A Performer’s Haven

True Talk No Lie might be one of Trinidad’s best kept secrets. The monthly open-mic and concert series has been running now for four and a half years on the 4th Wednesday of every month from March to November. For underground performers and emerging talent, it has become a place they call home.

Regular performer on the open-mic, StephAnn Feroza says, “When I first moved here, I had difficulty finding my niche. I was actually making solid plans to leave Trinidad when I found TTNL. In a single night it changed everything.”

In May 2013, observing a dearth in performance spaces, the show’s producer and host, Yvan “Navy” Mendoza, set out to create a forum for up-and-coming artistes to showcase their talent while perfecting their craft. Every show is a coming together of raw, untapped talent, more fine-tuned performers as features and an open-minded, appreciative audience soaking it all in.

For the person looking for a night out away from the ordinary bar, club, or party, True Talk No Lie is just the place to be. On any given TTNL night, you would find a mix of poets, comedians, singers and instrumentalists baring it all on the Big Black Box stage. You might even be so inspired by the open-mic performers that you take part in the “Word of the Night” challenge, where audience members write and perform a piece based on a word selected at the start of the night.