Rome: Culture, Carnival, and the Business of Entertainment | The Corie Sheppard Podcast

Send us Fan MailIn this wide-ranging conversation, Rome joins us to unpack a career that spans engineering, music, radio, television, and cultural leadership. From his early days as a mechanical engineer at Petrotrin to becoming one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most recognisable entertainment voices, Rome reflects on the risks, pivots, and purpose that shaped his journey.We dive deep into the state of Carnival and live entertainment, including venue shortages, promoter challenges, and why Trinidad and Tobago still lacks purpose-built cultural spaces. Rome shares rare insights from his time as former President of the Promoters Association, explaining how policy gaps, policing costs, and weak consultation continue to affect the sector The conversation also explores:The evolution of soca parang and why generational renewal mattersThe creative discipline behind writing clean songs for dirty mindsLessons from failure, from empty dance floors to breakout hitsBehind-the-scenes stories from VH1 reality TV, international stages, and LA acting schoolWhy projects like Carnival Catwalk and Ultimate Soca Champion are about building pipelines, not just showsAt its core, this episode is about culture as industry, risk as growth, and the responsibility of creatives to build platforms for the next generation.🎙️ If you care about Carnival, creativity, and Caribbean excellence, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.👉 Click the link in my bio for the full episode#coriesheppardpodcast