August 2017
Issue 47
Festival 1
August Bank Holiday signals the end of British Summer but it also plays a significant role in the London entertainment calendar with one event in particular-Notting Hill Carnival. Notting Hill Carnival have always courted controversy and will continue to do so for a very long time. 2017 is no different and, as carnival costume production gets into full swing across London and pan musicians practice feverishly to cop the coveted title of panorama champs and calypsonians battle for the London Calypso Monarch title, there is that sombre tone that rocked the carnival arena, the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. Greg Hands, the Minister in charge of London called for the carnival to be moved because of the Greenfell fire. What he did was further emphasised how out-of-touch the government is with the people. Notting Hill Carnival has been the glue that has seen the Ladbroke Grove community through many difficult trials ever since migrants were corralled into what was considered slums. The Mayor of London who seems to be more in touch with the people tweeted “Notting Hill Carnival is a firm tradition and incredibly important to the local community. It should not be moved.” Carnival impresario Sonny Blacks speaking to the Evening Standard said. “The carnival will brighten the whole gloom that is over London, and we need that.” Carnival organisers of London Notting Hill Carnival Enterprise Trust are coordinating efforts to have a minute of silence as a mark of respect for the victims of the Greenfell Tower fire. The Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers event on August 13th will also pay tribute to the Greenfell Tower victims.
David Kalloo Editor
Production and concept: D.T. Kalloo
Culturepulse is designed and produced by Cashewmedia ltd and published online through www.issuu.com Copyright 2017 Views and comments expressed by contributors are not necessary those of Culturepulse or Cashewmedia Ltd but of the author/s.
For all enquiries, please contact: 07738864335 cashewmedialtd@gmail.com Culturepulse list of contributors’ to making the magazine a success. Natalie Alicia Dookie Lyndon Brathwaite, Ansel Wong, David Wears, Chris Boothman, Nasser Khan, Malaika Crichlow, Amos Armstrong, Soshina Stephen, David Rudder, Jimmy Kainja, Paul Ade, Akilah Holder-Stewart, Michael La Rose, Dr Michelle Yaa, Dr Juanita CoxWestmaas, Dianne A Kalloo, Shabaka Thompson, Ron Ramdin, Rhianna Kalloo, Angelique, Dorothy Scott, Memory Pincheck, Erica Williams-Connell, Darren Lewis, Tessa Robinson, Cindy Mollineau, Omardath Maharaj, Selena Carty, Alison Bajaican, Mahalia Mayne, Afridiziak, Caroline Muraldo and Nestor Sullivan
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Contents CTFF Media launch - page 5 Ata Kak…the new meaning of dance – page 6 St Maarten Jet Blast Death – page 8 Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers Festival – page 10 Taking Back My African Name – page 15 Grace Foods Penny Pledge – page 20 Malawi 56 Years later – page 22 Caribbean Cocoa, from Bean to Bar – page 26 Cindy Mollineau – page 28 Dorothy Height Honoured on US Stamp – page 32 Noirs de France – page 35
Janet Kay
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CTFF Toronto Media Launch Toronto, Canada The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival (CTFF) held its Media Launch and Program Reveal, copresented by the Consul General of Barbados at Toronto, with an evening of community and celebration. The packed event featured the Canadian Premiere screening of Barbadian film legend-in-themaking Shakirah Bourne’s latest fantasy feature film: A Caribbean Dream. And the international release of the trailer for Toronto-based filmmaker Sharon Lewis’ fifteen-year labour of love: upcoming Afro-futurist feature film Brown Girl Begins.
where funded by Flow and will be premiered at CTFF2017. With an amazing line-up of filmmakers for this year’s CTI, Flow has made the same commitment again.
“At twelve years old, CaribbeanTales has worked to create a brand for Caribbean Cinema, not divided by country, and inclusive of the Diaspora, that brings together our separate and collective legacies, our unique, distinctive and authentic stories,” said Frances-Anne Solomon, Executive Director, CTFF.
Shakirah Bourne will also be representing Barbados at CTI 2017 with another fantasy project: Visit with the Obeah Woman. She will be joined by Karen Mandinka, with travel documentary series Transcribed (Jamaica), Rick Ellwood and Paul O Beale with comedic drama: The Agency (Jamaica), Roger Alexis with Santana spin-off Leo Street (Trinidad and Tobago), Janine Fung’s comedy MIX UP (Trinidad and Tobago), Leticia Tonos with zombie thriller Inflamed (Dominican Republic), Louis Taylor and Altair Plugs Taylor with cynical reality show Spawn & Geezer (Canada), Kareem Mortimer’s “crama-dy” Sully’s Manor (Bahamas), Cristobal Krusen with political drama Life or Death (Belize), and Nicolas Cuellular and Nadege Robertson with environmental love story Fontizon – A Forest Grows in Haiti (Haiti).
With fourteen (14) feature films and thirty (30) short films, from eighteen (18) countries, the twelfth annual CTFF promises to challenge viewers on the beauty and complexities of Caribbean legacy. This juried screening series will take place from September 6 to September 21, 2017 at The Royal Cinema, and at Cineplex Scotiabank Cinema. The festival runs alongside the CaribbeanTales Incubator, which is a development and marketing hub for top filmmakers around the Caribbean and Diaspora.“Through the Incubator, we’re pleased to support the growth of our Region’s film industry and simultaneously develop compelling creative content relevant for our Region, as well as a global audience – giving viewers at home and abroad top-notch Caribbean content,” said John Reid, CEO of Cable and Wireless / Flow, the lead sponsor of the CTFF and CTI.The impact of this remarkable partnership is the exciting news that the three pilots emerged from CTI 2016,
These CTI filmmakers will be working over the next months to prepare for CaribbeanTales’ crowning Industry Event: The Big Pitch at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 10, 2017 where they will pitch their projects to industry professionals. A limited number of tickets will be available for non-industry members wishing to attend. Photo and text courtesy CaribDirect.com 5
Ata Kak…the new meaning of dance It has been over a year that I began receiving invitations to see the band Ata Kak but due to other commitments their performance dates always clash. However, when the invitation came to hear the band in an intimate setting at the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick I could not pass this one up. If someone had asked me to describe Ata Kak in one word, I would have to borrow a word from Van Morrison and say; they are ‘Fantabulous’. Ata Kak following is as eclectic as the music itself. A variation of rhythms fused together that is in a genre of its own. Its young, its vibrant and its infectious to your soul. If the truth be known, we shouldn’t have been seated in the first place.
Ata Kak Tour dates: Thursday 24 August 2017 Atlas Electronic Music and Arts Festival Villa Janna, Morocco Sunday 27 August 2017 Percolate, Atlas Arts Festival Morocco Wednesday 30 August 2017 Dimensions Festival Fort Punta Christo Croatia Thursday 7 September 2017 Zurich, Switzerland 15, 16, 17 September 2017 Le Trabendo Paris, France
Once the first chords of ‘Medofo’ was struck 95% of those seated took to the floor with pure energy emanating from the band. If anyone present didn’t know what Ata Kak Music was about they soon found out when ‘Obaa Sima’ was cranked up with Yaw Owusu leading the floor with his dance moves. It is amazing that Yaw recorded most of the songs on a cassette while living in Canada in the nineties. The cassette found its way in Ghana’s Cape Ghost market where it was discovered by a producer who set out to find the elusive Yaw. The album Obaa Sima was eventually released in 2014 and since then the music of Ata Kak have gone on to infect audiences across the world with its influences of reggae, dancehall, hip hop and soul and held together by Yaw’s own unique joyous evocative style.
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St Maarten Jet Blast Death St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International airport is known as the world’s scariest airport. It is a tourist hotspot where visitors cling to the fence for an experience of jet blast from aircrafts taking off.
Plane spotting is one of the popular activity at the airport which is literally on the Maho beach. The airport runway is just 2, 180m (1.4 miles) and planes approach at very low altitudes. Thrill seekers wanting to experience the strength of the jet blast are often blown in to the nearby beach and sometimes the jet blast would rip bikinis and clothing from bodies.
The popular spot has warning signs for tourist to stay clear of the area but it has done little to stem the trend and the thrill. While there have been many injuries in the past, no one has died as a result until now. The victim, a 57-year-old woman from New Zealand was reportedly blown away by the powerful jet blast and struck her head on the concrete where she fell. She was taken to hospital where she later died. St Maarten police did not name the victim.
Despite clearly signposted, warning of “severe physical harm and/or death” and regular patrols from the police, tourists often ignore them for the experience at the world’s scariest airport. The Boeing 737 was Trinidad bound when the incident occurred last Wednesday just after 6pm.
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Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers Festival There have been several people associated with the birth of Notting Hill Carnival and, it has courted controversy throughout its history. However, there can be no confusion or controversy when it comes to bestowing accolade to the person who brought direction and cohesion to what we know today as Notting Hill Carnival and, the person who stands on that pedestal is no other than Leslie ‘Teacher’ Palmer MBE. After the Rhuane Lasslett, Claudia Jones and Russell Henderson MBE the Caribbean carnival in Notting Hill lacked direction and up until 1973, the annual Bank Holiday event was an unorganised gathering by Trinidadians and other West Indians
a natural death.” With the help of Anthony Perry, Leslie began the task of moulding the future of what was to become, one of the biggest Caribbean carnivals outside of Trinidad. In 1973 under the leadership of Leslie ‘Teacher’ Palmer, Notting Hill Carnival now had a driver to steer the
claiming the streets for the day. Almost 8 years after Russell Henderson’s lone tenor pan rang out in Ladbroke Grove along came the visionary, Leslie Palmer. Leslie Palmer recognised that the carnival was struggling to establish itself and set about on a course to bring the carnival under an organised umbrella. Leslie in his humility does not take all the credit, he says. “Without the assistance of Anthony Perry, the first Director of the North Kensington Amenity Trust which is now Westway Trust, the Notting Hill Carnival would most probably have died 10
London. The band, Head Hunters was courtesy the late Lawrence Noel presentation of American Indians. 1973 also saw the emergence of Peter Minshall on the carnival stage. He had designed some costumes for a Commonwealth show and Dexter Khan seized the opportunity to borrow the costumes to take part in Notting Hill Carnival, thus giving birth to Cocoyea mas band. Minshall went on to change the aspect of carnival when he returned to Trinidad. event into prominence, establishing carnival as an indelible fixture into the British summer events. Having raised £700 and given office space by Perry, Leslie organised six Steelbands, six reggae and soul bands and six sound systems (mainly Jamaicans) and three carnival costume bands. It was the first time a full carnival costume band had paraded the streets of
Forty years later in 2013, Leslie Palmer returned to the carnival arena and established the Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers and staging the first tribute to the carnival pioneers with his show, ‘Carnival 1973 Remembered.’ According to Leslie the event was “primarily to celebrate the role of the carnival pioneers and publicly
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acknowledge the role that they played in establishing Notting Hill Carnival.”
The Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers Community Festival event is free and will be held on Sunday 13th August 2017 12 noon to 9 pm. Portobello Green. Nearest tube Ladbroke Grove Tube, Buses 295, 452, 52, 23, 7 and 70. For further information please contact David Kalloo on 07738864335 or email davidtkalloo@gmail.com website: www.nhcp.co.uk info@nchp.co.uk Please see links to Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers Community Festivals 2015 and 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OuW 1cb2c2U
2017 marks the fifth anniversary of the Notting Hill Carnival Pioneers (NHCP) community festival and in following in its tradition of honouring Notting Hill Carnival pioneers, the festival will pay tribute to; Pansy Jeffery, founder of the Caribbean Senior Citizens Pepper Pot Club, The Mangrove 9, Cricklewood 12, Metro 4, Clem Curtis (of Lion King and lead singer of the 60s group The Foundations), Philson (the Dominican restauranteur), Lucky Gordon (Profumo Affair) and Darcus Howe are some of the names in the line-up of tributes. There will also be special tributes to the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ69n Zuqa2E
Leslie Palmer’s efforts and his continued contribution to the community have none gone un-noticed. He was awarded an MBE in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for his dedication and outstanding services to the local community.
Photos courtesy NHCP.
This year’s entertainment will include; Dennis ‘Matumbi’ Bovell, Janet Kay, the Queen of Lovers Rock, Gail Edmunds, Gaz Mayall, The Nostalgia Steelband and many local DJs who will pay tribute to the legendary Duke Vin, Count Suckle and Prince Buster. Paul Weller is also expected to make a guest appearance at this year’s show. Last year he treated the crowd to an impromptu rendition of Bob Marley’s Stir
It Up. A special feature this year will be the recognition of the contributions made by the Francophone islands of Dominica, St Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe whose input have also played a part in the success of Notting Carnival. Often, many of the other islands that have contributed to the success of the Notting Hill Carnival are left in the shadows. 12
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Taking Back My African Name
Kenyan mind, Christian names came to be seen as formal, official, a sign of being educated, no longer a heathen, saved from oneʼs primitive nature. Long after the country gained independence, this mentality remained. Kenyaʼs first president, Jomo Kenyatta (among many other figures), is credited with saying “When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible.” Even after Kenya gained independence, we remained strong custodians of the religion they left us and the names that came with following this religion. Many years later, I went to the US to study. The Africans I met, particularly many of the Nigerians, instantly made me start questioning all I had grown to believe was normal. Omoshalewa, Olayemi. I would introduce myself to other Africans and wait for the moment when they would say their “Christian” name, but this moment never came. I remember that sudden realization that there were other black Africans such as myself roaming the world with no European names. Did my Nigerian Christian friends know that they were saying goodbye to heaven by refusing to
It took moving to America for me to change my colonized name Ciku Kimeria “Kah-ri-ye!!” That is my earliest memory of hearing my English name spoken and it dates to the early 90s on the field at my primary school in Nairobi. Even then, that name felt like an older siblingʼs hand-medowns never quite fitting well. Carrie. That was my name, but I never quite knew how to pronounce it. It was there on all my official documents and on the tip of my tongue for whenever I was asked, “What is your Christian name?” In the naming convention of the Kikuyu people, I as the second daughter of my parents, was named after my maternal grandmother. “Kah-ri-ye, what a strange name. Where did your cucu get that name from?” “Missionaries.” I never gave much thought to why all my classmates in an African country had names such as Rose, Catherine, Jeffrey, Lawrence. All I knew was that these were our Christian names. These names plus our baptism assured us of our place in heaven. It was as simple as that. We needed Christian names. It is said that the British colonialists decided to give Kenyans Christian names as they could not pronounce our African names. This explanation sounds plausible given they did mispronounce Mt. Kirinyaga as Mt. Kenya. Kenyan Catholics also needed to acquire a European saints name in addition to their existing English name during baptism. In the psyche of the
A Samburu woman of Kenya 15
take up proper “Christian” names—even if they did go to chapel every Sunday? I started reflecting deeply on my name and the connotations it had. Growing up, the thought of not having a Christian name was as good as loudly revealing yourself to be a heathen. Of course, there had been famous Kenyans with no English names, but they were all what would be thought of as rebels at the time or activists. Wangari Maathai— the Kenyan Nobel prize laureate, who was also known as Mama Miti (mother of trees) for her conservation work. Koigi wa Wamwere—a politician, human rights activist and writer. Wambui Otieno—who was a freedom fighter, an activist and writer. Carrie. I believe I only learned how to pronounce my name the first time I watched Sex and the City. Before then, I had mostly been making educated guesses about how it should be pronounced, but I always doubted it was “Kah-ri-ye.” I reflected on this name and what it took away from me. I imagined a distant future where I would have no Kenyan accent and would be walking around the US with this name. In time, no one would ask me “Where are you from?” because I would have no foreign accent and a generic English name. In time, my descendants would not have any defining features to place them in Kenya—nothing to remind them that my familyʼs origin was on the foothills of Mt. Kenya. The story of the origin of my name would be lost forever. They would never know of when Ngai (God) created the first Kikuyu man and woman—Agikuyu and Mumbi, placed them on the slopes of Mt. Kirinyaga and gave them nine lovely daughters—one of whom was known as Wanjiku (commonly shortened to Ciku.) In the recent past, I have met many other Kenyans (and other Africans) who have dropped their European names. Everyoneʼs path is different—I have a friend who dropped hers when she learnt that her name was the exact name of the
colonial governor who oversaw the mass incarceration, torture and murder of tens of thousands of Kenyans who fought against British rule. Another dropped her English name for always feeling like “a stranger” in that name. In my generation, there are Kenyans who have opted not to give their children any European names. Growing up there was always the mentality that an European name was needed for official purposes, but there is no legal obligation to have such a name on oneʼs identification documents. I think many people still believe that is the case. That is why it seems Kenyans opting out of having European names for their children is still an exception rather than the rule. Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo, who has written extensively about decolonizing African minds and language says “Language, any language, has a dual character: it is both a means of communication and a carrier of culture.” By having the name, Carrie, I wondered whose culture I was carrying on and which one I was letting go of. So, with that reflection and that determination, one day in my Sophomore year in university, I sent an email to all my friends and family: “From this moment henceforth, I am Ciku.”
Article courtesy Quartz Africa Weekly Brief — the most important and interesting news from across the continent. Photo courtesy queenbeph.tumblr.com
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Gresham College Free Lectures There are a number of Free Lectures taking place this year at Gresham College in Holborn this year that is well worth attending. All lectures are free and open to all. You are advised to turn up approximately 30 minutes before each lecture begins. Admission is on a first come first served basis unless advertised as reservation specified.
Wednesday 11th October Museum of London - 6pm The History of Pain Lecture by visiting Professor of History, Joanna Bourke Tuesday 24th October Museum of London - 6pm Is Society Ready for Driverless Cars? Lecture by Professor of Information Technology, Martyn Thomas
Please note that lectures are recorded and available free of charge in video, audio and transcript formats. The college has over 2000 lectures on their website dating back to 1984.
Wednesday 13th September Museum of London - 6pm From Royal Highway to Common Sewer: The River Thames and Its Architecture Lecture by visiting Professor of Built Environment, Simon Thurley
Thursday 09th November Barnard’s Inn Hall - 6pm Organic Food: Rooted in Lies Lecture by Professor of the Environment, Carolyn Roberts Wednesday 15th November Museum of London - 6pm Diabetes: A rising Tide Lecture by visiting Professor of Public Health, Christopher Whitty
Thursday 21st September Barnard’s Inn Hall - 6pm Productivity Puzzle Lecture by Professor of Commerce, Jagjit Chadha
For further information and bookings please contact: Gresham College Barnard’s Inn Hall Holborn London EC1N 2HH 0207831 0575 www.gresham.ac.uk enquiries@gresham.ac.uk
Tuesday 26th September Museum of London - 6pm Conservative Party Lecture by visiting Professor of Political History, Vernon Bogdanor Thursday 5th October Barnard’s Inn Hall - 6pm Women Lawyers: Equals at the Bar Lecture by visiting Professor of Political History, Jo Dalahunty 19
THE ANGEL FOUNDATION BENEFITS FROM GRACE FOODS PENNY PLEDGE A £5,000 cheque presentation by Grace
enough. The money raised by The Penny
Foods UK to the UK-based Angel
Pledge will help to make a real difference
Foundation charity featured in a live link
to the lives of many people in Jamaica by
to Jamaica-based radio station, Power 106.
making good quality healthcare available to them.”
The money was raised by Grace Foods ‘Penny Pledge’ campaign in which one
Adam Reader, Grace Foods UK’s
penny from cases of Grace-branded
Managing Director, added: “Angel is an
products sold in independent shops
inspiration to us all. She works tirelessly
throughout the UK is donated to charity.
and has the ability to enthuse and mobilise others around her, for the greater good.
It will be used towards much needed
We’re always delighted to support people
medical equipment for use in Jamaica,
like her who lead by example and put
including the shipping costs for an
others first.”
ambulance and mobile dental clinic bus, along with two defibrillators and an ECG
Pictured left to right at the cheque
(electrocardiogram) unit.
presentation ceremony are: Brian Mitchell, Grace Foods UK’s Chief Financial
The cheque was handed over to Angel
Officer; Angel Christian; Grace Foods
Christian, founder of The Angel
UK’s Managing Director Adam Reader
Foundation, at Grace Foods UK’s
and Head of Marketing Nyree Chambers.
headquarters in Welwyn Garden City. Angel said: “I can’t thank Grace Foods
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schools and colleges, even more so that the
Malawi – 56 Years After Dunduzu K. Chisiza’s “Realities of African Independence”
book is currently out of print. I am saying this because Chisiza’s fears of independent African countries have come to pass, certainly for Malawi. It is through reading this book that one appreciates political and leadership problems faced today, in Malawi and elsewhere on the continent. To make my point, I will
“Vindictiveness directed at the opposition parties has its nemesis when tables are turned – not to mention the adverse effect of the resultant strife on economic development.”
concentrate on political and leadership problems that Chisiza identified, in part because I think these two problems are key to socio-political and economic problems
Dunduzu Kaluli Chisiza
that have trapped so many African countries in poverty.By political problems
By Jimmy Kainja in Malawi
Chisiza did not mean wars or other forms In his futuristic 1961 book “Realities of
of insurgency. He meant personalised
African Independence”, Dunduzu Kaluli
politics that stifle national development,
Chisiza envisioned some of the problems
politics that promote narrow personal
that newly independent African States
interests at the expense of wider national
would face. He mentioned four specific
interests. Chisiza argued that at the centre
problems: 1) political, 2) leadership, 3)
of the political problems was the
social and 4) economic. The book was
relationship between government and
entirely set out to discuss problems that
opposition parties. He noticed that this was
independent African countries would have
“indicated by such symptoms as
to deal with. I think it is a shame that this
intolerance on the part of governing
book is not a recommended reading in
parties, a tendency towards ‘strong-man’
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governments, indulgence in smear
patronage are a deadly combination
campaigns and political instability.”
because those involved in malpractice, such as corruption do so with impunity –
Anyone who pays attention to Malawi
corruption cases like cashgate has taught
politics would agree that after 53 years of
Malawians this lesson. Politics attract not
independence Malawi is still mired in the
patriots and people ready to serve their
political mess that Chisiza feared. Party
nation but opportunists looking to get
politics is prioritised over governance – it
closer to power for personal gains.
is always a contest between opposition and the incumbency while the rest of the
National events are politicised so the
country spectates. The caveat here is that
ruling party can benefit from public
those in the opposition often have no better
resources being thrown around for a
option either; it is just that it is not they
national event. On its 53rd independence
with the public purse at that given time –
Malawi government decided to celebrate
Malawi is stuck in this political vicious
the anniversary under the theme “thanking
circle.
God for a season of plenty.” The theme clearly points to the relatively good harvest
Within the independent African states,
in the last harvesting season and the ruling
Chisiza feared what he called leadership of
party shamelessly makes sure that it takes
“rewarding friends and punishing foes” at
at least some credit for it, when in fact
the expense of greater public good. He
Malawians should be question whether the
noted:
issue of food security should remain the
“It is deplorable for leaders to promote faithful party members into positions for which they have not necessary skill or ability, above the heads of those who possess it. This leads not only to inefficiency but to downright corruption.”
defining political issue, 53 years after independence. There is no space for policy issues; it is always about politics, not governance and
Most of the problems facing Malawi today
not Malawi as a notion but political party.
emanate from party politics Chisiza
Political party colours are more prominent
warned about. Corruption and politics of 23
during national events than the national
The political and leadership problems that
flag. This is a defining shame of Malawi’s
Chisiza so ably identified have turned
democratic era.
Malawi into a corruption heaven where folks prefer to advance narrow self-
Academic studies with findings
interests than promoting broader national
unacceptable to the incumbency is met
interests; a country where those in the
with brutal rejection, indignation and
positions of power and their cronies loot
intimidation from the government and
from the public coffers with impunity.
ruling party zealots; civil society organisations that dare question the status quo are vilified by the government in equal measure. Every political party in power has its useful youth wing whose duty is not national service but to intimidate opposition and silence critical voices. Unfortunately, you cannot do away with
Jimmy Kainja Activist of all sorts | Academic | writer| blogger | researcher | co-editor & Africa Blogging
these problems through the ballot – the solution is not choosing one party or individual over the other. This is because, as Chisiza observed the cause of these problems is the friction between the incumbency and the opposition – elections only means the two opposites swapping sides and the motivation of being in power remains the same: exploiting the public purse. They hold it so dearly that anyone who dare point out flaws in the governance system is seen as a threat.
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Innovation: Caribbean cocoa, from bean to bar Cocoa production in the Caribbean has declined steadily since the 1950s, however rising world prices for fine flavour cocoa is attracting new investment to the sector, creating partnerships between entrepreneurs and knowledge, innovation and research, to develop value added industries and agro-tourism opportunities.
2020 and ensuring access to value-added markets, the TTFCC, in partnership with the InterAmercian Development Bank and CRC, has launched the Improving Marketing and Production of Artisanal Cocoa from Trinidad & Tobago (IMPACTT) project. IMPACTT is developing new standards, a chain-ofcustody system, a certification system and a range of marketing tools to help growers sell their beans for the highest value. “Trinidad and Tobago’s fine flavour cocoa fetches three to four times the value per tonne on the world market and improvements in flavour, quality, certification and branding through geography can further increase this,” head of CRC, Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan explains.
A pioneering regional ‘bean to bar’ business model in the Caribbean, and investment in research, development and best practices, is enhancing the sustainability of the region’s cocoa sector. In 2015, entrepreneur Ashley Parasram launched the first cocoa processing factory in Trinidad – Trinidad & Tobago Fine Cocoa Company (TTFCC) – through a public-private partnership. The state of the art facility, which utilises the latest beanto-bar technology from Brazil, produces up to 100 t of cocoa products per year under its brand, ‘Truly Exceptional’, and offers value added processing services to local growers and private companies, such as the House of Arendel. Fine flavour cocoa accounts for 5% of world cocoa production with seven of the eight exclusive producers located in the Caribbean.
The establishment of the International Fine Cocoa Innovation Centre (IFCIC), with a €2 million grant from the European Union/African, Caribbean and Pacific Science and Technology Fund, will also support linkages from farmers to chocolatiers. In addition to housing a ‘Chocolate Academy’, which will host practical courses on utilising indigenous cocoa beans and promote the innovation of new products and recipes, IFCIC will also offer a ‘business incubator’ to provide technical, business and logistical support to local enterprises.
House of Arendel has also benefitted from training provided by the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC). The company’s managing director, Richard Trotman, believes that participating in the centre’s chocolate making training programme increased the company’s product innovation; today they incorporate local fruits and jellies, including guava and mango, into their cocoa products.
Natalie Dookie First Published in Spore Magazine March 20117 Republished with the kind permission of the author, Natalie Dookie
With the aim of increasing cocoa quality and yield from 650 t in 2015 to 1,000 t in 26
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Cindy Mollineau On Carnival Make-up Hello to my fellow Carnival lovers. August is soon upon us and that means that preparations for Notting Hill Carnival is underway. Many of us, myself included would have already chosen our costumes and making plans for the many parties and events associated with this cultural extravaganza.
Appointments are available from 5am and are 20min, 30min or 45min, depending on the makeup package you choose. I am pleased to announce that makeup services will be provided in a private suite along the route.
For us ladies though, a few things are crucially important for our carnival experience. We need a top-to- toe experience so our nails, waxing needs and footwear are all a must for a picturesque Carnival Monday. But wait, one is missing; a makeup appointment to have our face 'beat' is essential! So being a working masquerader I am pleased to let my fellow revellers know that I will be offering makeup appointments (beating faces) before taking to the road! My team The Glam Squad will be waiting to meet all your makeup needs on carnival day.
So here are the packages... Carnival Lover: 20mins Cost: £25 Gems and glitter: includes gem and glitter application and lash application if you walk with your own lashes. An additional £5 if we provide the lashes in this package. CarnivalGlam: 30mins Cost: £45 Full makeup application includes foundation eye makeup, gems and glitter if desired, lashes application if desired. Lashes are included if desired. Soca Diva: 45mins £60 Full makeup application with foundation, contour & highlight, eye makeup, extra/elaborate gem applications, face and body glitter if desired, client can present their desired look at time of booking. Lashes are included if desired.
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❤ Glitter of choice ❤ Gems x25 in 3 colours ❤ Spirit gum ❤ Tweezer ❤ Liquid Lipstick ❤ Instruction Manual For further information and booking please email me at: cindy.mollineau@gmail.com Whatever your makeup choices, I look forward to seeing you on the road!
Early booking is advised as spots are going soon. A Glamsquad DIY kit is also available for purchase for those wishing to complete their own look this carnival. Kit costs £30 including shipping within the UK. Kits will be posted/collected by 15th August 2017. DIY Kit includes: ❤Makeup palette: Technic electric palette. Limited availability of Sacha trio eyeshadows. Available on a first come first serve basis. Very limited. Sacha trio colours include Alicia 2 (blue, yellow, pink) Cappuccino Chilled (beige, medium brown, mocha brown) Drama (yellow, black, orange) Trick or Treat Quad (red, black, silver, white) ❤ Strip Lashes: mink lashes ❤ Gold/Silver leaf 29
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For further information contact Smokey Joe Roadshow Ltd. +44 7984894795 or skype 31
onikĂŠ.nique.joseph or email onikej@hotmail.com
Dorothy Height Honoured in the US Black Heritage Stamps Series
the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994.
Truth—we may have to dial back the Public Enemy lyrics from “Fight The Power”: “Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps.”
In 1990, Height, along with 15 other African Americans, formed the AfricanAmerican Women for Reproductive Freedom. She served as national president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority from 1947 to 1956; was the chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; and an honoured guest at the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009, where she was seated on stage.
Because, frankly, since the Black Heritage Stamps series started, most of my heroes do, in fact, appear on stamps. From Malcolm X and Ida B. Wells to Harriet Tubman and Benjamin Banneker, the series gives me some small semblance of joy when I actually send a missive or bill through “snail mail.” The U.S. postal service just announced that Dorothy Height will be honoured as the 40th stamp in the Black Heritage Forever series. The painting of Height is based on based on a 2009 photograph shot by Lateef Mangum. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.
Height is the 15th African American woman to appear in the series. The stamp will be available in 2017.
Text and photo with the kind courtesy of CaribDirect.com
Height was a tireless activist who dedicated her life to fighting for racial and gender equality. She lived a remarkable life that was in service to her community but African-American women in particular. Although she rarely gained the recognition granted her male contemporaries, she became one of the most influential civil rights leaders of the 20th century. She was the president of the National Council of Negro Women for forty years and was awarded 32
Mr. Lashley said that there was “a tremendous amount of interest” regionally and internationally in CARIFESTA, and to be able to beam the events outside would require the collaboration and cooperation of CBU.
CARIFESTA XIII will not lack for exposure thanks to the signing of two agreements – The Host Broadcasters Agreement with the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC); and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU).
General Manager of CBC, Doug Hoyte, who signed on behalf of that organisation, said that CBC was well aware of its role in the promotion of cultural development in Barbados and across the Caribbean.
In a brief signing ceremony this afternoon at his Ministry in Sky Mall, Culture Minister, Stephen Lashley, announced that CBC had been appointed the host country’s broadcasting agency responsible for all the television broadcasting arrangements in relation to CARIFESTA XIII. The festival will be held in Barbados from August 17 to 27.
“We see CARIFESTA XIII as an exciting opportunity for us to continue with that work. There are several firsts for CBC in this project as we are establishing a separate broadcasting entity called CARIFESTA television, which will be broadcasting 24 hours a day from the 17th to the 27th. Therefore, we look forward to partnering with the Secretariat and with the CBU in spreading the gospel of Caribbean culture across the globe,” he stated.
Explaining to the media that CBC’s responsibility was “very critical” to the successful broadcasting of all elements of the regional festival, Mr. Lashley indicated that the island expected to welcome approximately 3,000 cultural artistes from 27 countries.
Secretary General of CBU, Sonia Gill, also expressed delight at the partnership, and lauded the initiative as an “opportunity to make this regional festival something that all people in the region can participate in and enjoy”.
“The last occasion that Barbados hosted CARIFESTA was 1981, and we want to ensure going forward we are able to document appropriately and, of course, ensure maximum coverage to persons, particularly in the diaspora … We expect those in Barbados will be participating by actually going to the events but of course CBC through its various services will make it available to all and sundry,” he stated.
theresa.blackman@barbados.gov.bb Information courtesy CARICOM.org
The Minister further disclosed that Government had also concluded arrangements with the CBU, whom he described as a “critical partner”, particularly in relation to coverage and the availability of the events on television to an audience across the Caribbean and beyond into the diaspora.
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Noirs de France Parisian people who live in and around Paris are often higher wage earners than the people who live in other parts of France. The working population in Paris is also of a younger age than the rest of France. The higher wage bracket has drawn many younger French population and migrants to move to the city where the average household income is approximately 36, 085 Euros, almost 60% higher than the national average wage. However, wages fluctuate depending on the arrondissement around Paris. People on the Western will generally make more money than those in the 7th arrondissement. The Parisian population consists of almost 20% first generation immigrants and more than 40% of the children that live in Paris have at least one parent who was a first generation immigrant.
The City of Paris or, as it is also known as the Commune or the Department of Paris has a Black population of approximately 1.8 – 5 million (3-7.5%) 0f the population. These figures are only estimates as it is illegal for the French State to collect data on ethnicity and race. Black people in France or Noirs de France are people of African and or Afro-Caribbean ancestry.
D’ Kalloo Source: http://worldpopulationreview.co
According to recent estimates for 2017, the city of Paris population is 2, 241,346. However, it is estimated that some 10.5 million people live in the surrounding suburbs of Paris, making it the most ‘populous urban area’ in the European Union. Paris is one of the most diverse city in France with more immigrants living in Paris or surrounding areas than in the rest of France. At the beginning of the 21st century France’s population began to grow by approximately 100,000 per year. One of the many reasons for the population growth was attributed to the fact that many 18-40year-olds were having children. 35
36 To celebrate the 30th anniversary, The Making of the Black Working Class in Britain is republished August 2017