OCEAN Style Magazine by OCEAN Style

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SPOTS FOR ROMANCE IN THE CARIBBEAN

MOMENTOS DE ORO The latest fashions trends by some of today’s hottest designers against a backdrop of rustic decay in the heart of Havana ADAM STEWART: STAKING HIS LUXURY-INCLUDED CLAIM

ROYAL LOVE AFFAIR Every romance deserves an indulgent weekend at Royal Plantation PRESTON BAILEY Event Planner to the Stars from Oprah to Donald Trump

NADINE!

CARIBBEAN’S FIRST SUPERMODEL ON LIFE, LOVE, POLITICS AND HER NEW MUSIC CAREER US$4.99 / UK£3.00

C O N T E N TS

The annual Booze Cruise during the annual Crop Over Festivities in Barbados brings in the Caribbean’s cool and sexy.

Volume 3, Issue 4

FASHION + STYLE + BEAUTY Whats in a Name?

If the names don?t catch your attention then certainly these highly popular beauty products will. Beauty writer Isabelle Tin-Aung shares some secrets for staying gorgeous.

Momentos de Oro

e.Motion! Bringing emotion to print

Ccouture meets old world style as fashion photographer Dagmara blends today?s hottest runway fashions with the majesty of old Havana where the buildings stand, magnificent in their structure, crying out for a restoration to more glorious times. Bringing emotion to print. Colin Williams merges emotion and motion in a shoot featuring fabulous makeup and accessories.

Natural Beauty

Celebrated photographer Colin Williams brings his fashion alive in the natural environment that is the Caribbean island paradise of Tobago.

30 Woman of Influence - Lisa Ghany-Weekes FEATURES

After a successful fourteen year banking career Lisa Ghany-Weekes took on a new challenge at HCL Group, a part of business magnate Lawrence Duprey?s CL Financial. A well-known and highly respected member of the business community in Trinidad and Tobago, Lisa manages to keep a strong balance in her life between her corporate roles and her active civic contributions

55 Adam Stewart

In the tradition of many self-made, successful entrepreneurs this 26 year old takes the helm of the company his father started over 25 years ago with a plan make the chain a bona fide 5 star resort. But if you think the newly minted CEO is running the Sandals Chain with any less passion, drive and determination to succeed than his visionary father, Butch, you have him figured all wrong.

60 Woman of Influence - Novia McDonald-Whyte

Denzien of All things Fabulous. Novia McDonald-Whyte is the glamorous and fashionable, food, fashion, and lifestyle maven of the Caribbean. As Lifestyle Editor at the Jamaica Observer she keeps her readers attuned to who and what is hot and, just as emphatically, NOT!

79 Viva Havana

Writer Kim Young takes us with her on her first, but eagerly awaited visit to the land of Ron, Mojitos and the finest cigars in the world.

85 Preston Bailey: Event Planner to the Stars

With his towering persona and effervescent smile Preston Bailey exudes calm and poise. He carries an air of confidence knowing his creations have captivated, energized and wowed clients and their guests for many years over his highly successful career.

91 Nadine Willis

With a piercing laugh and larger than life persona Nadine Willis commands the attention of all around her. With a rich and generous personality, she is honest and frank in a manner that is at once outrageous and disarming with its charming naivete´.

Nadine!

Only Nadine Willis with Dagmara behind the lens could take an otherwise seemly pile of rubble and create art. Here on an abandoned building site in Havana mere steps from the world-famous Malecon model and photographer combine to create a special magic.

One of nature’s beauties combines fashion and aura of Tobago.

26 33

HEALTH + FITNESS

The Orgasm: Decoded

Annika Repole unveils the mysteries. A must read for all.

Honey : let8s get you checked!

Tackling prostate cancer.

89 Kama Sutra

Neil Prashad shares the Secrets.

24 62 77

ON SPOT

AFUWI : Endowment Fund Gala

Booze Cruise : Barbados Crop Over

Hit For Six Premiere : Barbados

101 Young Turks: Romance in the Providenciales 104 Royal Plantation Golf esort & Spa 106 10 Most Romantic Caribbean Must Sees and Dos ESCAPE

110

(TRAVEL + LEISURE)

Beyond the lyrics and microphone, Tanya Stephens shows that her tales of realism are melodies for the mind and soul.

Proving that creativity lives beyond limitations, reknown planner Preston Bailey confesses the ingredients to his inspiration.

OCEAN LIVING

15 Tips for Planning your Event by Preston Bailey

107

Edible Vibes

114

Mix & Stir

PULSE (SHOPPING + MUSIC + MOVIES + BOOKS + EVENTS)

108 Ocean Cocktail 110 Tanya Stephens

Songstress, poet, philosopher. Whatever title you choose there is no denying the depth and substance of the message Tanya Stephens brings to her music. Her lyrics are not just commentaries on life but deep, insightful, candid messages from which we can all glean some perspective on life.

ON THE REGULAR

12 Masthead 14 Editor8s Note 16 Letters to the Editor 18 Advertiser8s Contact Page 21 Conributors 82 Horoscopes

CONTENTS

Contents

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DOUGLAS K. GORDON

DOUGLAS@OCEANSTYLEMAGAZINE.COM

MANAGING EDITOR

ANNA-LISA MILLER

+ PHOTOS) – SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT MANELLA – SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER JASMINE DOTIWALA – EDITOR AT LARGE TRACEY FERGUSON – ACCESSORIES FASHION

LIFESTYLE (TEX T

COLIN WILLIAMS

DAGMARA, ISABELLE TIN-AUNG, NIKISHA JACKSON, KIM YOUNG BELGRAVE, MARCIA ERSKINE, ELINA FURMAN, ALLISON KILKENNY, NEIL PRASHAD, ANIKA REPOLE, MICHELLE JONES ART

+ DESIGN + LAYOUT

ART DIRECTOR: FRANK RENEAU, ARTISTIC CONSULANT: DONNIE SUPERVILLE, WEBSITE MANAGEMENT: DANIEL SMITH, WEBMASTER: ANDREW MANSWELL, WEBSITE EDITOR: KELLY PARRIS ADVERTISI NG SALES

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DIVE IN AT oceanstylemagazine.com

FROM THE EDITOR

t’s a real pleasure to draft this note after all the positive feedback we received from the Rihanna issue. We have much to be thankful for and, dare I say, celebrate. At each turn the magazine is being met positively - from requests for advertising consideration to editorial subjects and distribution relationships and that has been invigorating. Earlier this year we engaged a distribution consultant to secure the required expertise to move the magazine in our targeted markets. In September we entered into an agreement with one of the largest distributors in the US who will now handle Ocean Style into all our key markets. These are developments on the business side but they are significant and reflect the strides we have made in our editorial department and is a testament to the wonderfully talented team that works so hard to make this all come together. Like Red Bull (my personal drug of choice) these things give wiiiiings to our efforts and the energy to face the omnipresent challenges of life in the publishing world. We have a rich issue for you to enjoy – two stunning photo shoots by our friend the uber talented Dagmara in Havana – who brings high fashion alive amidst a setting of regal decay. In this issue we have taken our fashion diet up with two exquisite shoots by the gifted Colin Williams – one of which is in the beautiful island of Tobago. We have traversed the Caribbean to interview dancehall artiste Tanya Stephens and young businessman Adam Stewart. We proudly feature Novia McDonald-Whyte and Lisa GhanyWeekes as the first two individuals in our ‘Women of Influence’ column which will run in each issue. Anyone thinking, wishing or planning an event - wedding, birthday party or some other grand affair cannot miss our piece on Preston Bailey – event planner extraordinaire. It was a real privilege to sit across from a man of such amazing talent who has achieved so much over his career. There is just so much in this issue of which I am particularly proud Carpe Diem!

Douglas K. Gordon Editor-In-Chief douglas@oceanstylemagazine.com

LETTERSTO T HE EDITOR HALF MOON This photo shoot is awesome! I am truly awed to see this level of work coming out of a Caribbean publication. From an artistic standpoint the shoot is professional, the styling, compositions, makeup, hair – first class. I am especially impressed with the layout of the magazine – you guys are right there. Keep doing what you’re doing - you are well on your way to being the Vogue of the Caribbean. S. Charles New York, NY Singular Moments at Half Moon photographed exclusively for Ocean Style by Dagmara

RIHANNA I am glad to see you feature Rihanna on your cover. Her success has done so much for Barbados and the Caribbean as a whole and it is only fitting that she grace the cover. I hope you will continue to feature other Caribbean personalities and celebrities on your covers – especially the ones making strides internationally – as we need to celebrate their achievements.

WOMEN IN POWER What a timely article. Funny that it would take a magazine that you expect to be 'less serious' to fully articulate the great strides women are making in the Caribbean. Sheila Rampersad did an excellent job and I congratule you for stepping beyond the light and pretty fare to deal with something of great importance.

S . M o t t le y St. James, Barbados

F. Ross Miami, FL.

J. Hyles Kingston, Jamaica AIR JAMAICA Your interview with Paul Pennicook was interesting and certainly gives a sense that there is a plan in place for Air Jamaica that seems both sounds and viable. As a proud, but educated, Jamaican I will simply say let’s wait and see. I hope for the best but sorry to say, live with controlled expectations. The proof is in the P&L so we shall wait and see! I do enjoy these business features in the magazine and look forward to more.

PROGRESS I have read this magazine from the first one and at that time I thought it was good and had a lot of potential. From then to now the standard has improved considerably – it’s really a first class publication. I have seen great development in terms of the content, photography, even the fashion choices. I know many Caribbean magazines come and go but if you guys continue along this path I expect to see you around for a long long time. After seeing Mya, Halle Berry and then Rihanna on the covers, I am going to subscribe! F. Aboud Westmoorings, Trinidad PLEASANT SURPRISE I picked up your publication at the first class lounge in New York on my way back to Jamaica – my attention caught by the attractive, glossy cover. I was more than a little surprised as I went through and realized it was a Caribbean product. Good job! M. Hill Ocho Rios, Jamaica

CARIBBEAN FASHION WEEK I enjoyed the articles on Caribbean Fashion Week, especially about that 15 year old designer – wow! I was unable to attend this year but will plan on attending in 2008, and hopefully I can show my designs in 2009. N. Reid Castries, St. Lucia

DESTINATIONS Tobago House of Assembly – Tobago, visittobago.gov.tt Tourism Development Company – T&T, visitTNT.com AIR, HOTELS & SPAS Air Jamaica, airjamaica.com British Airways, ba.com Sandals Resorts, sandals.com Jamaica Pegasus, jamaicapegasus.com Tradewinds Hotel, tradewindshotel.net Half Moon, halfmoon.com BANKING, FINANCE & INSURANCE CLICO, clico.com First Citizens Bank, simplyfirst.net VISA, visa.com AUTOMOTIVE & RENTAL CARS Jaguar (Classic Motors) Kalloo’s Auto Rentals, kalloos.com Mercedes Benz (Sterling Motors), sterlingservicett.com FASHION & PERSONAL CARE Movado, theroyalshop.com Dior Hublot, theroyalshop.com Revlon, revlon.com HCL Premier Malls, hcltt.com MEDIA Jamaica Observer, jamaicaobserver.com MTV Tempo – an MTV Network, gottempo.com WIN TV, wintvworld.com OTHER PRODUCTS & SERVICES Supreme Ventures Limited, supremeventures.com ARTECH Keyland Real Estate PAS Cargo USA Prime Restaurant, trentrestaurants.com/prime Vibes Cuisine Ocean Spray To advertise: e-mail ads@oceanstylemagazine.com or call 868-622-1844 or 305-921-9052

US$25 for 6 ISSUES

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! call 868.622.1844

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ADVERTISTER’s CONTACT PAGE

CONTRIBUTORS Colin Williams

Colin Williams is infamous for setting a stage for eye candy and lots of drama. The former model found himself studying under the direction of Albert Watson while juggling the world of film, music video and TV commercials. When he is not creating beautiful images, he is spending time with his two daughters traveling and throwing one of the hippest underground parties in NYC under his alter ego handle The Last Soul Boy.

Kim Young

Kim was born in West Kensington, London, UK and spent her entire career in creative writing and journalism. She holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from Leicester University, England. An avid reader and epicurean, Kim is working on a book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;House of Sorrows.â&#x20AC;? She is very widely traveled and enjoys art, theatre, independent film, world cultures and politics and life in general. She is the CEO of Insignia Corporation, a Public Relations and Marketing firm in Barbados.

Dagmara

For more than 10 years, Dagm ara's images have filled the pages of fine magazines internationally, appeared in successful advertising campaigns, been exhibited in top art galleries, auctioned and richly awarded. Her extraordinary imagination and brilliant insight into her subjects' characters has made her a premier photographer. She began snapping as a young woman in her native Poland, made a stop in Paris, set up a shop in NYC and now has the privilege to travel the world and to exotic locations shooting all the while. Opportunities became more abundant as fashion, advertising and editorial clients saw her talent to bring out the side of her subjects that others could not. Distant and fussy subjects warmed to her, rigid ones relaxed, unique looking ones became swans and the images were always intimate, captivating and sometimes from another world entirely. Her work spans from edgy, spontaneous images to perfectly lit beauty shots to warm, loving lifestyle images. It's her joie de vivre and love for music and cinema that keep her passionate and inspired. She's graced the pages of Italian, German, and French Elle; Spanish, British and German Glamour; American and Spanish Cosmopolitan, British and Italian Marie Claire, Italian Vanity Fair, Oyster, Spoon and Soma, her advertising clients include Puma, Liz Claiborne, Armani Exchange, Alberta Feretti and others; and the group of celebrities she's photographed includes: Marvin Gaye, Corinne Bailey Rae, Vivica A. Fox, Macy Gray and others.

To Advertise in Ocean Style Magazine Please contact us at: douglas@oceanstylemagazine.com or

305.921.9052

I beAuTY I

OCEAN STYLE

s u o e g r go

ALL IN THE NAME If the name doesn8t catch your attention, then these highly popular beauty products certainly will. Isabelle Tin-Aung

Bliss Thinny Thin Chin Fear that sagging décolleté or rings around the neck no more! This dual-action magic potion with the catchy name instantly tightens, while firming, hydrating and improving the appearance of neck lines over time. It’s been called ‘a liquid bra for your v-zone!’ blissworld.com, $48.

Empowermint Set by Philosophy Philosophy’s mint trio set of Shower Gel, Body Scrub and Body Butter is refreshingly packaged and rightly so. The mint adds a little clarity to your morning beauty ritual. Why let teeth have all the fun. bloomingdales.com, $35.

Private Nurse Recovery & Repair Cream by Cosmedicine This night cream earns its name as effectively tackling dryness and reducing the appearance of fine lines. Hyrdrates, softens and refreshes so skin feels smooth the next morning. Well known for their use of clinical studies to support their products, Cosmedine’s over the counter topical skin care regimen use high-quality ingredients tolerable for even the most sensitive skin. sephora.com, $75.

no!no! by NONO No!no!, Sephora’s exclusive next generation hair removal treatment, based on an exciting new technology called Thermicon, conducts a gentle pulse of heat to destroy hair painlessly. It is not a miracle worker and does take time to achieve the best results. You will welcome the decreased hair density, reduced stubble and all the time spent not shaving. At least it doesn’t profess to be anything but a more modern way of removing body hair. There is no skin irritation like in-grown hairs or red pimples which is awesome! sephora.com, $250.

Moko Jumbies at the Gala

ON SPOT Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee and Karl Rodney

The Annual Gala of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies

Carl Rodney with JamaicaBs Honorary Consul to New York Bail Bryan

Lloyd Brown II, Eric Eve, Michael Granger and Wayne Seaton.

Jimmy Cliff

Dr. Glegg Watson, Prof. E. Nigel Harris, Eric Eve, Michael Granger, Wayne Seaton, Lloyd W. Brown II, Wesley Wainwright and Patrick Gaston

Dr. The Hon. Jimmy Cliff is elated at having received the University of the West Indies Bob Marley Award

D NEW YORK CITY E The AFUWI pays tribute to Caribbean Excellence at New YorkBs Waldorf Astoria.

January 2007 photography by Marcia Erskine

Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, Michael Flannigan and Gordon Deane

Marcia Erskine

he Annual Gala of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) held in New York serves as the platform to honour exceptional individuals and corporations for contributions made to the societies around them. Patron of AFUWI is Hon. Harry Belafonte. AFUWI awardees have included persons with Caribbean links who have served the region in culture, academia, government, business, medicine, law and advocacy. The tenth anniversary gala held January at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, saw Dr. The Hon. James Chambers (aka Jimmy Cliff) receiving the prestigious Bob Marley Award for his involvement and contribution to the advancement of arts and culture. Dr. Cliff was among a number of distinguished recipients of awards at the AFUWI Gala. He shared the main spotlight with Ruby Dee Davis, actor, writer producer and activist; Richard P. Brown, Attorney-at-Law and Civic Leader, and Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad & Tobago, a liquefied

natural gas (LNG) company. Four individuals received “Vice Chancellor Achievement Awards” which recognize deserving individuals of Caribbean heritage who are rising stars in their respective fields or persons who have made significant contributions to, or brought to prominence issues that affect the Caribbean. Recipients were Lloyd W. Brown II, Executive Vice President, Bank of New York; Eric Eve, Snr. Vice President, Community Relations, Citigroup Global Consumer Group; Michael Granger, General Partner & Co-Founder, Ark Capital Management Fund and Wayne Seaton, Executive Vice President & Head of Public Finance for M.R. Beal & Company. A third category of awards celebrated Caribbean Luminaries who “have left their indelible mark on the Caribbean region and the world, signify the progress made during the 20th century and represent some of the significant contributions made by the Caribbean Diaspora.’

ORGASM: DECODED THE

Anika Repole

s the French call it “La petite mort” translated, “the little death”, has both fascinated and disgusted people throughout the ages. While various cultures and even religions have embraced the act of love making, in some instances suggesting that true enlightenment can only be achieved through sex, others have shunned it.

What is it that scares us so much about sex? Could it be the actual carnal act, the allusion to and comparison of us to mere animals? However did you know that Dolphins are the only other animal besides us humans who have sex for the pleasure of the act, rather than just for procreation?! Hooray for the Dolphins! To become technical, the orgasm is the forth of the five stages of “The Process of Sexual Response”. (Don’t worry it sounds dull but keep reading) After achieving Desire, Arousal, and Plateau the body reaches Orgasm, that too brief phase of complete ecstasy. In Orgasm, women experience a series of pleasurable muscle contractions around the vagina, while men experience contractions of the prostate gland, vas deferens and seminal vesicles, often times described as painful (which has dramatically lowered my personal *penis envy). However to the dismay of some, this article will not be focusing on means and ways to achieve the perfect orgasm, but rather the last stage of the Sexual Response Process, that of Resolution, the blissful state of well-being and relaxation which is a direct result of the body’s release of endorphins during orgasm. These miraculous chemicals have a similar chemical structure to that of morphine, and are found to lower stress levels, regulate contractions of the intestinal wall and alleviate mood, and one’s Resolution phase can be theorized to be enhanced based on the intensity of the orgasm, which leads me to (Drum Roll please)… The Four Categories of the Female Orgasm: The Mellow Ooohh, Frisky Feline, Vivacious Vagina and the last but certainly not least Shakespearian Glow. The Mellow Ooohh! Ladies, recall the moments where in complete bliss all you want to do is simply roll over and fall asleep. At this level of Orgasm and Resolution, you feel at peace with the world and all that is in it. Nothing is a bother, everything seems just right, the glass is neither half empty nor half full, but instead just a glass of refreshingly, beautiful water. You breathe easier and your voice has dropped a couple of octaves below normal, finding yourself in your own utopia, rose colored world. This orgasm makes for the perfectly pleasant day, where you would actually find yourself smiling with your selfish and overbearing boss, not to mention catch yourself smiling at the most awkward times throughout the day, for example a ‘cut throat’ meeting with executives of your company. Nothing seems to get you down! The Frisky Feline The Mantra: More, More More! Your partner begs you to give him a break, jokingly complaining; “I am not a machine woman!” This Orgasm puts you on top of the world, and unfortunately prevents you from focusing on anything else other than the spectacular moment the night before, or the morning before you got to work. You come in to work feeling relaxed yet on edge, strategically planning your next pounce and attack on your partner. You have unleashed the little beast within you, who desires nothing more than simply that…more! You may even find yourself purring in thought, but unfortunately or fortunately may then realize that you are attracting any * Penis Envy – Psychological terminology referring to the female’s natural displeasure with their gender role, as men tend to have more freedom, power, etc. * Zen – Buddhist state of heightened consciousness, spiritual fulfillment and enlightenment.

man that crosses your path. Being in heat does have its benefits, however by the end of the day all you may want to do is lock yourself up. The Vivacious Vagina You have now transformed into super woman. You feel like you can save the world on this day, but are smart enough to focus on your own little piece of the planet. You are focused, strong and confident. You feel a marked difference in your attitude. You no longer see your boss as selfish and overbearing, but instead someone who was possibly not hugged enough as a child. You seem to be most progressive, and almost feel a little self conscious and suspicious that everyone must know about the tryst you had the night before. You seal deals, expertly manage your time, and consider new theories to better your life, not to mention calling your partner several times throughout the day to glorify their performance, and tell them just how much of a good day you are having. The Shakespearian Glow This one sounds wonderful and alluring, but if you have had one of these, or know a bit of Shakespeare, then you would possibly think twice about encountering this zenith. Let just say this orgasm scares the living hell out of you! Shakespeare often referred to the orgasm as the French do, meaning to die. Some religions, such as Islam, believe that the bliss of an orgasm is just a portion of the bliss you experience in heaven. Others such as Buddhism feel that true enlightenment can be found within this moment. Well listen up… the Shakespearian glow is the closest you can get to a Near Death Experience without actually dying. The light is no longer at the end of the tunnel, but instead has smacked you across the face several times, and at that moment you are truly ready and willing to meet your maker if necessary. The natural post coital glow has been magnified a hundred times over. You no longer are on top of the world, but are now are holding it in the palm of your hand. Every thought seems to have purpose. You are not looking at the world through rose colored lenses, but instead see without seeing. Let us just say true *Zen and you are completely comfortable with not having anymore of those, mind numbing while simultaneously exploding orgasms for the rest of your life. Finding your O… There are no steps to the perfect orgasm, and in fact there is no perfect orgasm. To be quite frank, any article you read with directions is crap. It is all about you and what you like. You need to know and appreciate yourself, while knowing and appreciating your partner. Some may feel quite happy with their Mellow Ooohhs, while others yearn for The Shakespearian Glow. The point is however to find what YOU like. It all starts within the mind! Clarity of thought and forgetting everything that has bothered you throughout the day and what you have to do in the next hour is the biggest turn on. Living in the moment; feeling, experiencing and expressing passion for each second, is indeed LIFE’S true orgasm. But if that doesn’t work, here is my best advice, practice, practice, practice. Do your own research!

I feature I

OCEAN STYLE

isa Ghany-Weekes is wellknown and highly respected in the business community in Trinidad and Tobago. After a successful fourteen year career at Bank of Commerce, she decided, once the acquisition by Republic Bank was complete, to pursue a new opportunity. That challenge came at HCL (a subsidiary of CL Financial) where she took on the role of Group Corporate Communication Manager – to establish and head up a brand new department. From her position at HCL she directly oversees the company’s corporate communications and as a member of their Executive Management the wider activities of this property development powerhouse. Few would appreciate from her warm smile and charming disposition the influence she wields. In her quest to deliver the numbers and growth that form a basic requirement as part of Lawrence Duprey’s CL Financial empire, Lisa keeps a strong balance in her life and is active in giving back to the wider community with important contributions through her civic roles.

Full Name: Lisa Ghany-Weekes Married: Married for the last 7 years to Brian Weekes Children: Saara and Sofiyah. Educated in UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Washington DC What’s in a Day? On a typical day my job as head of the department can involve marketing and advertising, communications both internal and external, stakeholder relations, media communication, business to business relationship management, corporate social responsibility programs, event management, financial management, strategic business development and human resource management. I report to the CEO of the Company Mr. M. Anthony Fifi and am on the Team of HCL'S Executive Management. HCL is a modern fully integrated property development and management group with 22 operational companies and over 1,400 direct employees of the Group. As the largest land bank holder in the Southern Caribbean (and in Trinidad and Tobago the largest land bank holder after the Government of Trinidad and Tobago) HCL wields unmatched power as the preeminent development company in the twin island Republic. HCL has joint venture partners in the USA, UK, Europe and the Far East. How did you become so involved in events? Everyone has a passion and mine is Events and I am also an academic so that it was natural for me to also want to have the qualifications to go with the experience. I also think that you need both its like the icing on the cake, it helps to refine what you are doing and add value to the entire product that you are delivering. I am fortunate to have a CEO in Anthony Fifi who appreciates that effective marketing now and in the future would largely be done through the event experience.

LISA GHANYWEEKES WOMAN OF INFLUENCE Manager - Group Corporate Communications, HCL Group of Companies Hometown: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Once I got involved in the learning experience and saw just how big the industry was and the potential I wanted to share all of it with my colleagues and with the young people out there who were looking for something exciting and rewarding. Teaching is also another passion of mine so I started the process with Dr. Bhoe Tewarie at the time to bring the George Washington Event Management Program to Trinidad through the UWI School of Business (now Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business). Once we established the program I beEditor’s Note: In 2006 the Arthur Lok Jack came one of the facilitators. (E Graduate School of Business recognized Lisa’s contribution to the development of the program at the Graduation Ceremony for Event Management students and presented her with a certificate and award.) Are you involved in any Community Work? I have always been concerned about the welfare of children and the socially displaced. I have been on the board of the YMCA of Trinidad and Tobago for the last 14 years and I am the current President. I am also on the boards of Families in Action and the Heroes Foundation, again with a focus on the family and young people. What are your goals for the immediate future? I would like to teach more. I believe in education. I love to see the self confidence that knowledge gives to a person. I would like to see a Centre for Events Management at one of our Universities in Trinidad and Tobago that could serve the wider Caribbean since I think it is a natural part of the development of our Tourism sector and events are an intrinsic part of our Caribbean culture. How would you like to be remembered? I would like to be remembered as someone that cared and shared.

HONEY

LET’S GO GET YOU CHECKED!

With prostate levels rising even, women need to get involved. Shanessa L. Fenner

ith prostate cancer as the leading form of all cancer among men in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia and the Caribbean, it should come as little surprise that the quest of early detection and treatment not only fall on the men this disease affects, but that the burden of encouraging their male counterparts and loved ones should fall on us women.

It is vital to realize that prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, a fact not always foremost in the minds of men who are largely reluctant to seek regular visits with their physicians, much less inquire about lifestyle risks associated with cancer. And while prostate cancer can strike any older adult male, the signs of triggering a windfall of risks are not always as simple as lighting up a cigarette daily for years, as is the case with lung cancer, arguably the deadliest cancer diagnosis across the board. It is imperative that the men in our lives have yearly physical examinations, as early detection is the key to a longer, healthy and productive life. The prostate is the male sex gland that is about the size of a walnut, located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It surrounds part of the urethra, responsible for carrying urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The prostate produces fluid that becomes part of the semen, while cancer of this organ is any type growth in the region. Still, as with most cancers, the most common risk factors of prostate cancer is painfully clear, with Black men over age of 55 with a family history of the disease as those facing this danger as they get older. A diet of foods with high saturated fat, along with insufficient amounts of vitamin D can have a crippling effect or evading the disease, especially if the man has an enlarged prostate. Symptoms in the earliest stages of prostate cancer are virtually nonexistent. But known symptoms, if they do occur, include difficulty in urinating, with burning sensations and painful ejaculation representing clear indications that one should seek medical attention. Pain in the lower back, hips and upper thighs is commonplace, along with loss of appetite and weight and persistent bone pain. While in the case of women and breast cancer, where awareness is more widespread, men, men seem more weary of even discussing both testicular and prostate cancer despite the reality of the mortality rates they face. In many instances, frequent encouragement is the necessary agent to even have most men see the inside of a doctor’s office, as talk of terminal diseases could often be passed of as nothing short of paranoia. It’s critical that they get that prostate specific antigen (PSA) test or a transrectal ultrasound. If the initial test results suggest prostate cancer, the doctor may recommend a prostate biopsy, where insertion of an ultrasound probe into the rectum enables the doctor to identify any suspicious areas. A fine, hollow needle is aimed at these areas of the prostate and a spring propels the needle into the prostate gland and small tissue samples are taken and analyzed by a pathologist to deter-

mine if cancer cells are present the aggressive nature of the disease. Once a diagnosis is made, further tests may be needed in order to determine how far the cancer has spread. The more different the cancer cells are from the healthy cells, the more aggressive the cancer is and the more likely it is to spread quickly. The level of aggressiveness is called staging. The cancer is categorized in one of four stages. Stage one signifies very early cancer that’s confined to a microscopic area that the doctor cannot feel. In stage two, the cancer can be felt and it remains confined to the prostate gland. Stage three entails the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland to the seminal vesicles or other nearby tissues. With stage four, the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, bones, lungs, or other organs and tissues far away from the prostate. Several modes of treatment are employed to treat prostate cancer, with surgery, systematic therapy, radiation therapy, delayed treatment or watchful waiting. One type of surgery is the transurethral resection of the prostate. It is a procedure in which the cancer is cut from the prostate using a tool with a small wire loop that is placed into the prostate through the urethra. This operation relieves symptoms caused by the tumor before other treatments, or in men who cannot have a radial prostatectomy because of age or other medical problems. Through radical prostatectomy prostate and some of the tissue around it is removed and has become more acceptable with the development of a nerve sparring technique that also includes removing the prostate, but leaves one or both of the nerve bundles on either side of the prostate intact to promote potency. Radiation therapy is another option and includes external beam therapy (high energy x-rays) or seed implantation therapy (placement of radioisotopes directly into the cancerous prostate for a year). Surgeons are able to view the precise size and shape of the prostate on a video monitor and guide needles containing seeds with pinpoint accuracy into the cancerous parts of the gland. Systematic treatments, which many of us are familiar with hearing, include hormone therapy and chemotherapy, with the latter often used successfully in patients who are not responding to the hormones. Delayed or watchful waiting treatment is yet another option, when the patient receives no treatment as doctor monitors the size and growth of the tumor, while regularly testing for elevated PSA levels. When a diagnosis is received there may be feelings of fear, anxiety, depression and especially disbelief. It may not be easy to discard these feelings but there are positive ways to deal with a diagnosis so it doesn’t result in believing it is the end of life. Talking to a family, friends and even a counselor is a must, but keeping one’s health in order is the supplement of maintaining a positive outlook on surviving and eventually beating cancer. Exercising and taking part in at least one enjoyable experience a day should be the norm, as is reading about those who have suffered through prostate cancer and their stories of courage and endurance. On the other hand, as ladies we should be the first line of defense in helping the man in our lives beat this disease, but also be mindful to encourage the men you love to have a yearly physical examination. Take the initiative to set the appointment up for him, as this is a sure sign of your support in this process.

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NEW ER A

PREPARING Ocean Style chats with newly minted Sandals CEO Adam Stewart about the direction of the group as a full blown luxury resort. photography by Robert Manella

dam Stewart has an understated demeanor. He carries a quiet air of confidence about him. A well-delivered laugh here, smile there but he is a keenly focused young man. When you start speaking with him about his new role at Sandals his enthusiasm for the business, the product, his staff flows freely. He speaks with an equal command for the big picture goals and the operational minutiae required to achieve those objectives. At the seemingly tender age of 25, Adam was appointed CEO of the Sandals group, the Caribbean luxury resort group his father, Butch Stewart, started some 25 years ago. Adam steps into the leadership of a company which began with the acquisition of the Bay Roc hotel and Carlyle on the Bay in April 1981 - a couple of run down hotels in dire need of refurbishment and many second-guessing his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to get into the hotel business that has now expanded to 20 properties across the group. Of particular note is that 18 of those properties are owned by the company. These are not lessee-operated facilities, as is the way of most hotel chains today, this is a group that owns and operates their own plant. Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world is now one of navigating the luxury resort segment, steering a course for a company with an established brand, international recognition and 7,500 employees whose welfare is obviously something he cares about passionately. www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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Adam shed light on the upcoming shift in brand positioning to becoming “Luxury-Included” as a better reflection of today’s Sandals offering. The company has poured substantial resources into upgrading the resort offerings with improvements in every facet from the sheets on the beds to the success of their butler service to the tremendous emphasis that has been placed on food and beverage offering a truly first class experience. After weeks of shuffling to secure the interview, such is his hectic schedule, we met at the company’s Montego Bay corporate offices.

get them a better quality of life. It’s not about a bluff. You have to be able to look these people in the eye at all times. I try as much as possible to spend time on the properties. I try and go to them where they work - I will walk right into the butcher shop and talk to the butchers. There is an advantage to me being young as they are not intimidated by me as they may be by my dad or somebody from an older generation. I think they recognize everything I do, I am their union and to keep it balanced I am trying to give them the best quality of life possible. After saying that money does not just grow on trees and we do have to do the things we do that we know we have to do for the betterment of the organization and pushing it forward. Right now we have a program to fix up the back of the house and every hotel has budgeted an allotment of money every month of life and I mandate that they spend it on the back of the house so staff lockers, accommodation, so that their working environment is better. I really really believe people have to be happy in their job, they have to be content and have to feel a part of something much more than a salary.

Ocean Style: Sandals is entering a new era in terms of your stewardship and as a more developed brand. How do you manage the development? Adam Stewart: That’s what we try to do out of this office. We try and brainstorm every day, as best as possible, to improve. We are very hard on ourselves internally - pushing standards finding better and new ways of doing things. I tell anybody the most fun part of my job is you go home and think of a great idea then you figure out on how to implement it then sell it to seven and a half thousand people to make sure they buy into it with you. Ocean Style: Is your focus now more on upgrading your existing plant or adding new properties? Adam Stewart: We have spent $200 million in the last three years not in new buildings, or new construction, but just in refurbishments – modernizing and upgrading. Many of our plants are older, which have major advantages in terms of setbacks from the high water mark so our beachfront rooms, some are fifteen feet from the high water mark. Nowadays you have to be a hundred and fifty or two hundred feet away. If you look at some of our bigger Spanish competitors in Jamaica they don’t have a room within four hundred feet to the beach, I mean it’s a different game right? We have upgraded those rooms – incorporated corridors, extended porches, in some cases making the rooms 50 percent larger. We have truly upgraded with Jacuzzi tubs, separate showers, his and her vanities, Italian cut marble and plasmas now standard. Ocean Style: What would you say is one of your key points of focus? Adam Stewart: We believe in making things as easy as possible for our customers. From calling 1-800-SANDALS to visiting sandals.com we try to make the experience all the way through seamless and straightforward. We have invested heavily in the amenities which make life easy. From our lounge at Montego Bay airport to the hotel transfers we focus on the details – we use different transportation companies but mandate the type of music that is played for our guests, because as far as we are concerned their experience starts there. Our focus is on the details from the linen that you put on the bed, the table cloths, the glass and silverware being used and that is the difference, it’s the details. We invest a considerable sum in our product, constantly looking for ways to improve and upgrade and chances are if you see something that is not right, believe me – we know and it’s on a list to be remedied. Ocean Style: How are you able to maintain the quality of such a large staff when service is so very important to your business? Adam Stewart: We do an immense amount of training; the staff is trained in theory, then practicality (sic) before they hit the floor and then we have a minimum of a hundred and twenty hours of training additionally a year and I am talking of line staff, basics. We bring in motivational speakers we do different things to get them going. I have found that when you sit down with the staff and you explain to them why you are doing what you’re doing and why you need to do it for the betterment of them and the organization and it’s not a bluff, and I mean it really isn’t, they support you, they back you and they make you proud every day of life. Ocean Style: You r father enjoys one of those ‘larger than life’ personas which I am certain plays a role in helping to motivate. You have taken the helm of a company that is now entering a different stage of growth and development as an internationally recognized brand how are you able to relate to the staff so that they accept you and your leadership? Adam Stewart: The truth is a lot of the staff know me since I was a young boy. Today I go to Montego Bay to give an achievement award to our Director of Services, Robert Stone, in honor of his 25 years at the company. He has known me since I was one and a half. I grew up in and around this company. I believe in these people and right now I am doing my best to

Our focus is on the details from the linen that you put on the bed, the table cloths, the glass and silverware being used and that is the difference, it"s the details.

Ocean Style: How much latitude does your father allow you? Adam Stewart: Look if you have a leader that has no vision, if you do not have a strong leader you cannot have a strong company. One of the dynamics of my old man is that he is able to identify a problem or an opportunity and empower the right people to solve it. For example, we were doing a huge expansion with our Beaches resort down in Turks & Caicos, he understands that he is 66 and he does not necessarily understand what’s cool and what’s not cool for a 0-5 of 6-12 year old up to 18 so you give it to me, I tell you it’s going to cost us some money but far better we get it right now than build something that’s ridiculous and have to live with it for the rest of our lives. So we contracted some of the best talent I could find in America and when we presented the result – he didn’t ‘get it’ - everything in a black theme - a black pool table, black foosball, 100” drop down projection screens for karaoke etcetera in fact when he walked in he said “Why the heck would anybody want to go in there?“ but he understood what the team was saying and it was approved…he understands that he does not know what it takes for somebody 60 younger to enjoy their vacation. Let me tell you my old man hasn’t stepped back…he continues to work very hard what has happened is that some of us have stepped up to help him. Ocean Style: Do you enjoy a close working relationship with him since you’ve taken on this position? Adam Stewart: Absolutely. I mean he calls me 5, 6 times a day. He comes up with some great ideas. I work closely with him on the execution side. He has to see the big picture 80 percent of the time. Ocean Style: What are the brands which now c omprise the Sandals Group and what are the immediate plans? Adam Stewart: We have 3 brands – Royal Plantation, Beaches and Sandals. The Royal Plantation brand is really run by my sister who is the managing director, I deal with the operational back bone. It’s pretty clear cut it’s the Four Season’s and Ritz Carlton killer - it’s the straight five star where anything is possible – small, intimate and I will keep them that way. The training that goes in there is 3 times more than we would do at a Sandals which is already twice as much as the competition – because you’re dealing with a man who probably came on his own aircraft – you’re dealing with CEOs and business executives and you have to give them the best treatment. They shouldn’t have to worry about anything. We have advanced drawings for a condo hotel in Turks and Caicos with penthouses 10,000 square ft, 5 bedrooms, a lap pool that over flows 7 stories down - very elaborate - nothing the Caribbean has ever seen before. Ocean Style: And Sandals… Adam Stewart: Our refurbishment and upgrade programme will see all Sandals becoming 5 star. We have placed considerable emphasis on creating high end dining experiences and recently added a restaurant called Gordon’s that’s exclusive for our Butler guests – complete with white glove service, Angus beef on the finest china it’s a $250 dollar meal per head in New York. All-inclusives pour $1.50 - $2.00 bottles of wine, we pour $15 to18 dollars bottles of wine.

Ocean Style: Why is Sandals now “luxury-included”? Adam Stewart: We trademarked “luxury-included” because we felt it offered a better understanding of where we are now as a brand. The all-inclusive designation no longer sufficiently differentiates the Sandals product from some of these bargain-basement low budget offerings using that description. We felt it was necessary to find another way to describe our product so that our clients had a better understanding of what the Sandals experience was all about. We go for the best in every aspect - food and beverage, water sports – we buy Master Craft ski boards which are the best in the world at $50,000 dollars apiece, does it mean something to everyone? No maybe it doesn’t but for the man who understands and likes skiing and who is very passionate about it he definitely does it’s in that sort of passion and pride that you see the Sandals difference. Soon all the beds in every Sandals room will be made with 300 thread count sheets. Every detail of everything has been reviewed and we are taking it to greater and greater heights and to be honest with you the only way you can experience what I am saying is the experience is to go. Ocean Style: Are you seeing these extra elements translati ng into higher yields? Adam Stewart: Our rates are 30 percent more than our best competitor we do get a premium for who we are and it’s not fluff…..it truly is a premium for what you get. It is also reflected in our repeat visits which are amongst the highest in the industry and a 98.7 percent customer satisfaction rate. Our vacationer is sophisticated. Our guests are the kind of visitor that will go to the craft market and spend $200-$300 U.S dollars without batting an eye with a vendor. With some of our competitors the people that go in there they could barely afford to get to Jamaica to start with – they’re gonna drink as much cheap beer and white rum as their liver can handle and eat off the free buffet all day and that’s their vacation. The most successful programme that we have had in the last 3 years is our butler program which is in partnership with the British Guild of English butlers. It’s headed up by a guy called Robert Watson we are exclusive with him, he is one of the masterminds of service and he has trained our people. They do everything - he or she is not allowed to say no. We pick the best of the best to deliver an experience second to none. Ocean Style: And what about Beaches? Adam Stewart: The Beaches brand are very distinctive and the family resort. We want to provide a first class vacation for mum and dad and a first class vacation for kids and teens - they are very different. We try and set up the plant so that there is a divide between the two. We recently did an expansion at the Turks & Caicos resort adding a new Italian village which cost $100 million. We now have some 650 rooms and 16 restaurants but in the new part we added 50,000 square feet for the children’s facilities. So on one side you have all the children’s facilities and on the other you come back to your true luxury vacation with a beautiful big piazza and full host of other amenities. We’ve added things like a night surf simulator right in front of a really cool night club, we have recreated it like the Playboy mansion grotto underneath - you look on to the surf simulator so we are going to have midnight surf competitions for the teens. You have got to do the cooler things otherwise it’s not cool. We have a partnership with Crayola and a partnership with Sesame Street which we’re very proud of. Beaches brand is family luxury and these family suites we’re building - eight hundred and thirty square feet – on one side your four post mahogany bed with mum and dad’s 42” plasma divided by a bathroom so that mum and dad will be on one side with a balcony with their own porch, a bathroom in the middle and kids room on the other side with three beds, X-Box 360 in every room and their own 37 inch plasma. The rooms will get the usual marble, onyx perfect fine finishes but these are huge accommodations to the point where a family of five and six can stay and not be on top of each other. To me the Beaches resorts are about the kid. Make a connection with the kid and you make mum and dad happy, right, the kid is cool mum and dad are cool, all our nannies are US certified we make sure that we have set programs right on the clock so that the kids can be

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OCEAN STYLE safe in that environment. Ocean Style: How do you develop that product for the kids? Adam Stewart: We have special programmes like breakfast with Elmo, then there is story time with Elmo, and dancing, cooking and other activities with the other characters. It’s all about the kids so we believe in building phenomenal facilities rooms and giving them the coolest kids facilities. We recently had the CEO of Microsoft X-Box with us in Turks talking about strategizing with them – and how we can take our relationship to the next level - he wants to test some of their new equipment where kids can play against other kids all around the world through the internet right from Beaches. The sky is the limit its just how much time you want to spend doing it, taking care of the details and getting it going. I have a pretty young team around and people that don’t necessarily have families as yet and have the time to drop and get what needs to get done right away which helps and we do nothing without consulting with our managing director the sort of older people who have been around longer than us to make sure we don’t get carried away. Ocean Style: How many Beaches properties? Adam Stewart: Four

PASSION, DETAIL THE SEA

How does Sandals select locations for their resorts? How hands-on can a successful, wealthy entrepreneur who built a business from scratch be at this stage? Adam related a story more significant for the lesson in detail than its other more apparent quirks. “Here’s an unbelievable story – I was recently with my old man and we were looking for a piece of real estate in Turks & Caicos. We chartered a helicopter to fly us around the island. We are all there, dressed up in our business attire for our meetings, and flying around when suddenly he tells the helicopter pilot...”let’s put down right here” – it’s the middle of nowhere so the pilot is a bit apprehensive but when he insists you do, so the guy lands his helicopter on a piece of beach in the middle of nowhere, my old man takes off all his clothes and jumps in the sea, alright, and two minutes later he says this cannot work it’s the way the breeze is blowing. Most of our beaches face West, right, and 90 percent of our hotels have westward facing beaches you get two things you get tranquil and cooling northeast trade winds and then sunsets in the west, you get romance and you get tranquility huge deal and this beach was beautiful but it just wasn’t good enough. Sandals that’s how it starts it starts there and then goes on and especially building anything from ground work we make sure that we are buying the best real estate possible, not some deal that some Government want to get off. So it’s for real, it’s not a bluff the whole thing is what it is and it’s the best for the best and that’s how we do it.”

Ocean Style: Most hotel chains are now split where there is a company that owns the real estate and another company that operates the hotels. Does Sandals own all their properties? Adam Stewart: There are a couple of plants we do not own. They are owned by insurance companies, but that’s the exception and that’s a very good point because when you own something you take care of it. We put our money back into the business. I always tell people the chairman is not in a good mood when businesses is bad and he cannot spend money on projects. He is a builder - we are a construction company - we build all day everyday and try and improve. Ocean Style: Sandals marketing has always been light years ahead of any Caribbean brand and your father is widely regarded for his skill as a marketer. What’s going to be your mark? Adam Stewart: They call him the master of marketing and he very much is still in charge of that. I look for operational aspects to the whole makeup of the company that are really cutting edge and unique. Right now we believe our marketing is behind our product, that we are on a whole new level of luxury. We are trying to find some marketing dollars to go out there and spread the love and tell the world. I think you just have to believe in what you do and buy into what you do and the marketing comes from the product. Ocean Style: You have mentioned the attention to detail. But how do you manage the great number of things that must comprise running this operation? Adam Stewart: We look at every single element of our plant and product on an ongoing basis. At any given moment our projects list is 500 items long. A project is anything that cannot be handled by the hotel – it either needs an engineer or an architect or the budget requirement means we handle it from this central office. Ocean Style: Your executive team must clearly require a balance of experience and youthfulness. How do you balance of the two? Adam Stewart: A lot of the people that work with me have worked in the company for a long time. You do not need experience in certain parts as much as you need vision. In others, especially the operations of the resorts you do need experience. But we all function very much as a team. We all eat lunch together, we all go on the road together, and wherever we go together we look and observe together. It’s much more like a family operation so we bridge the gap that way and support one another and you know what is the worst case scenario if we try something and it doesn’t work so what, it doesn’t work you tried it we just make sure we do not put the guests in any harm’s way whatsoever. Nothing tried nothing done. As a company we are positive. You have to be aware of the negative sides but if you allow the negative to take over your life you will never try anything new. And so we put it together and if we do not understand we are not afraid to ask questions. Do we have everything figured out? Anybody that says that they have everything figured out tell me who that person is so that i can hire him tomorrow but no we don’t and we work through it.

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NOVIA M C DONALDWHYTE WOMAN

OF INFLUENCE

ovia McDonald-Whyte is the glamorous and fashionable, fashion, food and lifestyle maven of the Caribbean. From her position as Lifestyle Editor at the Jamaica Observer she keeps her readers attuned to who and what is hot and, just as emphatically, not! Her success has been one of the not so secret weapons that have catapulted the circulation of the daily skyward. The annual Jamaica Observer Food Awards, the Business Awards and not to mention the daily staple that is her Page 2 column are just a handful of her many successful initiatives now attaining regional prominence. Novia, somehow, manages to balance the heavy demands of her life at the newspaper with the indulgences of many of life’s finer things that keep her, to coin a phrase, simply “fabulous!”

Full name: Novia Yvonne McDonald-Whyte Birthday: February 1 Children: Daughter Gracia Yvonne Whyte (25) Educational Background: Schooled in London, Paris, Italy and Jamaica What comprises a typical week for NM? Non-stop thinking, doing and writing with a little fun in between. My job is literally 7days a week. I mean I have daily deadlines to meet especially now that Page 2 is soo hot. On a Saturday though it's my time to relax at the hairdressers (Chic Lines Hair Designs) and nag both Melody & Tricia to death. Facials, mani and pedi are a weekend ritual - I mean looking and feeling good is what life's all about, right? If I'm fortunate enough to hit the Northcoast I check into Round Hill Resort & Spa sleep for a day and spend the rest of the time at their absolutely amazing spa. I do the same at The Ritz and with Half Moon all set to open their fab spa I'll be spending lots more time there. Tell us about Lifestyle in Jamaica. You really don't want to know. Private jets (I adore my Chairman) spa treatments, vulgar lunches (think 5 hours) Champagne dinners, lots of retail therapy. Constant chatter, playing catch up with my daughter Gracia... ..Don't envy me though cos (sic) I work bloody hard and have to play catch up with sleep and sex for that matter. Defi fin ne Romance to Novia. Easy discourse after that everything else flows..Right! Most Romantic Date: A week in Paris (we hardly left the Ritz) Most Romantic Restaurant: Mmmm that's difficult there are many in the region but I think dinner at Strawberry Hill, Royal Plantation, or Round Hill fits the bill. Best Spot to Propose: La Luna in Grenada

Lifestyle Editor, Jamaica Observer Newspaper Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Rachel Marshall and ;Dr.< Dave Padmore

Nicole and friends: Aqila Smart, Shivan Raghunanan and Pepita Narinesingh

ON SPOT

Tonya Estwick and Shelly Mahy Mark Wood and Shian Ottley

Tunde Mottley, Gabrielle Ache and Stewart Mottley

Crop Over Weekend : Booze Curise = BARBADOS > Barbadian Kashka Haynes and Vicky Marshal, produce the annual 8Booze Cruise9 - one of the highlights of the annual Crop Over Festivities that take place every year in Barbados drawing the hot, cool and sexy from throughout the Caribbean.

August 5, 2007

Mark Sobers ;grandson of Sir Gary< and Emmanuel Lewis ;aka Webster<

Paul Skinner gets in the action with this beauty.

photography by dkg

Dawn Yearwood, Rhonda Arron and Gillian Tim Pow

Tiffany Hutcheon and AJ Calloway

Alex Jordan and Meredith Haynes

Raquel Brown and Anthony Maugee

e.MOTION photography by Colin Williams

Daryan Warner waxing prophetic Karen Sookhan and Nicole Hyles

Kashka Haynes and Vicky Marshall

Ian Liverpool

Lyle Beckles and Kashka Haynes

DJ Hypa Hoppa and Rupee

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Celebrated photographer Colin Williams shows when the canvas is this pristine, there is little necessary to pull out the beauty. photography by Colin Williams

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swimsuit by Renee larc for Milan jewelry by Cecilia Ramos

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Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley, endorsed Hit For Six! before an audience of more than 500 guests.

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ON SPOT Barbadian Soca Queen Allison Hinds

Barbadian actress Varia Williams Wardrobe assistant Donna Doyle-Evelyn

Former cricketing greats the Reverend Wes Hall and Rawle Brancker

Entertainer Eddy Grant, Kay Robertson and Hit For Six! actor Rudolph Walker

HIT FOR SIX! Movie World Premiere

Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development, the Honourable Lynette Eastmond

9 OLYMPUS THEATRES, BARBADOS : The Red Carpet Gala Red Carpet World Premiere of the highly acclaimed Hit for Six the Caribbean7s first full length feature movie directed by Alison Saunders-Franklyn.

April 2007

Writer and director of Hit For Six!, Alison Saunders-Franklyn

photography by Marcille Haynes and Jeffrey Bishop Jeanille Bonterre

Andrew Pilgrim, with his wife Bertha

Chauffeur driven limousines awaited the Who7s Who of Hit For Six!

Photography by Colin Williams Styling by Andrienne Kennedy and Shuko Taniguchi Assisted by Ric Matthews Make-Up and Hair: Tishawn Williams Swimwear by Renee Iarc for Milan Model: Leah-Mari Guevara

Rudolph Walker and his wife, Dounne.

Associate producer of Hit For Six! Jerry Blenman and daughter Abigail

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A P L ACE S T EE P ED I N H I STO R Y, M Y S T ER Y AND M AGI C! Kim Young Belgrave

houghts of Cuba had been flashing through my mind ever since I started collecting cigars. As I rolled the stoogie and sniffed the aroma of a Cohiba or Romeo y Julieta, I could see, in my mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye, Fidel Castro and Che Gueverra in the times of La Revolucion; Ernest Hemingway typing away in his room for seven years; the sweet sounds of Cuban son, beautiful sensual people. I needed to get there, especially before the possibility of el Presidenteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passing.

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My heart skipped many beats in anticipation of landing at Jose Marti Airport. Jose Marti is an important figurehead and National Hero of Cuba. As the mystique of the oft misunderstood Cuban culture beckoned me beyond the two ultra secure doors manned by armed guards in military fatigues, I proudly had my British passport stamped Cuba. No problemo.. As I stepped in the musky night air I was greeted by the usual taxi drivers. I could smell the tobacco plantations from miles away. I could feel mother Africa, Santeria, Afro Cuba and the Colonial Spanish culture all at once. In one of those old rattling classics from the 50's, with lively, ebullient Americans who chatted excitedly all the way to Havana Viejo, I stayed silent, imbibing Cuba in my spirit. I chose the Hotel

Inglaterra, described as the oldest hotel in Cuba and “a monument.” A deserving title indeed. It was beautiful but in need of some renovation, much like most of the hotels and buildings in Old Havana, yet it had a certain character, an aroma. It was aged, like a good port, like an excellent rum, like a distinguished man of letters. It had character, the architectural and decorative work, hundreds of years old was purely majestic. This was evident all over Old Havana - pride, colour, majesty, royalty, art, culture...a feeling of a theatre proud of itself, its beautiful groups of women in Spanish flounces posing for photographs, music in their walk, in their talk, in their hips and on their lips. From fine art to ballet, Cuba has it all and it is all Cuban, not a hint of cultural imperialism in any work. As expected! Viva Cuba!

Finding out about Cuban politics in Cuba is difficult. Most people know of the Bay of Pigs invasion which they prefer to call the Battle of Playa Giron. No one speaks of Fidel Castro as though he is a deep dark secret; mysterious, charismatic, deep - his image is not on any T-shirts, just those of his friend Che Gueverra. The only information on Cuba is from their state newspaper Granma. I bought a copy every day frenziedly searching page after page for news of this mystical man. He was Cuba and Cuba was Him. I could feel his very charisma in the air like mist over La Havana. His seemingly impending passing seemed like the end of Cuba as I knew it then. Happily it did not happen. But Cubans believe that Russian perestroika, democracy there and the new world order as “imposed” by the US ruined them. Nevertheless, they walked proudly through the streets, played dominoes, cards, drank Cuban Ron(Spanish for Rum), did everything like anyone else would on a normal day but in the Cuban way. For a second what seemed like western propaganda was no longer propaganda. I was by the water where many a raft had set out for Florida. As it turns out, an embargo can kill a country and its people or their spirit. Yet everyone was friendly and seemingly unaffected. A country of contradictions and yet pride. Bands playing Cuban jazz on every street corner, happy people, good food, endless people, incredible art and artistry, color. Wow. I decided to locate a guide. I was surprised to see men who I thought were just hanging out, to be school teachers who needed to make extra money from tourists by giving them long, exciting, but tiring tours of Havana. Miguel took me to La Plaza Cental, Plaza La Armas, everywhere in Old Havana, old shops where people lined up for rations of food. From the courtyard was a long walk through many cobbled and slightly dirty streets with stray dogs, to colorfully painted shops, restaurants with delectable food and absolutely regal buildings with such majesty, it was a shame they were running to ruin. To get a really authentic great meal, many private citizens have delectable home cooked meals prepared for tourists for a fee. These paladars as they are called come in different shapes and sizes but tend to offer far better food than most of the hotels and at a much more reasonable rate. One of the top Paladaras La Guarida has hosted many a celebrity and offers excellent fare, though the prices are at the higher end. I wanted to be with the people. Everyone lit up a cigar, was drinking a Mojito or Cuba Libre, (Cuban Rum and coke with lemon), chatting animatedly in Spanish, gesticulating. White Fedora’s dotted the scene. Of course, I bought one and sported it all over Cuba on my way to Vuelto Abajo , one of the finest Tobacco farms on the island. The most fascinating thing for me was observing the Santeria women (or obeah women) at work, huge Cuban cigars at the side of their mouths, all kinds of curios and strange things on their tables. Loyal customers lined up outside La Plaza de La Cathedral (a huge Catholic Cathedral for worship)of all places for advice. Santeria is a mix of African deity worship, catholic worship and prophesy or fortune telling and magic. Just a few yards away a stunning bride was in a carriage with her new husband who displayed a toothy grin of ‘ownership’ of a prized Cuban beauty off to a new life. New Year’s Eve caught me atop the Hotel Inglaterra drinking one mojito after another with my American and European friends who lamented the apparent poverty of the place. I pondered how the Cuban son and the beautiful women dishing out roses for one Cuban peso would survive; and what if interim President Raul Castro “gave in” to the US, yet the place needed dire restoration and funding. Despite this, there was happiness and revelry in the air on the 60th anniversary of the Revolution. Regardless of the dissidents, Cuba was beloved by the vast majority of Cubans on the island of contradictions. Later that night, I danced the night away with harmonious songsters in the many groups that played that night at La Plaza de La Cathedral square, we feted to champagne, Cuban delicacies and Cuba libres and Cuban Ron. Delicioso! Language was no barrier, we danced with everyone and everyone’s partner, taking turns as we dripped in sweat, smelled of cigars and spilled champagne. Havana, is an experience, Cuba is a spirit. It must be experienced to be relished and diarized for posterity. www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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LEO July 23 - August 22 November is as good a time as any, Leo, for making those changes that you keep putting off. From household repairs, to a change of scenery, to a change of heart – its time to take a good look at what you have been avoiding and dedicate yourself to the task/tasks at hand. A most unlikely source will provide critical assistance for your metamorphosis in the first week of December, so be on the lookout. Luckily for you, once you’ve made these changes, so much of what you’ve been worrying about will fall into place and you’ll surely finish off December with peace of mind at last.

VIRGO SAGITTARIUS November 22 - December 21 After all the changes happening in your life recently, it may be time to take pause and centre yourself. Ups and downs in your personal and professional life seem to have left you a bit worn and empty and yearning for answers. Taking time out of your life for spiritual pursuits, be they prayer, meditation, yoga, or even long contemplative walks, will surely help you along your path to peace and contentment.

August 23 - September 22 October and November are busy busy busy social months for you Virgo, chock full of networking opportunities that, at every turn, reaffirm your position as THE person to know. And boy is your star rising fast! Truth be told though, Virgo, as your star rises socially and professionally, your relationship with your significant other is smothered and falters. By Christmas it’s inevitable that you choose, so weigh your options evenly and carefully as there may be no turning back from this decision.

in for a hell of a ride. Although your friends clearly do not approve, don’t completely discount their scepticism – they may be seeing much more than your lovesick gaze can comprehend.

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

December 22 - January 19 After all the uncertainty of the past few months, October and November will find things settling down and shaping up. A new acquaintance in your life will prove to be pivotal in opening new doors and creating business opportunities for you. Things continue to go from good to better as 2008 approaches and you find yourself in the company of movers and shakers. Make the most of these introductions as your time in the limelight may be fleeting.

April 20 - May 20 November and December are all about letting go for you Taurus, as we creep towards the New Year. Perhaps this means letting go of that zippy red car that’s wayyyy out of your league, or perhaps its about letting go of that relationship that’s simply not working anymore. Whatever the desire is, you’ve got to dig down deep and find the strength to let go and be okay with letting go. Oftentimes its your own Taurean bullishness that stands in the way of your own growth. But you’ve got to take that bull by the horns (no pun intended) and move towards a healthier you.

AQUARIUS January 20 - February 18 My my my, if you aren’t becoming the proverbial “belle” of the ball Aquarian, constantly surrounded by a flock of admirers. With so many beautiful choices, how can a single Aquarian be expected to settle down? And luckily for you, you don’t have to! As the year winds down, November and December will find you with not a single free weekend, as young and old(er) alike will try to charm those pants off. And some may even succeed!

LIBRA September 23 - October 22 Your remarkable ability to win people’s respect and adoration will do wonders for helping to ease your transition into new situations you may face in October. Though unsteady at first, the last week in October and all of November will find you garnering praise lavish enough to make a believer out of even your doubting mind. With your bank account growing day by day, your professional life firmly on track, and your love life perfectly wonderful, as December rolls into 2008, the world, Libra, would surely seem your oyster.

it into your everyday professional life. Not only will you feel much happier and fulfilled, but this may prove to be the key to catching your bosses’ eye and securing that promotion you’ve been hoping for.

PISCES

SCORPIO

February 19 - March 20 Its time to get your suitcases out and dust off your passport, Pisces, because exotic travel may be just around the corner. November is the month for you to revisit all those travel fantasies that you cast aside as highly improbable and just plain out of your league. You’ve worked hard and earned this escape from your day to day routines. Roll the dice, close your eyes, and spin the globe – let spontaneity be your travel guide. Just be sure to brush up on one or two languages, because once you step foot on that plane it will be quite a while till you see home again.

October 23 - November 21 A taboo affair will catch your attention in early November and steal you away from your many admirers. Perhaps it’s an older paramour, or perhaps just someone a little too close to home. Whatever the case, you seem to be thunderstruck and

March 21-April 19 November is the perfect time for you to continue exploring your creative side in every possible way. Consider ways of showcasing your creativity on the job, and working

ARIES

GEMINI May 21 - June 21 You continue to impress everyone you encounter, Gemini, with your poise and eloquence. Not only is everyone in your personal life enamoured with you, but so too is everyone in your professional circle. Don’t be surprised to find business acquaintances eating out of the palm of your hand – its your specialty. Be sure to accept new projects or jobs offered to you in October as they will prove to be both exciting and very rewarding. Financially, too, you are in a great place, just be sure to save and invest some of your newly found wealth. As the year progresses, you will find yourself busy with both work and a hefty social calendar, but Gemini twins like nothing better than to have all balls in play at once. In overwhelming situations such as this, Gemini thrives while mere mortals fail.

CANCER June 22 - July 22 A family member or very close friend is in need of your sage-like advice, but is unable to admit to a problem. Be sensitive to subtle signals sent out by them over the next few weeks. The sooner you confront them with your offer of help, the more likely they will be to avert disaster. As usual, your calm nature will diffuse the situation and help steer them in the right direction.

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When I entertain in my home, I like to set the mood using one main color and carrying it through the entire event- the invite, the drinks, the dinnerware and the décor. I have even asked my guests to wear at least one piece of clothing in the theme color! For daytime, I like to stick to a lighter palate and in the evening go with a darker, sultry color. When entertaining in your home, bring the outside in. Use flowers or grasses from your garden or window box to decorate the table. You can create a unique, organic table runner by stringing together leaves with raffia or natural cord. You can use oversized leaves as placemats. I love to create the feeling of a picnic inside! One of my favorite tricks for creating unexpected décor is to use fruit. In the summer, I love to use watermelons as vases- you scrape them out and fill them with flowers. You can also fill different sized clear glass vases with monochromatic fruits- I love the look of black cherries, plums, and figs- for a fresh, easy centerpiece. One of my most prized possessions is my juicer! When you are entertaining you can pick a combination of fruits and vegetables that will compliment the food you are serving. Fresh juice is a great way to spice up a party. People can drink it plain, or mix it with alcohol for a light cocktail.

Another element that I use at almost all of my parties is the “rose bowl.” The arrangement is easy to make, but creates an intricate, delicate look. To make the “rose bowl” at home, you fill a low glass bowl with water and then float rose petals in it beginning on the outside edge and working your way towards the center. When you are done, you will have what looks like a beautiful oversized rose! I think it is really important to give each guest a gift at the end of the party. I like to do something small, but memorable. In the past, I have done monogrammed glasses or a set of votive candles. I also like to include a personalized note- with chocolates I always say “So sweet of you to come.” I love to put gardenias in the bathrooms. I float a few in a decorative bowl. They have such a wonderful scent, it is an unexpected treat! I also always do really nice linens in the bathroom.

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BA TIPS FOR ILE ENTERTAINING Y’S

For an evening affair, you can decorate the whole room with candles. I like to mix and match, using pillars, tapers, votives and even candelabras. You decorate the whole room with them and it creates such a warm, intimate glow!

You should have surprises planned for your guests throughout the evening. Greet them with a cool towel if the day is warm. Have a simple activity planned if all your guests do not know each other. Present a cake decorated specifically for the occasion. The unexpected moments are always the most fun!

For smaller, more intimate gatherings, I greet my guests and then let the party flow naturally- making sure everyone has enough to eat and drink and someone to talk to. But for any gathering larger than 10 people, I think it is very important to seat people so that no one has an awkward moment. The best way to do this is with simple place cards, ideally ones that match your décor.

Pineapples are the symbol of hospitality, and I love to use them while I am entertaining. In the past, I have done huge pineapple sculptures decorated with sunflowers. At a smaller affair, you can use fresh pineapples to decorate a bar or buffet and then also as garnish in the drinks!

Always make sure you have extra food! You never know when an additional guest may show up. I always like to have a course I serve at room temperature and so I can set aside extra portions and have them ready should an unexpected guest arrive. Monogrammed cocktail napkins always add a little extra something to a party. You can have them monogrammed with your initials, and use them whenever you entertain, or do something specific to the particular event. It is an understated way to set a tone of quality and elegance at the party.

PRESTON WE D D I NG P L ANNER S TARS TO THE

Preston Bailey has been bringing the dramatic to events across the globe for the most famous and discerning clientele, with a stunning degree of success. Ocean Style had the pleasure of joining him in his chic New York office to discuss his projects. Douglas Gordon

W I love theme parties! They get a bad name, but if they are done right, I think they can be really fun! I threw a Bollywood Party and had my favorite Indian restaurant cater the event and draped all the tables with saris to create a loose, colorful effect. I asked all my guests to remove their shoes and provided them with slippers when they arrived. I had Bollywood movies playing all night (with the sound muted) and it created a really festive environment!

Make sure you know if your guests have allergies or food preferences. If you are doing a formal invite, have a section where they can note this on the reply card. Otherwise, make sure you speak to them about it or let them know they should contact you to discuss. Having that brief conversation ahead of time makes everyone feel at ease on the day of the event. You know you won’t have to run out, or make substitutions at the last minute, and your guests already feel taken care of!

edding Planner to the Stars” sounds like one of those tabloid designations that the crafty and slick aspire for their anointment in the public eye – their cause célèbre so to speak! The sheer weight of designing the seminal event in many people’s lives, to that point, and further for a clientele of the most demanding, successful and wealthy people all used to calling the shots has no marked impact on Preston Bailey when you meet him. With his towering persona and effervescent smile he exudes calm and poise. He carries an air of confidence knowing his creations have captivated, energized and wowed clients and their guests for many years over his long career. The radiant colours, stunning floral displays, wondrous use of lighting and breathtaking transformations he was engineered in sometimes otherwise uninspiring settings speak to his vision, drive and sheer creative genius. That he has managed to satisfy the desires of a most discerning and oftentimes unforgiving level of client speak to his talent in conceptualization, communication and lasersharp attention to detail. There is no other formula that can speak to his tremendous achievements. So that when we call him the “Wedding (and event) Planner to the Stars” it is a reflection of the reality of the body of work that he has under his belt and his rolodex. The name Preston Bailey is synonymous with fabulous weddings of epic proportions - think Royal families, celebrities, business moguls. His client roster resembles part Forbes list of the most powerful and wealthy and part People magazine’s list of the most famous. When you can count Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ nuptials, Donald Trump’s wedding (that incredible celebration to Melania Knauss at Mar-A-Lago), Oprah Winfrey’s 60th birthday party, and clients and events that include Laurence Fishburne, John Galliano, Lisa Raye’s wedding to Turks and Caicos Premier Michael Misick, Matt Lauer, Bill Cosby, Regis Philbin, Donna Karan and Liza Minelli you know you must be doing something right – not only do these people want the best, they will accept nothing short. Born and raised in Chilibre, Panama, Bailey moved to New York City in 1968 at the age of 19, and has called the city home since. With an early start in modeling Bailey found himself in need of employment after he closed his retail store in 1980. His start came from interior designers Bob Patino and Vincente Wolfe — who urged him to create floral arrangements for their Fifth Avenue clients. With no formal training Bailey’s education has come through time and experience, an innate flair and hard work over a dedicated 27 year period. It was via an introduction by Wolfe that Bailey had the opportunity to pitch Joan Rivers to plan her daughter, Melissa’s wedding. Bailey landed the plum assignment and succeeded in achieving what remains his most significant moment of appraisal the www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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ABOVE Preston with Martha Stewart

“wowww!” when guests arrive and view his creation for the very first time. Landing that “Oh my God!” moment remains a benchmark for Bailey in all his creations and is one of the reasons he typically plants himself quietly near the door so when guests arrive he can gauge their reactions to his masterpieces. His success in creating a spectacular event at the Melissa Rivers wedding established Preston Bailey in the high profile event business and the rest, as they say, is history. He has not looked back and through the years has worked with the rich and powerful covering royalty and celebrity. But after you have tasted international success at such a high level and in such significant ways you wonder what keeps Preston Bailey motivated and driven. Bailey quickly answers “Our firm is based in New York and in this city you are your last job.” But he elaborates when asked how he tries to better himself from one event to the next “It’s not so much a matter of being better it’s more a matter of trying to come up with something that’s unique.” He credits his love of fashion industry and travel with providing some of his greatest sources of inspiration. With the global appeal of his business Bailey derives a great deal of his inspiration on his many travels “keeping an eye open for how you can take elements from any culture or environment and integrate them into your industry.” Bailey’s intense passion reveals itself when he speaks of transforming space. From set design to the elaborate use of technologically advanced lighting systems, he clearly enjoys the challenge of creating something spectacular where nothing existed previously, “I love working with tents because it is like an empty canvas that you can create with – that’s the kind of thing that excites me mostly and clearly flowers have a very strong presence – it’s really like the icing on the cake, because you bring it in and you really make a statement.” Bailey’s clients revel in the grand and spectacular. Many of his clients know what they want from their wedding – it is Bailey’s job to take those ideas, interpret them and then devise a spectacular event. He likens the process when some of his prospective clients

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Win a copy of Preston Bailey’s “Inspirations” Preston Bailey has touched the celebrity world and elite with his elegant arrangements, and now you can own a piece of his magical touch ‘Inspirations’ takes a glimpse into the elements of art, nature and travel, that have been at the center of his creative for over 20 years visit oceanstylemagazine.com now and register to win your copy

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SEX

SECRETS OF THE KAMA SUTRA REVEALED

Y T I L TUA I R I P &S

Neil Prashad

approach to that of “shopping for a new shirt and you know you want it to be great – you haven’t seen it yet but you know you want it to be great – it’s the same thing.” Preston Bailey ensures that it isn’t only great but it is unique at the same time. Known for his extravagant one-of-a-kind events Bailey partnered with the Sandals Group in 2005 to create the exclusive Preston Bailey Signature WeddingMoons Packages – a collection of wedding packages that are offered by the Caribbean luxury-included resort chain. From the Floral Elegance Collection to the Crystal Collection they offer guests a taste of the dramatic and exotic from Preston Bailey for their special moment. The packages have done well and there are plans to expand the line in 2008 to offer even more grand options. Bailey’s favourite of the chain’s resorts is Sandals Grande in St. Lucia while he describes Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica as the Most Romantic. Bailey’s business continues to expand selectively. He recently entered a partnership with 1-800-FLOWERS that offers his exquisite floral creations and has a new book due out in 2008, on top of his already successful two books, Inspirations and Preston Bailey’s Fantasy Weddings. His new publication will showcase some of his biggest and most dramatic events and offer readers a “how to” to recreate a similar look on a simpler scale. As a world-renowned and respected event planner, publisher and with brand extensions into the Caribbean and other projects in the works while he continues to create signature one of a kind events, how does Preston Bailey define success 2 years shy of 60, “Doing what you love to do! I love what I do. I am not bored with what I do - I feel blessed. I think it is about living your life, your career and being comfortable but challenged all the time. And, making money, don’t forget that….lots of it!” An event planner par excellence, you get the sense that notwithstanding the tremendous success behind him, there is much more to come from Preston Bailey. One thing is certain, despite his new projects and brand extensions, his signature one-of-a-kind events will continue to make attendees gasp in awe as that magic, flair, talent and brilliance illuminate ‘canvases’ for years to come!

I ABOVE customizing one of his signature pieces

/Out beyond the field of wrong doing and right doing, there is a place, go there and I0ll meet you.0 - Mevlana Rumi, 11th Century Poet

n the sacred eastern wisdom tradition, the Kama Sutra can be defined as the doctrine that celebrates the art of pro-creation. In fact, the actual meaning of the term ‘kama sutra’ is translated as ‘kama’ meaning ‘desire’ and ‘sutra’ for ‘doctrine.’ For centuries, this doctrine has served as a basis of growth, expansion and renewal for those exploring the spirit of union or unity consciousness. It is the platform for transforming frustration to fulfillment, fear to joy and conditional existence to infinite possibilities. This is not just a place for the physical exercise of sexual activities but rather, a place where sex and physicality serve as prelude to the sacred. It’s a window into the world of true spirituality where the language is spoken through caring, affection, infinity and expression.

Some of the secrets revealed in the Kama Sutra are based on the following lessons: Recognition of Spirit. This is where two souls or spirits recognize each other and in that physical connection, they have the desire to explore the wonder and magic of this recognition. In the west, we call this ‘attraction.’ There are many different ideas, concepts and unique views on what makes someone attractive but the kama sutra states the most important thing here is the recognition of spirit. This is why two people gazing into each other’s eyes can be an exercise of real beauty. It shatters the idea that beauty or attraction is physical and based on size, complexion, hair color etc. This flirting of souls is a wonderful experience of yoga or union. It is recommended that we spend time in the witnessing of spirit to really enter the zone of infinite pleasure. Embracing of Spiri t. This is where we physically and sensually connect with each other through our senses. We communicate through talking, touching, caressing and expressing our inner desire through our senses. This is where the art of ‘tactile conditioning’ comes into play. In the kama sutra, incense, perfumes, flowers, mantras, music and nature all play an important role in this field. It’s where the physical domain fills up with creative energy and the emergence of spirit takes place. This is when the physical zone sizzles with the warm heat of passion, the heartbeat of the kama sutra. In the west, we define this as foreplay, which most people either circumvent or oversee but this is critical to the kama sutra practice. In fact, it is the map for any desti-

This flirting of souls is a wonderful experience of yoga or union. It is recommended that we spend time in the witnessing of spirit to really enter the zone of infinite pleasure.

nation in the world of the kama sutra. Celebration of Spirit. The kama sutra proclaims the man as ‘infinity’ and the woman as ‘eternity.’ When both energies greet each other, this experience is called ‘divinity.’ Normally, sexual activities are viewed as pleasure based mediums measured by performance and longevity but the kama sutra stresses that it is more than this. It is the ‘eclipse of spirit’ or the experience of ‘unity consciousness.’ When this happens, we enter a zone where we simply bubble in bliss. There is an explosion of the inner awakening stretching out of our beings into a rhythmic, pulsating and vibrant phenomenon called ‘boundless existence or celebration.’ This can also be defined as an ‘orgasm’ or ‘sexual climax.’ The kama sutra states that when one has or experiences a ‘real orgasm,’ here are the elements that define it: Infinite Joy Boundlessness Agelessness Timelessness Unconditional Awareness True Beauty Pure Potentiality Infinite Sensuality Ultimate Surrender All of these elements make up a part of this phenomenon that celebrates the union of two spirits. This is where real beauty is experienced, a place where no conditions, limitations and confinements exist - a platform for sacred beauty and the recognition of the eternal. It is the ultimate truth as the heart of creation and a place where magic is born with effortless ease.

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BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY ONE

Ocean Style Editor Douglas Gordon interviews model turning musician Nadine Willis photography by Dagmara

versized personality” seems a woefully inadequate description of the impact Nadine Willis has when she walks into a room. Nadine Willis commands attention. She is beautiful, stunning even, loud, gregarious and warm. Her 5’ 9” frame, strong cheekbones and penetrating eyes scream model from the minute you lay eyes on this Jamaican beauty. With a piercing laugh and larger than life persona she commands the attention of all around her. Known for her boisterous behavior it is easy to equate Nadine with those oft found celebrity traits of rude, obnoxious and selfish. But spending some time one on one with Nadine you glean some insight into her rich and generous personality. Nadine’s honesty is not as intimidating as her forthrightness. She is blunt beyond reproach. She is honest and frank in a manner that is at once outrageous and disarming with its charming naiveté.

Nadine’s is a story of success that triumphs adversity of the most severe. A story not merely of choices made during difficult times but of strength and a deep sense of personal pride in understanding her roots and her own path. Nadine relates her story and some of its most checkered aspects without an ounce of the shame we would otherwise expect of behavior that fails the societal test of decent. Nadine’s rise from the deepest levels of poverty in Jamaica, carrying today the scars she suffered at the hands of physical abuse by her (now deceased) father, a path that took her to dancing at strip clubs, to having a child out of wedlock and to the heights of fame and success in modeling -

appearing in French Vogue with Mario Testoni (one of the world’s most acclaimed photographers) and an advertising campaign for Gucci and now on the cusp of a new profession in music, is the stuff of urban lore. Nadine’s success transgresses race and sex. But it is her honesty about her life – her ability to speak candidly without shame, reproach or worry of being judged that may be her greatest strength. Music is her next frontier but I suspect that with many more hills to climb this is a woman who will one day inspire across all walks of life – from rich to poor; hers is a simple but powerful guiding principle for living life.

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Ocean Style: What was it like growing up without your parents? Nadine: Well it was rough. It was hard but I learned how to survive. I had to get over it and focus and know what I wanted out of life and I move on even though they were not there. I do not really focus on the past. I tried to move on with my life and focus on the future and the present. Ocean Style: Do you have a relationship with either of your parents today? Nadine: No, my father died and my mother, I can’t stand her very much. Ocean Style: She lives in Jamaica? Nadine: Yes, she does. Ocean Style: Okay, and how old is your daughter now? Nadine: She is eight years old. Ocean Style: What is her name? Nadine: Tatiana Burg. Ocean Style: Are you in contact with her father anymore? Nadine: No – but I know where he is. Ocean Style: Does she have a relationship with him? Nadine: No. Ocean Style: Do you want her to have a relationship with him? Nadine: If she wants to, it is her choice but at this stage it does not really matter unless he is going to pay me like seven years worth of school fees and child support and all that. It is not worth it. Ocean Style: Tell us a little bit of being a single mother and international model, how were you able to balance the two. Nadine: It is hard, it is hard and it is rough, its costly, because you have to pay a baby sitter or boarding for her and you have also to pay the school fees because I made her go to a good school. But I try to survive up on everything and every hard road that come, I know God will give me more that I can go on. Ocean Style: Would you like to have more children? Nadine: Yes, maybe one or two more. If I go back and I have a son I am tying it right there. Ocean Style: Alright, there are many different guesses around. How old are you? Nadine: Let put it this way. I have not reached 30 yet. Definitely I have not reach 30. Ocean Style: Will you show us you drivers license? Nadine: No, I will not, because I will not tell you. A lady never tells her age. Ocean Style: But the celebrity must have an age. Nadine: Alright next birthday I have I will reveal my true age. Ocean Style: Are you presently involved? Nadine: What would I say? I am involved and not involved because I do not know, I just started a relationship I do not know where it is going to go or what is going to happen and also the person that I am with, is a grown man but also young in his brain. Ocean Style: Is he Jamaican? Nadine: Yes, he is. Ocean Style: What are you looking for in a mate? Nadine: In a mate….a fine-looking mate. Well he can be in between. He does not have to be rich but I would love if he is available to live comfortably or even if he is poor and he is a nice person and we can grow with each other that is fine. I respect someone that respects me and always appreciate me for who I am and do not ask me to change

because Nadine Willis ain’t going to change….she’s going to tell you the truth as how it is…nothing more and nothing less. Ocean Style: He would have to be Jamaican? Nadine: No. He can be any nation I do not have any problem against any nation, whether White, Black, Chinese, Japanese, Indian any colors does not matter what country. Ocean Style: Are you high maintenance, Nadine? Nadine: No, I am not high maintenance. If you can put up with my daughter you can put up with me. I do not need much, she has school fees, she has (birthday) parties to go, and (birthday) parties to keep. Ocean Style: What turns you on most in a man? Nadine: Love my daughter and treat her with respect and show that you do not treat her less than your child. Ocean Style: What is the most outrageous proposition that you ever received? Nadine: It was with my ex-fiancée when he proposed and told me that he loved me and he wanted to marry me and that finally he’d divorced, when he was not divorced. Ocean Style: Describe your most romantic date. Nadine: My most romantic date. Well once I was with this Trinidadian guy, Val Campbell. It was my birthday party when I met him at the Pegasus (Jamaica Pegasus Hotel). I met him through a friend Claudia Pegus and he told me ‘would you go to dinner with me?’ and I said, okay. He hired a car to take us, which I did not expect, flowers and he took me to Strawberry Hill and we sat down just the two of us and had dinner under the moonlight and talked. Then we dumped the car and bodyguard and went to Quad and Asylum and danced…. it was beautiful. Ocean Style: What is your favorite spot for romantic getaways in the Caribbean? Nadine: My favorite spot for romantic getaway, I would actually pick Jamaica. Ocean Style: Where? Nadine: Like if you want to be naughty I would say Hedonism 3 or 2 and if you want to be aristocratic and quiet and be peaceful with nobody bothering you then Ritz-Carlton. Ocean Style: Jam aic a recently held an election and saw a change in leadership. You were on the pl atform public ly supporting the P NP, what are your thoughts about the change in government? Nadine: I respect the present Prime Minister Mr. Bruce Golding and some of his ministers that I know personally but there is only going to be one prime minister for me. Ocean Style: And, that would be. Nadine: Portia Simpson-Miller. Ocean Style: Do you think that Ms. Simpson-Miller was gracious in defeat? Nadine: She was gracious in defeat but also, no one will ever give up a position—without throwing up a little up fire there. It is a human nature, she is human. And, she is a strong woman to take all at that they have thrown to her. So, I respect her and I really can tip my hat to her and say ‘You are one amazing woman.’ She is one of my idols. Ocean Style: Another former model and well known face Lisa Hanna recently entered politics, what are your thoughts about that? Nadine: I congratulate Lisa Hanna for her victory, she is a beautiful woman and she is a very smart Jamaican. Ocean Style: Would you contemplate politics one day for yourself? Nadine: You never know. You never know. Ocean Style: You launched your music career in the throes of the election build up. So, tell us a little bit about this new career path. Nadine: My brother is a singer and when I was a child, I used to move

around with him going back and forth with Everton Blender and all of them and being on Rockford out by the beach and learning to sing but I never actually been in the studio. The first time I ever launched a song, and (worked) in the studio, is with the Prime Minister on a song that I did for her. It is one of my first loves because I love music dearly. Ocean Style: So, is this another one of those model turned actress or turned singer stories? Nadine: No, it is like one of those models turned actresses, there is a human being here doing what she is supposed to do, doing what she needs to do to stay in the game, you cannot stick one place in the game otherwise the game was won and you do not realize it, so you have to change the game. Ocean Style: So, what have you done to prepare yourself to become a professional singer? Nadine: Well, I have sat down with my manager, Kingsley Cooper, and I have Grub Cooper from Fab 5, who is working with me, my voice training and everything. Two back-up singers were arranged for me. My singing name is Nagina because my name is Nadine and Gina. It is something that I really wanted to do but I was always scared, I did not know how I was going to do, but when I did the Prime Minister’s song and heard how it turned out, I was very pleased with myself, I could not believe it was me, so I went on to decide that that is it, and I sat down with Kingsley Cooper and he put a wonderful team together for me. Ocean Style: What type of music do you plan to do? Nadine: A mixture of singing, reggae, maybe a little hip-hop on top of it, I will definitely always keep a little reggae in my music because I am Jamaican and I will never turn my back on my country. Ocean Style: When do you plan to release your fi firrst single? Nadine: Well, before the end of the year definitely. Ocean Style: Any thoughts about collaborations with any other artists? Nadine: Not yet but it is definitely in the portfolio.

I would tell those people that are saying they can find other ways out to give them a job to go take them off the stage and give them a better career because they think they can do better, you give them a job that is going to be worthwhile to feed their kids and to feed themselves and help them get a home.

Nadine: Because when you see a lot of models where they are right now, when you look at the likes of Grace Jones and Naomi Campbell, Iman, she is one of my best, when you see all of them, I am still not there, I have been there, I had been the idol of a lot Jamaican girls, Caribbean girls, or even overseas, but I am still not where these girls are, and I think I can reach there if I get the chance. Ocean Style: In modeling or in a new career? Nadine: In modeling.

Ocean Style: Who are some of your role models in music? Nadine: Some of my role models in music are Kenny Rogers, Gladys Knight, Tessan Chin, Sean Paul, Shaggy and Bob Marley of course. I love Tanya Stevens - trust me I can go on all day.

Ocean Style: Really? You hit the top so fast and then it just seemed to.. Nadine: I did not get to learn, I was at the top, when you go to the top, where else can you go?

Ocean Style: Are there any singers out there now who your sound will resemble? Nadine: No, I am trying to do my original, my own type of music, I do not want to sound like anyone else’s.

Ocean Style: Very true. So, what happened? Nadine: The thing is, some models get to learn everything from a growth, a baby stage. As what I had to do when I was young or as a baby, as a child, I had to grow up too fast and so did my career, my career grew too fast so I did not learn to creep before I walk.

Ocean Style: Because there is only one Nadine. Nadine: There is only one Nadine. I got offered before to do music by a big agent in London, music agent, and I refused it because what they wanted was another Grace Jones and I already played the part of Grace Jones in my modeling, I did not want to go on to be Grace Jones not because I do not love her, I love her dearly because she is the one that put us as black models out there but I wanted to come out Nadine. Ocean Style: As we get back to modeling, your rise in fashion is pretty much unprecedented. What accounted for that explosive rise? Nadine: Luck is one of them and at that time, I was right where I wanted to be. God placed me where he wanted me to be at that time because it could not be any earlier and it could not be any sooner. Because I had got a chance to go away before and I did not get to go even on the day of the flight. I had to come back home from the airport and one year later, I left and I became successful and everything hit at that time and all I can say is, I was right where I was supposed to be. Ocean Styl e: Do you thi nk you have achieved your fu ll potential in modeling? Nadine: No, I would not say that. I have not fulfilled my full potential but they said they give you seven careers. I am only at my fourth. I still got three more to go. Ocean Style: Why not?

Ocean Style: Is that a tough thing to reconcile? Nadine: It is a tough thing because when you are at the top, people expect you to stay there 24/7 and not all the time you can. You might go up to the top today and then you come back down and then you go back up the top the next day, and that is all that is, it is life, it is only human, you are only someone. People expect too much from you, and that is my biggest problem, because too much was expected from me, and that is how it is, it will happen. When you reach the top, people expect things from you and you have to deliver. Ocean Style: Alright, but do you feel as though you reached the top and as you said, the expectations were that you are going to stay there and sustain that - when that did not happen, do you feel as though people pulled their support. Nadine: Yeah some people pull their support but, you know what, I have not finished reaching the top yet. I am going to change the rules. I am going to be the first one to go to the top and even higher Ocean Style: Tell us something about your modeling experience that you never shared before? Nadine: Actually there are a lot of things I learnt from my modeling experience, I experience of how to be calm, how to be humble, that the simplest thing can hurt someone’s feelings because each culture is different. You have got to learn – every model has got to learn to deal with

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the French, the English, the Americans, the Italians, the Africans, and you have to learn how to deal with all these clients, the different countries of clients because they do not read the things you… you may deal with an English and you talk to them just like I would be talking to you now and you are comfortable and you are happy and then you go to the French and they think you are rude. And that is the very thing in the modeling industry it is very tough. If you would be quiet and you do not say anything they think you are rude. If you do not eat, they think you are rude because they offer you food and you would not eat so they think you are sick when you do not eat. Sometimes it is not that you do not eat that food that they are serving at that time, but you have to. It is a very tricky business, it is very hard and you learn that sometimes something that you do not eat, you have to eat. Ocean Style: Jamaican seems to have the most succ ess with models from the Caribbean. Nadine: We are beautiful women. Ocean Style: There are beautiful women throughou t the Caribbean. What do you think accounts for the difference in success in terms of international achievement? Nadine: Right now, because we have broaden the horizon like Jaunel, Carla, Nadine, Nel, all of those we have broaden the horizon for the Jamaican models. There is a time that Africa is the focus on modeling, on models. And there is that time of the French or England and then it is Jamaican time for the first time in a long time in years Jamaica is right here focused on finding models and finding locations and everything and that is because of the Jamaican models - like me, Jaunel, Carla, and Nel, and all of us Zuna. There is not another Fashion Week in the Caribbean like Caribbean Fashion Week - we bring in models, we bring in designers from all over the world and are now joining Caribbean Fashion Week. Maybe soon it is another Gucci, entering Caribbean Fashion Week. You never know. Caribbean Fashion Week is now three or five times the size when it first started. Ocean Style: Do you get involved in helping some of the lesser experienced models, like some… Nadine: Well, when we are called upon we do so because we are the idols of these worlds, they want to be just like – they want to be a Jaunel. They want to be a Carla. Everybody wants to be different. They have their different idols. Some want to be Nadine. So, everyone has their different people, you have to show experience and you have to go out there and teach them, the girls, how to grow up even if some of them do not get the chance to be a Nadine or a Carla because you cannot be a Nadine or a Carla or Jaunel. You can be yourself. You can make your name or if you do not make a name, you will make a name in something else and that is what a lot of girls do not understand. Maybe modeling was not cut out for you. Maybe modeling was not cut out for me. Maybe music is the thing that was supposed to put me to my higher heights. Maybe it is acting, maybe it is designing. You never you know. Ocean Style: You mentioned Gucci just now; tell us all about landing that famous Gucci campaign. Nadine: Landing that Gucci campaign was the highlight of my career and I do not even know how up until today I landed the campaign. Mario Testino was beautiful, a nice man, I love the man dearly and that is one of the reasons why I landed Gucci because of Mario Testino and French Vogue. I saw this man and then he booked me for French Vogue and I shot it and it was amazing and I have Mario Testino to thank and a lot of the wonderful photographers that shot me and pulled out the beauty that they want. Ocean Style: Where did you meet Mary Testino? Nadine: I met him in London. Ocean Style: At a casting? Nadine: No he called up my new agent to see me because he heard that there was this new black girl in Jamaica and in London and she was fierce and my agent called him and he said, ‘I would love to see her’, and I went over and he was like, ‘You are beautiful, I am going to make you a star’ and he was a nice person. There could never be another Mario Testino. I will not run into another client that shoot me like Mario Testino did, he was like a family member.

Ocean Style: What is the most memorable photo shoot? Nadine: My most memorable photo shoot, I have two. I would say the Gucci and also the French Vogue, because Gucci was my first campaign. French Vogue, I got a lot of experience. It was the first time someone told me to rip up a designer gown by trying to get anger out of me, trying to make me angrier for the photo shoot and told me to rip up the designer gown, I said, I cannot do that, it is a wonderful dress, and he said, “Do it! You are ugly, you are stupid!” And he told me all kinds of stuff to get me mad at him, Mario and I had to do what he told me to do. The also he had me standing almost literally in the street naked, butt naked, with just a jacket on for a photo shoot. Gucci was an experience. Meeting Tom Ford. Going to LA. It was my first time in America. Ocean Style: So, which was the designer dress you ripped off? Nadine: I cannot remember. Ocean Style: Who’s the bitchiest of the super models you worked with? Nadine: Naomi, and pretend to be nice with it, but I still love her dearly because she is one of the models that put herself out there as black models. She just needs to know that this business was not made for Naomi only. It was not made for Nadine only, it was not made for Tyra Banks only, it was not made for none of us only. Models come, models go. Younger ones come, younger ones will quit the job and new faces will be there. Support your black models. If another black model, come what may, and there are only few, how can I disrespect or think I should bad mouth that girl. I just respect them because you know what, she got here. And you do not know where she came in from to get here. She may be coming from worse than you. Respect that girl that she got at the top and help to elevate her. Just like when I met Iman, she helped me. She spoke with me and she has done a lot with me. I love Iman dearly, and also, that African model, the bald headed one, Alek Wek. You cannot get any sweeter than Alek Wek. That is how models should be. Models should uplift their other black models. Ocean Style: Not Naomi huh? Nadine: That is what made Naomi, if she changes now, people will be like ‘Oh no, you do not come in trying to turn Christian on me. No way’ so, you know you have to still respect her because that is Naomi’s reputation and she has to maintain her reputation. Ocean Style: Her reputation put her in court a couple of times as well. Nadine: Well, you know how it is. She just needs to know, when she behaves, do not lift the hand, leave them there and she will save a couple of million dollars. Ocean Style: Ten years from today where will Nadine Willis be? Nadine: I do not know. I just hope maybe, on the height of my music career and my modeling. My modeling at that time will be like a sport, once in a while. But hopefully, definitely on the height of my music and maybe acting and little designing, you never know. Ocean Style: And who are Nadine’s heroes. Nadine: Well, I have go with our national heroine, Nanny of the Maroons in Jamaica. I have got to put my (former) Prime Minister there Portia Simpson-Miller and I have to put Grace Jones there. Do you know why? Because Grace Jones is coming from nothing to something, and you have to respect those people. I would dedicate one of my heroes to a lot of my Jamaican women that do not (sic) make poverty, maybe a situation, but is not your destiny and I have to give power to those ladies that recognize that. The situation is not your destiny, you make your destiny. Ocean Style: There are some people who sit in judgment of girls who have to dance or strip or whatever; they judge them for what is seen as taking an easy way out of not working or fi fin nding some other credible profession. Nadine: I would tell those people that are saying they can find other ways out to give them a job - to go take them off the stage and give them a better career because they think they can do better, you give them a job that is going to be worthwhile to feed their kids and to feed themselves and help them get a home. www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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LEAD PAGE slate grey, sequined dress by Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, silver cuff by Keren Peled PREVIOUS PAGE black and gold zigzag metallic copper sleeveless shirt by Lynne Larson, black floral pant by Lola Faturoti, boots by Chanel THIS PAGE black silk strapless jersey with ruched waist by Jean Paul Gaultier, clear lucite necklace by Cecilia Ramos NEXT PAGE slate grey and sequined dress by Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, silver cuff by Keren Peled

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OCEAN STYLE PREVIOUS PAGE black silk and satin gown with mid-lace details by Mara Hoffman black suede elbow length gloves by Costume National THIS PAGE black silk velvet mini with silver leather & crystal detail

YOUNG TURKS: ROMANCE IN THE PROVIDENCIALES Elina Furman

poolside at The Regent Palms

Photography by Dagmara Fashion Editor: Carlton Jones Assisted by Phoenix b Make-up: Harper @ Ford Hair: Vassilis Kokkinidis @ Art WingNY

ith its ivory, marshmallow beaches, warm azure waters, and an ideal position in the middle of the world's third-largest coral reef, Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands has always been a destination of choice for sophisticated romantics looking for a slice of the good life. Yet for a while, the island was home to only a few 5-star properties, leaving discriminating visitors little choice as to where to stay. These days, there is no shortage of luxury accommodations with even more deluxe properties looming on the developmental horizon. But even with all the available choices, four properties have managed to soar heads and tropical tails above the others. With their careful attention to detail, naturally enhanced backdrop, and extreme levels of service, The Regent Palms, Parrot Cay, Grace Bay Club and Amanyara reign supreme as the top resorts for couples, honeymooners, or anyone in the mood for love.

Regal at The Regent Palms Spread out regally over 12 acres on the world-famous Grace Bay Beach, The Regent Palms resort has commanded a top spot as the premier stomping ground for affluent romantics in search of an idea tropical getaway. Comprised of five, 40-story buildings with 72 deluxe suites, the hotel resembles a large palace surrounding a courtyard lined with exclusive shops and intricate garden pathways. Day or night, this stately area is a welcome place to relax and unwind. By day, guests recline in the rotating sunpods surrounding the $1.8 million infinity pool or hide out in the private beachside cabanas. Most alternate between the beach and pool, while friendly attendants ply them with bottled water, frozen fruit on toothpicks, and lavender soaked towlets. When it’s time to retreat from the sun, couples retire to their ocean view suites complete with top of the line Viking-equipped kitchens and plush daybeds custom-made for lazing around on the

room accomodations at Parrot Cay

large terrace. At night, Parallel 23 offers tropical fusion cuisine in an opulent setting that’s sure to bring any couple closer. Dishes like seared Tuna Carpaccio, Butter-Poached Prawns, Citrus-and Cured Duck Confit provide an ideal culinary nightcap. When all the amenities have been sampled and the fine meals consumed there is one special feature sure to keep guests coming back – The Regent Spa. As the recipient of the 2006 World Travel Award for “Turks & Caicos Leading Spa Resort,” The Regent Spa was designed to serve as the “spiritual center” of the resort. And as more and more couples flock here, it has quickly become a place to reignite even the most waning romantic spark. The 25,000 square foot spa derives its sense of calm and tranquility from both the therapies and design, which includes as its centerpiece a tranquil reflecting pool and winding waterways leading guests www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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Center, a pool on the beach, poolside Grill and Bar, new reception area, entry court and children’s Eco-Activity program at Kid’s Town. For those of you considering island nuptials (and why wouldn’t you) Grace Bay ranks high in romance with beachfront massages, penthouse villas, and in 2008 the addition of 22 custom-designed ultraelegant residences called The Estate with private cabanas that can easily accommodate your spa treatments, lounging and dining.

sunset at Amanyara

to private treatment cabanas. A variety of treatment options leave many guests boggled as to which to choose first. Among the most popular are the “Zareeba” treatment – an ancient herbal steam cleansing and detoxification ritual that requires sitting in a private enclosure while inhaling and stirring the aroma of healing herbs and the “Mother of Pearl Body Exfoliation.” Recently, The Regent Spa was treated to a renovation that brought with it the addition of six new treatment rooms, bringing the grand total to 17. Now guests can choose between a variety of spa accommodations, including two couple-friendly suites that include a private plunge pool, Jacuzzi, and a romantic dining area in a secluded garden. Privacy at Parrot Cay As the most established of the luxury properties in Providenciales, Parrot Cay has enjoyed an enduring reputation as a major celebrity draw. But what makes it really special is that it manages to treat the less famous in the same way as its celebrity duos, allowing everyone to feel as special as Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck did when they wed here or when Jerry Seinfeld and Jessica Sklar honeymooned in the private beachside villas on the 1,000-acre island. From the greeting at the airport to the departure, the entire experience at Parrot Cay is celebrity-esque, meaning sophisticated, exclusive, and always discreet. Because the resort is located on a private island, one feels the first class treatment right away as they are sped by boat past an exclusive area featuring the homes of some of the world’s most rich and famous. It’s easy to see why it ranks as a ‘must visit’ by every A-lister. With its private beach villa accommodations, one can be idle for an entire week-long vacation and never be disturbed except for the occasional dining forays. Of course, nothing says celebrity like having one’s own butler to make spa appointments, confirm restaurant reservations, and arrange excursions and dives. Should guests choose, the butler will personally deliver a complete 4-course meal in the privacy of their own villa or suite overlooking miles of private beach and stunning, multicolored sunsets. While most guests come for the sheer privacy, others come specifically to experience the holistic care and extreme pampering provided by the COMO Shambhala spa. Recently renovated to include more than 6,600-sq.-ft. of therapeutic space, the spa is comprised of freestanding treatment salons. Here, carefully selected and trained Balinese healers preside over what has become known as one of the leading spas in the Caribbean. With so many celebrity-friendly amenities, it’s no wonder stars and mortals alike continue to flock to Parrot Cay in droves. Grace Bay Club For the ultimate in romance serious consideration must be given to Grace Bay Club, recently voted the #1 hotel in Turks and Caicos by Travel + Leisure magazine. Spread over 11 acres of pristine beachfront, Grace Bay Club, the first luxury, all-suite hotel in Turks & Caicos, offers guests a quiet haven for uninterrupted relaxation. With a separation into an adults-only Hotel area with private restaurant, bars and swimming pool and the separate family-friendly Villas with their own restaurant and pool, Grace Bay satisfies varied vacation needs. The resort has currently undergone a multi-million dollar expansion which saw the addition of 38 ultra-spacious suites at the Villas at Grace Bay, a new 5,000 square foot Anani Spa and Fitness

Amorous at Amanyara Just a short 25 minute drive from the airport, Amanyara is a world away in both its aesthetic and geographic location on the eastern part of the island, far away from the busy tourist areas in Providenciales. The resort’s secluded white-sand beaches and iron shore rocky coves give it a unique position bordering the Northwest Point Marine National Park. Located on its own private stretch of beach a mile and a half lone, everything at Amanyara conspires to lull guests into a deep seductive trance where everything one might wish for appears as if by telepathic force. Guests will enjoy elegant touches, from being picked up in a deluxe brand-new Land Rover and provided with refreshing cold towels and water to, having checked into your room, never have to sign for anything as the staff makes it a point to remember every name and room number. While service may be a top draw for some new visitors, others are wooed by the resort’s jaw dropping décor and pristine environmental aesthetic. With teak accents throughout, the resort is a tranquil oasis that would feel as much at home in the middle of Bali as in the Caribbean, making it the perfect getaway for guests looking for a more Zen, minimalist feel without the long 20-hour flight. With shingled pavilions and a soaring reception area, Amanyara’s design creates intimate spaces that flow without interruption from the inside out. The villas themselves are a stunning contrast between light and dark; interior and exterior. With high ceilings, oversized, floor-toceiling windows and tranquil ponds, one never feels disconnected from the landscape. Automatic blinds that lower with the push of a button allow a welcome nightly escape from the living world outside. And when it comes to setting the mood for love, generic, cookiecutter packages would never do at Amanyara. In fact, the romantic itinerary offered here leaves nothing to chance and everything to the imagination. French champagne, chocolate truffles and fresh fruit upon arrival, a private movie screening in the hotel’s screening room, and a photographic session including 10 photos and an album are all just the tip of Amanyara’s romantic iceberg. Providenciales may be young and still poised for major changes, but when it comes to romance and knowing how to attract a fresh crop of travelers, The Regent Palms, Parrot Cay, Grace Bay Club and Amanyara prove that when it comes to true love, age is no obstacle. massage at Grace Bay

ROYAL PL ANTATION GOLF RESORT & SPA Douglas Gordon

hen it comes to enjoying the company of that loved one in an intimate but highly refined setting Royal Plantation should reside near the top of any list. This 74-suite exclusive boutique luxury resort along the white sand beaches of Ocho Rios in Jamaica, exudes an old world, refined charm with a generous helping of natural Caribbean warmth that makes it proper and sophisticated yet welcoming and friendly.

From the tastefully appointed entrance to the open and gentle breezes that waft in from the ocean, there is a feeling of relaxed sophistication that greets you as you enter. Upon arrival you almost feel an immediate kinship with the resort as you are warmly greeted and welcomed like an old friend returning to visit. It is a feeling one can only surmise is borne of a true pleasure to welcome and interest that you enjoy your stay. While there are a number of exquisitely appointed suite options, ranging up to the Governor General’s Oceanfront one bedroom suite at a magnificent 1,500 square feet, wherever you stay, you can be sure to enjoy rich mahogany furnishings, a fully stocked wet bar and engaging vistas. The delicate, classy, detailed touches speak to the luxury of the resort and the importance of comfort. The four poster beds are incredibly addictive and with a luxurious pillow menu on offer (from the Buckwheat Hull to the Memory pillow) the suite is a haven on to itself. A properly robust room service menu means that with the right company you have to make a deliberate and concerted effort to leave the room. I suspect you could very easily enjoy an entire weekend stay without leav-

ing that room but to do that would rob you of enjoying this wonderful property fully. There is a curious privacy that is available throughout. Of course there are other guests but the way the paths to the beach are constructed and the various options for relaxing around the property mean that you feel more amongst friends with like interest than ever lost as a statistic in a larger resort. As you relax on the beach with peacock flag in hand (the mere raising of which summons the very dutiful beach butler) you get easily lost in your company, the moment, your thoughts or the surroundings. Throughout the stay the staff exudes warmth that is both genuine and pervasive. In short order you come to view them as friendly and recognizable faces with a keen, but never intrusive, desire to ensure you are properly taken care; in essence purveyors in the art of providing excellent service. There are a number of eating options throughout the property to share a meal with that special someone. The cuisine at Royal Plantation is simply a notch above with gourmet the rule not the exception. Whether your stay is short or extended dining at the award-winning Le Papillion, arguably one of the Caribbean’s most elegant restaurants, is a requirement. With a long history of chefs from some of Europe’s finest dining establishments, be sure to enjoy the sumptuous seafood selections. The white glove treatment compliments the required dress code and speaks to a setting that facilitates sharing an intimate flavorsome dinner with your loved one. With delightful fare from appetizer to desert, it was clear from my visit the many awards bestowed upon the restaurant are well-deserved. Another notable culinary engagement not to miss is Afternoon Tea, which served every afternoon at four o’clock, is an absolute delight. Whether a sinfully short weekend visit or a more indulgent 3week sojourn a visit to Royal Plantation would be incomplete without a indulging in their world-class spa. The 5 star Diamond European Spa

Memory - Relieves pressure with a unique high density, self-molding foam. Reacts to body temperature keeping sleepers cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.

Water Filled - Positions head and neck naturally for instant relief from headaches and neck pain. Vinyl cushion fills with warm or cold water, adjusting firmness and support.

offers hydrotherapeutic baths, steam baths, body wraps, saunas, massages, manicures and pedicures. The boast is that you can have your treatments anytime and anywhere – from the spa infused with its light wafts of lemon grass, to your suite or even on the beach. I highly recommend the West Indian Massage (for two) which incorporates a fullbody massage with elements of the Caribbean including, tropical rain forest scented mists, warm river stones and a white-sand exfoliation for your feet that is simply divine. The transportation away from a world of cares and concerns becomes complete when you are in that room, side by side, and the professionals work their magic on your body. With a number of delicate and deliberate moments you are linked to your partner throughout the treatment, and at the end, as you are both raised from your state of deep relaxation (aka sleep). There is a real feeling of comfort and intimacy almost anywhere you venture and the comfort is shared by the beautiful peacocks which roam carefree throughout the property. These stunning creatures, gander amongst the lush flora and fauna and bring a warm smile and rich memories whenever the hustle and bustle of life becomes too overwhelming and you yearn for a time when you were able to enjoy the company of your loved one and just unwind. There is a natural romance that captures you and abounds throughout Royal Plantation. A candlelit dinner on the pier with your loved one or in a special nook along one of the paths is readily arranged and expertly executed. The thing that captured me, however, was the ambience. From the extremes of luxury – whether in the form of a picnic of caviar and champagne to the quaintness of enjoying freshly brewed Jamaican hot chocolate on the beach, Royal Plantation, offers the ultimate in luxury – the opportunity to do absolutely nothing in a sea of fabulous choices. For those who enjoy the finest things in life, it is a wonderful place to rediscover love. From the sunsets to the sunrises, there are seemingly endless special moments on offer which, I believe, is the beauty of Royal Plantation.

The Pillow Menu Buckwheat Hull Conforms to the head and neck for maximum support and stress reduction.

5-Foot Body Cushion Aligns the spine for better sleeping posture while reducing neck, back and joint pain. Perfect for pregnancy or recovering from surgery.

Leg-Spacer - Place this unique cushion between the knees to relieve lower back and hip pain or open up to use for extra support under the legs.

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ROMANTIC CARIBBEAN MUST SEES DOS

ell known for “Sand, Sun and Sea” the Caribbean holds secrets of which few tourists are aware and many citizens seem unwilling to share. So here is a mini tour guide of “10 Romantic Caribbean Must Sees and Dos” on your next trip with your significant other. All of the following venues are ideal for the honeymoon, lover’s tryst or marriage proposal, it is just a matter of picking what rocks your boat or the honeymoon bed more.

SAND & SEA: BEACHES It is no surprise that Ocean Style’s two favorite beaches are located in beautiful Tobago: Pigeon Bay Imagine the perfect post card of turquoise water gently kissing white sand, with grass thatched roof huts lining the beach and selling food and trinkets while, palm trees hang low, and a long wooden pier lends itself to the sea. This beautiful beach is ideal for the couple who will not mind a bit of company, as it is the most popular beach on the island for good reason. Jet Ski rental and Wind Surfing lessons are also available. English Man’s Bay Off the Rainforest’s tarmac road, through a sun speckled bamboo walk (tunnel) you will find what the Sunday Times rated as one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Take your picnic basket and enjoy the feel of sand between your toes, and deep clear waters perfect for snorkeling, while listening to wild parrots that inhabit the surrounding rainforest. This is the closest you can get to being on a deserted island with your special someone, as chances are, only handful of other persons will be around. YOUR PERSONAL BUNGALOW: RESORTS Strawberry Hill, Jamaica This small luxury hotel and restaurant is nestled among botanical gardens of over 300 species of flowers, and sits 3,100 feet above sea level in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Pick from 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villas of lustful nineteenth century Jamaican architecture, overlooking mountainous ranges being seduced by low lying clouds. Or visit the hotel’s Aveda Concept Spa for splendid pampering before you dine on “New Jamaican Cuisine” at their delectable restaurant. Nine Beaches, Bermuda Named for its nine gorgeous white sand beaches, Nine Beaches Resort in Bermuda has 96 quaint air conditioned cabana-like cottages placed strategically on stilts over the sea, putting new meaning to the concept of the “water bed”. Naturally and colorfully furnished, this is certainly one place a couple wont mind being lost at, in the Bermuda Triangle. The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize Located in Belize, The Lodge at Chaa Creek offers the perfect balance of all the soothing creature comforts, and the thrill of being in the

Anika Repole

wilderness. In a cozy spot on a 365 acre Nature Reserve host also to a Butterfly Farm and Rainforest Medicine Trail, you will find a lover’s nook, in your own Mexican tiled floor villa. Jake’s Resort, Jamaica Found in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica is true bohemian ecstasy. Jake’s Resort, wonderfully blends the themes of “garden, sea and sky,” villa doors literally open onto the sea, where you and your special someone can bathe each other in your outdoor, open, yet private shower. Stay in the beautifully furnished villas which offer seductive privacy, among colorful mosaic tiles, or dine at the restaurant which also offers cooking lessons in the secrets of Jamaican Jerk Cuisine. NATURAL LOVE: NATURE TOURS Mount Souffeire, St. Lucia No better place to heat up your love life than on the top of a still active volcano. Nothing to worry about though, Mount Souffeire in St. Lucia is regarded as active, as it only emits gases. Known as the “Drive in Volcano”, here you can take a tour of the sulphur springs or simply enjoy the panoramic view of sea meeting sky on this tiny island.

EDIBLE VIBES Our resident food expert, Michelle Jones, offers some delightful offerings

ffervescent TV host Michelle Jones doubles the flavour as her Vibes Cuisine cooking show celebrates its first anniversary by expanding its prime time timeslot on Jamaican television. All the better for the beautiful Mrs. Jones who practices her favourite pastimes: talking and eating. Working with Jamaica’s top chefs and foodies, her recipes always celebrate traditional Caribbean fare but add an international edge. She takes time out from visiting Jamaica’s hottest new jerk spots to share a recipe with Ocean Style. Michelle is in her element Wednesday s and Sundays at 7:50p.m. and Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. on Jamaica’s CVM TV.

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Tropical Salsa 2 Chicken breasts deboned (keep the drumette bone in) 3 tablespoons bottled jerk seasoning ½ cup diced pineapple ½ cup diced mango ½ cup dices papaya ½ cup diced cantaloupe ¼ cup diced white onion ½ tablespoon finely minced fresh mint 4 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1 lime Salt and pepper to taste Method: 1. Prepare charcoal grill. 2. Season chicken with jerk seasoning. 3. Grill for 8 minutes per side until cooked thoroughly. 4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine pineapple, mango and papaya. 5. Add herbs, oil and juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 6. Adjust seasoning if necessary. 7. Serve chicken with a generous serving of the salsa. The fruit will tame the pepper from the jerk seasoning.

Harrison’s Cave, Barbados Imagine holding hands with the one you love among the sound of rushing underground streams and glassy green calm pools, while being surrounded by natural wonders of stalactites and stalagmites in a giant crystallized limestone cavern. Harrison’s Cave in Barbados rightly holds the slogan of “Unleash the Adventure” Y.S. Falls, Jamaica Located on Y.S. Estate in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica is one of Jamaica’s best kept secrets. After taking a 10 minute tractor and jitney ride through the cattle and thoroughbred horse estate, bathe with your lover in one of the seven calm pools below a rushing waterfall, surrounded by lush tropical forest. Flower Forest, Barbados “Created by nature and slightly nudged by man” Flower Forest in Barbados certainly awakes the senses with brilliant colors, alluring smells and the sensual textures of gorgeous flowers. Place yourself in a trance among the humid yet tantalizing air and scents of the world’s flora. For the men reading this, it is the ideal spot to pop the question! (Translation: you are guaranteed a YES) www.oceanstylemagazine.com photo by Vibes Cuisine

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OCEAN The juiciest tidbits and hottest celebs chat with Ocean Style Editor-at-Large & MTV Base Head Jasmine Dotiwala Jasmine Dotiwala

i Ocean Cocktail lovers! Good to be back with you! Last month I did something for someone else instead of shopping. Yes, it's a nice feeling when you look good but it's better feeling good. I got my sneakers and sweats on and joined 300 other women of colour for a sponsored run in aid of the African Caribbean Leukemia Trust Fund in London’s Hyde Park. I always said running was bad for you. My ballet teacher Miss Crouch (RIP) always said running was bad for you. Readers..running is BAD for you! I ran 5km and now have £3000 worth of blisters to show for it! Ultimately I have learnt that running is not for women (or men) who have breasts. The UK has been groaning under the weight of awards shows and ceremonies this past month with the African Caribbean Leukemia Trust Ball, the Black Screen Nation awards, the Urban Music awards, the Dance Off awards, and as you read this the MTV Europe Music Awards hosted by none other than the big dog himself Snoop is taking place in Munich, Germany on November 1. Then the 90’s group SWV came and tore up south London’s Brixton academy and I screamed ‘’IM SO INTO YOU’‘ and WEAK’‘ really loudly before running off to the sexiest night of the year at the Royal Albert Hall with Fashion Rocks hosted by Samuel L Jackson - see London life is so where it’s at right now….when are you Caribbean folk coming to hang out with some Brits? There was a lot of debate over the MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards as usual and who won what, but one thing that remains undebatable is that the performance of the night and the only one which had the audience on its feet partying was the T-Pain and Young Joc moment, which was on fire. The collaboration between the two on ‘Buy You a Drink’ had thousands of us all up on our feet doing the ‘Snap’ dance. When we met up the next day I wanted the full deal on Mr. Pain and his name “the T stands for Tallahassee, which is my hometown in Florida, the Pain stands for the struggle of trying to get into the music industry and out of Tallahassee.” T-Pain described his home town as being very influential on his sound because “you don’t really see expensive cars there. It’s like a little country town, mum & pop stores everywhere and that just made my music more true because it wasn’t sugar coated or stylised by all the other stuff that the big city people see everyday.” As we know T-Pain’s vocals have a very distinctive sound which he explained came about because “I got a whole batch of effects, I went through all of them until I found that one sound that made my voice sound more different than anybody else and I was like I can do this all the time!” T-Pain wants to be different not only vocally but visually too “when I found out that there was somebody else in the industry with dreads I went and put colour in my dreads!” Not only did T-Pain get creative with his vocals but also in the way he got signing up by his mentor Akon. “I got discovered by Akon from jacking one of his songs. Basically, I got the Akon record before anybody had heard it. I took the beat off of the record; I made my own song to it, and put it out before anybody had heard his. So everybody

T-Pain

thought that he’d stolen it from me! He got wind of it and he said I reminded him of him. So he flew me to Atlanta, bought me a pizza, we sat down & talked for a while. After that we had T-Pain.” As well as “Buy you a Drank,” T-Pain also had a hit with ‘’Sprung’‘ which he confessed was about his wife, “It was just basically about how I was a player before I met her and then when I met her like I just wanted to throw the game away. I just had to keep her, I married her and she was down with it before I even had anything. She used to give me money, she used to give me her pay check!” Ah, isn’t that sweet! So it’s strange then that the next hit was “I’m in Luv With A Stripper ‘’ I mock scolded him. He wanted to clarify that very quickly, “The back story to I’m In Luv With A Stripper is about my first artist now – J-Lyric, I took him to his first strip club when he was 22. He didn’t know how to behave up in there. When you go in there, you can’t really pay too much attention to one stripper, but he actually went in there and got drunk and he did. And we went to the studio the next day, and the power went out in the studio so I couldn’t record anything, so I actually had to make a beat just on my laptop and we were playing around and I was like joking with him. And I actually started singing the song, just joking at him, and he was like ‘you need to record that.” Also I had to tell T-Pain that Akon had already let me into the secret formula of their hit tracks which involves always making songs for the strip club. T-Pain looked shocked that his secret was out and admitted ‘’yes I basically think that that’s because the strippers tell the truth. If you go to a regular club, people get drunk, and be like ‘yeah it’s nice’ even if the song sucks. But, if you go to a strip club the actual strippers will tell you ‘that song sucks, don’t ever play that again’. If they can’t dance to it, that’s not a good song. You know I love dancers; I love ‘em to death. I love all the Cinnamons, Destiny’s, Dynasty’s, all the fruits, apples and whatever your stripper name is I love you.” One thing that made me laugh at T-Pain for being slightly strange was his children’s names. Are you ready for this? He revealed ‘’I love music so much that I named my son ‘Muziq’ and my daughter’s name is ‘Lyric’ and I think if I have another daughter think her name’s gonna be ‘Harmony.’ If I have another son I think his name is gonna be ‘Symphony’. I think if I have eight kids I’m gonna just keep looking on the Internet for names of musical stuff, ‘cleft note’ or something. They’re not gonna have a choice but hey that’s how it goes you know.” Poor kids. Next, Black Eyed Peas front man Mr. will.I.am was eager to come tell me about his debut solo album which I guess a few of us had seen coming a while ago, as well as talk about all the rumours I’d been hearing about him producing new music for Mariah, Whitney, Michael Jackson. Will explained the change from artist to producer came when “I did ‘Ordinary People’ for John Legend. That track was originally for BEP but John sounded best on it and then he got nominated for a BET award and BET didn’t acknowledge me as a songwriter so I was like ‘that’s kind of whack.’ It’s one thing that that they don’t even play our music, do you know I’m black! So then it was a goal for me to produce, to be acknowledged in my community - I was angry.” What a great way to channel anger! I know in the hip-hop community folks don’t really acknowledge BEP as being hip-hop but Will stated “Twenty seven million records is twenty seven million records, we used to sleep on people’s couches and garages so the mission was just to get on. Things started getting big and other people were getting credit for my work! So that’s when I was like bump that! So I wanted people to know I can make music! Will confirmed he has worked on ‘’Mariah’s record, Whitney Houston, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris’s new record, Michael Jackson and 50.” To reassure us Will also explained to BEP fans that the band is not

COCKTAIL LET THE JUICE FLOW!

breaking up and is for life ‘’I never wanted to go solo because Black Eyed Peas is solo people in a group and now is the only time I could try a solo record because BEP have another record coming out November 2008. That means all 2009 we’ll tour that record and then next thing you know its 2010! Damn man I’m going to be thirty five years old! I want to do different things when I’m thirty five. I want to do movies, films, writing and directing.” With all Will’s famous musical friends it was refreshing to hear he didn’t have them all collaborate on his solo album. He made me laugh out loud when he Alison Hinds shrugged and said ‘’This record is me by myself because if I can’t get your attention by myself for four minutes then I should find a different career or something right?” My personal favourite on Will’s new album is the last song on the record about the ultimate female on the planet (no not me) but the planet itself. That song’s called ‘SOS Mother Nature’. If people are going to be talking about something, lyrically, they are going to be talking about that one. Then the man that was one third of the world acclaimed Fugees was in town to talk about his new solo album The Carnival II Memoirs Of An Immigrant. With rumours about his ongoing rift with Lauryn Hill I couldn’t wait to catch up and get Wyclef’s side of things at the Crystal nightclub in Central London. We arrived at the plush very Manhattan-esque club to find waitresses dressed in carnival costumes handing out rum and cokes and Alize cocktails as well as gyrating on the podiums. Huge VIP sections saw a smattering of D LISTERS enclosed in them with more important music programmers and media heads not in the VIP. Now firstly let me say I’m not a fan of VIP sections at parties. Diddy told me years ago he never had them as all his guests were special (that’s why his always rock) and VIP sections were the one thing that will.i.a m always killed a party. Secondly if you are going to insist on a VIP section then the folks in there really need to be VIPs for a reason. Not groupies, video chicks and one time celebs. Remember the reason for the party is to sell your artist so why would the important decision makers not be in the VIP, not made to feel special if they’re ‘working’ late evenings whilst the wannabees in the VIP can’t do bo diddley for your act. Answers on a postcard to ‘How can I get my business savvy game straight’. Having said that, Clef endeavoured to make the night hot. He got on the mic, played and performed his new material to us, jumped on tables, danced with the ladies and encouraged fellow party attendee will.I.am to have fun so by 2am it had turned into a great night. Everyone was dancing on the table when I left at 3am. The next day MTV spoke to Wyclef who told us he has collabs with Shakira, Norah Jones and will.I.am on his new joint as well as Akon on the first single ‘’sweetest girl’‘ which is interesting cos Akon was on the first Fugee-la remix with the Fugees years ago! We discussed women as sex objects in the hip hop world and Clef explained “‘No, I don’t feel that women are sex objects at all. Ever since the beginning of time, men are in awe by women. Because of this sometimes they just lose their mind you know what I’m saying? I think

all women are beautiful, and we need to respect our women. Because hey man - we would not be here if it was not for women. So big up my women out there. You are the sweetest girls - yes that’s going to get me more pussy!” As the Fugees were such a huge part of my playlist once upon a time I had to get the 411 on Lauryn - Clef spat out “I definitely look forward to the Fugees doing more material. But the first thing that needs to happen is after my psychiatric evaluation, Lauryn Hill….Mrs. Hill, The Hill - Should go see a psychiatrist - period - Just seek help. Lauryn Hill - seek help. It’s not looking good right now. We all see it on the internet - what’s going on once she seeks help I’m willing to come into a room with the psychiatrist too. The Fugees need a psychiatrist. You know what I’m saying because you want to get the stuff back together you got to be willing to walk in to a room and have group therapy of course starting with Lauryn Hill because I am not crazy (twitches his head).. I’m not crazy.. (twitches)“ One thing that the Trinidadians gave me was a love of soca music after carnival this year so next on my rota was the world famous Notting Hill carnival!. Jumbie! Roll it gall! Hands up hands up! Down the road! One more wine! Come around! Wow! That’s probably the most soca dancehall smashes I could’ve ever reeled off for you! we began at Hammersmith Apollo where the 50 Cent of Soca - Machel Montano performed for a sold out, sexy, happy crowd. It was my first UK foray into a Soca gig and I was blown away. All these years my girls and I have been asking “‘where have all the cute men gone?” Our question was answered. They’re all at Soca Jams! I am a changed lady and can now wear trainers to jams and have joined the revolution. I have a flag for every island ready as well as making up a Kenyan one for myself! Carnival was monstrous fun, nuff jokes and good times! The sun was blazing even though we had to shield our eyes from some of the more interesting naked body shapes that also wanted the sun to see them. The food was plentiful although try as I might to hustle some free curry goat and rice and peas from the stall man they weren’t giving up anything. Then we ventured back through the crowd to catch some of the amazing costumes and I noted that the difference between the costumed dancers here and the Caribbean is here they all looked miserable. All moodylooking, no smile cracking, heavily plodding along. I was like “‘you need to smile and dance no matter how heavy and uncomfortable your costumes are or I’m writing a strictly worded complaint letter to the carnival board” who wants to see a great costume with a moody mug? No one! The next day Mims, Collie Buddz and Swiss Beats popped into MTV to be interviewed and all props to them cos even with their red partied out eyes, questionable alcoholic breath and bodies exhausted from performing and partying they all worked it for the MTV cameras like Paris Hilton on a self promo secret home movie! Love this life! www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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T HE H A S BE G UN

Douglas Gordon photography by Robert Manella and dkg

anya Stephens’ command of the English language and deft ability to tackle deep social issues with powerful messages with the simplest of phrases has gained her fans across many walks of life. From the hallowed halls of higher learning to street corners, from political chambers to executive suites her messages are clear, concise, powerful and prophetic. We had the opportunity to sit with Tanya over the summer a few short weeks before she gave a show-stopping performance at Reggae Sumfest 2007 that brought the house down.

On Her Music Ocean Style: Do you write your own lyrics? Tanya Stephens: Yes. Except for I Am Woman by Helen Reddy. Ocean Style: What serves as the inspiration for your music? Tanya: Life, especially people. Humans are the stupidest animals and so they inspire me. Ocean Style: Where do you go for inspiration? Tanya: I just live. There is a story in everything and it is just all about real life and experiences. Ocean Style: The Caribbean is a very conservative, close-minded type of environment, and by addressing certain topics and being brutally frank about them, you are going to alienate some people. Do you feel like you are missing out on some of your audience? Tanya: My music is not just dancing music for partying. It is listening music so people can have discussions, and if my music starts a conversation, I feel like I succeeded. Ocean Style: What is the message you want your music to convey? Tanya: Live and let others live. Live simply so others can simply live. I tried to inject that into everything that I do. Examine things carefully from every angle before you make a judgment. Everybody is a unique individual, and everybody has a different thought process, and everybody has a different experience. Ocean Style: I hope you are able to get more people to do that because I think it is a fantastic way to think. Tanya: Something needs to change. We need to change it. There are many, many people who are working to change the mindset that is al-

ready here to something that is more respectful of life and the process of life. On Sexism Ocean Style: Some people think your lyrics represent male-bashing. Tanya: I analyze relationships between the different sexes. I spot the problems, I highlight them, and I suggest ways to fix them. I would not call that bashing. I will call that providing community service. (Laughs) Ocean Style: Why do you think some people consider your lyrics sexist against men? Tanya: Because some men don’t like to hear my perspective on this old problem. Apart from a few men who are willing to fix their attitudes, others will always have problems with my lyrics. On Race Tanya: I honestly believe that we are taking more steps backwards than forward. I am not one of those people who obsess with my blackness. It is incidental that I am black. However, I would advise that the people, who make a huge issue about color, first start advancing the race by not bowing to the “bling” and other superficialities in life. There is more to black people than that degenerative materialistic view.

Tanya: It would be best if they could figure it out for themselves, but everybody can use a little help. I have had help along the way. Opportunities are rare and people have facilitated me being able to move. However, it is up to the individual to decide if they want to be silent or if you want to move. The rest is easy. On Social Responsibility Ocean Style: What social responsibility do you feel as a singer? Tanya: I kind of have mixed feelings on that. In a perfect world, I guess we would look out for each other, but I do not think that it is the responsibility of any entertainer. My thoughts are centered on my daughter. I cannot shelter her from everything that life is going to throw at her when she becomes an adult, and I do not want her to face it by herself without having been made aware of it in my presence first. It is not the entertainer’s job to determine what is right and what is not just like I do not think it is the responsibility of the drug dealer to make sure you don’t become an addict. I think it is your responsibility to not buy the drugs in the first place.

Ocean Style: Some people s ay that while s om e are m aking great strides, many more black people are being left behind. Tanya: I think many of them elected to stay behind. I come from extreme poverty in Jamaica. I did not get very many opportunities, but if I can do it, so can everybody else.

Ocean Style: But there are some who are weaker than others. Does society have some sort of responsibility to help them? Tanya: It is all collective responsibility. However, we have to take on more individual responsibility for ourselves. All of us make up the society, but if everything begins with the individual, then I think I should place the biggest responsibility with myself. I try to help other people, but I do not feel it is my responsibility to become Mother Teresa. I would not want to concern my life with leading other people, who all have the same opportunities that I did, but just choose not to use them. It is not fair that I should have to deprive myself to raise other people

Ocean Style: Do they need people telling them that in a more forceful manner or is it that they need to awaken collectively and fi fig gure it out for themselves?

On the Music Industry Ocean Style: The music industry is going through some very interesting changes. We have seen more digital downloads and less compact

disc sales. How have those changes impacted you in your own personal business and your growth as an entertainer? Tanya: Well, first and foremost, for the last two albums I have been on VP Records. I do not know how many copies I sold, though. I cannot figure out the gibberish of the statement they send me, so digital downloads have not really affected the figure in my mind. I know that I sold a lot, but I have never figured out what “a lot” means. It is the record company who will sets the formula like if my song is released as a mini-single. Honestly, as a consumer, I do not feel that I should have to buy a whole album to get just one song. In my opinion, that is robbery. However, I do not think most record companies are interested in just selling music. I think they sell whatever they think groups will buy. Ocean Style: Did Rebelution do well? Tanya: Everywhere I go, people have it. I am in the process right now of having somebody figure out what “done well” really means. I am working on an album right now, which should be complete before the end of the year, but we do not know if we are going to release it this year or early next year. Ocean Style: Have you signed with another label? Tanya: No. I have done both albums with VP, the Gangsta Blues and Rebelution, and we completed them on our own anyway. It was already finished by the time VP got it. We just have not decided where to go. We have not started to shop around or anything. We are just making it first. Ocean Style: And what label is that going to be on? Tanya: With Tarantula which is our own label. So what we really need is distribution. I do not think I could be signed to a label. I am not really that type of artist. I am not really into the marketing and stuff. I am more into the product and the making of it. Ocean Style: I think that is happening a lot in the market now. We have www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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OCEAN STYLE seen a lot of artists either doing it on their own label, or signing with smaller labels. Tanya: Because you get more specialized attention and not just somebody who treats people as statistics and not as people. They feel like if they do the right thing in terms of marketing, then it must sell even though that has never worked. Even though they have like a 15 percent success rate, most record labels still think that is the way to go.

like anywhere else in the Caribbean. Tanya: Yes. We seem to head the list in the violence thing. But it is not as bad as what is presented internationally. The media make it seem that the entire island is blown up in smoke, but it is usually limited to very select bureaus which are more politically volatile. Ocean Style: So you live and operate out in Jamaica? Tanya: Yes. Although, I actually spend more time outside of Jamaica than in it, but it is where I live.

Ocean Style: Are you going to tour sometime soon? Tanya: Yes. Last year we toured Europe and there was a U.S. tour which just got cancelled. A couple of people walked off it so they have to redo it. I do not know whether we have a U.S. tour planned, but I am going back to Europe for some festivals.

Ocean Style: Your travels stick mainly to Europe or the U.S.? Tanya: U.S., Europe, and Caribbean. I toured Japan for awhile. Until a few years ago, I was really very afraid of flying long distances. I have lots and lots of support from Japan, it is just the really long plane ride that bothers me.

Ocean Style: In terms of Cari bbean mu sic, soca and reggae are the most popular, but do you see it having to change to adapt to what the world pays to hear? Tanya: I do not feel music in terms of genre. I feel music on an individual basis. I only judge based on if it is a good song, and then you can start putting more attention and more importance to the production.

On Women Ocean Style: Your songs deal with relationship issues as well as women empowerment. Your no-excuses type of attitude says take responsibility for your life. But do you see that happening with women today or women in Jamaica, the Caribbean, around the world? Are some making strides while others are held back? Tanya: We are making strides in both directions. Some are looking significantly worse and some are really much better. There are still some people with such poor standards of living that anything can get violent. The good thing is that the women who have made progress seem to be more group-oriented. They want to teach and they want to influence by spreading what it is they are achieving. You will always have some women who are really smart, and you will always have some women who are really not. Then, you have some who are kind of in the middle. You have some who are over-achievers. There is no one word that can practically differentiate any group of people. I do not mind teaching some of the stuff that I have learned. I teach anybody, male, female, boy, girl. I do not mind. I think humans are too segregated. They are separated into legal groups. I think we should abolish that. I like that the women are moving, but I do not care if the women are dumb.

On Rihanna Ocean Style: Some people argue that Rihanna is a function of the marketing machine rather than the music. Does that dispel the notion that it is about the music itself versus the personality? Tanya: I do not see Rihanna as Caribbean at all because she has not been marketed that way. She is a part of the industry machine. So I would not really use her to reflect on what the Caribbean is doing. It is nice that somebody from the Caribbean is based on a major label, but I do not see her as a reflection of anything Caribbean at all. Ocean Style: So we will not see Tanya Stephens going that route? Tanya: It is not something I am dying to do. I am not going to lie and say I would never. I never say never to anything, but it is not something that I am actively trying to do. I have already been signed on a major label. I was on Warner for two years. It never worked out. I realized that I like politics when it is pertaining to politics but not when it is in music. It is not all fun and games. It is very superficial. It is very materialistic. It has nothing to do with the music at all. Music takes up about 5 percent of the business of music. Everything else is about the money. People who spend the money are the ones who get to make all the decisions, and these decisions are not based on anything pretty. On Politics Ocean Style: You touched on politics. What are your thoughts on what you see happening in Jamaica? Tanya: Jamaican politics is not logical at all. The only good thing that happened recently is that we have a female prime minister. I say “good,” not from the sense that I think that she is a good prime minister, but in the sense that we are looking past some of the mindsets that we used to have. Jamaicans are not good with politics at all. We are not good with taking care of our people. Nobody is safe. What we have is a few people living with the illusion of safety where we really are not safe at all. We have not provided good education for our people at the cost that they can afford. We have no healthcare. The roads are just being fixed now at a cost that my great-great-granddaughter and son will still be paying for it, and nobody asked my permission to spend that much money. In fact, it is awful. It is very awful. I do not see that we have an alternative that can be better. I do not know that would work. We just have such a bad political system in place that I think anyone who goes in will be corrupted by it. Nobody is going to fix something that actually benefits them, so we cannot start benefiting the whole. We have not been socialized that way, so I do not really see any good change coming either. It is sort of pessimistic but it is reality. Ocean Style: So you think there is nothing on the horizon to suggest… Tanya: No. To fix this, we need something really radical, but I do not see anything like that coming right now to be honest. Ocean Style: Jamaica is also well known for very violent elections un-

Ocean Style: Is there a correlation between women excelling and families falling apart? Tanya: I think a general evolution is taking place. My grandmother never did anything, but she was smart, and my granddad worked. She raised like 11 kids. That will never do for me. She was very unhappy. She was a suppressed adult woman and she made her kids suppressed. It was so bad for all of us. Thank God, our generation values the individual. We do that so nobody is left behind due to too much compromise. Compromise is not a good thing. It means you have to give up some part of you. So, we are getting new values which are more practical. If we cannot coexist, we move on, and if the family falls apart, it is not the woman’s fault.

I analyze relationships between the different sexes. I spot the problems, I highlight them, and I suggest ways to fix them. I would not call that bashing. I will call that providing community service.

On What Moves Her Tanya: I really love discussion. I love to read topics that people are afraid of. I love to play Devil’s Advocate. For me, life is education on purpose and if I have a forum, like music, that is the kind of thing I use when I talk to people. I feel like it is my personal obligation to use it. Ocean Style: What sort of topics interest you? Tanya: I think every topic can be examined from many different angles and you get a whole different story from it. I am still very into politics and interpersonal relationships. Ocean Style: What do you do for fun? Tanya: I watch people a lot, including myself. I love to fish, but I think I need to stop telling people that because I have not gone fishing in years. I read a lot, though I am not really into suspense novels anymore. I love self-help books and educational reading. Ocean Style: What are you reading right now? Tanya: I am reading a few books. I am reading ‘Retire Young, Retire Rich’ by the Rich Dad, Poor Dad guy. I am trying to finish that one before the movie comes out. I am behind on a few other books. Besides that, just health stuff, activities of the body. I really like that. Ocean Style: Any favorite places to visit? Do you go on vacations? Tanya: I have never been on vacation. If I go places to work and travel with my family on vacation, I am too busy to enjoy wherever I am. On Her Restaurant Ocean Style: What is your favorite? Tanya: I love Thai food. (In Jamaica) a few people claim to be Thai, but the food is not like Thai. We have Indian food, though. We are opening a really great restaurant. It’s the Jamaican take on international cuisine. It’s going to be exciting food. Ocean Style: When is that supposed to open? Tanya: Later this year. Ocean Style: Are you very involved in the recipes? Tanya: Oh, you do not want me to be involved in recipes. I just conceptualized it. It looked easier before we started. It is hard work. Ocean Style: What is the name of the restaurant? Tanya: We have not decided on one. It is kind of a relaxing place to get some really nice things to eat. On Jamaica Tanya: I would not want to live anywhere else. Jamaican people are so close. I used to make a conscious effort, while I was growing up, to say something nice to other females because girls never say “You look good” to each other. So, I made a conscious effort to say that to my friends. www.oceanstylemagazine.com

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OCEAN STYLE

MIX & STIR Drink lively and healthy with this Ocean Spray concoction sure to delight while keeping you healthy.

CR EAM Y C I T R U S C O O L E R

4 ounces Ocean Spray 100% Pink Grapefruit Juice 4 ounces orange juice 4 ounces pineapple juice Â˝ cup low fat vanilla ice cream Directions: Put all ingredients in blender. Blend for a few seconds on high speed or until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Makes 2 servings