Friday, June 29, 2018
art books film fashion music gardening culture puzzles food history
Weekend
ROCK THE BAHAMAS Page 11
Discover your roots DNA Project opens window to the past pages 4 & 5
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, June 29, 2018
culture (l-r) Paul McWeeney, president of Sunshine Insurance, Agents & Brokers; Neko Meicholas, publisher of Guanima Press; Pam Burnside, president of Creative Nassau and proprietor of Doongalik Studios; Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, vice president of Creative Nassau and chair of SeaWords Bahamas; Gravette Brown, chief ALIV commercial officer; Rosemary Hanna, photographer, and Richard Coulson, author.
New literary festival to host acclaimed international and local talent By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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ORLD-renowned poet and playwright Dame Carol Ann Duffy, who is also the current British Poet Laureate, will be a featured performer during the inaugural SeaWords Bahamas ALIV (SeaWords). The three-day literary festival will be held November 9-11 at Atlantis’ Convention Centre on Paradise Island. Dame Carol Ann will be joined by Bahamians and other international participants who will facilitate technique-building workshops and perform their work. The SeaWords literary festival is the newest project by Creative Nassau, a non-profit organisation who has over the years taken a strategic approach to growing the creative industries in the Bahamas. Vice President of Creative Nassau Patricia Glinton-Meicholas said during a recent press conference that the festival was designed to preserve literary art. “Highlighting the scheduled performances of literary works will be the Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate since 2009 and the first woman to be so named in the four centuries since the title was created.
Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate since 2009. Recipient of many distinguished awards, Ms Duffy’s work has been extensively published, including her poetry collections and books for children,” said Mrs Glinton-Meicholas “The opening reception of the festival will feature readings by a bevy of recognised and emerging Bahamian poets and authors. Confirmed are Marion Bethel, Helen Klonaris, Lelawattee Manoo-Rahming, Eric Rose, Thea Rutherford, Zemi Stewart, University of the Bahamas student Ide Thompson and myself. These events are included as a benefit to those registering for the full festival package. The general public may purchase tickets locally.”
The core agenda of SeaWords will comprise workshops on writing poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Also highlighted will be writing for the media, poetry and playwriting, film script development, the book’s journey from concept to publication, and intellectual property law, which is essential to creative processes such as writing. Workshop facilitators will seasoned, recognised professionals such as Diane Gedymin and Dr Adair White Johnson, both veterans of the publishing industry, who have written and published best-sellers; Michelle Malcolm, veteran broadcaster and general manager of the new ILTV; Suzette Parker, writer and producer of the live morning TV show Bahamas@ Sunrise and the Financial Voice; Erica Wells-Cox, writer and newspaper and magazine editor; award-winning filmmaker Kareem Mortimer, University of the Bahamas professors Dr Christopher Curry, and Dr Nicolette Bethel, and attorney Erica Pople-Ferreira, managing partner in Ferreira & Co. Creative Nassau is the organisation which secured and maintains Nassau’s membership as a Creative City of Craft & Folk Art in the global UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The organisation is dedicated to promoting the “Orange Economy”, which refers to the cultural and creative industries that combine the creation, production and commercialization of creative contents.
Pam Burnside, president of Creative Nassau, is confident the end-of-year festival will be a success. “So far, Creative Nassau has attracted some quality sponsors, and we have put together a dynamic organising committee. All the members are recognised creatives who are willing to go full tilt in making SeaWords Bahamas ALIV an entertaining and rewarding experience for all who participate and for our country as a whole,” she said. The Organising committee of SeaWords includes in addition to Mrs Burnside, Neko Meicholas, artist and publisher of Guanima Press; Richard Coulson, author, retired lawyer and financier; Rosemary Hanna, author, photographer and retired banker, and Mrs Glinton-Meicholas, who is herself an author, poet and culture critic. ALIV is the title sponsor, Atlantis is the platinum sponsor and the Sunshine Group of Companies is a diamond sponsor. ‘We are grateful also for the support of the Jackson Burnside Library Fund, Guanima Press Ltd and Doongalik Studios & Art Gallery. Creative Nassau has set some ambitious and very necessary goals for our SeaWords Bahamas Literary Festival; it would be difficult to achieve them without serious sponsorship. We still have quite a way to go in our fundraising and hope that other community supporters will be as responsive,” said Mrs Glinton-Meicholas.
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Friday, June 29, 2018
Inside Weekend
My perfect Bahamian weekend Dyson Knight Recording artist, songwriter
Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?
Interview 4-5 Peter J Robert’s Bahamas DNA Project uncovers surprising roots of local families Education 7 BIFF’s young filmmakers take on Over-the-Hill themes Culture 8 - 9 BNT’s Summerfication gets off to a good start Music 10 - 11 Celebrity producers will ‘Rock the Bahamas’ this July, plus Rexy Rolle flies high with new tunes Entertainment 12 Sunsation kicks off the summer with cooler fete Art 14 - 15 Primary school students craft and paint their future
Film 17 - 18
NBA greats come to play in ‘Uncle Drew’, plus ‘Sicario’ series returns with ‘Day of the Soldado’ Gardening 19 Jack Hardy on the beauty of plumeria Books 20 Bahamian best-seller Tanya R Taylor is back with a new ‘Cornelius Saga’ instalment Literary Lives 21 - 24 Sir Christopher Ondaatje’s adventure tracking one of the world’s rarest animals continues Forgotten Facts 25 The history of Englerston Puzzles 26 Animals 27 Ensuring animals’ safety in summer, plus Pet of the Week
“Sunday lunch! Who wants to wake up early?”
Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik? “I am much more of a wine man. It’s sexier.”
Q: Beach or sofa?
“Beach, most definitely. Bare feet in the sand at the water’s edge thinking about nothing.”
Q: What is the one thing that you can’t live without?
“I can’t live without progress. I would feel suffocated and in a void when I am not actively pursuing the completion of a goal.”
Q: Weekend away, where would you go? “I would go to Las Vegas.”
Things 2 Do this weekend Friday
• Testing In the Gardens Time: 8am - 4pm Venue: Royal Victoria Gardens, Shirley Street National HIV Testing Day is an annual occasion to encourage people to get an HIV test. The event is being hosted by the Get Tested Bey Campaign, the Bahamas National AIDS Programme and the Tribune Group.
Saturday
• Unity Blood Drive Time: 10am - 5pm Venue: Mall at Marathon Support the Princess Margaret Hospital Blood Bank and Doctors Hospital Blood Bank by donating blood. It is recommended for donors to eat at least 30 minutes prior to giving blood. • Boss Beauties Who Brunch: Babes In Business Time: 11am - 3pm Venue: Hillside House Guest speakers are entrepreneur Kandice Cargill and recording artist Wendi Knight. Tickets are $65 and include brunch with bottomless mimosas. There will also be goodie bags and prizes.
• “Unapologetically African” presented by Afrikan Ebube Time: 11am - 3pm Venue: University of the Bahamas Performing Arts Centre Pan-Africanist Dr Umar Johnson will attend the event designed to encourage Bahamians to cherish their African roots as a part of understanding their true identity. Tickets are $25 at the door. • The Cure! BBQ and Day Party/ Medical Fundraiser Time: 12noon Venue: Antiki Floating Bar & Grill, Arawak Cay The event will feature a live BBQ station, cash bar on board the Antiki floating bar and a DJ. All proceeds will go towards medical bills and ongoing treatments for Sharon McKinney. Food will be on sale (chicken dinner for $12/steak dinner for $15). There will also be a cash bar. • The Art of eNue – Sweet Victory Time: 7pm Venue: Life Empowerment Church,Bahamas, JFK Drive The Art of eNue is an evening of music, drama, dance and poetry hosted by eNue’s Street Team. The theme is “Sweet Victory”. Tickets are $5.
• ComedyTain hosted by Nubian Kween Entertainment Time: 8pm Venue: William Thompson Auditorium An evening of fun and conscious vibes, featuring Jamaica’s kings of dub poetry, Mutabaruka and Yasus Afari; Bahamian spoken word poets Princess Abdiel and Ubuntu, and Cuban violinist Yanet Campbell. Tickets start at $50 at the door. • PopStyle Volume One Time: 9pm - 2am Venue: Hillside House Organisers promise a new era of entertainment with this networking party. Admission is $25 without RSVP. The dress code is trendy smart casual.
Sunday
• Bahama BBQ Competition & Beerfest 2018 Time: 1pm - 10pm Venue: Fort Charlotte Get fired up and prove you are the grill master. Participants can also win cash and prizes. There will be plenty of unique beer experiences, food and beer sampling, live cooking demos, live music and more.
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Friday, June 29, 2018
interview Advances in genetic sequencing have opened up a new window into the past. To explore the fascinating connections found in this small community, Peter J Roberts started the Bahamas DNA Project. He tells Cara Hunt about some of the discoveries that have been made regarding families like the Lowes, the Adderleys, the Bethels, the Lightbournes, and more.
Peter J Roberts
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hat started as a personal project to fill in the branches of his own family tree 14 years ago has turned into an expansive project which Peter J Roberts hopes will help other Bahamians find not only their own roots, but the ways in which we are all connected. Mr Roberts is the administrator of the Bahamas DNA Project, a private non-profit organisation that connects Bahamian ancestry and traces their origins in Africa, Europe and North America. He also was a professor at the Georgia State University and interned at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. Part of his studies focused on African retentions in Bahamian culture. “I was interested in discovering my roots, particularly on my mother’s side,” he explained. “Although I grew up in Nassau and knew some of my mother’s family, I
DNA allows us to determine who is related even when a paper trail goes cold or there are no verbal record.”
couldn’t get very far up my mother’s ancestral tree. I decided to get DNA testing.” Mr Roberts said that his aunt had told him that not all the Roberts families were related and he wanted to determine whether this was true or not. He was able to compare his DNA with that of several other Roberts descendants, only to discover that while they matched amongst themselves, his DNA did not match any of them. “I started thinking that I must not be a Roberts,” he joked. What he did discover was that there are are at least two unrelated Roberts families which have been living side-by-side in Eleuthera, Abaco, New Providence and Key West, Florida. “So while this started as a personal project, I realised that many persons may also be interested in discovering who they are and how they are related to other people,” he said. “DNA allows us to determine who is related even when a paper trail goes cold or there are no verbal record. Lots of records have been lost, and in many cases, records were never kept.” The way the project works is simple. Interested individuals submit a sample of their DNA (usually a mouth swab) and pay for the level of testing that they wish to have done. DNA can be stored, so that if the person wants a deeper level of testing it can be
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Friday, June 29, 2018
done without them having to submit more DNA. The Bahamas DNA Project will perform a Y-chromosome test on any male with direct paternal ancestry in the Bahamas. The project will also perform a mtDNA test for men or women with direct maternal ancestry in the Bahamas. However, the mtDNA test is more valuable in revealing deep ancestry and is less suited for genealogy purposes. Women may also participate by recruiting a brother, father or other male relative with Bahamian ancestry to take the Y-chromosome test. The project will also perform an autosomal DNA test for men or women with any Bahamian ancestry in their family tree within the last 10 generations. The results will be maintained to match future Bahamian participants. He noted that the testing is affordable, with a baseline evaluation costing under $60 and more detailed testing to determine additional markers available for under $120. In some cases, people who can’t afford to have the testing done may be able to qualify for financial assistance. Mr Roberts noted that over the years there have been many interesting findings regarding some of the most common family names in Bahamian history. “For example, we have confirmed that the Bethels (with one ‘L’) and the Bethells (with two “Ls” ) are one family with a likely connection to Clan MacLean of the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Family members joked that they were unrelated because the double ‘L’ Bethells had all the money and the single ‘L’ Bethels had all the good looks,” he said. Additionally, he said the Albury family is directly related to an Albree family of New England, which traces its ancestry to New Providence in the late 1600s and earlier in Bermuda and Locks Farm in Berkshire, England. Further, he noted that the Baker family of Great Guana Cay (the origin of Baker’s Bay) can be traced back to a Loyalist who was turncoat bigamist and is related to the Pennebacker, Pennypacker and Pennybaker surnames. Another popular family, the Lowes, shares ancestry with males from Portugal whose relatives settled in several Portuguese colonies. Their type of Y chromosome suggests a
“...we have confirmed that the Bethels and the Bethells are one family with a likely connection to Clan MacLean of the Isle of Mull in Scotland.”
Sephardic Jewish (”The Jews of Spain”) origin. While the Griffin family may be of Norse Viking descent in Britain, the Sweetings may descended from a Roman soldier in Britain. The Carrols descend from the O’Carrols of Ireland and
earlier Naill of the Nine Hostages. The Currys match with surnames associated with Clan Currie of Scotland. The Eldons and Sturrups are one family of European descent, but it is not yet clear if the Eldons were originally Sturrups or vice versa. The Lightbourn family of the Bahamas (and earlier of Bermuda) is related to a branch of Lightburn family from Bermuda which never came to the Bahamas. There is a similar story for the Higgs family. There are at least four different Knowles families in the Bahamas and one of them was originally named Jernigan. Mr Roberts explained that males of direct paternal line African descent have closest matches with a variety of different ethnic groups from that continent. An Adderley shares direct paternal line ancestry with the Ngemba of the Cameroon; a Brennan with the Zezuru of Zimbabwe; a Bowleg with the Sawa of Cameroon; a Cunningham with the Bubi of Equatorial Guinea; a Dean with the Igbo of Nigeria; a Mingo with the Twi of Ghana, and a White with the Fanti of Ghana. Almost half of the participants who are of European origin on their direct maternal line descend from only six different women who lived in the Bahamas in the late 1600s or early 1700s. Mr Roberts noted that several mysteries remain, which is why he would love to have additional volunteers for the project. “Are there any direct paternal or direct maternal lines – for example from Red Bays or Long Island – which are Native American? Are the Lightbournes with “E” related to the Lightbourns? How many Rolle direct paternal lines exist and which the same ancestor? What are the origins for surnames such as Armbrister, Arteaga, Bain, Bowe, Campbell, Christie, Claridge, Cox, Deveaux, Farquharson, Fawkes, Forbes, Mangos, Nixon, Poitier, Pratt, Strachan, Stubbs, and Scavella? Are Bahamains a Y-DNA match with males outside the Bahamas who share their surname?” • Those interested in the Bahamas DNA Project can visit http:// genealogy.hopetownmuseum.com/ bahamasdnaproject.
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Friday, June 29, 2018
section
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Friday, June 29, 2018
education
BIFF’s young filmmakers explore Over-the-Hill themes
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ver the 15 years of its existence, the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) has served as a doorway to careers in the film industry for locals. During the past year, with the sponsorship support of telecommunications company Aliv, URCA, Sandyport Beach Resort and AETOS Holdings, BIFF has expanded its outreach to young Bahamians by conducting film development workshops in four schools on New Providence: Columbus Primary, A F Adderley, R M Bailey and D W Davis. The project also embraced the Senior Citizens Charity, the Bahamas Correctional Facility and a private film workshop. Now in the second phase of its Youth And Film project, BIFF is putting its support behind the Over-the-Hill Community Development Partnership Initiative and, with the sponsors’ support, is responding to the extensive interest in social media by young Bahamians. “For 15 years, we have worked with over 1,000 young Bahamians of varying ages to develop an interest in filmmaking and to impart the skills involved,” said Leslie Vanderpool, BIFF’s founder and executive director. “This year, students were directed in the technical skills, but given a free hand in writing the scripts, directing and shooting the films that were produced. We now have six wonderful short films that demonstrate the extent to which their imaginations were fired by the experience. When the Prime Minister announced the Over-the-Hill Community Development Partnership Initiative, we recognised the opportunity to direct the second phase of our Youth And Film project in an even more socially relevant way.” Ms Vanderpool said BIFF approached the Office of the Prime Minister and received a very positive response. “The result being that the second phase of Youth And Film will focus on Over-the-Hill along thematic lines of: the environment, social development and tourism,” she said. The films produced in the second phase of the Youth And Film project will debut during the Bahamas International Film Festival this year, to be held November 28 - December 6. They will then be given wide distribution through cable television and social media. “We see this as a way to embrace the youth’s energy and direct their energies in a positive, socially constructive way, while opening their minds to new, non-traditional career opportunities,” said Ms Vanderpool.
Students attend the launch of the Youth and Film project by BIFF and the Over-the-Hill Development Partnership Initiative at Columbus Primary. (Photos/Terrel W Carey)
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Friday, June 29, 2018
culture
Summer heats up with new BNT fesitval By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
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espite the on and off again rain showers, Bahamians were eager to celebrate the start of summer with the Bahamas National Trust’s first ever BTC Summerfication festival – a counterpart to the popular Jollification held during the Christmas season. The event was held last weekend at the BNT’s Retreat on Village Road and saw hundreds stop by to enjoy food, drinks, art and crafts, and live entertainment. The streets and parking lots around the venue were packed and people were eager to see what this new festival had to offer. What they found were stalls featuring the coolest Summer buys, a BTC pop shop, performances by popular artists like Visage and MDeez, and more. The spinoff event included vendors like Celestial Treats, FAB Art and Desi’s Toys N Balloons in the Flow Kids area. For those with a sweet tooth, The New Duff served up mouthwatering guava duffs, while Corn Diggity Dog, Conch n’ Cone and Vell Monkey Foot had more savoury treats on their menus. For chilled tropical cocktails, patrons were able to head to the adult section hosted by Bahama Capris. Those interested in gift and accessory buys got the opportunity to shop with vendors like Ocean Inspired Designs, “VID Custom Bags and Accessories, Khairos Kandles, Artwork by Meghan, and others. For the kids, there were appearances along the pathways by Mickey Mouse, Peppa Pig and Frozen’s Olaf. Nassau’s Percy The Potcake was also on the scene to snap photos. “It is a Summer version of Jollification really. You know Jollification is the official kickoff to the Christmas season. We are trying to create that same excitement for the Summertime, partnering with BTC to do a Bahamian
Guests enjoy food, arts and crafts at the new BTC Summerfication held by the BNT.
Summer festival with crafts, vendors and entertainment,” said Dominique Martin, director of development at BNT. “Jollification has a number of fans; doing it for 27 years now. People do look forward to it, marking it on their community calendars and there are also a lot of Jollification fans in BTC. When we started partnering with BTC in some of our other events like the Wine and Art Festival and Jollification, there was some conversation around saying why not do a Summer version of this successful event. BTC is also doing some other Summer-themed events this year so that is how it started.” One patron at the event, Kim Dean, told Tribune Weekend she knew what to expect, as she has been an avid supporter of the BNT events for years. “Festivals are always a nice day out for me and my family. We enjoy them because there is something for all of us to get into, the parents and the kids. My children right now are over at the Flow Kids area with dad and I am here grabbing a bite to eat. I think another thing about why people support events held at the BNT is due to the atmosphere. The event may be new, but you already know what you are going to get if you have attended Wine and Art or the Jollification before,” said Kim. Another festival-goer, Crystal Johnson, said the event was a breath of fresh air during a season when there is very little to do around town. “There is a need for much more exciting daytime events in Nassau, especially during the Summer. This is like a welcome change for me. I like the format of the event, the set-up. I like the fact that the music is not what persons are use to based on BNT events, but it added a level of energy to the event. If you wanted to dance you could have, I mean really dance. You hear that deejay in the background, he is keeping everyone moving with hip hop, soca, dancehall and other genres. And the band in the back is providing a good level of entertainment as well. People are enjoying themselves and so am I,” said Crystal.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Ms Martin added that is a great feeling to be able to attract so many people to the parks, no matter the event. She said it is important to BNT employees to have people come inside the gates and enjoy the recreational spaces. “A lot of people come to the Retreat for events like Jolly and Wine and Art and they don’t realise the Retreat is one of 32 national parks in the country that the BNT manages. So there is that and of course the fundraising aspect of it. We want to engage with the community, but we also need funds to manage the parks and that is a huge part of what we do as well,” said Ms Martin. She, along with the BNT and BTC team members are hoping Summerfication will have the same success that Jollification has had over the years. “Maybe years from now you will be speaking to someone about the success of Summerfication. Obviously this is the inaugural one and we want to see how things go. We hope that it is well received and supported,” she said. For those that remember the popular Goombay Festivals back in the day, Ms Martin said the goal is to one day reach that level of momentum for Summerfication events. “The Goombay Festival is something that used to be a huge part of our experience as Bahamians. If you are over a certain age, you know about Goombay and what it meant during the Summer. And that has gone away, so the intention is to create something that would project that same kind of cultural aspect. We want this to be something people look forward to as a part of the Summer,” she said.
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music
Rexy Rolle is flying high with new summer tune By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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espite juggling many responsibilities in her professional life as the vice president of Operations and General Counsel of Western Air, Rexy Rolle has found time to pause, take breath and engage in one of her favourite activities – creating music. For some it may be impossible to find time to explore their passions in the midst of a fast-paced career, but Rexy realised how important this was for her. And today she officially introduces herself to Bahamian audiences with the release of her debut single “Here to Stay”. She collaborates with Jamaican dancehall producer and artist Jevvo on the track, which is a mid-tempo tune with smooth pop melodies and a dancehall edge. Rexy dubs it “perfect for a summer playlist.” “Here to Stay”, she said, is an energetic pop song that was inspired by the universal concepts of love and consistency. It speaks about “real recognising real” and people vowing to remain together as long as there is love. “I think we’re allowed to be multi-dimensional, creative, fun and ambitious in all that we are passionate about, without it deflecting from our work product and professional
Hip-hop stars Cardi B and Offset wed quietly months ago
The cover art for Rexy Rolle’s new single. Singer Rexy Rolle is also a vice president in her family’s airline, Western Air. competence,” Rexy told Tribune Weekend. Accompanying the single release will be an island-centric music video shot on Grand Bahama. Rexy, who is also a young attorney, made headlines earlier this year for her work in the aviation business by spearheading the significant development of her family’s Bahamas-based airline, overseeing its daily operations and legal affairs. However, Rexy’s love for music and entertainment never left her.
ATLANTA (AP) — A marriage certificate shows hip-hop stars Cardi B and the Migos’ Offset were quietly married months ago. Last Sunday night while accepting best group award at the BET Awards, Offset raised some eyebrows when he said, “I thank my wife, you should thank yours.” Cardi B confirmed the marriage in a tweet Monday. A marriage certificate shows that Cardi B and Offset, whose
At age 14 she attended boarding school at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. While she maintained her A grade average, she also became heavily involved in theatre productions and dance shows. She then enrolled in the University of Ottawa in Canada where she received her Bachelor degree in Political Science and Communications. Rexy also continued on her entertainment journey by participating in talent shows, performing at
real names are Belcalis Almanzar and Kiari Cephus respectively, were wed September 20 in Atlanta, but only announced their engagement in October. A month after the marriage, Offset proposed to Cardi on stage at Power 99’s Powerhouse concert, shocking fans. Grammy-nominated Cardi B shared that she was pregnant during a performance on “Saturday Night Live” in April.
music festivals, and by linking up with other Bahamian students in the area to work on songwriting, music and commercial recordings. Rexy went on to get her Masters in Mass Media and Communications in Boca Raton, Florida, and her law degree in San Diego, California. “Here to Stay” is available worldwide today on iTunes, Tidal, Amazon, Google Play, Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, and iheartradio. For more information, visit www. rexyrolle.com.
Cardi B and Offset, of the hip hop trio Migos, who performed in the Bahamas last year. (Photo by Omar Vega/Invision/AP, File)
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Friday, June 29, 2018
music
Celebrity producers will help ‘Rock the Bahamas’ By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
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his summer, Grammy-award winning and nominated producers will help local musicians fulfil their dreams and “rock the Bahamas” as part of a unique competition. Musicians will get the chance to have original music produced by Dana “Rockwilder” Stinson and Ronald “Flip” Colson, who have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Wiz Khalifa, among others. Hosted by the S&R Corporate Group – a music artist management, publishing, distribution and public relations company – the Rock the Bahamas 2018 contest will take place on the island of Freeport in July. The competition is open to singers and rappers from all genres. Yolanda Hanna, public relations coordinator for Rock the Bahamas, told Tribune Weekend that the event serves as an opportunity for Bahamian artists to work with the best music producers in the business and gain international exposure. The winner will have three songs professionally produced, two by Rockwilder and Flip, and a third by popular Bahamian producer Rory “Padrino” Bowe. The semifinalists will be chosen by Rockwilder and Flip, and will perform during a showcase at the Grand Bahama Regatta on Taino Beach, Freeport, on Saturday, July 21. There is no cost to submit music. “The first Rock The Bahamas competition was held in 2010 in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The motivation back then was the same as it is now: to find the best talent in the country, give Bahamian artists the opportunity to work with decorated music producers and create quality music for international exposure,” said Yolanda. “The competition was the brainchild of songwriter Milton Albury and music producer Preston Kyle Stuart, both Bahamians, who came together
Rapper XXXTentacion was fatally shot on June 18, 2018.
Dana “Rockwilder” Stinson won a Grammy as co-producer of the Christina Aguilera/Lil’ Kim/Mýa/Pink cover of “Lady Marmalade”.
Ronald “Flip” Colson has worked with Rihanna and Usher. and decided to create this competition to search for talent in the country. Rockwilder and Flip were also involved back in 2010. The winner had a song created and produced by the duo. The winner of Rock The Bahamas 2010 was Julien Believe; the song was ‘Caribbean Slide’.” Yolanda encourages all those interested in the competition to take
a look at what Julien Believe has accomplished internationally with his “Caribbean Slide”, a song that has given him performance opportunities around the world. The singer has written songs for John Legend and others, which happened because of Rock the Bahamas, she added. “Who knows what opportunity awaits the winner of Rock the Bahamas 2018. This platform can be the open door many artists have been waiting for. The goal is for Rockwilder and Flip to see many submissions before the deadline to choose the best talent for the semifinals. Rockwilder and Flip are personally screening every submission. So we encourage artists to submit your best music and videos, Bahamas,” said Yolanda. After the winner of Rock the Bahamas 2018 is chosen, the competition will then become Rock the Caribbean, with a focus on finding talent throughout the region. Yolanda said the search is on for the next big artist to come out of the Caribbean – the next Rihanna or the next Nicki Minaj. “Because the competition began in the Bahamas in 2010, it came back to where it all began. Bahamas, this is your time. The focus is on us. Do not miss the opportunity,” she said. All musicians interested in taking part in the contest are asked to submit
After death, XXXTentacion tops Billboard Hot 100 chart NEW YORK (AP) — Following his death, XXXTentacion has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Sad!” and his two albums have landed in the Top 10. Billboard reports that the rapper-singer’s song, which originally peaked at No 7, jumps from No 52 to No 1 this week, supplanting Drake’s “Nice for What.” The 20-year-old died last week after being shot in Florida. His recent album — called “?’’ — jumps from No 24 to No 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It debuted at No 1 in March. His gold-certified 2017 debut, “17,” leaps to No 7 from No 60. XXXTentacion’s music is heavily streamed on Spotify and other platforms. A memorial for the performer was held Wednesday at the BB&T Centre, a 20,000-seat arena that is home to hockey’s Florida Panthers. original music in MP3 format, or a video of themselves performing a cover song, or a YouTube link to their music videos to RockTheBahamas2018@ gmail.com. Semifinalists will be notified via e-mail and should be prepared to perform at the showcase event in Freeport. The deadline is July 13.
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entertainment
Sunsation kicks off the summer with cooler fete By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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HERE are only a few rules for the upcoming Summer Sunsation party: no heels, swimwear is a must, bring your biggest crew, and fill your cooler to the brim for fun a wet fete. Summer Sunsation, presented by KO Productions, is now in its third edition. This year’s event will be held on July 8 at the Goodman’s Bay beach. The beach party precedes the Independence Day holiday and organisers said it will “shut down” the West Bay Street strip.
Each year, hundreds of Bahamians gather on the beach to party the ‘Sunsation’ way.
Come prepared to have too much fun. Can’t say we didn’t warn you.” The hottest Bahamians DJs will perform on the beach, ensuring that guests keep dancing all day long. “Summer doesn’t officially start unless you attend Summer Sunsation. We set the bar to the extreme that this is how your Summer should be all Summer 2018,” said Jayde Knowles, public relations representative of KO. As this is the third year, the production company is hosting Summer
Sunsation and is expecting it to be bigger, better and much wetter than before. “KO attendees already expect the greatest beach experience when they come to this event yearly. For those first-timers, expect pure vibes, big tunes, and an amazing cooler fete like you’ve never experienced it before. Pack your coolers, cuz’ the party not stoppin’,” said Jayde. With very few daytime party events to attend in Nassau, she said KO Productions saw a niche that needed filling during the Summer months. This ongoing party series, she said, gives people something do to and a fun way to escape the heat. “There is always a need for reasons to utilise our beautiful beaches during the summer. It’s hot. Not saying a cooler fete is needed every month during the summer, but definitely to start the summer off and one to end it....don’t want our people to get bored. But the need to beach? Definitely,” she said. And for those who have never attended a beach party or don’t know the rules, Jayde laid all it out: “This is a beach party so no heels. Wear your swimsuits, trunks, slippers, clothes, but keep it simple. I also wouldn’t advise to bring sand to the beach. However, no one goes to the beach alone so gather your biggest crew, fill your cooler and come to shell down the place. Come prepared to have too much fun. Can’t say we didn’t warn you.”
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Friday, June 29, 2018
celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report BET Awards 2018
With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt
FAIL
FAIL
FAIL
HIT
FAIL
Tyra Banks
Janelle Monáe
Ashanti
Amber Rose
Blac Chyna
Karin says: “What in the world is that soccer mom hair? (I hope it’s a wig and easy to remedy). This seethrough jumpsuit has a decidedly circus-y feel to. It’s not hideous, but being the same colour as her hair is not helping matters.” Cara says: “In the right context, aka a themed event, this outfit could be an inspired choice, but it’s just too much for the BET Awards. I’m not feeling it.”
Karin says: “I appreciate her celebrating Pride month, but that being said, the bodice is no way matches the rainbow flag skirt, or the hat for that matter. It all looks like an uncoordinated mish-mash, which is surprising for Janelle, who is normally coordinated down to her toes.” Cara says: “Noooo to the hat, to the skirt, to the top, and just the tiniest of maybes to the bag, just cause I want to see it closer up. But overall it’s a resounding ‘no’.”
Karin says: “She looks like she really wants to own this mess....this velvet, camel brown, oversized pimp jacket. She musta loved it so much she decided she didn’t need to wear anything else. Sadly, this was a huge mistake.” Cara says: “I really hate celebrities who feel the need to go out in public without any bottoms on. I mean, her argument could be that it’s hot, but then why wear this bulky super warm jacket...and don’t get me started on those pimptastic heels.”
Karin says: “I never recognise her when she’s got hair. I actually kinda like the Storm (X-Men) inspired wig. The green velvet dress is very common and has probably been worn in some shape or form on red carpets since the early 90s. Still, she looks nice overall. Cara says: “I gotta say, it’s hard to find a dress that makes your tattoos look cool and this dress does that. I mean, the they look like they could be sleeves on the dress. My only issue with the dress is I hate that ‘let them pop out’ look with the bodice, and I would have shortened the hem.”
Karin says: “Chyna is just a lost cause. (Isn’t this 30-yearold woman dating an 18-yearold rapper?) And it’s reflected in her fashion choices. This might have served as a dress for a circus-inspired musical, otherwise it’s just tacky.” Cara says: “Again, there are only so many ways that you can say ‘ugly’, ‘I hate it’, ‘tacky’ and ‘bad choice’. Chyna deserves all the negative appellations.”
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fashion
Hats spectacular at Ascot
Queen Elizabeth II is all about the pink for third day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting.
A racegoer poses for photos on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting in Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 19, 2018.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, keeps it classy in a hat by Philip Treacy.
LONDON (AP) — The former Meghan Markle visited Britain’s Royal Ascot for the first time last Tuesday, receiving a rapturous welcome as she and Prince Harry joined Queen Elizabeth II for the opening day’s carriage procession. Thousands of race-goers cheered from the stands as the royal family arrived in several horse-drawn carriages and travelled to the royal box. Harry wore a top hat and tails for the occasion, renowned for its strict dress code, while Meghan chose a white shirt dress and a matching black and white hat. Like every year, the Ascot Racecourse – founded in 1711 by Queen Anne – saw guests try to outdo one another with the most fanciful fascinators and elaborate hats.
AP PHOTOS/TIM IRELAND
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film
review
NBA greats go geriatric in ‘Uncle Drew’ UNCLE DREW RUNNING TIME: 103 MINS
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or a few shining minutes, “Uncle Drew” is the movie it surely intended to be: funny and clever, quick and snappy, and most of all, fun — all infused with love for the great sport of basketball. Unfortunately, those minutes come during the closing credits, a sequence entertaining enough to be its own viral video. But wait — that’s what “Uncle Drew” originally was, anyway: a series of web videos from a Pepsi ad campaign starring NBA great Kyrie Irving as a white-haired senior citizen who shows up on a playground court and blows all the “youngblood” hotshots away. Combining Irving’s talent with the satisfying element of age trumping youthful hubris, they couldn’t lose. It’s perhaps not surprising that someone sought to make it into a full-length movie — and why not? Alas, the resulting film, made in association with Pepsi and directed by Charles Stone III, falls into a disappointingly formulaic lull for large stretches, squeezing all spontaneity from the proceedings. Don’t fault the talented cast, which includes a squad of hard-working NBA luminaries in heavy aging makeup, and comedy stars including the delightful Tiffany Haddish and Lil Rel Howery, so memorable in “Get Out.” Fault the unimaginative script they’ve been given. The premise: Dax (Howery), is a downtrodden Foot Locker employee trying to make a buck. As a teen, he was a talented player, but quit altogether when he missed a crucial
Boston Celtics basketball player Kyrie Irving, left, as Uncle Drew (Photos/Quantrell D Colbert/Lionsgate via AP)
Lisa Leslie as “Betty Lou”. game-winning shot, and lost his nerve. He’s also an orphan, who never had a sense of family. (Can you start writing the ending of the script right now? Of course.) Dax is also an amateur coach hustling to get a team ready for a tournament at Harlem’s storied Rucker Park (where many NBA greats have played), and win a hefty cash prize. But his nemesis, Mookie, has different ideas. Mookie — a nasty-funny Nick Kroll, more nasty than funny here — steals
Dax’s team from under him, including his young star Casper (Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic.) It hardly comes as a surprise when Mookie steals Jess, Dax’s girlfriend, too. Jess (an underused Haddish) boots Dax from their apartment, and when he hits the street with a suitcase, she calls him back: she needs the suitcase. He re-emerges with a garbage bag. Ouch. Locals at the barber shop suggest Dax, now teamless, go find Uncle Drew. And the old man agrees to play — on condition that he choose his own teammates. Road trip! The two set out to gather up a team of Drew’s old cohorts — emphasis on old. Dax is initially uncertain, but as Drew likes to say: “You don’t stop playing because you get old. You get old because you stop playing.” First stop: the Preacher, aka Chris Webber, hamming it up quite impressively as an actual preacher who sounds something like James Brown. Preacher says yes, but his wife, Betty Lou (WNBA great Lisa Leslie) is not happy; as her guy makes a getaway in Drew’s van, she follows with a baseball bat. (The women in the film, unfortunately, are often either angry, batty, or mere eye candy. At least Leslie will eventually get to show her stuff.)
The group then recruits Lights (Reggie Miller); the joke is that he’s legally blind, but believes in his ability to hit any shot. At an old-age home, they bring in Boots (Nate Robinson), who’s been sitting silently in a wheelchair for years. But he only needs one thing to cure all that. Do we need to tell you what it is? Finally, we get to towering Shaquille O’Neal, game as always. Shaq’s Big Fella, now a Kung Fu instructor, has an axe to grind against Drew, who will have to address this and other emotional issues if this underdog team will ever coalesce enough to win. Teamwork. Friendship. Family. Playing for the game’s sake, not money. All these themes come together in a warmhearted but highly predictable way. It’s undeniably fun to watch these guys do their thing under gallons of makeup, and the promising Lowery does what he can with the corny script — including one funny “Get Out” reference which we won’t spoil for you. As for Haddish, she’s a treasure, but has little to do here, and she’s funniest and loosest when we’re not even guaranteed to be watching: during those closing credits. Make sure to stick around. JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer
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film
review
In ‘Day of the Soldado,’ an equally bleak ‘Sicario’ SICARIO: DAY OF SOLDADO RUNNING TIME: 123 MINS
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here’s an oppressive bleakness to the brutal action-thriller “Sicario: Day of the Soldado.” But with faces like Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro, what are you going to do? Amid the dust cloud of violence that settles over the “Sicario” sequel, nothing stands out like the furrowed brow of Brolin’s grimace or the cold, wornout stare of del Toro. They look like gunslingers from an Anthony Mann or Sam Peckinpah western, just with heavier ammo and dark sunglasses. With such sunken, world-weary eyes, in the heyday of film noir del Toro and Brolin would have made a killing. They do plenty of that, too, in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado.” Matt Graver (Brolin) and his cartel lawyer turned undercover pal Alejandro Gillick (del Toro) are again called into action in a black-ops operation along the Mexico border, this time without
The top 15 movies on Apple’s iTunes 1. Rampage 2. A Quiet Place 3. The Incredibles 4. Blockers
Benicio Del Toro in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado the benefit of Emily Blunt, who starred in Denis Villeneuve’s “Sicario” (2015). Blunt played a less experienced FBI agent with the naivety to be horrified by things that Graver and Gillick wouldn’t bat an eye at — you know, sissy stuff like dozens of decaying corpses stuffed like insulation into a Mexican cartel safe house. No, Graver and just-as-grave Gillick have seen it all. And Blunt’s absence leaves “Day of Soldado” without the mounting sense of dread that defined the first one. It also lacks the muscular camera work of Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins. With such missing talent, it would be easy to view “Day of the Soldado” as a cheaper knockoff. Easier, still, considering the movie’s poster — of a gun-toting skeleton draped in a flag — most resembles a Guns N’ Roses album cover. It’s better than that, but not by much. Stefano Sollima (”Gomorrah”)
5. Pacific Rim: Uprising 6. Tomb Raider 7. Love, Simon 8. Annihilation 9. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 10. Game Night 11. Black Panther 12. Red Sparrow 13. Sicario 14. Jurassic World 15. The Greatest Showman
steps in to direct a script by Taylor Sheridan, whose neo-westerns (”Hell or High Water,” ‘‘Wind River”) have made him the genre’s best new hope. Sheridan wrote “Sicario,” too, which sought to modernise the drug-war thriller to catch it up to the lethal battles of today’s cartels. But in its ballet of SUVs sweeping across the border, “Sicario” mostly stood for a ruthless, borderless American power equaling the ultra-violence of a new era, with all the moral doubt that accompanies such a fight. “Day of the Soldado” begins with a similar stab at political relevance. A supermarket in Kansas City is attacked by a swarm of suicide bombers, the last of whom we watch detonate his vest just as a mother and child are trying to tiptoe past. It’s believed the bombers were jihadis who infiltrated the country by slipping through the Mexican border.
Told that the cartels control the trafficking of migrants over the border, the Secretary of Defence (Matthew Modine) opts to clandestinely prompt a war between two cartels. Graver’s plan is to kidnap the 12-year-old daughter of a cartel kingpin to kick-start the war. Where “Day of the Soldado” most succeeds is in the blur or maybe altogether disintegration of American altruism in a heinous fight. In one scene, Gillick switches from kidnapper to DEA agent by unhurriedly slipping on a government jacket, but not changing gun or even his seat. Things go from dark to darker still, as “Day of the Soldado” sets its genre tale against the backdrop of Mexican migrants in a way that sometimes feels topical and sometimes exploitive. JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
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Friday, June 29, 2018
gardening
The beauty of plumeria Jack Hardy gives an ode to one of nature’s most striking flowering plants, variants of which are native to the Bahamas.
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hat’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet asks. Quite a bit of confusion sometimes, as demonstrated by the beautiful plumeria. The genus was named after the French botanist Charles Plumier but later on an Italian family called Frangipanni made perfume to replicate the scent of plumeria flowers and the name stuck to the plant as well. The ladies of horticultural societies call it plumeria; members of dirty fingernail garden clubs call it frangipani. More confusion arises from its common names such as Lei Flower, Temple Tree or Pagoda Blossom. These names are Pacific and oriental, yet this apparent exotic is native to Central America, South America, and the Caribbean – including the Bahamas. The nations that colonised our region also colonised Asia and the beautiful plants were eagerly adopted by Pacific and Asian nations with the notable exceptions of China and Vietnam that resisted both trade and colonisation. They have since made up for lost time and plumeria is one of the most popular and distinctive of plants throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world. The typical plumeria grows at a moderate rate from seed or cutting
into a small to medium size shrub. If conditions are right it slowly develops into a 30-foot tree with a roughly spherical canopy. During the warm months of the year, when in full bloom, plumeria shrubs and trees are stunning in their beauty and give out – particularly at night – a pervasive scent that adds to their desirability. When the flowering season is over, however, most plumerias become mere branches denuded of foliage and rather unsightly. For this reason many landscapers reject plumeria in a small tropical garden. Sprays of flowers are produced at the end of branches, each flower being initially tubular then then the five petals flattening with a degree of overlap, sometimes with a pinwheel effect. The flowers usually have a different throat colour, often yellow. The petals can be white, yellow, pink or red – or a combination of any or all of these colours. The leaves are usually long and pointed but some varieties of plumeria have blunt or spear-like ends. All parts of plumeria plants exude a milky sap that is poisonous, as is the sap from close relative oleander. Mature plumeria shrubs and trees produce long thin seed pods that split open when ripe. The greatest development of plumeria hybrids has taken place in Hawaii. The main stocks of these hybrids are P. rubra and P. obtusa. Hawaiian plumeria are distinguished by their multi-coloured flower petals
Red plumeria flowers
that are truly stunning and form the wherewithal to create beautiful leis. Here in the Bahamas, we have fallen in love with P. pudica, commonly known as Bridal Bouquet, a native of Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. The flowers have large petals and are a refreshing white with yellow throat. The foliage is large-leafed and attractive and – most importantly – is evergreen. There is no period of bare branches with Bridal Bouquet. Plumeria can be easily propagated from 10-16 inch cuttings taken from the lower parts of branches. The cuttings should be left to dry in a breezy location out of the sun for about three weeks before planting. The best medium for plumeria cuttings is perlite. Plumeria shrubs and trees do not need fertilizing during their dormant leafless phase, but when new leaves are produced the plants need applications of fertilizer that is rich in phosphorous. You can use 10-30-10 or even 10-50-10. The easiest means for most gardeners is to add superphosphate (0-50-0) to regular granular fertilizer. This should be applied every two weeks during the flowering season. Plumerias have few pest problems in their native region but Bridal Bouquet can be attacked in spring by black and white-hooped caterpillars that devour the foliage. They can be picked off (the caterpillar is harmless) but as this is part of a life cycle it is probably best to leave everything alone. The foliage grows back quickly.
Two variations of P. obtusa are native to the Bahamas; P. bahamensis and P. inaguensis. The only examples I have seen were growing in less than ideal conditions in the wild and close to the sea so kit seems plumeria have as much salt tolerance as their close relative oleander. P. bahamensis grows to eight feet but the ones I have seen were less than three feet tall. There always seems to be a difference of opinion when discussing the scent of plumeria flowers. Some people claim it to be strong while others cannot detect a scent at all. I tend towards the latter, not able to smell scent close up but catching whiffs of it when near a loaded plant, particularly at night. Because plumerias are native to a hurricane region they have adapted well to high winds. The branches are quite brittle and easily broken but in a hurricane the clusters of leaves form a torpedo-like shape and the branches bend with the wind very readily. I can definitely recommend Bridal Bouquet as a beautiful specimen tree that flowers from late spring to late fall and keeps it foliage year round. Other plumeria varieties usually drop their leaves when the flowering season is over and you must figure out if you want to have a naked and rather ugly plant for most of the year. • Comments or queries? Contact Jack Hardy by e-mailing jacktribune242@ gmail.com
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books
What makes a great writer Best-selling Bahamian author releases 21st novel By FAY KNOWLES
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est-selling Bahamian author Tanya R Taylor, who was once an honour roll student at Aquinas College, said one of the reasons she is so prolific in her writing might be because she taught herself to type without having to look at the keyboard when she was just 17. “Other than the flow of thoughts, I think this is what helps me get through my books rather quickly,” she said. Ms Taylor writes in various genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, thrillers, science fiction, mystery and suspense. On July 7 she will release “The Groundskeeper”, which will be the eighth book in her popular “Cornelius Saga” series and her 21st work of popular fiction. “Cara – The Beginning”, her ninth in the Cornelius
The top 10 books on Apple’s iBooks-US iBook charts for week ending June 17, 2018
The cover of the latest instalment in the “Cornelius Saga” series. series, will also be released in the near future. The author’s former English and literature teacher at Aquinas, Shona Knowles (now the school’s principal) said of her erstwhile student: “Tanya entered my seventh grade English class as a shy, quiet and intelligent young school girl. As a language teacher, I exposed my students to the writing process from the moment they stepped into my room. Thus, it was at this time that I realised that Tanya was indeed
Tanya R Taylor a gifted young writer. She quickly grasped the writing process and was always eager to craft and share her writing. Whenever one read Tanya’s narrative and descriptive essays, one was catapulted into her world of vivid imagination.” “The Groundskeeper” is on track to reach Amazon Kindle’s Top Paid Bestsellers’ lists, like Ms Taylor’s previous books have done. This book is bound to keep readers on the edge of their seats again: “Is six feet deep really deep enough? The new Groundskeeper thought he had an ordinary job, but this one nearly cost him his life.”
Ms Taylor’s thriller “Hidden Sins” recently shared the Canadian bestseller lists on Amazon with John Grisham and the successful indie author Mark Dawson. Principal Knowles said: “I am not surprised that today Tanya is a prolific mystery author, as that was always her favourite genre. It was indeed a pleasure to teach Tanya who was always well-prepared for class and displayed a burning desire to learn new writing techniques which she was sure to incorporate in the awe-inspiring pieces she penned. During my six-year interaction with Tanya in the classroom I watched her mature into a proficient writer.” Mrs Knowles said she was elated to critique one of Tanya’s books. “However, I must admit that one of my humblest moments as an educator was to have my student, Tanya, dedicate her book ‘Cornelius’ in my honour.” Ms Taylor said of her former teacher: “She was always a lovely lady who cared about her students. Anyone could tell her heart was in it and she loved what she did.” Perhaps this is the real key to being a successful writer, being fortunate enough to have a dedicated teacher who loves their profession and wants only the best for their students. For more information on Tanya R Taylor’s books, go to amazon.com/ author/tanyartaylor or tanyartaylor. wordpress.com.
1. The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton James Patterson 2. When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger 3. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman 4. The Outsider by Stephen King 5. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware 6. Tom Clancy Line of Sight by Mike Maden 7. Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts 8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain 9. Knocked Up by Stacey Lynn 10. Turbulence by Stuart Woods By The Associated Press
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Friday, June 29, 2018
literary lives
The riddle of Lewa Downs – Part II Sir Christopher Ondaatje relates his extraordinary experience tracking one of the world’s rarest animals – a black leopard –in the wilds of northern Kenya.
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e had no proof that we had seen the leopard. Although Will Craig believed us, we knew we needed to get good photographs. So at five o’clock the next morning, Mungai woke me once again. But this time he had brought with him a Maasai elder, an old man called Taraiyo from the Ilng’nesi reserve, who worked for the Craig family on the Lewa Ranch. Mungai told me that Taraiyo wanted to talk to me and also wanted to come with us that day to search for the leopard. I agreed. While I was gathering myself together, drinking strong coffee, packing my cameras, Taraiyo asked me over and over again, did you see the leopard? A black leopard? Are you sure? Is Mungai sure? I told him
I was, but the news seemed to upset Taraiyo. He grew silent and thoughtful as we piled our gear into the Land Rover. He squeezed in the back with Rikita and Alfred. As we made our way in the darkness to the foot of Cave Hill Taraiyo leant over my shoulder and said: ‘If you saw the black leopard yesterday that is bad.’ I looked around at him. He was serious. ‘Why?’, I asked. Taraiyo didn’t answer. Rikita and Alfred remained silent. Twenty minutes later we crossed the river and wound our way across the plains to the foot of Cave Hill. It was still dark, but I got my cameras ready, as well as my video camera-recorder, and put them on the dashboard. We waited in silence for the dawn, Mungai and I sitting, the three Maasai standing in the back of the Land Rover. Suddenly both Rikita and Alfred shouted: “Chui. There’s the leopard!” “Where?” I cried, standing up suddenly and grabbing the video camera. I looked out on to Cave Hill. “No, not there – there”, Rikita yelled excitedly. And there on a small plain not 50 yards from the Land Rover, towards
the base of Cave Hill, was the melanistic cat. I pressed the Sony camera into action, with fully extended telephoto lens, and kept filming while Mungai started the engine and drove very slowly towards the large, obviously male, black leopard. We guessed he had been down to the river to quench his thirst, but now he had seen us and scurried away, yet not far. I kept filming whether or not the leopard was in the frame. He kept moving. No one said anything. And then we lost him. I must have got about three minutes of the animal on film. Taraiyo, who had been completely silent for some time, said: “Up there in the cave.” We looked up the hill and saw the leopard again, and I got perhaps another minute of the beast on film, further away but still clearly visible. It was lighter now, and the leopard made its way up the side of the escarpment, up the hill towards the caves where he obviously planned to spend the day out of the glaring sun. I replayed the footage. It was all there. Some of it was poor and very shaky, particularly what I had shot
while the Land Rover was moving. But the leopard was definitely there, thank God. In the excitement I had completely forgotten to take any still photographs. “What do you want to do now?” Mungai asked. With increasing heat we knew the leopard would not show himself again until the late afternoon. There was a chance he would venture onto the plains to hunt, but this would not happen until much later. So we decided to go back to the ranch for breakfast. None of the others had ever seen a black leopard before, not even Taraiyo, who was about 70 years old. But he did not seem particularly happy. I was sure he knew something that he wasn’t telling me. So I arranged to meet him later in the morning. But first I wanted to show the footage of the black leopard to Will Craig. He watched it with speechless amazement. I talked to Taraiyo in a room next to the Lewa stables. I did not think that I could broach the subject of the black leopard straight away, so I decided to try to learn from him something of the Maasai, their traditions and their ways. He spoke English haltingly, searching for the right words, but he understood much more that he could speak. He clearly had a sense of history and a proud knowledge of
Continues on page 22 Sir Christopher Ondaatje
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Friday, June 29, 2018
A Maasai elder Continued from page 21 legend and ritual. He was also incredibly superstitious. The Maasai are the most pastoral people of Africa and have not until very recently had laws on agricultural land. They speak the Maa language and seem always to have been divided into two groups. There are the agricultural Maasai such as the WaArusha (of northern Tanzania) and the Baraguyu. And then there are the Maasai of north-eastern Kenya, for example the Ilng’uesi, Taraiyo’s tribe. Although the Ilng’uesi do practise agriculture, they prefer a pastoral life, keeping cattle and moving across the plains between grazing lands with the change in the seasons. The pre-colonial history of the Maasai is shrouded in myth. It is believed that they originated in a crater-like country – almost certainly the north-western shore of Lake Rudolph (now Lake Turkana) in northern Kenya – surrounded by steep escarpments, which some of them left as a result of a prolonged period of
drought. These Maasai moved to the highlands of Kenya, where they live to this day. The advent of British colonialism put a check on their further southward expansion, but not before the Maasai had reached the northern region of what was then Tanganyika. Highways for commerce with Buganda were important to the British, for Buganda gave access to the River Nile and ultimately the Suez Canal, a gateway to the economic wealth of India and the East. These highways lay through Maasai land. Taraiyo seemed to welcome my understanding of Maasai history. He agreed that Maasai power and wealth had been reduced with the arrival of Europeans in Africa. But, he said, despite the pressure on the Maasai to curtail their pastoral activities, the tribe retained its beliefs and traditions. “We are not really Africans”, Taraiyo continued. “We come from the Nile near the lands that used to be called Abyssinia and which is now called Ethiopia. We were not meant to stay in one place like now, growing vegetables and digging the earth.
We are warriors and herdsmen. We are what you call nomads, following the rain and the new grass to feed our herds. This is important to us. This is our wealth. We kill anyone who stops our freedom. But now there are new laws. We cannot move from one area to another. We must go where we are told to go, even though this is our land. They have taken away our land and taken away our freedom. And now they teach us the white man’s way in the schools where we have to send our children. If you stop our freedom we will die. We cannot be prisoners and we cannot use our hands for labour work. We are warriors ...” There was a pause and I decided to risk all and ask him the question I’d been dying to ask. “But what about the black leopard? Why are you so worried that we have seen one of the rarest animals in the world? This is a very lucky thing for us.” “No. No. No”, Taraiyo replied in quite an agitated state. There was a pained look in his eyes. “It is not a lucky thing. It is very unlucky and very bad. Always there are problems
for us. First there are good rains and then more children, but always after that there will be no rain and drought and bad times. This is always the way when we see the panther, what you call the black leopard. It is evil and should be killed. If you do not kill it and use the oil from the body to rub on the children, then they will be sick. Always this is the way. We must pray to Maa. He is the God that sees these things. He is looking now. We must give the black animal to him. God does not eat mankind. Evil cannot be contained. Darkness has ears, and you will soon understand that he who has a sharp mouth conquers the world.” I said nothing for a while. Taraiyo looked at his feet as if embarrassed by what he had said, as if he had spoken of something that should not be mentioned to an outsider. These beliefs, he seemed to say, should only be discussed among the elders. He seemed uneasy. Although I invited Taraiyo to come with us that afternoon, I was not surprised that he declined, saying he must return to Ilng’uesi and his people, as there was no more work for him at
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Friday, June 29, 2018
A Maasai herder tends to his cattle. Lewa Ranch. We slowly walked out into the African sunlight together, but then we went our separate ways. “Where shall we go?” Mungai asked me as Rikita, Alfred and I climbed into the old Land Rover later that afternoon. “To the plains between the river and Cave Hill,” I replied without much hesitation. “Do you think it’s too early?” It was only half past three and the sun was high in the sky. It was far too hot for predators to start out on their evening activities. “It’ll take us about half an hour to get there,” Mungai replied. “If the leopard wants to hunt he’ll have to come down to the plains before it gets dark.” And so we made our way out, away from the ranch, through the scrub jungle, across the Lewa River, and into the long dried-grass plains below Cave Hill. At the foot of Cave Hill a lone thorn acacia was obscuring part of our view of the hill face, and I thought of asking Mungai to move the Land Rover further along the track to the base of the hill. But it was still too hot, so I simply focused on the hill and a
A settlement on the shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya, where the Maasai are believed to have orginated.
shadow ditch at the foot of it. There was no sign of the leopard. And then I looked over and into the branches of the acacia tree and saw a very slight movement in a stick hanging down from the shadows under the tree about 10 or 12 feet above the ground. What was it? Probably only a branch moving in the wind, but I kept my eyes on it. And then it moved again. Could it possibly be the leopard’s tail? The tree was certainly an ideal platform for a leopard to prospect its territory. “Mungai,” I said, “take these glasses and have a look. Don’t move. Don’t anybody move.” We were all sitting down. “Look just to the right of the main trunk of the tree, on the righthand branch. Can you see something hanging down. What do you think?” “I can’t see definitely,” Mungai replied. “We’re too far away. Keep your small camera focused on the branch and I’ll move the Land Rover closer.” “Don’t move or stand up,” I said. “Go towards the tree, very slowly,
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Continued from page 23 really slowly. Not too far. Maybe about 20 or 30 yards.” And as we moved closer, the shadows above the low branches of the acacia tree grew a little less dark. “Stop,” I said. “Give me the glasses.” And then my heart leapt. For there, on the low right-hand branch, with its black tail hanging down, was the black leopard. It was looking straight at us. We had switched off the engine. I focused the video camera directly on the creature, which was still quite far away. I filmed the leopard looking down at us from the shadows of the branching acacia for about a minute, but then he got up onto the branches. “Damn, we’ve disturbed him. We’ve come too close,” I said. I still had my camera on the leopard, as he slowly crept down the jutting limbs of the tree and silently leapt off the branch into the long brown grass below. We sat motionless for above five minutes, and then I said: “Mungai. Drive up to the
Friday, June 29, 2018
tree slowly. Maybe he’s on the ground in the grass and we’ll see him move towards the hill.” Very slowly we went forward until we were almost under the tree. But still we saw nothing. And then I did something stupid and dangerous. Desperate to get more footage, I got out of the Land Rover, slid myself into the long grass and walked slowly towards the tree. I told Mungai to stay with the vehicle, and told Alfred and Rikita to fan out either side of the tree about 20 yards away from where we had last seen the leopard. I kept my camera on in case something moved, not really caring what a cornered leopard might do. Reaching the base of the tree without seeing anything, I waited patiently. Surely he must be there. I looked back. Mungai was glancing at us anxiously. Then I quietly told Alfred to move towards Rikita on the other side of the tree. “Just move slowly,” I said. Alfred moved. He had taken only about four steps when he pointed in front of him
and said: “The leopard is here. He is going to go up the hill.” I couldn’t see anything but I moved quickly forward, the camera still filming, trained in the direction in which Alfred was pointing. He was standing still. And then I saw the leopard again, moving slowly, picking his way up the bank at the base of Cave Hill, between the low scrub bushes, with careful grace, his long black tail behind him, his large black head low to the ground. The sun was darting on his shiny black back, allowing us to see the faint rosettes on his body as he moved purposefully away from us. I kept the camera on, never once looking up. And then in less than 30 seconds it was all over. The leopard disappeared into some thick grass further up the hill, towards the escarpment below the caves. I turned my camera off, looked towards Alfred and Rikita, and smiled. When I looked down at my boots and trousers I saw that my feet were covered in ticks.
A rare black leopard was sighted by Ondaatje in 1999 in the northern foothills of Mount Kenya.
No one ever saw the black leopard again. I left Kenya after a week at Lewa Downs with the dire warnings of Taraiyo still occupying my thoughts. As he had predicted, there were very bad times in the area for almost an entire year, with unusually low rainfall and swarms of locusts. With no work in Lewa, Taraiyo remained at Ilng’uesi. Now, 10 years later, I find myself wondering what has become of him, and whether the story of his once-in-a-lifetime sighting of the black leopard will be passed down to the children of this small but proud warrior community. NEXT WEEK: The scandalous actress who was also a pioneer in the field of wireless communications. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankan-born Canadian-Englishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”.
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history
Englerston – with an ‘E’, if you please Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha
S
ir Etienne Dupuch’s The Tribune Handbook of 1924 carried a detailed description of Englerston in its earliest days, and the American man who was developing it, Captain J S Engler, who, after my father’s funeral, took my sister Barbara and me to Bimini on the mail boat. That was in 1947 and it was the first time I had been off the island of New Providence. He and his wife struck me as genuinely interested in the Bahamas. In Miami, Engler’s Public Market was the name of their very successful business. It had 64 stalls under one roof and was the largest in Florida; a place where almost everything was on sale. Few people know that this is the man who gave his name to Englerston (which most Bahamians wrongly
pronounce ‘Anglerston’) and most would probably be surprised to know that Englerston was conceived as New Providence’s “master suburb”, designed to rival Nassau as a second city. Engler bought over 400 acres of land south of Wulff Road, between East Street and Blue Hill Road, and set about turning them into a community that would attract residents away from the capital, where houses were scarce and rents high. The plan was for a skilfully laidout suburban township, with a great boulevard leading to a spacious park, broad avenues and wide streets. Sites were reserved for schools, churches and lodges. For buyers of lots, the developer planned to build, on easy terms, comfortable, modern houses, complete with electricity, telephone and a good water supply. The original Englerston had lots of land for expansion, with plans for an
An advert for the “master suburb” Englerston Engler’s Market to make it “absolutely unnecessary for residents to tramp to Nassau for home supplies.” Scottish poet Robert Burns could have been thinking of Englerston, when he wrote: “The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!”
J S Engler died not long after our visit to Miami, and Bahamian Ortland Bodie eventually bought the Englerston development. Today, it is an active and densely-populated residential area, but it never surpassed the city of Nassau. • For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com.
Sculpted head of mystery biblical king found in Israel JERUSALEM (AP) — An enigmatic sculpture of a king’s head dating back nearly 3,000 years has set off a modern-day mystery caper as scholars try to figure out whose face it depicts. The two-inch sculpture is an exceedingly rare example of figurative art from the Holy Land during the ninth century BC — a period associated with biblical kings. Exquisitely preserved but for a bit of missing beard, nothing quite like it has been found before. While scholars are certain the stern bearded figure wearing a golden crown represents royalty, they are less sure which king it symbolises, or which kingdom he may have ruled. Archaeologists unearthed the diminutive figurine in 2017 during excavations at a site called Abel
Beth Maacah, located just south of Israel’s border with Lebanon, near the modern-day town of Metula. Nineteenth-century archaeologists identified the site, then home to a village called Abil al-Qamh, with the similarly named city mentioned in the Book of Kings. During the ninth century BC, the ancient town was situated in a liminal zone between three regional powers: the Aramean kingdom based in Damascus to the east, the Phoenician city of Tyre to the west, and the Israelite kingdom, with its capital in Samaria to the south. Kings 1 15:20 mentions Abel Beth Maacah in a list of cities attacked by the Aramean King Ben Hadad in a campaign against the Israelite kingdom.
A detailed figurine of a king’s head on display at the Israel Museum, dating to biblical times. (AP Photo/Ilan Ben Zion) “This location is very important because it suggests that the site may have shifted hands between these polities, more likely between AramDamascus and Israel,” said Hebrew University archaeologist Naama Yahalom-Mack, who has headed the joint dig with California’s Azusa Pacific University since 2013.
Eran Arie, the Israel Museum’s curator of Iron Age and Persian archaeology, said the discovery was one of a kind. “In the Iron Age, if there’s any figurative art, and there largely isn’t, it’s of very low quality. And this is of exquisite quality.” ILAN BEN ZION Associated Press
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.
t u H H n E TarGeT THe aLPH
Yesterday’s solution: Honey (across) aPPLe (down)
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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 Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
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CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Village tragedy (6) 4 Employ completely and beneficially (8) 9 Treated with care (6) 10 Galley vessels? (8) 12 I turn to a trifle (4) 13 Get over an affliction (5) 14 Apportion food, say? (4) 17 You’ll be lucky to win one (4,2,6) 20 His pupils are encouraged to make notes (5,7) 23 Dad returns from the summit (4) 24 I pick up a key to look round someone’s home (5) 25 A whole chapter may be devoted to him (4) 28 No one is in doubt that the raid is over (3,5) 29 In direct impact, but not decapitated it seems (4-2) 30 Amount of business produced by a cook (8) 31 Indigestible food for example . . . sent back (6)
Down 1 Draperies not approved by most modern societies (8) 2 Note when the army order is given (4,4) 3 Flat iron? (4) 5 The pleasure of compensation (12) 6 Father to the French wife of a German husband? (4) 7 Conductor, we hear, for German songs (6) 8 Sycophants, according to an enemy’s version (3,3) 11 As set by one out to break a record? (8,4) 15 Go up in public transport intended to take in others (5) 16 Throw away a fight? (5) 18 Strung up (8) 19 I leave the law to the big guns (8) 21 Empty one container into another (6) 22 Trader who gives one a hand (6) 26 A lot may be gained from such a voice (4) 27 Intent on being crooked (4)
Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Occur, 4 Address, 8 Van, 9 Blue whale, 10 Overdue, 11 Inlet, 13 Seeing, 15 Aghast, 18 Solar, 19 Riposte, 21 Barracuda, 23 Ass, 24 Red tape, 25 Token. Down: 1 Obvious, 2 Conger eel, 3 Rabid, 4 Amulet, 5 Dowsing, 6 Era, 7 Sleet, 12 Loan shark, 14 Nirvana, 16 Treason, 17 Grouse, 18 Sober, 20 Plant, 22 Rid.
Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Edgar, 4 Ringlet, 8 Tea, 9 Fruitless, 10 Naivete, 11 Ashes, 13 Anthem, 15 Debris, 18 Marne, 19 Sackbut, 21 Termagant, 23 Lap, 24 Flashed, 25 Susan. Down: 1 Estonia, 2 Gladiator, 3 Rifle, 4 Routes, 5 Nitrate, 6 Lie, 7 Tasks, 12 Harebells, 14 Eyewash, 16 Set upon, 17 Island, 18 Motif, 20 Cites, 22 Ria.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Grass-cutting implement (6) 4 Contraband (8) 9 Stir up (6) 10 Loyal supporter (8) 12 Space (4) 13 Vacillate (5) 14 Spiritual teacher (4) 17 English painter, d.1788 (12) 20 Class of words (4,2,6) 23 Mature (4) 24 A hardwood tree (5) 25 Untruthful person (4) 28 Knitted jacket (8) 29 North European sea (6) 30 Tchaikovsky ballet (4,4) 31 Fungal timber decay (3,3)
Down 1 Right of voting (8) 2 Country of southeast Asia (8) 3 Sharp-eyed wildcat (4) 5 Prosaic (6-2-4) 6 Strong wind (4) 7 Alliance (6) 8 Roundabout route (6) 11 Expression of approval (3,2,3,4) 15 Normal (5) 16 Openmouthed (5) 18 Record formally (8) 19 More direct route (5,3) 21 Noisy quarrel (6) 22 Ancient enemy of Athens (6) 26 Occupy whole of (4) 27 Adequate (4)
call 0907 181 2585 for today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390
full solution
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Hydration and thunderstorms
H
ere we go again…Summer is here with vengeance. Gone are those unseasonably May days we experienced this year. They are but a mere memory of long-sleeved tops and artfully draped shawls. The temperatures are soaring, the storms are rumbling and our pets need additional protection from dehydration and the panic experiences during thunderstorms and fireworks. Three very real and very seasonal issues all our pets have to cope with every year, and as their custodians, we have to cope with and through them. Hydration is relatively simple. I am sure that during these Summer months you find you need to drink more water. Well, you are not alone, your faithful friend does, too. Horse, cat, dog, bird, human, we all need more hydration when it is hot. Dehydration is very bad for everybody’s health and causes you or your animal to have compromised kidneys. So how do you combat the hydration issue? I will leave it to you on how to cope with yourselves, with the exception of saying, I never go anywhere without my faithful purple water bottle! But your pets do not have that luxury. It is totally up to you. I have lots of water bowls around the house. I never have a contained space without access to water. If you leave them outdoors, leave water in the shade. That water can heat up very quickly if you leave it in the sun, and please do remember that the sun moves, so what is in shade at 10am may well be fully exposed to the sun at 2pm. It takes thought, concern and planning. If you own a pet you should already know all about that. Day in and day out you must concern yourself with your pet’s needs. They do not have thumbs, they cannot open a water bottle. They depend on you. My pack of five are all inside dogs (four of them big potcakes). They go out briefly when they need to, but the rest of the time they either hang out in
A potcake checklist By The Bahamas Humane Society
PET OF THE WEEK
L
et’s see... Friendly? Check Loyal? Check Eager to please? Check Smart? Check Likes other dogs? Check Likes cats? Most likely Likes kids? Check Great family dog? Check While many of the adoption dogs at the Bahamas Humane Society can tick off many boxes on this list, Maggie is our highlight today. This ten-month old girl spent quite a while in a foster home when she was younger but is now at the shelter and hoping for a new home to call her permanent one. As the BHS is a no-kill shelter, Maggie can stay as long as need be, but being adopted
Scruffy at the beach
PATRICIA VAZQUEZ
Animal matters Kim Aranha
Maggie with volunteer Chantelle sooner rather than later would be better. Then there would be room for someone new! To find out more about Maggie, come in and meet her or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Maggie looks forward to meeting you!
an air-conditioned bedroom or in front of a fan, or where there is a breeze. They love to stretch out on the cool tiles. If I miss and leave them in the garden for too long the hole-digging starts. Why? Because the freshly dug earth is cool. These guys are very smart. Taking Fido to the beach with you? Bring his fresh water and a bowl to put it in. Your dog does not drink salt water, do you? Make sure there is a minimum of sand in the bowl, and the water must be kept in the shade, as well as Fido. So we have water, water, water everywhere – fresh, clean, cool and accessible. Not too difficult to incorporate into the daily routine. Please do not forget if you take Fido in the car,to never leave him in the car in the sun or shade. Treat him as you would yourself. Would you sit in the car outside the supermarket for 10 minutes without AC in the sun? Thought not! As Summer rambles on so do thunderstorms rumble in. Some dogs could care less, others are petrified. The sound, the bangs and the static is more than they can cope with. They panic, break things, run and away and risk hurting themselves. Your job? Reassure them and keep them safe. Make sure they cannot escape onto the road to get run over or lost. I find that containing them in a smaller sized room with a safe spot to hide (behind a sofa or in the bathtub) helps. Many people have reported great things about the Thunder Shirt, easily bought online. The Thunder Shirt fits snugly on the dog and the snugness is what makes the dog feel secure, it provides a natural calming solution rather like swaddling a human infant. May people will tell you that you can see the anxiety leave the dog. They cost about $40, are easy to order and well worth the price. The fear of thunder and the fear of fireworks is much the same. For some dogs the loud inexplicable bang of fireworks causes them to be totally irrational. They bolt to get away, to anywhere. We have July 4 and July 10 coming up. Both days and weekends where people feel compelled to set off fireworks. If you are going out, please, and I say this every year, secure your pet – in the garage, in the laundry, somewhere where they cannot get out. Every year the BHS and many concerned citizens spend days searching for lost dogs and homing found dogs. Please be responsible dog owners this time and keep your pet safe, and make this a good summer.
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