DJ SWITCHg
Ghana’s youn s e n s at i o n
Vol. 1 Issue 14 24th JUly 2020
SAMUELL
BENTA
MAN ON A MISSION In collaboration with
Credit: CBSN
Credit: TEX
Behind the Lens
Remembering John Lewis
Civil Rights Legend 2
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Blessed Buju Banton
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BREAKING NEWS
ERICA Armah Bra Bulu TANDOH
Credit: CNBC Make It
DJ Switch - Invest in us
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Press play
e logo with the boy and the man much smaller. We don’t charge for Butterfly Maag because we want you to enjoy everything our Black Creatives have to offer. So, can you spare a £1 or $1 to help us build A BLACK-OWNED TELEVISION NETWORK?
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Bakita: KK
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iChurch: Pastor Michael Todd
Contents
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Tanzania
Cover: Samuell Benta Credit: Contributed
Remembering John Lewis
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Blessed Buju Banton
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DJ SWITCH
A Panoramic View Of Caribbean Music
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Black Kings (and Queens)
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What’s on the Screen?
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Freedom is Mine with Fayida
21 24 30
The Disruptor
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St Kitts 6
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Samuell Benta
Rhea’s Watch
Editor-in-Chief Beverley Cooper-Chambers EDITORIAL TEAM Karen Ferrari Simone Scott-Sawyer Editorial Researcher Tasina J. Lewis Sharrae Newell-Barn MARKETING DIRECTOR Marvin Osemwegie SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYST Michael Brown
APOLOGY
Butterfly Maag apologises unreservedly for the misspelling of Mr Muhammad’s name in last week issue. It was an administrative error and was in no way intentional. Once again, we apology for the undue stress and disappointment felt by Mr Muhammad, his family and this team.
ADVISORY BOARD
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2
THE BUTTERFLY MAAG TEAM
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Just Ask Ariel
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Laughter, Good For The Soul
Financial Strategic Advisor Nastassia Hedge-Whyte, MAAT, ACCA,ICAJ Marketing Strategic Advisor Jeremie Alamazani, Principal at Wealth Partners Ltd. Editorial Contributors David Clarke (London) Rhea Delaney (London) Joshua Grant aka Sports Arrow (London) Natalee Grant (Jamaica) Fayida Jailler (UK) Bakita Kasadha (UK & Uganda) Chi-Chi Osemwegie (London) Donna Williams (USA) Manasses Williams (USA) Design Editor Rusdi Saleh Graphics Butterfly logo by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)
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Submit a story: communications@butterflymaag.com Advertising enquiries: ads@butterflymaag.com Ad copy should be submitted Friday for the following week’s publication. Butterfly Magazine published weekly on Fridays.
Sports Arrow
Last Word
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Irish Dancer
Butterfly magazine is published weekly by BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE, UK. Tel: (44) (0) 203 984 9419 Butterfly ™ 2015 is the registered trademark of THE LION AND THE LAMB MEDIA HOUSE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publishers BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED. Address all correspondence to: communications@butterflymaag.com No copyright infringement is intended
Going Forward
Black Rocks Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony St Kitts Slavery History and Tourism
Remembering Felix Dexter
St Kitts
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Credit: Andre Perneel
St Kitts in 4K
Credit: Netflix
THE LIBRARY
Black Kings (and Queens) Ruled Europe For Almost 700 Years
Sweet Sounds of Mento 8
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WALL STREET
“ The place where white folk keep all their money” How I learned to read — and trade stocks — in prison | Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll
FINANCIAL LITERACY ISN’T A SKILL IT’S A LIFESTYLE!
Credit: Great Big Story
Take it from Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll. As an incarcerated individual, Caroll knows the power of a dollar. While in prison, he taught himself how to read and trade stocks, and now he shares a simple, powerful message: we all need to be more savvy with our money.
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What’s on the Screen?
The Screeners’
TV Choice
Illustration by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)
WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY
Welcome to our Virtual Library ! Feel free to browse around and choose any book to read, all you have to do is click on the book cover to get the link. Enjoy!
Bellamy’s People -BBC
Credit:Black Excellence Excellist
Man
Credit: Positively Inclined
Credit: Odd Media Productions
Black Excellist – Top 10 American Black Billionaires
Felix Dexter – Traffic Warden
Inspector Bediako
Pregnant Woman in St Kitts Transform your viewing...
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What’s Love Got to Do with It
Lynn Whitfield 12
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Credit: Touchstone Pictures
woman
Credit: Ely TV and Rhymes
small child
Credit: Ely TV and Rhymes
The Bath Song
If you are happy and you know it clap your hands song Transform your viewing...
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OLDER CHILD
Credit YouTube Movies
11 year old DJ Switch from Ghana
The Great Debaters 14
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young adult
Credit: The OriginalMalehogany The Lerone
Credit: OWN
Felix Dexter – Early D – Remote Control
The Josephine Baker Story
Light Girls Transform your viewing...
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Credit: Ninovation
gen z
Credit: Fredi Nwaka
Credit: Lexo Tv
Inspector Bediako
St Kitts Sugar Island 16
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Dat Sassy Black Best Friend
Credit: reelblack
grandPA
Credit: Studio 10
Eric Monte – The Unseen Interview
Cooley High (1975) Transform your viewing...
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Credit: reelblack
grandma
Credit: Studio 10
Tina Turner – The Girl From Nutbush
Good Times 18
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LEGACY
Credit: caribbeannationalweekly.com
Light Up The Darkness
Credit: lycketysplytzg
I am Legend Bob Marley Scene
Bob Marley – LEGACY: 75 Years A Legend (Episode 1) Transform your viewing...
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Freedom is Mine
iran BY FAYIDA JAILLER
A
lthough the official number of Africandescent people living in Iran is unknown, an estimated 10% - 15% of the population of Southern Iran is said to be Afro-Iranian. They are majority Muslim, and speak the local languages of the regions they live in, such as Baluchi and Bandari. One of the earliest records of an African presence in Iran dates back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans helped the Portuguese during and Anglo-Persian attack at Hormuz. Enslaved Africans were trafficked from East Africa to southwestern Iran to work on sugarcane plantations. The men were also employed as labourers, farm hands, woodcutters, stonebreakers, bodyguards and soldiers. The women deployed as nannies and concubines, whose children became members of the slaveowner’s family. Some rose into positions of power as governors, or bodyguards to the highest members of Persian society. It is worth mentioning that slavery in Iran was not isolated to Africans alone, with Georgians, Circassians and even Persians themselves forming the Iranian slave labour force. Slavery was only abolished in Iran in 1929, and African descendants formed their own settlements along the gulf coast, where they 20
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continued to celebrate their African heritage through music, dance and oral history. One of the legacies of African culture in Southern Iran is the belief in spirits such as the Zars, malignant spirits or winds that possess people and must be appeased. In Iran certain spirits are referred to as ‘pepe’ or ‘mature’, derived from the Swahili ‘pepo’ and ‘matari’. Part of the reason so many people are unaware of the Afro-Iranian community is the stigma surrounding the subject of slavery. The legacy of slavery is a best ignored in Iranian society and at worst negated entirely. According to academic Behnaz Mirzai, many Afro-Iranians themselves are unaware of the full extent of their African origins believing that their dark complex is due to the hot climate on the southern coast. Afro-Iranians are often referred to as ‘the blacks of the south’. Some Afro-Iranian communities have been integrated for generations and intermarried with Iranians from other ethnic groups. Other communities are more separate such as the Afro-Iranian community in Sistan-Baluchistan who live by a strict caste system, forbidding intermarriage between certain castes. Living in some of the poorest provinces in Iran, many Afro-Iranians do not have access to the same opportunities as their counterparts from other ethnic groups.
Welcome to the Disruptor
To be a disruptor in business is to create a product, service, or way of doing things which displaces the existing market leaders and eventually replaces them at the helm of the sector. [`the disruptor]
Less Talk More Action
DJ Switch — Ghana’s Young DJ Wants to be a Gynaecologist do and her future plans, Erica responded; “I picked the name DJ Switch because I switch up people’s happiness. I am not only a DJ but also a poet, dancer, an MC, a motivational speaker, actress and an advocate. I also want my parents, teachers, CNN, BBC or France24 and the world to know that being a DJ is just the beginning of my goals, I want to eventually become a gynecologist and help women around the world. Credit: Global Landscapes Forum
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rica Armah-Bra Bulu Tandoh who just turned 11, also known as DJ Switch from Ghana has already made a name for herself after spinning for just two years. Erica, the only daughter to her parents with four siblings is so eloquent, vocal and confident thus puts so much attitude in her works and her energy level is incomparable and limitless. Asked about her stage name, what else she can
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Meet Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll:
A Finance Prophet Currently Serving Life
“F
inancial literacy is one of the biggest issues that plague our society. 90% of crimes committed are money related, yet only 1% of the programs that cater to people in prison and out deal with finance. I am here to be a solution for that, at least from my perspective.” Known as the “Oracle of San Quentin”, Curtis Caroll was convicted of murder/robbery 20 years ago and was sentenced to 54 years to life behind bars at an age when most of us were busy going on awkward dates as we attempted to navigate high school. Curtis grew up in what can be considered ground zero of the crack epidemic;
Oakland, California. Carroll’s desire to change his circumstance forced him to educate himself and at the same time awakened a conscious he long ago buried under multiple rap sheets as a youth. Carroll now sees his life as an opportunity to teach financial literacy the masses, attributing crime, or the motive behind it, directly to the disconnect between financial security and most people. He compares finance to a soap opera in that he attempts to find a narrative to which people are emotionally connected to, and determines his move based on that. Salute to Curtis Carroll and Sway for an important interview. Watch above. Source: Sway Calloway - “The Last Mile Radio”
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All roads lead to Be part of the change
Join the gamechangers communications@butterflymaag.com
People can’t buy Black unless they know about you and can find you… All roads lead to Noire Street…
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lead story
MAN ON A MISSION SAMUELL
BENTA
By Beverley
Cooper-Chambers
Nothing just happens! So when Samuell Benta’s name popped up in my Linkedin feed I had no option but to approach him for an interview! What I got was so much more; a man fired up and ready to come out with all guns blazing – clearly a man on a mission – this is his story:
I
think it’s worth knowing my background and the bigger picture, so you can see it for yourself. I hope you will have a whole new realization on our outlook, not just in this industry but on life and your responsibility.
Laying Low Three years ago I published a book where I went into great detail about everything I had been through, leading up to, during and after producing ‘All about the McKenzies’. For six years I wrote, produced, directed everything myself. It should not have been that way, but it was, and looking back I love it. I did not go to film school; ‘All about the 24
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McKenzies’ was my film school. The experience broke me and built me up, and I have emerged stronger and more determined to fulfil the vision I had as a child. I was frustrated by life and had this desire to change things; I wanted my own TV show. I shared the idea with my brother who said to do it. Not knowing what to write about, I shared the idea with my friend. He suggested I write about my life. I did. The main character in the show was Samuell and he had a little daughter just like mine. I was able to turn the challenges I was going through in my relationship into a meaningful element of the storyline. After brainstorming with my friend, I set a goal. I said I would be in production by April 21st 2011. It is good to set goals because then you have something to work towards. I watched a lot of the American sitcoms, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air etc., and I was determined that my show was going to be a hit. All I needed was a great script and a great cast, or so I thought.
The Reality I am very grateful for the internet because it enabled to find a good screenwriting software Celtx, and YouTube videos that demonstrate what you have to do at every stage. With the help of my good friend Ian we planned the first episode, with the help of Puff Daddy’s inspiration, with his song ‘All About the Benjamins’, I came up with the name of the show and I was ready to go. Again, nothing happens by accident as I met someone who recognized me from work I had done in the music world who helped me plan a pilot script. What followed was a video presentation which I put online, but not before I learnt how to use Adobe Photoshop. I downloaded screen recording software and recorded myself talking about the project. I always say there is power in the voice. This is the show I am looking to do and these are the characters. I put it out there on a website called Filmmakers United, saying I am looking for actors, writers, directors, producers. I had a lot of people viewing it. Most people contacting me were actors, but I did not have any writers etc. So I then thought “ok I need to make this thing,
I want to film something”. I cast the actors that is who you see in the web series. I told them it was unpaid because I want to film an idea so I have something to show visually. That is the attitude we should have as creatives. How about we put the money aside and do this for the love of having something to show so we can show an industry that we can make good content? There are actors who will do it for free but crew get funny because they are using their equipment. But it can happen.
The Process When you look at everything involved you see the issues – the formatting, the structure, the writing and the acting. If you look at the original web series through to the ITV2’s pilot, you will see the process at work. It gets better and better as I was going through the process the only thing was unfortunately the process is visible to everyone. But you know what? I did not care, I just wanted to get started on something because my soul was crying out to share the message by any means necessary - I had to get this done. Everything I write or create has to have some sort of home truth with a proposed solution at the end. It was a journey and the details are in my book. Do I think a Black British-owned Television network is definitely needed? Yes, Yes, Yes. Now, more than in the history of mankind, because for so long we have had to deal with White-owned networks. It is weird to expect that someone who has no knowledge or understanding about our journey or culture or stories to understand our content or show ideas. For so long I have seen so many writers and Black producers bucking their heads on the wall trying to get through the door including myself. First, it is Black-owned so there will be an understanding of our stories and what we would like to see. I have even been told by a White executive that there is no market for a Black audience. I know that is not true because we love Black American content and that is what my generation has grown up with. Shows like The Cosby Show, Sister Sister, Moesha, The Wayans Brothers, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and I always thought to myself why can’t we have a show like that here? Transform your viewing...
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If you look at my generation we have only grown up on Black American content. It is only recently that Black web series content creators have decided to come out with their stuff. When you watch it, there is still an influence of the American shows so at the core of it is an identity crisis. As Black Brits we don’t really know who we are because we have had America in our faces all the time. We have to deal with the cards as they come. There is only so much control that we have until a change is made that makes people take notice. It always comes down to where am I going to get the money to do this? Because, yes, it does take money to do these things. Originally when I started the original All about the McKenzies, there was no money, that’s the stuff you have not seen. The stuff online is not the original stuff that started in December 2010. People don’t see the process; they only see the finished outcome.
The Ugly Truth About Ourselves Back to the question about the need for a Black British-owned television network….here is the challenge. There was a panel discussion at the Jamaican High Commission. I was one of the panel members when a question was asked, ‘do you want to see more Black content?” and they said, “Yes”. They were then asked if they were willing to pay for it, and they were not so keen. Unfortunately, that is the mindset that we are dealing with. You, the Black consumer, will pay money to the cinema to see Kevin Hart; you will pay £200 to see Chris Rock at the O2 but you can’t pay £7.99 a month for a subscription where you’d get a lot more content. Look at the leaders we have had. With the recent events of George Floyd and all of that, it has rattled the cage of many industries, not just TV. People make a lot of
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noise for an incident in the US but if it was a Black boy here in the UK, nothing would be done. We are dealing with a media that thrives on public opinion; anything that is put on the media is for a particular agenda. The mass audiences are conditioned to react to what we see but there is so much that we don’t know about because it is not being shown. I believe there is a way over the hurdle, and I believe the power is in the voice
My Voice This is the reason that I am doing what I am doing. I understand that with any jigsaw puzzle there will be 1000 pieces. My responsibility is my piece of that 1000-piece puzzle. My purpose is to talk truth through content that is going to uplift people and sow the seed of growth within those individuals. For the most part in the industry, you are dealing with people trapped by political correctness. This boxes people in further because now you have to watch what you say. You are still a slave. You are dealing with people in high positions with a kid’s mentality, that don’t have the capacity to see something else.
Trying to get into the industry Heartbreak In 2016 I wanted work in production. I knew what I had done already and I had a series that was acquired by London Live when it came out in 2014. I thought that should justify me going out there, make a show and make a living from it. I was on a talent website applying to different opportunities - I was getting a lot of rejections. That was heartbreaking. It said, on the website, add a testimonial to your CV to enhance your chances. I reached out to Patrick Younge, former CCO from BBC. I met him at the BAFTAs. He said it was funny I reached out to him because he was going to contact me about a potential opportunity. We had a meeting and he explained how ITV was looking to do their fresh season for Black History month and they were looking for BAME production companies to do four shows. I was definitely interested. It was going to be a coproduction situation, Sugar films with Bentavision. This was a new experience for me, not knowing how it all works. I said, “this is where I’m going to grow”. I went to him with an idea that was not The McKenzies, and he said, “why don’t I submit The McKenzies.” I wanted to show to move forward so I agreed. The budget for the pilot was 50K, which I thought was a lot of money as I had worked with little to none. We used all of it! I loved working with Sugar films - it was their first drama and I appreciated their help sorting out children’s licensing and postproduction. I grew by leaps and bounds as I crewed up the show, sorted out the
schedules, cast the actors, did the rehearsals, sorted out the locations, and sorted out the catering. ITV was happy and said they could see it being a series. I was happy because it took six years to get to that actual wonderful moment. However, a month went by and I think the Commissioner went on holiday and a new Controller was employed and unfortunately, in the changeover the idea was thrown out of the window and it was not going to happen.
That broke me I only recovered from that experience a few months ago. It has been a drought period ever since then. There were bits and pieces that I was doing but it was never to that level.
Going forward with the schemes I do feel that there is some sort of change happening now since the BLM’S George Floyd thing because now I know that with the BBC there is a different thing going on for BAME productions, and Channel 4 have their thing for April next year. Right now, I am just being an ideas machine and if they won’t do it, it is definitely something I will be looking to do anyway and I will figure out a way to do it. Right now I am looking for a billionaire who believes in me as an individual and in BentaVision and what I have to present. I want them to partner up with me and change lives. I want to produce amazing shows and films that can be sold globally as an acquisition, as opposed to networks saying, “Well we put in this amount of money”, “No you didn’t!”, “Oh, now you want to work with me because I have proved myself to you?”. All these initiatives like the Ones to Watch scheme. I applied twice in a row and did not get through even though I met the criteria - I had something on ITV. I remember when I was rejected from BBC’s pitch because I did not meet the criteria. Well, I told them it was racism. They expect people to have a commission already so they basically put them in a losing position because many people can’t meet the guidelines. I understand that Commissioners have bills to pay and they want to stay in their job. How they operate is by a system that has always worked for them and they always work with the same companies. Transform your viewing...
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Playing Tennis with the Industry I see the industry’s diversity policies and how smart they are when ticking boxes. We will throw in a Black guy and not give him as much. Or they are crafty in the edit, for example, school children or a crowd with a Black person at the back still meets the criteria. Then there are commercial quick cuts of a Black person. They have ticked the diversity box but it’s still them showing themselves. Certain Black characters that they have are still their perspective of what a Black person is and what they do. Yes, they have gotten better with some things, but it is White- led. How would they feel if it was flipped on them where there is a full black cast and one White person? Black American shows did this back in the day with numerous shows having a predominantly Black cast and one White friend.
Changing Times
Lessons learned I know the guidelines that the industry put out. I know the whole concept of one page per minute in the script. No, it is not! It depends what is being shot. I know that money can be saved and you can still produce first class material. I taught myself by trial and error and found out what actually works and why. Every character in The McKenzies represents an aspect of me. The ITV pilot was rushed because I was at a disadvantage. The other production companies had been commissioned and were sorted. I only had three days to write the script. I have shown that it can be done. From being an actor on set and watching shows I have seen how much time and money is wasted in production. So I can see much better ways to use the money and how things can be shot much faster. That is why my slogan with Bentavision is “Smarter, Faster, Better”. My influence comes from Tyler Perry, as I love what he has done for black creatives, actors and actresses and I am looking to do the same in the UK by creating a revolution in the industry where creatives and actors are astronauts in a universe that I have created. 28
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The TV industry has changed and what broadcasters are not telling you is that they are dying because no one wants to watch TV. They can watch it on their phone and iPad. They have iPlayer but it is still online. Statistics show that more people are watching iPlayer than TV and it is the same with ITV Hub. You have to remember times have changed with the digital platforms. You can’t tell me to be home at a certain time or I have missed it completely and I have to wait for re-runs on the weekend. We have gone past those times. Times have changed where we are now in demand for content more now than ever before. Unfortunately, they have run out of space for the talent pool because they can’t meet their demand, hence why they are being forced to search for new people.
In Closing...for now My message is for Black creatives to stand up and write your content. Black actors that are not getting anywhere, create your own content. That is what I did. The McKenzies is about me and my experience with my daughter. Write what you know. Each of us has a purpose, you are here to bring your story to the table so write about your story. If you can’t write it, there is someone who can write it for you. You just need to give them your information and they will do the screenplay for you and the person
to film it is also going to be there. You need to network with each other but not I meet you, I give you my card and we never speak again. We need to change that attitude. It needs to be “no”, we are actually going to get this done for the sake of “I am here to live my life”. I am not here to be beating around the bush with an idea that I have. I want to live my life, have great experiences, and get paid to do what I love. Not be creatives working a full-time job that they don’t want to do and doing their passion as a side thing. Enough of this side thing - collaborate and get the content made. When we have enough things to show, people will actually take us seriously because currently we do not take our craft or ourselves seriously and we spend way too much time waiting on agents or someone else to determine whether we are good enough. We have been conditioned to hate ourselves and not trust ourselves and keep begging the White man.
That needed to be said Do you want another year saying it has been a long time since Desmonds? Or looking in the mirror saying, “I wish I was on TV”. Just create your own show and stop the lack of self- belief. Look at the animation I use for Bentavision - I’m wearing a military outfit which represents authority, power, determination, and makes a stand. It is about being on the frontline with this rather than on the sidelines. I’m grateful for everything I have been through because it has armed me with what I need to go and make a show and have the voice and power to project that vision to everyone else. The story is the thing that sells. Michaela Coel writes her own stuff and her story sells. Those are the levels that creatives need to think. I don’t like the thinking of the White TV industry that they hold the power about what is going to happen globally in regards to a show and little children are watching it and being programmed.
The Future is Now I would like to be the production company that I wish would have accepted me in the first place. So whenever I did The McKenzies I always had someone shadow directing so they could learn, and I created work experience working with various people. The youngest one was 15 but they won’t allow that happen on a main production and I asked them, “Why?”, and they said they don’t have the insurance to cover that but they do - just add an extra person on the insurance and it won’t cost any more. They are just making excuses because they don’t want to. I am very inspired by Tyler Perry and it is part of my vision to have Bentavision Studios where land is owned, a studio is built and creating a legacy bigger than Disney and Warner Bros. I’ve noticed that there is no active development in the sense of we intend to employ you. I plan to have a TV and film production studio but with a separate building specifically for a talent funnel. A funnel where talent is nurtured with smaller projects, building up their craft and mastering it so they can move on to bigger shows that are being produced. I wish that the industry had a system like this. The card they play is that they put up a scheme where you can learn but it does not guarantee that we will employ you but we will put you in touch with production companies that don’t care, or put you with a ‘mentor’, where the relationship eventually fizzles out because that mentor is too busy to babysit. I am a man on a mission to change lives through great entertainment, to create and inspire joy in others through great stories. Transform your viewing...
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RHEA’S WATCH
Highlights achievements of the youth today, showcases people who seek Highlights achievements of the youth today, showcases people who seek to create a brighter to create brighter future forgems thefrom youth andwho reveals future for theayouth and reveals hidden the past helped tohidden make thegems world afrom better place. the past who helped to make the world a better place.
Alex got a place in the UK's Premier A community activist in South London in the Athletics Club 70s, joined the British Black Panther Youth movementBirchfield in 1968.Harriers She dedicated her life to at age 15. Alex got fighting for racial, gender and social equality. into all the Youth Morris, who died from cancer aged 27, Development teams campaigned for racial and gender equality, in 2019 and she was and squatters’ She left calledrights. to compete in her mark on this world. Shemiddle dedicated her life to helping others. league competitions which I didn’t know about Olive Morris until age 20. are for seniors. In Around the age she was travelling and fighting 2019 Alex for many. 2018 I amand inspired by this remarkable represented South young woman. Dive deeper with me as I Birmingham schools explore her life, the astonishing example she twice in athletics. was to many women and the massive impact She went on to she made represent in the black british community. West Midlands schools at Mason Trophy Inter Counties Schools Championships in 2019 in the 300m Hurdles. She has competed in England Athletics' national championships twice. Alex now studies French, Russian and Latin at A Levels.
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SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY
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Bakita: KK
Photo: contributed. Bakita Kasadha
Bakita was invited to take part in Poetic Unity’s Quarantine Challenge. Poetic Unity is a Brixton based charity using poetry as a tool to support young people create positive change in their lives:
SPEAK YOUR
TRUTH Meet Bakita: KK
Overcoming self-stigma to achieve your potential
[
Bakita Kasadha is a writer, researcher, health activist and poet better known as BAKITA:KK.
[
“No one can tell our stories like we can” underpins her why.
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Click for video
faith on tv
iChurch
!
WARNING
POWERFUL WORD FOR ALL AGES
There’s No
Condom
For Your
Heart Pastor Michael Todd Transform your viewing...
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Chante
Credit: Fusion
Meadows
Credit: TEDxKingLincolnBronzeville
Changing views on mental health
Stigmatized: Black Churches and Mental Health 34
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The Blessing
Tanzania Tanzania
Blessing Voice Tounane
You Won’t Believe This Is
Tanzania
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Music
C
A PANORAMIC VIEW OF CARIBBEAN MUSIC AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF PATRICK WARNER
an you imagine disembarking from an aircraft somewhere in the Caribbean on a well needed vacation? Clad in Tshirt, shorts, gym shoes, sunshades and a broad rimmed straw hat, the familiar exotic sounds of a local steel band greets you on the tarmac as it captivates your attention and lulls the mind for only a brief moment as you approach the worst part of the trip.-Immigration and customs-Yes, this is the Caribbean , hmmm.-AKA home- Its music, its people, its locale reflects the freedom that Bob Marley refers to when he said “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.” Come with me as I stir your imagination to reminisce and reflect on the musical history of the West Indies and of my native land, Jamaica. The mainstay of the music and inner feelings is a blend of not only British, Spanish, French, Indian and even Islamic influences, but it is particularly a derivative of the African slave experiences, the oral tradition and a mouthpiece for all black people in the diaspora. “I’m a slave from a land so far. I was caught and I was brought here from Africa” - Francisco Slinger AKA Mighty Sparrow-. As I reflect on this profound quotation, I can’t help but to think of my heritage, it’s African roots, and the tingling natural high it instills within.
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In this issue I will concentrate on the music from my homeland. Reggae. Reggae music maan! That steady pulsating beat can occasionally drive you in a frenzy and will at times activate involuntary muscle reaction resulting in the tapping of the feet or nodding of the head. To understand and appreciate how Reggae came to be, we have to go back to the very beginning where this whole thing started. During colonial days, Jamaicans sang songs in Patois and African languages. On their off days from work of course they would tell stories, say poems, hold dances and show their creative side in dramatic plays sometimes accompanied with drumming and dancing. During the emancipation period, indentured laborers continued to arrive from Africa along with Indians and Chinese. They in turn brought with them their own music and dance traditions adding authentic elements to the already rich African and Jamaican blend created by the slaves. Kumina, Pocomania, John Canoe and folk songs evolved consequently. These music like most Jamaican music today, grew out of the live experiences of the people. The music enhanced their ability to cope with life in an exploitive colonial society. The blending of Jamaican music with foreign instruments and European styles was a never ending affair.One type of music which bloomed from this mixture was Mento. Until recently, Mento was played by village bands throughout the rural areas and in the early 1900’s was the island’s most indigenous music. It was in dance form and had a characteristic 3:3:2 rhythmic pattern. It was also an added
figure to the European Quadrille. -A grand parent of the square dance- By the 1940’s everybody was listening and dancing to the Mento, and with the heralding of Rhythm and Blues later on, the renaissance continued. The big band sound system evolved to form the Ska. This music became very popular and seemed to match the heavy wailings of the depressed. What was the afterbeat on the piano, was deployed by tight horn sections with the prominent sound of a lyrical walking bass. This potent downtown music or poor peoples music, as it was sometimes called, made popular by Don Drummond One of the world’s best trombonists in his time- Roland Alfonso and the Skaterlites, rocked the dance halls nationwide with profound reverence and revivify. Gradually, a slower rhythm called Rock Steady materialized, and with the emergence of bands A- LA Byron Lee and The Dragonaires, Sonny Bradshaw, Lynn Tate and the Jets, Tommy McCook and The Supersonics, this modified sound blasted off. There were very few records on the music charts Jamaicans could call their own at this time, and with local singers namely Desmond Dekker and The Aces, Prince Buster, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, The Paragons, The Maytals, Burning Spear Et Al, Rock Steady could now make the transition Uptown and unite the different classes of people that prevail. This love music as it commonly portrayed ,was used to soothe a nation that was struggling for a better way of life politically, personally, and also to gain notoriety in a crucial post colonial era. Out of this rich heritage of Kumina, Pocomania, John Canoe, Mento, Ska and Rock Steady, Reggae was born. It became the music with a message that reflected the collective discontent of the struggle between the have’s and the have nots. People who are oppressed or deemed themselves to be, have always found the music and the lyrical accompaniment as a form of protest or outcry. For any subdued section of a nation, race or ethnic group, formulating sounds and music is the ability to exercise the creative imagination in a way which placed the victim beyond the reach of the oppressor. So it is an obvious channel through which to express one’s view of the world or society. How did Reggae spread from Jamaica to the rest of the world? Many may not believe or do not want to believe that it was done through Rastafarianism. The rastaman. Dread Locks. With the coming of
Desmond Dekker
independence in 1962, the new nation of Jamaica was in search of an identity that went beyond the old colonial model. The Rastas and popular musicians that joined forces with them, provided one answer. Because the great majority of Jamaican people are of African decent, they turned to Africa. This is embodied in a quoth by the late Jacob Miller “ Africa for Africans. We want to be free from shame and brutality” These words reflect the rastafarian objective of repatriation. To them Ethiopia is the Promise Land because it is the homeland of their Messiah, the late Emperor Haile Selassie. Rastas wore the colours of Ethiopia’s flag- red- green and gold- as a symbol of their philossophy. (Believe it or not, they had a hand in its design) Their dance hall type ambiance gave the music an incredible persona, in that its religion, symbols and colours, was right for an American music public that had been accustomed to a radical look and a radical content. The powerful, emotional and unifying effect that Reggae has upon those who experience it outside the diaspora and the West Indies per se, is both rare and extraordinary. Its capability to culturally unite and educate the people of its nation and the world is limitless. Given the racial and economic chaos that abounds in our world today, reggae is a prime candidate to help bring about mutual respect and understanding to all people. ‘Until the philosophy which holds one race superior, and another, inferior - is finally - rejected -discreditted - utterly destroyed and abandoned; Well everywhere there will be war. Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance, than the colour of his eyes. Yes there will be war.’ These are words of the late Emperor Haile Selassie and put to music by Bob Marley ,one of reggae’s many pioneers. Marley’s music is universal. Its appeal is not limited to any one time or place. Even when the Berlin Wall was being demolished, you could hear the Germans singing ‘Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight’ So you see Reggae Music is indeed a message of the people, for the people, whether near or far, irrespective of colour, creed, or race. Just collating this information makes me feel homesick and longing to return home on a well needed vacation. I can just imagine myself sitting under a coconut tree sipping my favorite brew with coconut water on some white sand beach. Before I get carried away, Peace, Love, and Courage. Tata. ( This article was researched and produced with the help of my knowledge of the local lore and the National Public Radio’s -History in Motion).
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Just Ask Ariel
Mental Health
T
he ugly truth that people fail to realize or understand about mental health issues, is that they don’t discriminate. Case in point, the world has been watching as famed rapper, Kanye West, has been exhibiting signs of mental illness for years now. His poorly thought out and disrespectful statements about slavery, has caused fans to, cancel Kanye, no longer having the desire to support his music career. Mental illness doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman. It doesn’t care about your race or your age. It doesn’t care about where you live or how much money you make. And it surely doesn’t go away just because you want it too. I will never forget my 30th birthday. Not only was I was excited about leaving behind the mistakes I’d made in my 20’s, but I was preparing to move to a completely new city to pursue my passion, writing. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my birthday was going to be full of surprises. However, I had no idea that being diagnosed with clinical depression would be one of them. When I was first informed of my fragile state of mind, I felt overwhelmed to say the least. After the shock wore off, I had to be honest with myself. All the signs were there, I had just become accustomed to masking them. I didn’t have a desire to do much during the week, but no one really knew that since I did most of my socializing during the weekend. I wasn’t working at the time and when I wasn’t running errands for my family, I would lie around the house, completely checked out. Eating and sleeping had become my daily routine. Even my writing had taken a back seat. I could not move away from the
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only home that I had known in such a dark state, because truth be told, I may not have survived the trials I would have to face. Although I was planning this big move, I still didn’t have any job leads and I had only secured a place to stay for a few months. I probably would not have withstood much more failure at that point in my life. Having earned a degree in Psychology, I understood the importance of mental health and agreed to immediately begin counseling. Even though seeking counseling outside of the church is frowned upon and misunderstood in the black community, I knew what I needed to do to save my life and to make myself better. I knew that not all of the people who loved me would understand how or why I was depressed, and why I couldn’t simply pray myself better. However, my answer to their questions was simple. I explained that prayer works but so does counseling and that God gave us healers for a reason. Getting help from a professional gave me the tools to fight depression, as well as recognize certain triggers and early warning signs. It made me stronger and more self aware. I understood that having a daily routine, such as exercising, would not only help me physically but could clear my mind. Going for a walk every day put me back in touch with my creativity, which I was certainly going to need when I made the big move to Atlanta. Overcoming depression taught me the importance of not hiding the chaos that we often experience in life. What people fail to realize or understand about depression is that it doesn’t discriminate. It helped me to be an even more authentic and I felt no shame for being a black woman who needed help and received it. Counseling saved my life and it just might save yours or even the life of someone you love. Ariel Driskell is a writer and filmmaker based in Atlanta, GA. As a master storyteller (think Yoda meets Issa Rae), she believes in using words to heal people, as well as sharing her perspectives on life and love with hope, and a dash of humor.
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Black Lives
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W
eeks have gone since the BLM movement started, however due to recent events, it seems that the effects have been diluted. Recently, two premier league football players, Wilfred Zaha and David McGoldrick received racial abuse on social media. This incessant behaviour is not going away, a month ago former Arsenal striker Ian Wright was racially abused. It is upsetting because it was a twelve yearold boy that did the deed, calling the Crystal Palace footballer Wilfred Zaha a ‘black c**’ assisted with a picture of the Ku Klux Klan and a cereal box with Coon Flakes with a black face to imitate Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. The boy was immediately taken into custody but was recently released. David McGoldrick was called a ‘f** dirty n**’ and was criticised on his football ability using racial terms. They spoke about this despicable behaviour, which caused an uproar on social media. Zaha, said to the press that people, despite their age, need better education and need to learn that social media isn’t something you can hide behind whilst saying awful things. On Sunday, Lewis Hamilton celebrated his win at the Styrian Grand Prix with a fist pump to the air. He called out fellow F1 teams such as Ferrari for limited action on racism and that the whole sport needs to come together. Mercedes and Red Bull mechanics took a knee to recognise what is going on in the world, however, it shouldn’t stop there. As human beings we should all demonstrate what the BLM movement means. We all need to help eradicate racism from society and most of all educate people about different lifestyles and cultures. Prayers and thoughts go out to Tottenham Hotspur footballer Serge Aurier’s brother Christopher Aurier after being shot at a nightclub in Toulouse. Until next time watch this space..
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