The National Parang Association of Trinidad & Tobago (NPATT) is a cultural organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and continued development of parang traditions in Trinidad and Tobago.
Founded in 1971, NPATT has played an important role in supporting parang groups, organizing cultural activities, encouraging new generations of performers, and helping maintain one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive musical traditions. Through competitions, community events, educational initiatives, and seasonal celebrations, the organization has contributed to keeping parang an active part of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural life.
For TuCuatro, NPATT is a significant reference organization because of the close relationship between parang music and the cuatro. While the instrument originated in Venezuela, it became deeply rooted in Trinidad and Tobago through centuries of cultural exchange, eventually becoming one of the defining instruments of the parang tradition. Today, the cuatro remains central to parang ensembles alongside maracas, guitar, box bass, and vocal performance.
NPATT’s work helps preserve not only a musical style, but also a living cultural tradition that connects communities across generations. Its activities contribute to the visibility of parang as an important expression of Trinidad and Tobago’s heritage and as part of the broader musical relationship between the Caribbean and northern South America.
As a public reference entity within TuCuatro’s cultural archive, NPATT helps document the organizations, communities, and traditions that sustain cuatro-related music beyond Venezuela. Its inclusion strengthens the understanding of how the cuatro continues to evolve across different countries, repertoires, and cultural contexts.
Key Facts
Organization: The National Parang Association of Trinidad & Tobago
Acronym: NPATT
Entity Type: Cultural Organization / NGO
Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Founded: 1971
Primary Cultural Domain: Parang
Related Instruments: Cuatro, Maracas, Guitar, Box Bass
Related Traditions: Parang, Caribbean Music, Venezuelan-Caribbean Musical Exchange
Presided by: Alicia Jaggasar
Why NPATT Matters
NPATT represents an important part of the cultural ecosystem surrounding the Trinidad and Tobago cuatro tradition. By supporting performers, preserving repertoire, and promoting community participation, the organization helps ensure that parang remains a living tradition rather than a historical artifact.
Its work also highlights the remarkable journey of the cuatro across borders, demonstrating how a small stringed instrument became a central voice in one of the Caribbean’s most beloved musical traditions.
Festival in 2025
Alicia Jaggsar, President of the National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago, joined the programme to share details about the upcoming Parang Festival 2025. The interview highlighted the festival’s role in preserving and promoting the rich cultural tradition of parang music. Jaggsar spoke about planned events, participating groups, and the importance of community involvement in keeping the spirit of the season alive. The festival promises vibrant performances, cultural expression, and a true celebration of Trinidad and Tobago’s heritage.
Christmas in July: Parang Under the Stars
Since 2022, NPATT has run an annual midyear fundraiser it calls “Christmas in July,” anchored by its flagship event Parang Under the Stars. The event brings together some of Trinidad and Tobago’s leading parang bands for an evening performance outside the traditional December season.
What started as a novelty has become tradition. NPATT president Alicia Jaggasar has pointed to the event as evidence that parang has an audience well beyond Christmas: many in Trinidad and Tobago are happy to hear it year-round, and the association has used that appetite to build a fixture that returns, and grows, every July. The event now sits alongside NPATT’s efforts to push parang into broader regional and international cultural conversations, not just its traditional seasonal slot.
Editions
This is the timeline of Parang Under the Stars. It grows each year: a new row is added once each edition is confirmed.
Year Edition Venue Notes Links 2024 3rd Estate 101, Saddle Road, Maraval Held Saturday, July 27, 2024. Some of the biggest parang bands in Trinidad & Tobago performing outdoors under the stars. Event listing 2025 4th (“Parang Under the Stars 4”) Estate 101, Saddle Road, Maraval Held July 26, 2025, marking the fourth year of NPATT’s partnership with Estate 101. Themed the “Cocktail Edition,” with an enhanced patron experience. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday 2026 5th (“Parang Under the Stars 5”) St Michael’s RC Church, Maracas St Joseph Scheduled for July 25, 2026, under the tagline “Maracas Under the Moonlight.” First edition to move away from Estate 101, held instead at St Michael’s Parish, an existing NPATT community partner from the 2024 House Parang Festival. NPATT official Facebook (event announcement, July 2026) Parang Under the Stars is one part of a wider push to keep parang a living, year-round tradition rather than a once-a-year event tied strictly to the Christmas calendar, the same mission that runs through NPATT’s educational programming and community festivals.
Sources: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, “NPATT’s new executive prepares for Christmas in July,” July 4, 2025; WahWeDoing? event listing, 2024 edition; NPATT official Facebook page, July 2026 announcement
2025 Christmas in July: Parang Under the Stars
https://www.facebook.com/100064861531044/videos/pcb.1483602353811802/2220523528724194
https://www.facebook.com/100064861531044/videos/pcb.1483602353811802/1611064444080260
