Island Signatures Magazine 11- The Wellness Edition by island Signatures

IS S U E # 1 1 F EB 2020

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

CONTENTS

Editor’s Desk 6 pOEM- Chloe o’neal 8 feature- sonia”Sonique” clarke 16 TR IBU TE TO EDWARD KAMAU B RATH W A IT E 18 feature- DR . TANI SHA DENIS E M ANN IN G 26 COUNTDOWN TO TRINIDAD carnival 2020 28 Island Signatures’ Bucket List: ST.VINCENT : NINE MORNING 32 Welcome to DOMINICA’S WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2019: THE EXPERIENCE 34 pARTNERSHIP WITH CARIBBEAN MEDIA CORPORATION (CMC) 36 Highlights of st. kitts & nevis : chattabox j’ouvert 2020

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

44 ASK NOT WHAT Y OUR C OUNTRY CAN DO, BU T WHAT Y OU C AN DO FOR YO UR CO U NTRY!- By : Nutriology: T he H ea l th B ox 48 WIN E EDU CATI ON - BY : Lee Isa a cs 50 culinary fEATURES BY- cHEF SHANE PINDER 54 jakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MIXOLOGIST TAREL YARDE 58 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTs

W ave E l e m e nt

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

H e llo to al l o u r rea ders, new an d o ld! We lc o me to Isl a nd S igna tures’ fi r st pu b li c a-

CONTRIBUTORS

ti o n f or 2020, “T he Wellness Edi ti o n ”, an d as a l way s, our writ ers ha ve put t o ge th e r an e x c i t-

Justin Ellis

i n g ar ray o f articles for your re adi n g p le asu re wh i c h w e’ re s ure you will enjoy.

Publisher

Ge t s t a r ted w ith a poem by Chlo e O’ N e al wh i c h enco ura ges us to let go o f all o u r b ad h abi t s . Next up we fea ture two ve r y i n sp i r ati o nal l adies – Dr Ta nisha Ma nn i n g , wh o se sto r y i s o ne o f o v ercoming a nd a chie vi n g su c c e ss a g a i nst al l o d ds; a nd a wa rd-win n i n g si n g e r, song w r iter and deeja y S onique , wh o u r g e s u s to ‘ b e the best or don’t bot her’ !

We als o pay tribut e to t he la te Edwar d K amau

Lee Isaacs

B r at h waite, c elebra ted Ca ribbe an po e t, ac ade m i c and auth or, who pa ssed away e ar li e r th i s

Writer

mont h at age 89 .

On a mo re fest ive note, we cou n tdo wn to C ar n ival in Trinida d & Toba g o , e x p lo re

Lisa Scott

D o m i nic a’s World Creole M usic Fe sti val a nd N ine Mo rnings in S t Vincen t an d th e Gre nad ines; and fea ture sna ps h o ts fro m

Chief Editor

Ch a t t abo x J’o u vert in S t Kit ts an d N e vi s.

I n t he area o f wellness, combatti n g c h ro n i c , n o n- c om m unica ble disea ses (N C Ds) i s th e fo c u s i n N u t riol o gy : T he Hea lth Box. W h e th e r i t’s b e c o m ing mo re a ct ive or a dopti n g a h e alth i e r di e t , we o ffer tips on how t he C ar i b b e an re g i o n ca n d e al with t his cost ly a nd de adly sc o u r g e .

A n d i n o ur c ul ina ry sect ion our wr i te r Le e

Da mie n Po rte r

I ss ac s to uts th e import a nce of wi n e e du c ati o n , wh i le chef Sha ne Pinder sha res h i s re c i pe fo r Cor d o n B l eu an d mix ologist Ta re l Yar de te lls h o w t o make a ‘S ex y Tori’.

D o n ’t f or get to sha re your thou gh ts ab o u t th i s ed i t i o n w ith us. Ta g us on social me di a @ i sl and signatures or ema il isla n dsi gn atu re s@ gm a i l. co m. We ’ d love to hea r from you! E ditor’s Note by: Lisa Sc o tt

Writer

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

Petula Alie Writer

Kenrife Matthias Writer

Chloe Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;neal Writer

The Nutriology Team Writer

Other Co n tri b u t or s : C ar ib V is io n , Caribbe an Me dia Co rpo rat ion (CMC) O ne ka J oh n , T a r e l Y a r de , S h an e Pin de r, Calv e rt Jo n e s, Jak eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s , A m b o V is u als , s t y le j erkc re at e s,

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I A m Going to Grow

Wri t t e n B y: C h l o e Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;N e al

y e l l o w,

I w at c h for you r tu rn .

W h i c h , you say, i s l oude r a n d n ew,

A nd t he n I t w i st.

o My B a d H ab i t s ,

Fo r you a nd I a re i n a d an ce,

I d o n ot k now who l e ads. A nd I d o no t k n o w w h o l e ads.

I am goi ng wi t h ou t you . Le av i ng your g rasp, I a m g o i ng. Li m b s re l ax e d.

I, spin ni ng, e xh a u s t e d a n d p a nti ng, W ith y o u, tw i r li n g A nd laughi ng w i t h y o u r mou th unhi nge d .

I f w e say i t t o ge t he r, I c o nc e de W h i l e p ul l i ng o n e ac h o t h e r, W h a t d o we m e an?

The l ast danc e. Be c ause

We ste p a nd the n p u l l . I a m g o i ng wi t h y ou.

W he re I am goin g.

I s w h at y ou say.

You c anno t l e ad.

E y e s g l e am i ng.

- I am go i ng t o grow.

We lunge a nd th e n t u r n . We twi s t a nd th e n w r i t h e . E ntan gle , the n c o n c e d e . I n t e n d i ng t o l e ad. A nd I d o no t k n o w w h o l e ads.

But, I a m g o i ng.

D e sp ite y o ur fa d i n g g re e n d ress, B lanch i ng a ga i n s t my

I s a y i t t o you. T h e n , I t ak e a st e p back.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

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Island-Signatures IslandSignatures

i s landsignatu resca rib@gma il. c o m

SONI A “SON IQUE ” CL ARKE “ I th i nk S ky m a t te re d to a lo t o f peo ple even tho ugh th ey didn’ t kn ow all th at it m eant. “

Wr i tten B y : D a m i e n Po rt e r

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

Let ’s Touch the sky with Sonique

onia C l a r k e , b e t t e r k no w n by he r s tag e n am e S on i q u e , i s a Bri ti s h- bo rn de e j ay, sing er a nd s ong w r i t e r w h o c an t rac e he r ro o t s back to th e C a r i b b e a n i sl and o f Barbado s . She is mos t popu l a r l y k n o w n f o r the i nt e rnati o nal hit “It Fe e ls S o G o o d” , whi c h bl as t e d o n radios a nd d es t ro y e d c l u b danc e f l o o rs i n t he e ar ly 2 0 0 0 ’s .

ha t m a k e s S o n i q ue s tand o ut as a deejay i s th a t s h e b l e n ds he r e mo t i ve s i ngi ng abili ti es w it h a n a t u r a l mi x i ng t al e nt, t o c re ate a u niq ue c l u b a t m o sphe re and e x pe ri e nc e. Pred om ina n t l y t o u r i n g and w o rk i ng t he c lub c irc uit , fe st i va l s a n d pri vate e ve nt s i n Europe a nd Rus s i a , f a n s a l s o go t t he o ppo rt uni ty to s ee S oniq u e i n t h e Uni te d St ate s , Si ngapore, Ho ng Kong , J a m a i c a , Aus t ral i a, N o rw ay, I taly a nd B a rba do s.

or S oni q u e , wo r k i ng as a D J i n a mal e - d omi n a ted fie l d h a s b e e n amaz i ng. I t t o o k three yea rs bef o re sh e b e g an s pi nni ng i n publ i c, but s he kne w o n c e f a n s had he ard and s e e n h er, they w oul d wa n t m o re !

n 2 0 0 1 , Sonique scooped a numbe r o f p res tig ious awar ds, including Best Br iti s h Fem a l e at the 2 0 0 1 Br it Awar ds ceremony, fi gh ti n g o ff fierce competition from Dido, PJ Ha r v ey a n d Sade. At the 4 6 th Iv or Nov ello Awar d s th a t same y ear, she also won the Inter n a ti o n a l Hi t of the Year for her sing le “ It Feels S o G o o d ” , from her album Hear My Cr y, which a l s o fea tured the song s “ I Put A Spell On Yo u ” a n d “ Sky ” .

onique has recor ded four solo alb u m s a n d has released more than 1 3 sing les. Her d eb u t album has now sold ov er one million c o p i es i n the United King dom alone. Her achi ev em en ts can be summed up by her life philo s o p h y : B e the best or don’t bother !

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

Recent ly, Isla n d Si g n atu res g o t t h e chanc e t o a c hat w i th t h i s bubbly personality and she shared some interesting snippe t s abo u t h er l i f e: I S : A s a n a r t i st e , who has i nf l ue nc e d yo u r life th e mos t ? S: B e s id e s G o d, A re tha F rank l i n, Ro be rt a F lac k , G la dys K n i g h t and M arvi n Gaye . Some o the rs lik e Pe t e r G abri e l be c aus e I l i k e their song w rit i n g a b i l i t y. I l i k e pe o pl e w ho w rite th ei r ow n so n g s c a us e I t e nd to l i k e the i r storie s . I e ve n l i k e d Euryt hmi c s at o ne point ’ ca us e. . . I l i k e d h e r l yri c s and s tuff ...The y were good. I S : H ow di d y o u c o me up w i t h t he i de a f or your s t a g e n a m e ? S: I w a s w i t h m y b e s t f ri e nd, re al l y yo ung , qui t e y ou n g . I sa i d, “I w anna be a s i nge r, I wa nna be a si n g e r ” and s he s ai d, “We l l i f you w a nn a b e a si n ge r, yo u c an’t go o ut as So nia . ” (l a u g h s) . T h at’s be s t f ri e nds f o r yuh, ai n’t it ? “ Yo u c a n ’t be So ni a, i t’s bo ri nggg !!!” I sa id , “O h . .. a l r i g h t , w hat do yo u thi nk ? ” “We ll y ou r n a m e i s So ni a s o w hy no t be u ni que , so wh y do n’t yo u j us t be So ni que...” I wa s lik e . ..yo u k n o w w hat... s o unds be t ter. So I a ct ual l y di dn ’t mak e that name up, my b est frie n d di d. I S : H ow do e s S o n i a Cl ark e di ff e r f ro m t he So niq ue p e r so n a ? S: O p posi t e s! O n l y w ay I c an de s c ri be her. So nia ha s a f a r m , vege tabl e s , ani mal s , wakes u p a t 5 a . m . ..t h e q u i e t l i f e ...w o ul dn’t w e ar m a ke -up. I n e ve r r r r r e ve rrrrr l o o k e d de c ent ( lau ghs ) . I wo u l d g o to the pub i n j o ggi n g b ott om s o n , sn e a k e rs o r s l i ppe rs . The y know who I a m b u t t h e y ne ve r s aw me dre s s e d u p. O nce I h a d o n a go w n f ro m go i ng t o a Chr is t ma s di n n e r t he re af t e r t he s tudi o s and o ne of t h e g u y s wa s l i k e , “O M G! Yo u c l e an up well ! ” (la u g h s)

IS: How would y our fr iends and acqu a i n ta n c es descr ibe y ou? S: CRAZ Y!! ( laug hs) Cr azy man!!! I b o u n c e around. I can’t sit still. My mom cou l d n ’t handle it - my brother is a pr iest an d m y sister doesn’t dr ink and I’m just like th ere. My sister say s I can’t keep still for th ree seconds. I hav e ov er-the-top ener g y ! IS: W hat are y ou most proud of accomplishing ? S: I do lov e wr iting song s that matter to people. I think “ Sky ” mattered to a l o t o f people ev enthoug h they didn’t know a l l th a t it meant. It’s a v er y sad song ...I just l i ke th a t people could come up to me and sa y y o u r song helped me to g et throug h a bad s i tu a tion in life. I wasn’t looking for an a c h i ev ement. I liked that it touched them.. . n o t j u s t “ Sky ” , but “ It Feels So Good” . “ Sky ” w a s j u s t my per sonal fav our ite. IS: W hat would y ou do differently if y o u h a d a chance? S: Oohhh that’s a g ood question. I d i d n ’t plan to be like this or be famous. W i s h ed I planned a bit more so I could capita l i s e o n business v entures from the fame, like h o w other ar tistes hav e their ling er ie lin e etc . I wasn’t thinking of that so if I was to go back I would be a bit more str uctured . W h en I was y oung er I didn’t like to plan b ec a u s e I believ ed that if y ou plan somethin g th a t i t mig ht not happen, so if it doesn’t h a p p en y o u wouldn’t be disappointed, so I wou l d m o re go with the flow ( laug hs)...So that wou l d b e o n e thing I would chang e. IS: Share with our reader s somethin g a b o u t y our self that y ou want to improv e. S: I dr ink too much ( laug hs) ...way t o o m u c h , so that needs to be improv ed imme d i a tel y ( laug hs) .

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I S : Soniqu e wa s t h e re s i de nt D J w i thi n the c a pi t a l of da n c e m u s i c at t he i nf amo us I b iza c lu b M a nu m i ssi o n f or thre e ye ars . What was th a t e xpe r i e n c e l i k e? S: It w a s ve r y re a l , ve ry raw. The be s t par t of i t you cou l d p a r t y anyw he re and i t w as ver y respe ct fu l p a r t y i n g , but i t s t art e d to c hang e a lo t - m u si c a n d o t he r s t uff ...s e x o n s t ag e, so I le ft b e c a u se t h at’s no t w hat D anc e i s ab out . W h a t I l i k e d abo ut i t w as e ve ryo ne was f riend ly, l e ss r a c i sm. The Spani s h are ve ry f riend ly p e o p l e . I S : W hich o f y o u r songs mo s t re s o nate s with So ni que ’s p e r so n a l i t y? S: “S ky ” ! T h a t ’s m e be i ng me ! That s i mpl e life, h a p pine ss, ve r y e a sy, ve ry rela xe d . I do n ’t w a n t t o be supe r fa m o u s. I S : Soniqu e i s b e st kno w n fo r h e r 2000 i nte rna t io n a l h i t sin gle “It Fe e l s S o Go od ”, wi t h o ve r f our m illi o n vi e ws o n YouTub e , b e f o re socia l m e di a b e c a m e th e norm . W h a t wo u l d yo u sa y t o t he n e w g e n erati o n th a t ha s n o t h e a r d o f Soniqu e ? S: He a r of m e ! Hear of m e ! ( lau ghs ) C o m e an d s ee m e deeja y s o m e whe re t he n you w il l k n o w. Bec a us e I a m still s p inn in g lik e c ra zy e v e r y whe re , pl a yi n g

other people’s music and it’s not ab o u t y o u , it’s about them now...keeps y ou on y o u r to es all the time. Come check me out de ej a y ing , I’m Deejay ing ev er y where so g et to kn o w me a little better - stream it or loo k a t i t o n YouTube. There is alway s something th ere. IS: Sonique was recog nised by the G u i n n es s Book of Recor ds as the fir st female s o l o ar tist to be #1 for three consecutive w eeks the fir st time in 2 2 y ear s since Kate B u s h ’s “ Wuther ing Heig hts” in 1 9 7 8 . How d i d y o u feel about this? S: Fir st of all, “ Wuther ing Heig hts” i s o n e o f my fav our ite song s, so that threw m e, rea l l y hit me har d in a really positiv e way. Yo u h a v e just taken ov er one of y our fav our ite s o n gs . . . Ididn’t want to be the one to take a w a y h er throne, but it’s just one of those th i n gs th a t just happens. It’s funny cause I did n ’t w a n t i t to be her. Sor r y ( laug hs) . IS: At the 4 6 th Iv or Nov ello Awar d s th a t s a m e y ear, Sonique also won the Inter n a ti o n a l Hi t of the Year for her sing le “ It Feels S o Go o d ” from the number 1 album Hear M y Cr y. Ho w did that feel? S: Fir st of all, I had n o i d ea what this award w a s ( laug hs) but I fo u n d out that it’s a rea l l y g ood awar d - b i g dinner, sh o w a n d ev er y thin g. Th e b i t that stoo d o u t fo r me that y ea r w a s Stev ie Wo n d er asked to m eet m e. I had no i d ea th a t the awar d w a s s o prestig io u s . I’m hon o u red to hav e s u c h a n awar d; i t’s rea l l y

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

h eav y (la u g h s) . I S : A ny a r t i st e /p e r f o rme r yo u w o ul d l i k e to c olla borat e wi t h ? W hy? S: Hm m m ...Eve r y o n e i s a bi t w e i rd the s e day s, n o o ne is re a l l y si n gi ng anymo re as mo s t useau tot une. I c o u l dn ’t w o rk w i t h t hat. Mo s t of th e a rt is t e s I re a l l y w ante d to w o rk w i th hav e died . I re a l l y wa n t ed t o do a danc e trac k with W hi t ne y [ H o u st o n ] . I t ho ught w o rk i ng w i th Mar y J . B l i g e wo u l d be c o o l and Mi s s y El liott... lov e he r. .. sh e k e e p s bangi ng tho s e hi ts like BOO M! T h e n sh e wo u l d go qui e t agai n t hen BOO M! I S : B e s id e s J a m a i c a , have yo u pe rf o rme d on an y ot he r C a r i b b e a n i s l and? What w as the vib e? S: B a rba do s f o r O l d Ye ar’s N i ght f o r an extre m e ly e x c l u si ve pri vat e e ve nt ; Tri ni dad in April (2 0 20) b u t u su al l y I ’m i n Rus s i a; they lov e m e t h e re . I S : W ha t ’s n e x t f o r So ni a and So ni que ? S: Relocat e t o a n o t h e r c o untry, maybe Sp ain, an d w rit e m o re so n gs f o r the yo uth o f today. Ha v e a n o ff i c i a l re mi x e d pac k age o f “Fe e ls So Go od ” co m i n g o u t . Do s o me s ho w s l i k e Br azil an d pla ce s I h a ve n ’t be e n be f o re . The y need a d a nce c l u b h e re i n Barbado s l i k e ho w Club Xtre m e w a s. I S : Soca ? S: I w ould l o ve t o w o rk w i th a s o c a arti s te. I gre w up t w e r k i n g (l aughs ). My unc l e used to sa y, “O h L o r d t h i s gi rl c o ul d w i ne ”. Met “C ra zy ” in En g l a n d bac k i n the day. Anyone who is in t e re st e d j u s t hi t me up. I S : You ha ve n o t c h ange d yo ur i c o ni c i mag e th ro ug hou t t h e y e a r s . Co nte mpo rary art i stes sw itch it u p o f t e n , what are yo ur t ho ughts?

S: May be I should ( laug hs)...E v er y ti m e I chang e up, quite liter ally when I pu t h a i r o n , g uy s see me as a b***h! My fr iend d o es n ’t like it at all, he doesn’t like it at al l . . . . I go t really nice wig s, I do look completel y d i fferent. I can see people looking and th ey a re n o t believ ing [it’s me]. They need to ha v e th a t hair off. I don’t know why... [Soniqu e] i s n o t real unless she has that hair off ( la u gh s ) . IS: W hat do y ou think about the state o f c o n tempor ar y dance music? S: Too many sub-g enres. Music is m u s i c . Most chang es are in commercial mu s i c . I t’s all about selling sex. Not in lov e wi th m u s i c today really because y ou’re not fee l i n g th e music like before.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

W ave E le m e nt

Phot og r a p hy B y: Wa v e Ele m ent M od e l: S oniq ue

Tribute To Edward Kamau Brathwaite Wr i t t en B y : L isa S cot t

h e w o r l d l o st a li t e rary gi ant and c ul t ur al ic on on Tu e sda y February 4, 2020 w i t h t he p a s s ing o f Edw a r d K amau Brat hw ai t e .

h e s ch o l a r a n d aw ard- w i nni ng Cari bbean p oe t w a s 89 y e a r s o l d.

ra t hw a i t e wa s b orn in B r i dg e t o w n , Ba rba d os , o n M a y 1 1, 1930 . He a t t e n de d Ha rris on C o l l e g e i n Ba rba d os a n d g r a du a t ed w i t h h o n o u r s f ro m Pe m b ro k e C o l le ge , Ca m brid g e , E n g l a n d, i n 1953 . A ft e r w o r k i n g as an e d uca t i o n o ff i c e r i n Gh a na a n d t e a c h i n g o n th e J a m a i c a c a m p u s o f th e U nive r si t y o f t h e West Indi e s ( U W I ) , he returned t o E n g l a n d an d rece i ve d h i s P hD f ro m t he U n i ve r si t y o f Su s s ex in 1968.

e was the co-founder of the Car i b b ea n Ar tists Mov ement ( CAM) . He received b o th the Gug g enheim and Fulbr ig ht Fell o w s h i p s in 1 9 8 3 , and is a winner of the 1 9 9 4 Neu s ta d t Inter national Pr ize for Liter ature, B u s s a Awar d, the Ca s a d e las AmĂŠr ica s Pr i z e for poetr y, a n d the 1 9 9 9 Ch a r i ty Randall Citati o n fo r Per for manc e a n d Wr itten Poetr y fro m the Inter nati o n a l Poetr y For u m .

e is the a u th o r o f numerous c o l l ec ti o n s of poetr y, i n c l u d i n g E leg g uas ( 20 1 0 ) , th e Gr iffin Inte r n a ti o n a l Poetr y Pr ize w i n n er Slow Hor ses (2 0 0 5 ) , Ancestor s ( 2 0 0 1 ) , Middle Pass a ges ( 1 9 9 2 ) , and B l a c k + Blues ( 1 9 7 6) . Hi s fi r s t

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

three col l e c t i o n s - Ri ghts o f Pas s age (1967 ) , Ma s k s (1 9 68) , a n d I sl ands (1969) - have b een gath e red i n t o T h e Arri vant s : A N e w Wo rl d Tr ilogy (1973) . H e i s al s o the aut ho r o f O u r Anc e s t ra l H e r i t a g e : A Bi bl i o graphy o f the Roots o f C ul t ure i n t h e En gl i s h- s pe ak i ng Cari bbean ( 19 7 6 ) a nd B a r b a do s Po e try: A Che c k l i s t : S lave ry t o t h e P re se nt (1979). Addi ti o nal l y, Br a thw a it e wro t e t w o pl ays and s e ve ral c ollectio ns of e ssa ys a n d l i t e rary c ri ti c i s m.

s highl i g h t e d i n h i s o bi t uary i n The Guar d ia n, B r a t h wa i t e ’s ambi ti o n w as to c reate a dist incti ve l y C a r i bbe an f o rm o f po e t ry, w hi ch w o u l d c e l e b r at e Cari bbe an vo i c e s and lan g ua ge , a s we l l a s Af ri c an and Cari bbe an r hythm s e vo k i n g G h anai an t al k i ng drums , c alyps o, re g g a e , j a z z and bl ue s .

e belie ve d t h a t t he l anguage s po k e n by C arib be a n p e o p l e s sho ul d be re garde d not as a d iale ct , o r su b si di ary and i nf e ri o r f o rm of Englis h, b u t a s a “ n ati o n l anguage ”, c apable o f expres s i n g t h e c o mpl e x i ti e s o f Cari bbean c ultu re a n d h i st o r y.

ft er his p a ssi n g , s e ve ral t ri but e s w e re ma d e in m e m o r y o f the l i te rary gi ant , i ncludi n g from C h a i r o f C ARI CO M and P ri me M i n ister o f B a rba do s, t h e H o n o urabl e M i a Amo r Mottley. S he d es cr i b e d B r a t h w ai t e as “e as i l y o ne of the titan s of p o st - c o l o n ial l i te rature and the Ar ts” .

n her s ta t e m e n t , Mo tt l e y no t e d that o ne of the highli g h t s o f h e r te nure as Mi ni s t e r of C ulture w a s B a r b a do s ’ e x c e l l e nt pre s e nt ation a t CA RIFE S TA i n Tr i n i dad and To bago , f e at ur ing Kam a u’s se m i n a l w o rk “Barabaj an”.

ow e v er, sh e p o i n t e d o ut t hat hi s re ac h a n d infl ue n c e we re no t l i mi te d to hi s be l ov ed Ba rba d os a n d t h e C ari bbe an. “H i s t e nure as an ed uc a t or a t i n st i t u t i o ns f ro m Ghana t o Am er ica a llo w ed st u de n t s o f e ve ry e t hni c i t y and backgro und t o e x p e r i e n c e hi s w i z ardry w i th w or ds. Ultim a t e ly, h o w e ve r, K amau’s l e gac y and timeless gift t o u s a l l i s hi s po w e rf ul l y po i gnant

body of wor k. From ‘Odale’s Choice’ a n d ‘ Th e Ar r iv ants’; to ‘Mother Poem’ and ‘B o r n to S l o w Hor ses’, he leav es us pr iceless liter a r y trea sures that will delig ht and shape ou r m i n d s for g ener ations to come.

“ he numerous stellar awar ds for h i s w o r k are testament to the g lobal acclaim a n d respect ear ned for decades of excep ti o n a l liter ar y cr aftsmanship. Kamau Br ath w a i te espoused the v er y best of the Bar b a d i a n p ersonality and I wish him safe jour ney to th e next realm,” she said.

he T T Bocas Lit Fest has rev ealed th a t Br athwaite will posthumously be aw a r d ed the 2 0 2 0 Bocas Henr y Swanzy awar d fo r d i s ting uished ser v ice to Car ibbean Letter s . Hi s family will be presented with the aw a r d a t th e annual Kamau Br athwaite lecture on M a rc h 5 . His life will also be celebr ated at th e ten th NGC Bocas Lit Fest which r uns from M a y 1 to 3 in Por t-of-Spain.

r athwaite is sur v iv ed by his seco n d w i fe Bev er ly Reid, son Michael from his fi r s t w i fe Dor is, his g r anddaug hter, Ay isha, an d a s i s ter, Joan.

“ Kam au’s l e gac y and t i m e l e ss gift to u s all is his powerfully poignant body of work...he leaves us priceless literary treasures that will delight and shape our minds for generations to come.” - Pri m e M i n i s t e r of Ba r b a d os , Ho n o u ra bl e M i a M ot t l ey

D r. Tanis ha D enise Mann ing â&#x20AC;&#x153; Yo u c a n n e ver fail if yo u m anifest successâ&#x20AC;?

Wr i tten B y: Ju s t i n El l i s

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

A S h i ni n g ‘ L i gh t’ Dr. Tanisha Manning

r. Ta n i sh a De ni s e M anni ng, al s o kn ow n a s L i g h t , wa s bo rn and rai s e d i n South S tock t on, C a l i f o r n i a. H o w e ve r, s he i s no t y our ord ina ry w o m a n , n ot by any me ans . I n 201 4 S ource M a g a z i n e du bbe d he r “The Wo nder Woma n L i f e C o a c h ” and s he w as f e at ure d a s “ T he 2018 Wo n der Wo man o f San Jo aquin C ount y ”.

e s p it e h a vi n g t o o ve rc o me l o s s and h ar dshi p t o re a c h h e r g o al s , s he ne ve r gave u p, ev e n w he n do i n g so w o ul d have be e n the ea s ie r op t i o n . S h e g re w up ami d rampant g ang vio l e nce a n d p o ve r t y, but D r. Manni ng f o und a w a y ou t t h ro u g h ins pi rat i o n, ac ti o n and drive . He r l i f e st o r y i s pro o f that i t do e s n’t m a t t e r wh e re yo u c o me f ro m, o nc e yo u h av e th e d et e r m i n a t i o n and pas s i o n s uc c e s s i s attaina bl e .

f t e r gr a du a t i n g fro m Edi s o n H i gh Sc hool with hono u r s, sh e j o i ne d t he Uni te d St ates m ilit a ry, wh i c h a l l o we d he r t o purs ue he r educ a tion w i t h o u t i n t e rrupti o n and to f o c us on h er m a ny i n t e l l e c t u al i nte re s ts . She s pe n t o v e r t hir t e e n ye a r s i n the US Army, i nc l udi ng a t ou r o f c o m b at duri ng O pe rat i o n I raqi F reed om, O I F 09- 10.

firm b e l i e ve r i n the po w e r o f e duc ation, Dr. M a nni n g h o l ds d e gre e s i n Cri mi nal Justice Adm inis tr a t i o n a n d Bus i ne s s Admi ni s trat ion, i n a d d it io n t o a n h o no rary P hD i n The o l og y an d S piri t u a l C o u n s e l i ng. She has w o rk e d with v a ri o u s p o l i c e de part me nts i n f i nge r pr int an a l y s is a n d c r i m e s c e ne pro c e s s i ng, as well as viole n c e p re ve n ti o n s t rat e gi e s . She w as the f ir s t His t o r i c a l l y B l ac k Co l l e ge and Uni ver sity ( HBC U ) Li f e C o a c h fo r F l o ri da A&M U ni ve rsity an d ha s p u b l i sh e d li f e - c o ac hi ng bo o k s f or teen s .

r. Manning is what y ou would ca l l a ga m e chang er, lev elling the play ing field fo r s o m e of the most at-r isk y outh in our com m u nities, and apply ing her talents in v a r i o u s or g anisations across the reg ion and b ey o n d . W ith a passion for helping v ulner ab l e teen s , Dr. Manning has ser v ed as a Deputy S h er i ff Reser v e for Gadsden County Sher iff’s Offi c e and has wor ked dilig ently for the F l o r i d a Depar tment of Juv enile Justice, adv o c a ti n g for y outhful offender s. Here, she w a s a b l e to create their fir st Reentr y and Men to r i n g Prog r amme in Tallahassee, Flor ida.

he has dev oted her self to a life o f p u b l i c ser v ice, with a special focus on dev el o p ing prog r ammes for populations at r i s k. S h e established and facilitated sev er al c rea ti v e wr iting and poetr y classes for y out h fu l o ffen d er s already in the cr iminal justice s y s tem , implementing the fir st poetr y creati v e w r i ti n g classes in Or lando, Flor ida; Killeen , Tex a s ; a n d Stockton, Califor nia. As a result of h er s el flessness and humanitar ianism, Dr. M a n n i n g has receiv ed numerous commendat i o n s fo r outstanding disting uished ser v ice an d fo r community ser v ice leader ship.

n her latest v enture, Dr Manning h a s o p en ed a holistic wellness studio in Puer to R i c o called “ Dama Bonita” , where she co n ti n u es to inspire ev er y one she comes into con ta c t w i th .

r. Manning is a Combat Veter an, A u th o r, Motiv ational Speaker, Holistic Healt h Pr actitioner, Inter national Cer tified B i r th Doula, 1 st HBCU Cer tified Life Coach , Cer ti fi ed Yog a Instr uctor, Forensic Fing er pr in t & Mor tuar y E xper t, Juv enile Justice A d v o c a te, For mer Deputy Sher iff & Activ e Hum a n i ta r i a n . Now y ou can clear ly see why she’s c a l l ed “ Wonder Woman” . meet Cari b b ean’ s

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

Q & A wi th D r. M a n ni ng I S: As a w o man w ho has achiev ed s o muc h, at any point did y ou ev er t hi nk t hat yo u had reached y our f ul l po te nti al ? TM:N o , no t at al l . I often joke that I have ni ne l i ve s . But in all ser io us ne s s , I f e e l my life has been di vi ne l y gui de d and ev er y skill and go al ac hi e ve d has equipped me for w he re I am to day and to be fully abl e to s e rve . I S: Who i s yo ur bi gg est suppor t s ys te m? TM: F i rs t and f o re most, God is my bi gge s t s uppo rt s ystem. I am where I am t o day be c aus e of God’s g r ace and me rc y o n my l ife. My husband c o me s s e c o nd t o that and is my be s t f ri e nd. H e has suppor ted me i n al l my bus i ne s s endeav our s. I S: Who w e re / are your role models? TM : I gre w u p roug h and no t havi n g role models, s o as a y oung teen I w o ul d research Black H i s tor y and connect w i t h black women l e ader s I wanted t o be like. Queen Nefer titi, Mar y Mcleod Bethune and Har r iet Tubman are who I connected with most. I’m inspired by women that had to ov erc o m e obstacles and

str ug g les to g et to where th ey a re today. IS: Do y ou consider y our s el f a ro l e model to y oung er ones? TM: Yes, of cour se. I hav e w o r ked with “ hig h r isk” y outh f o r w el l o v er 1 5 y ear s and I still hav e a c o n n ec tion with most of them. I n a d d i tion to creating role mod el m en to ring prog r ammes for the c i ty go v er nment and state juv en i l e j u s ti c e sy stems, I founded a no n -p ro fi t fo r hig h-r isk g ir ls called “ Pretty L a d y Sister hood” in my hometo w n o f Stockton, Califor nia. I tr u l y b el i ev e that y ou must show y ou n g p eo p l e how to obtain resources to a c h i ev e their dreams. IS: W hat is the ev er y day l i fe o f Tanisha Denise Manning l i ke? TM: I am blessed and hav e th e luxur y to call my own sh o ts . I t v ar ies. IS: How has y our y oung er s el fshaped y ou into the pers o n y o u a re today ? TM: I g rew up witnessin g p eo p l e and situations I didn’t w a n t to b e in and decided at a y oun g a ge th a t I wanted more for my li fe. I kn o w how it feels to be broken , a b a n doned, neg lected, hated o n a n d th e list g oes on…I made up m y m i n d at a v er y y oung ag e that I w a s th e creator of my own life an d o n l y I could define who “ Tanish a ” w a s . My y oung er self is healed a n d s h e’s g rown into a beautiful, a c c o m plished woman.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I S : W it h su c h a b u sy l i f e s t yl e , ho w do yo u b a lance it a l l – w o r k, l o ve , f ri e nds hi ps an d per s ona l t i m e ? TM: I k e e p t h i n g s si mpl e . I e nj o y l i f e and b ei ng out do o r s. I k n o w ho w t o s ay “no ” a n d I’v e l e a r n e d h o w t o re j e c t anyt hi ng and a n yo ne t h a t c a u se s my s pi ri t and e ne rgy to be u nea s y or u n c o m f o rt abl e . I S : W ha t i s o n e o f t he mo s t me mo rabl e m om e nt s o f y o u r l i f e ? TM: I ha ve so m a n y me mo rabl e mo me nt s i n my life : I ’ ve t r a vel l e d to di ff e re nt c o un tr ies s erv i n g , sp e a k i ng, c o ac hi ng and l e ar ni ng, a nd so m e t h i n g amaz i ng al w ays happ ens. I ’v e s erv e d a s a b i r th do ul a i n a ho s pi tal in Hond ura s a n d t h a t trul y t e s te d my s t re ng th a n d fa it h . H o we ve r, w he n I trave l l e d to Tanz a nia , A f r i c a , I re me mbe r ho w I f e l t when I wa s t old “ we l c o m e ho me ”. I al s o re me mb er being de p l o ye d t o Baghdad and c re at i ng a recy c l i n g p ro g ramme f o r al l t he w ater b ott l e s w e u se d a s s o l di e rs . Large s i z e w ater b ott l e s w e re a va i l a b l e f o r s o l di e rs by the c a s e s . . . I re m e m b e r t hat ho no ur I re c e i ve d . I rea lly can ’t p u t m y f i nge r o n o ne me mor ab le m om e n t i n m y l i f e , but I w as marri ed i n Ve nice, I t a l y a n d i t w as the mo s t ro manti c e v e nt . M y p r i va t e c e re mo ny t o o k pl ac e in a hi s t oric p a l a c e a n d o n the ac t ual day, u pon entr a nce , I m e t m y hus band. I re me mbe r how I f el t , how h e l o o k ed and ho w i n aw e I w as of th e e ne rg y t h a t da y. Fo l l o w i ng t he c e re mony we w ere f o l l o w e d a ro und Ve ni c e by a professio na l ph o t o g r a p h e r o n f o o t and by go ndola r id e . . . oft e n t i m e s, i t ’s a f e e l i ng t hat mak es m om e nt s m o st m e m o rabl e . I S : I f y ou h a d a c h a n c e to go bac k i n t i me, what w ou l d yo u t e l l yo ur yo unge r s e l f ? TM: E v il h i de s i n h i gh and l o w pl ac e s and n eve r be su r p r i se d whe re i t s ho w s up. You’re pow erful a n d sp i r i t ual ro yal ty. N e ve r al l o w

any one to define y ou and nev er acc ep t a “ no” . People will be env ious and jea l o u s b y stupid stuff just because they feel l i ke y o u hav e what they can’t possess, but keep go i n g. Use ev er y adv er sity to motiv ate y ou fo r w a r d . Date accor ding to y our plan for y ou r l i fe. Sav e and inv est y our money. Think b efo re y ou react. Nobody is wor th y our fre ed o m . You’re not alone and y ou’re g oing to m a ke it. Thankfully, I lear ned all these v al u a b l e lessons with y ear s of g rowth. IS: You hav e achiev ed so much, whic h achiev ements are y ou most g r ateful fo r ? TM: All of them. I don’t discredit or u n d erv alue any accomplishment in my life b ec a u s e I feel they were all placed in my life to get me to where I am today. IS: As a best-selling author, what is y o u r adv ice for any one aspir ing to be a wr i ter ? TM: Star t. Star t wr iting and tap into y o u r imag ination. Keep a jour nal and set go a l s to wr ite. IS: W hat inspired y ou to be a wr iter? TM: I’v e alway s been a wr iter. I wou l d w r i te shor t stor ies when I was a little g irl …I w o u l d spend all day tapping into my imag i n a ti o n . I would wr ite poetr y all the time. I b el i ev e i t’s a par t of my calling . IS: You own a holistic wellness stud i o , w h a t do y ou enjoy most about it? TM: I enjoy ser v ing other s.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I S : H ow wa s yo u r t i m e i n the mi l i t ary s e r v ice in the United States Ar my ? TM: It w as n e c e ssa r y f o r my gro w t h. I s e r v ed ov er 1 3 y ear s in the US Ar my as a morti c i a n . The rea lit y i s t h e re i s a dark s i de t o s e rving in the militar y. A fear and tr auma so d eep th a t I ’v e s ee n t h e st ro n g e s t s t ruggl e to re c o ver. Sending soldier s home in body bag s was th e m o s t h eart brea k i n g a n d co urage o us thi ng I ’ve ev er had to do in my life. I S : W ha t a re y o u r f ut ure pl ans ? TM: I’v e l e a r n e d t o gi ve up c o ntro l and allow God to direct my path. Howev er, I plan to w o r k h a rd on m y b u si n e ss “D ame Bo ni t a” by creating oppor tunities for women to heal hol i s ti c a l l y.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I s la nd S ig na tu res ’ Bu c ket L i st

ST.VINCENT Wr i t t e n B y : Kenrife Ma tt hia s

Brief History N

f t he m a n y c u l t u ral tradi ti o ns and f e s tiv als cele b r a t e d i n t h e Cari bbe an, o ne s uch u n iq ue e x p re ssi o n ex c l us i ve to the i s l and of S t. Vincen t a n d t h e Gre nadi ne s i s t hat o f Nine Mornings .

ine Mor ning s is a Vincentian festi v a l , v er y much family -or iented, which i s c el ebr ated within communities about th e i s l a n d just nine day s before Chr istmas ( nota b l y from Dec 1 6 to 2 4 each y ear ) . It is n o t c l ea r as to the or ig ins of this pre-Chr istm a s tr a d i tion, as “ ear lier infor mation would h a v e o n l y been tr ansmitted or ally ” , accor ding to th e late histor ian Dr. E dg ar Adams in h i s b o o kl et Nine Mor ning s - A Cultur al Tr adition i n S t. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, i t i s safe to asser t that due to relig ious i n fl u en c e and social constr ucts, cultur al tr ad i ti o n s w ere bir thed and tailored to suit the esta te w o r ker s on the island. One such influence m a y h a v e come from the Afr ican nation of Mal i , a s based on histor ical recor ds, this is o n e o f th e reg ions where ear ly captiv es brough t to th e West Indies or ig inated.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

s pos tu l a t e d b y M o ro c c an w ri te r, Le o Afr icanus, who wrote about the town of Tim b u ktu whe n t he M a l i Em p i re w as s uc c e e de d by the Song hai E mpire: “ The inhabitants are p eo p l e o f a ge nt l e a n d c h e e r f ul di s po s i ti o n and s pend a g reat par t of the nig ht in sing ing and d a n c i n g th ro ug h a l l t h e st re e t s o f the c i t y.” (H i s tor y of Afr ica by Kev in Shilling ton p.1 0 5 ) .

What it is now

his v iv i d i m a g e r y c apt ure s t he true e ssence of what Nine Mor ning s celebr ations i s a n d ha s e v ol ve d t o b e c ome o ve r t he ye ars ; a community of festiv e people sing ing Chr istm a s ca ro ls a n d da n c i n g t o parang i n t he s tre ets. Of cour se, much has chang ed and notab l y s o wi th t he a dva n c e m ent i n te c hno l o gy, the creativ ely lit and decor ated Chr istmas lig h ts h a v e add e d a n e x t r a a n d att rac t i ve e l e me nt t o the festiv ity.

The future

n Ma y, 2019 l o c a l s o c a s i nge r, O rande ‘Bomani’ Char les, was appointed as the New C hairma n o f t h e N a ti o nal N i ne Mo rni ngs Committee. Our wr iter Kenr ife Matthias had a n opp ort un i t y t o c h a t w i t h Mr. Charl e s at a lig hting up in the Sion Hill community of Ro s ea u on S und a y 22 De c e mbe r, 2019. Be ami ng with optimism, the chair man commented

that his t e n u re so far has be e n e nj o yabl e and that he looks for war d to wor king with h i s team t o m a k e t h e Ni ne M o rni ngs e x pe ri e n ce a unique one. He rev ealed that there a re p l a n s

for v a riou s c o m m u ni ti e s t o o ff e r s e l e c t packag es for locals and v isitor s alike - for i n s ta n c e, rev is it ing e l e m e n t s o f c o mmuni ty s e re nad ing and carolling as was done in y ear s g o n e b y.

t i s cus t o m a r y t o s e e l i ve pe rf o rmanc e s of Chr istmas song s with a Car ibbean twist fro m th e li kes of L e n n o x B o wman (D e puty Chai rman of the Nine Mor ning s Committee); Car lton “CP” Ha l l ; S hau ne lle M c K e n z i e ; Luta and Sk arpyo n, to mention a few. Additionally, local treats s u c h a s ho t choco l a t e t e a o r f re s h o range s , s o rrel and g ing er beer can be had. And it’s not j u s t a b o u t consumin g - t h e o r g ani s e rs have managed to incor por ate exercising as par t of the p ro gr a m m e a s well.

h ere’s so m u c h t h at c o ul d be s ai d o f t he feeling of waking at dawn and par taking i n th i s age-ol d f e st i vi t y, b ut no thi ng be at s e x pe r iencing it for y our self. From street tennis to ea ti n g/ drin k ing c o m p e t i t i o ns , l i s t e ni ng to the e uphor ic sounds of steel pan bands and sing i n g b y rel i g io us a nd c o m m u n i ty gro ups - t he re ’s s omething to be enjoy ed by the entire family.

o m a rk t h e da t e s (D e c 16- 24) and s ubm it y our v acation day s ear ly in 2 0 2 0 to cele b r a te C hr is t m a s i n u n i q u e Vi nc e nti an s t yl e .

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

P h o t o g rap hy By: C alve r t Jo n e s

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

DOMINICA’S WORLD CREOLE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2019: THE EXPERIENCE Writ t e n B y : Pe t u la Al i e

ominic a ’s Wo r l d Cre o l e M us i c Fe s t i val , a sta p le on t h e C a r i b b e an’s ye arl y c al e ndar of ev en t s , h a s de l i ve re d t re me ndo us l y o n the o bj ect iv e o f p ro m oting t h e i sl a n d’s to ur is m p ro du c t .

a s t y ea r ’s e ve n t wa s e xcep t i o n a l , a n d a s u s ua l t h e re w a s a trinit y o f n i g h t s i n m usic, co m m e n c i n g o n t he la st F r i da y i n October a n d c o n t i n ui ng on t o t h e S u n da y. Patrons we re g i ve n th e op por t u n i t y t o enga g e in a sp l e n di d VI P t our a n d g r a n d sta g e e xp e r i e n c e , t o f ully a bs o r b t h e st ar pow e r e m a n a t i n g f ro m Dominica , t h e F re n c h An tille s , A f r i c a , H a i ti , a n d Nort h Am e r i c a .

aking their fir st appear ance on th e w o r l d stag e was local band E xtacy, whose v er s a ti l i ty in a r ang e of g enres made for an in c red i b l e per for mance. Also h i tti n g th e stag e was leg endar y regga e ar tiste Buju Banton , w h o w a s bedecked in Domin i c a ’s c u l tur al wear, and had p a tro n s beg g ing for more wi th h i s ener g etic rendition s o f o l d and new hits.

dding to the fla v o u r o f the festiv al, compa s b a n d s Vy ab, Cadence All S ta r s and E r ic Vir g al am o n g m a n y other s had the cro w d ro c ki n g to zouk and compas th r i l l s all nig ht long . Oph el i a M a r i e, “ Dominica’s Lady of S o n g” , beautifully deliv ered h er ren ditions, and Afrob ea ts s u p erstar Dav ido made h i s fi r s t appear ance at the fes ti v a l with non-stop mega h i ts .

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

ot on l y i s t h e m us i c c apti vati ng, but the ven ue a n d i n c l u si o n o f c ul i nary arti s ts and exp o m a k e s t h e Worl d Cre o l e Mus i c Fe s t iv al o ne of t h e b e st i n t he Cari bbe an. Apart from c el e bra t i n g Do m i n i c aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unde ni abl e ri c h, cultu ra l he r i t a g e , i t i s i nf us e d w i t h f o o d, f a s hion a n d m u si c w hi c h c o nt ri but e s s i g nific a nt ly t o t h e sp e c i al pl ac e t he f e s t i val holds i n t he he a r t s o f m any.

Phot o grap hy By: Amb o Vi s u a l s

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

Therapies to improve your health and well-being. Bringing balance back into your life.

Massage Therapies Complimentary Therapies Holistic Therapies Reflexology Orthopedic Massage Oncology Massage & Consultation Pregnancy Massage Nail Care Services Facials Body Treatments Nutritional Consultation done by Register Nurse

Tel: 833-1351 spaholistic@yahoo.com www.spaholistic.net

he Car ibbean Media Cor por ation ( C M C) i s th e Car ibbean reg ionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier multimedi a o r ga n isation dedicated to excellence in ne w s , s p o r ts production and communication ser v ices . We a l s o specialize in Pr int and New Media, Bro a d c a s t o n ter restr ial telev ision and r adio station s , Ca b l e TV and Satellite Uplink Distr ibution ac ro s s th e Car ibbean, to Nor th Amer ica and the w o r l d .

ur networ k includes ter restr ial telev i sion stations in the Or g anisation of t h e E aster n Car ibbean States ( OE CS) and th e w i d er Car ibbean Community ( CARICOM), incl u d i n g th e Bahamas,Bar bados, Tr inidad and Guy a n a , a n d Jamaica. We reach approximately one m i l l i o n households

n cable, and on ter restr ial an ag g rega te i n excess of 1 .5 million households. Our c a b l e tel ev ision channel Car ibVision, is a 2 4 /7 c a b l e ser v ice av ailable in ov er 2 0 Car ibbean ter r i to r ies, the New Yor k tr i-state area and Ca n a d a .

ar ibVision broadcasts pr imar ily E n gl i s h s p ea king lifesty le, enter tainment, spor ts, n ew s a n d cur rent affair s prog r amming .

CMC

is pleased to collabor ate wi th I s l a n d Sig natures on this exciting jour ney. T h i s c o l l a b or ation will allow Island Sig natures to s i gn i fi cantly extend its mar ket reach. This p a r tn er s h i p falls squarely in line with CMCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s v ision to a s s i s t in the dev elopment and exposure of regi o n a l small businesses.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

st yl e j e rk c re at e s .c o m b j o n_bbt t r st yl e j e rk c re at e s

A sk Not What Your Country Can D o, But What You Can Do For Your C ountry! Wr i t t e n B y : N u t ri o l o gy: The He al t h Box W

e a re su re m a n y o f yo u w i l l agre e that the he a lt h o f t h e n at i o n i s the w e al t h o f the n ati on. A n d so t h e s ame c an be s ai d f o r our b ea ut iful re g i o n , t h e Cari bbe an.

ow e v er, o u r t ro p ic al c l i mate , gl i s t e ni ng wa t er s a n d i n vi t i ng s c e ne ri e s have not exem pt e d o u r p e o p l e f ro m t he hars h re al ities o f th e la n dsc a p e o f i nc re as i ng gl o bal he alth i s s ues , na m e l y c h ro n i c , no n- c o mmuni c able dise a s es ( N C Ds) .

s w it h m a n y We ste rn c o unt ri e s , the m a jor re so u rc e of t he Cari bbe an i s i ts pe o p l e . T h u s whe n w e l o o k at the s t a t is t i c s re g a r di ng o be s i t y rate s a nd t he in c i de n c e o f N CD s i n the regi on, we sh o u l d b e c o me ve ry aw are that w e a re se e m i n g l y t urni ng i nt o a c l ust er of u n h e a l t h y nat i o ns , as de t e rmin ed by t h i s si n g l e me as ure .

o v e rnm e n t a n d n o n- go ve rnme ntal o rganis a t i o n s ( N G O s) ac ro s s t he re gi o n

must be commended for their efforts to o ffer public health nutr ition education, es p ec i a l l y where children are concer ned.

hat being said, as Nutr iolog y : Th e Hea l th Box ( NTHB) reaches another milest o n e, w e wish to issue a challeng e to all of o u r rea d er s and by extension ev er y per son who c a l l s th e Car ibbean home, to star t doing more fo r y o u r health on the indiv idual lev el. To e x a m i n e y our attitudes towar ds y our hea l th , th e foods y ou choose to eat an d th e w a y s in which y ou mov e. By c o n s i d er ing the lifesty le ch a n ges that each of us ca n m a ke to improv e our heal th , o u r fa m ily ’s health, ou r c o m m u n i ty ’s health, ou r n a ti o n ’s health and by ex ten sion the heal th a n d wealth of our regi o n , w e believ e we wi l l b e a b l e to do a lot mo re fo r o u r countr ies.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

A s y ou mak e thes e c o nsi d e rat io ns, here are th re e key compo nen ts th at w e s u g g es t as k ey f eatu res:

s a fam i l y, h o w many ho me - c o o k e d m eals are y ou e a t i n g e a c h w e e k ? Whe n w e c o nside r t ha t o b e si t y c an t ak e up to te n ye ar s o ff our e x p e c t e d l i f e s pan, w e ne e d t o take a more fo c u se d l o o k at w hat re s i de s at the end of ou r f o r k s. I s w hat w e c ho o s e t o eat o n a d a il y b a si s do i ng mo re harm than good f or us ? B y l i m i t i n g our i nt ak e o f pro c e s s ed f ood s a nd ‘ j u n k ’ f o od, w e c an po s i t i ve l y affect o ur w eigh t , r i sk f o r di abe te s , ri s k f o r hear t dise a s e a n d so m e fo rms o f c anc e r.

n d y es, e ve r yo n e has the uni ve rs al c omplai nt t ha t c u r re n t j o b de mands and e ve ry da y life a s w e k n o w i t , do no t al l o w f o r the luxury of h o m e - c o o ke d me al s e ve ry ni ght o f the w e e k . I s t h i s re al l y true ? Co ns i de r th e a m ou n t o f t i m e s pe nt e ac h w e e k w atchi ng t e le vi si o n , su r f ing the i nt e rne t, o r c atchi ng up on so c i a l m edi a. I am s ure i f w e kept a log of t he t i m e sp e nt o n the s e ac ti vi ti e s , we m a y find a b i t o f wi ggl e ro o m, a s pac e where we could p o ssi b l y re - purpo s e s o me ti me for m eal prep .

h e int e n t i o n o f t h i s art i c l e i s no t t o hig hl ight t he f l a w s o f o ur s c he dul e t hat pro hibit the a d op t i o n o f h e al thi e r l i f e s t yl e habi ts, bu t m e re l y t o sh e d l i ght o n ho w w e c an tur n thi ngs a ro u n d a s w e e mbark o n a ne w year.

h e s ec o n d t h i n g w e s ho ul d c o ns i de r c losely is the a m o u n t o f t i me w e s pe nd s i t t i ng. Sitt ing, li k e o b e si t y, c an have e ff e c ts s i m ilar to t ha t o f sm o k i n g o n o ur ge ne ral he al th and life e x p e c t a n c y. Wi t h mo re and mo re jo bs requ i r i n g u s t o s i t at a de s k and vi r tually comp l e t e m u l t i pl e t as k s f ro m t hat s ame p os it ion, w e f i n d o u rs e l ve s s i t t i ng duri ng the da y for lo n g e r p e r i o ds than o ur pare nt s and

foreparents did as they wor ked. Fewer of us are wor king the land, a n d m o re of us are wor king and inter facing wi th c l i en ts and supplier s from the comfor t of o u r o ffi c e chair s. It may be time for us to reco n s i d er whether or not this is a two-edg ed s w o r d . I s this pr actice a g reat module for bu s i n es s a n d productiv ity, but too har mful for ou r h ea l th ? May be it would be a g ood idea to m o v e a s much as we possibly can while at wo r k. Fo r example, walk ov er to a colleag ue’s d es k, cubicle or office instead of g iv ing t h em a call. Also, use our break time to ta ke a fi v eminute stroll around the office befo re h a v i n g that lig ht snack, or exchang e that c o m fy office chair for an alter nativ e appar a tu s th a t forces us to eng ag e our core and im p ro v e o u r posture.

nd finally, increase our ov er all lev el of phy sical activ ity. Oper ating like a robot from Monday to Fr iday and at the end of it simply cr ashing into our weekend may seem like a suitable coping mechanism. Or is it? The day s of hav ing a weekend at the beach, hiking or play ing paddleball are memor ies of a by g one er a, an er a which we need to recall, and quickly.

ll of us can benefit from a bit more phy sical activ ity, and in no way are we sug g esting that ev er y one becomes a ‘g y m r at’ ( for lack of a better ter m) . We are talking about simple, enjoy able mov ement.

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

As s imp l e a s l i n e d anc i ng, bal l ro o m c l asses, swimming at the beach a couple of tim es a w eek ( a fte r a ll w e l i ve o n i s l ands ) o r e ngagi ng our entire family in safe, outdoor, ninja wa r r i o r ac tiv it ies.

e a lre a dy k n o w that w e l i ve i n an o besog enic ( promotes obesity ) env ironment w h ere c o n v en iences h a ve m a de us s e t t l e i nto s e de n tar y lifesty les, and cr av e fast tur naround ti m es fo r ever y t hin g we de si re . H e re no w as w e e mbar k on a new y ear is our oppor tunity to les s en th e bu rd e n on o u r h e a l t hc are s ys t e ms , the n ational and reg ional pur ses, by doing our s m a l l p a r t s o t ha t t h e f i e l ds a nd hi l l s w e c al l o ur home will be maintained by healthy sons an d d a u gh ter s a nd b y m a n y g e ne rati o ns t o c o me .

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

WINE EDUCATION

Written By : L e e I s a a c s W S E T Le v e l 4 Di p l om a

petrol stations to hig h-end restaur an ts , v i a super mar kets and specialist wine s h o p s .

he fact that so many more con s u m er s feel empowered and comfor table to p u rchase wine on their own ter ms i s w o n der ful. My own r aison d’etre is to s ee m o re people der iv ing as much joy from w i n e a s I d o .

e liv e i n st r a n g e ti me s . Vari o us s o c i opoli tic a l e v e n t s a ro u n d the w o rl d are t e s tam ent to th is . W i t h o u t re f e re nc i ng anythi ng s pe cific, the ris e o f a n e w p aradi gm has be c o me a ppa re nt : p e o p l e do n’t ne e d e x pe rts . ’ m not e n t i re l y su re ho w t hi s mo ve m en t ha s t a k e n ro o t , but t he re are th os e w ho se a g e n da s ui t s t hi s r ath e r pe c u l i a r wo r l d vi e w.

’ m firm l y o f t h e b e l i e f t hat we d o inde e d n e e d ex pe rts - be th ey d oct o r s, sc i e n t i s ts , w i ne m erc ha nt s…

ine is a p ro du c t c o ns ume d by a v ast n u m b e r o f c o ns umer s - from t h e c a su al ‘bo tt l e at the w ee k e n d’ dr i n k er to the ‘di ff e ren t w ine wi t h e a c h c o urs e e ve ry ni ght’ f anat ic. It ’s e st i m a t e d that by 2023 the globa l w in e m a r k e t w i l l be w o rt h U SD 423 b i llion (1 ) .

ha t ’s g re a t a b o u t t he w ay the w i ne i n d us t ry h a s de ve l o pe d i s t hat w i ne has b ecom e a c c e ssi b l e t o the e ve ryd a y cons u m e r. T h e o l d barri e rs o f c l a s s a nd we a l t h ( i n w i ne te rms ) h ave bee n b ro k e n dow n and w i ne c an be pic k e d u p a t a range o f o utl e t s , f rom

owev er, we r un the r isk of throw i n g th e baby out with the bathwater when i t c o m es to not needing exper ts. As someone wh o i s p a s sionate about education, not just i n w i n e but in all ter ms, I think it’s v ital th a t c o n sumer s can hav e acces s to a resource to allow them to b etter discov er the fascinatin g, a n d often complicated, wor l d o f w i n e.

“ hat about the inter n et?” I h ea r y ou ask. A v er y fair point; th e i n ter n et is the ultimate resource for info r m a ti o n . How many times hav e y ou lost hou r s d i s a p pear ing down a W ikipedia hole like A l i c e fo l lowing the W hite Rabbit? It’s my v iew th a t whilst the inter net can prov ide lot s o f i n fo rmation, what it does not do is enc o u r a ge o r build under standing . As a lecturer, I w o u l d r ather my students under s to o d 5 0 p er cent of a subject r ather t h a n j u s t remember 1 0 0 per cent of i t.

n my histor y of r unning wine shop s , I h a v e

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

seen a ri se i n c o n su me rs ’ k no w l e dge but no in crea s e i n a c t u a l unde rs t andi ng. I t be c ame my rol e t o g e n t l y p ro be t hat k no w l e dge and try t o s h a p e i t i n t o s o me thi ng mo re me an in gf ul a n d u sa b l e . I w i l l po i nt o ut he re that I ne v e r a c t i ve l y t r i e d t o ‘e duc ate ’ c o ns ume rs . To d o so i s p o t e nti al l y al i e nat i ng and in s ult ing. M o st e du c at i o n i n my s ho p w as done s urre p t i t i o u sl y - s l o w l y and ge nt l y and in such a w a y a s t o e ns ure my c l i e nts k n ew I w a s in no w a y j u dg ing the m f o r the i r l e vel of k no w le d g e .

o ns um e r s l i k e t o f e e l val i date d i n t heir cho ice s , b u t a l so val ue d; t he y have af t e r all cho s e n t o sp e n d t h e i r hard- e arne d mo ney in yo ur s hop o r re st a urant. By s pe ndi ng a l ittle more t im e w i t h t h e m and e l uc i dat i ng upon rele v a nt p o i n t s, t h e y are mo re l i k e l y t o feel that t he y a re va l u e d and appre c i at e d as a cust omer.

ine is su c h a n e as y w ay t o ac hi e ve t his; having s t a ff w h o c an tal k k no w l e dge abl y and en g a gingl y a b o u t t h i s s ubj e c t s ho w s c us tomer s t ha t n o t o n l y doe s a bus i ne s s val ue its s ta ff e no u g h t o t r a i n the m, i t al s o l e ave s the cust omer wi t h a n e ve n mo re po s i t i ve e x perience. S t a ff do n ’t n e e d to k no w w i ne i nside out, ind e e d, ve r y f ew o f us do . The y ne e d to kn ow t he i r w i n e l i st, w hat pai rs w i t h w hat, a nd a few st o r i e s.

h is bri n g s m e t o t he tw o mai n type s of w in e t ra i n i n g , c e r t ai nl y as I s e e i t. F i rs t is the m ore t e c h n i c a l t rai ni ng. Thi s k i nd o f tra ining i s a b o u t u nde rs t andi ng the w o rl d’s g rea t v a r i e t i e s a n d re gi o ns . I t i nvo l ve s a k no w le d g e o f g r a p e gro w i ng and w i ne makin g, t he sc i e n c e o f f o o d mat c hi ng and s i milar mo re fa ct - b a se d i t ems .

or the ser ious wine professional (o r v er y enthusiastic amateur ) this is the sta r ting point. The W ine & Spir it E ducatio n Tr u s t ( W SE T) is the g lobal body behind th i s ki n d of education, and as someone who h a s b een throug h their cour ses and now teach es th em , I obv iously hold them in hig h reg ar d .

he second ty pe of tr aining is more em o ti v e - it’s based around stor y telling and s el l i n g. This is the ty pe of tr aining that can b e d o n e in an after noon and br ing s the most i m m ed i ate results to a v enue. W hen frontli n e s ta ff are eng ag ing with consumer s about w i n e, the discussion is v er y r arely about th e m o re technical aspects ( sulphur lev els, d ep th o f g r av el soil, etc.) but much more abo u t w h y this Sauv ig non Blanc is on the list. Th i s i s where consumer s are most comfor tab l e, b u t also most impressed. Talking up the u n i q u eness of the wine builds r appor t, cre d i b i l ity and makes upselling /add on selli n g m u c h easier.

t all comes down to the consumer s ’ ex p er ience. Consumer s are eating out les s b u t spending more when they do. They ’re c h o o s ing to hav e an exper ience r ather tha n j u s t go to eat to satisfy their hung er. Hav in g a tea m who can round out that exper ience b y ta l ki n g about wine passionately and knowled gea b l y makes a wor ld of difference. The path of wine education has no ending , but it does hav e a beg inning . Take those fir st steps, y ou won ’t reg ret it. ( 1 ) Z ion Mar ket Research Jan 2 0 1 9

I NG R E DI E NT S 4 Boneless,skinless c h i c k e n b re a s t s Salt W h i t e Pe p p e r

Cordon Bleu

1 t a b l e s p o o n g a rl i c powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 16 s l i c e s s w i s s c h ee s e 1/ 2 l b h a m ( 225g ) , t h in ly sliced Pe a n u t o i l , o r ve g e tab le o i l , fo r fryi n g 1 c u p a l l - p u rp o s e f lou r ( 125g ) 4 eggs,beaten 2 c u p s b re a d c ru m b s ( 100g )

Ch e f S h a n e Pi n d e r

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

I N S T RU CTION S 1 .S p r i n k le t he c h i c ken breas t s w i t h s a l t , p ep p e r, garlic po w der, an d o n i o n p o w d e r, tossi ng t o co at ev en l y. 2 . O n a c ut t ing b o ar d, pl ac e a c h i c k e n b re a s t between t wo s h eets o f pl as t i c w ra p a n d p o u n d u n ti l abo ut ½ i n c h ( 1 c m) t h i c k w i t h a m e a t m a l l et , rolling pi n , o r h eav y p a n . 3 . Remove t he pl as ti c w r ap a n d p l a c e 2 s l i c e s o f S w i s s ch e ese , t he n 2 s l i c es o f ham , t h e n a n o t h e r l a y er o f Swiss c h ees e, an d a n o t h e r l a ye r o f h a m . Eve n l y ro l l th e c hic ken an d pl ac e on t o a n e w s h e e t o f p l a s t i c wr a p . 4 . Wrap t he c h i c ken i n th e p l a s t i c w ra p t i g h t l y a n d u s e t h e exc e ss plas ti c o n th e si d e s t o t w i s t , fi rm i n g u p t h e ro l l o f chic k e n c o r do n b l eu a s yo u w o rk . Ti e t h e e x c e s s p l a sti c. Re pe a t w i th th e rem a i n i n g i n g re d i e n t s , t h e n ch il l the rolls i n the f r i dg e t o s e t fo r 30 m i n u t e s . 5 . Meanwhile , preheat a tal l - s i d e d p a n w i t h 2 i n c h e s ( 5 cm ) o f oil t o 3 2 5 °F ( 1 7 0 °C ). 6 . Afte r t he ro l l s are set, pre p a re 2 s e p a ra t e l a rg e , w i d e d ish es wit h th e f l o u r, beate n e g g , a n d b re a d c ru m b s . Dre dg e t he chi c ken f i r st i n t h e fl o u r, t h e n t h e e g g , a n d t h en bre ad c r umb s . 7 . Pl a c e t he b readed c h i c ke n c o rd o n b l e u i n t h e o i l a n d co ok fo r abou t 5 mi nutes pe r s i d e , o r u n t i l t h e o u t s i d e i s a n e ve n gol den b ro w n . I f a g o o d c o l o r i s a c h i e ve d a nd the chic ken’s c enter i s s t i l l n o t 165° F ( 75° C) , p l a ce t he chic ken c o r do n bl e u o n a w i re ra c k s e t o ve r a b a king she et an d f i n i s h th e c h i c k e n i n t h e o ve n a t 3 2 5°F (1 7 0 °C) unti l that tem p e ra t u re i s re a c h e d .

I s l a n d S i g n at u r e s | t h e w e l l n e s s E D I T I O N

IN STRU C T I ONS

8. Me anwhi l e, prepare th e s a u c e . I n a 1 - q u a rt s a u c e p a n ove r medi um heat, m e l t t h e b u t t e r a n d c o o k t h e g a r lic unt il so f t. Add the fl o u r a n d w h i s k fo r 1 m i n u t e . 9. Ad d t he mi l k an d wh i s k u n t i l fu l l y c o m b i n e d w i t h th e ro ux and n o l u m ps remain . Co n t i n u e w h i s k i n g u n t i l t he mi x t ure c o mes to a s i m m e r a n d h a s t h i c k e n e d . 10. A d d t he mustar d, Parm e s a n c h e e s e , s a l t , a n d p eppe r and w h i s k to c o m b i n e . Re m o ve t h e p a n fro m th e heat . 11. Slice t h e c hi c ken and s e rve d ri z z l e d w i t h D i j o n sa uc e . 12. Enjo y !

CREAMYDIJON SAUCE 3 table spo o n s bu tter 2 clove s gar l i c , m i n c ed 3 table spo o n s al l -pur pos e flour 2 cups mil k ( 4 8 0 mL) 1 cup d ijon mustar d ( 6 0 g ) 1 cup shredded par m esa n ch e e se (10 0 g ) sa lt , t o t a s te p eppe r, t o taste

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