The zeitgeist moves and reshapes every day, and the media industry through its numerous expressions through news and creativity brings many perspectives to the field. West Indian voices are typically absent from the pop culture conversation. Sequestered within the slow rise of it’s own creative industrial revolution.
Bustr Media Enterprise announces through the launch of their new podcast, The Continuum, linked to their magazine ‘WI of The Future’ that the company is making strides to create space where film, gaming, art, fashion, and politics converge — all examined through a distinctly West Indian lens.
Outside its Caribbean/West Indian identity, the podcast is conceptually an archive recording of friends of various ages, and tastes coming together to review, debate, and discuss their passions, albeit; the topic of the week. Each episode is a new hang out session with vibrant, sometimes contrasting personalities, with no formal structure; portraying where anyone can be a part of the club, and everyone has a piece to share.
A Cultural Framework
Some personalities featured on the podcast include:
Randhir, a father and film hobbyist – titled as ‘The Old Timer’ as he brings a historian’s sensibility to each section of talk, sharing nuggets of fun facts from 40 years of observation of the film industry. The mentor that learns from as much as he teaches a younger panel, a role that reveals pressure to find middle-ground especially within the era of franchise remakes. The uncle that hated the superman remake everyone loves. – Watch here
Vic – titled ‘The Stan’, represents the avid fan who knows all the big titles, the big names, and has her favourite unreserved, echoing shamelessly in her passionate outbursts to the capacity of a live and in-action gen z, twitter (X) keyboard warrior – but she’s actually had her fair share of outdoor time to be a rational and real person. However, the dealbreaker, she read the book and wants that faithful adaptation or no adaptation at all.
Gabe – the “as a matter of fact” guy who’d be the first to correct you if you mispronounce, misquote, or need a fact check on literally anything. ‘The Academic’ who elevates the conversation to a level of esteem beyond fangirl testimonials. He also read the book, but is willing to see what the up-and-coming filmmaker’s take on it.
Addy – “The Contrarion” errrr… quiet and hates everything, except if you hate it then he loves it. A troll and half from the Diogenes academy of personability.
Seth – “The Theatre Kid”; a step further into the delusional than the stan who will always prefer the movie had at least one musical/dance number. The emotional barometer of the panel, forever advocating for the underdog, the sentimental, and especially the musical no one asked for but everyone needed.
Prestige works, blockbuster trends – nothing is off limits, with the throughline of that outside-onlooker that comes with the islander experience. The 1st releases dive into film and cinema amidst award season.
By centering diverse perspectives, the podcast hopes to build a cultural framework that is both celebratory and critical, situating Caribbean creativity within the global continuum of media and art. A worthy addition to Bustr’s West Indian collective magazine “WI of the Future.
