Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute is once again recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best healthcare facilities in the nation for cancer care. This year, Miami Cancer Institute earned three awards in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma surgery, lung cancer surgery, and prostate cancer surgery. Both the Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute and Miami Cancer Institute received high-performing ratings in colon cancer surgery. Additionally, Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute has now been ranked among the nation’s top neurology and neurosurgery programs.
Dear valued customers,
One of our ongoing ambitions at Caribbean Airlines is to make travel easier, more enjoyable, and more rewarding for all our passengers. This includes offering more services, new routes, and new destinations. It also means that when you travel with us, your loyalty gets recognised.
Our Caribbean Miles rewards scheme is already very popular, and we have decided to refresh it with even more benefits, offering easier earning and redeeming, plus enhanced tier status. In the near future, you can look forward to earning reward miles based on the amount spent on your travel tickets — whether with us or one of our partners — rather than just distance travelled.
These enhancements will be easy to understand, make it easy to collect miles, and offer a very straightforward redemption process, with lower starting miles requirements than before. Of course, all your existing miles will carry over to our new scheme when it launches early in 2025.
Everyone loves redeeming loyalty earnings for awards — perhaps a flight to somewhere new, or an upgrade to
A Message from our CEO
Business Class that you may not have otherwise chosen — plus all the benefits of elite status for our most regular flyers.
And there are so many opportunities to earn miles with Caribbean Airlines. You may be aware that this year we’ve added Puerto Rico, Tortola (British Virgin Islands), Martinique, and Guadeloupe to our list of destinations — extending our network further across the English, French, Spanish, and Dutch Caribbean. And there’s more to come in 2025!
Caribbean Airlines’ impact goes far beyond simply physically connecting countries. We are a carrier deeply rooted in the region, which is why we launched the Caribbean Culture programme — one which focuses on showcasing and promoting the rich and diverse culture that defines who we are as a people.
From partnering with carnivals across the region, to celebrating Caribbean cuisine, and reviving the spirit of village cricket, we are proud to highlight and support the cultural traditions that make our region so unique. I hope you’ve seen some of these cultural activities or even taken part. Either way, there’s also more of this to enjoy in 2025, and we can’t wait to share it all with you.
As 2024 ends, it’s incredible to think how swiftly the year has flown by. From both a professional and personal perspective, I have seen much of our hard work come to fruition, and I’m proud to say that Caribbean Airlines has made significant strides forward.
This year, the airline has embodied growth, celebrated culture, and earned recognition in ways that demonstrate our commitment to being the region’s leading connector.
On behalf of everyone at Caribbean Airlines, I thank you for flying with us. I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season, and hope that your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations are filled with joy, peace, and connection.
Season’s greetings to you and yours!
Regards,
Garvin
18 EvEnt buzz
Festivals and events around the region
24 Music & book buzz
Reviews by Nigel Campbell , Shivanee Ramlochan , and Kellie Magnus
28 FilM buzz
Jonathan Ali talks to Yoel Morales, the Dominican (Republic) director of Bionico’s Bachata
30 Screen Buzz
Caroline Taylor takes a look at the Caribbean-Americans making, reporting on, and satirising US news
34 takE 5
The multi-talented Vivien Elizabeth Armour talks to Shelly-Ann Inniss about her journey in the arts, and hopes for her new creative studio
from Dominica is among several talented Caribbean chefs making waves on international reality shows. Shelly-Ann Inniss reports
40 snapshot Phoenix rising
For Grammy-winning multihyphenate Angela Hunte, a health scare proved the catalyst for a new chapter in her stellar career. Nigel Campbell learns more
44 classic caribbean chrisTmas
Amid all the partying, visiting, and festivity at this time of year, Skye Hernandez explores unique Caribbean Christmas celebrations across the region
50 backstory soca Parang songs of The season
T&T’s music landscape changed in 1978 when Crazy’s breakout hit “Parang soca” took the islands by storm. Laura Dowrich looks back on the impact
After decades in New York, Jamaican writer, performer, and activist Staceyann Chin has returned home to create Kindred on the Rock, a 70-acre 54 44 58
54 DEstination falling in love wiTh old san Juan
Fresh back from a girls’ trip to Puerto Rico, T&T icon Giselle Laronde-West shares highlights from her adventures — plus some handy tips and tricks
58 DiscovEr coming home To roosT
homestead and “us space”. Kelly Baker Josephs learns more
62 GrEEn saving our seafood
Caribbean people enjoy seafood dishes which are sometimes as delicious as they are unsustainable. Erline Andrews explores how we can protect our marine ecosystems — and our favourite foods
66 inspirE
These booTs are made for walkin’
At 85, the award-winning BarbadianCanadian Betty Hope-Gittens trekked some 435 miles around Prince Edward Island. Donna Yawching reports on what motivated each step
70 on this Day
The bounTies of The Boreas
Some 250 years ago, writes James Ferguson , a newly constructed ship was launched that would later take British naval hero Horatio Nelson on an eventful assignment to the colonial Caribbean
72 puzzlEs & brain tEasErs
Enjoy our crossword, spot-thedifference, and other brain teasers!
Beat Beat Caribbean Caribbean
An MEP publication
Editor Caroline Taylor
Designer Kevon Webster
Editorial assistant Shelly-Ann Inniss
Production manager Jacqueline Smith
Finance director Joanne Mendes
Publisher Jeremy Taylor
Business development consultant Halcyon Salazar
Business Development Manager, Tobago and International Evelyn Chung
T: (868) 684–4409
E: evelyn@meppublishers.com
Business Development Manager, Trinidad Tracy Farrag
T: (868) 318–1996
E: tracy@meppublishers.com
Media & Editorial Projects Ltd.
6 Prospect Avenue, Long Circular, Maraval 120111, Trinidad and Tobago
Erline Andrews years’ experience. She has a master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and a keen interest in the environment and conservation.
Kelly Baker Josephs Humanities at the University of Miami, and the author of Disturbers of the Peace: Anglophone Digital Black Atlantic.
Laura Dowrich the stories of the Caribbean region and diaspora — from food and music to our traditions and languages. She is the Public Relations Manager for Experience Turks & Caicos.
Skye Hernandez
worked for many years with T&T’s major newspapers and broadcast media, and currently works with org has also written a pocket guide to Barbados.
Shelly-Ann Inniss community builder; self-appointed tourism ambassador for Barbados; free Companion.
Giselle Laronde-West World 1986)
Foundation for the Enhancement & Enrichment of Life board member, and 3rd-degree black belt karateka, with bylines in
Caroline Taylor and producer with a particular interest in arts, culture, conservation, and the environment. Her work has appeared in n
Donna Yawching
Canada. She has written for Her special interests are travel and culture.
Sustainability: a way of life
Growing up, I relished every moment I spent outdoors. My fondest childhood memories
involve playing in the sun — bike riding, marble pitching, hide and seek. Outside was the place to be.
Fast forward four decades, and the changes in the climate are stark. The sun now blazes our skin, and 34°C weather has become the new normal. While I am no scientist, the difference between then and now is hard to ignore; the sun — the climate — of my childhood is no more.
Living in small island developing states (SIDS) like Trinidad & Tobago, the effects of climate change (some argue it should be called the climate crisis, or climate chaos) are not some distant theory; they are here, affecting us every day. The blistering heat, rising sea levels, and destructive storms are ever-present reminders across the region.
This year, the Caribbean faced Hurricane Beryl — the earliest Category 5 storm on record, which left devastation across the region, costing millions in damage. This is not an isolated event. Extreme weather has become more frequent and more severe, with climate scientists linking these trends conclusively to human activity.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that global temperatures have risen by approximately 1.2°C since the late 19th century, and the rate of warming is accelerating.
Amid the overwhelming nature of these environmental challenges, it’s essential to remember that addressing them requires a collective effort — starting with us, the individuals who must consciously decide to live more sustainably.
A Message from our CEO
At its core, sustainability means meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. But what does this look like at an individual level?
Let’s start with basic actions that can make a difference:
• Recycle: commit to sorting your waste, which helps divert waste from overflowing landfills
• Reduce: avoid single-use plastics and make mindful purchasing decisions to minimise waste, from food to clothing
• Reuse: find ways to repurpose everyday items instead of discarding them.
These changes may seem small, but collectively they create a ripple effect. When many people make these choices, the impact multiplies — creating lasting change.
At the corporate level, the same actions apply (reduce, reuse, recycle). Additionally, leaders must recognise their organisation’s role in promoting sustainability, by implementing sustainable practices like eliminating single-use plastics and reducing paper usage
At Caribbean Airlines, we understand that we have a responsibility to the communities we serve, and we’re committed to playing our part in promoting sustainability.
Internationally, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers a blueprint for peace and prosperity, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serving as an urgent call for action. They emphasise the need for collaborative efforts, from the individual to the global level.
The statistics are sobering:
• the IPCC states that temperatures are expected to rise by 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if we continue at our current rate of emissions
• the United Nations Environment Programme has found we must cut carbon emissions 45% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C
• the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that climate change could lead to an additional 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050 due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress.
These facts underscore the urgency of the situation. As we look toward a new year, we must act now to mitigate against further damage and work toward reversing what we can. At the individual, corporate, and community levels, sustainability must become more than a concept. It must become a way of life — for our survival, and that of future generations and our planet.
Dionne Ligoure is the Executive Manager, Corporate Communications at Caribbean Airlines. E-mail: dionne.ligoure@caribbean-airlines.com
BASKI n G I n THE BVI
Virgin Gorda is an easy day trip from Tortola — one of Caribbean Airlines’ exciting new destinations. And near its southwestern tip, the white sand beach is heaped with massive granite boulders, forming hundreds of caves, tunnels, and pools. The Baths — part of a protected national park, along with nearby Devil’s Bay — is a Caribbean Beat favourite: a popular site for swimming, snorkelling, and rock climbing, with some of the most stunning natural scenery in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). It’s definitely one for your 2025 bucket list!
Shelly-Ann Inniss on the major festivals, holidays, and celebrations across the region this November and December
Tortola, British Virgin Islands, is one of Caribbean Airlines’ latest destinations. So, tear yourself away from the islands’ natural and national treasures to check out The BVI Film Commission Film Festival (2 November), BVI Literary Festival (7–10 November), BVI Charter Yacht Show (12–15 November), Anegada Lobster Festival (29 November–1 December), and the territory-wide Old Year’s night Celebrations (31 December) — they’re spectacular!
The Bahamas Conchman Triathlon (2 November) and the Junkanoo Parades (26 December–1 January) promise days filled with energy and incredible memories! The Junkanoo rush is a cultural highlight in The Bahamas, with a chance to dance the night away.
“Runcation”, anyone? Crush the road in awesome races along scenic routes with iconic landmarks at the new York City Marathon (3 November), Curaçao Marathon (23–24 November), The Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon (1 December), and Jamaica reggae Marathon (8 December). Friendly locals also welcome you to the run Barbados Marathon Weekend (6–8 December) — featuring a marathon, half-marathon, a 10K, the ever-popular 5K, and a Fun Mile that lives up to its name.
The Kärcher Duo Extreme (3 November), meanwhile, puts the strongest mountain bikers to the test through Curaçao’s hilly countryside — enduring dust, mud, and more obstacles. Further north, the nevis Triathlon (9 November) promises the ultimate challenge in a race like no other.
At St Martin’s Festival de la Gastronomie (11–22 November) and SXM Jazz & Wine Festival (22–23 November), get ready to indulge in local specialties and epicurean surprises by renowned chefs. And suiting up in a fun Christmas costume or disguise for running night (7–8 December) might be the perfect end — or start — to the season.
Let your imagination run wild with exciting tales of piracy, as the streets of Grand Cayman come alive for Cayman Pirates Week Festival (8–30 November). The festival has a magical atmosphere and includes parades, flotillas, plus a run and … swim?
In Puerto Rico, another of CAL’s latest destinations, history and culture lovers can explore the country’s Taino heritage during the national Indigenous Festival (15–17 November) in Jayuya; while family fun is at the heart of the Inflalandia Christmas Park (14–15 December), with more than 50 attractions including inflatables, rides, an ice-skating rink, and a snow zone.
Celebrants of Belize’s Garifuna Settlement Day (19 November) proudly raise the Garifuna flag (three horizontal stripes: black, white and yellow), marking the day with reenactments of their arrival to Belize, and a showcase of their rich history and culture.
Through art, fashion, music, spoken word, and dance, Antigua & Barbuda’s Art Week (27 November–3 December) features vibrant, expressive work by both upcoming and established artists.
After more than three million people saw their viral rehearsal video earlier this year, don’t miss Christmas with the Marionettes (6–8 December), the chorale’s cherished concert tradition at Trinidad’s newly rechristened Winifred Atwell Auditorium, Queen’s Hall.
On St Lucia’s National Day, the Festival of Lights & renewal (13 December) is one of the ways St Lucians honour the saint after which their island was
named. Locals create lanterns out of metals and papier-mâché, portraying myriad themes like historical events, mystical creatures, and landmarks.
Immerse yourself in a rich celebration of heritage, community, and vibrancy at St Kitts Sugar Mas (13 December–2 January) and Montserrat Carnival (14 December–2 January) — the last and first carnivals of the year, along with The Bahamas’ Junkanoo (26 December–1 January).
The nine Mornings Festival (16–24 December) is a unique tradition in St Vincent, held over nine mornings leading up to Christmas day. Locals rise in the wee hours for fetes, concerts, games, and sea baths, all climaxing with a jump-up on Christmas Eve. By contrast, the nine nights of Lights (15–23 December) is hosted under starlit skies in the Botanical Gardens.
Revellers from all over Cuba congregate for the explosive Las Parrandas de remedios festival (usually 16–26 December). This gigantic street party combines rumba dancing, giant colourful floats, and massive, thunderous pyrotechnic displays in a playful rivalry between the San Salvador and El Carmen neighbourhoods.
Parranderos serenade audiences at the Carriacou Parang Festival (20–22 December), bringing Christmas cheer to all. It’s the same in Trinidad & Tobago, starting as early as September, with parang concerts, festivals, competitions, and the traditional parang-ing from house to house, especially in communities like Paramin, Santa Cruz, Arima, Lopinot, and more.
A new year is about to dawn, and the streets of Paramaribo are reverberating with sweet music from omnipresent sound systems and live performances. Unburden yourself from the past when the pagara — a long string of firecrackers — is lit at Suriname’s Owru Yari Fest (31 December), signalling it’s almost time: 3, 2, 1 …
Come experience something
and different! Build your platter and grill your food on our mini hibachi coal pot.
Wings | Pepper Shrimp | Jerk Pork | Steaks
Baby Back Pork Ribs | Garlic Lobster Chunks
Pepper Jelly Lamb Chop | Burgers | Pasta | Salads
Desserts |
Shots | Signature Cocktails and much more!
Enjoy live sports & entertainment
Bring the entire family
This month’s listening picks from the caribbean
Reviews by nigel Campbell
nataki lendor
Til All Hear (self-released)
Gospel music, praise and worship, revelations and testimonies are best experienced live. This new live album by powerhouse vocalist Nataki Lendor captures the thrill of being blessed with an excellent voice and messages that preface the sung tracks. They share with the listener Lendor’s faith and deliverance. In the past, she performed as Mahalia Jackson in a musical on the gospel legend’s life — so, in a way, life imitates art. The album’s audio production sparkles in its clarity, and advances the argument that contemporary gospel music in the Caribbean is undersubscribed by a wider audience who appreciates music, whatever the message is. With tracks that include Caribbean rhythms (“Good Good”), this album is also a celebration of fine music arrangement and performance, especially the background harmonies. As a fillip for an unfulfilled soul, this works.
chromatics
Hammer & Chisel (selfreleased)
The beauty of Caribbean hip-hop/rap is the colour of the language. Chromatics, a major hip-hop pioneer in Trinidad, has released a new album eight years in the making, covering a life in 10 songs and an audio interlude. In that circumscribed autobiography, he recalls rivalries; extols the joy of fatherhood and sustained marriage; details maternal loss. Simple beats make space for words — vainglorious vernacular — that securely centre a Caribbean life and move from emotion to emotion: from “vexation in my spirit” to joy to pathos. Some phrases stand out as nuggets of sublime wordplay with an island attitude: we don’t study beef [grievance], we does curry it; and karma is a jammette and she sure to wine back on you. The bombast and confidence move from generic to specific (You trying to win a Grammy / I should be a nobel laureate), reinforcing an optimistic Caribbean reality. Novel rhymes and narratives makes this album a winner.
godwin louis Psalms and Proverbs (Blue Room Music)
For centuries, music has been an adjunct to prayer and liturgical texts. When European colonists came to the “New World”, hymns and psalms were ritualised, with a mission to convert the populations they encountered (and subjugated) to Christianity. In the contemporary Caribbean, the music inspired by these ancient words of faith and control have taken on new dimensions. Haitian-American saxophonist Godwin Louis is a global traveller who has used his Caribbean perspective to reinterpret and remake this body of sacred texts, music, and traditional hymns. Haitian, Cuban, and Trinidadian musicians are all in the mix, transforming the music for your soul into relevant idioms. Hard bop madness blends with AfroCaribbean rhythms to fine effect. Jazz “with a West Indian accent” imbues this album with a new aura of responsibility for positioning Caribbean creativity and ideas beyond old totems. A Kreyòl djaz celebration for any soul.
Modern Caribbean Carnival music has always followed global trends, mimicking and improvising with what is hot, yet never abandoning indigenous genres for the next big thing. Drum and bass, riddim and bass, and dubstep music form part of the EDM aesthetic that penetrated road march material a decade ago, and which has propelled Caribbean music to festivals like Glastonbury. CaribbeanBritish duo Jus Now continues its work of fusing modern electronic beats with the rhythm and energy of soca music — both for the clubs and for the road. The title track of this short, five-song EP — perfectly sung by music innovator Mad Hed City — delves into the complicated, darker side of island life with rapid-fire honesty that does not flinch when exposing nasty truths, officially sanctioned or otherwise. We go hard ‘cause we grow hard and know hard / real talent push out of this yard … It’s not where you live, it’s where you’re given when you livin’ in a Danger zone. Do a dangerous dance.
Jus now Danger Zone (Road Music)
This month’s reading picks from the caribbean
Reviews by Shivanee ramlochan, Book review Editor
The lost love songs of boysie singh by Ingrid Persaud (Faber & Faber, 544 pp, ISBN 9780571386499)
If a gangster is only as good as the fellow gunslingers in his posse, what of the leading ladies who inhabit, inform, and shape his inner life? It’s a probing and provocative question Trinidad & Tobago-born Ingrid Persaud seeks to answer in her sophomore novel, The Lost Love Songs of Boysie Singh. Taking the real-life charismatic career criminal who terrorised Trinidad from the late 1940s to mid-1950s, Persaud sets her sights on four women whose fates were dangerously, dramatically intertwined with Boysie’s. Jealousy, scheming, and no small amount of bacchanal inform the dynamics shared among this lively quartet: Popo, Mana Lala, Doris, Rosie. They love him, they hate him, they hate to love him — in the author’s crackling and vibrant use of Trinidadian English Creole, this story of obsession, rage, and more than a handful of bullets zips along to its rambunctious end.
let
me liberate You
by
Andie
Davis (Little A, 268 pp, ISBN 9781662515644)
What happens when home — the island haven you run to after an identity crisis — becomes as fraught with complicated politics as the diaspora you fled?
In Montserrat-born Andie Davis’ debut novel, protagonist Sabre Cumberbatch hearkens to Barbados, despairing of a capitalist art scene abroad in which she’s found fame but scant genuine recognition. Swiftly, Sabre learns that Barbados is no uncomplex monolith, as the class disparities she encounters launch an island-wide campaign for social justice. Piquant in tone, this novel earns immediate storytelling comparisons to Mackenzie’s One Year of ugly and Mc Ivor’s The God of Good Looks, while revealing Barbadian sociocultural realities embedded in the very limestone of the land. Sabre’s flaws and foibles feel consummately human, and the reader will root for her as she works to locate her true ties to a place as beautiful as it is bounteously difficult to simplify.
bad seed by Gabriel Carle, translated by Heather Houde (The Feminist Press, 120 pp, ISBN 9781558613201)
“A cure doesn’t interest me because I tested positive at 20 and I already know I won’t find love — the only cure I need, the only reason to want to go on living.”
The non-heteronormative Puerto Rican youth who populate, with seething anxiety, Gabriel Carle’s short stories in Bad Seed aren’t interested in your readerly approbation. Othered and maligned by those purporting to care for them, they roam, sprawl, and frolic as far as is gaily possible in bathhouses, bathroom stalls, and mall parking lots. Translated from Spanish, these are implosive fictions — their narrative fists up against gentrification and queer hatred. In “Devilwork”, pornographies intersect and clash against unutterable solitudes. The chief character of “Helium” sees love rise and fall, inflate and collapse, to rhythms of Valentine’s Day celebrations in their fissuring home life.
school of instructions by Ishion Hutchinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 112 pp, ISBN 9780374610272)
Shortlisted for the 2024 OCM Bocas Poetry Prize, this book-length poem guides its reader through a non-linear timeline, in which a boy’s youth in rural 1990s Jamaica is woven through experiences of the British West Indies Regiment in the First World War. A finalist for the 2024 Griffin Poetry Prize, School of Instructions increases the frequencies of polyphonic density Hutchinson’s readers have come to expect and crave from his works. In the tongue of defiant Godspeed, the Jamaican youth, entire seas of history and survival swell. In the trenches of the regiment, mud acquires a million states of dispossession and banal cruelty. “Look for me in the whirlwind!” cries Godspeed, fleeing from an oppressor. He crucibles himself to a multisensory survival, in which every part of the being endures — despite institutional provocations, despite colonial supervillain harms.
The reading nook
Just in time for Christmas, Kellie Magnus introduces a fresh crop of books that bring Caribbean history, mythology, and contemporary culture to life for young readers
From Jamaica’s Blue Banyan Books, a pair of graphic biographies of Marcus Garvey and Mary Seacole present the complex histories of two of Jamaica’s most compelling and transformative figures — in an engaging long-form comic book format.
My Name is Marcus is an empowering biography of Jamaica’s first national hero, a pioneering voice for Black nationalism and PanAfricanism. The book is written by poet, author, and longtime Garvey scholar Geoffrey Philp, with art by Shaquille Cross and Marcell Hemmings.
My Name is Mary, written by Tanya Batson-Savage and illustrated by Tajha Winkle, chronicles the life of legendary nurse and businesswoman Mary Seacole — from her origins in Jamaica through her entrepreneurial ventures in Panama to her catering and nursing exploits on the battlefields of the Crimean War.
Beware the Heartman (Scholastic Press, 2024), by Barbadian author Shakira Bourne, is a spooky mystery for eight-to-12-year-olds. The book draws heavily on Caribbean mythology, with our young heroine Josephine battling a range of disasters — natural, social, and mythological.
Trinidadian Tracey Baptiste’s Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos (Penguin Random House, 2024) launched to exuberant reviews from industry publications in the United States. Set in the context of a Trinidadian tween’s move to Brooklyn right in
time for Carnival season, the book blends home-grown and immigrant experiences, humour, mystery, and healthy helpings of Caribbean culture.
Both Bourne’s and Baptiste’s books are continuations of the series. Beware the Heartman is the second in the Josephine Against the Sea series, while Moko Magic extends Baptiste’s Freedom Fire series and joins her earlier, best-selling Jumbies series. So once you whet young readers’ appetites with these, there’s plenty more there to satisfy them.
“We
wanted to play with fiction and reality”
Bionico is a crack addict on a mission. As his girlfriend, La Flaca, is set to come out of rehab, Bionico vows to turn over a new leaf and go clean himself.
With the help of the irrepressible Calvita, his best mate and fellow junkie, Bionico embarks on a series of ill-advised schemes so he can live with his love in domestic bliss — while a documentary crew captures his every move.
Set in a vibrant neighbourhood of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Bionico’s Bachata is an energetic and inventive movie. A fiction film with elements of the real, it flirts with the scatological while treating its subjects with respect — finding genuine moments of humour, pathos, and even grace in their often bleak situations.
Bionico is a memorably recognisable character, a figure on society’s fringes tirelessly battling the odds — harking all the way back to Charlie Chaplin and his iconic comic persona, the Little Tramp.
Jonathan Ali spoke with Bionico’s Bachata’s director Yoel Morales — who makes films as part of the creative collective Mentes Fritas — about their exuberant creation.
How did the film begin?
It began when we met the real Bionico and Calvita in 2016. What drew us in was the deep friendship they had and the cheerful way they carried themselves despite their difficult circumstances. As we spent time with them, we got to know the context from which they came, and we were very taken with the visual potential and the local identity that could be expressed through it.
The film is mockumentary — fiction, but in the form of a documentary. Why this form?
When I was starting out in filmmaking, I wanted to work in a more classical style, influenced by the aesthetics of the Coen brothers and other directors. However, whenever I tried, there was always something that bothered me; I felt everything was too manipulated. So I began leaning towards realism. With Bionico, we attempted to write the script as standard fiction, but it didn’t convince us. We understood that there were many narrative rules to adhere to, and what we wanted was to be free to do whatever we wanted in both the script and the execution. We wanted to play with fiction and reality, mix everything, and create a unique space where we could push the limits to the maximum.
How did you cast Manuel raposo, who plays Bionico?
I saw Manuel in a play, a stage adaptation of a tale by Dominican writer, and immediately knew he had to be Bionico. He was playing a peasant who had to earn the approval of his beloved’s father and fight for her. The way Manuel expressed his emotions — so sweetly and innocently, yet so nobly — was exactly the quality I wanted for Bionico.
Additionally, Manuel has a set of gestures that I’ve always found funny. I worked with him for a year to build the character, establish the tone, and, most importantly, the humour. The comedy had to arise from the situation without being deliberately sought out. It was also crucial that Manuel did not ridicule or caricature Bionico by falling into stereotypes.
You made the film with the community it’s set in. What was it like working with them?
The community was happy, not only because they were working on the project both in front of and behind the camera, but also because they identified with what we were filming. Many times, we would hear them say things like, “Now this is us; finally, it
The comedy had to arise from the situation without being deliberately sought out
feels real.” When they felt something wasn’t quite right, they would intervene and teach us. I remember a guy in one of the scenes where Manuel had to smoke: he approached me to show me the stylish way to smoke the crack pipe correctly. He was obviously completely right.
Dembow music, an offshoot of reggaeton, is integral to the film’s soundtrack and style.
I am a big fan of dembow. It’s the most popular youth music and comes from the depths of the
neighborhood. It has a unique creativity because it’s always in a phase of experimentation, where artists can literally make a dembow out of anything. We felt that what we wanted to achieve resembled a dembow song. We wanted the film to feel like it starts with an unruly dembow, and ends with a smooth bachata in an enramada (a bar in the countryside).
Film director Yoel Morales Opposite page Manuel Raposo plays Bionico
As this issue of caribbean Beat heads to press in October, people the world over are tracking the developments in the United States’ November 2024 election. Few may realise just how many people of Caribbean heritage are front and centre.
There’s Vice President Kamala Harris, of course — the daughter of Jamaican economist and academic Donald J Harris, and Indian scientist and cancer researcher Shyamala Gopalan Harris — who is running for president on the Democratic ticket.
Through her career as district attorney of San Francisco, attorney general of California, senator, vice president, and now presidential nominee, she has frequently been the first Black, South Asian, Caribbean, and/or female holder of the roles she’s held or sought.
Her sister Maya Harris is also an attorney and public policy advocate who worked on the policy agenda for former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
The news makers
It’s been a year of consequential elections across the globe, with roughly half of the world’s population eligible to vote in their respective countries. And in the United States, some of those making, reporting on, and satirising the news were born in the region, or are of Caribbean parentage. Caroline Taylor learns more
Notably, VP Harris often says she follows in the footsteps of another trailblazing woman of Caribbean heritage — Shirley Chisholm, who was born in New York to a Barbadian mother and Guyanese-Barbadian father.
Chisholm became the first Black woman to be elected to the US Congress in 1968, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2015.
Karine Jean-Pierre is a former NBC News and MSNBC political analyst and lecturer at Columbia University (her alma mater) who has served as the Biden administration’s White House press secretary since 2022 — the first Black and openly LGBT person to hold the position. Born in Martinique to Haitian parents, relocating to New York City when she was five, she also served as chief of staff to VP Harris during her 2020 presidential campaign.
Covering the candidates and the administration are a slew of familiar faces on major US television networks, which are beamed across the globe.
Award-winning author, TV host, and political commentator Joy reid is the daughter of a Guyanese mother and Congolese father, who became cable’s first Black female primetime anchor in 2020 as host of MSNBC’s The reidOut (after hosting other daytime programmes on the network, starting in 2014). The Harvard graduate previously worked at The Grio and Miami Herald, as well as on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Reid’s award-winning colleague Yamiche Alcindor, meanwhile, has been a Washington correspondent for NBC News since 2022, having previously worked at PBS, uSA Today, and The new York Times. Born in Miami to Haitian parents, she is an alum of Georgetown University and New York University.
Over at rival network CNN, Abby Phillip — born in Virginia to Trinidadian
Kamala Harris
Karine Jean-Pierre with Jennifer Beals and Kate Moennig in the background
parents, and who spent some of her early childhood living in Trinidad — anchored Inside Politics Sunday with Abby Phillip from 2021 to 2023, before being announced as the host of the ever-lively (if not combative) cnn newsnight in 2023. The Harvard graduate worked at Politico, The Washington Post, and ABC before joining CNN in 2017, where she also co-moderated one of the Democratic presidential primary debates in 2020.
And while late-night comedians and sketch shows provide ample comedy by poking fun at current news and events, there are some CaribbeanAmerican comedians who give the satire some extra spice.
Back in 2020, Sarah Cooper went viral for her online videos lip-syncing to statements by former President Trump — just as she’d begun to consider quitting comedy. The Jamaican-born author, actor and comedian — who moved to the US as a child and worked in big tech (Yahoo and Google) before pursuing writing and comedy fulltime — then found herself making the rounds on various news, talk, and late night shows, and starred in the Maya Rudolph produced Netflix special Sarah cooper: everything’s fine, featuring a star-studded cast.
She also did an Instagram live with VP Harris in 2020, joking: “What do you get when you combine the leadership
of Kamala Harris with the humour of Sarah Cooper? You get one whole Jamaican!”
More recently, Juliet Bodley (aka Julie Mango) — a trained pilot, former engineer, performer, and life coach who was born and grew up in Jamaica before moving to the US as an adult — went viral in 2020 with a video comparing how Jamaicans and Americans give praise. Her social media channels cover a range of material, including mental health advocacy. Among the most watched are her recent videos as “Jamaican Kamala Harris”, which offer up a Patois-speaking VP Harris in a range of contexts, from her August convention speech to September presidential debate.
No matter which way the election goes this November, these heavy hitters are sure to continue breaking new ground in their chosen fields — and appearing on a screen near you.
Joy Reid
Abby Phillip Yamiche Alcindor
Sarah Cooper
OIL StrI ke
A groundbreaking new laser available exclusively at The Skin Health Institute can treat many of the most common local skin concerns safely, quickly and without any down time
From pristine beaches to gorgeous sunsets to year-round warm weather, there are countless reasons that tourists flock to the Caribbean. But one souvenir they don’t want is oilier, problematic skin, which the hot, humid weather can trigger.
A first impression is made in just one twentieth of a second, and acne is often the first thing people notice. That’s a statistic that board-certified aesthetic physician Dr. Rachael Eckel cites frequently, knowing the physical and emotional toll conditions like oily skin and acne can take on her patients, majorly impacting self-esteem. As the Founder and Medical Director of the renowned Skin Health Institute in Trinidad and Tobago, one of the largest cosmetic dermatology centres in the world, Dr. Eckel has trained and lectured all over the globe, so she knows the ins and outs of acne and oily skin.
Oily skin affects over 80% of the population in Trinidad and Tobago. “In the Caribbean, we have very active oil glands,” Dr. Eckel says. “Darker skin tones have larger oil glands, and larger pores as a result. They have a greater amount of sebum production, and their sebum tends to be more irritating. This climate that we live in is very hot and humid, which further activates and inflames oil glands.”
OILy SkIn affectS Over 80% Of the pOpuLatIOn In trInIdad and tObag O.
Dr. Eckel also points out that refined foods are a staple of the local diet, which also contributes to excess oil production. The most common skin conditions treated in the Caribbean are caused by excess oil, such as greasy skin, enlarged pores and rosacea. “Patients in this climate are faced not just with genetic factors, but excessive heat and humidity, further accelerating oil production,” she says.
Luckily, as a leading practitioner in facial aesthetics, Dr. Eckel offers the cure: the new Accure Laser. Developed at Harvard University, it is designed to treat acne and oily skin by targeting overactive sebaceous glands. Acne is caused by an imbalance of sebum in the skin, which can trigger many other complexion issues. “Excess sebum is the number one enemy of the skin,” Dr. Eckel says. “It can also cause melasma, seborrheic dermatitis, redness, sensitivity, keratosis pilaris and uneven skin tone.”
The new Accure Laser is a long-term solution for all of the above, with almost a decade of clinical studies to prove it. Accure selectively targets overactive sebaceous glands and damages them for good, while preserving the surrounding tissue. “Once you destroy an oil gland, it can’t grow back,” Dr. Eckel says. Meanwhile, most acne treatments only act as a band-aid by temporarily targeting symptoms of excess oil.
As the #1 cosmetic dermatology clinic in the Caribbean, the worldrenowned Skin Health Institute was hand-selected to be the first to offer Accure in the Caribbean, Latin America and South America. As one of only a few in the world to have it, they were chosen for their international reputation of excellence. It’s clinically proven that the most important factor in achieving beauty and attractivity is clear, unblemished, healthy skin, and that’s exactly what Dr. Eckel and her expert team strive for with every patient. The awardwinning Skin Health Institute is famous for its innovative, resultsdriven beautification techniques, especially for darker skin tones.
aS the #1 cOSmetIc dermatOLOgy cLInIc In the carIbbean, the wOrLdrenOwned SkIn heaLth InStItute waS hand-SeLected tO be the fIrSt tO Offer accure In the carIbbean, LatIn amerIca and SOuth amerIca.
To treat the face with Accure, which is the most common area, four treatments spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart are recommended. The average treatment time is 40 minutes and there is no downtime afterwards or redness, irritation or dryness. Accure can treat any
part of the body; the back responds especially well and typically only needs 1 or 2 treatments. The same goes for keratosis pilaris on the upper arms, which is exceedingly common and unresponsive to other long-term treatments. The pain is minimal, rated 4 out of 10 by patients. Used on ages 11 to 75 and all skin types, its proprietary technology makes it incredibly safe.
Just one Accure treatment delivers a 30% reduction in acne lesions, according to clinical testing, and it has a 95% patient satisfaction rate. Inflammatory lesions were reduced by 79% at 12 weeks and 90% at 52 weeks. At 12 weeks, 100% of patients saw results.
“It is really foolproof,” Dr. Eckel says. “Another important point is that the laser is colourblind, so there is no effect on the colour of the skin.” The beautifying treatment has been so popular with her patients that appointments are nearly fully booked. With long-lasting results and before and after photos like these to help patients become the best, most confident versions of themselves, it’s easy to see why.
8 Anderson Terrace, Maraval, Trinidad | Phone:
Results sustained almost three year after Accure treatment
Results achieved after just four Accure treatments
CreATInG A spACe of her own
Photography courtesy Vivien Elizabeth Armour
Artist, performer, teacher, and community-builder Vivien Elizabeth Armour talks to Shelly-Ann Inniss about her journey in the arts, and what she hopes to achieve with her new creative studio
when did you realise you wanted to be a professional artist?
Both visual and performing arts have played a huge role in my life. I’ve always had an appreciation for painters and was drawn to the bold styles of frida Khalo, Basquiat, and Van Gogh from an early age. I was also very fortunate to grow up surrounded by the incredible works of peter Doig, Boscoe holder, and sundiata, to name a few, and was encouraged to follow my heart.
I originally focused on theatre and singing as my primary mediums — earning a theatre degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in new York and pursuing a film career in my 20s in Canada — before pursuing painting, sculpture, and installation. Through my degree at e mily Carr University of Art & Design, I fell in love with the process of making. And the more exposure I got to the modern art world, the deeper in love I fell with painting and sculpture as a way to explore and communicate with the world.
what art museums do you love most?
The w hitney in new York, as well as the Tate Modern in London. I could spend hours in those spaces. I love getting lost in the Monets and getting energised by the installations. I also spent a lot of time at the Contemporary Art Gallery and Vancouver Art Gallery when I was living in Canada. Kim Dorland is a huge inspiration to me with his vibrant and dynamic work. And I never miss a James Turrell exhibition if I’m lucky to be in a city where he’s showing. I love work that is experiential. I’m also a huge fan of impressionist paintings, so the Musée d’o rsay in paris is one of my favourites.
recently, I visited the national Gallery in Kingston, Jamaica, which is incredibly rich in its collections … Leasho Johnson, r ichard natoo, the textile and sculptural works of Katrina Coombs
Dutty Mas (2019). Oil, acrylic, turmeric, ceramic slip on canvas 24”x36”
floor me every time. But what most inspires me is travel, and visiting new places with all their textures, smells, colours and narratives. Top of my bucket list are portugal and Japan.
how would you describe your art practice?
I’m fascinated with ritual and ceremony and how that plays out in different cultures — the way land and body find symmetry and dissonance, the ways in which we seek understanding. A lot of my painting and installation work has been situated in this in-between, focusing on ideas of belonging, not belonging, and embodied catharsis — juxtaposing a sort of alien hypersaturation with natural materials and processes.
I often incorporate elements of Caribbean folklore and mythology into my paintings, while also bringing in elements of my international upbringing. I was drawn to ceramics because of the tactile experience of working with clay, and I create a variety of pieces including functional ware and sculptural objects. I draw a lot of inspiration for my ceramic work from the colours and textures of nature, and I enjoy working with different glazes and firing techniques to achieve unique and visually interesting effects.
As my work evolves, I’m more and more fascinated with entropy and impermanence, which I’d like to explore through workshops. My minor is in social p ractice & Community e ngagement, and I’m drawn to working with trauma healing through art, which I believe is deeply needed in our postcolonial context.
what led you to found Vivien elizabeth Creative studios?
My practice largely focussed on teaching over the last few years. I founded Vivien e lizabeth Creative studios with the aim of creating a welcoming and inclusive space for artists of all levels. I offer a variety of resources from painting, pottery and glazing equipment and materials, to basic woodworking resources. There’s open studio time, workshops, team building activities, and networking opportunities too. w itnessing my students discover their own creative potential and create something unique is incredibly rewarding. Teaching art is just as fundamental to the industry as creating your own work.
what’s next in the pipeline for you?
I plan to expand to provide a co-working space, because artists should have the opportunity to have a dedicated space to work and create. A sense of community is essential, so expect regular events such as artist talks, exhibitions, and social gatherings bringing people together. I hope to connect with more organisations and institutions to foster relationships with artists across the region as well, to promote artist residencies and exchange.
w ith renewed energy and inspiration from being back in the Caribbean, I’m eager to explore new forms of expression and delve deeper into my own artistic practice. I’m currently working on a new body of work that’ll explore hybridising my painting worlds with my sculptural work. n
Stoneware pottery from the Mayaro Collection (2023). All of Armour’s functional pottery is food safe
THE
ACCIDENTAL CHEF
Talented chefs from the region have been popping up on reality TV shows all over the world — including Dominica’s Johnathan Shillingford (Chef Jono), who appeared on season nine of Below Deck Mediterranean. Shelly-Ann Inniss learns more
As the yacht slowly cruises into another foreign port, properties only visible from the sea come into view. The promise of adventure brings a smile to your face as you — an “accidental chef” — work onboard glamorous yachts sailing into many ports of entry, affording you opportunities to travel and explore the world … and even costar in a reality TV show. Does it sound like a dream? for 32-year-old Dominican-born, self-taught chef Johnathan s hillingford (Chef Jono), it’s a reality. And despite all his adventures, he still finds time to regularly
visit his family in Dominica — plunging into the rivers of “the nature isle” with loved ones, and enjoying authentic river limes with great food.
“I’m proud to be Caribbean and proud to be Dominican. having people know my country exists — and it’s not the Dominican republic — is important to me,” says the season nine co-star of Below Deck Mediterranean, which premiered on Bravo in June.
The Below Deck series is among the world’s most popular reality TV shows, and Chef Jono’s season follows captain s andy Yawn, her crew, and eccentric guests aboard the luxury superyacht Mustique — navigating arduous challenges, latenight demands requiring swift action, a saga of delayed provisions, and a test in patience and grit for Chef Jono as he quickly learned the staggering height of guests’ culinary expectations. There was also a spicy romance, stirring up some tension among the crew.
It’s always a special treat to hear a Caribbean accent on international programmes, and Chef Jono — like Trinidadian chef natasha de Bourg (cast member of Below Deck season two) — embraced his Caribbean identity. h is food was generally exquisite, with his culinary skills and creativity leaving us proud, entertained, inspired ... and hungry!
Cooking and architecture have always been Jono’s passions, and he’s aptly branded himself a culinary architect. he graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago) in 2013, and the Architectural Association Design research Lab (London) with a Master’s in Architecture & Urbanism in 2016, and also worked in paris, Antigua, and Dominica.
But his career trajectory changed when a project in Antigua didn’t materialise. “I was very bummed out, and other architectural work was slow and not as engaging compared to working in a fast-paced city like London,” he says.
At that point in late 2016, he was based in Antigua — a tremendous yachting hub. As fate would have it, his best friend — another yacht chef — asked him to do a temporary cooking job on a yacht for one week.
“I was very sceptical because I love cooking and I thought if I do it professionally, it’d take the joy out of it and I won’t like it anymore,” he says. To his surprise, he enjoyed it even more and received glowing feedback.
He hopes caribbean cuisine can one day be as well-known as Indian, Italian, or Asian food, with people travelling in their numbers to experience it, beyond food festivals
w hen opportunity knocks, you’ve got to answer it. Many boats moor in Antigua and across the region during the Caribbean’s yachting and sailing season ( november–April), then head to the Mediterranean for theirs (May– october). so when the yacht he was working on was ready to make the two to three week crossing to europe, they invited Jono to join them. Two years later, Jono was still on that boat.
f ast forward to the present day, and this “accidental chef” has spent some eight happy years in the yachting industry. “food is a gift of love, and that’s in everyone’s hearts in the Caribbean. That’s in my heart, and I’m honoured to share that gift,” explains Jono in our Zoom interview, while on board another yacht in Barcelona, spain.
Being a self-trained chef has its challenges, but Jono believes the creative process is like architecture, which he hasn’t abandoned. Let’s start with inspiration. Architects are inspired by locations, buildings, or pre-requisites from clients. Conversely, food inspiration can be the ingredients, or dietary restrictions forcing you to become creative and experiment, among other things.
Then there’s execution. “In architecture, I’m designing a building — and I feel like I’m designing food as well, thinking about where things fit on the plate, or thinking where this course falls within a five-course dinner,” he explains.
Opposite page Chef Jono displays his creations in the galley of the yacht Mustique Left Some of the cast of Below Deck Mediterranean season 9
So, what tips can a sassy, enthusiastic, well-travelled, dancing, self-taught reality TV chef offer? his mega tip is time management. In a typical day — and as the lone chef — he makes seven or eight meals: breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the crew and guests; canapés; snacks; and any separate guest menus.
“If you don’t have perfect time management, you might end up cleaning up after yourself all day long,” advises Jono.
he’s re-imagined some Caribbean dishes on his charters and, although they didn’t appear on Below Deck Mediterranean , guests posted videos of his o sso Buco oxtail and a polenta on their Instagram pages.
“I’d love to see more elevated Caribbean cuisine on the international stage,” he says, while reminiscing about how people flock to small Caribbean restaurants in new York and London, ordering classic Caribbean dishes that we love.
“ s t Barts and The Bahamas have restaurants opened by Michelin chefs,” he continues. “I would love if most of the smaller Caribbean islands also had Michelin restaurants to offer international audiences. I’d definitely like to become a Michelin chef and own one.”
he hopes Caribbean cuisine can one day be as well-known as Indian, Italian, or Asian food, with people travelling in their numbers to experience it, beyond food festivals.
“In my line of work, I have to do a Japanese lunch and an Indian dinner. The next day is Thai lunch and tapas spanish dinner. s o I’ve become competent in many cuisines,” he shares. he hopes Caribbean cuisine can become a similar fixture on international menus.
“I always wanted to run away from the Caribbean when I was younger. now as an adult, I find my heart is so closely linked to it. It’s very nostalgic and amazing,” he admits.
There’s no doubt Dominicans and the wider Caribbean are proud of the impact he and other Caribbean chefs have made on various series. for example, Jamaican chef Adrian forte has appeared on several food network shows, including Top Chef, Chopped Canada, and netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge. And classically trained chef Dominic Taylor (of Jamaican and st Lucian heritage) took the Caribbean’s warmth to Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen in the United Kingdom, and was crowned Britain’s next Great Chef.
food is a cultural translator, conveying stories across borders, regardless of socioeconomic background. And as we live in what Nylon called “the new golden age of reality TV”, there’s no shortage of food shows on the menu. s eeing our world-class chefs holding their own in culinary challenges and fiery competitions on these international programmes is always a pleasure, as we celebrate these Caribbean culinary ambassadors. Bravo! n
PHOENIx RISING
Angela Hunte — the singer/songwriter, budding filmmaker, and Grammy-winning hit-maker for music industry heavyweights — has always drawn on and championed her Caribbean roots. As nigel Campbell reports, a health scare proved the catalyst for a new chapter in her stellar, multi-hyphenate career
Two years ago, Trinidadian-American Grammywinning songwriter Angela hunte underwent heart surgery, temporarily stalling a multidecade career defined by commercial singing and songwriting success. It prompted deep soul-searching about her life and legacy, reinvigorating her drive to make her mark in the global entertainment industry, and catalysing her evolution as a multi-disciplinary artist
That two years between the surgery and the launch of her new CD Mango (released in July and reviewed in the september issue of Caribbean Beat ) was like a renaissance. “I began to unravel my life in a way that I had never done before. It was the beginning of the truth, the unveiling of emotions,” she declares. s he determined that she needed to do things differently.
Born in Brooklyn to Trinidadian parents; raised in Barataria, Trinidad; and now a working wife and mother living in Miami, hunte exists in two worlds efficiently and effectively — without taking on the veneer of a naipaulian “mimic man”.
“everywhere I go, I carry my flag with me,” she told the Trinidad Express . Quite literally, she’s worn a Trinidad & Tobago flag pin on her gowns at award shows, close to her heart — including at the Grammys in 2011, where she won Best r ap song for “e mpire state of Mind”.
for her, it’s also a symbol of Trini pride. “even though I wasn’t born there, I was raised there,” she says. “It is my heritage. It’s the blood that flows through my veins, and I am very, very proud.”
That duality of being Caribbean and American has allowed hunte, over time, the ability to easily move between here and there, culture and commerce. That word culture has many meanings — but for Caribbean people, it means a sense of self, a sense of heritage.
“ we’ve got to bring the culture to the people, because they want it,” she told popular American radio host e bro earlier in 2024. “ w hen I make music for myself, it’s such a different process than when I’m in the room with other people doing it for them.”
“Drums call out to me all the time, melodies dance around me when I’m just walking down the street,” she continues. “I had no idea how to put it together, to fuse all these sounds from everywhere together, but I knew culture would play a great part in this.”
Mentorship from major music players overseas laid the foundation for her music ecosystem knowledge. hunte began her music career writing and performing in r&B girl group 7669, releasing one album on Motown records in 1994. Label head Jheryl Busby told her that her future lay in songwriting — not as a backhanded compliment, but as a prophetic observation.
Busby, along with super-producer s alaam r emi of Amy w inehouse and nas fame — like hunte, a child of the Trinidadian and Caribbean diaspora — guided her early music career, positioning her to take advantage of songwriting and publishing opportunities in the United Kingdom and sweden.
writing, singing, and producing electronic and pop dance hits there in the 2000s led to more opportunities back in the United states, with credits on songs by Britney spears, Diddy, and Melanie fiona, among others, and leading to her penning “e mpire state of Mind” — the new York anthem and hit single with one billion streams, diamond-certified by the r IAA — for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys in 2009.
After that, she added Grammyand oscar-winning rocker Melissa etheridge, Miley Cyrus, and snoop Dogg (snoop Lion at the time) to her client list. And the shifting goalposts and nearly insurmountable hurdles of the American music industry were challenges her island upbringing readied her for.
“And if you show anybody a pommerac, a tamarind, they may ask, ‘ w hat’s that?’ But if you show them a mango, everybody knows what that is. It’s global. The music on this album is global. It’s not just one genre ... The resilience of a mango — if you hungry, you know if you eat a mango,
you will be good. r esilience is one of those things that represents Caribbean culture and life to me. If I could call my music a fruit, that’s what it will be.”
her forays into Carnival music — the singles “party Done” (2015) with Machel Montano, “Like s o” and “Mon Bon Ami” (2016) — showed that she was willing to innovate and bring her knowledge of the global pop music scene to move Caribbean music into a more mainstream position.
That word culture has many meanings — but for caribbean people, it means a sense of self, a sense of heritage
h unte asserts that she is a “genre-less writer, but a global performer”. her two albums, R.A.W. (2017) and Mango (2024) — the latter featuring collaborations with wyclef Jean, fay-Ann Lyons, Yemi Alade, Tarrus r iley, and Christian Alicea — reflect a Caribbean aesthetic. The former is a reggae album, while Mango takes on the rhythms of many Afro-diasporic genres — dancehall, soca, zouk, reggaeton, hip-hop.
“You never see anybody unhappy eating a mango,” she says.
“I am a hybrid,” she explains. “I am always going to continue to bring my love of all forms of music from Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean. I will never stop no matter what.”
But after the effusive response to “party Done”, the response from promoters and audiences to her work the following year was more subdued. Undeterred, she took it as a challenge to broaden her appeal in markets beyond the islands — including the United states, the largest music market in the world.
“My relationship with Trinidad & Tobago is not love-hate, but like a love-love — because love can be very dangerous too,” she says. “If things were easy, then we’d all do it. nothing is going to be easy.”
Left Songwriters Angela Hunte (left) and Janet “Jnay” Sewell-ulepic won Best Rap Song for “Empire State of Mind” at the 53rd Grammy Awards Above Angela with her family
Resilience and determination are two of hunte’s defining characteristics. “As Caribbean people, we have this thing: no matter what we do, we go do it, and we go do it good,” she muses. It also triggered a desire to let her voice, and vision, be heard and seen in international markets — much like during her earlier songwriting career.
her reputation as a casting director in the mid-to-late 1990s for prominent music videos by Billboard Hot 100 artists, and as an award-winning stylist for many artists, led both to opportunities to direct and an understanding of the film industry.
“I am setting off to be different from a lot of the other female directors out there,” she says of her more recent career moves into film. “I don’t think I would have incorporated my culture if I had done it [when] I was younger. I am so glad I am doing it now, because I am so much more experienced and I have a better sense of who I am, and what I want to talk about.”
here again was the importance of mentorship early on, this time by prominent video and film director Lionel C Martin, as she helms a documentary about a steelband from the Meyer
Levin school for the performing Arts — her Brooklyn alma mater.
The film looks at the children of Caribbean parents in f latbush, how Caribbean attitudes to parenting differ from Black American parents, and the role steelpan music and performance play — both as a social tool to keep kids out of trouble, and as a meaningful way of keeping Caribbean heritage alive in these communities. she is working towards film festival distribution in 2025.
her now diversified career has brought her celebrity outside of music, as she also stars in a n Y e mmy-nominated new York City Tourism + Conventions short documentary, NYC Local Legends: Angela Hunte in Flatbush, in which she guides viewers through the Caribbean culture, food, and life of new York.
s he understands the difference between Caribbean life, Caribbean-American life, and American life; the choices parents make to avoid the dangers of big city living; and how a diasporic life is an endless opportunity to be an ambassador, a pioneer, and a “girl from Barataria” who did good, and wants to give back. n
Angela in the recording studio right Angela collaborated with soca star Machel Montano for “Party Done” Below Angela with American musician Melissa Etheridge
CArIBBeAn ChrIsTMAs
Amid all the partying, visiting, and festivity at this time of year, Skye Hernandez explores unique Caribbean Christmas celebrations across the region. This classic was originally published in 1996 (issue 22)
Above Christmas fruit cake or black cake is a staple at Christmastime
Left The poinsettia — indigenous to Mexico — has become a symbol of Christmas
Opposite page Dapperly dressed attendees of the annual Christmas in Queen’s Park event on Christmas morning in Barbados
Grotesque masks, jigging Jonkonnu dancers and acrobats, ghost stories, spanish music and pepperpot … these seem far away from carols, mistletoe and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But they are Christmas traditions in various islands in the Caribbean where the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with cultural gifts from many different roots. european colonists brought Christianity to the Caribbean, originally to the Indigenous peoples, though not many of them survived to practise it. Today, european Christmas customs survive everywhere across the region: Christmas morning services in the established churches, feasting on Christmas Day, wassailing or serenading, dances, the giving of gifts and Christmas cards, santa Claus and Christmas trees.
w hen Africans were brought to the Caribbean to work on the sugar plantations, they added to Christianity their own customs and, right away, the festival began to evolve and take on a character of its own.
In Jamaica, fearsome duppies (ghosts) roamed the countryside at Christmas, the most legendary being Three- foot horse — whose terrifying approach was heralded by the sound of irregular hoofbeats — and r olling Calf, who weakened the hearts of rural folk when he shuffled by, dragging chains along the pathways at night.
These stories probably date back to the plantations: the enslaved customarily went up to the great plantation house on Christmas morning to serenade its occupants with songs. rewarded with a two or three day holiday, they made the most of it in their own gardens, reaping provisions both for food and to sell among themselves at the Christmas market.
In the evening, they would dress in their finest and return to the front lawn of the plantation house. According to r ichard Dunn in Sugar and Slaves :
“They divided themselves into groups to dance, some before the goombays, in a ring, to perform a bolero or a sort of love-dance, as it is called, where the gentleman lovingly wiped the perspiration off the shining faces of their black beauties, who, in turn, performed the same service to the minstrels. o thers performed a sort of pyrrhic dance before the e bo drummer, beginning gently and gradually quickening their motions until they seemed agitated by the furies.”
some 300 years later, the Jonkonnu dancers or “masqueraders” of Jamaica are still a part of Christmas, especially in rural areas. Grotesquely costumed dancers are accompanied by musicians playing flutes, drums and tambourines; they go about soliciting money. w ith names like horse head, Devil, Belly woman, p itchy patchy and Actor-Boy, who would dare refuse them?
The origin of the Jonkonnus is unclear, but many believe their roots lie along the Gold Coast of Africa, and have been grafted onto traditional festivities on Christmas evenings long ago. The tradition of Christmas market is still alive, where children are taken to shop for toys on Christmas morning. At the grand market, the weekend before Christmas, food is sold for Christmas cooking, just as it was centuries ago.
In Antigua, too, Christmas traditions are primarily of european and African origin, scottish settlers having brought Christmas to the island. “old time Christmas” customs in Antigua have been described in detail, including Carol Trees, John Bull (Jam Bull), highlanders, Long Ghosts and Jumpa-Ben. Carol Trees were made from a stick with several cross-bars, like a telephone pole; with lanterns hung from the branches, they were carried from house to house by carol singers, accompanied by the music of an accordion (concertina).
John Bull, meanwhile, is a grotesque character based on an African “witch doctor”. Dressed in dry banana leaves and old clothes, he was probably created by the enslaved to satirise the British masters: the costume closely resembles that of the sensay dancers from Guinea who performed at the end of the first stage of work initiation.
The h ighlanders are part of Antigua’s s cottish heritage, dancing the h ighland f ling dressed in a sort of kilt; their wire masks and cowhide whips are based on a scottish military costume. Tall Ghosts were huge figures on stilts whose masked faces used to peep into the upstairs windows of homes on Market street, provoking terror in little children; they were popular at new Year’s as well.
Also popular at Christmas, though now more prevalent in Antigua’s carnival, is the Dancing Jumble or Jumpa-Ben, which has its origins in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Benin. This character masqueraded on stilts to the music of kettle and bass drums, fife,
When Africans
were brought to the c aribbean to work on the sugar plantations, they added to c hristianity their own customs and, right away, the festival began to evolve and take on a character of its own
triangle (ching-a-ching) and a “boom pipe” made from lengths of iron pipe. The Kwuya or stilt Dance is very difficult to do, and the dancer must be able to defy gravity with a high level of skill if he is to remain upright.
In 19th-century Antigua, quadrille parties were popular in high society, and the halls were decked not with boughs of holly, but with sprigs of fragrant allspice (called “pimento” in Antigua and Jamaica). Bay leaf was also used for decoration, and cherry branches were made into trees. There were subscription dances every week, to the music of fiddle, tambourine and triangle. Drinks included fermented Christmas bush, ginger and water molasses; Christmas balls were accompanied by feasts of mutton, pork, turkey, duck, fowl, guinea-bird, ham, tongue, cakes and tarts.
A new dress had to be made for every day of the three-day holiday. for the poor, Christmas was the only access to the delicacy of pork and fried dumpling. o n the streets, compliments of the season were given for a donation — “Long life and crosperity!” (sic).
Left A John Bull parades in St John’s, Antigua & Barbuda Opposite page A parang band performs in the Cocoa Panyol Festival in Lopinot village, Trinidad
In the plantation era, Christmas was not only festivity: it was a very serious time in the islands, and the three-day holiday for the enslaved always brought rumours of uprisings to the masters’ ears, some of them true.
research for the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda by Desmond nicholson, for example, uncovered a dramatic case from 1710, when a planter named sam Martin was killed by slaves on 27 December because he had not given the customary Christmas holidays. In 1813, just before the abolition of slavery, it was reported that “every Christmas brought alarm, and the militia was called out to prevent insurrections.”
perhaps the most lavish of modern Christmases is to be found in Trinidad & Tobago, whose diverse history and relative wealth have given the festival a national flavour in which the large non-Christian communities join. The season begins as early as november, when the cooler breezes hint at the tail end of the rainy season and brilliant red poinsettias and lacy white Christmas bush begin to transform gardens. Christmas carols and local songs take over the radio and the parang season begins.
parang, originally from Venezuela, is the traditional Christmas music of Trinidad — lively spanish-style music that calls for fancy steps and swinging hips. Traditionally, parranderos go from house to house serenading neighbours and sampling poncha crema (a well-spiced version of eggnog), sorrel, ginger beer and strong drinks like rum and whisky, as well as food. parang is infectious music, strongly rhythmic, hard to resist, and it accompanies many of the season’s parties.
Trinidadians expect to put on a few pounds for Christmas, confident that they will lose them afterwards in the frenzy of Carnival. people visit friends and family during the season, and you have to sample every auntie’s black cake and taste every granny’s sorrel, not to mention the lady-next-door’s poncha crema and the pastelles that Mum makes. pastelles, a gift from Trinidad’s Indigenous and spanish heritage, are a cornmeal pocket stuffed with minced beef, highly seasoned, with capers and olives among the essential ingredients.
All this is merely training for the big Christmas Day lunch. Turkey is the centre of attention, stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs and giblets, though many people prefer a minced beef stuffing to make it a little richer. ham is a must, and even people who do not eat pork will tolerate it on their table and offer it to ham-hungry guests. Chicken and roast beef are complemented by pastelles, vegetables, macaroni pie, potato and other salads.
This all-encompassing meal provides a focus for family gatherings. Christmas Day itself is mainly for family, with friends visiting throughout the holidays to bring gifts and sample the goodies. Most Christians make sure to go to mass, even if it is the only time for the year, either at midnight on Christmas eve or early on Christmas morning.
The Christmas setting is important, so the house must be cleaned thoroughly, the tree put up and decorated in good time, and Christmas greeting cards hung up or collected in a prominent place. houses are painted, even if only on the outside, and new curtains, furnishings and appliances are added, as far as the pocket will allow (though Christmas is a time when people far
outdo their resources). The season ends with the massive parties on old Year’s night, followed by the exhausted somnolence of new Year’s Day.
Most of the islands celebrate Christmas in a similar way these days, but with their own favourite dishes and customs. In Barbados, for example, along with the turkey and ham, the speciality is jug-jug, a dish made with ground meats, guinea corn and pigeon (gungo) peas. This may have originated with nostalgic scottish settlers who needed a tropical substitute for haggis.
Soak in the christmas songs, whether they are in Spanish, Hindi, Patois or english: they all tell of good fortune, health, happiness and good times
for Jamaicans and Guyanese, ham is a must, but they don’t feel compelled to eat turkey: they prefer chicken. Jamaicans serve spicy jerk chicken, and curry goat is likely to be served as well, especially if the family is a big one. Chow mein and fried rice is a favourite in Guyana; garlic pork, introduced by the portuguese, is popular in Antigua and in Trinidad, where it is a must for the portuguese community.
Christmas cakes range from rich dark fruit cake, often called black cake, to the lighter brown fruit cake which has no burnt sugar or browning; both are laced with rum or wine. In most islands, dark red sorrel is a non-alcoholic Christmas beverage made from a plant which produces its fruit at this time of year; but in Jamaica, it is a strong alcoholic liqueur, made with Jamaican white rum and sipped very carefully by the prudent.
The Christmas season lasts longest for the french islands, which continue to celebrate until Three Kings’ Day on 6 January, commemorating “Les r ois” or the coming of the Three w ise Men. This is the day when people everywhere take down their Christmas trees, even in islands where the date is not significant.
If you are in the Caribbean this Christmas, soak in the festive atmosphere, the goodwill, the partying and visiting, the special heart-warming mood that fills the air. soak in the Christmas songs, whether they are in spanish, h indi, patois or e nglish: they all tell of good fortune, health, happiness and good times.
And relish this region’s unique array of Christmas customs, some of them from contemporary north America, others of much deeper and darker origin. These islands, which never see holly or mistletoe, reindeer or snow (and certainly don’t miss them), have made traditions of their own to enjoy. n
Editor’s note: The original piece has been lightly edited for print republication, while the original remains in our online archive at caribbean-beat.com
Ham garnished and baked with pineapple and cherries is the centrepiece of Christmas lunch
soCA pArAnG sonGs of The seAson
Parang has been part of Trinidad & Tobago’s Christmas soundtrack for generations — but everything changed in 1978 when Crazy’s breakout hit “Parang Soca” took the islands by storm. The rest, as Laura Dowrich reports, is history
There was a time when Christmas in Trinidad & Tobago, like much of the Caribbean, was musically dominated by songs that painted images of snow, mistletoe, and pumpkin pie. The voices of Bing Crosby, frank sinatra, nat King Cole, and perry Como filled the airwaves as people hustled in the hot Caribbean sun.
But T&T already had its own Christmas soundtrack in the form of parang — folk music, sung in spanish, first brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrant cocoa farmers in the 18th century. Yet, despite this rich cultural heritage, classics like “ w hite Christmas” and “There’s no place Like home for the holidays” remained Christmas staples.
As T&T gained independence in 1962, the country searched for a new national identity, much like an infant finding its footing. s ocioeconomic tensions arose in this postcolonial period of uncertainty, culminating in the Black power Uprising of 1970.
This inspired a shift away from musical imports. homegrown Christmas songs like Lennox Gray’s “Around my Christmas Tree”, nap hepburn’s “Listen Mama”, and Chalkdust’s “something salt” captured the essence of a truly Trinidadian Christmas, and resonated deeply with the people.
Then, in 1978, the Christmas music landscape changed forever when calypsonian edwin Ayoung — known affectionately by his sobriquet Crazy, and whose mother was Venezuelan — introduced a new genre, fusing parang and soca.
It all started when a friend and songwriter, Clibert harewood, handed Crazy a piece of paper with the opening lyrics, “I took the role of a lead singer”.
Crazy, inspired by the words, began strumming his cuatro and, with the encouragement of friends, recorded the song in new York with Vincentian producer frankie McIntosh.
The song told the story of how audiences reacted to his Carnival style version of parang:
I took the role of lead singer, parangrama in Arima fans heard of my parang band, so thousands flock the grand stand Dave e lcock was the MC when he introduced me people jumping like Carnival to my rendition of serenal
Alagata alpagata, uno rum, uno paratha Maria, Maria, Maria, mi corazón from port of spain to fyzabad, everybody know Crazy mad Maria, Maria, Maria, mi corazón
While
the parang community initially disapproved of what they saw as the commercialisation of their folk tradition — calling it “christmas calypso” — the song took off
Opposite page Edwin “Crazy” Ayoung Above The late calypso icon Lord Kitchener Left Baron performs one of his soca parang hits
The song — which everyone still refers to as “Maria” — is really titled “parang soca”, and marked the first time the term “parang soca” was introduced into T&T’s musical lexicon. Crazy had groundbreakingly fused traditional parang’s musical instrumentation — cuatro, guitar, shak shak — with calypso and soca rhythms (with soca itself only having emerged in the early 70s), while blending e nglish, some spanish … and some nonsense lyrics.
In 1981, Singing Francine made history by releasing the first full-length soca parang album, Christmas is Love
w hile the parang community initially disapproved of what they saw as the commercialisation of their folk tradition — calling it “Christmas calypso” — the song took off. s o popular was “ p arang s oca” that five steelbands played it at p anorama the following Carnival, Crazy revealed.
realising he was onto something, Crazy followed up with another hit in 1979 called “Muchacha”. To date, he has produced over 60 soca parang songs. (There’s also an ongoing debate in some quarters about distinctions between “parang soca” and “soca parang”…)
In 1979, calypsonian singing francine, now deceased, became one of the leading voices of the genre with her song “hurray hurrah”, which heralded the birth of Christ — similar to the nascimientos that parranderos sang in honour of the holy birth:
for unto us a child was born for unto us an ever-loving son
Like a thief in the night he shone h is light for he meant no harm he came to save us from damnation
hurray, hurray, hurrah! hurrah, hurrah! they say o ur saviour is born today!
In swaddling clothes he lie w hile the shepherds cry for they just couldn’t believe dey eyes
And when he come a man
You know dem non-Christians
Get together and pound nails in he hand
But on the third day, he rose again so you see, he shed h is blood for we.
In 1981, singing francine made history by releasing the first full-length soca parang album, Christmas is Love, which included popular tracks like “Ay Ay Maria” and “foolish Man”. s he would go on to produce other soca parang albums and pave the way for other women in the genre, such as Marcia Miranda (“Bring o ut De ham”, “Gimme Love”) and susan Maicoo (“Trini Christmas is the Best”, “ w here Daisy Gone”).
The doors now wide open, other calypsonians jumped on the soca parang bandwagon. Icons like Lord Kitchener, relator, swallow, penguin, and Bill Trotman all contributed to the genre’s growing popularity.
As the 1980s came to a close, Irwin reyes Johnson — a former Calypso Monarch in Trinidad, known by his sobriquet scrunter — entered the scene with the unforgettable hit “p iece ah pork” in 1988.
Drawing from his childhood in sangre Grande, where Christmas meant sharing food and looking out for neighbours, s crunter’s storytelling captured the hearts of many. subsequent releases like “Leroy”, “Anita”, “Ma Jeffrey”, and “Tribute to Daisy” became instant classics, cementing his place in the soca parang pantheon.
The genre, which began in the 1970s and blossomed in the 1980s, continues to thrive today. Artists such as Crazy, scrunter, and Baron — another calypsonian who has written his name into the soca parang history books with songs like “It’s Christmas”, “spanish woman”, and “Come Go” — earn more of their living off soca parang than calypso, performing at Christmas events locally, regionally, and internationally.
w hile a new generation of artists — such as Jerome “ r ome” p riscilla and rembunction — carries the torch for soca parang today, the older songs continue to resonate with a multi-generational audience.
Much like Mariah Carey’s annual resurgence in the United states with her timeless hit “All I want for Christmas is You”, Trinidad & Tobago’s soca parang songs feel fresh and new every year, as they rekindle the festive spirit across the islands. n
Opposite page, top The late Singing Francine Opposite page, bottom Scrunter Above Rome
Falling in love
with Old San Juan
Fresh back from a girls’ trip to Puerto Rico, one of Caribbean Airlines’ newest destinations, T&T icon Giselle Laronde-West shares highlights of her time in Old San Juan and beyond — plus some tips and tricks
Opposite page, top Colourful houses
line Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan — a uNESCO World Heritage Site
Opposite page, bottom Aroma Station at the Bacardi Historical Tour right Calle Fortaleza is one of the main streets in Old San Juan
Imust admit, I love travelling — adventure getaways, relaxing weekends, staycations, and solo, couple or group trips! I learnt over the years that travelling with other women, especially your friends (commonly known as a “girls’ trip”), has becoming increasingly popular among those 25–60.
And as Caribbean Airlines started flying to p uerto r ico recently, four of us decided to go on a seven-day girls’ trip to old san Juan. we wanted to explore the old city, see what it offered for a combination of fun, relaxation, and a little shopping (a favourite pastime of ours) — as well as what the rest of the island offered for the curious visitor.
Before departure, we diligently did our homework, looking up the best places to say, and what the city had by way of food, culture, and entertainment. we also realised that packing minimally was a real benefit, whether you are going to roam around the cobble stone streets of old san Juan; venture into the beautiful interior of the island for hiking, ATV riding, or bungee jumping; or simply going to shop (because the shopping is fantastic!).
As we began our descent into p uerto r ico after our three-hour flight on Caribbean Airlines from port of spain, we marvelled at the island’s blue shimmering water, lush vegetation, and numerous high-rise buildings.
from the moment we landed at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, we could feel the energy of the place as our excitement built. The people were warm, friendly and accommodating. o ur adventure had begun.
owalking around, we often felt we were travelling back in time. And if you saw the netflix series Outlander, you’ll understand what I mean!
ld san Juan — the oldest district of san Juan, puerto rico’s capital and largest city — did not disappoint. The drive in felt like we were entering downtown Miami, but with a more serene, alluring, island appeal.
The effervescent, historical city — with vibrant, distinctive buildings dating back to the 16th century — oozed old-world charm, and we were greeted by a lovely Atlantic breeze that provided a respite from the tropical heat.
we stayed at a hotel close to plaza Colón — near many varied shops, restaurants, and bars, and a few minutes’ walk from the famous Castillo san Cristóbal. o f course, we ventured into as many shops as we could along our street, as well as the other nine or 10 parallel calles that made up this unique, walled city.
o ur rooms were nicely appointed, with views of the city rooftops, the castle, and the massive cruise ships that came into port several days we were there. Jacuzzis were available, plus stone bathtubs, where we spent a couple of luxurious evenings after our full days of gallivanting. After all, spoiling yourself is all part of a girls’ trip, isn’t it?
As we explored the city’s restaurants, cafes, and shops, we noticed many offered the typical American-style breakfast, but with some local breads — as most of the visitors appeared to be from the United states. There were also many American chains interspersed with numerous souvenir shops — many providing similar fare, but some showing off unique artisan specialties that tempted us shopaholics.
Puerto Rico proclaimed the Piña Colada its official drink in 1978, but its origins are far murkier. There are 19th century tales of Puerto Rican pirate Roberto Cofresí giving such a cocktail to his crew as a morale booster, plus duelling stories of its creation at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in the 1950s, and at Barrachina Restaurant (pictured) in 1963
each day, we had lunch and dinner at a different restaurant, and could easily have stayed a year without running out of options. some of the most memorable included two Mexican restaurants on a popular strip called sofo (south of Calle fortaleza), p uerto Criollo, e l r incón de paco (off Calle san sebastián — a historical gem), and Barrachina (with a lovely courtyard feel and exceptional piña coladas … which is no surprise, given that san Juan is where this delicious drink originated).
A highlight for us was dinner at Triana restaurant, offering tapas and rumba flamenco. Juan Carlos García, the renowned guitarist who accompanied the dancers and who plays at the restaurant most weekends, was exceptional. At 84, his voice and guitar skills did not disappoint. Born in Barcelona, spain, he grew up in san Juan, and has been featured on the Ed Sullivan Show, played with many famous musicians, and is back home in p uerto r ico having toured the world.
After dinner, we had to sample the late-night pump on the energetic Calle san sebastián, where all the partying takes place nightly — especially during the annual s an sebastián street festival every January (so add that to your bucket list). A popular haunt is La factoría, but we did not get in, as the line was wrapped around at least two quaint buildings.
so, we settled for a more mellow restaurant, e l Tortuga, that offered live salsa, bachata, and other Latin styles of music. some culinary favourites: Mafongo and everything, mango fish ceviche, spicy crab bowls, and shrimp tacos — but, just so you know, the shrimp comes in soft tacos, while all other offerings came in hard shells. Did not matter, it was delicious!
The effervescent, historical city — with vibrant, distinctive buildings dating back to the 16th century — oozed old-world charm
we delighted in a range of sightseeing across san Juan and beyond, including a visit to the Bacardi factory, where an entertaining tour guide provided the history of the products. sampling the cocktails and the more expensive rums was a delight.
o f course, when girls get together, shopping is a must, and there are many malls to explore. plaza Las Américas — the largest in the Caribbean and second largest in Latin America — was the first that we visited, featuring hundreds of popular American shops and brands alongside local ones. we also visited an outlet mall about a half hour away from old san Juan that had some great bargains (we were lucky enough to be there on an American holiday weekend, which we hadn’t realised until we saw all the great discounts).
we were in awe of the magnificent murals on the walls and sides of huge buildings, all along Calle Cerra in santurce — another san Juan neighbourhood 10 minutes from old san Juan, and an unexpected surprise. some consider it the “capital of art in the Caribbean”.
To cool down and chill, we also went to the nearest little beach in san Juan, playa p uerta de Tierra — just over the bridge from old san Juan. It was a lovely day, and we actually walked back to our hotel to take in some of the many sights along the route, despite it taking about an hour.
old san Juan was wonderful, and we will definitely be back, as it is ideal for girls’ trips, family holidays, and romantic getaways. The only thing that was scarce in some smaller restaurants and even in our hotel was consistent w i-fi. But if you are having so much fun in such a beautiful city, who really needs it? n
Left Souvenir shopping in Old San Juan Below Calle San José is located in the heart of Old San Juan
CoMInG hoMe
To roosT
I go to close the chicken coops. It is night already and all the fowls are inside their cages. I shut each cage and wonder why the stupid chickens come back to the coops every night.
so ends the chapter titled “You shall have Treasure” in staceyann Chin’s 2009 memoir, The Other Side of Paradise. A 13-year-old staceyann had just been beaten severely by her guardian in punishment for wearing a hand-me-down swimsuit. she was without parents, shuffled from one house to another, and dependent on the kindness (or indifference) of various extended family members and friends in one of the poorest sections of Montego Bay. Almost 40 years later, Chin has found herself back in Jamaica, with chicken coops of her own to tend as part of her ambitious project, Kindred on the r ock — a 70-acre community homestead in the hills of st Catherine that Chin hopes will provide safe space for a variety of Jamaicans, especially those who may feel
After decades in New York, Jamaican writer, performer, and activist Staceyann Chin has returned home to create Kindred on the Rock, a 70-acre homestead and ambitious experiment in building inclusive, self-sustaining community — an “us space”. Kelly Baker Josephs learns more
as displaced as she did as a child in “paradise”.
The renowned Jamaican poet and activist — who for 30-odd years made her home in Brooklyn, n Y — bought the land for Kindred in April 2022, and has been building it into a community space and working farm since then. In her first post on the @kindredontherock Instagram page, Chin wrote:
It is my hope that people from all over the world will come to visit, or work, or advise us as we attempt to make Kindred here. I’m hoping they will lend their bodies to building this magical place — a safe place, that will welcome all who have the courage to come with respect, and a strong foundation of inclusive politics. I couldn’t be happier, or more terrified, or more excited.
w hen asked what prompted her to take such a leap of faith in not only buying such a large plot of (very hilly) land, but also in fashioning it as a space for others to share, Chin revealed that experiencing the Covid-19 lockdown in new York City taught her how important space is, especially for members of historically marginalised communities who, if they lived in cities, often relied on public spaces to connect with each other and the earth. having suffered from such lack of space herself early in the pandemic, she wanted to offer others “somewhere you could step outside and connect with the land under your feet, where you could look up at the sky, where the rain could fall and you could catch some water.” In particular, Chin envisioned the kind of space that was built by and for community.
Photography courtesy Staceyann Chin
As part of her hopes for creating such a space, Chin named the 70 acres Kindred on the r ock, inspired by the popular novel by octavia Butler — a science fiction writer who dreamt for us alternative future worlds that many believe could guide us out of the confusion and fears of our present times.
Chin was also inspired by the communal connotations of the word: “I am deeply moved by the word ‘kindred’ because it speaks to a community that defines itself purely on the basis of connection. I owe you something, and you owe me something. I imagine that that means I owe you kindness. And you owe me kindness.”
Community building has not been smooth sailing for the Kindred on the rock project. Chin admits that one of the hardest things about making her dream of Kindred a reality has been the class hierarchies ingrained in Jamaican society — the kind of class lines that she was intimately familiar with while growing up poor in tourist-centric Montego Bay.
In her characteristic straightforward manner, Chin summed up the situation in a recent interview:
I think the natural order of things in Jamaica is that people without means see themselves as people who have to negotiate the power hierarchy upwards. I still see the folks in rural point hill deferring to the visitors. we tell people who visit Kindred, “You’re not a client, you come in as a member of the community and we expect you to participate in cleaning up after yourself or helping with tasks that need to be done.” That’s been a delicate balance to ask people. If people are thinking about this in the context of tourism, then it’s like, I’m here to facilitate an experience for you, rather than like we’re co-creating an experience together. so that’s been a challenge. I’ve seen lots of people chafe at the process. But I’ve also seen lots of miracles happen. Lots of beautiful moments come out of it when people step outside of themselves and take a risk and it’s received well on the other side.
Top left visitors and community members honour the tradition of
Above Dr Bailey and Dr Jolly, professors from Amherst College,
Opposite page Chin shows off a basket of string beans grown at Kindred Farms
writing words of affirmation on Kindred’s walls
Top right Students from Amherst College transplant scallions in the Herb Garden
with the bounty they received at Kindred Farms
There has been a variety of visitors to Kindred since its inception, in part a reflection of the variety to be found in Chin’s personal social circles. It began with just that circle, friends visiting from near and far to lend a helping hand with the clearing, planting, and renovation on the farm — sometimes expert help, sometimes just unskilled labour, or mere company and support.
o ver the past two years, just friends grew to friends of friends, to local organisations, and to university student groups from the United states. In mid-2023, Kindred on the r ock hosted an inaugural cohort of visitors as part of “Black to the Land” — which consisted of four days of curated activities on the farm and the surrounding point h ill area — and culminated in a “Kindred p ride on the r ock” celebration. The residential programme attracted primarily participants from the Caribbean diaspora, and may prove to be a future source of revenue for the farm.
chin hopes Kindred will provide safe space for a variety of Jamaicans, especially those who may feel as displaced as she did as a child
Two years after Chin purchased the land, enough work had been done on the property that Kindred can sleep at least 20 people in the three renovated buildings (“more if you don’t mind it being tight”, Chin estimates).
o rganic produce from the farm can feed about 30 people a week, with myriad options like yellow yams, pak choi, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers and, of course, eggs. hurricane Beryl unfortunately destroyed some of these crops. But with her signature optimism and energy, Chin is gathering support to rebuild. o ver the summer, she returned to Brooklyn, where she focused on organising relief efforts for those affected by Beryl.
w hen asked what she most wants people to know about Kindred, Chin says:
Kindred on the r ock continues toward becoming a self-sufficient farm. Though the number varies depending on the need, the farm employs as many as a dozen people on average who help run the day-to-day farm operations, while also continuing necessary repairs and construction.
Kindred on the r ock is a space that is still unfolding, and we are looking for co-authors, co-creators, collaborators to come in and help us make this an “us” space. not a “me” space, not a “you” space, not a “them” space — but an “us” space. I want to cast the net wide and invite people to come in and participate in this giant experiment of what the world would look like if we had all the time in the world for conversation, and all the time in the world for negotiation, and all the time in the world to craft the world we would all want to live in. how do you create a world, post the apocalypse? In our time, the closest we’ve come to an apocalyptic moment is Covid. And so now it’s forced all of us to go and experiment. This is the mandate of our time.
To learn more about Kindred on the rock, visit www. menddigap.org
Far left Members of the first Black to the Land cohort enjoy a meal in the brightly coloured dining room at Kindred Above Zuri Chin shows off lychees she picked at Kindred Left Best known as pepper x, these are the hottest chili peppers in the world, according to Guinness World Records
sAVInG oUr seAfooD
As in many regions, Caribbean people enjoy seafood dishes which are sometimes as delicious as they are unsustainable. Erline Andrews explores what some forward-thinking Caribbean countries have been doing to protect our marine ecosystems — and our favourite foods
Matthew robinson — aka Jamaica food Boss on YouTube — makes vlogs about popular dishes in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean. In a trio of videos, he introduced viewers to the signature food in The Bahamas: conch, a sea snail whose distinct spiral shell is synonymous with the Caribbean, decorating many a mantel as a souvenir from visiting the region.
“Dice it up into small, fine pieces so that each time you get a bite of the salad you’re getting a piece of conch in it,” r obinson explains, narrating the actions of the fleet-handed chef, who deftly chops the white flesh of the creature that was so freshly out of the sea it was still moving as he picked it up.
“I’m really excited for this. This is one of my favourite meals,” said r obinson. he bought a “regular” salad with tomatoes, onions and green pepper, and a “tropical” salad that also included chopped mango and pineapple.
The chef offered him a long, thin tube. Jiggling, it looked like a translucent worm. r obinson explained that it was part of the conch’s intestines and considered an
aphrodisiac, called pistol or Bahamian Viagra. r obinson put his head back and slid the tube down his throat.
“not much flavour,” he reported. “This is something that The Bahamas is known for. And that you must have when you try here, is what I heard.”
o n video, r obinson tried other popular conch dishes: conch fritters and cracked conch. The latter, dipped in batter and deep fried, looked like chicken nuggets. “It’s something very addictive, similar to the name,” said r obinson.
Conch, queen conch to be exact, is an integral part of the Bahamian cultural identity. The shell — faded orange on the outside and pearly pink on the inside — is at the crest of the country’s coat of arms. o nline lists of must-try Bahamian foods include multiple conch dishes. Thousands of Bahamians make their living directly or indirectly from conch and other seafood.
“There is no Bahamas without conch,” said Lindy Knowles, senior science officer with conservation nG o Bahamas national Trust, in an Associated p ress article last year about the decline of queen conch numbers in Bahamian waters.
o ther articles have been published
over the years warning about the risk facing the species. now it’s gotten to the point where experts estimate queen conch is unlikely to be a viable industry in as little as six years.
The problem is overfishing, and it’s been affecting many species that are important to the diet and culture of the region. o verfishing doesn’t just remove too many adult fish, but too many young fish that haven’t yet reproduced, leading to overall population declines. As a result, Caribbean governments and nGos have been taking steps to protect animals whose loss could strike at the heart of the Caribbean society and economy.
The nassau grouper, named after The Bahamas’ capital, is used to make grou -
per fingers. It involves cutting the fish into thin strips, coating it with batter, and deep frying it. But the International Union for Conservation of nature (IUCn ) has listed the fish as critically endangered.
Meanwhile, the spiny lobster or crawfish — which lacks large claws and is prized mainly for its tail — is The Bahamas’ top seafood export, with the industry valued at Us $90 million.
In Jamaica, red snapper is preferred to make the distinctive escovitch fish. The fish is coated in allspice and other seasoning, fried, then soaked in a pickled sauce made with various vegetables, including sweet peppers and onions.
parrotfish can substitute. But both parrotfish and snapper, along with grouper, are of concern to environmental watchdogs, as they’re all important to
the maintenance of coral reefs — a major tourist draw that is also being decimated by human activity.
In Trinidad & Tobago, bake and shark is legendary. A large round, fried bake stuffed with fried slices of shark meat and covered with various toppings and condiments, most enjoy it at Maracas beach on Trinidad’s north coast.
similarly in Bermuda, the traditional shark hash is made by sauteing shredded shark meat in shark liver oil along with onions, pepper, and other seasonings.
But many shark species are listed as vulnerable or endangered. s harks are apex predators, so the reduction in their numbers destabilises the entire marine ecosystem and harms many other Caribbean fish stocks, including the ones already mentioned in this story.
Conch (pronounced “konk”) is the national dish of The Bahamas
The region’s greatest challenge is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, explained natalie MiaoulisMaillis of the n ature Conservancy, a United states-based nG o that operates all over the world. s he was speaking on their online programme, Caribbean Currents
“IUU fishing is one of the greatest threats to sustainability of our fisheries in the region. Because we have a lack of capacity or resources to enforce our rules and regulations for fishing, this leads to a lot of illegal activity,” she explained. “e ntities from other countries are coming
into our countries and breaking our laws and illegally fishing and harvesting, which puts more pressure on our resources.”
o f course local fishers contribute to overfishing as well. Miaoulis-Maillis compares it to using a bank account without keeping track of how much money is taken from and left in the account.
“If we don’t know how many fishers are participating in a fishery, how many are dependent, and also how much are we removing from our ocean, then we really don’t know how to properly manage our fisheries,” she said. “This is a big problem for our region in comparison to other
countries that have very good data collection and recording mechanisms.”
some of the steps the region has taken to save their fisheries include marine managed/protected areas or sanctuaries, which allow law enforcement to focus their limited resources on areas key to species reproduction or that contain nurseries; total or seasonal bans (the latter coinciding with breeding schedules); the banning of certain practices like spear fishing or the use of small mesh nets; and requiring that captured fish be a certain size to prevent the removal of juvenile fish.
foodie resolutions
The region’s greatest challenge is illegal, unreported, and unregulated (Iuu) fishing
Jamaica has 18 sanctuaries, including pedro Bank, where the bulk of the island’s queen conch population is found. After a two-year total ban on conch fishing, a five-month seasonal ban was instituted in 2021. A catch limit has been imposed of 300 tonnes for large boats, and 50 for artisans.
A sign that these efforts are seeing some success is that the Jamaican Conch Cluster — an amalgamation of companies that markets the majority of Jamaican conch — has been certified by the Marine stewardship Council (MsC), an nG o that assesses the sustainability of fisheries. It’s something that will be put on labels. It makes seafood more appealing to discerning customers.
As the new year approaches, it’s a great time to re-commit to sustainable food choices to help protect our marine environment for generations to come. Here’s a handy seafood guide:
• Much less sustainable: Atlantic cro cro/croaker, conch (especially if not farmed), jack (unless caught by handline), kingfish, lobster (avoid if less than 4”), tuna (unless line caught)
The Bahamas’ spiny lobster fishery has also been certified by the MsC. And president of the Bahamas Commercial fishers Alliance Adrian La r oda told the Nassau Guardian that 2024 is “a bumper year for spiny lobster fishermen”, and attributed it to a decrease in poaching.
The Bahamas has sanctuaries that are policed by a Marine Action partnership between the Bahamas Department of Marine resources, the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine resources, the Ministry of national security, the r oyal Bahamas p olice f orce, Customs, Immigration, the r oyal Bahamas Defence force, the national fishers Association, and other fishing organisations.
Using similar measures, the Cayman Islands has saved their depleted nassau grouper fishery. And the successes give hope to still struggling fisheries — including the spiny lobster in Bermuda. The government there has imposed catch limits and a seasonal ban, and is also introducing regulations to protect the shark population.
Considering the importance of the fishing industry, failure is not an option. “If we want sustainable oceans, if we want healthy communities, we need to always look at how we can improve our fisheries management,” said natalie Miaoulis-Maillis. “Because it is such a critical cornerstone to the sustainability of our region.” n
A grouper swims near the sea floor, as a reef shark swims near to the surface right Fresh spiny lobster on ice
These BooTs Are MADe for wALKIn’
Photography courtesy Betty Hope-Gittens
owhite streak in the front of her dark hair adjusted her backpack, picked up her walking poles, and strode out of her Charlottetown, peI (prince edward Island) hotel, heading west. some 33 days and 435 miles later, striding in from the east, she returned to her starting point, having circumnavigated peI — Canada’s smallest province — on foot.
This would be a great achievement for most people — but not for Barbados-born octogenarian Betty hope-Gittens. o ne might be excused for thinking it was just another notch on her belt. five years earlier (“when I was a youngster”, she chuckles), hope-Gittens had walked the legendary Camino de santiago — a 498-mile trek over far more challenging terrain.
o n both occasions, the aim was to fundraise for one or another of her numerous charitable causes. “o ne person can make a difference,” she insists.
She’s been awarded both in Barbados and Canada for her work in business, tourism, and philanthropy. But for the indomitable Betty HopeGittens, as Donna Yawching learns, trekking some 435 miles around Canada’s Prince Edward Island — at 85 years young — was both a way to raise funds for those in need, and a walking meditation as she grieved the loss of her son
s he proved this in 2019, when her Camino walk raised Cn D$225,000 (roughly Us $166,000) for 13 not-for-profit elder care homes in o ttawa, where she lives, and one in Barbados. “All the money that I raised in Barbados stayed there,” she explains. It went to st phillip District hospital to purchase beds, wheelchairs, and other necessities for indigent seniors.
“Betty is very determined,” recalls her sister, Lady Denise Douglas. “As a child, she had a mind of her own; she did her own thing. s he always got what she wanted.” (s he adds, sotto voce, “s he was very spoiled!”)
rosemary Betty hope was born in 1939, in st Michael, Barbados. pretty, popular and headstrong, she chose to leave high school prematurely. “w hatever she wanted to do was always alright with our mother,” sighs Denise. hopeGittens counters that she was dyslexic, so academia was a challenge.
In 1958, she accompanied another sister, Grace, to Trinidad to celebrate the short-lived west Indian federation. w hile there, she met the man who would later become her husband: r udolph o rmsby Gittens, a Trinidadian living in Canada.
“This walk gives me a lot of time to think; it’s spending time with him. It’s like a meditation.”
returning to Barbados, Betty entered and won a Jaycee’s beauty contest, becoming the very first Miss Barbados. her prize included a trip to Canada, where she re-connected with r udy Gittens … the rest was history.
They married and moved to Toronto in 1959. h e was a pharmacist who went on to study medicine in o ttawa, becoming a deeply respected orthopaedic surgeon. Betty worked to support his studies. s he jokes that she was the only person ever to be presented with a phT — an actual paper diploma — by the University of o ttawa’s faculty of medicine (the letters stand for p utting husband Through).
Meanwhile — in addition to having two children — Betty was climbing her way to the heights of the business world, starting out as a clerk (“I was fired from my first job!”) and ending up as business partner and president of a successful human resources ( hr) firm with lucrative government contracts. she then started her own company arranging incentive travel programmes for marketing companies worldwide, followed by an hr consultancy service. rudy passed away in 2013.
But determination, faith and unquenchable confidence have always been the defining characteristics of Betty hope-Gittens’ life. A founding member of the women’s Business network, she received the organisation’s first Businesswoman of the Year Award in 1983.
In 2014, she was presented with the s ilver Crown of Merit at Barbados’ 48th Independence national Awards (for her work in promoting Barbados in Canada); and in 2019, she received o ttawa’s City Builder Award for her outstanding record of philanthropy.
her philanthropic work has always been closely tied to a deep religiosity that puts God at the centre of everything she does. “If you have true faith, you respond to the needs of others,” she declared in a 2019 interview. “God is with me every step of the way.”
p hilanthropy brought her to p rince e dward Island: a desire to raise funds for two church-run feed-the-homeless programmes in o ttawa. her focus is always on helping the least fortunate.
Imeet hope-Gittens a week before her peI walk ends, on a blustery, rainsoaked day. her mile-wide smile is irresistible. ensconced in her waterproof hiking gear and trusty Merrell sneakers, she has trudged her daily dozen miles, undaunted. (“God was there to protect me.”)
Behind the staunch fundraising lies a more personal, and sadder reason for this particular trek. her older son simon had died three months before, following a gruelling battle with cancer. Betty had been at his side every day.
“simon was my priority,” she explains. s he’d learned about the walk some 18 months earlier, and after the deep emotionalism of his death, undertaking it was good for the spirit. “This walk gives me a lot of time to think; it’s spending time with him. It’s like a meditation.”
In her daily life, hope-Gittens is an inveterate walker, putting in at least 90 minutes every day. “ walking is therapeutic for me,” she says. It has kept her fit and healthy: at 85, she takes “no medication whatsoever, except a daily shot of Mount Gay rum with a squeezed grapefruit and two oranges. That’s my vitamin — and I’m helping the Bajan economy at the same time!”
The Island walk — formalised by Bryson Guptill, who published a guidebook in 2021 — roughly outlines the perimeter of p rince edward Island, wherever possible following dirt roads, secondary roads, and a re-purposed rail bed known as the Confederation Trail.
“The walk is beautiful,” exclaims hope-Gittens. “The island is beautiful. I’ve walked with rabbits, with beautiful wildflowers, and most of the time there was a breeze. And the people are wonderful. I’ve seen more kindness here than I’ve seen in years.”
however, there were several unavoidable sections of open highway, which hope-Gittens did not enjoy. “There were no benches for resting,” she points out. “This walk is still a work-in-progress.”
And since action, not griping, is her modus operandi, she has subsequently written to Guptill outlining in detail an Adopt-a-Bench programme that would see farmers offering a small patch of land and donors sponsoring a bench at strategic points along the way. Guptill’s enthusiastic embrace of the idea shows that, once again, Betty hope-Gittens knows how to get her way!
I meet up with her a week later, as she emerges from the final section of the Confederation Trail. This time, the weather is glorious. “I feel great,” she grins, in response to my question. “It was absolutely worth it.”
s he is looking forward to returning to her hotel, having a shower, and getting her hair done (throughout the walk, it’s been hidden under a capacious cap, a far cry from her usual elegance).
Already, a new idea is bubbling in her head. This time, her crosshairs are focused on the island of her birth. “There should be a walk like this around Barbados,” she exclaims. “The terrain is similar, and it has its own [abandoned] train line. It’s a tourism money-maker. The fastest-growing sport is walking.”
s he reflects for a moment. “ walk and cycle Barbados. That will be my next project.” heads up, Barbados; hurricane Betty is coming your way! n
CAnADA
uSA Montreal Maine
Prince Edward Island
The BoUnTIes of The BOREAS
Exactly 250 years ago, a newly constructed ship was launched that would later be captained by British naval hero Horatio Nelson — taking
him on assignment to the colonial Caribbean, where he would also meet and marry Fanny Nisbet. James Ferguson reports
Photography by Lemuel Francis Abbott courtesy Wikimedia Commons
In late 1774, a newly built ship was launched into the cold water of the river humber at the northern British city of hull. Later named Boreas, the vessel was one of a series of Mermaid-class frigates — a variant of the 28-gun warship that was commonplace among the 270 or so ships that made up the royal navy.
o nce completed at Chatham dockyards in october 1775, hMs Boreas saw action in the Caribbean — attacking and capturing french and American ships and taking part in the unsuccessful Battle of Grenada in July 1779.
The captain who took over command of Boreas in the spring of 1784 had also seen a good deal of action. h is name was horatio nelson, and he was to attain
almost mythical status as a British naval hero and victor of the crucial Battle of Trafalgar (see the January 2008 issue of Caribbean Beat ).
Aged 28, nelson had already served in the Arctic, the east Indies, north America and the Caribbean, and had developed a reputation as an intelligent and ambitious officer who was also well connected in the naval hierarchy.
h is command of Boreas came with a specific — if slightly unglamorous —
assignment: to enforce the navigation Acts (pieces of legislation intended to protect British imperial trade from foreign competition and interference) in and around the Leeward Islands station, a naval base in the British Caribbean colony of Antigua.
Antigua had a large natural harbour on its south coast, which provided protection against hurricanes, and strategic dominance of the Leeward chain leading towards Barbados. It was also a
huge producer of sugar — based on the inhumane system of plantation slavery — and was a valuable asset of the British e mpire.
The economic demands of the e mpire had created the navigation Acts. In simple terms, Britain’s Caribbean colonies were only allowed to carry out imports and exports with Britain itself. But this closed circuit had been disrupted from 1776 by the independence of the United states, and the sudden appearance of a new and powerful trading nation in the vicinity of the Caribbean.
nelson’s task was to prevent the British colonies from trading with the U s, and this brought him into direct conflict with the colonists themselves, who preferred to deal with their new neighbour rather than distant London. o ther British officials, island governors, and naval personnel apparently took a relaxed attitude to regular breaches of the navigation Acts, opting to maintain friendly relations with local planters and exporters — but nelson was not inclined to turn a blind eye.
from the moment he arrived in Antigua in July 1784, he led the interception of foreign ships — mostly American — which sought to buy sugar from the Leeward Islands and sell manufactured goods there.
from the outset, he also hated Antigua — just as the Antiguan colonial elite hated him. Britain was not at war with the Us, and American traders thus considered his seizure of their assets illegal — and sued him. The merchants of neighbouring nevis supported the Americans and, for a while, nelson was in danger of arrest and imprisonment.
Aware that his superior officer — Admiral h ughes, based in Barbados — was unlikely to help, nelson retreated from his official residence to the relative security of Boreas , moored at the naval base at e nglish harbour. he refused to compromise, writing in January 1785:
w hilst I have the honour to command an e nglish Man of war, I never shall allow myself to be subservient to the will of any Governor, nor cooperate with him in doing illegal acts … I know the navigation Law.
w ith his rigid sense of duty, nelson endured rather than enjoyed his stint in the Caribbean. Assailed by mosquitos, his cabin invaded by vermin, and facing constant indiscipline among his men, he was struck down by debilitating fever. “e nglish harbour I hate the sight of,” he complained.
But there were lighter moments, too. he appreciated the company of Mary Moutray, the young wife of the Yard Commissioner, and was perhaps more than a friend. “ was it not for Mrs Moutray, who is very, very good to me, I should almost hang myself in this infernal hole,” he wrote to a confidant.
The merchants of neighbouring nevis supported the Americans and, for a while, nelson was in danger of arrest and imprisonment
Things changed when he met fanny nisbet, the young widow of a doctor and daughter of a senior judge in the colony of nevis. nelson got to know fanny while visiting her uncle, president of the island’s Council, and may well have been attracted to her status as a member of the colonial elite. They corresponded, and n elson confessed his loneliness and frustration:
I am alone in the Commanding o fficer’s house, while my ship is refitting, and from sunrise until bedtime, I have not a human creature to speak to; you will feel a little for me, I think. I did not be over fond of sitting alone. The moment old ‘Boreas’ is habitable in my cabin, I shall fly to it, in order to avoid mosquitos and melancholies.
The pair were eventually married in March 1787, four months before nelson completed his three-year term of service and returned to Britain. fanny followed soon afterwards with her son from her first marriage.
hMs Boreas arrived in portsmouth on 4 July and, according to Desmond nicholson, Curator of the Antigua & Barbuda Dockyard Museum, “nelson was so ill for this voyage that he had a puncheon of rum shipped for his body, in case he should die on the voyage.”
After three years in Antigua, much of it spent on the Boreas, nelson could claim some success. The legal action taken against him was rejected by the local court, and his uncompromising attitude towards breaches of the navigation Acts was upheld by the Admiralty.
But he had made enemies by questioning what he saw as laxness among his superiors, and by acting according to his own instincts. he was viewed as a maverick, and it took five years for him to secure his next command.
he had also overseen improvements to the dockyard in Antigua, notably with the e ngineer’s house and the p itch and Tar store built in 1785. These developments continued until the end of the 18th century, and the dockyard was eventually abandoned by the r oyal navy in 1889. Its renovation and transformation into today’s luxury heritage venue date from the 1950s.
n elson’s career after the Antigua episode has been widely documented, and he remains a symbol of a long-lost British naval supremacy. h is views on slavery have been scrutinised and found to be abhorrent, if typical for the age, but he still stands on his Column overlooking Trafalgar square.
fanny n isbet’s story was less illustrious. n elson abandoned her for a high-profile affair with e mma Lady h amilton. fanny was distraught, but reportedly remained faithful to her husband’s memory after his death in 1805. s he lived until May 1831. (Caribbean Beat published a profile of her, and her relationship with n elson, in the July/ August 1998 issue.)
As for h M s Boreas, the vessel was downgraded in 1797 to a “slop ship”, selling supplies of basics such as clothing and bedding to navy crews in the Thames estuary. In 1802, three years before the apotheosis of Trafalgar, it was sold at s heerness — presumably for scrappage. n
Across
1 Refuges, havens, holy places [11]
4 Words denoting more than one [7]
6 Traditional Christmas dinner meat [6]
9 Gingerbread structure [5]
10 Mr Scrooge, for one [6]
11 Impossible to satisfy [10]
12 Christmas, in some carols [4]
14 Mary’s little follower, in a nursery rhyme [4]
16 Essential worker making regular house calls [10]
19 Money doesn’t grow on these [5]
20 Bedding, napkins, and tablecloths [5]
21 Drink associated with Christmas [6]
22 Rice dish made from stock [7]
23 Hideously [11]
Down
1 Fictional evildoer using extraordinary powers nefariously [12]
2 The 2000s, with “the” [7]
3 Goodbye (informal) [7]
5 People of voting age [6]
7 The Junkanoo ___ [4]
8 Love of mankind; charity [12]
Spot the Difference
13 Secret ___: spies? [6]
15 Ways to get that recipe right [7]
17 Aquatic mammal, “sea cow” [7]
18 Datebook duration [4]
by James Hackett
There are 10 differences between these two pictures. How many can you spot?
Spot the Difference answers
The performer’s shirt colours differ; the microphone differs; the banner colour in the crowd differs; the flag (top) has different colour details; the performer has different coloured hats; the colour of the rag the man (left) is waving differs; the people in the crowd are positioned differently; the detail on the performer’s leg differs; the visibility of the crowd differs; there’s some
Fill the empty square with numbers from 1 to 9 so that each row, each column, and each 3x3 box contains all of the numbers from 1 to 9. For the mini sudoku use numbers from 1 to 6. by www.sudoku-puzzle.net
If the puzzle you want to do has already been filled in, just ask your flight attendant for a new copy of the magazine!
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flying jewels
The indigenous Macushi community of Karasabai, just south of Guyana’s pakaraimas — flat-topped mountains spanning Venezuela, Brazil, and western Guyana — is an emerging community-led eco-tourism destination, particularly celebrated among birders across the globe. It’s one of the few places in the world — and the only in Guyana — to see the endangered sun parakeet or sun conure ( Aratinga solstitialis) in the wild. Locals call them the kezee, or “flying jewels”. A sociable species, living in flocks of up to 30 birds and forming monogamous pairs for reproduction, they nest in palm cavities and can live up to 30 years.
