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Baje (pronounced Beige) Fletcher was the latest `Best Friend` hopeful to be kicked out of the BFF McMansion as Hilton continues her quest to find a new `Best Friend Forever.` But Fletcher, born in Ocho Rios Jamaica, says she has no regrets about her early departure and infact, thinks Hilton ultimately made the right decision to set her free. The self-proclaimed diva and model agent who has plenty of opinions and attitude to go around said Hilton is simply `looking for puppets that she can control, and this `sista` actually has a mind of her own.` Fletcher also said she had nothing in common with the contestants on the MTV aired show. `Most of them acted like overgrown kids and just got on my nerves - if I didn`t separate from the circus clowns, I would have lost my temper many times. I thought coming on the show would have showed me a different side of life, but it didn`t. I shop, travel and party with the best of them daily.` But she added, `Off camera Paris seems like a smart girl and I`m sure she'll find the perfect accessory.`
 NEW YORK, NY, October 9, 2008: Nearly a hundred people gathered at
Feinstein's at Loews Regency The Nightclub of New York
for an unforgettable evening of music and dance benefiting the
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF). Guests at
this year's Music Has Power Awards enjoyed intimate performances
by multi Grammy" nominated singer/songwriter Odetta
and Tony Award®-winner and acclaimed Trinidadian born dancer
Geoffrey Holder. The event, honoring Holder and esteemed neurologist
Gottfried Schlaug, MD, PhD, helped raise more than $120,000 to
support funding for patient care, education and training in music
therapy and scientific research initiatives of the IMNF."We thank Odetta and our honorees, Mr. Holder and Dr. Schlaug, for sharing their time and talents to help raise awareness about the power of music to awaken, inspire, and heal," states IMNF Executive Director, Dr. Concetta Tomaino, "This year's Music Has Power Awards Benefit has proved to be another resounding success we are also grateful to our many supporters for their commitment to helping bring the healing power of music to individuals in need." A member of the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, the IMNF's groundbreaking and internationally recognized programs use music therapy to assist in the "awakening and healing" of individuals with a wide-range of neurological conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. For the past eight years, The Music Has Power Awards has served as an opportunity to celebrate the visionary spirit and pioneering mission of the IMNF while honoring those individuals whose work contributes to the advancement of vital, often groundbreaking music therapy research, development and programs.
 GREAT
BAY, St. Martin (October 6, 2008): The new poetry CD of Lasana
M. Sekou, set to music for the first time, will launch at Belair
Community Center on November 8, 2008, said Jacqueline Sample,
president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).The recording of Sekou reciting his poetry on The Salt Reaper Selected poems from the flats, is the latest offering from the St. Martin poet and author of 13 books. The poetry-music CD includes a range of St. Martin, Caribbean and international topic-poems, as well as adult love poems, said Sample. "Angelo steps up in a bold way with unique layers of music. He digitally mixes instruments like the steelpan, kalimba, and the violin, and music genres such as European classical, Jazz, club, and Salsa," said Sample. According to kaiso music expert Fernando Clark, "After 30 years of his unique style of poetry writings and recitals, now comes this collaboration of relentless music contemporary classical tones amplify the lyrical content of Lasana's work." The CD is Rombley's first exercise as a music producer but he is hardly a stranger to the digital world. Rombley is better known as an award-winning graphic designer and a highly creative digital artist. He has exhibited at Marigot and New York galleries and designed a number of HNP book covers. Sekou recorded his poetry for the audio CD in Hong Kong in 2004, while he was a literary Fellow at the Hong Kong Baptist University. The "selected" poems on the CD are from Sekou's book The Salt Reaper Poems from the flats (2004, 2005), which earned him unprecedented receives and critical comparisons to acclaimed poets Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dylan Thomas, Aimé Césaire, Kamau Brathwaite, and e.e cummings. Sample sees the CD launch on Saturday, November 8, as "a St. Martin Day weekend affair, with a concert flavor for the island's people." "In the unity tradition of St. Martin, House of Nehesi will team up with Shujah Reiph and Conscious Lyrics to organize the CD launch and concert. It will also highlight Lasana's 30th anniversary as an author and performance poet," said Sample.
In a statement yesterday, officials insisted that the 2008 edition of the event will go on as planned at Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami despite the passing of Selman Lewis. Lewis, 60, died on Monday, September 29, at Aventura Hospital in Florida after suffering a heart attack one week prior. In a joint statement released with the Lewis family, the organizers gave the assurance that in keeping with the spirit of show business, the show must go on. And so will this 24th edition of Miami Carnival which will now be injected with more pomp and circumstance as a tribute to Lewis and in celebration of his life and accomplishments. While expressing his sadness at the passing of this `great leader and friend,` Raymond Luke, a longstanding New York-based member of the Miami Carnival Inc. said he knows that Lewis `would have wanted it no other way.` `He would have insisted that not one beat be missed for this year's carnival,` said Luke. `Selman was not just the consummate professional, he was a cultural ambassador to his heart. To him, Miami Carnival was his way of promoting and strengthening the image of his homeland, Trinidad & Tobago. `In keeping with this mission, he engineered plans for the Carnival up to the day of his illness and in his honor, we will fly the banner of Trinidad & Tobago as we have done for the past 24 years during Miami Carnival. A veteran masquerader and organizer, Lewis migrated to the United States in 1969 and worked in the tourism and marketing sectors for several years. In 1990 he became the `guiding force` behind Miami Carnival and as Chief Executive Officer, made Miami 'the place to be` every October. In the statement released by the Mimi Carnival Inc., Lewis was described `as a beloved leader, mentor and friend who leaves us with extraordinary inspiration to draw upon this Miami Carnival season.` Miami Carnival has been an annual calendar event since 1984 and within two years of its inception had grown from a neighborhood party to an international event. In its current status as the third-largest Caribbean Carnival in North America, Miami Carnival is the foremost revenue-producing festival in South Florida. Lewis is survived by his wife Janet, two sons Christopher and Adrian, daughter-in-law Jerry and grandchildren Kai and Terrick. Lewis will be waked today, Thursday, October 2nd, from 7 p.m. at Claudia's 17730 NW 27th Ave in Miami Gardens, FlL. A private funeral service for family and close friends is set for Friday, October 3rd from 6 9 p.m. at the Boyd Funeral Home, 6400 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood. And a public memorial service is set for Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 11:30am St. Bartholomew, 8005 Miramar Parkway, Miramar, Florida.
The film, which stars Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, depicts Guevara and Fidel Castro's triumphant guerrilla campaign to overthrow Cuba's government in the late 1950s. The date for the release of a second film by Soderbergh called "Guerrilla" which tracks Guevara's downfall and execution after trying to foment a similar rebellion in Bolivia in the 1960s has not yet been set. Del Toro won the best-actor prize for his depiction of Che in the two movies at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Soderbergh directed Del Toro to the supporting actor Oscar for 2000's "Traffic" which also took the prize for best director, best editing and best writing. Del Toro played a Mexican police officer in the film. But conservative Spanish newspaper ABC said the the main problem of "The Argentine" was the "flatness" of the actor's depiction of Che. "Soderberg tried to keep a distance which makes his film more didactic than political," added top-selling left-wing daily El Pais. Soderbergh, whose other films include "Erin Brockovich" and "Ocean's Eleven", said during a visit to Madrid earlier this week to unveil his film said he did not seek to "glorify" Che but rather show him "just as he was".
 The group had
the honour of performing at the opening ceremony at Universal
Studios, Hollywood City Walk. They won the senior instrumental, open and original categories, which included groups of four to nine members each. Narine Bachoo, the group's manager, said that their achievement was due to the determination of members of the group to display their talent internationally. With financial support from small businesses, the group was able to pursue their goal and perform in the competition. However, the group feels that their win has gone unnoticed by the government and the country at large. Despite pleas for assistance, the government through its relevant authorities did not respond to the call. As it is, the group is still owing $24,000. Bachoo said: "We are hoping that, after achieving all of this and bringing recognition to our country, the Prime Minister and the Culture Minister will still offer some assistance." He added that the government financially assisted the Carifesta and Emancipation committees but did not see fit to support the tassa group in their venture. "We took our talent to the international level and won. We did it for our country," he added. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Gender Affairs had originally promised to sponsor the cost of airfare, which came up to $28,000. However, they later said that they would not be sponsoring a team from Trinidad and Tobago. Desperate to perform at the competition, the group borrowed the amount and has yet to repay it. "We were depending on the Ministry and they only told us the bad news the week before the competition. It was not enough time and no one was willing to step up to the plate," Bachoo said. The group is now appealing for assistance from the corporate community to pay off their debt. Bachoo can be reached at 647-0202, 762-3277 or 385-7558, or at e-mail countryboystassa@gmail.com.
Colleen White, mother of winning steelband music arranger André White, stood shyly by with people surrounding her, tears of joy streaming down her face as the euphoric celebration erupted on the stage after 1 am when the 2008 New York Panorama ended-triumphantly for ADLIB Steel Orchestra which hails  from Long Island, New York. André's
grandmother Maureen White was alternately dancing around and
pausing for photographs with ecstatic co-celebrants. All the while, André was being hoisted above the shoulders of his band ADLIB, put down again, seized for hugs and kisses, had microphones thrust in his face for comments, grabbed for pictures, handshakes, and sought out for autographs. As both digital and cellphone cameras flashed at and around him, other band members called friends and family, crying and screaming through their phones at the same time "We Win!" Youth wins out Why the euphoria, tears, and more, one may ask? Well-this was no ordinary victory. You see, the sensational winning steelband arranger who now lays claim to the same championship title as coveted and won by other renowned arrangers in the New York steelband Panorama arena-such as Denzel Botus and Scipio Sargeant, Arddin Herbert, the late Clive Bradley, Yohan Popwell and others-is a mere teenager. André is all of 18 years as of May 26 this year. The talented teen, who is realising his potential, trounced tested arrangers such as Ken "Professor" Philmore, Arddin Herbert, Yohan Popwell, Keith Roberts, Pelham Goddard and Eddison Quarless to have ADLIB crowned the championship steel orchestra for 2008. It should be noted that in T&T, there is the annual junior Panorama where arrangers can be as young as André, but the differenceis that they compete against their relatively aged peers. In New York, André competes with the regular "big guns" arrangers-all of whom are old enough to be his father, or grandfather. Band creates history Additionally, ADLIB Steel Orchestra has never before won a New York Panorama. The closest they came was back in 2001 when they placed third, with then-arranger Ruben Nelson, and again last year in 2007 when they executed André's arrangement of Band in Space written by Amrit Samaroo. Samaroo and White have struck up quite a musical relationship-with André playing in bpTT Renegades Steel Orchestra in T&T's 2008 Panorama where Samaroo arranged-and again selected Samaroo's music for ADLIB's 2008 panorama appearance, a track called Heat. About André André White is one of those people who "lives, eats, sleeps and breathes" the steelpan instrument family and the music produced-literally. He is one of many youngsters who grew up with ADLIB-and in André's case, there was a time when he could barely reach the steelpan instrument he was playing at the time. André has always been avid about steelband music, and was formally introduced as ADLIB's arranger back in 2006 at age fifteen. He had already, though, contributed much to arranging for the orchestra-featuring his own band mates-for a considerable period before that time. André returned from England exactly one week ago, having scored what was probably another first-again being the youngest arranger for England's Mangrove Steel Orchestra which was awarded sixth place in London's 31st annual Panorama competition. The brilliant young musician manages his time exceptionally well. He had returned to England for the second time on August 17 in final preparation, but, had already completed ADLIB's arrangement for the New York panorama. And that task was finished before he even initially set foot in London to arrange for Mangrove Steel orchestra. What the future holds? As this year's Labour Day Carnival reached its climax, André was heading off to school, to begin his first year of college at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He follows in the footsteps of the Thwaites brothers-Sherwin, Shawn and now Sheldon-in attending Berklee, and will also have as company another ace New York all-round musician-Iman Pascall-who has been accepted to Berkeley in her third year of college. Back in 2006, and even prior, When Steel Talks has been consistent in drawing attention to young André White as a music talent to watch, and predicted great things for him and ADLIB. The future of pan is indeed in very good-and young-hands, quite literally. -courtesy When Steel Talks
In a presentation at a symposium recently on the subject 'Expressions of the mind: Philosophy and the Making of the Caribbean Nation', Nettleford, a Jamaican, quoted Cuban scholar Antonio Benitez Rojos as saying that "Caribbeanness is a system full of noise and opacity, a nonlinear and unpredictable system. In short a chaotic system beyond the total reach of any specific kind of knowledge or interpretation of the world." However, the Caribbean's diversity is also a matter of the mind, which cultivates the spaces that remain invalid, that is beyond the reach of oppression and oppressor. "That very mind also constructs for the intellect and the imagination, a bastion of discreet identities as well as quarries of very invaluable raw  material that can
be used to build the bridges across cultural boundaries,"
Nettleford said. He added that in moments of irrational self-assertion,
this could implode into the sort of xenophobia and myriad related
obscenities, which caused the United Nations to mount a world
conference, albeit controversial as it turned out, on the topic
in September 2001, in Durban."Carifesta in asserting our Caribbeanness is intended to challenge such obscenities," he said. He noted that in the Caribbean so-called great traditions stand side by side and interact with the little traditions. In this regard a folk song, a contemporary reggae tune or calypso could be classical, contemporary modern and ethnic all at the same time. He gave as examples Bob Marley's "Redemption Songs", Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross", Peter Tosh's "Jah is my Keeper", the Mighty Sparrow's "Jean and Dinah" or "Congo Man", Lord Kitchener's "Sugar Boom Boom", Black Stallion's "Caribbean" and David Rudder's "High Mas" as classics in their genres. Creole languages Creole languages of the Caribbean are considered languages in their own right, he said, noting that Jamaica boasts a dictionary of Creole from Cambridge University Press and Papiamento is used along with formal Dutch for instruction in Curacao. Creole is the language used for news broadcast sometimes in territories where the French once settled. These languages still have cultural influence. He also cited the poetry of St Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott; Aime Cesaire of Martinique; Suriname's poet, the late Martin Dobru; and Nicholas Guillen whose poetry sings with the voice of Cuban Spanish and not Castillian. He said the distinct Caribbean culture also comes across in the lyrics of the calypsonians, the rhyming quatrains of folklorist and poet Louise Bennett, or, of the story-telling humour of Paul Keans Douglas. These languages, which he described as "the vehicles of resistance, as ritual or history and humour," serve their myriad purposes alongside standard English, academy French, metropolitan Spanish and standard Dutch, which the imperial still consider legitimate means of formal or civilized communication in a Caribbean which is arguably the longest colonized region on planet earth ever since Cristobal Colon, "otherwise known as Columbus, discovered that he was discovered by native Americans of the Caribbean in 1492." He said that as with language so too is religion in the Caribbean cultural life. Religion, he said, "is an expression of the biblical reminder that in God's house there are many mansions." Religion He said it was possible for a Caribbean citizen to be baptized as a Roman Catholic, an Anglican, a Methodist or a Presbyterian and still find grace and comfort in santeria, voodoo, pocomania, obeah, revivalism, cumina, shango, cumfa or any other native born or religious expression, in ways that are alien to other cultures. "You choose your different means to survive," he said adding that Hinduism, Islam, Orisha worship and new age spiritualism are all legitimate religions today in what was once an exclusive outpost of Christendom. He noted, too that in the Caribbean it is possible for an Indian with indentured labour antecedents to be born into a Hindu family, educated in a Christian school, usually Presbyterian, or Roman Catholic school and later get married to a Muslim. "Such cultural confusion does not necessarily result in schizophrenia which frequently serves as a source for creative living," he said as this Caribbean reality was within the reach of most ordinary beings in the region and accounted for the region's textured diversity. He said that this phenomenon or philosophy "may well be deeply culturally determined by the historical and existential experiences of the life of contradictions, paradoxes and dialectical relationships and one dominated by centuries of formal rules of engagement not one of one's own making." The magical also co-existed with the scientific and he said it was a small wonder that to many Caribbean people "science means higher science, rooted in the notion of the supernatural and extra-sensory as much as in empirical experience as say in the practice of traditional medicine based on the dialogue with nature's plants, nature's springs and the fertile soil." Nettleford said he felt Carifesta was meant to reflect this reality or philosophy but it did not mean "chronic disorder." However, he said, cynics would be quick to find in it reason for periodical displace of political mismanagement and as licence for lawlessness under the guise of freedom and human rights and the incidents of military coups, but there were regulative principles which underlay all of the experiences. These regulative principles happily give cause to repetition and ritual evident in Caribbean arts and cultural expressions, he said, stating that these in turn give to the peoples of the region a sense of place even when they operate on the margin and find cause to question the principles. The pre-Lenten carnival is but one dominant paradox in the "festival art" in contemporary Caribbean life. "It is used for conventional means of release, recreation and celebration alongside the attraction for tourists whose US dollar or Euro is vital to the Caribbean economic survival in these globalised times," he said. He said that many, including himself, believe that the region's textured diversity was also evident in carnival - pre-Lenten in origin and arguably the most definitive of festival arts nurtured throughout the plantations in the Americas from Havana, Port au France through Port of Spain to Rio De Janeiro, as well as, all of the eastern Caribbean and New Orleans thrown in between. He said he believed it was the prime socio-cultural practice that best expresses the strategies that the people of the Caribbean have for speaking at once about themselves and with the world, history, tradition, nature and even with God. Carnival This he also feels this was the basis for the philosophy of the Caribbean self and to which that Caribbean persona, individual and collective must relate and which Carifestas were meant to mirror. He said the Caribbean Diaspora was itself a preserve of this cultural phenomenon and so Brooklyn, New York, Boston and Miami, Toronto, Nottinghill in London and Rotterdam have becomes centres of the Caribbean carnival. "Yet in the diaspora, West Indians battle for space and the preservation of a Caribbean identity among migrants who reside in hostile host communities which are struggling to save themselves from contaminants deemed alien to their hallowed homogenous selves." Back in the Caribbean, he said, other festival arts exist as part of that same process of self-discovery and the creation of a unifying space that bridges gaps within a society produced by centuries of differentials based on place of origin, skin colour, class, gender and the more modern differentials of political affiliation and sexual orientation. So there is the more recent crop over festival art drawing on the historical experience of the sugar cane slavery in Barbados, which has revived and developed a time one celebration into a major contemporary calendar event of national observance. He said 'Hosay' serves to bring into the loop of Caribbean cultural life the Indians who entered Caribbean society, after the abolition of slavery, as indentured labourers. He noted that they were fully equipped with a cultural memory of Mohamedism and Hinduism, and the cross-fertilization process continued while the paradoxes of new encounters increased, deepening the already enriched mixture even while tensions played with social and political relations. In Jamaica, the Afro-West Indians often do the drumming while the Indo-West Indians do the dancing. To an extent this applies in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. He said that the Indian spirit in the Jamaican pocomania speaks to the early integration of Asian indentured labour into ex-slaves syncretized religious rituals which are themselves products of cross-fertilization. Festivals There are of other festivals, equivalent to the pre-Lenten carnival, which are rooted in the encounter of Africa and Europe and others on foreign soil in the Americas. This includes the Masquerade in the Leeward Islands, Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas under the name Junkanoo and in Bermuda as 'gumbay', as well as in Cuba and Haiti. They all represent the essence of cultural life and the indiscriminate fusion of European musical classical, as well as, instruments of the most varied origins, which produce a new music. The textured diversity of Caribbean culture, he said, was arguably the most significant clue to understanding the dynamism and energy that characterises life in this region. He noted that it stretches geographically from the Bahamas across the Greater Antilles proceeding for over 1,000 miles southwards along an archipelago comprising the Leeward and Windward Islands with Barbados to the east then south to Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherland Antilles lying north west of Venezuela and Colombia "which they insist is a Caribbean coastline". The Guianas on the South American mainland regard themselves as Caribbean as would much of north-east Brazil for definitively cultural reasons. He said the Caribbean features in the great dramas of the Americas where new societies are shaped new sense and sensibilities are honed and appropriate designs for social living are crafted through the cross fertilization of distant elements. This process has resulted in a distinguishable and distinctive entity called Caribbean through an intensely cultural process. This was the result of an encounter of Africa and Europe on foreign soil with the native indigenous Americans and still later, arrivals from India and China and subsequently the Middle East. They have resulted in a culture of texture and diversity held together by a dynamic creativity, described as "creative chaos", "stable disequilibrium", or "cultural pluralism." Diversity He said an apt description of the typical Caribbean person was "part African, part European, part Asian, part Native American but totally Caribbean." The creative diversity, he said, was what defined Caribbean life, and what the Francophone, Spanish-speaking, Dutch-speaking Caribbean, the British Overseas Territories, the US Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, have in common despite the differences in languages they use and the political systems. They perceive themselves to have in common a full grasp of the power of cultural action affording their inhabitants a sense of place and purpose. Martinique and Guadeloupe, Curacao and St Maarten, Cuba and Santo Domingo, along with Haiti and Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands as well as the British colonies of the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands identify culturally with the independent nations from the Bahamas and Belize to Trinidad and Tobago. Because of its diversity, he said the Caribbean has the capacity to build bridges not only among classes and races of people from countries across the region but also between continents of the world which are represented in the Caribbean through centuries of voluntary and involuntary migration which is now continued via tourism, commercial transaction, and professional contacts. The Caribbean has struggled for over five centuries with mastering the management of the complexity of such diversity, he posited.
This year, the TTFF will screen more than 60 films for two weeks at MovieTowne in Port-of-Spain, and selected films will also travel to the Vistabella Regional Complex in San Fernando, to UWI in St. Augustine, and also to Fairfield Complex in Tobago. The deal is described as the largest sponsorship deal Flow has signed to date. Rhea Yaw Ching, Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications at Flow sees the natural synergy between the festival, that has become the main event for the screening of new locally-made productions, and Flow as a broadcaster of local content. Executive Director of TTFF 2008, Marina Salandy-Brown, says "with this new sponsorship we have been able to double the length of the festival and show 75 percent more films than in previous years." One of the important developments arising out of the TTFF/Flow sponsorship agreement is the possibility for film fans to see their favourite festival films again on Flow through the Pay-Per-View (PPV) system. During the month of October, viewers will be given the option to pay a small sum to see an array of regional films on a scale never before seen by a local community. For the film makers, this is an important new departure since 100 percent of all revenues during the fist two weeks of PPV will be given directly back to film makers. "All film makers know how difficult it is to get money for your films so this is an enormous bonus for the producers and directors of this year's festival screenings, and also from 2007 and 2006", says Marina Salandy-Brown. From September 18-30 there are five daily screenings at MovieTowne with a host of film directors, prize-wining industry professionals and panellists from the region and North America taking part in Question and Answer sessions, workshops and panels, and Isaac Julien, the highly esteemed British director will be in attendance at Studio Film Club, Laventille.
At about 9pm, when the MC announced that Mavado would grace the stage at Roy Wilkins Park, this signaled that the 1 year hiatus had finally been over. It was now up to Mavado to deliver for his fans stateside. Flags waved and flashing lighters greeted the gangster from Jamaica's Cassava Piece community as he made his way on stage and he immediately launched into his catalog of hit songs including "Gully Side", "Gangster For Life" and "On The Go (Faster Than Bullet). While his hard core fans would say he was awesome, overall his performance lacked the showmanship that would set him apart from his peers. It was probably the 'bag a long talking' that took the edge off his set. He clearly has the crowd appeal and the hit songs to boot. He just needs to work on his on stage presentation to make his set more effective.  The Doctor who was coming of an impressive European tour pranced on stage and immediately had the crowd in a tissy as he went through his catalogue of hits songs. The crowd lapped up ever word he said for the duration of his set. Elephant Man, who came dressed in a USA and Jamaica Flag charmed his way into the hearts of dancehall lovers with tracks like "Gully Greppa," "Signal The Plane" and the popular "Nuh Linga" which he dedicated to Olympic Superstar Usain 'Lighting" Bolt. The top performer of the day however belonged to 'sweet, sweet' Cocoa Tea who reeked havoc as he glided through his catalog of hits songs including "Rocking Dolly," "Riker's Island," "I Lost My Sonia," "Good Life" and more. He captivated the crowd with every track he delivered including 'Obama' - dedicated to Illinois Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate, Barack Obama - which brought thunders applauds from the young, middle age and the elders in the park. Sizzla kept the vibes flowing with "Black Woman and Child," "Taking Over" and "Rise Too The Occasion," while King Yellowman, proved he can still command the stage, delivering classic hits like "I'm Getting Married in the Morning," "Nobody Move," "Nobody Get Hurt," "Zungu Zungu Zeng" and "Mad Over Me that left fans in a frenzy. New singing sensation Tarrus Riley was another top performer, engaging the crowd with John Legend's, "Stay With You," and song of the year "She's Royal" that brought the crowd to its feet. Impressive performances were also delivered by Hero, who charmed the crowd with "The Prayer." Konshens, was on point, RDX, DeMarco, Noddy Virtue, Dwayne Stephens and Soca Queen Alison Alison all left fans begging for more. Canadian Reggae singer Tanya Mullings charmed her new fans with her talent and suave and based on her performance at Jamboree, was able to secure at least two upcoming gigs. New York based reggae singer Elvis D had fans rocking and grooving with his big hit Party Time that has been burning up the airwaves all summer. Ragga Lox, Benny Bwoy and Empire Isis all had their moments in the spotlight. The event, dedicated to Caribbean athletes in the recent Beijing Olympics, climaxed with a video presentation that recreated the Beijing experience of the world record runs by Usain Bolt, Shelly Ann Frazier and Melaine Walker. In attendance and representing our athletes were Aleen Bailey, Chelsea Hammond and Bert Cameron. Other celebrity guests who attended the event were Congress Woman Yvette Clarke and her mother the Hon. Una Clarke; dj Capleton; former West Indies cricketer Courtney Walsh; Kerri-Ann Wright, Miss Jamaica/USA 2008; Val Cuffe and Sobers Esprit, executives of the Dominica Festival Commission who travelled all the way from Dominica to attend the event. Much respect to Richie B from Hot 102 FM in Jamaica, Robba Ranx from BBC 1 Xtra from out of London, England; Mikey B from WAVZ 1170 AM Florida, Marlon Davis from Digicel, Carrie Mullings, Sir B, from CHRY, 105.5FM in Toronto, Lexy Brooks, VIP Entertainment Connected and the many, many other guests in the house. With the successful staging of Irie Jamboree 2008 behind them, the organizers have already started plans for Irie Jamboree 2009. What can they do to top 2008? No one is sure what will be done however word on the street is that the event will moving to a new, more secure venue that can accommodate the large crowd expected in 2009.
Bahamas Bond film Casino Royale sees Daniel Craig playing poker in the One&Only Ocean Club , on Paradise Island. The hotel's lobby was transformed for the poker-playing scenes and some staff had walk-on parts. St Vincent and the Grenadines This archipelago of 32 tiny tropical islands and cays provided the setting for many scenes in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. From the private island resort of Palm Island it's possible to sail around the Grenadines aboard a 60ft schooner, as seen in the film. Visitors to Young Island can take a boat around the coast of St Vincent to see where Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) made his entrance in the first of the three films. Book trips to Young Island with Caribtours (020 7751 0660). Many scenes were also shot in Dominica, including much of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest . The Dominican Republic As Americans are restricted from visiting Cuba, many movies that are supposed to be set there are filmed in the neighbouring Spanish Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic. The Cuban scenes from The Godfather: Part II were filmed here in 1974 as was Andy Garcia's 2005 flick, The Lost City , which was based in Havana. Jamaica Film directors have been drawn to Jamaica since the early 1900s, attracted by its beaches, gardens, waterfalls, tropical rainforest and mountains. The island provided the backdrop for Bond films Live and Let Die and Dr No . Author Ian Fleming, who wrote the Bond novels, penned many of them in Goldeneye, his beach house in Jamaica. In Live and Let Die ,Green Grotto near Runaway Bay provides the location for the evil Kananga's underground lair, while Montego Bay provided the setting for the dramatic bus chase. Visitors can check out the original bobsled featured in Cool Runnings , the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team trying to make it to the Winter Olympics, at the Jamaican Bobsled Cafe. Martinique The French island of Martinique was chosen as the seductive hideaway that billionaire Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) flies off to with alluring female investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) in hit film The Thomas Crown Affair . Love scenes were shot at a beautiful Creole house in Vauclin in the south of the island, while the historic city of Saint-Pierre, nestled beneath the Mount Pelee volcano, was the setting for other parts of the film.
 Georgetown, Guyana, Sept. 1, 2008:
Last evening, Guyana brought the
curtains down on Carifesta X with a grand finale pageantry of
the numerous delegations that have been celebrating the Festival
of Arts over the past ten days. The Caribbean's diversity was truly highlighted with a spectacular splash of colour, culture and pride at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday. In what was touted as a ceremony that upstaged the opening of the event, there were performances from 29 participating countries. However, the highlight of the evening was when President Bharrat Jagdeo declared that Guyana has done a great service to regionalism through the festival, and that "we have breathed new life into Carifesta." The thousands waved flags in the air as President Jagdeo emphasized that, "There is a firm diversity within the region, and this event is a uniting force for the people of the Caribbean. "In hosting this festival, we trained many persons in a wide array of disciplineswe gave our artistes the priceless opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best in the region." He added that the country provided special participation for its young people and the public, who welcomed the festival with 'laudable dignity and our unmatched hospitality.' As Guyanese look back at the festival, the Head of State said, they will each have their own special memories, which everyone can cherish forever. "Carifesta X has provided us with a deeper understanding of the arts and the necessity of placing its development high on the agenda of nation buildingWe will now return to the more mundane task of creating a better life for our people," President Jagdeo said. "Carifesta X has demonstrated that, by working together, the country can do 'fantastic' things in Guyana," he added. "There are not many places in the world," he added, that have the great honour and opportunities which Carifesta X have presented to Guyana. "As a nation we rose to the occasionwe did ourselves proud, we created a Carifesta to rememberthe biggest Carifesta ever." According to the secretariat, more than half a million persons attended events held across Guyana over the past 10 days, President Jagdeo declared. As the Bahamas accepted the Carifesta Scroll from Guyana's Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony, there was a grand display of aspects of that country's carnival, which is popularly known as 'Junkanoo.' In accepting the scroll, Bahamas Minister of State for Culture, Charles Maynard, said that his country is highly indebted to Guyana for hosting the event. He explained that while the Bahamas had accepted the mantle to host the event, there were unforeseen circumstances that led to the country being unable to fulfill that commitment. "Over the past ten days, we have seen the people of Guyana spare no effort to welcome the people of the Caribbean to its beautiful shoresand we have been given an excellent example of a successful Carifesta," Maynard said. Under the theme, 'One Caribbean, One purpose, Our Culture, Our Life' Guyana hosted Carifesta X successfully, with only some minor glitches. Over the past ten days, the Caribbean's culture, artistes and people were showcased in varying forms. The Festival has returned to Guyana for the second time in 36 years, the first being in 1972, when Carifesta was born. Activities including culinary, visual, literary and performing arts, community festivals, grand cultural markets, child/youth fora, symposia and workshops, as well as four super concerts, were among the many events that took place. (Tusika Martin) |
