Leamount
back in
FOCUS
By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
AFTER a two-year hiatus, Bahamian music artist Rashad Leamount is back on the scene to release his newest single, Focus.
The artist said he has made music for many years under different names. Some may know him as Dash (a nickname) or RL (an abbreviation of his first and middle name). These days however, for his stage name - he prefers to simply go by Leamount, his middle name.
Before the release of Focus, he was known for his EP “STL1” which received positive interactions globally, and streams across the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and Germany.
“My genre style is rather eclectic as I have performed and released music across rock, R&B, pop and hip-hop. Right now, I am making more pop, folk, and indie music because it’s giving me an opportunity to explore sounds that I really loved as a teenager.
In the height of MTV and VH1, there were not a lot of black voices in folk or pop music. There used to be a lot of barriers to entering those genres and promoting as a black artist. Now as genre lines are beginning to blur, I am taking this as an opportunity to make music I couldn’t make or thought I couldn’t make convincingly,” said Leamount.
Focus, he said, is an indie pop song about love and yearning. It explores a relationship that’s not really defined, but has great energy.
“It’s about asking for more. Longing for more, asking for focus. It’s about asking for a great love. I wrote the song on a Sunday drive around the island. Right as the sun set, the chorus kind of came to me as I banked the curb on West Bay. It was like an epiphany. I recorded the song at Bay Eight Studios in Miami which is a historic music location. My friends and I stayed on South Beach, and it was like being on vacation but being home. The beach and breeze, the sun. Focus was my way of injecting island breeze and emotion into a pop song. Responses for the single so far have been so positive and delightful. It’s one of the best things I’ve done,” said Leamount.
When asked how far he plans to go with his music career, Leamount said he recently signed a publishing agreement with Ditto Music, a UKheadquartered distribution and artist services company that backs independent artists and labels.
“I am shopping my catalogue for inclusion in movies and TV shows. I hope to land something soon that would allow me a more global outreach and audience. Right now, I am operating both an in-person and virtual model that is allowing me to engage great international collaborators. Focus is produced by a producer named Mantra who has previously worked with Rihanna, Future, Pop Smoke, and Jidenna. It’s co-produced by a platinum selling digital producer named Zero,” said Leamount.
He said artists such as Janet Jackson stand as his music inspiration, as he admires the way she has moved nimbly across pop, R&B, rock, and hip-hop styles, while managing to maintain a core sound and influence.
“I want to do that. I want to make folk, dance, R&B, rock, hip-hop, jazz, and pop that has a sensibility that only someone raised on an island can bring. I may not be a Goombay performer, but I have been finding clever ways in my writing and delivery to honour my culture and home. Janet’s career and focus has shown me so many ways I can accomplish that,” he said.
“At the present I am taking a break from live performances to focus on my recording work and developing other local talent. I have been working out of Bay Eight Studios, Miami and Brewery Recording, New York, on completing my debut album. I am also working with a young artist Agajuan who is set to release his first single, SOLAR, in July. His single is produced by Mantra as well as was recorded at Brewery Recording in New York,” said Leamount.
His music goals for the remainder of the year, as well as long-term, is to continue expanding the sonic landscape of non-traditional Bahamian music.
“There is a rich history of Bahamian influence and participation in folk and pop music that has
not been given enough credit. I want to continue to imagine what that influence sounds like in this modern landscape. I want to bring the influence of Jospeh Spence, T-Connection, Johnny Kemp, Lenny Kravitz, Baha Men, and Tony Mackey to contemporary pop, rock, hip-hop and R&B. I plan to release two more singles in the summer and a winter EP at the end of the year,” said Leamount. For more on the artist, readers are encouraged to visit the social platforms at @LeamountLyfe.
BAHAMIAN music artist Rashad Leamount
culture
The life and sole
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
ROTALYA Williams has achieved several milestones in the past few months and now she is set to hit another entrepreneurial endeavor with the opening of her shoe factory and storefront location.
Island Soles Bahamas is getting set for its launch in the Harbour Bay Shopping plaza next month.
Island Soles Bahamas speaks to the lifestyle, culture and “Sole” of the Bahamian people, the shoe maker told Tribune Weekend.
Rotalya who describes herself as the daughter of Bahamian soil, has been an advocate and promoter of Bahamian culture.
She enjoys making and creating things “Solefully Bahamian” which is the tag line of the brand.
Island Soles Bahamas designs are original, with “ethical and sustainable”manufacturing processes, she explained.
Rotalya is a former educator and seasoned hotelier known to be hardworking and never afraid to succeed or fail.
She is a certified shoemaker and creative, who aims to transform the footwear manufacturing industry in The Bahamas.
During her time working in the tourism industry, was where she saw a significant market gap: there were very few locally manufactured products available. This realisation motivated her to address the production gap at the local level.
“Island Soles Bahamas has always been very specific in its notion and its vision of creating a brand that shares the story of The Bahamas, not only among ourselves but to others from all around the world. We offer high quality products and services with competitive prices, and we are devoted to conducting business in harmony with the environment.”
All of the products are made with environmentally friendly and sustainable materials including vegan glues and dyes, she said.
“We also use full-grain leather, which is the strongest and most refined portion of the animal. So for us, it is not enough to produce first rate products and incredible service but we seek to remain constant towards our pursuit of relentless improvement and adaptability for the times in which we live.”
As she is inspired by the history and culture of The Bahamas she has chosen product names that is a reflection of this love.
For example, some names include Barefoot Gal, Gone Sailing and Oh Andros.
ROTALYA Williams
“I am naturally optimistic, and as an entrepreneur, I pay close attention to market trends and projections. We have already received several requests for bulk orders and purchases. Currently we are The Bahamas’ only female-owned and youth-owned luxury resort footwear retailer and manufacturer. It’s a demanding workload, but I’m enjoying it and often wonder how many others get to live out their dreams,” she said.
With Rotalya having global dreams for the business, the work is cut out for her.
“We have already received several requests for bulk orders and purchases. Currently we are The Bahamas’ only female-owned and youth-owned luxury resort footwear retailer and manufacturer. It’s a demanding workload, but I’m enjoying it and often wonder how many others get to live out their dreams.”
Back in March, Rotalya Williams, owner of Island Soles Bahamas, won the overall $25,000 grant offered by the Fox Foundation’s grant programme, “The Women’s Entrepreneurship Episode”.
Rotalya beat 192 other female entrepreneurs for the big win. Rotalya was one of the top three finalists who pitched her business idea before a panel of judges during the Foundation’s Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress Lunch and Learn Session.
Nikolette Eldon
From growing up in Eleuthera to becoming a veteran actress, Nikolette Eldon has become a familiar face as a performer. But her latest drama is a very personal one as she turns from actor to writer to help her process the grief of the loss of two family members. She told CARA HUNT how the journey of bringing the story to the stage overcame the hurdles of the pandemic and her own trauma.
Nikolette Eldon explores grief and the road to healing in her new stage play Papa Joe’s Cafe.
The veteran Bahamian actress wrote the play in 2020 in the aftermath of her brother’s tragic death in the previous year as a way to help her process her immense grief, but the pandemic delayed its production for a few years.
“While I’ve been involved in theatre for more than two decades, this is my writing and directorial debut,” she explained.
Growing up on the island of Eleuthera, she initially got started performing in the National Art Festival, before she moved to roles at the Dundas Centre with James Catalan and Friends and other theatre companies.
She said she never considered writing until her brother died.
Nikolette said: “Papa Joe’s Cafe, produced by Current Cut Productions, serves as a significant venture for me, being a deeply personal and emotional project that emerged from a period of profound loss and grief. After my brother died, I couldn’t eat or sleep or anything and after a while I started developing these characters as a way to cope. He died in November of 2019 and I think I was finished with the writing by January.”
She was all set to bring the story to the public, a cast had been assembled and they were well into rehearsal when production came to a halt when the country was shut down after the first case of COVID -19 was detected in the country.
While the country grappled with the effects of the global pandemic, Nikolette faced another devastating loss.
“After the country was shut down, that put a stop to any plans to really bring the play to stage, because there was just so much uncertainty. I put it down and didn’t pick it back up until my dad also passed away.”
Once again, she turned to her words as a way to cope.
“I knew that I wanted to finally do it. I found solace in revisiting the script as a tribute to his life. I had some political references in the play from 2020 and so of course, I had to do some upgrades because we had a government change.”
Returning to the characters was easy because she knew it was time to bring them to life.
She said: “The play follows Joe, the cafe owner, as he navigates life after the loss of his wife, managing his lively cafe amidst grief and chaos. The cafe is bustling with nosy cooks, a mouthy waitress and political satire. It is a heartfelt journey through love, laughter, and resilience.
“Embedded within the play are nods to family members, cherished memories, and even the inspiration drawn from VG Restaurant, a place close to my parents’ hearts, and where we had special memories together. Papa Joe’s Cafe embodies a fusion of personal experiences and a celebration of family bonds, making it a truly special and poignant work.”
She went on to explain: “The production explores themes of grief, betrayal, deception, incorporation of political satire, healing and the enduring power of family and friendship. Audiences can expect an emotional journey that resonates with the complexities of loss and the beauty of friendship and family. It creates a multifaceted narrative that can engage audiences with different interests.
“Spectators can anticipate being drawn into a poignant narrative rich with personal touches and universal emotions. But don’t be fooled, while the play follows serious narratives, the audience can also expect to leave with a belly full of laughter. Papa Joe’s Cafe is unique in its emotional depth, diverse characters, blend of genres, relatable themes, and the setting. This is a play that offers a mix of emotions, relationships, and storytelling that sets it apart from more traditional and single-themed productions.”
And while the story is about loss and sadness, Nikolette said that is not the overriding theme she wants the audience to take away.
She said: “I want them to see the healing in the story, that comes from having a strong support system from family and friends who are there for you in the difficult times.”
It also touches on the very serious issue of mental health which she said is not talked about it enough in this country.
The cast includes: Hartman Brown, Ronnesha Smith, Hope Shelly-Ann, Frantz Ferguson, Antoinette Knowles, Kadesh Collie, Letitia Fowler, Oshieka Turnquest, Alicia Elden, Brandon McPhee, Beaumont Todd, and Cyril Saunders.
“Our cast is a lively bunch. With veterans of over 20 years in acting, as well as a few newcomers making their debut on the stage,” said Nikolette.
The play is rated T for audiences 16 and over and tickets are $35 and will be available on the Aliv Events App starting Friday, June 28. It will be staged at the Performing Arts Centre at the University of The Bahamas. Performances are on July 12 and 13 at 8pm.
“This is a significant moment for us, as we will be the first event using the app since its launch with Junkanoo,” Nikolette said.
For more information about the production, check out their Instagram and Facebook pages @currentcutproductions.
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.
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
Answers
THE ALPHABEATER
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! 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
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
Yesterday’s Kakuro Answer
Heron, Charade, (clue).
Henpeck, Croak, Claim, Blanket, Legwork, Hairy, Whine, Beneath.
fashion
Wear your art on your sleeve
By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
THE newest KBAD fashion pieces speaks as an expression of the designer’s version of wearable art.
Kejuana Beneby started the KBAD art and fashion design brand in 2015, now just under the cusp of a decade in the fashion industry, she feels so much more confident in her work and what she is capable of creating as an artist.
“I am the sole proprietor of KBAD Studio, synonymous for high fashion styling, eccentric content creation, thrift and vintage fashion, custom jewelry and creative direction. I recently put my fine art skills to the forefront, as my art work becomes the central focus under the studio’s ever-expanding umbrella,” said Kejuana.
When she started the studio, Kejuana said she had no idea how to run a business, but she knew she wanted to create. At that time giving 100 percent for her meant barely any savings, no formal training, and no investments lined up; it was just her, a sewing machine, a mannequin and bins of fabric and supplies that were donated.
“I’ve developed so many skills along the way, some of which are invaluable. I think the biggest area of growth that I’ve seen in my life as a whole has been in the faith and trust that I have in God and in turn the faith and trust that I have in myself and knowing that my dreams of being a creative and an artist can come true. I put my faith in God that the talents that I’ve been blessed with will continue to make room for me, and everyday that I wake up and I’m able to continue to create is a testament to that,” said Kejuana.
KBAD, she said, was birthed from two places, the first was from her love of fashion and the second was to prove the doubters wrong.
“I was an aspiring model and was told that my career would be shortlived as I got older, I really had a love for fashion and I wanted longevity in the industry so I decided that I would transition into designing and
try it out even though I had never made clothes before. My transition was met with doubt. And that doubt only fueled my aspirations, I knew I had an eye for styling and color theory, and I was always creating and crafting so I was good with my hands,” she said.
Kejuana said her first garment was a pair of pants that received so many compliments. From this, she began making pieces that she would wear at her workplace at the time. After a few months of trial and error and research, Kejuana completed her very first collection and was able to get a spot in a fashion show through the connections she made as a model. From that show, she was then selected to travel internationally for the first time as a designer.
Sweet vindication, she said, as two years later she made the decision to leave her 9-5 job for good and pursue entrepreneurship full time.
KBAD is now divided into three brands, KBAD Studio as its main where Kejuana currently offers styling services, custom art work in the form of canvases and wearable art. Then there is the KBAD virtual thrift store and thrift market offering second hand home decor pieces, upcycled and vintage fashion looks, and a variety of items.
Lastly, the KBAD custom closet is Kejuana’s hub for anyone looking for personal development through fashion. With this she offers classes and courses that focus on establishing self esteem through personal style and fashion choices.
Speaking about some of her most recent pieces, Kejuana said the Flamingo Gardens thigh high boot was designed for the Ministry of Culture’s annual fashion show, where the designers were challenged to make a garment inspired by tangible and intangible Bahamian culture.
“I’ve been wanting to put my fine art and painting skills back to the forefront and used the chance to upcycle some thrifted boots that I had into the boot you see today. I decided that I would stop taking custom orders as of this year so that I could focus on nurturing my art and creativity, these boots were one of first creations I was able to indulge in and have fun with.
“It’s a mixed media piece that features 3D silk flowers and green ery, lace and beaded embellishments, hand painted shorelines and rhine stone studded flamingos. I also added real sand in the piece as well. It took me about three weeks to complete. The other looks that I’ve created also feature hand painted details and embellishments,” said Kejuana.
She said each look that she created after The Flamingo Gardens boot became her artistic interpretation of a unique piece of Bahamian iden tity. Another piece, The Golden Pineapple, she said, is completed as a navy-blue blazer featuring the “lutra pine”.
Goombay socialite 2.0, she said, is a recreation of a Goom bay-themed jacket she made years ago. This now updated piece features the famous Goombay smiley in an abstract form. More pieces include The Pink Crab, which is a beautiful rendition of the iconic crustacean. And Barracuda Bait, is a thigh high denim boot completely covered in platinum and silver embellishments.
“My biggest feedback received is based on the level of creativity that is put into the pieces I create. The attention to detail and having them be a part of the design process, then seeing the final product is always funny because they witness the bare bones of the piece and then see the addition of each step. It’s a type of connection that’s nurtured through a very unique dynamic. A lot of my clients were upset that I stopped taking custom orders but they were also so understanding as well.
I’m happy to be able to have clients who support and endure the changes that come along with developing a brand. They may not be involved in the design process now but there’s still an anticipation for what level of creativity is going to be unlocked next,” said Kejuana.
For the current season as it relates to fashion in general, Kejuana believes the 90s and vintage fashion is making a huge comeback right now.
“I couldn’t be more excited. I think we’re going to see an uptick in thrifted fashion and street style. I think as a collective everyone pulls out the stops for the summer season and rightfully so. I plan on developing my dream wardrobe this season and focusing on creating and curating looks that are timeless and that can be passed down,” said Kejuana.
Through the journey of discovery
By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
An artist known for pushing boundaries will share his Bahamian perspective in front of European eyes at an art exhibit in London this summer.
Tavares Strachan has spent the last two decades expanding the boundaries of contemporary art with the imaginative verve of a true pioneer.
This has included sending a 4.6 ton brick of arctic ice to The Bahamas, launching into orbit a gold sculpture of the first Black American in the US space programme; or creating his own alternative 3,000-page encyclopaedia, And now he will display a selection of his work at the Hayward gallery in London this summer (through September 1).
This multifaceted exhibition will showcase the ways in which his art vividly highlights key questions of cultural visibility. Dedicated to telling “lost stories”, Tavares celebrates unsung explorers and neglected cultural trailblazers, inviting audiences to engage with overlooked characters whose lives illuminate histories hidden by bias.
The exhibit will feature monumental new sculptural commissions alongside striking largescale collages, neon works, bronze and ceramic sculptures, and mixed-media installations.
Viewers will be taken on a journey of journey of discovery and recovery that is simultaneously playful and impactful.
And at the same time he will focus on topics such as colonialism and racism and how the past impacts the universal desire for a sense of belonging.
The exhibit includes a nine-metre-high neon work that declares: You Belong Here spelled outside the facade of the Hayward Gallery and a giant bronze head of 20th century Black nationalist Marcus Garvey.
The exhibit will also include a 2008 creation of the Bahamas Air and Sea Exploration Center (BASEC), conceived as a Bahamian community project to increase young people’s access to science and technology.
A second part of the exhibition will be centred around Strachan’s Encyclopedia of Invisibility (2018), which the artist describes as “a home for lost stories”. The product of an immense (and ongoing) research project, this work features over 17,000 entries detailing extraordinary figures forgotten by history.
A third section of the exhibition will feature recent work, mostly made during the past five years, in which the artist imaginatively
The exhibition will also include a new and enlarged version of Coronation Hut
an installation that implicitly links the pageantry through which the British crown is empowered and legitimated to ancient African village rituals. Tavares Strachan says: “My practice as an artist is a quest to reveal hidden histories and to tell lost stories with a weight that matches the profound nature of the characters I speak for. I have always thought about making as a form of storytelling, a way for us to engage in things that might be more difficult to grasp during the normal course of our day.”
remaps lost connections to traditional African cultures.
EVERY Tongue Shall Confess, 2019 INNER Elder (Nina Simone as Queen of Sheba), 2023 Courtesy of the Artist and Marian Goodman Gallery
INSTALLATION view of Tavares Strachan, There Is Light Somewhere. Ruin of a Giant (King Tubby), 2024. Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery
SIX THOUSAND YEARS, (2018) Courtesy of Regen Projects Los Angeles, photo by Bryan Forrest
TAVARES STRACHAN, A Map of the Crown (Congo Candle Wick), 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Claire Dorn
TAVARES STRACHAN, Robert, 2018. 58th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, May You Live in Interesting Times. Courtesy of the artist
TAVARES STRACHAN, The Legacy, 2023 Courtesy of the Artist
(2022),
TAVARES STRACHAN ,photobyMih
LIFT Off #1, 2008-09
Two glass rockets, Bahamas sugar fuel cell. Photo: Tom Powel Imaging
Junkanoo joy for artists
YOUNG artists shone in an annual Junkanoo art competition.
BAF hosted the 4th Annual Junkanoo Art Competition recently - and had more than 50 entries, with entries ranging from very young to older children.
Six winners were awarded prizes.
events
Bahamas fair in Washington
The Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex in Washington, DC, transformed its rooftop into a hub of insightful dialogue and Bahamian flair at its recent “Cocktails and Conversations Part IV” event. The evening on Friday, May 31, revolved around the theme “Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Governance: Lessons Learned and New Horizons.”
Consul General Patrick Adderley kicked off the event, welcoming a guest list that included diplomats, business leaders, and the public. Vice Consul Kendra McPhee-Rhule then
introduced the guest speakers and highlighted the featured guest for the evening.
Former Consul General Paulette Zonicle and Ambassador P Nicolas Symonette spoke at the event.
Adding a touch of Bahamian hospitality to the event was Luna Distillery, a Nassau-based rum producer. Livingstone Rolle, co-proprietor and rum distiller, offered his support and showcased Luna’s unique spirits through a signature libation named “The Consular”. The tantalising concoction, alongside insightful dialogue, undoubtedly made for a memorable evening.
1919 - The Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles in France. It signified the end of the first World War. 1997 - Mike Tyson was disqualified in a boxing match for the Heavyweight title, after he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear twice. His boxing licence was temporarily suspended because of the infraction.
June 29
1513 - London’s Globe Theatre was burned down during a performance of William Shakespeare’s Henry VIII after the thatch roof was set aflame by a cannon used to mark the King’s entrance onstage.
2007 - Apple Inc launched its new smart phone, the
this weekend in history
Organization for Women (NOW) was formed in the United States to promote equal rights for women. Betty Friedan was its first president.
iPhone, which would go on to revolutionise the industry.
June 30
1966 - The National
2019 - Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to visit North Korea, when he walked into the country to meet its leader, Kim Jong-Un.
literary lives
Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the American actor known for his improvisational skills and the array of characters he created, which caused him to be regarded as one of the greatest comedians of all time.
“It’s a brutal field. They burn you out. It takes its toll. Plus the lifestyle – playing, drinking, drugs. If you’re on the road, it’s even more brutal. You gotta come back down … and then performing takes you back up.”
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams was born at St Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, on July 21, 1951. His father was a senior executive in the Ford Motor Company, and his mother a former model from Jackson, Mississippi. He credits his mother as an important early influence on his humour. He tried to make her laugh to get her attention.
Williams attended Gorton Elementary School in Lake Forest, and middle school at Deer Path Junior High School. He was a quiet child who did not overcome his shyness until he became involved with high school drama. In 1963, when he was 12, his father was transferred to Detroit where they lived in a 40-room farmhouse on 20 acres in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he was a student at the private Detroit Country Day School. He was on the school wrestling team and was elected class president.
Williams was raised by the family’s maid as both his parents worked. When he was 16, his father retired and moved to Tiburon, California, where he went to Redwood High School. After high school he went to Claremont Men’s College in Claremont to study political science, but dropped out to pursue acting. He studied theatre for three years at the College of Marin in Kentfield, California.
In 1973, Williams got a full scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York City. He was one of 20 students accepted into the freshman class along with Christopher Reeve. William Hurt and Mandy Patinkin were also classmates. Williams and Reeve had a class in dialects taught by Edith Skinner. Skinner was bewildered by Williams’s ability to instantly perform different accents. Williams was a human dynamo and had a reputation for being funny. His critics were silenced after he played an old man in Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana.
“He simply was the old man. I was astonished by his work and very grateful that fate had thrown us together.”
Christopher Reeve
The two remained close friends until Reeve’s death in 2004.
During the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1976 Williams worked as a busboy at The Trident Hotel in Sausalito, California. He left Juilliard in 1976 at the suggestion of John Houseman who said there was nothing more that Juilliard could teach him. No one was surprised that he left.
Williams began performing stand-up comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1976. He gave his first performance at the Holy City Zoo, a comedy club, where he worked his way up from tending bar. In the 1960s, San Francisco was the centre for rock music renaissance, hippies, drugs, and a sexual revolution. Williams says he found out about drugs and happiness during that period.
“I saw the best brains of my time turned to mud.”
Robin Williams
Williams moved to Los Angeles in 1977 and continued performing at stand-up clubs, including The Comedy Store. TV producer George Schlatter saw him there and asked him to appear on a revival of his show, Laugh-In, which aired in late
1977 and was his debut TV appearance. He also performed a show at the LA Improv for Home Box Office. This was the start of his television career, despite the failure of the Laugh-In revival. He continued to perform stand-up at comedy clubs such as the Roxy. In England, Williams performed at The Fighting Cocks.
Williams rose to fame playing the alien Mork in the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978-1982), and began to reach a wider audience in the late 1970s and 1980s, including three HBO comedy specials: Off The Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1983), and A Night at the Met (1986). He won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the recording of his live Copacabana show (1979) in New York City, Reality … What a Concept.
“He came in like a hurricane. Holy crap, there goes my chance in show business.”
David Letterman Robin Williams at The Comedy Store
Williams admitted that he used drugs and alcohol early in his career because of the stress caused by performing, but neither drank nor used drugs while performing.
“… it comes and goes. Suddenly they’re hot, and then somebody else is hot. Sometimes they get very bitter. Sometimes they just give up. Sometimes they have a revival thing and they come back again … The pressure kicks in. You become obsessed, and then you lose that focus that you need.”
Robin Williams
Critics such as Vincent Canby were concerned that Williams’s monologues were so intense that it seemed as though his creative process could reverse into a complete meltdown.
Williams’s biographer Emily Herbert described his intense, utterly manic style of standup which
“… defies analysis … going beyond energetic, beyond frenetic … and sometimes dangerous because of what it said about the creator’s own mental state.”
Emily Herbert Robin Williams’s Biography
Williams felt secure that he would never run out of ideas as world events were constantly changing. He improvised the association of ideas to keep his audience interested. Some comedians even accused Williams of stealing their jokes. He later avoided going to other comedians’ performances to avoid similar accusations.
His stand-up work was a consistent thread throughout his career, as seen by the success of his one-man show Robin Williams: Live on Broadway
(2002). In 2006, he was voted as being among Comedy Central’s list of “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time”. In August 2008, he announced a 26-city tour Weapons of Self Destruction which began in September 2009 and ended in New York on 3 December, and was the subject of an HBO Special on December 8, 2009.
Williams’s characterisation of the alien Mork in Mork & Mindy, which co-starred Pam Dawber, was the catalyst for his enduring television career. At its peak, it had a weekly audience of 60 million and turned Williams into a superstar. He improvised much of his dialogue speaking in a high nasal voice. The show was such a success that Williams appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The cover photo was taken by Michael Dressler and captured both the humorous and thoughtful sides of his character. Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Williams began to reach a much wider audience with his stand-up comedy: three HBO comedy specials Off the Wall (1978), An Evening with Robin Williams (1983), and A Night at the Met (1986). He co-hosted the 58th Academy Awards in 1986, and was a regular guest on talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. He appeared with fellow comedian Billy Crystal in a cameo in Friends, and an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? He starred in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and in 2006 was the surprise guest at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He appeared with Robert De Niro on Saturday Night Live in 2010, and starred in a new series The Crazy Ones (2013) which was cancelled after one season.
Although he had a small part in the film Can I Do It …’Til I Need Glasses? in 1977, his first starring role was in Popeye (1980). He starred in The World According to Garp (1982), and had smaller roles in The Survivors (1983) and Club Paradiso (1986). His first major film career break came in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He improvised most of his lines and played the role of a radio commentator without a script.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Dead Poets Society (1989), Awakenings (1990), Hook (1991), The Fisher King (1991), and Good Will Hunting (1997), were some of his film roles.
“He had the ability to go from manic to mad to tender and vulnerable … He had the most unique mind on the planet. There’s nobody like him out there.”
Terry Gilliam
Film Director, The Fisher King (1991)
Other dramatic roles played by Williams in film included Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Dead Again (1991), Hamlet (1996), What Dreams May Come (1998), Jakob the Liar (1999), and Bicentennial Man (1999). In Insomnia (2002), he played a murderer on the run against Al Pacino, and One Hour Photo where he played a photo development technician. He also appeared in The Final Cut (2004), and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014), which was the last film to be released while he was still alive.
Williams earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Good Will Hunting (1997), and Academy Award nominations for Dead Poets Society (1989) and The Fisher King (1991). He starred in five movies in 2006 including Man of the Year and The Night Listener. Four films were released after the actor died in 2014: Night at the Museum; A Merry Friggin’ Christmas; Boulevard; and Absolutely
Robin Williams had a problem with alcohol and cocaine for most of his life. He was married three times: Valerie Velardi (1978-1988), Marsha Garces (19892010); and Susan Schneider (2011). He had one child, a son, with Velardi, and two with Garces. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he had an addiction to cocaine. He quit drugs and alcohol in 1983 and turned exercise and cycling to alleviate his depression. He started drinking again in 2005, and in 2006 checked himself into a substanceabuse rehabilitation centre in Newberg, Oregon, admitting to alcoholism. He never returned to using cocaine but
acknowledged his failure to maintain sobriety. In mid 2014, Williams again admitted himself into the Hazelden Foundation Addiction Treatment Centre in Centre City, Minnesota for treatment for alcoholism.
In March 2009, Williams was hospitalised for heart problems and had an operation at the Cleveland Clinic to replace his aortic valve, repair his mitral valve, and correct his irregular heartbeat. The successful operation was completed on 13 March 2009.
His wife, Susan Schneider, stated that after they were married, in the period before his death, Williams had been sober but was seriously depressed and was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. A later 2014 autopsy revealed that this was a mis-diagnosis, and that he had diffuse Lewy Body Disease which included a spike in fear, anxiety, stress and insomnia.
Williams was found dead in his home in Paradise Cay, California, on August 11, 2014. The final autopsy report, released in November 2014, concluded that Williams’s death was suicide resulting from “asphyxia due to hanging”.
“Robin was losing his mind and he was aware of it … Depression is a symptom of LBD and it’s not about psychology … His brain was falling apart.”
Susan Schneider, 2014
Robin Williams was cremated at Monte’s Chapel of the Hills in San Anselmo, and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay on 24 August 2014.
Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. The author acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia.
ROBIN Williams in Dead Poet’s Society
What to stream this week: The Bear, Camila Cabello, Megan
Thee Stallion and Celine Dion
The life and style of fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg is chronicled in a documentary and albums from Megan Thee Stallion and Camila Cabello are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Celine Dion gets an intimate documentary portrait in “I Am Celine Dion,” Sega gets super silly with the video game Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, and Eva Longoria plays a woman whose life changes completely in “Land of Women.”
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
documentary portrait in “I Am Celine Dion” (streaming Tuesday on Prime Video), a film chronicle the Canadian singer’s battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. For the film, director Irene Taylor spends time with Dion at home and in her personal life as she reflects on her career and discusses the difficulties of her condition, a rare affliction that she first divulged she’s living with in 2022.
Oscar-nominated for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” she starred in the Sundance 2023 entry “Fancy Dance,” director Erica Tremblay drama about life on the SenecaCayuga Nation reservation in Oklahoma. The film, which debuts Friday, June 28, on Apple TV+, is her niece Roki (Isabel DeroyOlson), searches for her missing sister. “Fancy Dance,” rich in both cultural detail and genre plotting, marks Tremblay’s directorial debut.
icon Diane von Furstenberg is chronicled in directors Sharmeen
Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton’s documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” streaming Tuesday, June 25, on Hulu. The film, which kicked off the recent Tribeca Festival, profiles the Belgian designer whose huge influence on 20th century fashion is most notable for bringing the wrap dress to prominence in 1974.
NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
R&B singer Lucky Daye is preparing to release a new album on Friday, June 28, titled “Algorithm.” (Think of the name as a creative reversal — he aims to make soulful music that extends beyond the predictability of
machine learning.) His single “Soft” is a celebration of the vulnerabilities inherent in a new relationship — atop big drum fills and heartfluttering harmonies. “HERicane” slows it down, funky riffs making for a flirty track somewhere at the intersection of love and lust.
“C,XOXO,” Camila Cabello aims to reinvent herself. The lead single “I LUV IT,” featuring rapper Playboi Carti, is what happens when mainstream pop performers pay attention to the hyperpop underground — amplified by its elated, anxiety-inducing repetition of “I love it/I love it /I love it/I love it” in the song’s chorus. Her second single was another detour: The lackadaisical club-y “He Knows,” featuring Lil
Up 2 Me,” and moves leisurely like smoke dissipating in the air. So, what other surprises will appear on “C,XOXO”? That will be revealed on Friday, June 28. -
lion’s third full-length album and the first to be self-released under -
tions, promises to continue her reign as the sovereign of hot girl summers. Independence looks good on her: From the rap-rock “COBRA,” with its fearless lyricism on everything from infidelity
Stefani-sampling “BOA” – an imaginative take on 2004’s “What You Waiting For?” — it’s clear Megan is enjoying her creative autonomy. But don’t take it from us — a quick listen to “HISS,” an aggressive reclamation of her public image, makes it clear from the spoken-word intro.
NEW SHOWS TO STREAM
winning series The Bear drops all 10 episodes on Thursday. The show follows Jeremy Allen White as Carmy, a fine-dining chef who opens his own restaurant in Chicago. Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach co-star. All three have won Emmy Awards for their performances. White says that if season two of the show was about the question of what happens if you get what you want (like the restaurant of your dreams), season three asks, what do you really want?
“Babylon Berlin” has a new season available in the United States. The show is set in the 1930s as the Nazis rose to power. The first three seasons of “Babylon Berlin” originally streamed on Netflix, but now those episodes plus a new fourth season will be available exclusively in North America on the MHz Choice streaming service beginning Tuesday.
is living the good life one day, and the next is left with her husband’s massive debt after he disappears. She flees to northern Spain with her mother and teenage daughter. The fish-out-of-water series is based on a popular novel and was created for TV by the prolific Spanish TV producer Ramón Campos. The dialogue is a combo of English, Spanish and Catalan — a language spoken in northeastern Spain. “One of the big sources of comedy is miscommunication and this is ripe for that,” Longoria told TV critics earlier this year. The “Land of Women” debuts Wednesday on Apple TV+.
animals The bestest boy
Animal matters Kim Aranha Sawfsh SOS
How many of us have ever seen a sawfish? And how often do we mistake their name with a swordfish? The Caribbean Sawfish is in a bad way, in fact it is endangered.
I had a completely chance meeting, several months ago, with a group of scientists who were meeting the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources.
The Sawfish is a shark-like ray with a long snout that has teeth visible on the outside of the snout. That sounds pretty incredible. You really need to see them to believe them, they are one of the least believable creations of nature.
They are classified as critically endangered, they are the most threatened of any of the marine animals, inclusive of sharks and rays. Alas, fishing is their greatest threat, and when we say fishing, who can and do we blame? You got it: Humans, yet again.
The major problem is that their awkward snout gets tangled up in fishing nets. Also, people had a demand for certain body parts, their fins and meat for food and mostly for eccentric and hyped medicinal purposes in certain lass scrupulous nations. When some caring people try to release them from the tangle of nets, they do not know the proper release techniques and, alas, the sawfish does not survive.
The Andros West Side National Park and parts of Florida are the only two places where one species of sawfish, the Smalltooth Sawfish can be found regularly. There are reports that they can be found in Cuba but these reports are not substantiated.
The Smalltooth Sawfish tend to be found in shallow water, near shore areas, and are particularly fond of the mangrove with a muddy or sandy bottoms.
The good news is that there are scientific expeditions to Andros as I write, where they are documenting the population of these amazing sea creatures and they are also tagging them so that they can keep track of their
PET OF THE WEEK
movements to enable us to understand more about them.
When I met these people at the Ministry they had just finished a meeting with the then Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Clay Sweeting. They shared a folder with general information and were so excited that The Bahamas had a healthy population of these awkward looking underwater residents.
I would like to share some of the unusual and amazing facts about the sawfish:
tropical cultures around the world as supernatural providers of prosperity and protection.
By The Bahamas Humane Society
Milo is ‘the bestest boy’ according to those who know him. This sevenyear-old chow mix is fully housebroken, welltrained, and looking for love! Milo is missing his small dog and cat buddies and wouldn’t mind a home where he can make some new friends. Do you need a snuggly protective companion in your life? Milo might just be right for you. Come in to the Bahamas Humane
sheath over their saws to protect their mother.
stay with their mother but are, however, seen with their siblings.
breed these amazing fish in captivity and Atlantis at Paradise Island, right here in The Bahamas, saw the first successful captive breeding of sawfish in 2012
scientists were able to film a birth of a sawfish for the first time ever. This took place in the wilds, near the island of Andros.
We in the Bahamas need to realise how very fortunate we are to have a healthy breeding area for these super
Society to meet him or call 821-4121 for more information. Milo looks forward to meeting you!
The BHS Thrift Shop is open and has lots of amazing items for sale! All proceeds go to the BHS. Wed/ Thurs/Fri 11am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Thank you to our donors and customers for keeping us busy!
incredible fish.
We have to pass legislation that they are protected and must not be taken or killed for any purpose. They are the most exciting animals to encounter gliding beneath a diver in our beautiful clear waters. Any diver, but especially visitors, who have come long distances, will be elated to see the Sawfish swimming in their own habitat. I personally have only seen them in an aquarium or on a video, I do not remember ever seeing them swimming free, but I can most certainly tell you that it would make my day to see them.
Education is essential in situations such as this, we need to teach our children growing up in the Bahamas that we have the most amazing resources that are hugely marketable to our visitors. Our sea is precious and so are the creatures who live in our seas, the sandbanks, small channels, mangroves, drop offs and coral heads all harbour an astounding diversity of marine life all of which is mesmerising to watch from close up, yes, it comes with a price. There are dangers. You have to realise that their habitat is not our habitat and we need to be very aware of that and of some of the hunting residents in our seas.
Sharks are everywhere and we need to be careful, mindful, and sensible. If you are fearful (like me) it is best to not go where is could become overwhelming. I am not one of those heroes who would know to stand my ground and push a shark away… wherever you go, however you dive, be mindful and respectful, you are a guest
events
Pop in to the Pop Up
By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net
LOVERS of summer art, food and culture will be treated to a good dose during tomorrow’s Summer Festival Pop Up Shop.
The event is intended as a family centric day putting Bahamians in the front of unique local art and crafts they may not ordinarily experience.
The event will be held at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas from 10am -7pm.
Visitors will be enchanted with over 500 pieces of Bahamian art throughout the gallery’s. Over 25 Bahamian artists and artisans will showcase their art to both local and international guests.
The event is being organized by University of Bahamas student Sornita Nicholson.
The Summer Pop Up Festival she said started from a project management course proposal to now a challenge to bring theory into practice for university funding.
“As a lover of all forms of art, especially by Bahamians, we love seeing the elation on people’s faces when they find a treat that’s reminiscent of their childhood. Locally made jewelry or Christmas ornaments (in June) that can’t even be found on amazon.
This will expose many locals & tourists to these small business entrepreneurs, while networking with others who are similarly aligned,” she said.
The event according to Sornita will feature a carefully curated mixture of Bahamian favourites, from sweet to savoury to spicy - which also includes food, beverages (Switcha lemonade or Sky juice) and desserts.
Jewelry & leather accessories for men & women, along with candles, body scrubs & pepper jelly. Straw bags & crafts, Unique Artwork, with limited edition gifts & keepsakes.
Including a few vendors that won’t be seen anywhere else on this island.
There will be special musical performances by Jazz Group - Central Drive Collective, Abiyah & Shad Fer.
The art park will be open for hikes & delicious discoveries.
Kiddie korner on the lawn & grown-folk’s only section to kick back & relax.
Another unique feature of the even will be the Island Hopping 101 activity, where guests will receive a new passport as they journey to different vendors/Islands.
The three most verified visits will receive exclusive take home prizes.
“The event is a celebration of our culture and talent. That creativity lies within every member of our community, waiting to be embraced and that within our communities success can thrive,” she said.
Sornita said she is already looking forward to next year’s event that is already in the making.
“Summer Pop Up Festival part Deux, is already in the planning stage and there are plans for other islands, as well.
SCENES from last year’s Summer Festival Pop Up Shop