{"id":3054,"date":"2020-08-07T18:29:26","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T18:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/?p=3054"},"modified":"2021-08-07T01:47:44","modified_gmt":"2021-08-07T01:47:44","slug":"5-trinbagonians-who-flavoured-beyonces-black-is-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lauradowrich.com\/5-trinbagonians-who-flavoured-beyonces-black-is-king\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Trinbagonians who flavoured Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s Black is King"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s Black is King has sparked debates and conversations around the world as it shifted our attention momentarily from COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grand reimagining of the Lion King, showing exclusively on Disney Plus, is the visual album to her Lion King soundtrack produced last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mega-production is the culmination of work from creatives from all over including the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From hair styling to costume design, Trinis have lent their talents to making Black is King a true visual phenomenon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five Trinis who worked on helping to bring Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s ideas to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neal Farinah<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arima native has long been one of Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s main hairstylists. For Black is King, Farinah served as the lead hairstylist, corralling an army of other stylists to help create the hairstyles for the visual album.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farinah and his team created over 40 wigs, some of which were never used, he told Loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he was meeting with Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s around 2 am one morning when she told him of her plans for the movie and showed him her references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI said when do you want this and she said Friday. It was Wednesday. That blew my mind but I have learned one never says no, it is always yes, I can. I called my manager and said find me the most amazing stylists you can find, especially black stylists because I needed girls who could braid and some of them who turned up were Trinis,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two of the Trini stylists were Keinda Davis, who he said really helped him on the project with an iconic piece and Xia Charles, a braider from Tobago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farinah has been sharing the hairstyles his team created in less than a week for Beyonc\u00e9 and the history and significance of each style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018I was educated about it. Given the reference from Beyonc\u00e9, and me doing my research, I found that hairstyles from centuries ago meant more. Back in ancient days there was a storytelling of every hairstyle and I wanted to bring that to life in the movie. I felt it was a perfect moment to bring strong pieces to tie into the movie and the storyline,\u201d he said of the research that went into creating the various looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with other Trinis on set was a good experience, Farinah said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farinah, who struggled to make it when he first migrated to the US, said tapping other stylists to work on the project was his way of helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn this industry when you are trying to grow, there aren\u2019t many people who help you so I felt this was a great moment to help others shine and share a\u00a0piece of the pie. I was so happy I could help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Neal Farinah (@nealfarinah)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>