, fuel and restore during and after exercise, it's the perfect companion for active lifestyles. Available for a limited time only. Thanks to Lucozade Sport for partnering with us on this episode.🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.⭐ Support the podcast and get exclusive episodes, extended conversations and early access on Patreon:https://patreon.com/coriesheppardpodcastFollow The Corie Sheppard Podcast:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coriesheppodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecoriesheppardpodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@corieshepX: https://x.com/coriesheppod#Kes #CorieSheppardPodcast #RootsRockSoca #Soca #CaribbeanMusic #TrinidadAndTobago #podcast
Transcribe →How Dominic Hadeed Built Blue Waters by Solving Problems
2w ago01:57:17Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailFrom building one of Trinidad and Tobago's most recognised brands to developing a philosophy centred on solving problems, Dominic Hadeed shares the ideas that have shaped his approach to business, leadership and life.In this conversation, Dominic explains why success is often the absence of failure, why every entrepreneur must define their end game before chasing it, and how learning to embrace honest feedback can transform both business and personal growth.We discuss Blue Waters, entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture, problem solving, Trinidad and Tobago's business environment, the future of Caribbean enterprise and the lessons Dominic believes every leader should learn.Editor's Note: This interview was recorded before the recent events involving Dominic Hadeed and members of his family. Those events are not discussed during this interview. At the time of publication, Mr Hadeed and his wife had been released after their Preventive Detention Orders were revoked. This conversation is presented as it was originally recorded.If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe for more conversations with the Caribbean's most influential leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives and changemakers.Follow The Corie Sheppard Podcast:Instagram: https://instagram.com/coriesheppardpodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/coriesheppardpodcastTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@coriesheppardpodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/
Transcribe →Vaughnette Bigford on Depression, Petrotrin, Menopause & Finding Her Authentic Voice
3w ago01:42:49Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailVaughnette Bigford is one of Trinidad & Tobago's most celebrated performers, but behind the sold-out concerts and standing ovations was a deeply personal journey through depression, perimenopause, identity and rebuilding her life.In this powerful conversation, Vaughnette opens up about the hardest year of her life, why she believes more women need to speak openly about menopause, the devastating closure of Petrotrin, building her own brand without waiting for opportunities, and how studying at Berklee changed the way she viewed Caribbean music forever.She also reflects on entrepreneurship, confidence, parenting, community, jazz, calypso and why finding your authentic voice matters more than trying to become someone else.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCASTGet early access, exclusive episodes and behind-the-scenes content on Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/coriesheppardpodcast📱 FOLLOW CORIE SHEPPARD📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coriesheppod👍 Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/coriesheppardpodcast🎵 TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@coriesheppardpod💼 LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coriesheppard𝕏 Xhttps://x.com/coriesheppard
Transcribe →Cro Cro: "They Turned Off My Mic... But They Could Never Silence Me"
4w ago01:35:23Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailCro Cro is one of Trinidad & Tobago's most influential calypsonians, and in this episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast he reflects on a career built on fearless social commentary, political criticism and some of the most memorable songs in calypso history.From Common Entrance and Apology to Nobody Ain't Gonna Know , Breastfed and Pass the Ball, Cro Cro explains the stories behind his biggest hits, why he wrote them and the public reaction they created.He also shares his views on the current state of calypso, why he believes social commentary is disappearing from the competition, why he stopped competing in the Calypso Monarch, and why he believes calypso was born to challenge power rather than avoid controversy. The conversation explores judging, TUCO, political commentary, censorship, freedom of expression and whether today's calypsonians are still willing to speak truth to authority.Beyond the controversy, Cro Cro opens up about his songwriting process, learning from legends like Sparrow and Shadow, his early years in the tents, the discipline behind his stage performances, and what it takes to write songs that stand the test of time. He also discusses Machel Montano, Kurt Allen, Orlando Octave, the People's Choice award, and why he has never compromised his writing to satisfy judges or public opinion.Whether you've followed Cro Cro throughout his career or you're discovering his music for the first time, this conversation offers a rare insight into one of calypso's greatest writers and performers, and the philosophy that has defined his career.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎧 SUPPORT THE PODCASTGet early access, exclusive episodes and behind-the-scenes content on Patreon.https://www.patreon.com/coriesheppardpodcast📱 FOLLOW CORIE SHEPPARD📸 Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/coriesheppod👍 Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/coriesheppardpodcast𝕏 Xhttps://x.com/coriesheppod━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Transcribe →Honouring Bill Trotman | Making Sense of Trinidad's Biggest Stories
4w ago01:39:48Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThe passing of Bill Trotman is a reminder of why we must celebrate the people who shaped Trinidad and Tobago's culture while they're still with us.In this week's commentary, I pay tribute to one of our great cultural icons and reflect on why preserving these stories matters. From there, we unpack some of the biggest issues affecting the country—from CARICOM and economic diversification to Nestlé's future in Trinidad and Tobago, government spending, public safety and the headlines that have dominated the week.These episodes are simply a chance to slow down, look beyond the headlines and make sense of the issues shaping our country.Topics covered:Honouring the life and legacy of Bill TrotmanRemembering The Mighty WandererCARICOM and Trinidad & Tobago's role in the regionOil, gas and economic diversificationNestlé's strategic review and what it means for local dairy farmersGovernment spending and the national budgetPublic safety, politics and accountabilityWhat are your thoughts on the issues discussed? Join the conversation in the comments.
Transcribe →Kevin Soyer on How Being Completely Paralysed Led Him to Make Thousands Laugh
Jul 1301:53:55Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailKevin Soyer has become one of Trinidad and Tobago's most respected stand-up comedians—but very few people know the extraordinary journey that brought him here. In this episode, Kevin shares the life-changing illness that left him completely paralysed, the terrifying moment he could only move his eyes, and the long road back to rebuilding his life. He also opens up about finding purpose through comedy, growing up in Hardin Place, learning theatre after his diagnosis, performing on stages around the world, the rise of Trinidad's stand-up comedy scene, and why laughter became the way he transformed trauma into healing. This is a conversation about resilience, creativity, family, ambition and finding purpose after life changes forever.
Transcribe →What Every Great Leader Understands About Communication, Trust & Respect | Lisa Ghany
Jul 601:47:19Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailBehind every successful event, respected leader, and trusted organisation is something most people never see.In this episode of The Corie Sheppard Podcast, event strategist, communications expert and protocol specialist Lisa Ghany shares the lessons she's learned from decades working in corporate communications, government, banking, crisis management and event production.From advising Trinidad and Tobago's first female Prime Minister to helping build some of the country's most recognisable organisations, Lisa explains why preparation, respect and relationships matter far more than most people realise.We also discuss:• Why protocol is really about respect—not status• What separates great leaders from everyone else• The hidden work behind successful events• Crisis communication in the age of social media• Building a reputation that lasts a lifetime• The future of event management and AI• The story behind the Down Syndrome Family Network and why inclusion mattersWhether you're a business owner, manager, communicator, event professional or simply someone who wants to become a better leader, this conversation is full of practical lessons and timeless wisdom.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who would appreciate the conversation.Follow The Corie Sheppard Podcast for more conversations that entertain, educate and honour the people shaping Caribbean culture.
Transcribe →We've Explored Less Than 1% of Earth's Deep Ocean... And T&T Is About To Change That | Dr. Diva Amon
Jul 301:10:33Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWe know more about the surface of the Moon than we do the deep ocean.Dr. Diva Amon is a Trinidadian deep-sea biologist, National Geographic Explorer, co-founder of SpeSeas and Chief Scientist leading the historic Deep Wonders of Trinidad and Tobago and the High Seas expedition.For the first time, a Trinidad and Tobago-led team will spend a month exploring the nation's deep waters aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute's research vessel Falkor Too searching for species never before seen by science.In this conversation, we discuss:• Why 70% of Trinidad and Tobago is deep ocean• Why less than 0.001% has ever been explored• The strange creatures living kilometres beneath us• New medicines hidden in the deep sea• Swimming with sperm whales• Taking Will Smith to the bottom of the ocean• Why the deep ocean may be Earth's final frontierThis is one of the most fascinating conversations we've ever had.Join the WhatsApp Channel to follow the expedition: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7WmCK4o7qPcYbUuY0O
Transcribe →The TRUTH About "Who Let the Dogs Out" | Anslem Douglas Sets the Record Straight
Jun 2901:40:28Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailBefore the world knew "Who Let the Dogs Out," the song belonged to Anslem Douglas.In this episode, the Trinidad and Tobago music icon shares the untold story behind the Grammy-winning hit, clearing up decades of misconceptions about its journey from the Caribbean to the global stage.We also explore the golden era of Carnival, the making of classics like Raggapumpum, Good Music to Dance, Jump and Mash Up the Party, and When Ah Dead Bury Meh Clothes, why soca must think beyond Monday and Tuesday, and how Caribbean artists can build lasting international careers.Beyond the music, Anslem opens up about his faith, his passion for writing children's books, using his platform to raise awareness about domestic violence, and why he's still creating with the same purpose after more than four decades in the industry.A masterclass in music, storytelling, longevity, and Caribbean culture.
Transcribe →