Why you should visit Despite It’sVolcano

Montserrat is the Caribbean’s hidden secret. The small pear-shaped nation lies in the Lesser Antilles chain of islands. Montserrat embodies the spirit of the Caribbean people. After the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted in 1995, Caribbean nationals from all over – Dominica, Jamaica, Haiti, and more – emigrated to the nation to rebuild it. To this day you’ll hear English radio broadcasts repeated in Haitian Creole and sometimes Spanish

Tiny Population

With just over 5000 people on the entire island, there’s an intimacy to staying in Montserrat. It feels like everyone knows everyone It’s not uncommon for Montserratians to have nicknames for each other – a name you’d only know if you were born there

TheVolcano

For visitors, there’s a lot to see and explore in Montserrat Firstly, visitors will notice its big smoking hill, which is the island’s active volcano, called the Soufrière Hills This volcano continues to churn to this day But, don’t let that put you off from visiting; many precautions have been put in place to not only ensure the safety of tourists, but of Montserratians as well The Montserrat Volcano Observatory monitors all volcanic activity and leads the Mountain A Glow project

Tying in Culture

The Mountain Aglow project celebrates the wit, warmth, and wisdom the eruption and earlier experiences of disaster have generated in Montserrat, and commemorates the hardships they brought The Soufrière Hills is not a looming threat, but part of Montserratian culture Poetry, music, and art have all been made about the volcano While the volcano is technically at risk for eruption, stringent protocol and monitoring set the risk factor at virtually zero Montserrat possesses a robust alert system and local life has adapted to the presence of the temperamental mountain It’s possible to schedule not only tours of the area devastated in the 1995 and 1997 eruptions that remain uninhabitable to this day, but to tour around the volcano itself Note, it’s only possible to visit these areas under the accompaniment of a licensed guide and often with a police escort Montserrat, for many, is a country that exists off the beaten path, but its cultural makeup – a mashup of various Caribbean cultures – and its unique relationship with disaster, make it a Caribbean country like no other

Alongside his music career, Belafonte also pursued acting He appeared in John Murray Anderson’s Almanac, a musical revue show, for which he won a Tony Award in 1954 He also made appearances in several films, most notably as one of the leads in Island in the Sun with James Mason, Joan Fontaine, and Joan Collins, amongst others

Belafonte’s Jamaican roots have also had a significant influence on his life and career He has always been proud of his heritage, and he has worked to promote Jamaican culture and support the country’s development In 1957, he starred in the film “Island in the Sun,” which was set in Jamaica and dealt with issues of race and class The film was groundbreaking at the time, as it was one of the first Hollywood films to address these issues

The celebrated actor, singer, songwriter and social activist received Jamaica’s fourth highest award in 2018, the Order of Merit (OM) for his outstanding contribution in the field of music

In a message to mark Belafonte’s 95th birthday on March 1, 2022 Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that one of the country’s highways would be renamed in his honor Belafonte’s influence on society can be seen in many areas, but perhaps his greatest legacy is his commitment to social justice and equality He has always been willing to use his voice and his platform to speak out against injustice, and he has inspired countless others to do the same Belafonte’s Jamaican roots have also played an important role in shaping his identity and his career, and they have helped to promote Caribbean culture around the world