If you think about our colonial past; all the socio-economic and socio-cultural challenges that the Caribbean region has faced, you would then understand why it’s so important for us to remain light-hearted. In any cultural context, nobody expresses loving-kindness more thoroughly and consistently than Caribbean people. We are so naturally amusing, it’s no surprise that the region is now producing our comedic icons and Danielle Samlalsingh is positioning herself as one from Trinidad & Tobago.
Social media is criticized in so many different ways for the negative impact, it’s had on the younger generation ! Few acknowledge how these platforms facilitate new avenues of creative expression. TikTok emerged as 2020’s most popular social media platform and despite its controversy, it has been accepted by Gen Z and Millennial minds as a viable source of entertainment, throughout the monotony of lockdown and Covid restrictions. “My little sisters were super into TikTok and I spent months seeing them use it but I wasn’t interested at first. Then I went home for Spring Break and they wouldn’t stop using it, so I started to get a little interested. When I got back to school in New York, I got bored and I started using it.” Danielle expresses.
Samlalsingh’s TikTok content is unique and special because it’s not only great Caribbean banter but she uses her impish wit to challenge stereotypes about Caribbean people, especially those living in the diaspora. “I feel like I’m a proud Trinidadian! I love our culture and I love our people. I’m just so proud to be from there and I thought about creating a fun way to share my culture with the world. I liked doing the cultural comparisons between my life in the US and back home in Trinidad. I always found our cultural differences funny, in the moment so I figured creating content about these things would be something people would enjoy.”
Hilarious and relatable, Danielle fuses her syncretic cultural exposure from being a Trini living in New York, to conjure engaging content. With 106.8k followers and 3.2 million likes, it’s beyond obvious that her content is resonating with wider audiences, beyond just Caribbean people. Pairing her theatre background with her current educational pursuit of a Master’s in Industrial-Organizational Psychology has helped her to be cerebral in her content creation. She fuses her dramatics from theatre, with her knowledge of psychology to leverage how relatable her content is and create a business structure for her brand. “When I first went into psychology, I thought I would do clinical psychology and then halfway through I realized that wasn’t for me. Industrial-Organizational Psychology is more about the business side of psychology and that’s what drew me to it. “
Just like many other comedians, Danielle’s proclivity towards comedic relief started from the encouragement of friends. Growing up, she was a constant source of joy for her family and loved ones all her life, therefore transitioning into entertaining others wasn’t difficult for her. “Since primary school, I always knew I had a strong sense of humor. Even in the Parent-teacher meetings, it would be announced that I was the class clown. When I got to high school, I took classes in theatre and I would always notice how people would enjoy my improv skits.” Despite her TikTok acclaim and fast-growing social media following, Danielle’s personality remains amicable and grounded. A light-hearted, naturalist with the gift of wit; Danielle represents the warmth and gregarious spirit that typifies authentic Trinidadian women.
