IslandScene Magazine

Islandscene A Publication for The Islands of The Bahamas

Nov. - Dec. 2010

News Lines

What’s up and what’s going down in the Islands of The Bahamas

Bahamas Beat

The rhythm of the night

Island Flavour

Exploring Culinary Treasures

A Good Read Book Reviews

Local Colour

A taste of Bahamian Culture

Uniquely Bahamian Celebrates the artistry of our people

Doing Business

Reforming The Business Environment

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n August 3rd, 1492, Christopher Columbus and crew, seeking new markets, left home and took a wrong turn. Seventy days later and thousands of miles off course, they discovered The Islands of The Bahamas.

Today, Bahamas-based businesses seeking to penetrate new markets needn’t worry about taking wrong turns. Island Scene on-line, The Bahamas’ most comprehensive and informative web magazine has it all, literally, just a click away.

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contents

Islandscene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 Issue

4.

6.

9.

15.

17.

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37.

45.

About This Issue Welcome Aboard Uniquely Bahamian Joseph Spence, Bahamian Icon by Samuel Charters.

Bahamas Beat Features Bahamian Recording Artists TADA & Julien Thompson.

News Lines Prime Minister Ingraham selected to chair IMF/World Bank Boards.

Island Flavour Ida’s Natural Medicines by Gina Morley.

The National Art Gallery The Bahamas’ Best Kept Secret. by Gina Morley.

The Historic Bahamas The History & Traditions of The Bahamas.

A Good Read Introducing Bert Williams By Camille Forbes.

In His Own Words The Comic Side of Trouble /An Essay by Bert Williams.

Doing Business in The Bahamas Reforming The Country’s Business Environment / Bahamas WTO in Accession Talks. By Bahamas Information Services.

2 IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010

Islandscene We’re looking for people who love to write.

Island Scene magazine is published quarterly by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd. P.O. Box CB-12957, Nassau, Bahamas.

Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242-326-2020. www.islandscenemagazine.com. and Email: islandscenemagazine@gmail.com

Publisher & Editor-In-Chief Aaron H. Knowles, Jr.

Features Editor Stephanie Toote

Business Editor Berencia Isaacs

Art Director

Islandscene is seeking contributing writers

Aaron H. Knowles, Jr.

Picture Editor Antoine Ferrier

Research You’re invited by the Editors to submit your manuscripts for possible publication and to accept occasional writing assignments on topics listed in our writer’s guidelines below: Writer’s Guidelines: Interesting and provocative articles on: Domestic and Foreign Travel, Business, Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Culture, The Arts, Music, Theatre, Entertainment, Film, Food, Dance, Festivals, Sports, General Human Interest stories, Fiction, Book Reviews, Personalities, History, Government, Current Affairs, Politics, Law, Religion, Family Life, Health, Fashion.

Articles, should be lively to a degree of sophistication and should air for literary excellence. Domestic travel and business features must have a specific story angle. First person approach is generally unacceptable. We are not opposed to controversial articles. We seek stories on relevant contemporary themes, but wish to explore all angles in controversies.

For additional information and rates please contact us through:

The Editor Islandscene Magazine P.O. Box CB 12957, Nassau, Bahamas - Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242.326-2020 Email:islandscenemagazine@gmail.com /www.islandscenemagazine.com

Irwin McSweeney Ashley Knowles

Contributors Gina P. Morley David Forbes Samuel Charters Bahamas Information Services

Circulation Kevin A. Knowles

All rights reserved. Contents copyrighted, 2010 by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher. Unless mutually specified all letters addressed to Island Scene, its Publishers and Editors are assumed intended for publication. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information and the Publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions that may occur. No responsibility accepted for unsolicited material.

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 3

about thisISSUE

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elcome back to the pages of Island Scene. In this issue we bring to you Bahamian icons, Joseph Spence (page 9) and Egbert (Bert) Williams (page 34) both of whom achieved world acclaim and left a huge body of work in the recording industry and the performing arts. Spence was a highly regarded guitarist, some say “genius” as a result of his exuberant, spontaneous and uninhibited guitar playing and Williams was nothing less than “The Greatest Comedian on the American stage.”

In the Preface to her book, “Introducing Bert Williams”, Camille Forbes wrote “Black Bahamian comedian Bert A. Williams (1874-1922) captivated American audiences for more than a quarter century in a career than spanned from ca. 1890 to the end of his life. His dynamic stage presence and skill as a storyteller, pantomime, and songster astounded black and white audiences alike...”

On page 15 Bahamas Beat introduces two talented and ambitious contemporary recording artists and songwriters Julien and TADA. Doing Business in The Bahamas (page 46) highlights the landmark series of legislative initiatives undertaken by the Ingraham Administration to reform the Bahamas’ business environment.

The National Art Gallery (page 22) The Bahamas’ best kept secret, written by Gina Morley, examines whether the NAGB is fulfilling its mandate and imperative. According to Erica James, NAGB’s Curator, it is. Bahamian thespian, poet and scholar, Obediah Michael says something’s missing.

The Historic Bahamas (page 26) revisits the country’s history and sites. Once the exclusive playground of the rich and famous, the Islands of The Bahamas now offer an array of affordable vacation experiences. While most visitors come for our magnificent beaches, warm sunshine, crystal waters and warm friendly people, increasing numbers come for cultural experiences and to visit our numerous historic sites. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Aaron H. Knowles, Jr. Publisher / Editor-In-Chief 4 IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010

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welcomeABOARD

very year, millions of individuals find it necessary to travel to The Bahamas or within the country to visit friends or relatives, conduct business transactions or take that dream vacation.

For many of these travelers, this experience begins with Bahamasair, our national airline, where customer care is personal. From reservations to baggage collection, we

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are driven by a personal desire to do everything to make Bahamasair your preferred airline.

Bahamasair places steadfast focus on employee development and customer care. In this regard, we are committed to ensuring as far as possible that we consistently deliver an enjoyable travel experience at a competitive rate from Florida in the southern USA to Inagua in the southern Bahamas. If however, at any time you feel that as a customer, we have fallen short of our goal, we encourage you to take advantage of our customer feedback programme. We also invite your specific ideas for product improvement or commendation when a Bahamasair representative goes beyond the call of duty.

We thank you for choosing Bahamasair, and we look forward to serving you today and in the future. Welcome aboard!

Sincerely, The. Hon. Neko C. Grant I, J.P., M.P. Minister of Public Works & Transport

6 IslandScene / Nov.- Dec. 2010

uniquelyBAHAMIAN

Joseph

Spence

by Samuel Charters

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hen you go out into a new part of the world with a tape recorder to look for music you always dream that someday you might find a new performer who will be so unique and so exciting that their music will have an effect on anybody who hears it. One of the few times it ever happened to me was in our first few weeks in the Fresh Creek Settlement on Andros. We went out one day about noon to walk from the small house we’d rented to the headland close to the mouth of the creek. Some men were working on the foundation of a new house, and as we came close to them we could hear guitar music. It was some of the most exuberant, spontaneous, and uninhibited guitar playing we had ever heard, but all we could see was a man in a faded shirt and rumpled khaki trousers sitting on a pile of bricks. He had a large acoustic guitar in his lap. I was so sure two guitarists were playing that I went along the path to look on the other side of the wall to see where the other musician was sitting. We had just met Joseph Spence.

As I wrote the first time I tried to describe the experience of hearing him play, .. .1 had never heard anything like Spence. His playing was stunning. He was playing simple popular melodies, and using them as the basis for extended rhythmic and melodic variations. He often seemed to be improvising in the bass, the middle strings and the treble at the same time. Sometimes a variation would strike the men and Spence himself as so exciting that he would simply stop playing and join them in the shouts of excitement. One of the men sent for a bottle of rum, and the others drifted back to work.

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 9

uniquelyBAHAMIAN

hen I came to Andros with Ann Danberg in the summer of 1958 the island still was isolated and almost empty. Less than nine hundred people lived in small fishing settlements scattered along the almost three hundred miles of the island’s east coast.

The center of the island was a mosquito ridden swamp, and the west coast - facing Florida across the dangerous currents of the Gulf Stream - was a stretch of mud flats that made it almost impossible for boats to land. In some of the settlements we were told that people from Europe and the

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dinghies, passing the tape recorder and our bags down to each other. At some of the settlements the sloops simply grounded on the soft sand and we jumped into the water. I held the recording equipment over my head as we waded in to the beach.

The island was desperately poor. A thriving sponge fishing industry had been wiped out by a disease that attacked the sponges in 1938, and the few attempts to start some kind of farming or industry on the island had failed with such discouraging regularity that most of the natives felt that Andros was haunted. There were strong local traditions

United States were beginning to buy land along the beaches, but in our months there the only whites we saw were on the large sailing vessels that sometimes tied up at the dock at Fresh Creek. To us it seemed like we had stepped back into a place that had become lost in time.

We traveled from one settlement to another on the small, handmade fishing sloops, and from the sun-bleached decks of the sloops the coastline was a ragged, littered shore of empty, blindingly white beaches and brush covered headlands. Usually we could see sails of other sloops edging along the coast and we would pull close enough to hail each other across the slack currents. Few of the settlements had any kind of wharves or piers for the boats to tie up. Sometimes we climbed from the worn decks into even smaller handmade

describing the spirits who lived in the center of the island, and after a frightening night when we were trapped on the beaches between two settlements we decided the traditions could have some basis in reality. e had come to Andros to look for traditional Bahamian folk music. Most of the music of Nassau and the other islands had been influenced by tourism and the calypso music of Trinidad that had become widely popular, but in the collection of the Music Library at the University of California in Berkeley I had found a small lOinch 78 rpm record of songs that Alan Lomax had recorded in The Bahamas in the 1930s. The songs were different from anything I had ever heard, and the notes to the record said

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uniquelyBAHAMIAN

that the older Bahamian music was to be found on Andros.

Even in the earlier period Andros had been one of the least visited islands of The Bahamas. Not only was the island too swampy for any kind of extensive farming, it was arduous sailing into the prevailing winds to get there, and the native boats were often helpless in the winds and currents. ost of the young men on Andros played the guitar, and often they carried their instruments with them when they walked through the settlements at night. Sometimes we heard the women arguing about which

popular island folk song to warm up and tune the guitar, then without stopping to do much more than laugh and joke with the women between the pieces he recorded the instrumental solos that became the first Folkways LP, and then one side of a subsequent Folkways release.

There was some discussion between him and the women about his singing. He growled occasional words and phrases of the piece he was playing, as much to help him keep track of where he was as it was to actually “sing” something. He tried to explain to one of the women that he couldn’t sing, “you can’t sing?” she scoffed, “You got a mouth to talk!”

guitarist was the best they’d heard. No one mentioned Spence because he didn’t come from Fresh Creek, and he lived in Nassau, where he worked as a stone mason. He’d come to Fresh Creek to see some friends, and while he was waiting for them to break off their work so they could eat lunch he was playing the guitar to hurry the work along. When we asked the women later about Spence it seemed that of course they all knew about him, but he was so much better than anyone else that they couldn’t talk about him the same way.

When he finished the bottle of rum, Spence walked over to our little house, gathering most of the people in the settlement that afternoon along behind him.

Since the house was too small for everyone to hear him play we did the recording on the porch. He did a version of a

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hen he’d played as much as he wanted we paid him the little money we had and he walked off with the people who’d come to hear him and for the rest of the afternoon he sat in the shade playing “Bahama Checkers” which involves a lot of shouting, a loud slamming of checkers, and usually a supply of rum to keep everything going. We could hear him shouting to friends and laughing until the men he’d come to see finally got through working.

For the rest of the summer the tapes we had done with Spence simplified the collecting we were doing. When the young men came to us with their guitars we played them a little of Spence, and if they still wanted to play for us after they’d heard him then we listened. Also people knew more

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 11

uniquelyBAHAMIAN

of what we wanted to find, and they talked to us about other musicians. t was at Fresh Creek that we were first told about the legendary singer Frederick McQueen, and a few weeks later we found him in the Lisbon Creek settlement on the southern half of the island.

When we got back to New York with the tapes I decided that Spence’s music was so exciting that I wouldn’t include it in the collections of traditional Bahamian music that I wanted to present to Moses Asch at Folkways. I would do a separate Spence album. I wasn’t certain, however, that Moe

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the Village Folklore Center. This was as close to the center of the new folk music scene as it was possible to get, and I played the Spence tapes for anyone who came by. It was just at the moment when everyone was trying to learn how to finger pick the guitar, and Spence was a revelation.

Two or three years after the album came out Pete Seeger called and asked how he could get in touch with Spence so he could bring him up for the Newport Festival Foundation.

It seemed like Spence was about to break through to a larger popularity. But he didn’t become a major figure in the folk music revival. Instead it was musicians like Reverend Gary

Dirt road leading to Souza’s farm at Love Hill.

would be interested in doing a whole LP with an unknown Bahamian folk guitarist, so I only used six of the pieces Spence had recorded so Moe could release the album as a lower-priced ten inch LP. To further tempt him we sold Folkways the three albums of music we had collected for $50 apiece - $150 for the whole summer’s work, and for all it had cost us to get from New York to Andros and then live and travel while we were there.

In a few weeks it was clear that there was going to be a lot of excitement over Joseph Spence. I was living in the Village in a sculptor’s loft, and I was playing a lot of music with people like Dave Van Ronk and anyone else who dropped by the loft. Later in the winter I moved in with Dave in the tenement where he was living on MacDougal Street, above

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Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Lightning Hopkins, Robert Pete Williams, and Skip James who became the names people associated with all the excitement. pence continued to be idolized by guitar players and the first album continued to sell steadily. Many guitarists tried to imitate what he’d recorded that afternoon on our porch, but it turned out to be almost impossible to get beyond the mechanics of his style into the freely rhythmed exuberance of his individual pieces.

In 1964 I was asked by the Newport Foundation to travel with Spence and two Bahamian singers for a tour through New York and Boston, and I could see immediately why Spence would have difficulty becoming a part of the new scene.

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uniquelyBAHAMIAN

ith him when he arrived were two women family members who were deeply religious.

With them, he didn’t drink, he didn’t laugh much, and he mostly performed religious music. They also thought he should sing the hymns, and to help him they sang along. Instead of the loose, exuberant guitar player I’d seen on Andros, here was an intimidated and often uncertain gospel musician who didn’t know what anyone expected of him.

Also, when I’d recorded him in 1958 he’d been unemployed for a few months and he’d been playing nearly

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Spence’s music released from time to time over the next thirty years, it is these performances from 1958 that are the Spence I remember. These recordings appeared on Music of the Bahamas, Vol.1; Bahamian Folk Guitar FS3844 and Bahamian Ballads and Rhyming Spirituals, FS 3847.

When Spence recorded for us in 1958 he was in his late forties - he was born in Small Hope on August 3, 1910 - and he told a young Swiss enthusiast named Guy Droussart that he’d been playing the guitar for dances since he was fourteen.

When we met him he’d been living in Nassau for more than thirty years. There was even a period of two years in the

every day for friends in his own settlement of Small Hope, a few miles north of Fresh Creek.

His work in Nassau as a stone mason was hard on his hands, and he didn’t have much time to practice. It was exciting to see him again and occasionally there were moments of guitar playing that had some of the uniqueness of his playing four years before, but I spent most of the time when we were driving from city to city singing with the “rhymer” and the bass singer who had come from the Bahamas with Spence. I did some recording with him in a Village apartment, but of all the things I recorded on the tour the most vivid was a rhyming version of “It’s A Long Way to Tipperary” performed by the two singers.

For me, even though there were other albums with

1940s when he and his wife Louise worked in the southern United States doing migrant farm work. With the money they made they were able to return to Nassau in 1946 and he built a small stone house where they lived for the rest of their lives. fter the Folkways release he was visited by a number of other musicians, among them Ray Cooder and Taj Mahal, and there were occasional trips to the United States. He also recorded with his sister and friends. In his later years he worked as a night watchman, and he died in Nassau in 1984 at the age of 73.

Spence’s repertoire reflected his many years as a musician. One of his best pieces was a version of the American World War II popular song Coming In On A Wing and A

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IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010

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uniquelyBAHAMIAN

Prayer. He managed to growl part of the lyrics on every chorus - “There is one motor gone, but we’ll still carry on, coming in on a wing and a prayer” - but the excitement was in his improvisation. ften the approach had some of the techniques of jazz improvisation. One chorus would embellish the melody with chord material in the treble strings, then the next chorus would be in the middle of the guitar, with a distinct melodic variation played in a legato phrasing and set against the basic duple rhythm in

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down a whole tone to 0 - which gave them some possibilities to use more open strings as they played, but Spence used every string of the guitar in ways most of us hadn’t even considered before.

For several years he had entertained on the Nassau docks, sometimes accompanying singers like Frederick McQueen, but usually he was by himself. The folk songs he recorded, Brownskin Gal, Jump In The Line, and Bimini Gal, probably come from this period, although he could have been performing them when he was still a teenager. He played them as over-and-over dance melodies, and since the most important thing about them was to keep them danceable he did less of the more complex variations.

Guy Droussart found two shape-note hymnals from Tennessee in Spence’s house, and many of the hymns and anthems sung in the Bahamas today were included. Spence’s performances of pieces like Face To Face That I Shall Know Him have many of the characteristics of shape-note singing, including contrapuntal melodies and strongly outlined bass note harmonies. At the same time he slyly embellished the melodies and harmonies with his own more complex rhythmic patterns. ike many musicians whose playing is uniquely individual, Spence also felt himself as part of a long tradition of Bahamian folk music. He was one of the rare musicians whose own abilities are so unusual that they in turn reshape the tradition from which they’ve come. It isn’t possible to think of Bahamian music and finger picked acoustic guitar music - without thinking of Spence - there is no one like him. There isn’t much more a musician can accomplish than this, but Spence, with his friendly laugh and his characteristic shake of the head when he was praised, certainly wouldn’t think he’d done even that much.

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a three beat pattern. This was a common jazz technique from the 1930s, but it wasn’t used by many folk guitarists.

At the same time that he was extending the rhythmic possibilities of the melody he kept the music solidly in place with the noisy tapping of his foot, the steady bass pattern that he played with his thumb, and the growling bits of the melody that he sang through clenched teeth, since most of the time he kept his pipe in his mouth. All of this was performed at a headlong rush, and there was no way he could have thought out what he was going to play before he was playing it. Most of the Bahamian guitarists kept their instruments in a “0” tuning - with the low E string tuned

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Credits: Written by Samuel Charters, an American music historian, writer, record producer, musician and poet. He is a noted and widely published author on the subject of blues and jazz music, as well as a writer of fiction. He is married to Beat Generation scholar Ann Charters. The couple now resides in Sweden. Photographs: All photographs provided courtesy of Guy Droussart. To purchase the music of Joseph and for catalogs telephone the Smithsonian at: 202-287-3262.

bahamasBEAT

compulsion to do music. “Every time you walked past or heard Julien in the distance he was singing,” his mother says. “I couldn’t understand it, Julien absolutely has to sing!” y the age of 11, Julien was actually selling his own lunch to buy CDs. His favorite artists included Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Joe, Bob Marley, and Ronnie Butler. Not only did he listen to these musicians, he dissected their lyrics and started fashioning his own writing style.

At 12, Julien joined a singing group at his church, and so began his development as an artist. The group became immensely popular around the island and performed as an opening act for local shows and visiting entertainers. Coincidentally, the first major act he opened for was Boyz II Men and was also the first album he ever bought. This led to opening for Sean Paul, Brian McKnight, Destiny’s Child, Joe, Mariah Carey and Babyface, among others.

Julien was equally as popular on the basketball court, a pasttime he shared with his father and older brother. “Julien would walk to my studio from the basketball court, get into the vocal booth, and blow us away with his expressive silky vocals,” Greg White, president of Sounds of Nassau Records,

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“It doesn’t cost a thing to think big” was a quote Julien heard a lot from his father growing up. It was sentiments such as this which inspired Julien to become the person and singer/songwriter he has become. ulien established a belief that he could become anything he set his mind to if he worked hard to accomplish it. Julien was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. Growing up here offered Julien exposures, both a cosmopolitan way of life combined with what is known as traditional island living. Growing up Julien was captivated by many genres of music. The degree of his ambition to become a musician, however, was not always fully understood.

As the son of a policeman and schoolteacher it was often difficult for anyone, even his parents, to understand his

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remembers.

When an opportunity arose for Julien to travel to Oklahoma on a basketball scholarship, he opted to pursue his first love, singing. Julien worked for two years after school and devoted every penny to his music. He assembled a makeshift studio in his room consisting of a G5, two Mackies, a Motif keyboard and a secondhand microphone. There he burned the midnight oil developing his writing and vocal techniques.

Julien saved the rest of his money to travel and record in professional studios. His relentless determination became evident. His daring ambition has opened many doors for him.

He was introduced to Dominic Mcfadden (son of Gene Mcfadden) and his partner Phillip “Phoe Notes” in early 2009.

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010

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bahamasBEAT

Together, they produced Julien’s hit single “Believe.” It is the first single from this collaboration — a tender ballad that warms the heart and tells people that great things are in store for themselves if they just “Believe.” n the surface Julien seems like a very well crafted R&B artist. He has a smooth vocal delivery similar to a young Curtis Mayfield.

Underneath is a singer/songwriter that defies simple classification. His lyrics come from a deep pool of insight. He sees things in a different manner than most young men his age which results in his lyrical content taking the simplest subject matter and infusing it with love, wit, wisdom and an uplifting, inspirational feeling.

Through it all, his island pedigree is very apparent. The more you listen to Julien, the more he will captivate you.

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orn and raised in The Bahamas, TADA comes from a family of talented musicians. She’s the grandniece of Lou Adams a Bahamian who was as widely known in the United States as he was in The Bahamas. It is said that “the fervor and excitement of Lou and his orchestra captivated everyone who listened to him...he embodied the true spirit of The Bahamas...its humour and beauty. His renditions of the standard Bahamian folk songs were unique. His rhythms and interpretations were different from any other orchestra or singer in The Bahamas.” Experience TADA and you’ll come away convinced she inherited her fervor and excitement from Lou. TADA’s earliest memories of her immersion in music began with her father who played a guitar and led songs in 16 IslandScene / Nov .- Dec. 2010

church and later of her own experiences singing in choirs at school and with “Girls off Vision”.

TADA began her solo carrier in 1998 and released her first single “Sanctigroove” in 2000. That same year, her hip-hop song “How Can You Be Serious” won the Grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She was promptly offered a recording contract with FMI Publishing and also appeared in the Source Magazine. She went on to win her second and third Caribbean Gospel Music Award and Marlon Awards for Best Song and Best New Artist of the year 2000.

ADA studied Recording Arts Management at The Harris Institute for the Arts, Toronto, Canada and interned at the A&R Dept. of Clive Davis’ J Records in NYC. She was later awarded two music video grants by Much Music and Videofact in 2002 and 2003. The videos have aired nationally, on Much Music in Canada, and throughout the Caribbean on TEMPO. She has performed on stage with Carl Thomas, BeBe Winans and Bow Wow, and appeared on various shows in Canada and the Caribbean.

“I’ve been working with a lot of talented Bahamian and international producers and for the first time really seeing what’s out there... I’ll also be traveling to the U.S. and Europe where I hope to gain invaluable experience which will in turn allow my dreams to be realized. I’m following my dream to succeed in the global music industry as an artist / songwriter and as a pioneer for the undiscovered talents of other Bahamian artists, songwriters, and producers.”

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newsLINES

Ingraham To Chair IMF/World Bank Boards

By Khyle Quincy Parker /Press AttachĂŠ Embassy of The Bahamas

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon Hubert Ingraham and State Minister for Finance the Hon. Zhivargo Laing are pictured on Friday October 8 at the opening session of the 2010 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings, held in Washington, D.C. His Excellency Ambassador C.A. Smith is also pictured seated at the extreme right in the row behind Prime Minister Ingraham. (Photo by Ryan Rayburn / World Bank)

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rime Minister Hubert Ingraham has been selected to chair the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG).

The announcement was made in Washington at a plenary session of the 2010 Annual Meetings.

As the chair of the 2011 meetings, Mr. Ingraham will be a primary channel of communication between the executives of the institutions and the shareholder countries.

In addition to chairing the Board of Governors, Mr. Ingraham will also chair a standing committee known as the

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 17

newsLINES

Joint Committee on the Remuneration of Executive Directors and their Alternates (JCR). This committee addresses sensitive issues concerning the compensation and benefits of Executive Directors and their Alternates.

Mr. Ingraham will also chair the Joint Procedures Committee (JPR), which is responsible for finalizing the preparations for annual meetings, including matters like setting agenda items and resolutions to be voted on, for example. he chairmanship of the Board of Governors (a group made up of the designated representatives of the shareholder countries) has as its primary function the job of chairing the Annual Meeting of the Fund and Bank Group. This is especially important because the format of these meetings is evolving. For example, this year for the first time, with the use of technology, members could access many of the speeches traditionally given at the plenary online if they wished.

The plan, it is understood, is for the plenary to become a more interactive meeting going forward, and Mr. Ingraham’s chairmanship comes at a critical time in the evolution of those meetings.

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About The Post The chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the IMF and the WBG rotates among the five main regions – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.

According to some of the criteria given weight during the selection process, the new chairman’s country should be in good standing with the Fund and the Bank Group in terms of cooperation, participation and financial relations. The chairman’s country should also be in good standing in the international community, and the person selected to be

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chairman is expected to be widely respected among finance and development officials.

About The Annual Meetings The Annual Meetings opened in Washington on Friday with a plenary session featuring remarks by Annual Meetings Chairman Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga (Segun), IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and World Bank President Robert Zoellick. he Annual Meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

This year, the Annual Meetings occurred ahead of the meetings of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, the Development Committee, the Group of Ten, the Group of Twenty-Four, and various other groups of members. At the conclusion of their meetings, the International Monetary and Financial Committee and the Development Committee, as well as several other groups, issue communiques.

At these meetings, the Board of Governors make decisions on how current international monetary issues should be addressed and approve corresponding resolutions. The Annual Meetings are chaired by a Governor of the Bank and the Fund, with the chairmanship rotating among the membership each year. Every two years it elects Executive Directors. Each year any new members are welcomed into the Bank and Fund.

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islandFLAVOUR

Ida’s Natural Medicines

by Gina P. Morley

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or most people, 70 marks the daughter Ingrid’s house and she had end of a life cycle. Not so for this guava tree in the yard that was Ida Thompson Rose. Last loaded, guavas were everywhere – th June 26 , that heralded her I did not want to see this wastage; I decided to reap before they dropped nascence. again; I made guava nectar and You’ve probably seen her walked around selling this and a somewhere already – at the Farmers pepper sauce that I had made from Market or the Bahamas National the peppers that grew in my Trust’s retreat. backyard, then I added Lemon Grass The diminutive, sassy, ebony that was made from the Fever Grass lady with the various ‘brews.’

I that was abundant on my Seclusion Always pleasant, receptive, aware Farm in the Current, Eleuthera. Next and informed – especially about came the Bush Beer, which I nature’s pharmacy. After all, she st discovered miraculously filled my won 1 place in the Condiment category in the Adult Food Processing Competition (Min.of Haitian helper with energy. It is made from five bushes; strong back, love vine, kamalame, hard back, also called stiff cock Agriculture) for Ida’s Pepper Sauce.

Island Scene caught up with this Bahamian dynamo and and five fingers. It is cleansing, nourishing. This is how these plunged head first into the magical world of nature’s drinks came about – it was to give people a better alternative to the beautiful drinks in the market place that’s no good for pharmacy.

2010 marks Ida Thompson Rose’s seventh year as the you.”

“Are these drinks safe,” I queried, “can diabetics safely owner and brewer of Seclusion Farm’s Best Plant Beverages.

Her signature product is the eponymous Ida’s Bush Beer. drink them? “Of course,” replied Thompson Rose, “they are Says Ida, “It is an energy drink. It’s good for everything. It all safe and everyone can drink them as they are all natural.” he proof of the tasting is in the drinking. Bahamians tastes good and is suitable for men and women, especially and foreigners alike have lapped up these innovations. for all the discomforts and aches of the body. It gives you They are ubiquitous – in practically all of the major natural energy.” health stores and farmers market plied by the entrepreneur Great. So, where did the idea germinate?

According to Thompson Rose, “one day I went up to my and creator. She concurred that to an extent her drinks are

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IslandScene / Oct. - Dec. 2010 19

islandFLAVOUR

representative of the myriad culinary delights we have sequestered in The Bahamas.

“I have a variety of drinks and almost everybody who tastes them loves them. For example, you have Tamarind plant beverage which is high in vitamin B, C, fiber and good for digestion, Lemon Grass/fever grass which is good for acid reflux, nausea, the Noni fruit drink, Gale a Wind - for the cleansing of the colon, citrus blends, for cholesterol and colds.

I’ve just created 2 more, lemon/tamarind beverage and ginger drink, good for a sluggish appetite.” hompson Rose’s heritage spans two islands. Andros and Eleuthera – with Nassau sandwiched between.

As she recalls, “my mother died when I was about two years old. My grandmother took my two brothers and me to Andros and we stayed with her until my daddy remarried and we rejoined him in the Current where he had a farm. He was a man who only cooked what he grew, so that was the early part of my upbringing of eating only natural plant foods.

My mom was a Thompson from the Current and my Dad was a Woodside from Andros. When we went with daddy to the farm there we ate a lot of berries, Darling Plums, Cocoa Plums, Pigeon Plums - Yams – those were beautiful days, delightful memories.” She continued, “when I was between eight and nine, I went to live with my mother’s brother, Uncle Stanley and his wife, Auntie Myrtle. She was very instrumental in my overall development. She was one of those from way back yonder and has had an indelible effect on me and my knowledge of plants – we never went to doctors and we had no childhood sickness – no measles, mumps – I remember that we once lived in West End, Grand Bahama and there was a lot of bushes – we had to go to the bush to get wood and anything that became wrong with us was cured by my aunt’s potions. I recall that one year the water was so cold there that the fish were frozen and when we drank the well water, it was clean, clear, like it came out of the freezer.

I went to school there for a while and I had to leave at thirteen as I had to work.”

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Work she did, all the way through marriage, 7 children (3 sons and 4 daughters), selling Avon from 1962 to 2003, she stopped for seven and resumed for another twelve – totaling thirty seven. Now, at seventy, she is the ‘drinks lady.’

Laughing Thompson Rose recalls a joke about her colour, courtesy of her granddaughter. She recounted, “I am a darker shade of black in complexion, all over, ok…my granddaughter said to me one day, “Grammy, everybody bleaching, why don’t you bleach to and get brown skinned? I said, sweetheart, you don’t bleach black velvet (chuckle) “She couldn’t come too. I am quite content with my colour. I am as smooth as the velvet and at seventy; I still have all of my teeth and my faculties. Seventy marks the beginning of my cycle – when I was growing up in my teen years, I wanted to write. Now I have written two books, Nature’s Healing Sources and Great Ma. (About to be published) … But I had to go to work at a very early age.” hat is a part of my experience as well, I was a young mother – my children have grown up and they have all done me proud. I did not have the education that I would have loved to have to do the things that I wanted to do. However, I am grateful to Avon because it allowed me to work at my pace. It was a job that I did very well. After it was over, I discovered that I needed to, had to do something – sitting home was never my cup of tea. In came the drinks.

Now, it’s my time – I can write and I am happy. “Smile, even grin, and show all of your teeth.”

Laughing, she shared that doing this, kept a lot away.

She reminisced, “in a sense, I have always worked for myself and in those thirty seven years, I gained a lot of insight into human nature and I met all kinds of people. I did the bulk of my business on credit, you didn’t have to have money to shop with me. “ ` This one time I credited a government employee and when I went to her work to check for her, I guess someone told her that I was there and she was trying to perhaps ‘duck’

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Continued on page 52

The National Art

Gallery T The Bahamas’ best kept secret

By Gina P. Morley

he National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, West Hill Street, opposite St. Francis Xavier’s cathedral is one of the Bahamas’ best kept open secrets.

It was commissioned in 1996, by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham, “to be a part of a greatly expanded museum system which will include the National Library, the National Museum as well as the National Archives and the Pompey Museum – all presently serving the public.”

Historically, it is housed in Villa Doyle, which is one of the few examples of Palladian architecture in the Caribbean.

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slandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 21

After undergoing a $3.8 million restoration facelift; this beautiful building continues to command attention worldwide for its innate beauty, location and historical worth.

In fact, according to the NAGB’s brochure, “the twostoried main house, its core constructed of quarried limestone, consists of two wings joined by a partially enclosed stairway.

Bahamian Fred Dillett was contractor for the extension, which includes a grand ballroom on the second floor. Both sections of the house are covered by a single roof and encircled by a continuous verandah made beautiful by carved timber balustrades, and balusters columns and carved wooden brackets projecting from the eaves of the roof. The internal

Images courtesy of NAGB. Photographed by Roland Rose

staircase leading from the foyer is made of mahogany.” The eastern part of the NAGB’s property bordering Hospital Lane, was the site of the Bahamas’ first recorded hospital.

This 150 year old palatial relic was built in the 1860s by Sir William Doyle, then Chief Justice of the Bahamas and the first Bahamian to be knighted.

“Art. See. Think. Feel. Art” screams the NAGB’s pamphlet.

Indeed, if one were to visit them right now- the place rocks and pulsates with Art created by local artists - well known painters such as Stanley and Jackson Burnside, Amos Ferguson, Rolfe Harris, Alton Lowe, Brent Malone, Eddie Minnis, Antonius Roberts, Max Taylor and Chan Pratt and lesser known younger artists as John Cox, John Beadle, Nicole Minnis, Michelle Edwards, Malcolm Rolle, Richard Cooper and Jessica Colebrooke.

The NAGB’s mission is “to collect, exhibit, preserve, document and promote a National collection of Art for the benefit of the Bahamas and the wider international audience.” as this been achieved? To an extent. According to NAGBs Chief Curator and Director, Erica James, in an interview (Nassau Guardian Feb 8 2005), “the gallery became a reason or a validation to have people enact their dreams….our insistence on excellence has been painful for some artists and a stimulus for others, and we do not apologise for that …as a leader in this place and cultural leader, the gallery is a place where learning can occur, but not where teaching necessarily occurs …when calling ourselves the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, there is a history that automatically puts it as a bourgeoisie enterprise –Historically, that’s what it is – but just power to shape our future.”

The NAGB’s mandate and imperative is to reach all Bahamians. Arguably and apparently, it has not.

At least not in the opinion of Bahamian thespian poet

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IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 23

and scholar Obediah Michael Smith, “In a China Shop and Other Poems (2010).” hen Island Scene asked him whether the NAGB is fulfilling the function for which it was created, he said, “That question implies that the Gallery and people who run it, have a duty to perform… the greater part has to do with the Bahamian people themselves turning upon it – e.g. when something falls dead, all of the vultures and crows come upon it – they devour it – similarly with sharks and blood – I just think that voracious response on the part of the community is necessary - perhaps that is what is missing here – Bahamians have not come upon the museum to devour it…or unlike James Baldwin, they have not found that library to read every book as he did - per-haps people do not feel that this “Art” thing ‘belongs’ to ‘them.”

This sentiment is echoed by James. She acknowledges that it’s a national institution and her intention is to take that Art to each Island’s nook and cranny. However, if Bahamians are to move forward, they must embrace the foreign because the foreign is an intrinsic part of Baha-mian Art history. “We always think painting is somehow Bahamian…it isn’t Bahamian, sculpting isn’t Bahamian - these are things that

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have come to us and we appropriated the form. But in appropriating the form, we have to engage the history of that form and understand our roles in taking it. We have always been at a crossroads and I think our authenticity lies in differences….” (Nassau Guardian, Housing the Spirit of Art an Interview with Erica James, February 08, 2005).

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t is those differences that have led to a kind of “disconnectedness” between the average Bahamian and the NAGB. It’s almost as if they do not belong. So, apart from infusing every family island with Art, James is on a mission to bring Art to all Bahamians and visitors – forging relations, building pieces and transforming spaces.

James maintains that the NAGB is on par with any similar institution in the world. It shall continue in its excellence and produce catalogues, publications that will always bring something new to the dialogue. Nonethe-less, NAGB still has a bit of catching up to do.

James acknowledged this when she spoke with Etienne Dupuch Jr. Publications Ltd., on Redefining Bahamian Art (Welcome Bahamas, 2004). She said, “Compared to its regional and international neighbors, the Bahamian art movement is lagging. We are definitely a victim of our history.

What we have now is because of who we have been and what we find valuable. If you take a close look at the art, what’s there, what’s not there, you can pinpoint the country’s artistic development. Look at our propensity for still life and landscape. You can say, oh it’s the beautiful Bahamian landscapes, but a lot of Bahamian artists have a problem with drawing the anatomy because they never really got the opportunity to take life drawing classes here.” She recalled this from personal experience and added, “we’re historically behind, and we’re not willing to engage the multiplicity of Media’s cutting edge avenues to make art.” What she hopes the Gallery will do is to give birth to an even larger movement, prompting the development in commercial gallery spaces throughout The Bahamas. peaking to Island Scene from overseas where she is pursuing her doctorate in Art, James remained optiimistic and clear about what she says the NAGB does to foster and encourage Art inThe Bahamas. She said, “It is hard to determine statistically the NAGB’s effect on Art in the Bahamas; there are three clear areas that we have made an impact.”

Training, the NAGB h as trained many other people to

work in the culture of The Bahamas and it has a type of training for the arts and artist like John Cox can attest to this we have been a kind of training ground for artists and curators; we have acted as a pulse and a hub for a lot of shows, like Shakespeare in Paradise and we have forged many relationships with other artisans like Transforming Spaces, New Providence Art and Anti-ques; we started a few years ago to build relationships with our people. From the beginning we realized this national mandate and that we had to do things a little differently to ensure that the NAGB situation was tailored to the needs of Bahamians, Art and Culture at this time. Therefore, to that end, we are open to accommodating other art forms, visual, music concerts and BSWI (Bahamas Summer Writers Institute) inter alia.”

“I do agree that there is history of people feeling that the Arts are for the elite. The funny thing is that criticism tends to come from elite circles so one wonders what this type of commentary is about really, whether it is an easy way to dismiss the space, helps persons of privilege assuages their own guilt or something else. This is a falsehood we have tried to demystify and we are still battling with this. he gallery also suffers from the misconception that to engage art means that the visitor must be putting on airs, have bourgeois aspirations, think they are “smart,” or if they are a young male – gay. To love art and to love the gallery must mean nothing good - it’s quite sad really - the limits we place on experiencing some of the strengths of this nation and accepting the good that it offers with arms open. Rather than use any excuse to justifiably edit our lives, it would be great to see more people step out of the box and come experience the gallery.

Let us encourage a sense of ownership of our history and our works. After all, it is coming out of The Bahamas, made by Bahamians, for Bahamians, as I have said before elsewhere; we welcome all. It is ours.

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Illustration: “The Barracks at Fort Charlotte” courtesy of Nassau Public Library.

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Illustration courtesy of Nassau Public Library

The Historic Bahamas The history and traditions of The Islands of The Bahamas reflect and parallel those of Europe, Africa and the Americas 26 IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010

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nce the exclusive playground of the rich and famous, The Islands of The Bahamas now offers and array of affordable vacation experiences. While most visitors to these shores come for our magnificient beaches, warm sunshine, crystal clear waters and warm friendly people, increasing numbers come for cultural experiences and to visit our numerous historic sites and points of interest.

The history and traditions of The Islands of The Bahamas reflet and parallel those of Europe, Africa and the Americas as is evident from the number of historic sites and points of interest, particularly on the island of San Salvador, the landfall of Christopher Columbus in the New World, Eleuthera, location of the first Republic in the Western Hemisphere and New Providence, the seat of government.

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The beauty of these islands surpasses that of any other

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

San Salvador

SAN SALVADOR MUSEUM

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t is on this very island that Christopher Columbus discovered the New World after his long journey in 1492. Called Guanahani by the native Lucayan Indians, Columbus renamed the island San Salvador or Holy Saviour, noting in his journal, “The beauty of these islands surpasses that of any other land as much as the day surpasses the night in splendour.”

More than five hundred years later, much of San Salvador remains virtually untouched. The beaches at Sugar Loaf and Snow Bay are pris-tine and secluded, the emerald blue sea off the shores of Riding Rock is clear 150 feet down to coral formations and tropical fish. All of which makes for excellent diving, fishing, sunning and swimming. San Sal-vador’s main settlement is Cockburn Town (pronounced Ko-burn) on the west coast of the island.

On the east coast is North Victoria Hill with a New World Museum that boasts pottery, rock carvings and other relics of the Lucayan Indians.

Of course you can trace the history of the island by travelling through it as well, beginning with cross marking the spot where Columbus is thought to have landed just south of Fernandez Bay. Though there are four locations throughout the island designated as Columbus’ possible landing, scholars believe this to be the most accurate.

Winding around San Salvador’s dozen or so land-locked lakes, you can see plantation ruins in the towns of Fortune Hill and Sandy Point, including the well-known Watling’s Castle. Then, climb 160 feet to the top of the Dixon Hill Lighthouse, one of the last hand-operated, kerosenelit lighthouses in the world, for a stunning overview of the whole island.

28 IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 SIR ROBERT HEATH

and as much as the day surpasses the night in splendour.

Eleuthera In 1649, English dissidents in search of religious freedom shipwrecked on the shores of this enchanting island, and called it Eleuthera, from the Greek word for freedom. Centuries later, Eleuthera is liberating to all who come. Just over a mile wide and 110 miles long, Eleuthera is blessed with pink-white sand, dramatic cliffs, sheltered coves and the Glass Window Bridge, that divides the pounding Atlantic and the calm clear Gulf.

STATUE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

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he place to start exploring Eleuthera is where it all began in 1650 at Preacher’s Cave, where the first settlers, after being shipwrecked, took refuge and held religious services.

In 1650 the city of Boston was thriving, its citizens, full of hope and in the midst of establishing the College of New England which would become the modern-day Harvard University.

In that same year a small band of Eleutheran Adventurers, under the leadership of Captain William Sayle, seeking personal freedom from conditions in England and attempting to establish a new colony at Governor’s Bay, now Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, were experiencing grave hardship and deprivation as a result of the shipwreck.

Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts learning of their plight set about raising a relief fund of some seven hundred pounds of provisions.

The supplies were dispatched to Eleuthera on March 13, 1650, arriving at its destination a month later.

The struggling colonists, fully cognizant of the help they received

PREACHER’S CAVE

IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 29 WOODES RODGERS

from their brothers on the continent of America sent a return load of ten tons of Braziletto wood, which was used extensively for dyeing purposes at the time, as a gift to the infant Harvard College, which was just receiving its first endowment. The cargo sold for 120 Pounds, the largest sum the college had collected so far. he link with Harvard University and the city of Boston was thus established and have never been forgotton.

Visitors to the settlement of Governor’s Harbour may view a plaque which hangs in the Island’s Administrator’s office, a gift to the settlement from the students of Harvard University in1958. The plaque consists of a slab of Braziletto wood, the centre of which is a true copy of the design for the Coat of Arms for the college first entered in the minutes of the Harvard Trustees in a meeting prior to 1640.

Did a republic exist in the Western hemisphere before 1647? If not, then the honour of being the first is the island of Eleuthera and the adjacent islands of The Bahamas. The document containing The Articles and Orders of the Eleutheran Adventurers, now owned by the British Museum, is surely one of the most remarkable, and even noble, in American Colonial history.

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Spanish Wells Other colourful settlements include Spanish Wells, a short ferry ride takes you to pastel Cape Cod cottages, palm-lined streets and comfortable resorts. Named for galleons that once replenished their fresh water here, Spanish Wells offers excellent fishing, diving and sightseeing.

Harbour Island Harbour Island is also close, a captivating town with homes dating to 1790, The Bahamas’ longest established churches, white picket fences, stunning pink beaches and residents who extend a friendly wave to passersby. With tennis, fishing, diving, water-skiing and bicycling, the pace is always lively.

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Gregory Town Gregory Town, set atop a cliff, is home of the sweet juicy Bahamian Pineapple (residents insist you try it). From here you can descend into The Cave, where magnificent columns and intricate passageways appear as underground cathedrals.

Governor’s Harbour Governor’s Harbour is to the south, once a thriving farming community and now a charming Victorian village with homes dating to 1850, and in Tarpum Bay, goats roam streets that wind around weather-worn pastel homes and two island art galleries.

Rock Sound In contrast, Rock Sound is thoroughly modern with wellprovisioned stores, fine dining and one of the most elegant resorts in The Bahamas. A visit here should include the nearby inland Ocean Hole where rainbow fish and parrot fish swim in from the ocean and return at will.

Together with Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, Eleuthera is easy to get to and hard to leave.

New Providence In the heart of New Providence lies the capital of our country.

Welcome to Nassau, bustling hub of The Bahamas since the shipwrecking days of the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

Prized for its sheltered harbour, history was made and beautifully preserved here in Victorian mansions, cathedrals, 18th - century fortresses and a Queen’s Staircase whose 66 steps lead to a not-to-bemissed view.

Bordering the harbour is Bay Street, Nassau’s oldest thoroughfare lined with cosmopolitan restaurants and shops. Here, you can buy goods

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from around the world at a duty-free price level or, in our famous Straw Market, handicrafts you won’t find anywhere else.

The gateway to Nassau is Rawson Square and just a walk across Bay Street you’ll find Parliament Square, the traditional centre of the Bahamian Government. Here, picturesque pastel buildings built in the early 1800’s by Loyalists include the Houses of Parliament, the old Colonial Secretary’s Office, the Supreme Court and a marble statue of Queen Victoria.

The Bahamas has been a Parliamentary democracy since 1729 when the House of Assembly first met in a member’s home. The historic parliament buildings with a statue of an enthroned Queen Victoria underscores the fact that The Islands of The Bahamas was once a British Crown Colony for some 300 years before independence in 1973.

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nother historical site is Government House. Built in 1801 the elegant pink and white neoclassical Mansion is one of The Bahamas’ most photographed landmarks. The statue of a proud Columbus on the front steps commemorates his first landfall in the New World.

The former residence of British Royal Governors and which now serves as the Bahamian Governor General’s residence, has an American connection through John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, a former Governor of the Colony of New York.

After a short Governorship of the Colony of New York, John Murray, was transferred to the Colony of Virginia at the end of 1771, where, through his autocratic methods, contributed more to the grievances of the Colonists against the British government than any other man of the period.

In his “Lfe of George Washington,” Woodrow Wilson describes Governor Dunmore as a dark and distant man, who seemed to the Virginians to come like a satrap to his province, who brought a soldier with him for secretary and confidential adviser, set up a fixed etiquette to be observed by all who would approach, spoke abruptly and without courtesy, displayed an arbitrary temper in all things, and took more

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interest, as it presently appeared, in acquiring tracts of Western Lands than in conducting the Government of the Colony.

On June 8th, 1775, Dunmore was a fugitive from Virginia. In December of the same year George Washington said of him: “I do not think that forcing His Lordship on shipboard is sufficient. Nothing less than depriving him of life or liberty will secure peace to Virginia, as motives of resentment actuate his conduct to a degree equal to the total destruction of the Colony.”

Seeking refuge aboard a British Man-O-War in the bay, Dunmore called upon all who were loyal to follow him, and offered freedom to slaves and servants who would enlist for the purpose of reducing the Colony to a proper sense of its duty. In his resentment he destroyed Norfolk by fire and ravaged the coast of Virginia. He was appointed Governor of The Bahamas in 1786 but did not arrive in the Colony until toward the end of 1787.

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uring his term as Royal Governor of the then Colony of The Bahamas, he built Dunmore House, occupied it and leased it to the Local Government as Governor’s Residence until the first official Government House was completed in January 1806. (The house was destroyed by a hurricane in 1929 and replaced by the present Government House, built

by Capt. John Holmes).

In March, 1801, Lord Dunmore conveyed the premises, through his attorney, John Stevens, to the Local Government for the sum of 5,142 pounds Sterling and 17 Shillings, of lawful money of the said islands.

Ancient British forts with silent cannons still pointing toward the sea are mute reminders of a time years ago when American Marines captured Nassau in a bloodless invasion and even before that when buccaneers and pirates held sway over the Islands.

Farther west of Government House stands one of Nassau’s most impressive forts. Fort Charlotte was built in 1788, complete with a moat, open battlements and dungeons. For all its imposing fortifications, it never fired a shot in anger. Two other forts, Fort Fincastle and Fort Montagu, saw action, however. Fort Montagu was seized for one day by the Americans during the Revolutionary war.

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goodREAD

By Camille E. Forbes

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ost though he is to the annals of popular culture, Bert Williams was, according to critics of his time, nothing less than “The Greatest Comedian on the Amercan Stage.” A black Bahamian immigrant, Williams made his start at the ground floor of show business, learning to captivate audiences as a barker advertising the rough-and-tumble “medicine shows” that dotted the Wild West at the end of the nineteenth century.

Jacket design by Nicole Caputo Photo print by Samuel Lumiere, Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

To purchase copies of “Introducing Bert Williams” please contact: Perseus Books Group at : www.perseusbooks.com

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Introducing Bert Williams reveals a fascinating figure, initiating the reader into the vivid world of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century popular entertainment.

The story of Williams’ long and varied career is a whirlwind of drama, glamour, and ambition, nothing less than the birth of American show business. This moving biography illuminates the issues surrounding race and artistic expression in American culture, from Tin Pan Alley to the early motion picture industry.

A compelling portrait of an extraordinary entertainer’s career, Introducing Bert Williams is a much needed reassessment of blackface Performers’ contributions to American Entertainment history.

In the Preface to her book, Camille wrote “Black Bahamian comedian Bert A. Williams (1874-1922) captivated American audiences for more than a quarter century in a career that spanned from ca. 1890 to the end of his life. His dynamic stage presence and skill as a storyteller, pantomime, and songster astounded black and white audiences alike, who pronounced him ‘The Greatest Comedian on the American Stage.” During his career, Williams moved from the formulaic structure of late nineteenth-century minstrelsy to the independence of solo vaudeville performance and beyond. He became one of the most important black performers in American history. A trailblazer whose extraordinary achievements created opportunities for later generations of black entertainers; he also raised the bar for comic perform-ance among both blacks and whites.

“Striving to shed considerable light on the cipher that is Egbert Austin Williams, I explore the complexity of Williams’ experience, illuminating the milieus in which he appeared throughout an illustrious career. “

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he worlds of the medicine show, minstrelsy, Tin Pan Alley, the recording industry, black musical theater, Vaudeville, motion pictures, and legitimate theater all contributed to Williams’ work. He experimented, headlined, and matured as a performer as he worked in these various entertainment forms, which constituted much of the universe of nineteenth and early twentieth-century American popular entertainment. Williams’ diversity in his abilities, which allowed him to travel through all these spaces, testifies to his unique strength as a performer. “These entertainment forms deserve as much attention as the remarkable comedian who graced them with his effervescent theatrical presence.

They receive as much attention here as do the challenges Williams faced during a career that began just as the embryonic institution of Jim Crow segregation concretized the divide between blacks and whites. s I delve into vast entertainment worlds, I aim to reveal Williams. It is at times excruciatingly difficult to trace a life, however, particularly that of one who cherish-ed his privacy as deeply as Williams did. Materials found primarily address his performances. Although a renowned entertainer, Williams remained reticent about his private life, protecting his interior world from the public eye.

Seeking to unearth the details of his life in the face of archival challenges, I access Williams through various means: joke books, songs, interviews, letters, reviews, films, and tributes.

I search for Williams both within and behind the mask of blackface, digging deeply despite archives that provide access mostly to his public face only. I remain loyal to those facts of Williams’ life that rise to the surface, knowing that even all these efforts do not result in uncovering the “whole truth” of Williams.

“Through that excavation, I find a compelling cryptic figure who demands our attention. Moving from black musical theater, in which he worked with his African American partner George William Walker, to Ziegfeld’s Follies, in which he often performed solo, Williams shifted from one location to another. He went from working with blacks to working with

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IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010 35

goodREAD

whites; from performing for both whites and blacks, to performing for whites often exclusively. After sixteen years of working with George, a bold partner who spoke on the duo’s behalf, Bert stepped out on his own. Creating his own terms of engagement, often at his peril, he broke new ground. revious eras have witnessed the manipulation of this man, the willful forgetting of this problematic figure in burnt cork. His representations of blackness onstage troubled those in the audience who desired radical resistance. “ His persistent use of blackface alienated those members of the public who demanded the rejection of convention. Yet during his life, Williams did endeavor to take control of his career and his image. He struggled to be seen as more than a comedian or a stereotype. He recog-nized his representative role among blacks, yet refused leadership. Honing his craft while maintaining his dignity, he reached out to his audience, but only so far. The rest of himself he withheld, remaining a mystery that baffled and titillated his audiences. How did a black Bahamian boy become ‘The Greatest Comedian on the American Stage? He stood up and “barked,” on the streets of California.”

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Camille E. Forbes, historian and performer, holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Harvard University. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Literature at the University of California, San Diego.

Photo of Camille Forbes by Esther Vanderpot

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in his ownWORDS

The Comic Side of Trouble

By Bert Williams (Originally published in The American Magazine, 1918)

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ccording to Eric Ledell Smith, Williams’ biographer, Egbert Austin Williams was born on November 12, 1874 in the parish of St. Matthews in Nassau, Bahamas. His grandfather was a plantation owner who had at one time been the Danish Consul in Antigua. He had married a woman who was three-quarters Spanish and one-quarter African. Their son, Frederick (b. 1850 in Nassau), had in turn married a quadroon, Julia Monceur. Bert was born not long afterwards, but according to Williams, in a 1911 interview, the family migrated to New York when he was only two years old. Census data from 1880 confirms this: Frederick, Julia (both 30 years old), and young Egbert (age 5) were living at 134 West 26th Street in Manhattan. Frederick was working as a waiter, just as he had done at home. (At the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau). The family moved back to the Bahamas and then returned to the United States around 1885. They landed for a time in Florida, as part of a large migration of Bahamians during the post-Civil War economic boom. Bert said his family went from Florida to San Pedro, California, “by way of Panama” and eventually settled in Riverside, the move evidently being for the sake of his father’s health.

Williams revealed more details of his life in his essay: “The Comic Side of Trouble” originally published in “The American Magazine in 1918, and republished here.

The Comic Side of Trouble In his own words

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ne of the funniest sights in the world is a man whose hat has been knocked in or ruined by being blown off - provided, of course, it be the other fellow’s hat! All the jokes in the world are based on a few elemental ideas, and this is one of them. The sight of other people in trouble is nearly always funny. This is human nature. If you will observe your own conduct whenever you see a friend falling down on the street, you will find that nine times out of ten your first impulse is to laugh and your second is to run and help him get up. To be polite you will dust off his clothes and ask him if he

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has hurt himself. But when it is all over you can’t resist telling him how funny he looked when he was falling. The man with the real sense of humor is the man who can put himself in the spectator’s place and laugh at his own misfortunes.

That is what I am called upon to do every day. Nearly all of my successful songs have been based on the idea that I am getting the worst of it. I am the “Jonah Man,” the man who, even if it rained soup, would be found with a fork in his hand and no spoon in sight, the man whose fighting relatives come to visit him and whose head is always dented by the furniture they throw at each other. There are endless variations of this idea, fortunately; but if you sift them, you will find the principle of human nature at the bottom of them all.

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he song of the “Slippery Ellum Tree” at first sight seems to be different. It starts as a parody, if you remember, on George P. Morris’s “Woodman, Spare That Tree.” But the tree resolves itself into a peg on which I hang my troubles. It is the tree I climb when I am running away from my wife, my refuge whenever there is a ruction, a hiding place from my wife’s relations, my creditors, the police and the dog next door.

Troubles are funny only when you pin them to one particular individual. And that individual, the fellow who is the goat, must be the man who is singing the song or telling the story. Then the audience can picture him in their mind’s eye and see him in the thick of his misfortunes, fielding flat irons with his head, carrying large bulldogs by the seat of his pants, and picking the bare bones of the chicken while his wife’s relations eat the breast, and so forth.

It was not until I was able to see myself as another person that my sense of humor developed. For I do not believe there is any such thing as innate humor. It has to be developed by hard work and study, just as every other human quality. I have studied it all my life, unconsciously during my floundering years and consciously as soon as I began to get next to myself. It is a study that I shall never get to the end of, and a work that never stops, except when I am asleep.

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There are no union hours to it and no let up. It is only by being constantly on the lookout for fresh material, funny incidents, funny speeches, funny traits in human nature that a comedian can hope to keep step with his public.

I find much material by knocking around in out of the way places and just listening. For among the American Colored men and Negroes there is the greatest source of simple amusement you can find anywhere in the world. The London bus drivers, in the days before motor buses, were famous for their repartees.

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ut Americans for the most part know little about the unconscious humor of the Colored people and Negroes, because they do not come in contact with them. A short while ago I heard an argument between two men. One of them was pretty cocky and tried to bulldoze the other, who was trying his best to be peaceable, and kept saying, “I don’t want no trouble with you now.” Presently it got too warm for him, and the peaceable man turned to the other and said, “Looka hyah, nigga, you better get away fum me, ‘cause I’m jes’ going to take this bottle an’ bathe your head with it.” Of course I put that line into the Follies the next day.

Many of the best lines I have used came to me by that sort of eavesdropping. For, as I have pointed out, eavesdropping on human nature is one of the most important parts of a comedian’s work. Sometimes one hears and sees things too funny to be used. For instance, during the mobilization of the Fifteenth Regiment of the New York National Guard, a husky colored private was standing in the crowded amory eating a fried chicken. The rest of his company had to be content with regular army fare, perfectly good healthful food, the sort that stays with a man, as the soldiers say, but few of them had sweethearts to bring them such delicacies as chicken.

A couple of men strolled by him Quietly, and without any warning, one of the men rapped him sharply so that the chicken fell out of his hand, and the other caught it neatly, and off they both ran like hares, dodging in and out among the groups that were busily sorting out equipment.

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he victim stood and gasped for a moment, then reached down into his boot and pulled out the grandfather of all the razors in the world and lit out like a cyclone after tile robbers. He was caught and disarmed before he could do any damage and rebuked by his company commander, who threatened him with all sorts of punishments. But all the man could say in answer to the rebuke was: “Doggone! Stole my chickun! Stole my chickun!”

“You can do all the damage you want with your fists if you’ve any private quarrels,” said the captain, “but a razor’s no weapon for a soldier.” That gave the officers the idea of searching all the rank and file, and they filled a large-sized barrel full with razors taken off that regiment, which had to be confiscated temporarily for fear they might be used for social instead of tonsoriaI purposes.

Now I suppose Oscar Wilde would have said that episode was an example of how nature exaggerates art.

The joke of a negro’s fondness for a razor as a weapon has been done to death in the theater. It has become so hackneyed that even in burlesque they hardly dare to use it any longer. If a scene like that were put on the stage everybody would say it was an absurd, stale and moldy joke.

Most of the successful songs I have had were written by Alexander Rogers. He was the author of the words of “Nobody,” “Jonah Man,” “I May be Crazy but I ain’t no Fool,” and many others. The tunes to several of them I wrote myself, or perhaps it would be more correct to say that I assembled them. For the tunes to popular songs are mostly made up of standard parts, like a motor car. The copyright law allows anybody to take not more than four bars of any existing melody. As a machinist assembles a motor car then, I assembled the tunes to “Nobody,” “Crazy,” “Believe Me,” and one or two others. It would be wrong for me to say that I composed those tunes, because as a composer I am a onefinger artist. I did study harmony and thorough bass, but that is as far as I went.

Before I got through with “Nobody” I could have wished that both the author of the words and the assembler of the tune had been strangled or drowned or talked to death. For

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seven whole years I had to sing it. Month after month I tried to drop it and sing something new, but I could get nothing to replace it, and the audiences seemed to want nothing else.

Every comedian at some time in his life learns to curse the particular stunt of his that was most popular. “Nobody” was a particularly hard song to replace. Songwriters say that I am a particularly hard man to write songs for. Whenever they have a song a man can use they seem to want a portion of his life before they sell it to him. They want war prices for their songs, but I have not observed any war salaries being paid to artists. The way some of them deal with me to calculate what my income ought to be for the next ten years, then ask for ten percent of that.

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ot that I grudge paying for a good song, in fact one is only too glad to pay for a really good song. My ambition is not that of Mr. Lauder.

I don’t want people to say of me when I am dead, “How much did he leave?” but rather – if they say anything at all – “How much did he enjoy?”

At one time it seemed to me that almost everybody in the United States was writing a song just like “Nobody.” It never occurred to any of them that just like “Nobody”, a song would need to have the same human appeal as “Nobody”, mixed in with humor, the same human appeal of the friendless man. These imitations were called “Somebody” the only single solitary idea they had, just a feeble paraphrase of “Nobody,” with the refrain switched around to “Somebody. “The majority of writers apparently think that one idea spread over three or four verses and the refrain is enough to carry a song. A really good song must be fairly packed with ideas. There should be at least two in every stanza and two more in the refrain. Take, for example, a number of songs I am singing or, rather talking, in the follies now, by Ring Larder.

“Home, Sweet Home” - that’s where The Real War Is.” Every line carries an amusing picture, and each verse is built up so that it leads to a fresh laugh in the refrain.

In picking a song I always consider the words. The tune will take care of itself. I should feel sorry for a song that depended on its tune if I had to sing it. When I was a lad I thought I had a voice, but I learned differently in later years. I did not take proper care of it and now I have to talk all my numbers. And what little voice I have left has to be nursed and petted like a prize cat. I study carefully the acoustics of each theater I appear in. There is always one particular spot on the stage from which the voice carries better, more clearly and easily than from any other. I make it my business to find that spot before the first performance, and once I find it I stick to it like a postage stamp.

People have sometimes observed that I practice unusual economy of motion and do not move about as much as other singers do. It is to spare my voice and not my legs that I stand still while delivering a song. If my voice were stronger I would be as

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active as anybody, because it is much easier to put a song over if you can move about.

I hope nothing I have said will be mistaken to mean that I think I have found a recipe for making people laugh, or anything of that sort. The man who could find that recipe would be bigger than Erlanger and the Shuberts put together. Humor is the one thing in the world that it is impossible to argue about, because it is all a matter of taste.

If I could turn myself into a human boomerang, if I could jump from the stage, fly out over the audience, turn a couple of somersaults in the air, snatch the toupee from the head of the bald man in the front row of the balcony, and light back on the stage in the spot I jumped from, I could have the world at my feet - for a while. But even then I would always have to be finding something new. Look at Fred Stone, he can do anything the human body can be trained to do, but he is always learning something new, and always just about six months ahead of his imitators.

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eople sometimes ask me if I would not give anything to be white.

I answer, in the words of the song, most emphatically, “No.” How do I know what I might be if I were a white man? I might be a sandhog, burrowing away and losing my health for eight dollars a day. I might be a streetcar conductor at twelve or fifteen dollars a week.

There is many a white man less fortunate and less well equipped than I am. In truth, I have never been able to discover that there was anything disgraceful in being a colored man. But I have often found it inconvenient - in America.

My (grand )father was a Dane. He left Copenhagen some years ago and became Danish Consul in (Antigua). There he married my (grand)mother, who was half Spanish and half African. (Bert’s grand parents later migrated to The Bahamas where his father, Frederick, was born in 1850. Frederick, in turn married Julia Monceur.

Williams, of course, is obviously not a Danish name. Nobody in America knows my real name and, if I can prevent it, nobody ever will. That was the only promise I made to my father. I left the West Indies when I was a youngster and came with my parents by way of Panama to San Pedro, California, now Los Angeles Harbor.

I had not the slightest idea of going on the stage at first, nor any definite ambition except to get an education. I went through high school in Southern California and was going to Leland Stanford University. A bunch of us, three white boys and myself, thought it would be nice and easy to make spending money by touring through the small towns on the coast in a bus and giving entertainments. That ‘bus tour” was the beginning of several disastrous years.

We got back to San Francisco without a stitch of clothing, literally without a stitch, as the few rags I wore to spare the hostility of the police had to be

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burned for reasons that everybody will understand who has read of the experiences of the soldiers in the trenches. It was then that I first ran up against the humiliations and persecution that have to be faced by every person of colored blood, no matter what his brains, education, or the integrity of his conduct. How many times have hotel keepers said to me, “I know you, Williams, and I like you, I would like nothing better than to have you stay here, but you see we have Southern gentlemen in the house ‘and they would object.”

Frankly, I can’t understand what it is all about. I breathe like other people, eat like them. If you put me at a dinner table you can be reasonably sure that I won’t use the ice cream fork for my salad; I think like other people. I guess the whole trouble must be that I don’t look like them. They say it is a matter of race prejudice. But if it were prejudice a baby would have it; and you will never find it in a baby. It has to be inculcated on people. For one thing, I have noticed that this “race prejudice” is not to be found in people who are sure enough of their position to be able to defy it. For example, the kindest, most courteous, most democratic man I ever met was the King of England, the late King Edward VII. I shall never forget how frightened I was before the first time I sang for him. I kept thinking of his position, his dignity, his titles: King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India, and half a page more of them, and my knees knocked together and the sweat stood out on my forehead.

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found the easiest, most responsive, most appreciative audience any artist could wish. I was lucky in that he liked my stories, and he used to send for me to come to the palace once or twice a week to tell some story that he had taken a liking to, and found he couldn’t tell correctly. He was not the only man in England in whom I found courtesy and kindness. For example, whenever I go over, my manager comes to Liverpool to meet the boat and insists on taking me to his home at Maidenhead to stay for a few days before I go to London to begin work. Can you imagine an American manager doing that? Yes, I can, and I can imagine the German Emperor of his own accord giving up Belgium!

To get back to my crazy ‘bus tours’ I floundered around in that way for several years.

I was all for parodies in those days. I would get hold of popular song books and write parodies on anything. They must have .been pretty sad. At any rate, they never got me anything but experience. Then, one day at Moore’s Wonderland in Detroit, just for a lark I blacked my face and tried the song, “Oh, I don’t know, you’re not so warm.” Nobody was more surprised than I when it went like a house on fire. Then I began to find myself.

By that time I had met George Walker, and we used to travel around the country together. I took to studying the dialect of the American negro, which to me was just as much a foreign dialect as that of the Italian. Shortly after that I met Thomas Canary, of Canary and Lederer. He promised to put us in a piece called “The Passing Show.” But before that came off we got a telegrarn from him saying that “if we could get to New York

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by September 14th we could have an engagement in “The Gold Bug.” If we could get there! As if we wouldn’t have crawled there on our knees! Unfortunately, The Gold Bug lasted only a week. Then we were with Sandow’s troupe for a while, after which we went to Boston to join Pete Dailey’s company.

Then came our first big success in New York. We were given a trial at Koster & Bial’s and we stayed there for thirty-six weeks. It was Mr. Bial who first sent me to Europe. I was at the Empire in London and went on immediately after the ballet and promptly died. That taught me to know better than to try to follow a ballet. fter that I went to Europe frequently, not only because I found kinder treatment there but in order to learn my trade. I used to go over every summer for a while and study pantomime from Pietro, the great pantomi-mist. He is the one artist from whom I can truthfully say that I learned. He taught me gesture, facial expression - without which I would never have been able to do the poker game stunt that was so popular. And above all he taught me the value of poise, repose and pauses. He taught me that the pause after a gesture or a movement is frequently more important than the gesture itself, because it emphasizes the gesture. The same thing is true in singing a song. The pause at the end of a line is often more important than the inflection you give the line. For instance, in Ring Lardner’s song which begins this way:

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My wife claims that all her folks Come from good fighting stock And now they’re paying us a endless visit (pause) At our apartment in the Mecca Block.

There’s three brother-in-laws (pause), One sister-in-law (pause), one mother-in-law, That’s five (pause) And anyone of the quintet can jes’ eat Jess Willard alive.

It was Petro who taught me that the entire aim and object of art is to achieve naturalness.

The more simple and real the manner of your walking or talking the more effective, and that is the purpose of art. I played a good deal of pantomime in Europe. I did the Toreador in the pantomime version of Carmen, and many other parts.

Each time I come back to America this thing they call race prejudice follows me wherever I go. When Mr. Ziegfeld first proposed to engage me for the Follies there was a tremendous storm in a teacup. Everybody threatened to leave; they proposed to get up a boycott if he persisted; they said all sorts of things against my personal character. But Mr. Ziegfeld stuck to his guns and was quite undisturbed by everything that was said. Which is one reason why I am with him now, Continued on page 52 44 IslandScene /Nov. - Dec. 2010

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Reforming the Country’s Business Environment Though the ongoing global economic crisis has spurred widespread austerity measures and the need to revamp governmental priorities, it has not sidetracked the Ingraham administration’s push to reform and modernize the way business is done in The Bahamas.

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n recent months, the Ingraham administration – credited with the revitalization of The Bahamas economy from negative to positive growth – has embarked on a series of landmark legislative initiatives aimed at making The Bahamas a more competitive place to do business.

Enhancing the country’s domestic business environment is but one of the many multi-faceted initiatives launched by the Government, via its comprehensive and integrated economic growth strategy. Of the introduction of the administration’s Business Licence Bill 2010, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham said, “Our overriding objective in doing so is to facilitate the creation of new businesses and the expansion of existing ones, both of which are vital to securing growing employment opportunities for Bahamians and better standards of living.”

The objective of the Business Licence Bill, slated to take effect January 1, 2011, is to simplify the legal and regulatory requirements to start and operate a business in both New Providence and the Family Islands, as well as facilitate a one-stop shop approach to business licencing.

“As a result,” Mr. Ingraham noted, “business licencing will become easier, faster and more efficient and it will impose much less of a compliance burden on the private sector.”

“Waiting inordinate and uncertain amounts of time for

the processing and approval of an application to start up a new business will be a thing of the past.”

Under the new legislation, the country’s business licence process will be significantly streamlined, wherein an applicant can expect to be granted a business licence within seven working days.

The currently complex and cumbersome process of calculating business licence fees will also be simplified, making it far less arbitrary and thereby less subject to manipulation.

The Bill also simplifies the tax calculation by basing it directly on business turnover, or total revenue, rather than requiring the deduction of arbitrary costs and the calculation of notional profitability.

And since the Registration of Business Names Act, the Shop Licences Act, the Liquor Licences Act and the Music and Dancing Licences Act will all be repealed through the new legislation, businesses involved in these areas will only pay for the annual business licence and separate and additional fees will no longer be required.

This, Mr. Ingraham explained, will eliminate the need to pay a bevy of small “nuisance” fees such as, for example, $1.00 for a shop licence; $100.00 for a wholesale liquor licence; and $200.00 for a restaurant liquor licence.

“The private sector, as represented by the current and past

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Presidents of the Chamber of Commerce, voiced their approval of, and support for, the new Business Licence Bill,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

“The current President was quoted as saying that ‘it is a reasonable statement of affairs, and is certainly an improvement on the old Bill and legislation’ and the past President was quoted as saying ‘I think that’s a good compromise; I like it. I applaud the Government. What is good about it is that it simplifies it all – it eliminates this working out of gross profit. What is beautiful about this is that it simplifies it all.”

Another standout feature of the Bill is its proposal to tighten up the various exemptions from the requirement for business licence that currently exist in The Bahamas. For instance, only ecclesiastical, charitable and cultural institutions and organizations registered as non-profit entities within The Bahamas will be eligible for business licence exemption under the new legislation. As such, all institutions operating for profit will be subject to the requirement to pay business licence tax.

In keeping with it thrust to bolster the small business sector, the Government announced in its 2010/11 Budget Communication that it was providing a two-year holiday from the payment of business licence tax for small and medium size businesses with turnover under $250,000, as a means of supporting and encouraging the smaller firms in the Bahamian economy.

This holiday extends over the 2010 and 2011 business licence years.

With a key focus on growing the Bahamian economy, the Ingraham administration has undertaken several other critical reforms, including the modernizing of all aspects of Customs operations to bring them up to international standards and place the Customs Service in a position to better serve the needs of the private sector and facilitate international trade.

It has moved to secure enhanced export opportunities to the European Union through The Bahamas’ participation in the Economic Partnership Agreement with the Union, and is negotiating membership in the World Trade Organization to better protect the export interests of the private sector within the context of a predictable and binding rules-based trading system.

“We are streamlining the regulation of non-bank financial services, partly by simplifying authorization and reporting requirements and partly by improving operating efficiency within the regulatory authority,”Mr. Ingraham advised.

“We are launching a proactive investment promotion mission in key world cities, in cooperation with the private sector; and are implementing a new Small and Medium Size Business Development Framework to better serve the needs of that most important sector of our economy with its significant job-creation potential.”

As the Government moves to strengthen its domestic business environment, it has also introduced legislation to enhance transparency and accountability in the handling of public finances – a goal that continues to be the hallmark of this administration’s governmental philosophy.

During his recent introduction of the Government’s Financial Administration and Audit Bill, Prime Minister Ingraham stressed the importance of fiscal prudence and responsibility.

“A country’s reputation in international affairs is determined by good governance and its attractiveness to international investment heavily depends on it.

“Sound financial management is a crucial component of good governance. It, in turn, is founded on the key pillars of accountability and transparency.”

The Financial Administration and Audit Bill is a reform of the Act enacted some 37 years ago, as since that time, government expenditure and revenue have grown considerably as the economy expanded, the economic and social roles of government have evolved; and new information technologies have revolutionized the ways government conducts business.

“The Government recognizes that the Financial Administration and Audit Act is in need of modernization to bring it into line with the new realities,” Mr. Ingraham noted.

“The modernization proposals in the Bill focus on enhancing accountability and transparency at all levels of Government by making those responsible for decisions on public expenditure and revenue, and those who manage those funds in implementing Government decisions, clearly and personally accountable for their actions.”

Another notable hallmark of this administration’s governmental philosophy is its commitment to meeting and Continued on page 51

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Bahamas WTO Accession Talks Begin Minister of State for Finance, Zhivargo Laing, recently appeared before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Geneva, Switzerland to lay out The Bahamas’ case for membership in that body.

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hile addressing the first meeting of the Working Party responsible for The Bahamas’ accession, on September 14, Minister Laing emphasised the Government’s commitment to WTO membership and its desire to conclude negotiations “within a timely period in a manner that enhances our natural development and positively supports our further integration into the global economy.”

Minister Laing was accompanied by Raymond Winder, who has been appointed Chief Negotiator for the accession process by the Government; Joshua Sears, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Simon Wilson, Director, Economic Planning, Ministry of Finance; Frank Davis, Consul, Bahamas High Commissioner, United Kingdom and Mark Sills, Trade Consultant.

The purpose of the meeting was to initiate the discussions concerning the accession of The Bahamas to the WTO. “The Government has made WTO accession an important component in its programme of national economic development and looks forward to concluding its negotiations on WTO accession in an orderly and timely manner,” said Mr. Laing.

In July the Government hosted the Chairman of the Working Party, Ambassador Peter Black; the Director of the Accessions Division, Chiedu Osakwe; and the Secretary of the Working Party, Sajal Mathur.

During that visit they met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon Hubert Ingraham; the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brent

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Zhivargo Laing, at WTO accession talks.

Symonette; the Leader and members of the Official Opposition, senior government officials, private sector stakeholders and civil society.

“The Government viewed this visit as a very important part of the dialogue in our accession process,” said Mr. Laing.

“The Government has already done considerable work

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and has begun reforming laws governing both foreign and internal trade, bringing practices into compliance with the rules of the WTO,” said Mr. Laing.

“We have also commenced a programme of legislative reform which is largely self-funded and involves the engagement of consultants from many WTO member countries.”

This programme, among other things, will see the introduction of new WTO compliant Customs legislation, amendments to existing intellectual property legislation, a foreign investment law, introduction of new rules governing technical standards and sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards, and the operation of a competition law regime.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Zhivargo Laing (right) is welcomed to WTO talks by Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organisation.

“Additionally, on a best effort basis, all future legislation will be WTO compliant and draft legislation will be published in sufficient time before enactment to allow for comments from interested parties.

“These reforms, once implemented, will to a large degree result in considerably improved conditions of access for foreign suppliers of goods and services on a Most Favoured Nation basis and will correspondingly enhance the market access commitments that The Bahamas will undertake as part of its accession to the WTO.”

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The Bahamas will also seek to become a signatory to the Government Procurement Agreement, once the WTO compliant revisions are made to existing legislation, he said.

“As a very open economy it has long been the policy of the Government to protect the right of legal entities to import and export authorised goods without arbitrary restrictions.

“We fully expect the Bahamian market for foreign goods and services to continue to grow from current levels in line with the overall continuing growth and development of the Bahamian economy.

“We believe that improving our international trade prospects go hand in hand with improving our internal trade prospects.

Minister of State for Finance, Zhivargo Laing, and the Bahamas’ team at WTO talks. Pictured from left are Frank Davis, Consul, Bahamas High Commission, United Kingdom; Joshua Sears, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Raymond Winder, Chief Negotiator for The Bahamas’ Accession Process; Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organisation; Zhivargo Laing, Minister of State for Finance; Simon Wilson, Director, Economic Planning, Ministry of Finance; Mark Sills, Trade Consultant, Ministry of Finance; staff member, Office, Director General; and Chiedu Osakwe, Director of the World Trade Organisation Accessions Division .

“To this end the Government has taken a series of initiatives aimed in their entirety at improving the ease with which business is done in The Bahamas,” said Minister Laing.

These include the passage of a new and modern Business License Act; implementing reforms that will ensure results

doingBUSINESS

based management within the public sector; utilising consultants from the Government of Singapore toward establishing a comprehensive programme to offer government services electronically, and developing a new, more relevant framework for supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

He noted that The Bahamas has been “seriously affected” by the global recession.

“We are currently compelled to deal with the economic and social implications of a soft economy with an unemployment rate of about 15 per cent and the adverse effect

on the Government’s financial resources, the latter having to be very carefully managed.”

“We have taken steps to address this as evidenced by our May 2010 Budget, which introduced a broad range of expenditure reductions and a number of revenue measures.

“Given the current situation, we seek to balance our commitment to WTO accession with the firm recognition that small, vulnerable economies such as ours must accede to the WTO on terms that safeguard our growth and promote development,” said Mr. Laing.

Reforming the Country’s Business Environment..... cont’d from page 48 maintaining international best practices, which it seeks to continue through the proposals of the Bill - inspired by the International Monetary Fund’s Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency (2007), as well as by relevant provisions in other progressive countries.

The overriding objectives of the Bill’s proposals, in line with the IMF Good Practices Code, are that in the administration of public finances, roles and responsibilities must be clear; the budget process must be open; public financial information must be readily and openly available

and the integrity of the process must be assured.

Among the key features of the Bill is the establishment of an Internal Audit Department in the Ministry of Finance to enhance efficiency, accountability and transparency in the management of government resources.

“There can be no doubt,” the Prime Minister added, “that these are crucial requirements in relation to Government actions in a modern democracy such as The Baha-mas.

“History will record that my Government has relentlessly pursued the strengthening of governance in this country.”

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51

in his ownWORDS “I have no grievance whatsoever against the world, or the people in it. I’m having a grand time. I am what I am, not because of what I am but in spite of it.”

Bert Williams. (Circa. 1911)

although I could make twice the salary in Vaudeville? There never has been any contract between us, just a gentlemen’s agreement. I always get on perfectly with everybody in the company by being polite and friendly but keeping my distance. Meanwhile I am lucky enough to have real friends, people who are sure enough of themselves not to need to care what their brainless and envious rivals will say if they happen to be seen walking along the street with me. I have acquired enough philosophy to protect me against the things which would cause me humiliation and grief if I had not learned independence. It was not people in the company, I since discovered, but outsiders who were making use of that line of talk for petty personal purposes.

Meanwhile, I have no grievance whatsoever against the world, or the people in it: I’m having a grand time. I am what I am, not because of what I am but in spite of it.

Photo illustrations courtesy of Archeophone Records To purchase Bert Williams’ recordings please contact: www.archeophone.com

Ida’s continued from page 20 me but we both ‘bucked up’ downstairs – I said to her, hi love, I want to see you – she stopped and started laughing, saying, “people can’t even get away from you hey”, to which I said, “sweetheart why do you want to get away from me and I am looking for you ?”

That kind of tenacity is what has made Ida’s Bush Beer and Seclusion Farms Best Plant Beverages a fixture in the marketplace. However, please note that Ida Thompson Rose is no doctor or healer. She is quite emphatic about this.

“I am not a doctor, I am just telling you what I know can help you. I am no bush woman or medicine woman. The beverages that I make, people call them bush medicines, but I have to tell them it is not, it is beverages made from plants that I have carefully selected.”

“Neither am I a healer, but my drinks do heal people’s spirit and I do use nature’s pharmacy.

My drinks are made from natural indigenous Bahamian plants. Whatever the doctor says that you need is usually found in your backyard. I remember that I read a book called Secrets and the author was an Indian. What it said was that the body heals itself. The body regenerates itself and when something is wrong with you, and you take certain plants, they are supposed to clear, cleanse and rebalance the body. The body is to be balanced and it becomes unbalanced by the foods we eat - everything is linked to diet. I experienced this first hand when I drank a red drink from the market when I was newly married, my body and face swell up and I looked a sight, I was bloated. The Dr. immediately forbade me to drink any more coloured drinks and when I eliminated the toxins, I had a list of foods that I could not eat. Once again, my natural food diet saved me.”

Island Living – we are so fortunate… contends Thompson Rose as she muses about her heritage. She explained, “with island living, you eat natural healthy foods, you walk naturally everywhere since nowhere is far, the sea is usually nearby and refreshing; you can walk from one settlement to the next, children are taught manners and to respect their elders – unlike in Nassau where rudeness prevails.”

52 IslandScene / Nov. - Dec. 2010