Friday fun: Ten Bajan music artistes the world should know

Although many Barbadian artistes, e.g. the late El Verno del Congo, Nicholas Brancker and Arturo Tappin have been making their mark on the international music scene for years, we must admit that none has attained the 'household name' status of Rihanna. Although the only thing Barbadian about Ms. Rih-Rih these days is her parentage, but I digress....

If nothing else, Rihanna has shown the world that Caribbean singers have a wider range than calypso or soca (no disrespect of course to Rupee, Allison Hinds, Machel and others!) Although I understand the marketing concerns that encourage the record companies to pigeon-hole artistes, who says we can't operate outside the box, right?

Anyhoo, here's a list of 10 Barbadian music artistes who I feel have a lot to offer the world. Please feel free to comment on any others!


www.pyramidartists.com
10. Philip Scantlebury. Front man for the local alternative rock band Masala, Philip (pictured sitting at front) has also provided vocals for bands such as Le Groove, Acoustic Blue, Suave, The Toni Norville Band and Strategy. His band's newest single Beautiful Surprise is just that.


9. David Pilgrim. The brother of Barbadian lawyer and actor Andrew Pilgrim, David released his sophomore album Island Soul in 2004 and one of his tracks, Not Entirely Sure, is still in heavy rotation on Love 104.1 FM.

He is reported as saying that "R&B, jazz, and rock have so many different modes, but people tend to think of Caribbean music as mostly dance music. I want to change that, both rhythmically and especially lyrically", and he achieves that goal with his fusion of reggae, calypso and soul music. http://cdbaby.com



8. Ayana John. Beauty pageant contestant, Digicel Rising Stars finalist, actress, chantress, songwriter. If there's one Bajan artiste who's hard to pigeon-hole, it's Ayana John. She has shown her vocal versatility by putting out a number of songs ranging from hip-hop and r&b to soca, including the infectious love song Guns ‘n Roses and Bajan Story (with Buggy), which earned her a nomination at the 2007 Barbados Music Awards. Keep on doing your thing, girl!


www.hitparade.ch
7. William White. When I first heard William White's single Rain from his album Undone, I was singing it all day. The blend of Caribbean rhythms, pop, rock, funk and jazz will hold your attention from the first note. Kudos to Love FM's Samud Ali for playing William's music!


www.myspace.com/jomo
6. Jomo Lord. Jomo Lord is definitely a local talent that needs to be shared with the world. His infectious, alternative sound is still uniquely Barbadian in its lyrical expression, and hits such as Losing Faith, Free, Understanding Joseph and Lingo will keep you grooving.


5. Kimberley Inniss. Ms. Kimberley probably knows what it feels like to be 'always the bridesmaid and never the bride'. Placing second in both the Digicel Rising Stars and Courts Superstar Search comopetitions would leave most persons dejected, but not the persistent vocal powerhouse. A capabable producer and songwriter, Kimberley went on to wow Barbadian audiences with hits such as My Hips, Free, Freak on Da Floor and Carnival Symphony, and is at the forefront of the new wave of female soca artistes likely to go mainstream. I guess she got the last laugh....http://crsmusic.com


4. Billy Kincaid. Hip-hop urban artist Billy Kincaid isn't afraid to try new things. His collaboration with soca maestro the Mighty Gabby in 2005's We Live On blew locals away, and earned him his second Barbados Music Award for Best Hip- Hop Single in 2007.

He has also shared the stage with many popular local, regional and international artists, such as Rupee, Edwin Yearwood, Toni Norville, Fat Joe, Lloyd Banks, Buju Banton, Anthony B, Luciano, Morgan Heritage, and Third World. With his videos on rotation on the local music video countdown show Roamin', Jamaica's Hype!TV an MTV's Tempo, it's only a matter of time before world gets to know this musical treasure. http://cdbaby.com


www.danahmusik.com
3. Danah. If you didn't believe that electronic/acoustic pop and gospel could go together, then the group Danah will make a believer out of you. The soulful, stirring voice of lead singer Dana Ward and the stylings of guitarist David Thomas have earned them the honour of opening for Gospel acts Ron Kenoly and Donnie McClurkin, seven local Flame Gospel Awards including most influential group of the year, and two Marlin Awards (Caribbean Gospel awards). Rock on and God bless.


www.vividview.com
2. Kite. If you're visiting Barbados anytime in the near future, don't leave without checking out the local rock band Kite. Band members JJ Poulter and Brian Marshall deliver the goods on tracks such as Firefly (featured on an episode of CBS' The Ghost Whisperer) and Beautiful Sky, taken from their new CD 13 Degrees North. This Kite definitely deserves to fly.


1. Hal Linton. Hal Linton nearly sent Bajans into Cardiac Arrest for real with the release of his debut album Spirit, Life and Love in January this year. The tracks Supernatural, Hey Love and Smile also burned up the airwaves in the region.

At this year's Barbados Music Awards, he won Best New Artiste, Song of the Year for Cardiac Arrest (beating out Rihanna), Songwriter of the Year and R&B Song of the Year. I expect even greater things from Mr. Linton in the future.
www.crsmusic.com

Special mention must also be made of local songstresses Shontelle Bryan, Marissa Lindsay, Tamara Marshall, Rosemary Phillips; reggae artist David Kirton and all our soca artistes...you're all world class talents.

Pray for peace today and every day

Barbados joins the rest of the world today in celebrating International Day of Peace. At midday, bells will signal the start of a minute's silence for peace, and the public and private sector have been asked to allow their staff to observe the period of silence at noon. Persons have also been asked to wear white and/or blue in support of the Day of Peace.

A peace march and rally organised by the Universal Day of Hope Trust, Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, Barbados National Peace Council and the African Methodist Episcopal Church will proceed from Jubilee Gardens at 3:30 p.m. to National Heores Square.

For those of you in Barbados, you can visit one of the following churches:
St. David's Anglican Church, St. James Parish Church, St. Stephen's Anglican Church, St. Leonard's Anglican, St. Michael's Cathedral (mass from 12:15 p.m.), St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral (mass at noon), and the Baha'i National Centre.

Peace be unto you all.

Photo: www.internationaldayofpeace.org

An evening with Eric Jerome Dickey

Last evening, I headed up to Cave Shepherd Vista to check out the launch of Eric Jerome Dickey's new novel, Waking with Enemies. It was an entertaining evening, and I decided to post up a timeline of the activities:

4:55 p.m. - Arrived at Cave Shepherd Vista and was surprised to see so much parking still available. Then again, we Bajans only seem to be early for functions at the Stadium or Gymansium....

4:56 p.m. - Called my sister to see how far away she was. She was about two miles from Worthing, stuck in traffic. Assured her I would keep a space for her in the line.

5:00 p.m. - Bought Waking with Enemies (hardback retails at Bds $56.65). Asked the pleasant cashier if it was okay to take pictures during the book signing/reading.
"Sure," he replied, "Eric is so nice. He won't mind at all."

5:03 p.m. - Ran into a friend who was working at the event and we chatted. No other fans were in sight. Browsed the store in the meantime. Dang...Land bags are expensive!

5:08 p.m. - Three other excited ladies joined me at the area roped off for the book signing. We chatted for a few minutes about our favourite books.
















5:15 p.m. - My sister finally arrived. She knew one of the other ladies in the line and more female bonding took place. We were joined by an ecstatic Astrid Bovell (above), one of the seven lucky ladies who would get to tour the island with Eric on Friday.
















5:19 p.m. - A Cave Shepherd employee informed us that we would have to show our receipts for the purchased books and they would have to be placed in bags. Made sense...so many copies of Eric's novel were on display that anyone could snatch one and jump in the line to have it signed.

5:25 p.m. - Realised I had bought part two of the series. Sis went back to the cashier to buy part one, Sleeping With Strangers.
















5:27 p.m. - Crowd increasing. Towels with the slogan Waking with Enemies were handed out to fans.

5:40 p.m. - A Billy Ocean tune started to play. Fans watched the main door expectantly.

5:45 p.m. - A hostess welcomed fans to Cave Shepherd. She invited persons to sample the cognac, chocolates, fish cakes, rum cake and wine available outside. After waiting for over half an hour, many persons didn't want to lose their place in the line.

5:50 p.m. - Hostess interviewed fans. A stills photographer and cameraman began shooting footage of the crowd.

5:56 p.m. - Lots of laughter, wine drinking. Some of the fans asked others to hold their places in the line and went to sample snacks.

6:03 p.m. - The lights suddenly dimmed and a red strobe light came on. I hoped the lights would be turned back on or my pictures would suck. In the dimness, a voice is heard outlining Eric Jerome Dickey's biography.

6:07 p.m. - Bright disco lights started spinning and Eric Jerome Dickey entered from another direction, not the main door. As the crowd applauded, the old R&B hit Stroke You Up played. Smiling and laughing, Eric greeted the fans. Flash bulbs went crazy, and he said it was okay, "the paparazzi can get their pictures".
















6:10 p.m. - Applause died. Eric was ushered to a seat and was interviewed live by Natalia Peters of Starcom Network. Natalia asked about his books, which were "full of suspense, thrills and erotic moments".

6:15 p.m. - Fan interviews began. A fan asked what was his inspiration to write his novels. Replied that he enjoyed creating characters and developing their profiles.
"You may not agree with what they (the characters) do, but you'll understand what motivates them to do what they do," he added.

6:19 p.m. - Another fan asked who were his favourite authors. His list included Maya Angelou, Walter Mosley, Ed McBain, Langston Hughes and Stephen King.

6:21 p.m. - His advice to wannabe writers was to read widely and attend creative writing classes, among other things. Other questions inluded his favourite character from his books (Gideon from most current novels) and when his next novel would be published (not sure, maybe following year).
















6:25 p.m. - Eric read an excerpt from Sleeping with Strangers, which sounded highly entertaining. The enraptured audience listened politely, laughing from time to time.
















6:35 p.m. - The book signing began. Each fan (above) had a brief chat with the author and posed for photos.

6:45 p.m. - Had my turn. He remembered my name from the question and answer session. We chatted briefly and he gave me a kiss and hug. A nice end to a wonderful evening.

Happy Independence Day, St. Kitts & Nevis!

Cheese-on-Bread extends congratulations to the Government and People of St. Kitts and Nevis, who are celebrating their nation's 24th Anniversary of Independence.

Check out this very inviting article on St. Kitts and Nevis. Makes me want to pack my bags. One question, though...what on earth is Arawak chicken?

Region bids farewell to Sir John Compton

Today, almost all of the region's news outlets feature stories on the funeral service of the late Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Sir John Compton. Following is the lead story from the Daily Nation in Barbados:

A HERO, LEGEND, freedom fighter and a politician of the highest quality.

These accolades and many more, in speeches and song, were accorded to the late St Lucia Prime Minister Sir John George Melvin Compton yesterday, as the Caribbean bid him farewell in a four-hour funeral service in the Immaculate Conception church in the capital, Castries.

The service was a unique celebration which blended solemn hymn singing and uptempo music, and stirring tributes reflecting
Sir John's 81 years, most of which were spent in fruitful and distinguished service to St Lucia and the Caribbean.

Barbados' Prime Minister Owen Arthur described Sir John as "a greatly beloved patriot" who belonged to the higher echelons of Caribbean heroes, while governor of the Central Bank of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Sir Dwight Venner, in the eulogy, credited Sir John as being "by far one of the most outstanding ministers of finance in the Caribbean".

Sir John's widow, Lady Compton, spoke of her husband's passion for the common touch, noting that Sir John came from "an era that one came to serve and not be served".

"He never lost his humility," she added.

From early morning St Lucians from all walks of life braved the sweltering heat and lined the streets of Castries to pay their last respects to the man regarded as "the Father of the Nation" or "Pa Pa".

There was sadness and joy among the thousands who had gathered outside the Parliament buildings as the body made its final journey to the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception church.

An oak casket draped with the national flag was drawn on a simple wooden platform at the back of the truck familiarly seen chauffered by Sir John.

"He was a very nice man to me, like a father. He did a lot for St Lucians," Princess Elvonvenus of Vieux Fort told the DAILY NATION, as she wiped away tears, while the ceremonial parade made its way from Parliament buildings.

The service, which began around 1 p.m., reflected some of the favourite things the former leader enjoyed, ranging from the dedication of two of his favourite hymns, Amazing Grace and What A Friend We Have In Jesus, to the strains of this year's calypso monarch, Menelle, who sang a remix of her Still Holding On – a tribute to Sir John's last election victory at the polls.

Hardbeatnews and The Jamaica Gleaner also reported on the funeral.

Rest in peace, Sir John.

Photos: www.nationnews.com

Hollywood baby boom

It seems that the stork is working overtime in Hollywood these days. No sooner had celebrity moms such as Desperate Housewives' Marcia Cross, Felicity's Keri Russel and movie actress Naomi Watts delivered their bundles of joy than a whole new crop of famous ladies announced their pregnancies.


www.celebrity-babies.com
Halle Berry is pregnant with her first child at age 41. More power to her.


www.celebrity-babies.com
From the look of things, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon is due any day now.


www.justjared.buzznet.com
Word on the street is that Jenny from the Block is about three months pregnant. These pictures sure make it appear that way.


www.celebrity-babies.com
Crossing Jordan's Jill Hennessy is expecting her second son in November.


www.celebrity-babies.com
And songbird Christina Aguilera is giving young motherhood a try.

Congratulations to all the expectant mothers!

The mansion that Manning (supposedly) built

A few weeks ago, I received some photos which were allegedly taken at the controversial $148 million Prime Minister's residence and diplomatic centre recently constructed by the Trinidadian government.

I've been scanning the internet trying to find out if they're legit, and I came across two articles from the Trinidad Express with exterior shots of the building. You can check here and here. I don't know, somehow they don't look the same to me.

Ironically, someone sent me the same photos claiming they were of Ilaro Court, the residence of Barbados' Prime Minister. Well, since I haven't heard of any massive renovations at Ilaro Court and since I've actually seen the property I can safely say these photos weren't taken there.

Anyhoo, I decided to post the pics anyway for a laugh, 'cause wherever they were taken, I don't know what in the King Louis XVI hell the designer was thinking....