02232024 WEEKEND

Icon honours legend

ACCLAIMED SOPRANO JOANN CALLENDER PAYS TRIBUTE TO TIMOTHY GIBSON IN NEW DOCUMENTARY

music

The next generation of rake n’ scrape

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

As the son of a veteran Bahamian musician, Ironn Storr was practically destined to pursue a career which celebrates the local arts, music and culture. And that’s just what the young rake n’ scrape artist is doing: carrying on the work of his father, Ira Storr, the frontman of the Spank Band.

“Growing up, seeing him perform, watch ing him create and make music sparked a flame in me. I knew I wanted to follow in his foot steps and create a legacy of my own,” Ironn told Tribune Weekend.

Starting off as a dancer, Ironn said he would sometimes perform live with his school’s marching band back and on a few projects with singer Lady E. He also became a skilled percussionist and piano player. But his love for singing really took off after joining Lady E on stage for a performance at a ‘Best of the Best’ event.

Chasing his dream ever since, Ironn said he is not only a singer but an upcom ing producer as well.

“I’m constantly experi menting with new sounds as both a singer and producer in hopes of finding the right recipe to take rake n’ scrape to the world. It is also a passion of mine to keep our culture alive and bridge the gap between our his tory and our youth,” he said.

Now, he is celebrating the release of his very first song, “The Only Thing I Do.”

“When I came up with the song I wanted to create an anthem for men that have been through some thing similar. The song speaks about my encounter with a young lady after just one outing and her inability to let go of me. In the storyline I’m expressing my desire to not want anything more than a good time. This, I feel, was relatable to a lot of men,” he explained.

“The name of the song is a direct quote. I’ve had this conversation several times and I’m sure a lot of us can relate.”

many things I have in store this year. I am about to release my new single, ‘Whining on Me’, which was co-written by myself along with my girlfriend and single-handedly produced and recorded by yours truly... I’m anticipating an exciting year musically.”

IRONN Storr is following in his father’s foot steps while also carving his own path on the rake n’ scrape scene.

Top local chefs to serve up Bahamian fare at Florida’s largest food festival

Bahamian celebrity chef Simeon Hall Jr and his all-Bahamian culinary team are gearing up to showcase the rich flavours of the Bahamas at one of Florida’s largest and most prestigious food festivals - the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF).

This star-studded culinary event boasts an impressive lineup of celebrity chefs and culinary professionals, including renowned sommeliers, culinary artisans, and food influencers from around the world.

Attracting thousands of festivalgoers, up to 65,000 annually, this event has evolved into a must-attend on the culinary calendar for food enthusiasts in South Florida and beyond.

The highly-anticipated event is scheduled for February 22 to 25 in Miami.

Chef Hall’s culinary team comprises some of the top chefs and culinary professionals in the country: Chef George Roberts Jr, Chef Tyla T Collymore, Chef Alpheus J Ramsey Jr and Eldoray Ferguson, who is a trained butler and will lend his hospitality expertise at the event.

Chef Hall and his team are preparing to serve attendees at the festival’s Goya Grand Tasting event with a signature menu item from his upcoming restaurant, Preacher’s Kid.

The featured dish, called the ‘Hamwich,’ reimagines the classic native sandwich, the ‘Slam Bam,’ with succulent rotisserie ham, quickpickles, and beer mustard, all nestled within a pillowy island brioche bun.

Chef Hall said the Bahamas’ invitation to participate in SOBEWFF represents a significant stride

“Every chef has the opportunity to establish connections with their patrons, colleagues, and fellow culinary professionals. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to build relationships with esteemed individuals in the culinary world, individuals whom I admire and who have played a pivotal role in opening doors for both myself as a chef and for representing my country.”

forward for Bahamian cuisine and aligns with his mission to champion the promotion of his beloved culture - especially its food - to the world.

“For various reasons, it’s fair to say that Florida, in particular Miami, feels like the 701st island of the Bahamas. We share a reciprocal relationship - just as we go there, they come here. To be showcased at this event seems to be a natural gastronomic progression. Despite the logistical challenges, it is incredibly important that the Bahamas showcases our food culture, which I believe goes beyond our beautiful beaches and radiant sun,” he said.

Chef Hall also emphasised the importance of Bahamian chefs and culinary professionals exploring international promotional

opportunities and establishing contacts abroad in an effort to strengthen their personal brands while simultaneously presenting the Bahamas not merely as a vacation spot but as a culinary destination.

“Every chef has the opportunity to establish connections with their patrons, colleagues, and fellow culinary professionals. Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to build relationships with esteemed individuals in the culinary world, individuals whom I admire and who have played a pivotal role in opening doors for both myself as a chef and for representing my country.”

He added: “One notable connection was with Christian Fombrun, a former executive at SOBEWFF, with whom I collaborated twice on the Caribbean Cookout Show. Christian introduced me to the talent coordinator at the festival. Following this introduction, my team and I submitted my recent work along with my press kit, which ultimately qualified us to participate in this year’s festival.”

The late Dianne Gibson, with the support of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, coordinated a team of Bahamian chefs to participate in SOBEWFF prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chef Tyla T Collymore, CEO of The Pastry Parlour, spoke of the significance of participating in SOBEWFF, expressing that it is an excellent way to “connect with chefs, food enthusiasts, and industry professionals on the international stage.”

“This experience is about representation and recognition. It’s about showcasing the talent, creativity, and ingenuity of Bahamian chefs and cooks who often don’t receive the spotlight they deserve. By participating in events like the SOBEWFF, we can highlight Bahamian food culture and inspire a new generation of chefs and food enthusiasts to explore and appreciate our culinary heritage,” she said.

Chef Collymore coordinated the travel and transportation for the SOBEWFF trip and is the only female chef on the culinary team.

Sysco Bahamas and Chef Simeon Hall’s Preacher’s Kid are proudly sponsoring the Bahamas’ participation in the festival, with the additional support of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism as the lead sponsor.

CHEF Alpheus J. Ramsey Jr

ELDORAY Ferguson

CHEF Tyla T. Collymore

CHEF Simeon Hall Jr

JoAnn Callender

She is a decorated soprano who has travelled the world to perform. Now, she tells Cara Hunt, she is completing a special documentary project to celebrate an iconic Bahamian songwriter to whom she has a very personal connection.

JoAnn Callender has always used her voice to promote the Bahamas and sing the words of Bahamian songwriters.

Her talent as a Bahamian soprano has allowed her to perform all over the world and, most recently, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of British Columbia.

The Canadian university honured her for being a champion of Black excellence in the performing arts and for her long career as a writer, producer and director of stage productions that have been entertained international audiences.

“She is a Bahamian cultural ambassador and is dedicated to preserving a legacy of Bahamian music for future generations,” the university said on its website.

And now the singer is nearing the completion of a special project to honour a fellow Bahamian who is credited with writing the nation’s national anthem - “Lift Up Your Head”.

Timothy Gibson was a composer, lyricist and educator born in Savannah Sound, Eleuthera, in 1903.

In addition to being taught music by his brother, CI Gibson, he studied music theory at Trinity CollegeLondon and attended seminars in Delaware. He was also a choral conductor accredited by the University Conservatory of Chicago through a correspondence course.

JoAnn has a special connection to the talented musician: not only was he her mother’s music teacher, but she herself sang for him as a young girl and later married his grandson- Lee Callender (himself a renowned pianist, vocal coach and piano teacher.)

“I sang for Timothy Gibson, the composer of the national anthem, at the age of nine or ten. My mother introduced him to me as Bahamian royalty. She was the pianist for his band. After singing two songs for Mr Gibson…he told me about my beautiful voice and what he felt my future could be. That visit changed my life, dreams and focus,” she told Tribune Weekend.

Since 2005, JoAnn has been working on a special documentary to highlight her grandfather -in-law’s legendary career.

She is the executive producer and director of the project “The Life Music, Legacy and National Anthem of Timothy Gibson”.

The documentary film will include interviews with his former students, family and other iconic Bahamians. In addition to the interviews, the documentary will include music videos of some of Mr Gibson’s original

compositions performed by many Bahamian artists in a variety of genres.

JoAnn said she initially got the idea for the documentary after watching a local news broadcast about Independence.

A reporter was asking people on the street the question ‘Who wrote the national anthem?’, and most didn’t know the answer.

This inspired JoAnn to launch a project to ensure Bahamians, especially younger people, are aware of and know the local icons who paved the way for them.

“These are the people who helped ensure that life would be easier for them, and I felt that it was such a shame that they many people are not aware of the royalty on whose shoulders they stand on,” she said.

Mr Gibson, she said, had a clear vision of the ideals he thought the country should embrace after Independence.

She said that it is why he urges the Bahamian people to “lift up their heads”, to “march on to glory” and “pledge to excel through love and unity, …’til the road you trod leads onto your God.”

“He wanted us to be excellent in whatever we do as Bahamians and as a nation,” she said.

It is a message she hopes Bahamians will revisit and embrace.

While he is best known for writing the national anthem, Mr Gibson composed many other beautiful songs over the course of his life. He partnered with E Clement Bethel to compose

this weekend in history

February 23

“God Bless Our Sunny Clime”, which is the national song of the Bahamas. The lyrics were written by the Rev Philip Rahming, a Baptist minister and lecturer at the College of the Bahamas.

Mr Gibson’s song-writing career began with “Nassau Calling” in 1938. He wrote other songs such as “Sailor Prince” for the visit of Prince Philip; “Your Majesty” for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, and “Hail Princess Britannia” for the visit of Princess Margaret. The title of the latter song has since been changed to “Beautiful Bahamaland”.

For the upcoming documentary JoAnn will perform a special rendition of the national anthem for which she has partnered with the renowned Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. A video of the performance will be filmed in a variety of locations around the country and in Eleuthera, the island of Mr Gibson’s birth.

JoAnn was able to work on the song with her husband Lee before he passed away in 2022, making the project that much more meaningful for her.

The documentary is a labour of love,” she said.

JoAnn said it has been an ongoing work in progress as she would work on it little by little as she was able to secure funding.

Once the documentary is completed, JoAnn hopes to screen it at Fusion Superplex.

She hopes when the words of the national anthem ring out at the end it will be an amazing and moving tribute both to Timothy Gibson and what it truly means to be Bahamian.

February 24

US Senator Hiram Revels

TIMOTHY GIBSON, composer of the Bahamas’ national anthem

Forbade, Lopsided, Gift, Gypsum, Starve, Gang (clue), Adjutant, Oregano, Glebe, Motel, Theatre.

Down: Backlog, Groom, Swamp, Pungent, Applique, Bawl, Difer, Adroit, Fork, Struggle, Crazier, Avert, Tweet, Extreme.

TV CROSSWORD

Across: 1 Marco, 6 Cera, 8 Baywatch, 10 Small, 11 Sandi, 12 Emilia, 15 Neil, 16 Ashton, 17 Trek, 19 Shearer, 21 Noah, 22 Sacha.

MELON WORDS

Into the Woods

SUMTHING

2x7=14, 6x3=18, 8+4=12

SMALL CROSSWORD

Merrily We Roll Along Anyone Can Whistle

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

Down: 2 Anna, 3 O Brien, 4 Tate, 5 The lovers, 6 Cameron, 7 All, 9 Yasmine, 13 Away, 14 Ashworth, 17 Teen, 18 Kath, 20 Eva.

MUDDLESOME CLOCK-WISE

Cher, Ergo, Gone, Neon, Once, Cech QUIZ OF THE WEEK

Across: 1 Paperback, 7 Rust, 8 Sushi, 10 Sam, 11 Grains, 13 Reimburse, 14 Letter, 16 Mae, 18 Minim, 19 Glue, 20 Endlessly.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

1 Chip, 2 T, 3 The Jam, 4 Pop Idol, 5 Meat Loaf, 6 Water, 7 Edwina Currie, 8 Last Of The Summer Wine, 9 West Ham United, 10 Milk.

Down: 1 Programme, 2 Audrey, 3 Etui, 4 Bus, 5 Asserts, 6 Kimberley, 8 Sunbeam, 9 Tail end, 12 Useful, 15 Tugs, 17 Nil.

CROSS DOUBT

Across: LATEX

Down: OTHER

QUICK CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC PUZZLE

Across

1 Italian girl showing cleavage in East (10)

6 Woe is me giving back part of my salary (4)

10 Clergyman doesn’t finish the right-hand page (5)

11 Revolutionary development in naval fire power (3,6)

12 A payment covered by a friend of mother maybe (8)

13 Fish found in shallow water (5)

15 As you say it’s precisely what’s required (7)

17 Toboggan holding wood that’s been cut (7)

19 Dad holding a high card can solve all problems (7)

21 Wolf backs out first in this issue (7)

22 A day-to-day occurrence (5)

24 Believe gold might satisfy him? (8)

27 Turns a blind eye to the French estimates (9)

28 Note opening result (5)

29 Just think she may inspire you (4)

30 Happening sometimes in so laconic a way (10)

Down

1 Keeping steady company (4)

2 Repeat it yet another time (4,5)

3 Run away to join up perhaps (5)

4 Closely resembling the way drunkards walk? (7)

5 Perplex with a minus sign? (7)

7 It’s noted for its slowness (5)

8 Decided to have property and stay in it (6,4)

9 It’s best to appear in public well-dressed (8)

14 Sly-looking chap (7,3)

16 After a bad act I become silent (8)

18 Nobody pays an egg producer around the end of October (9)

20 It’s no fun as a rule for him (7)

21 Supervise we hear away from this country (7)

23 Festivities the French talk endlessly about (5)

25 Ancient British tribe or nice new one (5)

26 Other things develop late (2,2)

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Develop, 5 Mufti, 8 Out of turn, 9 Rut, 10 Pine, 12 Reporter, 14 Demean, 15 Disarm, 17 Controls, 18 Seep, 21 Rim, 22 Luxuriate, 24 Misty, 25 Reputed.

Down: 1 Droop, 2 Vet, 3 Lift, 4 Pauper, 5 Monrovia, 6 Firstrate, 7 Interim, 11 Name names, 13 Fair play, 14 Decorum, 16 Elixir, 19 Plead, 20 Prop, 23 Ant.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Across: 1 Glacier, 5 Simon, 8 Rochester, 9 Rid, 10 Okay, 12 Logbooks, 14 Hard-up, 15 Defers, 17 Claptrap, 18 Tsar, 21 Opt, 22 In the know, 24 Seeds, 25 Equally.

Down: 1 Garbo, 2 Arc, 3 Idea, 4 Ration, 5 Scrubbed, 6 Marmosets, 7 Nudists, 11 Air battle, 13 Sustains, 14 Hectors, 16 Castle, 19 Rowdy, 20 Peru, 23 Nil.

EASY PUZZLE

12

13

15

17

19

Across: 1 Defenceless, 9 Off, 10 Expansion, 11 Mealy, 13 Entrust, 14 Novice, 16 Estate, 18 Lantern, 19 Arena, 20 Courteous, 21 Ail, 22 Reprobation.

Down: 2 Elf, 3 Elegy, 4 Copied, 5 Linctus, 6 Stimulate, 7 Commonplace, 8 Unutterable, 12 Adventure, 15 Creator, 17 Entomb, 19 Asset, 21 Ado.

E I S G I I F D N

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here?

In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals. Verb forms ending in S permitted.

Yesterday’s Sudoku Answer

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow

THE ALPHABEATER

TARGET

CAN you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid number represents a letter – or black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But you have to complete the grid too!

VIOLENTLY inlet into lenity lent lentil lento levity lilt lint lintel linty lite note novelty tell telly tile till tine tiny toil toile toll tone vent veto violent VIOLENTLY violet volt vote yeti

Use the given letters and black squares below the grid to start. The grid is ‘rotationally symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the same if you turn the page upside down.

Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s Kakuro Answer

TARGET TIME 34 minutes

Extra letter clues

0907 181 2560

(Deduct three minutes each extra clue letter heard)

Full solution

0907 181 2558

*Calls cost 80p per minute your telephone company’s network access charge.

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your mobile, text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your usual operator rate

WORD BUILDER

TV show: The Inheritance

Culture, conservation and inter-island connectivity

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

HAVING already positioned itself as the beer of the Bahamas, Kalik is now on a mission to promote sustainability and culture throughout the length and breadth of the country.

The beer brand has been active is advocating for the environment, conservation and inter-island connectivity.

“The key pillars represent the brands’ more focused approach to where we invest dollars with our customers, consumers and as a socially responsible brand,” said Queswell Ferguson, portfolio manager with Commonwealth Brewery.

The brand’s positioning as much more than a beer can only happen through social outreach initiatives.

“It is about ensuring that the Kalik experience is the same in Inagua as it is in Exuma, and ensuring that we commit to sustaining and evolving culture the same way that we do in New Providence. The brand has actively done this through our commitment to regattas, festivals, and homecomings,” he said.

“Junkanoo is our single largest investment and includes our $100,000 direct cash commitment to the JCNP, events like Fan Fest where up to 75 percent of our gate proceeds go directly to featured groups, providing cardboard that we use to package our beer to groups to assist with costume construction, the Kalikers and so much more.”

The brand also strives to support the protection of our natural environment, especially the marine resources.

“Kalik and conch salad was rated among the Top 40 dishes to have worldwide by Business Insider,” said Queswell.

“We understand the social, economic and cultural significant of our marine resources and we’ve demonstrated our commitment to this through our content and Kalike + CBL’s direct cash commitments to the BNT.”

The Bahamas National Trust launched a nationwide campaign titled “Conchservation” some time ago which is aimed at protecting the Queen Conch from the further decline through the development and awareness of sustainable fishing practices.

Kalik felt a duty to join forces with the BNT for this initiative.

As for local culture, Queswell said the brand continues to show its support of all things uniquely Bahamian.

“More than a quarter million (dollars) to support traditional cultural activities throughout the

archipelago and our commitment to preserving the things that are traditionally Bahamian with our new how-to-series where this year we featured videos on how to make the perfect conch salad, the perfect boil fish and that we intend to extend,” he said.

Recently, the brand highlighted cultural icon and Bahamian musician Tyrone Fitzgerald, better known as Dr Offfff, whose story was told through a mini documentary.

The brand will continue to showcase and celebrate Bahamian cultural icons in the Kalikverse. This is the brand’s very own augmented reality project that will provide

one-on-ones with cultural icons like Percy ‘Vola’ Francis, Tonique WilliamsDarling and others telling the stories of why they are proud to be Bahamian. The brand also launched the “Proud to Be” campaign with its “Cultural Referendum”. This poetic declaration of boldly Bahamian expressions was first featured in newspapers, web banners and social media posts. Bahamians from all walks of life were encouraged to be proud of their heritage, even if they preferred pancakes over boiled fish, or “made the controversial decision to put mayo in their conch salad.”

KALIKERS in action (Photos by Culture Tbastian Photography)

Just do it!

Good day, gardeners. How does your garden grow?

No doubt I can always learn from others, and that is one of the wonderful things about being in the horticultural or agricultural industries.

There is always something to learn. It’s a great hobby for those with curious minds. Sometimes, what may work in one location will not work so well in another. Trial and error are a primary means to learning in the garden.

The good thing is that unlike permanent structures, plants in a garden can be dug up and moved if a particular location isn’t working. This doesn’t work so well for quick

cycle vegetable crops, but it certainly holds true for fruit crops and ornamental plants. Not that I bother to move things once they’re in the ground in my own garden. I kill a lot of plants too! You may have heard the story of the shoemaker who wears no shoes.

For me, there are two key elements for stress relief: being on or in the ocean and being in the garden. As soon as I step into the garden I begin questioning on all sorts of things in the yard.

My mind is eased of all issues as I wander and as I wonder. I’m not satisfied until I have answers though. Why is that bamboo not taking off? What is living in the garden soil?

That prized plant looks a slight deficient, what’s going on? It does take a trained eye to notice the finer points of botanical growth or deficiency, and even though I got the garden bug back in 1998, here I am 26 years later still feeling as inspired and as often times, unknowing.

I never stop learning, but I cannot come up with the answers all by myself without the help of accurate research and without the help of garnering information from others. It is often that I learn not from other people’s success, but from their failures. We all have them. It’s easy to say, “Oh, yeah, I grow that with no problem”, but many can’t say why.

I find it easier to learn when someone else tells me what didn’t work. Of course, if someone tells me it didn’t or doesn’t work, I’m going to give it my best shot to do it successfully! Trial and error. Stubbornness and perseverance pay off not only in life sometimes (note, sometimes and not all the time) but also in the garden. Keep doing! There is only benefit from growing something, anything really.

Yes, we can talk about invasive species

and poisonous plants or messy ornamentals, but really there’s no downside to growing plants. Except, sometimes it can get expensive, but then when success is achieved all the expense evaporates and satisfaction is worth every penny.

I hear people saying they spend more on growing tomatoes than they do buying them, well, keep doing and it will pan out. We’re picking tomatoes by the dozen and the setup cost has been far surpassed by this time through the harvest.

What’s the point? I can discuss anything growing, Acer to Ziziphus. While we cannot grow Acer in our climate (and yes, I do plant it just because; one of my favourite plants is the Japanese maple), Ziziphus is what we know as the jujube, and they grow like weeds.

What’s it all for? Food? Aesthetic pleasure? Maybe the sound of the breeze through the leaves. Maybe because I like to breathe clean air. Maybe it’s because like the advertisement for the snack product that comes in a tube, once you pop you can’t stop! Don’t be afraid of the gardening bug, I urge you to seek it out, go and get it! Start small. Ask questions. Experiment. Do. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

ZIZIPHUS, aka jujube

entertainment

What to stream this week: ‘

Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ ‘Priscilla’, and Rick and Michonne return to ‘The Walking Dead’

By The Associated Press

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM

— A near-miss with the Oscars, Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” hits Max today. Coppola’s dreamy, textured tale of Priscilla Presley’s surreal romance with Elvis produced two of last year’s most memorably breakthrough performances in Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi. In my review, I praised “Priscilla” as “a kind of fairy tale that turns claustrophobic and cautionary.”

— Two notable veterans of last year’s Oscar race, both from A24, arrive this week on Netflix. “ Everything Everywhere All at Once, “ Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s multiverse romp arrives today, almost exactly a year after the anarchic sci-fi whatsit’s improbable Academy Awards sweep. Also hitting Netflix, on Saturday, is the 2023 best animated-nominee “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.” Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp’s whimsical stop-motion animated film about a one-inch tall seashell with a big heart and an endearing fondness for Lesley Stahl.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

— MGMT is ready to midwife their 10-track “Loss of Life,” which the band says had a “relatively painless birth after a lengthy gestation period.” The psychedelic, synth-pop duo of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser joke “Musically speaking, we are running at around

20 percent adult contemporary.” Christine and the Queens appear on the song “Dancing in Babylon” — the first-ever feature on an MGMT album. “Loss Of Life,” the followup to 2018’s “Little Dark Age,” has spun off the singled “Nothing To Declare,” “Bubblegum Dog” and “Mother Nature.” It lands today.

— Goth-pop singer Allie X is putting it all on the line with “Girl With No Face,” her first self-produced album. “There is a death in this music, as well as the beginning of a rebirth. I needed to make something that came completely from me,” she wrote. The classically trained pop artist from Toronto has released a trio of tracks from the new collection, including “Black Eye,” an off-kilter, retro electro-banger with a video she directed and the lyrics, ”The world goes round/Makes me dizzy but I hold my ground/When I get nauseous I just gag it down.” The album drops today.

— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy

NEW SHOWS TO STREAM

— Fifteen years after the popular Nickelodeon animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” went off the air, the story has gotten the live-action treatment by Netflix. This new “Last Airbender” stars Gordon Cormier as Aang, a 12-yearold boy with the fate of the world on his shoulders. The series is now streaming.

— Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira return to “The Walking

Dead” universe in their own spin-off, “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.” The six-episode series follows their starcrossed characters, Rick and Michonne, as they fight to find their way back to one another after years of separation. Scott Gimple, the chief content officer for “The Walking Dead” franchise created the series with Lincoln and Gurira. New characters are also played by Terry O’Quinn, LesleyAnn Brandt and Aaron Bachelor. The show premieres on Sunday on AMC and AMC+.

— Alicia Rancilio

NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

— From “Twin Peaks” to “Twilight,” the Pacific Northwest is the epicentre of a peculiar kind of pop culture weirdness. It’s also a cool place to go for a drive. Seattlebased indie Ironwood Studios aims to combine the two with its debut

game, Pacific Drive. Your mission is to explore the “Olympic Exclusion Zone,” where experiments by some secretive organization have unleashed supernatural anomalies. Your only companion is a beatenup old station wagon (dig the wood panelling), which you can upgrade with gadgets scavenged from the abandoned labs. You’ll need to soup it up to deal with the radiation and bizarre weather in the Zone. Hit the road on PlayStation 5 or PC.

NETFLIX’s ‘The Last Airbender’

‘The Walking Dead The Ones Who Live’

‘Priscilla’ (Philippe Le SourdA24 via AP)

literary Lives - Sammy Davis, Jr (1925 -1990)

‘The greatest entertainer in the world’ - Part II

Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues to write about the mercurial American singer, actor, comedian and dancer who began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis, Sr, and the Will Mastin Trio. He became a star in the entertainment industry and earned the nickname ‘Mister Show Business’.

Although he was still popular in Las Vegas, Sammy Davis, Jr, saw his musical career decline in the late 1960s.

He had a No.11 hit on the Easy Listening singles chart with “I’ve Gotta Be Me” in 1969, and signed with Motown to update his sound to appeal to young people. But the deal fell through.

He had an unexpected hit with “The Candy Man” with MGM Records in 1972. He did not particularly like the song, but it revitalised his career.

He did not enjoy any more Top 40 hits, but he did enjoy popularity with “Baretta’s Theme” (1975 – 1978) which was released as a single. He appeared in numerous TV shows: The Rifleman, Ben Casey, I Dream of Jeannie, Alll in the Family, and Charlie’s Angels.

On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special featuring Nancy Sinatra, titled Movin’ with Nancy, where they greeted each other with a kiss – the first black-white kiss on U.S. television.

Davis was a good friend of Elvis Presley in the late 1960s and they were both top-draw acts in Las Vegas at the same time. He sang a version of Presley’s song “In the Ghetto” and made a cameo appearance in Presley’s 1970 concert film Elvis:

That’s the Way It Is. One year later he made a cameo appearance in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever, but the scene was cut.

Davis was a huge fan of daytime television, particularly the soap operas produced by ABC. He made a cameo appearance on General Hospital and had a recurring role as Chip Warren on One Life to Live, for which he received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. He was also a game show fan, appearing on Family Feud.

After years of drinking Davis was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in 1985 and announced his sponsorship of the Sammy Davis, Jr, National Liver Institute in Newark, New Jersey.

In 1988, he was billed to tour with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin “The Ultimate Event” but after a disagreement Martin dropped out and was replaced by Liza Minelli.

In 1989, Davis was diagnosed with throat cancer, and his treatments prevented him from performing any more.

* * *

Sammy Davis, Jr, nearly died in an automobile accident on November 19, 1954 in San Bernardino, California, as he was returning from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

The accident occurred on US Route 66 at Cajon Boulevard and Kendall Drive. He wore an eye patch for six months following the accident. Later he was fitted with a glass eye, which he wore for the rest of his life.

Davis was born to a Catholic mother and a Baptist father. He converted to Judaism in 1961. The accident marked a turning point in Davis’s career, taking him from a well-known entertainer to a national celebrity.

One day on a golf course with Jack Benny he was asked what his handicap was. He replied “Handicap? I’m a one-eyed Negro Jew.”

In 1957, Davis was involved with Kim Novak, who was under contract to Columbia Pictures. Because Novak was white, Harry Cohn, the President of Columbia, afraid that a backlash against the relationship would hurt the studio, supposedly organised a mobster to warn Davis that he had to marry a black woman within two days.

Davis married Black dancer Loray White in 1958 to protect himself from mob violence.

Davis had previously dated White, who was twenty-three, twice divorced, and had a six-yearold child. Rumours were that Davis paid her $10,000 to $25,000 to marry him on the condition that the marriage would be dissolved before the end of the year. The couple never lived together and their divorce was granted in April 1959.

In 1960, David married Swedish-born actress May Britt at Temple Israel in Hollywood, officiated by Rabbi William M Kramer.

During 1964 – 1966, Davis received hate mail while starring in Golden Boy on Broadway, where his character in the play paralleled his own interracial relationship.

It was only in 1967, after the musical finished, that anti-miscegenation laws in all states were ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. May Britt and Davis’s daughter, Tracey Davis, revealed in a 2014 book that President Kennedy refused to allow Davis to perform at his inauguration in 1960. The snub was confirmed by director Sam Pollard in his 2017 American Masters documentary.

Davis performed almost continuously and spent little time with his wife. They divorced in 1968 after Davis admitted to an affair with singer Lola Falana.

In 1968, Davis started dating Altovise Gore, a dancer in Golden Boy. They were married by Reverent Jesse Jackson on May 11, 1970. They remained married until his death in 1990.

In August 1989, Davis began to develop symptoms of cancer and an inability to taste food. Doctors found a malignant tumour in Davis’s throat. He was a heavy smoker and smoked up to four packs of cigarettes a day. When told that surgery offered him the best chance of survival, Davis said that he would rather keep his voice than have part of his throat removed. He was treated with definitive radiation therapy, and his larynx was later removed when his cancer recurred. He was released from hospital on March 13, 1990.

David died of complications from throat cancer two months later at his home in Beverly Hills, California on May 16, 1990. On May 18, 1990, the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip were darkened for ten minutes as a tribute to him.

Davis left the bulk of his estate, estimated at $4,000,000 to his widow Altovise Davis, but he owed the IRS $5,200,000 – which after interest and penalties had increased to over $7,000,000. Only after a fundraising concert in Las Vegas did his wife and the IRS reach a settlement in 1997.

DAVIS with his second wife May Britt in 1960

DAVIS with his third wife, Altovise Gore

DAVIS with long-time friend Elvis Presley

The specialness of Spanish Wells

In the 1950s, when I worked for Esso, Fashionette was a men’s clothing store on Bay Street, owned by one of my favourite customers. His name was Lemuel Sawyer and he hailed from Spanish Wells.

At Lem’s invitation, an Esso team travelled to Spanish Wells to inspect the harbourside property on which he wanted to build Spanish Wells’ first marina.

None of Esso’s management/ marketing teams had ever set foot on that island, until Sloane Farrington and I boarded a Bahamas Airways’ DC-3 that took us to the North Eleuthera Airport, where we were approached by J B Barry, a taxi driver who was a legend in that part of Eleuthera.

He introduced himself with the words, “My name is Barry: B -A-two R-Y. Not ‘Berry’: B-E-two-R-Y, ‘cause I don’t bury nobody”. That was the start of a life-long friendship.

JB took Sloane and me to Gene’s Bay to catch the ferry boat to Spanish Wells. I was impressed by how close Spanish Wells is to Eleuthera, but the boat captain cleared up my misunderstanding: “Eleuthera is just off the coast of Spanish Wells”. Much later, I heard a resident of Harbour Island explain to a tourist that Eleuthera was off the coast of Harbour Island. Both seem to be right.

We arrived at St George’s Cay, on which Spanish Wells is located, well before the appointed hour for our meeting with Lem, so we walked the streets of Spanish Wells (which had not yet been joined by a bridge to neighbouring Russell Island) to get the feel of the place, and we were happy to see that there was a restaurant. This boded well for lunch.

We spent some hours studying Lem’s plans for Sawyer’s Marina and making a hand-written list of the equipment we would have to supply - tanks, plumbing and other equipment, including pumps and meters that would be needed for a fuel dock.

Shortly after noon, we headed for the restaurant and were surprised to find the front door closed and bolted from the inside, but we could see people inside, eating. So we stuck a head through a side window and asked whether we could get lunch.

The unexpected reply was, “Sorry! We’re closed for lunch.” Somebody told us that the restaurant was more of a snack bar and the proprietor’s family always had lunch there. Perhaps this explains why Spanish Wells is “special”.

Years later, when I piloted police surveillance flights over the Bahamas, I saw from the air that Spanish Wells is the cleanest, neatest settlement in the entire Bahamas and, whatever the weather, one saw Spanish Wells boats out fishing, not just around the shores of St George’s Cay, but almost everywhere in the northern Bahamas.

They are the hardest-working people in the Bahamas, which is why they can afford to keep their island so clean.

Rosita Forbes, the inveterate traveller, was impressed by her experiences in Spanish Wells, “with its scrubbed-clean and rubber dry appearance, comfortably established upon a slight rise, looking across a channel, to mangrove swamps... the people are descendants of Loyalists who fled the new United States. In every house I saw pictures of the Royal Family.

“It was mid morning when we landed, and hot. The policeman met us at the end of a wooden jetty.... we walked up clean, hard, cemented paths...there were few flowers...I began to think that I had walked straight into an Elysium.”

In the BTC telephone directory, subscribers in Spanish Wells are listed under Eleuthera. Not surprisingly, the name PINDER fills almost two pages.

Most of them live in Spanish Wells.

animals

Animal matters

Kim Aranha

The muchmaligned pigeon

Iwas reading a post about pigeons the other day on Facebook and the author was pointing out how the pigeon is in a very sad and sorry place.

For hundreds of years we used the pigeon; we needed their services. They were an object of pride, carrying essential messages from one place to another. The pigeon displayed an amazing amount of skill being able to fly hundreds of miles to deliver a message and return home.

These greatly needed, often cosseted, birds have now earned the dreadful name of “rats with wings” (thank you “Stardust Memories” for coining that unfortunate nickname). It is a shame that an animal so used and exploited by humans in now at the bottom of the list as far as respect and kindness go.

People are going to extreme lengths to get rid of these blighted birds, even to the extent of poisoning them. Shame, shame on people who think it is all right to make any animal suffer because they do not want to have them on their windowsill. Poisoning any animal, any living creature, is an act of cruelty and deemed a crime.

Because of their special talent of being able to be released and return home as much as 1,000 km away, the pigeon was of great use to humans to get messages back and forth before we could count on the cell phone or even earlier, before Morse code. A pigeon was capable of carrying important communiqués during wars. They have qualities known as “map sense” and “compass sense”, both enabling them to find their way back home even from great distances.

Because of man’s dependency on the pigeon, they have been interbred and there are virtually no “wild” pigeons left. They continue to be relatively reliant on humans to survive. The natural habitat has been replaced by concrete jungles and the pigeon is comfortable flying around enormous towering cities such as Manhattan, and

PET OF THE WEEK

Fabulous Fraser

By The Bahamas Humane Society

According to the dog walkers, Fraser loves cuddles and kisses on his head. He’s good on the leash, loves to run on the grass and enjoys playing tug-of-war!

Fraser is about four years old. He’s great with adults and older children, but not so good with other dogs. He would love a home with lots of grass for rolling around in and someone who’ll enjoy playing with him.

If yours is that home, come to the Bahamas Humane Society or call

scrounging food left behind by messy, careless humans.

The pigeon is accused of being dirty and spreading disease by many city dwellers. Often it is advised to keep a distance from them (as you would a rat), but the ornithologists say that the pigeon is actually very clean and there is no real evidence that they spread any disease whatsoever.

Have you ever seen a pigeon look at its own reflection in a mirror or glass window? They do it with such interest. This is because, surprisingly enough, they are capable of recognising themselves in the reflection. One study in particular concluded that this self-cognitive ability is superior to that of a three-year-old child. During this study they were also able to ascertain that they could recognise different human faces from photos shown to them. Does this sound like a flying rat?

Some other endearing details about the personal life of Mr and Mrs Pigeon include that they mate for life; no philandering for them. They meet the right guy or gal and they remain faithful, and the male is a very good hands-on dad who helps incubate the eggs and feeds the babies when in their nest. I don’t want to bring personalities into this, but there are a lot of human men who do not come even near to equalling that kind of behaviour…just saying.

325-6742 for more information. Fraser looks forward to meeting you.

• The BHS Thrift Shop will be holding a pop-up sale at the Nassau Yacht Club on Wednesday, February 28, from 10am to 6pm. Come and check out some great items that haven’t yet been seen in the shop! Please park across the street (in the old Montagu Gardens parking lot). Thank you so much to AqSol for sponsoring the space!

These super fast birds can reach speeds of over 90mph, though their normal cruising speed is more like 60mph. Over the centuries many pigeon races have been held and greatly enjoyed by spectators and collectors alike. In 2020, a racing pigeon sold for $1,900,000. Does that sound like a flying rat?

These highly intelligent animals, who are capable of learning the alphabet, are also used to rescue people lost at sea. Their incredibly good eyesight, coupled with their intelligence, has made it possible to train them to help rescue people. They are taught to look for red or yellow life jackets so they can notify rescuers where to go to pick up the person in peril.

There is actually so much positive about these birds that it is incredibly sad that we as humans have let them down, allowed them to be a scourge, vilified by city dwellers. Yes, they do poop on windowsills (that same poop was called guano and used as a preferred fertilizer centuries ago).

During WW I and WW II, carrier pigeons saved hundreds of lives. Many have received recognition for their bravery and service. They have been credited for saving a massive number of human lives, both civilian and military. Does that sound like a flying rat?

We have several pigeon couples who hang around our terrace, sometimes venturing into the house, strutting around as if viewing our home with a view to purchase. My neighbour feeds them every day, and I delight in knowing that they are welcome and safe, at least here.

One of the pigeons who hang out around my home.

(Photo by Kim Aranha)

The Weekend Fashion Report 77th British Academy Film Awards

HIT

Fantasia Barrino (“The Colour Purple”)

Karin says: “Yes, she brought the drama! She looks amazing in this Benchellal haute couture gown. She’s giving Old Hollywood diva glamour. The dress has such an interesting structure; it’s almost like a puzzle. And the sheer black gloves are perfection.”

Cara says: “OK, Fantasia.! You bought EVERYTHIN to the red carpet with this look. I could just go down the list of adjectives – stunning flawless, beautiful. This look wins all the awards.”

FAIL

Bryce Dallas Howard (“Argylle”)

Karin says: “The designer label behind this monstrosity is called New Arrivals...maybe they need to go back to the drawing board and arrive again. This makes her look twice her age. Those black patent platform shoes are the hideous cherry on top of this mess.”

Cara says: “The metallic look is so popular on the red carpet right now, but it can be hit or miss. I don’t like this version of the trend at all. It looks cheap and tacky, and the rose looks like an unnecessary afterthought. And I really hate the shoes she decided to wear. They are so big and chunky.”

FAIL

Emma Corrin (“A Murder at the End of the World”)

Karin says: “I can’t begin to make sense of this bizarre getup by Miu Miu. Why the veil? And what is going with those panties and bright blue tights? And what are those sad, drooping bows on the side? I’m all for experimenting with fashion, but this turned out like Frankenstein’s ill-fated experiment.”

Cara says: “I’m not feeling this look at all. Maybe it’s the big bows or the fact that it looks like granny panties over trousers and then combined with the headpiece which just seems an afterthought. It’s like, pick a fashion struggle.”

SPLIT

Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”)

Karin says: “I love the colour scheme. Black and peach always go so well together. And it’s such an opulent gown. It really makes a statement, even though I think London designer Robert Wunn overdid it with the material flowing from her left shoulder. I’m also not the biggest fan of the excessive ruching of the skirt.”

Cara says: “This looks like the draping you throw on mannequins at the fabric store. I just wish that it was more defined rather than all jumbled at the waist. The rouching and the flowing one-shoulder just seem a bit much.”

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

HIT

Sophie Ellis Baxter (“Saltburn”)

Karin says: “First, I love that she’s having a moment with ‘Murder on the Dance Floor’ thanks to ‘Saltburn’. The song sounds just as good, if not better than it more than 20 years ago. Now, to the dress: I love it. I looks like something a more daring Jackie O or Priscilla Presley might have worn.”

Cara says: “My second favourite look this week. I am always here for a black lace and floral moment. Yes, it’s a bit lingerie-esque, but I think that it works, and her hair is stunning. I really like the look.”

(Photos by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)