Dazzle Magazine Issue 35

facebook.com/dazzlethemag

Quick facts about NFTs

Tember Cadette

Changing Lives By Doing Something Different

Issue 35

Malik St. Prix

The Ultimate Football Warrior

Jana Charles

Meet the Hairsyling Angel of J’s Hairven

Andra Henry Hollywood HP Mesmerizes the Djing World

Try me!

The Ambitious Redesign

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from the publisher Happy New Year readers! Wishing you prosperity and good health for 2022.

O

ver the past year we have been challenged with new obstacles that Covid has brought about, and in the process we’ve been forced us to adapt to the new normal. Some have been able to adjust and move forward relatively quickly, while others are taking it one day at a time and doing the best they can with what they have. For our part, we’ve continued to progress by meeting our challenges head on and working diligently to achieve our goals.

In this issue the entrepreneurs and professionals featured remind us once again that perseverance and staying focused pays off no matter how daunting and persistent the challenges confronting us may be. I’m sure they would also agree that patience is another factor that determines success as nothing comes before its time. And lastly humility, which is sometimes overlooked or ignored, is certainly a good characteristic worth developing.

It is pleasing so see the resilience of our features during this time of uncertainty and we at Dazzle Magazine would like to congratulate them on their success.

To all our staff who provided the necessary support to the incredible personalities being featured in our first issue for 2022, and for helping to ensure its successful publication, we wish to say a great big thank you! You guys are awesome!

With that said, I hope our exciting and diverse lineup whets your appetite for more interviews with equally fascinating young entrepreneurial trailblazers in the months ahead. I wish you happy reading.

Feel free to browse our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube for more inspiring stories.

Happy Reading!

Rankin Morgan Publisher/Managing Editor

Dazzle Magazine is a dynamic Saint Lucian bi-monthly publication that provides muchneeded exposure to young professionals and entrepreneurs, and established businesses. It covers an array of topics and categories key to starting and running a business. It also offers practical advice on everyday living, tips for a healthy lifestyle and interviews with popular and up-and-coming personalities.

Dazzle Magazine is designed to appeal to a diverse range of readers but is especially targeted at working professionals and business owners between the ages of 21-50 years. We provide our advertising clients with value for money by offering them a powerful medium to market their products, offer deals and build their brand. Best of all, we give them the opportunity to be a part of a nationwide and online marketplace of actively engaged consumers who are ready to buy, all at an affordable price.

To advertise in Dazzle Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone 758 484 4642 or email advertising@dazzlethemag.com for more information and terms and conditions.

table of

contents

Publisher Rankin Morgan

Features 10. Malik St. Prix - The Ultimate Football Warrior 18. Tember Cadette - Doing Something Amazingly Different 24. Jana Charles - Meet the Hairstyling Angel of J’s Hairven 32. Andra Henry - Hollywood Hp Mesmerizes the Djing World

Sales & Marketing Alana M.I Morgan Art Director Aldrin Henry Contributors Tanisha Prospere Nadège Knight Imran St. Brice

411 14. Flow Offers Corporate Customers New Services

Editor Reginald Andrew

Professional Progress 16. Pointers on Managing Stress at Work

Photography Aldrin Henry

Mastering Marketing 22. Metaverse 27. Quick Facts About NFTs Health & Fitness 8. Health Care - Benefits of Aloe Vera facebook.com/dazzlethemag

Lifestyle 30. Top 10 Local Gift Ideas 28. RECAP - Ginny & Georgia Eating In 36. Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Quick facts about NFTs

Tember Cadette

Changing Lives By Doing Something Different

Ace

The Ultimate Football Warrior

Jana Charles

Meet the Hairsyling Angel of J’s Hairven

Andra Henry

Gadget & Gizmos 38. Android 12 - The Ambitious Redesign Instagram 40. Have You Gotten Your Covid Vaccine?

Issue 35

Malik St. Prix

Hollywood HP Mesmerizes the Djing World

Try me!

The Ambitious Redesign

On the Cover Andra Henry

contact us

For more information visit us at www.dazzlethemag.com or call us at 758.484.4642

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HEALTH CARE Benefits of Aloe Vera

Cleanses the Liver Aloe Vera juice is an excellent way to keep your liver healthy. That’s because the liver functions best when the body is adequately nourished and hydrated. Aloe vera juice is ideal for the liver because it’s hydrating and rich in phytonutrients.

Moisturizes the Skin Aloe Vera contains mostly water. It hydrates the skin with no greasy feeling after application. Aloe Vera also acts as a glue, which makes the top layer of the skin cells combine, which ultimately results in smoother and softer skin.

Slows Down Signs of Ageing Aloe Vera retains the skin’s lost moisture and restores its radiance. Along with reducing visible wrinkles and fine lines on the face, Aloe Vera gel also helps in improving the elasticity of the skin and repairing skin cells. Thus, preventing premature aging of the skin.

Digestive System Support Aloe Vera juice has additional digestive benefits, such as reducing the incidence of stomach ulcers and improving digestion.

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Malik

ST. PRI The Ultimate Football Warrior

M

alik St. Prix has always wanted to play football at the top ranks of the competitive sport. This love and passion for the game has enabled the 25-yearold professional player to gain contracts in regional football leagues and the European Football League competition.

Malik readily admits that a sort of football frenzy runs through his veins—and his ultimate aim is to ply his skills across the globe.

He is a product of the La Clery community. The suburban locality on the outskirts of Castries has been an avid football community and has produced some of the island’s best footballers over the past decades.

Malik is a graduate of the former Gros Islet Secondary School (GISS), now the island’s first-ever sports academy.

However, the transition into a professional player was no easy task and he had to work hard to earn his stripes. According to Malik, he was sort of a “show off” on the field of play during his early elementary school years, thus earning him the nickname ‘Showtyme’. But that did not go down too well with the team coach and so the teenage prodigy had to sit out matches on the bench.

Despite that initial setback, he did not let up and continued to pursue his goal of becoming a top footballer even more fervently.

Recalling that experience, Malik laments that he was upset with the coach not allowing him to play, because “football is for everyone, right, even females …and I was doing my school work now and then, but I wanted to just play football. I got the name ‘Showtyme’ from coach Ras Isley, in La Clery. He saw me as his marksman …whenever I’m on the ball, I try to do something ‘out of this world’. Just try something and sometimes it works. ” 10 DAZZLE

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From as young as eight, the young Malik was attracted to the sport and became more keenly interested while

watching football matches on TV. He lists former professionals like Steven Gerrard – of Liverpool fame – and the Brazilian soccer star, Ronaldinho as his football heroes at the time.

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And as his interest in the sport peaked, Malik began to contemplate seeking out a career in football. “When I realized that people do get paid to play football, I decided to make it my profession,” he recalls.

Interestingly, Malik says, he had once aspired to becoming a veterinarian. He even got the support of his mother to pursue that field since he loved and cared for animals, especially dogs. “But then football came along and the veterinarian was out the door, for sure,” he declares, almost gleefully.

What opportunities has the young professional attained from his involvement in the sport of football?

Malik has represented the St. Lucia national team over a seven-year period “on numerous occasions”, he says, “and scored goals for them.”

fun facts Black …or Sponge Bob? Sponge Bob. Do you have siblings and how many?

About 10 or 11.

How would your best friend describe you in one word?

Humble.

Who is your favourite athlete?

Lionel Messi

Malik delightedly recalls his accomplishments during those years. “We won the CONCACAF Champions League, CFU League, Digicel Cup, and several other trophies.”

His impressive football resume includes signing a contract to play in Honduras for two-years and a transfer to W Connection in 2019. He has also played in other leagues, such as in Mexico and Honduras.

What has been Malik’s favourite place to play, so far?

“My favaourite places would be in Mexico, Honduras and Antigua,” he says.

His new football agent had an input in getting him into the European football league, where he played for Pepoedustus in Lappeenranta, Finland. Malik is excited about this move to the wider world of sport and “anxious and ready” to go again since according to him, he has been playing professionally for about two and a half to three years.

Since venturing further afield into professional club football, he cherishes his initial stint playing for W Connection, in Trinidad, where, according to him, “I won trophies and played for about five years. That was wonderful! These were the best years of my life in football.”

Malik took on his first professional contract with W Connection for an initial two years, but his hardworking and exemplary performances did not go unnoticed. Basking in the limelight of those early ‘glory days’ as a young professional, he exclaims: “I was doing well and so they offered me another contract for three years.”

During that time, Malik says he has been keenly anticipating another move coming round the corner.

As he explains, “Because opportunities weren’t coming as yet, and I was working towards it for those three years, I was in St. Lucia training with the national team, hoping and waiting for my opportunity to come .”

Malik attests to the divine intervention of his Creator as being influential in his development as a footballer, with added support along the way from persons such as “my family for sure and my girlfriend. She always keeps it at 100 percent, no matter what. She keeps me going for sure.”

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Has the young professional had to overcome any negative experiences in his career? It has not been all ‘smooth sailing,’ he says, and mentioned some things that have concerned him. “Leaving your family behind and traveling overseas to meet with people that you don’t know …and getting injuries. I do not get injured frequently, but when I do it is hard. To recover requires both a mental and physical process.”

On his training regime, Malik says, “I train every day and I cannot miss a day, although, I mean you also have to rest and recuperate to get back in action.

The only rest day that I get is sometimes on Sundays.”

And when it comes to his ‘down time’ or free time, Malik says, chuckling, that he spends the time “watching football” on TV or watching movies with his family and girlfriend.

Malik says that presently, he is not too contented about what’s happening with the national team and may consider making a comeback and training with the squad if there is a proper structure in place for things to work out better for players, with a level of support and cooperation from the management and technical unit.

When the opportunity arises for Malik to continue his football pursuits, he says it won’t be too difficult to move with his family as he has gone through that experience before.

Next in line for Malik is travel plans to Finland, where he is expected to take up another contract.

What are his aspirations for further development as a professional footballer in the next five to 10 years?

He plans to continue making an impact in football.

“I would like to play in England, preferably for Manchester City.”

How can Malik help to motivate younger players to take a keener interest in the game and remain focused?

“Firstly, you have to believe in your Higher Power (God) … You have to work on your craft and you have to be determined, hungry for success, for progress. You have to work hard—blood, sweat and tears, and listen to yourself … keep yourself amongst positive people, people that will move you forward.

Stay away from negative people as they will bring you down for sure, and strive for greatness and don’t ever give up.”

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Tember

CADETTE Doing Something Amazingly Different

pg. 18

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Flow Offers Corporate Customers New Services

Small Business enterprises in for a Treat!

W

ith the rebranding of the Flow Business service—customers are in line to receive Bundle Enhanced Packages— all in an effort to better provide them upgraded technology applications and bring them up to speed with the ever-changing digital times.

Shelton Flash – Senior Manager, B2B Flow business is the premiere provider of telecom services for small businesses and large enterprises.

Flow Business is a rebranding of the C&W Business – the C&W Business originally is the business arm of Cable & Wireless telecommunications, providing telecoms and IT Solutions to small business enterprises and government.

Flash is excited to disclose the new services in-store on the Rebranding at Flow Business: “Traditionally, the Flow brand provided business to customers; whereas, C&W Business provides service to business customers,” he said.

Divulging further into the matter, Flash explains: “The rebranding exercise was initiated after conducting research with our customers, to see what they

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preferred or the preferred brand for small businesses.

And that’s how the Flow Business brand was conceptualized.”

He adds, “Essentially, what we’re looking to do is multi-faceted, in that, with the re-launch of the Flow Business brand, we will also be launching our new packages for small and medium businesses. And so, these two combined together will create a new experience for our small business customers, giving them speeds that they’ve never seen in St Lucia before.”

According to Flash, customers are in for more holiday treats, as Flow unveils its plans: “Giving them BUNDLE ENHANCED PACKAGES that they’ve never seen in St Lucia!”

The Flow Rep indicated that the Rebranding Exercise is taking place currently.

a department within the company that is evolving.”

Modeste adds: “I enjoy working in this phase, I think that it is a rewarding experience. In the hotel industry, they have special needs and in terms of technology, I think this is evolving, so we try as much as possible to meet our customers’ expectations.”

“With the launch of the new small business packages, all of our customers in St Lucia will be on our premiere HFC network, where we are migrating all customers from our old network onto our new network providing a minimum speed of 50 Megs download,” he said.

Flash continues, “Our previous download speeds were down to about 2megs, so imagine a customer getting 25 times that at a minimum, with sometimes no increased cost to them.

“We will also see speeds going up to 200megs download as well, and the lovely thing about this is that when you combine your broadband with your mobile, you get reduced prices as well. So, basically, you can bundle your packages to see the reduced cost of getting added value.”

Definitely excited with the prospects for the new business deals in store for the upcoming Holiday Season, Flash declares: “Nothing like this has been done in St Lucia before, and we are really excited to show the small businesses some love!”

Berlinda Modeste - Account Manager Berlinda has been employed with Flow for the past 17 years as the Corporate Account Manager/ Hospitality Portfolio.

Berlinda expresses immense satisfaction with her job: “I really love my job since it’s new to me and I just started. I really love a challenge and I feel that it is

Tressa Charles - Small Business Team (MBT) Lead Tressa has been employed with Flow for the past 11 years.

The team leader spoke glowingly about her job: “Every day there is something new to learn. It’s a fun place to work, though it can be a bit challenging at times.

The good thing about it is that every day you learn something.

“Change is inevitable and as technology changes, the more fun it becomes.”

Charles comments on what her job description entails: “In my role, I get leads for the team. I ensure that follow-ups are being done, documents are being signed; great deals are given to persons based on the person’s requirements and we close deals.”

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Pointers on Managing Stress at Work

W

hile the word “risk” usually accompanies entrepreneurship, “stress” is usually nearby on the list of associated words.

For some, the high risk, high pressure environments that entrepreneurship puts you in is what makes it enjoyable. On the other hand, this constant strain can be the reason that goals and milestones aren’t being met in time and effectively enough. After all, to achieve best results you’d ideally want to be functioning at your best.

Be okay with things not always working out perfectly Whether it’s a business deal falling through or a missed opportunity, it’ll do little good to be stressed out about the outcome. What’s worse is if that outcome influences your future decisions in a negative, impulsive way. Learning how to pick up valuable lessons from failures is key to moving forward and growing. Freelancers, for example, have to grow 16 DAZZLE

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familiar with the feeling of no control over how steady their income is. Instead of becoming stressed about an unavoidable situation like that in slow seasons, the best thing would be to see it as an opportunity to sure-up the weak spots in their business operations.

Take control where you can Being okay with things not going perfectly shouldn’t lead you to think that you should adopt an “anything goes” attitude. The things that you can take control of you’d want to ensure that it does get your attention and is executed properly. From the little details to the big picture things, it’s important to have a clear idea of what it is you want and then being able to ensure that you see it through.

Make time for breaks It’s easy to become consumed in your entrepreneurial endeavours, especially if you’re experiencing success.

Taking a break when needed is a great way to keep

the ideas fresh, stress levels low and your drive high.

Think of how exercising is good for you, but you won’t exercise 24/7… your body needs breaks to be able to make the most of the work you’re putting in. So remember to set aside adequate time for breaks/hobbies. Sometimes taking a break from the usual tasks can help provide clearer solutions when returning to those tasks.

Segment bigger problems A common contributor to stress at work are the really big tasks with lots of moving parts. The easiest way to manage these tasks, and ultimately your stress levels, is to break them down into smaller, easier to manage assignments. Usually bigger tasks come with a bigger operation, so at some point delegation may be necessary to function at peak performance.

Try taking these pointers into consideration to reduce stress on the job. Also feel free to incorporate your own!

ADV E RT I S E WI TH US To advertise in The Dazzle Magazine, contact our sales agent via telephone (758) 484 4642 or email advertising@dazzlethemag.com for more information.

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fun facts

What is your choice of pet?

Dogs

Name one thing you can’t live without?

My iPhone Your perfect day starts and ends with what?

Starts with brunch and ends with a wings and fries at the beach Something on your bucket list?

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Tember

CADETTE Doing Something Amazingly Different

A

s a current student of the University of Westminster in London, England, Tember Cadette is striving for her degree in Digital Business while spearheading her own non-profit organization in both Saint Lucia and Canada. As a founder of Do Something Different, and an all rounder in youth development, we caught Tember just before she had to leave for the UK and she shared how she started her journey with DSD!

What is it like studying abroad?

I have a love/hate relationship for it. Sometimes it’s very hard to adapt to other people’s culture. I haven’t really found a Caribbean community in the UK as yet and even at school they mix the Caribbean and African communities together despite it being two completely different groups of people.

Since the pandemic, it’s been absolutely horrible having all my classes online and it makes it hard to socialize and meet new people. I might know two people in my course which has around 800 people so it’s been a challenge. I live on campus but I’ve never set foot in a class so I’m hoping that soon we’ll be able to at least go to our smaller classes, in the event that things take a positive turn with the pandemic.

I think I "appreciate the fast life at times" would be more true to myself here.

What is DSD about?

Do Something Different (DSD) is a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering young people, mostly students.

We were throwing names across, just talking about what we wanted to do and how we wanted to do it.

We had some horrible names at first, but we decided that if we started small and focused more on the impact we could have through reaching our family and friends, then we could “do something different” and it just clicked. That's how we got our name, and it stuck.

When we started in 2017, it was Raquel John, Anneka Thompson, Stefy Defreitas and myself and we noticed that so many of our peers, especially at SALCC were struggling with the basic necessities for school, like books, laptops and things like that. So we got the idea for DSD when we started it was mainly stationary and notebooks. Flash forward four years later which is January 2021 and we were able to donate things like kindles and laptops which was amazing. It showed how much we grew in such little time.

How easy is it to get donations?

It’s never been too hard. Our motto is “Give a little, help a lot” which was why we started with our family and friends in the beginning. They helped with the small things and we did a lot of radio interviews that helped bring in more donations over time. So I’d say it hasn’t been as hard as we expected it to be so we’re grateful.

What do you enjoy about being in DSD? It’s like a family. We’re really close, and we talk about anything. It’s fun to have people to talk to about certain things and when we get together it’s always good vibes and energy. I love that.

What major challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge up until now has been understanding the nonprofit sector. It operates as a business but then again, it’s not. I think the challenging thing is knowing that when we get donations we have to take pictures and publicise it etcetera but we also don’t want to tarnish anyone’s integrity or make anyone feel uncomfortable so it’s been a little hard balancing the two.

We also deal with a lot of kids, especially children under the age of 16 and when we started we didn’t take into account the fact that we needed to ask for permission, and have written consent to do certain

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things. So learning through the obstacles we had to face as an organization was a challenge and even now that it's grown and we’re all at different stages in our lives with our jobs and university and so on, which makes it even more difficult to keep up with these kinds of issues.

Our main focus and one of our main challenges is essentially maintenance and keeping it up to the standard that we want it to be.

Now that you’re a full time student, how do you balance your time and how does the organization adjust to your new commitment?

We have a full executive which is great, and it helps.

We try to work together as much as possible and do our best not to overextend ourselves and take on too much. It’s important to know when you’ve done all you can do.

On top of me being at school, I’m also in a completely different country so we’ve had to switch to doing almost everything virtually but it coincided with the pandemic so it wasn’t too much of a huge change. So with our amazing teamwork, we get what we need to get done. And I always believed that it’s better to not do something at all, than to do it and do it poorly, so we don’t bite off more than we can chew.

What is your support like?

My team is amazing. I wouldn’t have reached this far without them. They make it easy. My family’s also been really supportive, especially my mother. I’m grateful for how much she’s helped me out, dropping things off when I needed her to and being amazing about it. So in all, I have the best team, the best mother to support me.

What future plans do you have for DSD? Right now, our focus is securing devices for donations and being able to reach more people on a larger scale.

We believe devices are essential to students right now, especially those who don’t have access to any sort of computer or smart device. We want to give them to the right people, so we want to do thorough research when it comes to things like tablets and laptops.

Sometimes you find people who donate things and it always seems to be the same people who get, so we don’t want to make that same mistake.

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Do you plan on growing your team?

I want to say yes, because we’ve expanded to Canada and they’ve been great in assisting with donations so far. We’ve also expanded to Barbados which happened just before the pandemic but we haven’t been able to do much in Barbados as yet but hopefully this year we’ll be able to get back on track.

What did you see yourself doing as a kid?

I always saw myself doing some kind of philanthropic endeavour, or medicine if it came to it but my goal was always to give back. I tapped into volunteerism at SALCC and then I realized it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

And DSD has helped me in more ways than one, including landing me where I am now. I applied for scholarships for a while, and when I got into Westminster I didn’t get the scholarship I needed at the time. I applied twice for the scholarship before I finally got it in 2020 and it’s on the basis of DSD. It’s for international students who have plans to go back home and develop their country which ties in with my advocacy, which is great. DSD has opened a lot of doors, including being an OECS Ambassador, One Young World Ambassador and so much more.

What advice do you have for others who want to do something different?

People always DM me and I usually say the same thing.

They’re so many nonprofit organizations and what I wish I knew then, is that partnerships are the way to go. If there’s someone that’s doing something similar, come together if you can and work with them. The more we work together, the more we can get done.

Know your mission, know your goal and look for people who are working in the same direction.

We look forward to hearing more about Tember, Do Something Different and her achievements yet to come! Good luck!

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Metaverse

I

f you’ve heard tech gurus like Mark Zuckerberg talk about the Metaverse you’d get the hint that it’s generally the future of the internet. But for those of us still trying to figure it out, here’s a piece that can possibly clear the air on what we know so far.

To be fair, discussing what the Metaverse could be is sort of like talking about foldable smartphones and VR with someone from the 1900s. Back then you could’ve possibly imagined what it would be like to have advanced technology but you could never really put your finger on it to be sure.

Widely speaking, the things that make up the Metaverse can include VR (virtual reality)— characterized by consistent virtual worlds that continue to exist even when you're not actively engaging with them—as well as AR (augmented reality) that combines aspects of both digital and physical worlds. However, it doesn't require that those spaces be exclusively accessed via VR or AR. A virtual world, like aspects of some games like Fortnite 22 DAZZLE

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that can be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones, could be metaversal.

The Metaverse may also translate to a digital economy like we’ve seen growing increasingly over the years with digital cash. But instead of functioning simply as a currency, people would be able to buy and sell goods in the Metaverse. An ideal vision of the metaverse would mean that it's interoperable… allowing you to take virtual items like clothes or cars from one platform to another. In the real world, you can buy a shirt from the mall and then wear it to a movie theater. Right now, most platforms have virtual identities, avatars,

and inventories that are tied to just one platform, but a metaverse might allow you to create a persona that you can take everywhere as easily as you can copy your profile picture from one social network to another like from Twitter to Instagram.

The pitches for these visions of the future range from highly optimistic to somewhat crazy. At one point during Meta's (formerly Facebook) presentation on the Metaverse, the company showed a scenario in which a young woman is sitting on her couch scrolling through Instagram when she sees a video a friend posted of a concert that's happening halfway across the world.

The video then cuts to the concert, where the woman appears in an Avengers-style hologram. She's able to make eye contact with her friend who is physically there, they're both able to hear the concert, and they can see floating text hovering above the stage.

This seems cool, but it's not really advertising a real product, or even a possible future one.

So far it all seems pretty complex. One thing is for sure though, as time goes on things should become clearer for all.

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fun facts Favourite genre of music Dancehall and Soca Last movie you watched Colonial Braids or weave Definitely weave Guilty pleasure Anything seafood 24 DAZZLE

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jana

CHARLES

Meet the Hairsytling Angel of J’s Hairven

J

ana’s passion for hair design might not have been something that she decidedly chose to do at one point or another. In fact, her fascination with hair styling started from home at a very young age. Being very observant, she was drawn to it very early on, so much so that other career ventures just didn’t fit with her. Here’s everything the founder and owner of J’s Hairven had to share with us about her experiences in the fascinating world of hair design.

Tell us about Jana Charles and J’s Hairven.

Jana: I’m 36 years old and from the community of Babonneau. I attended the Babonneau Primary School, thereafter the Vide Bouteille Secondary School. I’m also certified in the field of hair design and makeup artistry. I am the founder and owner of J’s Hairven, a hair studio which specializes in hair beauty, wig installations, weaving, relaxing, trendy cuts, colouring and virtually anything to do with hair.

J’s Hairven has been in operation for four years and is located in Rodney Bay.

What are your specialities, personally?

Jana: When I first started I was more into weaving and creating wigs, which I consider to be my specialty.

With the ever-changing demands in hair trends, new and more exciting treatments have become available such as silk press, which is a natural way to straighten hair temporarily without the chemical process.

Dealing with different hair textures and thicknesses makes it challenging but it takes my creativity to a different level.

How did you get started?

Jana: Growing up, I was surrounded by relatives who loved braiding hair. I particularly marvelled at one of my cousin’s styling techniques and thought to myself I could do that. Using my childhood friends to develop and enhance my skills, the passion for hair design ignited.

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After leaving secondary school, I worked short term as an agent at a call centre. Whilst there, I gained experience in customer service. Thereafter, I enrolled in the Hair Design and Makeup Artistry Program at the NSDC (National Skills Development Center) where I was awarded Most Outstanding Trainee.

Working for about eight years at Phase1 hair salon, greatly helped to solidify me as a hairstylist. I was constantly encouraged by persons around me to venture on my own. After much thought, I decided to take the leap of faith and make it happen.

Who or what would you consider to be your greatest source of inspiration?

Jana: I think a lot of the encouragement came from home and clients. The encouragement I got from my family, friends and clients really gave me that boost.

Do you have any mentors, what role did they play in your entrepreneurial growth?

Jana: My first and biggest mentor is my mother.

She always believed that I would take hairdressing to a different level. I don’t know what she saw in me that I didn’t see in myself, at first. Whatever it was, it showed! Even the business name was inspired by her.

My former boss, Emile Williams, is definitely one of my mentors.

I learned a lot

working for him. He trained and encouraged me to better myself at the craft.

What have your major challenges been and how did you overcome them?

Jana: Initially, securing finances for the startup of the business was a challenge for me. I didn’t take a loan and dug into my savings. It was a bit scary because I didn’t know if I’d succeed or not. I mean having a business is really taking a big risk, and that’s what I did with J’s Hairven. I took a risk!

As far as overcoming the financial challenges, it is greatly due to clients’ reviews and referrals. Also, the social media platforms have helped to increase my clientele. If you’re passionate about something and your work speaks for itself, you can be sure it will be your biggest form of advertising. I’m a go-getter, so I try not to think of the negatives but instead, I think “It’s going to happen”.

Tell us about some of the things that make you smile d along your journey. .

Jana: Every client that walks through my doors puts a smile on my face. Every time I walk into my business, I’m thankful for that. Every time I open my eyes in the morning, I’m thankful. My mom passed away, and you know, sometimes people say you have a guardian angel… I get comfort from that because I know she’s watching over me.

What would you say is a major achievement in your career so far?

My major achievements are being acknowledged as a business owner and also giving someone the opportunity of employment.

Where do you see yourself and J’s Hairven in the next five years?

Jana: I see J’s Hairven taking off in so many different ways. The aim is to train and empower young women into becoming entrepreneurs. Also expanding the business in various locations where the majority will experience what it is to “reveal their inner goddess”

What’s your advice to up and coming entrepreneurs?

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Jana: Be true to yourself. Whatever it is you want to achieve, make sure that it’s something that you love.

If you’re not passionate about it, you’ll get frustrated and you’ll want to quit easily. The most important thing is to go for what you love. Nothing comes before prayer so put God first, speak to persons you trust, and go for it!

Quick Facts About NFTs

W

hat is an NFT? NFT literally stands for “non-fungible token” and it is a one of a kind and non-interchangeable piece of data. This data or unit is on a blockchain, which can be defined as a form of digital ledger.

Bitcoin can be seen as the digital answer to physical currency, while NFTs may now be seen as the digital answer to physical collectibles. Similar to Bitcoin, NFTs are also highly secure and cannot be forged. On the other hand they differ in that each NFT is totally unique.

Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain.

Ethereum is a cryptocurrency, like bitcoin or dogecoin, but its blockchain also supports these NFTs, which store extra information that makes them work differently from, say, an ETH coin.

Literally, anything digital can become an NFT. Though most of the buzz surrounds the selling of digital art and collectibles, the flexibility of the technology means almost anything can be tokenized. Domain names, in-game assets, tweets, songs, and videos, just to name a few things, can all be linked to a smart contract, establishing proof of ownership.

An NFT of an online photo for example can be sold and owned as an original belonging to the buyer, but anyone can still download a copy of that same photo.

It’s like buying the original Mona Lisa painting, only you have it but other people can in theory have their own from the internet.

For artists, NFTs open up their artwork to a whole new audience and allow for a different way of doing business. The more popular your artwork is and the more it’s resold, the more benefits you’ll see from that in terms of financial gains as well.

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Ginny & Georgia

N

etflix’s Ginny & Georgia aired in February of 2021 and since then it’s been a roller coaster between this mother and daughter duo.

We meet Ginny (Antonia Gentry), a fifteen year old biracial girl and Georgia (Brianne Howey) when the tight knit duo, with a striking resemblance relationship wise to the Gilmore Girls, along with nine year old Austin, move to an affluent neighborhood to both get away from the past, and start fresh. But this comedy/drama/romance is nowhere as fun loving as Gilmore Girls when it takes a dark turn, for both mother and daughter.

With Ginny struggling with her identity while being biracial, falling in and out of love, trying to fit in and make good choices, protecting her mental health and maintaining her relationship with her mother, the fifteen year old is a whirlwind of dangerous mistakes and self harm. But Ginny isn’t the only one still adjusting to the move, and with Georgia’s ghosts resurfacing just when she’s finally found love and stability, the choices they make throughout the show will pull you simultaneously in both directions.

While the show is centered around Ginny’s coming of age and her questions about her mother’s secretive past, we also get to see her make friends, fall for the boy next door, make mistakes and influence her younger brother in a not so positive direction and as Georgia’s secrets come to light at the end of season one, we’re left waiting to see how Ginny’s impulsive reactions to questionable news will play out.

Season two is currently set to air mid to late 2022.

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//Feature

Mesmerizes the Djing World pg. 32

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THE CRAFTY ISLANDER SHRUBS / CUSTOM PALETTE DESIGNS

1 HOUSE OF JEM SWIMSUIT

2 TOP

Loc Gif

TIKAY BOUTON

3

EARRINGS

IDE SO BOUGIE CANDLES

4 CACOA SAINTE LUCIE

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5

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CHOCOLATES

THE DELUXE BOX GROOMING PACKAGE

6 D’ATIZAY ART

7 10

cal ft

LENRAD’S SPICE RUM

8

EAS

NU CAFE TEAS & COFFEES

9 SIN SIN DESIGN

10

CUSTOM GIFTS

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ANDRA HENRY Mesmerizes the Djing World

Y

ou’re, without a doubt, familiar with these aliases: Hollywood HP/DJ HP. Now we’ve got the chance to sit with the man behind the moniker, Andra Henry—born and raised in Marchand. Our chat with Andra ranged from his beginnings on the events scene during his teenage years, to his present stardom representing St. Lucia internationally, and also on Twitch! Much to our delight, he had some fascinating experiences to share.

What is the story behind the name HP? Hollywood HP: The name HP started off when I was younger… Because I had a large head and small body, people would say I looked like the man on the Harris Paints logo. Once I started DJing it became DJ Harris Paints, then DJ HP… and now Hollywood HP.

How did you get started in the entertainment industry?

Hollywood HP: My mother was a vendor, so I was around events 24/7. Being in that environment, I’d see DJs on the hi-fi interacting with the crowd and doing their thing, and that’s where I picked up an interest in it. For a particular Marchand Day in 1999, I decided to get some hands-on experience. A guy named Peter told me “Yo, you have natural talent, you should continue,” and that’s what I did even while at school.

I did drop out of school at one point, but being encouraged by my peers I went back and finished it, all while still DJing. Around that time Marchand Sundaze started up and I gained popularity across the island amongst promoters, TV and radio station owners and so on. Dwayne Mendes was a notable one.

He was opening up a radio station and wanted me to work with him. That opportunity opened lots of doors for me to do events and corporate gigs.

My first big event was an event at Gaiety when Macka Diamond performed. I couldn’t believe that DJ HP

would be playing at Gaiety for the first time. I always wanted to be on that level, but I never expected to get there so soon. I was nervous during the event but I had to be myself and do my thing. The promoters had discovered me through Marchand Sundaze as well.

How did you get started as an artiste and what is your biggest song?

Hollywood HP: My journey as an artiste started with an intro I did for a song by Sir Lancelot.

Following that, one day Penn walked in on me while on air and said that he thinks I have what it takes to be an artiste, so we should put a song together. So it would be myself, Iwa, Penn and Ace. I was super hesitant but they pushed me on and it went well in the end. That year (2010) we won Soca Monarch, and got 1st Runner up in Road March and Caribbean Soca Monarch. Other later achievements include us getting 2nd place in Soca Monarch in 2013. In 2015 we got a draw for 3rd place with Ezra and Green Synergy 2006 I got 2nd place.

Since then I’ve been putting out music consistently.

In D Bay is the one I’d say gave me my breakthrough as an artiste, regionally and internationally… I think that’s because of the universal, relatable story to the song. Even with that song I thought I couldn’t sing it, but I was motivated to go through with it. I released Drama the following year, and that song took me places and got me paid (lol). That year, I travelled from Bermuda to Trinidad and several places in between to perform.

As for my favourite song, it’s the one that has brought about the most controversy, Panty and Bra (lol). I love controversy, but it’s not anything negative though.

The song could’ve been a bigger hit if it didn’t have all the negativity surrounding it from certain bands and media personalities. It was disliked because of its lyrical content but for me it’s the truth. www.dazzlethemag.com DAZZLE 33

Who are some of your most loyal supporters?

Hollywood HP: First of all, my mom who has been with me from the jump… she’s definitely my biggest, most loyal supporter. I have to big up Aldrin Henry as well. Back in our school days he wanted to be a DJ too but that didn’t work out. He’s also the godfather to my first daughter.

My management team deserves recognition as well.

Before Dion became my manager she’d guide me along, until she officially became my manager. The reason I am where I am today as an artiste is largely down to her efforts. Dwayne Mendes, as mentioned earlier, the Blazin family, my girlfriend Zannick and her mom, the Sound City Crew. They all give me that drive to continue doing what I do. The people of Marchand for sure… just walking through the community I feel like a king. Many DJs in the industry deserve the recognition as well for how they’ve helped me. Studio 758, Yannick Plante, Migz from Vibes Production. Big up to another motivator of mine, my daughter. She always pushes me. There are so many other people that I can’t remember right now.

How has the pandemic affected your work as an entertainer?

Hollywood HP: Lots of things had to go on pause.

I had to lay off the radio for certain periods. That ultimately led me to do Facebook and Instagram lives, which I saw as a great marketing structure. One of the products of that time was Clash of the Titans… we had Subance vs Umpa, myself vs Ezra and others.

In general, I learned to adapt and use the tools I have access to for me to excel.

While protocols got stricter here, certain U.S. states started easing up. That’s where my team and I saw an opportunity to go on a mini-tour in March of 2021.

What started off as five shows ended up increasing and I ended up spending six months up there. The experience was great, I did events hosted by Skinny Fabulous, Mr 758, Kevin Crown and more. After a while it started to feel overwhelming because everyone was looking up to me as the biggest DJ from St. Lucia. It never really got to my head though, because I always looked at myself as the same person. The timing was perfect too. Going to the U.S. before never got me that much exposure but this time it worked out great for myself, Dennery Segment and St. Lucia on the whole.

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Tell us about some of your experiences as an artiste representing St. Lucia.

that’s something that’s going for us; our music is being recognised and praised more on these international stages.

Hollywood HP: Starting with Soca Brainwash … my original plans of performing in Mexico got cancelled.

So I told DJ Private Ryan on short notice that I’d be in New York for the weekend because he wanted to book me for it anyway. The Saturday morning he told me that he wouldn’t be in NY so I’d have to play his set for him. By the afternoon the schedule changed and I was moved two spots ahead. It was still great because I got to be on the mainstage and get that incredible experience. I had never performed for such a huge crowd. Every single thing we said to do, the thousands of people there did. At the time it made me feel like a professional, like I know exactly what I’m doing. After the performance Ryan called me and said that it was amazing and he’s looking forward to working with me in the future.

One of the things that people recognise about me a lot is that I bring my own energy, my own vibes. I’m a firm believer that whatever energy you give, you receive.

fun facts

Where do you see yourself in the next two years?

Best place in life?

When I’m home eating food Favourite city?

Houston Tea or coffee?

Coffee Catchphrase Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Holla-Holla-HollaHolla!!

Ideal family vacation The Universal Studios Tour For Miami Carnival 2021, I also didn’t plan on being there… But my team and I decided to keep the momentum going on the big stages. I did my thing and that went well. Before the show started, I came up to connect my laptop and the crowd was already going crazy because I was about to start. Something that most people won’t know is that for Soca Brainwash my laptop froze three times during the set. Despite that, the crowd was still full of life and the experience was great. At one point I thought to myself, ”I’m a big celebrity DJ here” (laughs) but I still didn’t let it get to my head. Even now I try to bring out that same character from back then, talking on the mic, hyping up the crowd, freestyling, jumping in the crowd like I used to do before. I still see myself as that same person. I felt that St. Lucia was well represented, plus with all the flags and the people…

In the end, Ryan came on to do his thing with Kevin Crown and Riggo. I was about to leave so I gave him a shout and he said, “Nah! Take a microphone” (laughs).

That viral clip on my Instagram, that’s where we got it from… They were doing their thing but I decided to step in and command the crowd myself. Thousands of people, drinks everywhere, it was just a vibe. As soon as it happened I just turned my back because I couldn’t believe what was happening. The following morning, everybody was showing massive support, it was overwhelming. Everything I did in 2021 happened at the right time, everything is just timing.

Hollywood HP: I want to release an album, with lots of collaborations with other artistes. I want to start working on becoming a farmer (laughs)... But for real, during this pandemic it made me realize that one of the major needs we really have is food. We had no entertainment for a while during the pandemic but farming, for example, was still on point. You still have to provide for supermarkets and so on.

What advice would you give to someone trying to get into the entertainment industry?

Hollywood HP: After getting into the entertainment business I believe that one of the most important things is being patient. Nothing happens before its time. Also being humble, you have to invest in yourself to get to where you want to be. No matter what you want to do, you have to find your own identity so that people can look at you and say that they know you for something unique, even when they hear your voice.

One more thing is, in the entertainment business you need to have a lot of street knowledge. If you’re a TV host and you’re only ever seen on TV and no one sees you in public, you kinda lose that connection with the audience. Their word of mouth can be very helpful to you as well, so it’s important to keep that connection up.

With everything that HP has accomplished so far, we wish him even more success in his endeavours!

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Pineapple UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

INGREDIENTS

2 Eggs, large 1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt 1 Cooking Spray 1 Can Pineapple Rings 12 tbsp unslated Butter 8 Maraschino cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the oven and prepare the pan.

• Melt the butter and sugar for thetopping.

• Pour the sugar mixture into into the baking pan.

• Arrange pineapple slices and cherries in the cake pan.

• Whisk together the dry cake ingredients.

• Cream the sugar and butter together with a mixer, then add the eggs.

• Cool the cake for 10 minutes and then invert the cake onto a serving plate.

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GET YOUR

PERSONAL BIRTHDAY

SNAPCHAT FILTER TODAY!

MAKE YOUR DAY EVEN MORE

Special

Snaps

DM US TODAY! ISLAND SNAPS

@GOISLANDSNAPS

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The Ambitious Redesign

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based on your wallpaper. It’s as simple as setting your wallpaper... then accent colours are pulled from that wallpaper and used cleverly throughout most apps (at the moment) and even the keyboard on your device.

A

ndroid 12 has been out for several weeks at this point. Everyone who got the update has probably had enough time to know what they love and hate most about this ambitious redesign. Android is a highly customisable OS; its aesthetics vary between manufacturers and how they decide to showcase the latest features available. For the sake of this piece, we’ll take a look at Android 12 in its purest form, the way Google intended it to be.

Android 12, according to Google, is all about your phone adapting to you and not the other way around, hence the title “Material You”. Back in 2014, Google’s design language for Android 4.4 (KitKat) was ‘Material Design’, and this year’s release is basically the evolution of that. Navigating the UI and switching between apps flows seamlessly and in a way that makes sense. Part of the “adapting to you” design language is the software’s use of AI and Machine Learning to pick a colour scheme for your phone

Another noticeable visual upgrade is that everything is more rounded, and it's present throughout the entire UI, all apps included. Widgets, quick settings and notifications for example are now rounded off. Instead of 6 quick settings available after one swipe (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb etc), it has been adapted to 4 settings that take up noticeably more screen real estate, to the dissatisfaction of many.

The second biggest set of features debuting in Android 12 is to do with Permissions and Privacy.

Users now have the ability to choose between sharing their precise location or an approximate location with apps. For example you may want your weather app to have your precise location but a social media app to only have access to your approximate location.

Camera and mic usage is a touchy subject for some when it comes to their devices. In Android 12, a small green dot appears on screen whenever any app is making use of the phone’s camera or mic. It also allows you to cut off access immediately and keep track of which apps use what permissions on your phone at what time. It’s a huge step up from previous versions of Android.

Other small features include snoozing notifications and capturing more with scrolling screenshots.

Aside from the few bugs experienced by some, the contradictory issue with Android 12 is the fact that you can no longer change system fonts, or icon shapes as in Android 11. But because it is Android, downloading a launcher can solve that issue and give you back all the customisation that you can expect from Android.

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D

dazzlethemag

94 Likes dazzlethemag Have you gotten your Covid Vaccine? #fightagainstcovid #Covid19 11

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