January/February 2019 Issue 53

The
Effervescent
Charmaine Forde
The Perils
of the Returnee
1
 Production and concept: D.T. Kalloo Contents
The Perils of the Returnee
page 4

Cindy’s Winter Beauty Tips

page 8
Culturepulse is designed and produced by
Cashewmedia PR Ltd and published online through Food Innovation
www.issuu.com page 9
Copyright 2019
The Effervescent Charmaine Forde
Views and comments expressed by contributors
are not necessarily those of Culturepulse or page 10
Cashewmedia PR Ltd but of the author/s.
The Role of Dance in Carnival Mas
For all enquiries, please contact: page 15
07738864335
cashewmedialtd@gmail.com CoP Gary Griffith Sends Clear Warning to
Criminals in Trinidad &Tobago
page 22
Culturepulse list of contributors in making the magazine
a success.
Africa: Massive growth Opportunities
Natalie Alicia Dookie, Lyndon Brathwaite, Ansel Wong, page 24
David Wears, Chris Boothman, Nasser Khan, Malaika
Crichlow, Amos Armstrong, Soshina Stephen, David
Rudder, Jimmy Kainja, Paul Ade, Akilah Holder-Stewart, Blind Brexit
Michael La Rose, Dr Michelle Yaa, Dr Juanita Cox- page 27
Westmaas, Dianne A Kalloo, Shabaka Thompson, Ron
Ramdin, Rhianna Kalloo, Angelique, Dorothy Scott,
Memory Pincheck, Erica Williams-Connell, Darren Lewis, Miami Rum Festival
Tessa Robinson, Sir Ronald Sanders, Cindy Mollineau, page 30
Omardath Maharaj, Selena Carty, Alison Bajaican,
Mahalia Mayne, Afridiziak, Leela Ramdeen, Caroline
Barbados Bans Plastic Straws
Muraldo and Nestor Sullivan.
page 31

Member

2
2019 began with a bang! The debacle that is Brexit continues to divide Britain
and infuriate Europe. Whatever the outcome, one thing that is certain, Britain
will not descend into the abyss that everyone seemingly anticipates. We wait
as 29 March exit day approaches. Brexit was sold on the premise of immigration
and the NHS. It has prompted many in the Diaspora to contemplate returning
to their ‘home’ country. This month Claire Shepperd explores her own
experiences of ‘going back home’ to St Vincent and the Grenadines. Her account
reveals the realities that face those returning to the proverbial ‘home’ country.

With carnival taking place across the Caribbean islands, choreographer Caroline
Muraldo delves into what Notting Hill Carnival means to her through the
interpretation of dance. Cindy Mollineau, a carnivalist herself and a former
contributor to Culturepulse is back with her beauty tips, advising on how to
protect your skin during the harsh winter months.

Songbird Charmaine Forde returns to Trinidad and Tobago, and mesmerises the
home crowd with her instalments of We Kinda Jazz. While many of us in the
diaspora are heading back to the Caribbean islands for the annual carnival
season, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith has sent a clear warning to
criminals in T&T; ‘stay away from illegal activities before its too late.’ With just
7 months on the job, Griffith is leading the fight against crime on the twin
island state from the frontline.

D. Kalloo

Editor

3
The Perils of
the Returnees
By Claire Shepperd
Returning to any island in the Caribbean
to live after having left many years ago
must rank as one of the most challenging
decisions that one can make. The decision
and experience can take one through the
whole gamut of emotions - fear, trepidation,
excitement, anticipation - and then the
reality.
For many people the idea of coming back to
sand, sea and beaches and not having to
face another cold winter cloud all other
thoughts, because as we know - the cold and
numbing winters are the worst part of
leaving the Caribbean - when the chill goes
through the body to your very bones and
'marrow' as some claim. The anticipation
of eating fresh fruits and vegetables is also
a big draw.
'Black Migrations' has always been a hotly
debated topic among academics and
students alike......looking closely at the
movements of people of African descent
from the Caribbean where we were 'put
down' via slave ships ‘to new destinations
and new social realities' - more so today
because of the personal experiences many
have had.
My late father before he died asked the
question 'why do you want to come back
here to live' and I cheekily responded by
saying, 'you did - didn't you so why can't I'.
Now, ten years later I am grasping the
underlying meaning of what my father was
implying. My father left St. Vincent and
Grenadines (SVG) in 1960 and our mother
followed him months later with 2 children,
me and my sister.
He returned to the island of St. Vincent &
the Grenadines in the early 90's and only
4
went back to England in 2004 when he had
to have a 'pacemaker' fitted - then once
again for a check-up, before he was
persuaded that going to Barbados for the
annual check-up would be far better than
returning from a hot country to the middle
of winter in England - although of course
this could only be done 'privately' in
Barbados and not on the National Health
Service which he like the majority of
migrants had paid into for the whole of their
working life in England. He saw the sense
in doing this and made the journey to
Barbados at least twice before he died in
2008.
When his own father like several other men
had left SVG to work in Panama, Carriacou,
Aruba and Curacao - they went with a plan,
a strategy to fulfil. These were proud men
and were truly the early pioneers who
migrated to work and who set examples for
their children to take up the baton. These
were among the numbers who ventured to
England, America, Canada. Many of these
pioneering people like my father left the
Caribbean with the intention of returning in
a few years with enough money to build
homes and 'set themselves up'. The reality
most had of paying rent, bills and food - was
that they were left with hardly anything
after sending remittances to aged relatives
'back home'.
A few confided that if they had the money
to return a month or so after arriving, they
would have done so, immediately. One or
two were able to do just that and either
returned 'home' or tried their luck in another
country. The question of 'medical'
treatments is one of the most important
reasons why returnees have had to return to
the countries they emigrated to - whether it
be America, Britain or Canada.
Although Trinidad and Barbados claim to
have better medical facilities than those of
some of the smaller islands, truth be told
none can keep up with the larger
cosmopolitan countries when someone
becomes seriously ill. Returnees are
obviously aware through personal
knowledge that the care they can get in their
'adopted' countries are of a much better
standard overall than that available for them
at home. The problem with this is the
number of appointments which may have to
be kept entailing flying backwards and
forwards up to twice or more each year. All
of which on already aging bodies is to put it
mildly - gruelling. Yet, for many returnees,
this is the price of 'staying alive'.
Those who braved it were able to save very
slowly in the host country by depriving
themselves of some of the social activities
which called for the spending of money - so
that homes could be built. Some lost a lot
of money through bad 'investments' and
trusting family members to carry out the
'wishes’ of buying land to build on. There
were others whose homes could not be
completed or sadly one of the married
partners died and the other chose not to
come back or to return to live with the
children and grandchildren - leaving the
empty home and relying on the one or two
relatives whom they may not possess the
capability to properly handle matters of
property.
One of the most important factors that must
be negotiated on returning is 'expectations'.
What are your 'expectations'? The answer
5
to this depends on what work you did while
you were abroad. It depends on the
interests you have, and your mindset. The
chasm between returnee and those who
remained - is going to be problematic at
most. Names for those who went to
England is 'English' and for others - similar.
When my father questioned me about
returning, I had no idea that he knew better
than I did myself - that returning to SVG
would be a big challenge to me - once I'd
gotten over the 'honeymoon'. He was right.
One of the very beautiful things about the
islands including SVG are the number of
other regional nationals who chose to make
SVG their home. In this respect, when I
arrived, there were individuals from
Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, Barbados,
Grenada and elsewhere.
For a long while I enjoyed the interactions
- and threw myself into local life -
excluding the 'religion' - before I realised
that 'religion' was the cornerstone of most
events on the island. The 'Church' was
central in all the villages and there are 30
plus churches in every village in SVG.
People belonged to 'a church' and excluded
other churches except for funerals and
harvests when a few would attend the
services of other denominations. For me,
this domination of 'Christianity' was and
continue to be the most challenging -
because soon after the family went to
England, I did not have to attend church any
longer - and especially so because my father
was not a church going man, although my
mother made every effort throughout her
life to keep up with the 'Anglican' church.
The complete suppression of all things
intellectual and creative to 'religion’ which
I saw earlier on quaint, became oppressive.
This 'quaintness' was exposed for what it
plainly was - the continuation of a mindset
which many of us who had travelled had
long left behind.
The 'slave mentality' where villagers were
still largely led and influenced by the local
pastors and ministers in the churches - and
where it was not unusual to hear grown
people referring to a man as 'Father' in
every sentence is prevalent.
In my own case, I felt that at every turn
other villager were trying to 'reintegrate' me
into something that I'd never been
integrated in - such was their fervour for
religious matters and events. In fairness to
my 'new' environment I would attend
funerals - but then I realised that funerals
were one of the very few 'expressions'
people had for wearing fine clothes and that
they attended funerals to be 'seen'. It was
so strange to realise that for many 'funerals'
was the only 'social life' on the islands -
apart from the regular church service on
Sunday, or Saturday or whatever day of the
week ordained by the church. The most
important news for many was - who had
'died' yesterday. When was the next
funeral?
Of course, there is the business of daily life
- but mainly because of the complete
domination by religion - the countries
remain 'backwards' through the fact that
churchgoers would not do certain work on
certain days - so the whole 'business' arena
becomes uncreative and stagnant. There is
little 'flow' in a small island like SVG -
unlike Trinidad which is bigger and have a
variety of different faiths which often act as
a balance to the blanket suppression by only
one dominant faith.
A time like 'Christmas' in SVG becomes
'difficult'. Far worse than in England where
6
there are so many people and different
activities to offset the Christian calendar
which in SVG can start as early as mid-
November or before when you begin to hear
Christmas Carols on the radio and
passenger vehicles. To see our people
wearing red Santa hats and donning the full
'Father Christmas' gear, and ideology is for
me quite sad and depressing. Especially so,
because there is no corresponding 'Black
Consciousness' ideology or narrative to
accompanying it. Every Christmas, since
coming to SVG I have heard the same old
and worn songs about Santa wanting a
'wife' for Christmas. I have heard 'It's
Christmas time again' too many times as
well as 'Santa Claus is coming to Town'. I
have heard the Plum Wine and Mauby and
Black Cake so often that one can become
sick of listening to them. Our people have
the same mindset around this calendar
event as before 'Independence'......nothing
has changed except perhaps that it is more
ingrained and has taken roots more deeply
with the 'capitalist' materialism driving it
on.
Every opportunity is used for
evangelism....and it is interesting to see
how this pans out with a 'culture' where
sexual 'bravado' is also to the fore - where
rape and sexual abuse is prevalent and
where there are so many dysfunctional
issues in the country that its beggar’s belief.
The idea that returnees come back with a
suitcase full of money must have its roots
far back - and the constant begging by
individuals daily is one that I will never be
able to come to terms with - no matter how
long I remain in SVG. Somebody, or
another want whatever they see you with,
be it clothes, shoes, radio - you name it -
they want it.
I know that my father would have found it
impertinent that people who have acres of
land with mango trees, coconut trees,
breadfruit trees - but little ambition or drive
were begging him - a pensioner who had
worked hard all his life in England - for
money. It is a cultural trait that is now
rampant and tenacious. It is like a cancer
eating away at the very fabric of life in SVG
- and one which is threatening the very lives
of those returnees who now live in fear of
violence and robberies and death.
as there once was - outside of the region -
even for things like 'medicals' because of
the stringent new rules that are being
applied to those living outside the adopted
countries and who have contributed
massively towards their growth. If you stay
away from America, Britain, or Canada for
periods of over 3 or 6 months you may be
asked to make a financial contribution to
your medical procedures - which you have
already paid for all your working lives. We
are caught in a double bind. We are not
really wanted 'here' nor 'there'.

These island paradises are no longer what

they were when we left as adults and
children. The islands have changed - but
the 'rulerships' remain unprogressive and in
some cases regressive. Rapes and murders
are happening far too often - and the
'powers that be' seem to be out of control -
and out of touch with the people who put
them in power, and whom they were put in
power to benefit. Homes are mainly
burglar-barred now - and too many
returnees live in apprehension in their
'island paradise' - only boasting of a slightly
better standard of food and clothes than the
average person - if that.

The dream of 'returning' and slotting-in

easily is dead. There is no slotting-in
wanted if truth be known. The money that
was being sent or given - was about the only
benefit of having a relative in 'foreign' land,
but once you came back as a retiree and no
longer with the deep pockets - then your
role is diminished in the eyes of relatives.
You'll not find them as accommodating as
they may once have been.

The 'Windrush' scandal in Britain, Trump in

the USA and tightening immigration in
Canada is showing us that we must change
our mindsets. There are no 'get out' cards

7
 Cindy’s Winter Beauty Tips
We are in the middle of winter and this
usually means dehydrated skin. So, here’s
little guide to get you through the winter
while still looking a million bucks!
1: Firstly, get a
facial. Facials
are a must
during winter.
Central
heating,
dehydrated
skin and extra
consumption
of alcohol and
unhealthy
foods play
havoc to the
skin! Find a good therapist that will
complete a consultation of your current
needs and lifestyle and recommend a
facial suitable for your skin type and
needs. I would suggest a hydrating and
detoxifying facial for this time of the year.
2: Skincare is your friend! If you're over 25
then skincare regime is your friend and
should be a part of your daily routine!
During the winter months, the use of a
serum is beneficial as well because it
provides additional protection, hydration
and antioxidants to the skin to leave it
soft, smooth and healthy looking. My
personal favourite is the Uplift serum
by Younique. Its packed with
antioxidants and brighten the skin
leaving a healthy glow... because nothing
is worse than sallow looking skin during
winter.
if we do not realise this. In addition, our
thirst response decreases by up to 40% so
we are losing water and not getting the
urge to rehydrate. Add alcohol
consumption to that and we have a
recipe for dehydration just waiting to
happen!
4: Diet and supplements: Increase intake
of Vitamin B complex as alcohol burns up
vitamin B and affects the way you absorb
these vitamins. Dark green leafy
vegetables such as kale, arugula and
spinach also provide folate and
antioxidants to help the body flush out
toxins.
Following These simple
tips can help you look and
feel better during the cold
winter months while we
indulge on the not so
healthy stuff. The trick is
to do everything in moderation.
CINDY MOLLINEAU
Beauty & Holistic Therapist
Independent Presenter for Younique
Products
cindy.mollineau@gmail.com
Photos courtesy Pininterest and Google.com

3: Hydration. It goes
without saying that
hydration is
important during the
harsh winter period.
Although its cold,
your body still loses water via sweat even

8
Food Innovation
In Toledo district, farmers are earning
three times the going rate for their
turmeric by supplying a local processing
company to produce the world’s first
‘wildcrafted’ whole root turmeric paste.
Over 350 turmeric growers in Belize have
registered with an agricultural social
enterprise, Naledo Belize Ltd, to supply
whole root turmeric for processing into
‘Truly Turmeric’ paste. The crop is grown
wild and under cultivation in forests or
amongst other crops, and this biodiverse
production model makes it sustainable
and supports regenerative agriculture. To
optimise production, the farmers receive
training from the company on how to re-
plant small rhizomes (underground plant
stems), reduce contamination by
herbicides/pesticides, clean roots
efficiently and harvest the main part of
the root. Turmeric yields over 4,500 kg
per 0.5 ha and has a short growth cycle of
9 months but was previously only
produced in Belize in small amounts for
hand-processing into powder for local
consumption. Farmers registered with
9
Naledo are now producing over 9,000 kg
per month.
In 2014, while volunteering in Belize,
Umeeda Switlo, CEO of Naledo,
discovered that the size of Belize
turmeric, Curcuma longa, was larger than
other species. After testing it for
pathogens and heavy metals, and finding
none, she began processing turmeric
paste from her kitchen in Canada. Switlo
also discovered various nutritional
benefits of the Belizean turmeric, for
instance, while most turmeric has 2%
curcuminoids, which is a powerful anti-
inflammatory compound valued for its
health benefits, Switlo discovered that
Belize turmeric has 7.6%.
The Truly Turmeric paste contains fresh
squeezed lime juice, cold pressed
coconut oil and sea salt, which makes it a
nice addition in smoothies or curries, for
instance. “There is nothing on the market
like this. Wildcrafted is a step above
organic, as the turmeric is naturally
grown with no added agricultural
inputs,” says Switlo. Reducing
environmental impact is important to
Switlo, “We produce very little waste as
we process the roots whole with the skin
on, and the smaller rhizomes are re-
planted as seeds. We also work with
farmers to ensure that when washing the
root, the silt does not go in to the rivers.”

Young people in Toledo are also

accessing new employment
opportunities through Naledo’s agro-
processing factory in Punta Gorda, the
capital of the district. Here, all value-
added activities take place, from bottling
to labelling, and the factory employs 10
people between the ages of 18 and 31
years, including several managers, paying
at least double the Belize minimum wage.
Naledo employees also receive training in
business, bookkeeping, food safety and
entrepreneurship.

The Truly Turmeric product reached the

finals of the 2018 SIAL Innovation Awards
and is currently available in 24 outlets
across Belize. The paste is also exported Support Black Poppy
to 650 stores in Canada, including Whole
Foods and Choices Markets. Having
Rose
found a distributor in the Bahamas,
Naledo is keen to expand to the rest of
the Caribbean and in 2019, the company www.blackpoppyrose.org
will begin exporting to the US and will info@blackpoppyrose.org
introduce five new beverage products
that use Belizean turmeric.

Natalie Dookie
Caribbean Business Development
Consultant / Caribbean Business Writer
This article was first published by Spore magazine.
Republished with the kind permission of Spore.
Thanks to Natalie Dookie and Susanna Cartnell-
Thorp of Spore magazine.
Photo courtesy Spore magazine.
spore.cta.int
https://spore.cta.int/en/production/all/art
icle/wild-turmeric-turns-a-trade-in-belize-
sid054f7eb51-ed4f-481d-9865-
8616fd01c31e

10
11
 The Effervescent Charmaine Forde
settling in Florida. After decades abroad,
doing live shows and hosting TV shows
and her own radio show at WHTY
1600AM, Forde returned home to
Trinidad in March 2018.

Her return to Trinidad was one of

anticipation and bated breath of
acceptance. She was unsure if people
knew who she was or, if at all, people of
T&T remembered her. Her fears soon
diminished with her first instalment of
We Kinda Jazz at the Kaiso Blues Café in
Port of Spain. She was received with
rapturous welcome at Kaiso Blues Café,
backed by Michael Boothman and
Stephen Encinas. The T&T Newsday
newspaper dubbed her returned to the
Trinidad music circuit as a ‘Musical
Reunion’ Forde admits. “I didn’t think I
was such a celebrity in Trinidad.” She told
By David Kalloo Culturepulse. “Trinidad is all music. It is
the pressure valve that releases the
The younger generation of Trinidad and
tensions of the country, it relieves all
Tobago (T&T) may not know the name
Charmaine Forde, but the old bards in the
music industry certainly know of the
honey-voice effervescent Charmaine
Forde.
Like many of the musical professionals in
Trinidad and Tobago, Scouting for Talent
was a launching pad for young talent
and, Forde was no exception. The talent
show helped to propel her career into
the entertainment arena. Her
collaboration with Michael Boothman
and Carl Jacobs in the 80s gave her hits
such as ‘Waiting for Love’, ‘Hero’ and her
cover of Bobby Coldwell’s ‘What you
Won’t Do for Love’. Her soulful timbre
captivated the nation making her one of
the most formidable female vocalists of
the era.
Forde’s success at home craved the
bigger stage and, she eventually left T&T
travelling across the Caribbean islands
before migrating to Canada before finally

12
 Living up to her nickname, Champagne
Charmaine, the Trinidad Guardian
describes her performance as ‘fine wine’
giving a ‘sparkling performance’. Forde’s
resounding return to T&T music circuit
has been firmly established as her fans
eagerly await the next helping of, We
Kind Jazz.

stress levels.” Since her return to T&T

she has graced the musical stage with
King David Rudder, Carl and Carol
Jacobs, Michael Boothman, Sandra
Hamilton, Clint DeCoteau, Jonathan
Hunsley and Stephen Encinas.

Charmaine Forde has not lost her sultry

timbre and her vivacious magnetism
mesmerising the audience with her
repertoire of hits from greats such as
Nina Simone, Natalie Cole, Patti Labelle,
Nancy Wilson, The Emotions and even
jazzing up the Soca anthem, Sugar Bum
All photos courtesy Charmaine Forde.
Bum. Forde says; “I am humbled by the
warm and welcomed reception of the From Top: Charmaine Forde, Forde with
people of Trinidad and Tobago. I also Lisa Wickham, Forde with Janelle Penny
want to thank Kaiso Blues Café for Commissiong and Forde with Reina
offering me a comfortable space where I Caldero at Synergy
can ‘Keep Jazz alive’. I look forward to
working with the younger generation
and incorporating all genres as time
progresses.”

13
 A one-day conference
BRAZIL AND SPANISH AMERICA: RELATIONSHIPS AND
COMPARISONS
Institute of Latin American Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
In 2010 Leslie Bethell wrote a provocative essay in the Journal of Latin America Studies entitled
''Brazil and Latin America''. In raising the question ''Is Brazil part of Latin America?” the essay
generated, and continues to generate, considerable debate. Following the publication of Leslie’s new
book, Brazil: Essays in History and Politics (ILAS, 2017), the conference aims to explore further the
theme of Brazil’s relationship with the rest of Latin America, past and present, and explore
comparisons between the two regions.
With the participation of Leslie Bethell, the conference will examine the following themes:
1. Historical Perspectives: Ori Preuss (Tel Aviv University), James Woodard. Monclair, USA, Mariana
Guimarães A. da Silveira Federal (Fluminense University).
2. Historical and Regional Perspectives: Robert Howes (King’s College London), Andrew Nickson
(University of Birmingham), Juan Pablo Ferrero (University of Bath).
3. State Formation: Regional and Global Perspectives: Guilherme Celestino (King’s College London,

Anthony Pereira (Brazil Institute, Kings College London), Andrew Hurrell (University of Oxford).
4. Cultural Comparisons: Giulia Champion (Warwick University), David Lehmann (University of
Cambridge), Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho (King’s College London).

For the full programme and registration see: https://ilas.sas.ac.uk/events/event/17882 Registration:

Standard £20, Student/Retired £10.
The conference is generously supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

14
 Notting Hill Carnival – Is it just a street party?
The role of dance in Carnival Mas
By Caroline Muraldo the West Africans had also brought their
own equally important masking
Notting Hill Carnival is often referred to
traditions with them, if mentioned at all,
in popular media as ‘a street party’ while
is made to sound quite secondary
those who understand the genesis from
although masking traditions in West
which Notting Hill carnival is derived,
Africa were also extremely important
disagree. This article intends to explain
cultural events that were also elaborate
the reasons underlying this difference in
spectacles of costume, song, dramatic
perspective for which we need to look
performance, religious symbolism and
back to the beginning and will consider
dance.
the issue through the strand of dance.
Masquerade in West Africa was and
continues to be, a significant part of the
fabric of their societies, which includes
members of secret societies wearing
masks and costumes to represent all the
classes of supernatural beings from
ancestors to gods who they believed
affect their daily lives such as the god of
fertility, god of fire or god of rain as
examples. The masquerade is a
performance of song, dramatization of
While there is clear evidence of Caribbean spiritual or ethical issues and ritual dance.
Masquerade making traditions, especially Masquerade in fact symbolically bridges
the most developed mas in the Eastern the earthly and spiritual worlds strongly
Caribbean from Trinidad, on the streets influencing the fabric of society for good
of Notting Hill Carnival usually or evil, with the masqueraders becoming
accompanied by the most popular Soca divine possessed emissaries by means of
tunes of the year, there is sadly little to music and dance that are feared revered
represent the Trinidad Carnival dance
traditions that would give the observer
any clue to the rich historical past of the
utilisation of dance within carnival.
When examining accounts of the
beginning of Trinidad carnival it is often
stated that Trinidad carnival dates back
to 1780’s with the arrival of French
Catholic planters and their slaves who
along with the free coloureds, staged
elaborate masquerade balls at Christmas
and as a “farewell to the flesh” before
the Catholic Lenten season, with each
group mimicking the other in their
masking and entertainment. The fact that

15
as well as loved and respected by
traditional communities.
The inherent ritual dances are an
inextricable part of West African
masquerade with characters
recognisable by their specific
characteristic dance movements.
So important are the masquerades that
they may be called upon to implement
any task civic or personal from honouring
the dead as the Egwugu of the Asaba
region of Nigeria or to paying obeisance
to the gods of plenty as thanksgiving for
a good crop as in the New Yam festival
held every August in Ghana to pacify
angry spirits’ (a practice still retained in
Jamaica) to making social commentary
using comedy to satirise and expose
immoral behaviour as performed by The
Ogbo of a south –Eastern Nigerian region
and remind people to honour moral and
ethical or social codes.
In addition masquerade can play a more
serious role as tools of law and order
instruments of the divine justice that can
catch criminals, meter out sentences and
resolve disputes between neighbouring
clans and ethnic groups e.g. if something
is stolen a specific masquerader may
‘divine’ the person who committed the
crime and dance in front of the prime
suspect in order to signify to the rest of
16
the clan that this person should be
subject to trial,
Masquerade therefore has a spiritual,
religious and secular role. Masqueraders
could even override community elder’s
serious decisions as they were considered
messengers for the spiritual world even
to the point of the decision as to whether
they should go to war.
It must be borne in mind that within the
continent of Africa, dance is part of a
whole, that is essentially, all forms of
creativity, unlike in this part of the world,
these various arts forms are not
considered as separate entities that
merely come together sometimes but
rather they are all part and parcel of the
same one rich, meaningful and exciting
strand of the tapestry of life and
essentially continues to enjoy this status.
This was the African masquerade
traditions that the enslaved Africans
brought to the development of carnival in
Trinidad and which is transformed in the
Americas with similar developments
across the Caribbean into Carnival Mas or
‘Mas’
Evidence of this influence upon Mas is
echoed by one Trinidad’s renowned Mas
makers Peter Minshall who said:
Mas Is a powerful communicative
expression of the spiritual and
physical energy of human beings
Mas is a combination of music
dance sculpture and painting. Mas
is communication with gesture and
movement, it is danced, it is played,
from the speech of the Midnight
Robber to the extraordinary
brilliance of the fancy sailor
It should also be known that in Britain and
Europe during the 18th century anything
to do with the body was frowned upon
including dance. With the advent of the
industrial revolution, the village greens
where villagers gathered as communities
to interact including to dance together
were enclosed and the people were
forced into moving to the growing cities
to work in the factories. Combined with
religious repression of festivals along
with the new work ethic required by the
new ways of working, dance increasingly
became no longer part of everyday life.
Work that was essentially carried out by
manual labour was regarded as much
lower in status than work that was the
result of mental
capacity such as
office work.
Dancers using the
whole body for
their craft were
not generally seen
as people of good
repute to the
point where
dancers were not allowed to be buried
within church grave yards but instead just
outside, a far cry from the respect shown
to dancers in West Africa.
Nevertheless, the wealthy did dance with
the dancing master of France teaching
the latest dances performed at
gatherings for all marriage celebrations
and masquerade balls where individuals
dressed in elaborate costumes during a
grand affair of foods, singing and dancing
while enjoying anonymity for an evening.
Masquerade balls were sometimes set as
a game among the guests. The masked
guests were supposedly dressed so as to
17
be unidentifiable. This would create a
type of game to see if a guest could
determine each other's identities. This
added a humorous effect to many
masquerades and enabled a more
enjoyable version of typical balls.
Masquerade balls were also a feature of
European carnival season included in
pageants and triumphal processions as
part of court life. The common features
of European carnival in addition to the
wearing of costumes and masks were
excessive consumption of alcohol, meat
and other foods that were be abstained
from during lent, mock battles, such as
food fights, social satire and mockery of
authorities, the grotesque body
displaying exaggerated
features especially large
noses, bellies, mouths, and
phalli or elements of animal
bodies, abusive language and
degrading acts such as
depiction of diseases and
grotesque death along with a
general reversal of everyday
social norms. This followed
the legacy of earlier festivals traditions of
the Egyptian, Greeks and Roman
civilisations.
Not surprisingly dance has no real
significant expressive or important role
to play within this type of events.
Even today while there are well funded
dance companies albeit within a small
number of dance forms here in England
along with the constant exposure of
dance on TV, the writer of this article has
found that as someone who has been
teaching dance in schools for many years,
the usual attitude towards dance as a
subject demonstrates is a clear pervasive
lack of appreciation and understanding of
the power of dance as an area of study.
There is a strange dichotomy both here
and in the Caribbean that while dancers
can be lauded on stage and in social
settings there is a tendency to still not
consider being a dancer a ‘desirable
profession’ It follows that if the
profession is not valued the profession
there is no real reason to truly value the
work.
Canboulay became a symbol of freedom
and defiance. In response, the British
colonial government outlawed
drumming, stick fighting, masquerading,
African-derived religions (like those of
the Orisha faith and the Spiritual Shouter
Baptists or Shango Baptists), and even
tried to suppress the steelpan – but was
never able to stamp out what has
become a hallmark of Trinidadian
identity.

This however leads onto another concern

which is how dance is perceived and the
nature of its value which requires a
separate discussion, however it is suffice
to state that this dichotomy is the result
of negative cultural influences.

The concept of ‘Carnival’ as opposed to

‘masquerade’ is a actually a Roman
Catholic and Greek Orthodox festive
season, adopting and assimilating the
popular pagan roman spring festival that
occurs before the liturgical season of
Lent, according to Wikipedia. The main
events typically occur during February or
early March, during the period historically
known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent).
Carnival in this part of the world typically This masking and mimicry merged over
involves a public celebration or parade time with the Calinda – or stick fighting
accompanied by chanting and drumming
combining some elements of a circus,
– and rituals of Canboulay to become a
masks, and interestingly regarded as a
Jamette – or underclass – masquerade.
public street party. Post emancipation the Colonialists
abandoned carnival as the ex-slaves used
The influence of both the African and the festival space to celebrate the end of
European strands blended together to slavery bringing their Canboulay and
inform the development of carnival in African masquerade, drums and dancing
Trinidad and across the Caribbean region. into the carnival space, the festival
For the cultural groups, masks and eventually found a home on the Monday
mimicry were an essential part of the and Tuesday before Lent and was
ritual emancipation of slaves in 1838, adopted as a symbol of Trinidadian

18
culture during the independence
movement.
An array of characters developed during
early carnival including ‘The bat’ which
used bat like movements crawling,
flapping, dancing on his toes, and folding
his wings in a series of choreographed
movements, imitating a real bat. Those
who danced this role often enough would
develop their movements over time to
truly resemble the bat.
There was also the ‘Burrokeet’
who mimics the antics of a
donkey this character dances
the Burrokeet dance which
originated Venezuela and the
‘Dragon’ who when confronted
by a pool of water on the road
must dance in submission to the
Imp king before he can attempt
to jump over the water after
being taunted by the little imps. Then
was is the ‘Fancy Clowns’ who had their
own dances and perhaps more well know
are probably the ‘Fancy Sailors’ who have
several dances to go along with the sailor
mas portrayal, such as the Bote, Crab,
Marrico, Pachanga, Rock de Boat, Skip
Jack and the Camel Walk. The dance
movement of each of these characters
were an inextricable part of these
portrayals.
19
This is to name but a few as there are so
many more such as The Dame Lorraine,
Jab Jab, Wild Indian, Bookman and The
Midnight Robber etc
Some of these traditions have endured,
but most of them are fading fast,
replaced by the beads and feathers of
Brazilian style costumes.
At the other end of the spectrum of the
significant utilisation of dance within
carnival presentations, in more recent
years, are the productions by great mas
artists such as Wayne Berkeley, George
Bailey and Peter Minshall, quoted earlier.
These mas men employed all the artistic
strands to create amazing spectacles that
not only entertained but made social
comment, incorporating the ancestral
influence more akin to the masquerades
of West Africa.
Trinidad Carnival, the global model for
Caribbean carnival is driven by what is
popular and promoted. In more recent
years businesses and the middle class
have gentrified and popularised the
festival over the last century, with formal
competitions and committees. Mas
bands have become a money-making
venture selling for profit skimpy mas for
the experience of a rolling party or jam.
There are, however, still some sectors of
society that consider carnival as too lewd
or morally unacceptable to participate
or even spectate. This stems not only
from the acts which clearly belong in
the bedroom masquerading as dance
even on children’s day at Notting Hill
Carnival for example but also due to the
historical perceptions and practices of
carnival and aspects which have

The fact is that true dance helps to brings

marred this important cultural expression
over the years.
While the nature of artistic expression is
that it changes and develops over time, it
can be justifiably considered that this is
possible that the development can go
into perhaps not the best direction; after
all such developments can be influenced
by pressures that are not beneficial to the
arts. The role of true dance expression
within Carnival at Notting Hill has
significantly diminished. The reasons why
are many folds, tied up in the event’s
cultural legacy, influences and political
issue.
costumes alive, enhancing the boundless
creativity from which these creations
spring, dance itself is a vehicle through
which to make social comment and
educate. When combined with its sister
strands, dance can contribute a powerful
dynamic that is a mistake to ignore.
Dance is also a powerful strand of
masquerade as shown within this article
that needs to be more fully recognised, as
does the fact that while what happens at
Notting Hill is commonly called ‘carnival’
and hailed as ‘a street party’ the
participants are actually called
‘masqueraders’ who ‘play mas’ because it
is an important artistic expression of
culture that is firmly rooted in West
African masquerade traditions.

The challenge to any carnival organiser in

the UK is to grapple with the dichotomy
of the dance in masquerade and the Caroline Muraldo
street party. They are the custodians of Dancer/Teacher/Choreographer
Caribbean Arts where dance is fatally Actress and Artistic Director at
neglected and ignored in the mas band Muraldo D.C
moving presentations on the carnival
route. Notting Hill Carnival and the art it
produces will be the measure by how we
tackle this real problem now and in the
coming generations

20
21
Police Commissioner, Gary Griffith Sends a Clear Warning
to Criminals In T&T: Turn Away Before It’s Too Late
Commissioner Griffith said in a debrief
that. “All those who commit serious
crime should turn away from their illegal
activities before it is too late.” It is a clear
warning to the criminal elements in
Trinidad and Tobago that their
lawlessness could be short-lived. The
commissioner reiterated’ “I intend to
make life difficult for criminals and the
TTPS will take this fight to criminals to
ensure the removal of illegal drugs and
weapons from the nation’s streets.

This is fighting talk from a Commissioner

with just seven months on the job.
Commissioner Griffith has so far
demonstrated his determination to
modernise and restructure the Trinidad
CoP Gary Griffith
and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) in order
to maximise its effectiveness in the fight
By David Kalloo against crime in Trinidad and Tobago. As
part of his ongoing commitment, Mr
Since receiving his official letter in Griffith travelled to the United Kingdom
August 2018 as the appointed in January where he was in dialogue with
Commissioner of Police of Trinidad and several law enforcement officials and
Tobago Police Service, Gary Griffith agencies; including Metropolitan Police,
appears to be leading from the frontline Scotland Yard, National Cyber Crime
in the fight against crime in the twin Centre and the Joint Terrorism Analysis
island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Centre.
Discussions on improving Crime Scene
In January this year, Commissioner Investigation, Forensic and Canine Units
Griffith led his first major operation and how best to utilise the manpower
against crime in Trinidad and
Tobago with Operation Strike
Back. The exercise involved
over 1000 officers with Griffith
at the helm in a 48hr lock
down. The operation yielded
138 arrests and the seizure of 8
firearms along with a quantity
of ammunition. A total 1300
stop and search was carried
out and 22 drug blocks
searched where an
undisclosed quantity of
narcotics was found.
CoP Gary Griffith leading the fight against crime from the frontline.

22
strength of the TTPS and maximise its
operational effectiveness.
Not everyone has endorsed
Commissioner Griffith’s policies on
policing. Some believe that the
commissioner has been all mouth and no
action. However, the country seems to be
evenly split regarding his policies. Given
that Mr Griffith has been in the job for just
seven months, the people of Trinidad and
Tobago are slowly beginning to have
trust in the police service again.
During an online survey with a cross
section of citizens at home and those in
the diaspora, there was a mixed reaction
to crime in Trinidad and Tobago. While
many of those surveyed suggests that
Commissioner Griffith was in fact
physically active and aggressive in driving
down crime in T&T, they believe it’s too
early to measure success. Asked whether
Griffith has adopted a Burroughs style
approach to crime fighting, the majority
has identified that the commissioner has
brought his own initiatives and he needs
more time to prove himself.
One noticeable difference since taking
office is the reduction of homicides. The
statistics for January 2019 was cut in half
compared to the same period in 2018.
Concerned citizens, both at home and in
the diaspora believes that Griffith’s
initiatives and approach are just what the
country needs presently.
23
To date, Commissioner Griffith has been
clear and direct of the standards and
behaviour he expects of officers from the
Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
According to a law practitioner in the
diaspora. “Judging from their
demeanour, officers appear to be proud
to be regaining the trust and support of
the public.” This, along with the changes
that is being prioritised by Commissioner
Gary Griffith can only benefit the country
in the long term in its fight to rid the
country of the curse of violent crimes and
restore the much-needed confidence in
the Police Service.
In a previous statement on local TV
Commissioner Griffith reminded the
nation that. “This is not a popularity
contest. I am doing what is required and
within the law.” The Commissioner has
already put into motion his 78-point plan
to reform the TTPS and while there is a
percentage of people who criticise the
commissioner he said, “95% of law-
abiding citizens are in full support of what
I am doing.”
Photos courtesy TTPS website and Newsday TT
 Africa: Massive Growth Opportunities
Africa has always been a continent that
western civilisation exploited for its
diverse natural resources and let’s not
forget, a labour commodity for over 300
years. In recent years the Chinese have
posited their presence on the continent
and following on the Chinese heels are
many other western nations ready to
rape Africa of its resources.
However, Africa isn’t just sitting back and
allowing itself to be swallowed up by
western conglomerates. One of the
fastest growing African digital companies
APO and Africa Wire has proven to be one
of the most efficient communications
channels across 54 countries on the
continent. Morocco known as the
gateway to Africa have also been
investing in Sub-Sharan Africa with over
$10,2bn (FT) between 2012 and 2018.
Three of Morocco’s biggest banks have
increased their presence in Africa by
some 23% (FT). Insurance firms as well as
mining companies and
telecommunications has made the
continent a reliable source for foreign
direct investment.
The pursuit for pan-African growth is an
agenda that is at the heart of Banque
Centrale Populaire (BCP), one of
Morocco’s biggest banks. General
24
manager Kamal Mokdad told the
Financial Times “Almost all African
markets still offer massive growth
opportunities.” However, harnessing
this prospective growth means having
the right structure and value proposition.
Rival banks are heavily investing and
prospecting businesses in Madagascar,
Tunisia, Congo and Cameroon. There has
already been a $500m takeover of
Barclays’ Egyptian unit and negotiations
are afoot to acquire assets in Kenya,
Ethiopia and Rwanda as well as other
African countries.
Since the commodities crash in and the
nose-dive of oil prices, African economies
have struggled to lure foreign investors.
France and Spain are keen to invest as
well as some Arab countries. Countries
such as Japan, France, Italy and Germany
are also investing in building solar power
plants and wind farms in Africa as part of
the continent’s focus on renewable
energy. Currently, most of these
investments are concentrated in
Morocco as it is seen as more stable
region and Africa’s ‘future engine for
growth’ according to World Bank
predictions.
Sceptics have argued that too often
African aspirations (FT) have been
depressing and high levels of risk remain
a key factor especially with availability of
data on regional trade and economic
uplift. Investors are hopeful and has
demonstrated that investing ‘could
project influence well beyond the west
African countries’ (FT) where it has
historical links. Angola is currently
forging ahead with a series of policies to
stabilise, reform and broaden the
country’s economy. On February 27, the
country’s Minister of Commerce will hold
talks at Chatham House, London where
he will discuss his government plans to
diversify its export products and well as
The Gunners
building new international trading ‘Moments of high tension – involving a
relationships. closeted sexuality, unrequited love and
hidden parentage – erupt from a
South Africa still faces segregation in the
narrative that wrongfoots you with its
aftermath of apartheid where despite
careful pace’ Daily Mail
significant advancements there is still a
major shortfall of black South Africans in The Gunners used to be inseparable. A
science, technology and innovation. One gang of latchkey kids, they took their
former minister cited that this may be name from the doorbell of an abandoned
due to the lack of opportunities at home house they played in as children – and
and consequently we have ‘suffered a drank in as teenagers.
massive brain drain.” Prof Chibale said. Together they navigated
“People don’t expect Africans to lead in the difficult journey from
innovation.” Claiming that ‘Afro- childhood to
pessimism’ is also a debilitating factor. adolescence and learnt
This is not a view held of Africans by their first vital lessons
outsiders, it is very much a perception by about becoming
African themselves. adults; Mikey, Sam,
Lyn, Alice, Jimmy
Not everyone endorses the scepticism of
and Sally are more
the pessimist. While there is a ‘multi-
like a family than
pronged’ approach to correcting ills of
just friends.
the past on the continent. The Global
Entrepreneurship Monito (GEM) have One day, Sally suddenly stopped
identified areas where entrepreneurs can speaking to them and wouldn’t explain
make a difference. One of them is to why. Years later, Sally’s suicide forces the
create a nurturing environment for Gunners back together for her funeral. All
entrepreneurs to establish and influence of them have secrets they are reluctant to
investors. Steps has been taken in South share, secrets which mean they must
Africa to assist small businesses who has reassess their happy memories and finally
the potential to employ 20 or more be honest about the reasons Sally left.
people within a five year start up. It may This is a generous and poignant novel
seem a roundabout way of supporting about the difficulty – and the joy – of
development but creating jobs aids in being a true friend.
boosting the economy. In the long-term
Courtesy Serpents Tail
these very companies can be the ones 3 Holford Yard
leading innovation and attracting not just Bevin Way
government funding but financial London
WC 1X 9HD
ventures from global conglomerates that Email: info@profilebooks.com
invest back into Africa and, the continent
can truly say Africa is open for business.

25
Kitch: a novel by Anthony Joseph

By David Kalloo
There is a poetic aura in the language that
Anthony Joseph uses as he charts the life of
Aldwyn Roberts, the Lord Kitchener, one
of the greatest calypso icons in his
biographical novel -Kitch.
Joseph reaches beyond the grassroots of
colonial Trinidadian linguistics as he
narrates his story capturing the reader and
drawing them inside from the very first
paragraph with lines such as; “she has been
there since dew-wet morning.” Bringing to
life the woes and labour of the vendor as she
earns a living. From here Joseph begins to
unravel the hardships of the calypsonian
and the struggles of being accepted as a true
calypsonian in the city of Port of Spain.
Like a master seaman, Joseph navigates the
Kitch is intricately woven with fact and turbulent waters that Kitch endured during
fiction and at times, if you had no his early career travelling around the other
knowledge of the calypso icon, you would islands, St Thomas, the Dutch islands of
be non-the-wiser to determine where fiction Aruba and Curacao before making the big
materialises into fact. This multifaceted venture to the US. However, it was his
portrait of Lord Kitchener unfolds through voyage on the Empire Windrush bound for
Joseph’s imaginative view of Kitch, the England from Jamaica in 1948 that the
calypso icon. Joseph has fine-tuned this portrait of the Grandmaster began to take
novel beautifully and, presented through form.
accounts from those who had the privileged
to know Kitchener from his embryonic Joseph unravels Kitchener and reassembles
stages of calypso to his maturity as a bard him in Kitch to give a portrait of this iconic
among bards that earned him the accolade Trinidadian calypsonian - the Grandmaster.
of the Grandmaster. A true international artist who asserted
himself as one of the greatest calypsonians
Joseph masters this narration of Kitchener’s ever. Joseph has produced a fitting tribute
skill at composing calypsos, he notes; ‘He to Lord Kitchener. Kitch will no doubt be
never have to write it down. Gone back the literary archive that future generations
home now and have to keep it in his head, will source when seeking to unravel the true
trap it in there, like a humming bird in a genius of Kitch. Joseph has set the
bottle.’ If Kitch knew how to trap a melody benchmark for biographies of other great
and composition in his head, he knew too, calypso artists in the Caribbean of whom
his ambitions and he boldly announced to little is known in the academic world.
musician Gaston Aubrey. “Gus boy, I feel I
going to down town. I going down Port of Published by Peepal Tree Press (2018)
www.peepaltreepress.com
Spain to m-m-m- make my name. Arima eh
have n-n-nothing for me.”

26
 Blind Brexit
As Britain prepares to exit the European
Union on March 29 with uncertain
sureties as to what would be the true
outcome of Brexit. prime minister
Theresa May stance that “Brexit means
Brexit” maybe a catchphrase that will
haunt her for the rest of her political
career, or maybe not!
Brexit may not indeed mean Brexit
according to Helen Mountfield, Q.C, a
barrister in England. In a paper published
in January 2018 titled, ‘Can the United
Kingdom Change its Mind?’ She
questions ‘whether a formal (and
legally binding) decision to leave the
European Union has already been taken
as a matter of national constitutional law,
or whether all the prime minister has
done so far, and all she has the statutory
authority’ to do is present the
government’s intention to leave.
What further complicates Brexit is that
come March 29, 2019 if no ‘statutory
authority is given before March 29, and
no constitutionally valid decision to
withdraw has been made, and in any
event, the government could withdraw
the notification of an intention to leave
the European Union and decide to
remain. So, despite the historic
referendum held in June 2016 with a
turnout of 72,21% and a 51.89% voting to
leave and Theresa May formally
triggering Article 50, it could well result in
the UK staying in the European Union.
27
The UK without a doubt have an uphill
task in negotiating and navigating the
turbulent waters of Brexit. It has divided
not just the government but also the
opposition party as well. Neither ‘hard
Brexit’ or ‘soft Brexit’ has been an easy
pill to swallow. Despite two years of
negotiations to hammer out a
Withdrawal Agreement with the EU,
there has been no compromise on either
side with fear that the UK would revert to
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
membership as it crashes out of the EU
with a ‘No Deal’. Should there be a ‘No
Deal’ there is a transition process under
the European Union Withdrawal Act
(EUWA) to ensure a smooth transition
which could run until 31 December 2020.
At best, there are just two options on the
table presently; leaving the EU under the
Withdrawal Agreement with a
transitional period or, leaving on Exit day
(March 29) without any deal, agreement
or transitional period. While a no deal will
no doubt have an immediate effect on
businesses as any new EU law would
cease to apply from 29 March. In effect
there would be no framework for the
UK’s future relationship with the EU and
UK trade would therefore run on WTO
terms.
Presently, there is a lack of clarity
regarding to what kind of relationship
terms that will be in place post-Brexit.
This has been blurred further with the
recent defeat that Theresa May suffered
in parliament this month, sending Brexit
negotiations in a tail-spin which could see
the UK leave in a Blind Brexit.
So why is leaving the European Union
such a complex process? According to
Helen Mountfield triggering Article 50
forces the “UK government and the
European Union to address the complex
challenge of unravelling the many
threads that bind them, and to start a
new course of separation and
autonomy.” Casting our minds back at
the Greece crisis in… there was outrage
and warnings of a European collapse if
Greece exited the EU. This should have
sent alarm bells ringing within the EU to
put an action plan in place should a
member state express its intention to
leave, as the UK has done. UK foreign
affairs have become largely the purview
of Brussels, Brexit however, ‘necessitates
immigration and better NHS funding.
Both the EU and the UK was not prepared
for either a ‘leave’ or ‘remain’ result. In
the UK, both the government and people
had no clear position on negotiating its
withdrawal from the EU. Two years down
the line, there is no consistent indicator
as to the UK’s position on Brexit. If the
current trend continues it could see the
UK exit with a Blind Brexit.
David Kalloo
Images from CIPD and Pixabay

a deep understanding of its international

law implications on both sides of the
English Channel, in order to chart the
stormy sea of negotiating and advancing
beyond separation’ as outlined by Helen
Mountfield’s paper. The paper also
explores the challenges that to be
addressed in ‘the diverse fields of trade,
financial services, insolvency, intellectual
property, environment and human
rights.’ These statutory binding
complexities form part of what has made
leaving the European Union such a
difficult process.
It must be noted too, neither the UK
government or the European Union
expected the result from the June 2016
Referendum that voted for leave after
being sold a premise based on

28
29
 The annual Miami Rum rum reputations are made. Whether
Festival will be held on you’re a rum connoisseur or simply
17 and 18th May 2019 at wanting to know more about rum, the
Coral Gables Florida, Miami Rum Festival should be
where it began life 11 paramount in your calendar.
years ago with
Visitors can expect to sample
just 54 runs and
rums from producers
150 rum
attending and showcasing
enthusiasts.
their finest rums to the
The festival is now world. Collectors,
the world’s largest connoisseurs,
gathering of rum enthusiasts and
experts and amateurs alike will
professionals under all be there to
one roof. This year sample rums such
Coral Gables Women’s Club in Florida is a; Plantation, Naked in
the historic setting where a wide Jamaica, Bones Aged Rum,
spectrum of elegant and intimate rum Angostura 1919, Goslings Papa Seal Single
tastings will take place. Visitors can look Barrel, Appleton Special, Diplomatico
forward to navigating through the myriad Añejo, Cockspur 5 Star, Don Q Gold and
of rums from all corners of the globe and, many more famous and, lesser known
punctuated with seminars and live rums from around the world.
demonstrations of cocktail making.
For further information about the Miami Rum
Experts will be on hand to show and Festival, please see links below.
share techniques and recipes in a
celebration of Cane Spirits. https://www.youtube.com/c/RumMinute
http://www.MiamiRumFest.com
The US is the largest consumers of rum http://www.robsrum.com/
with almost 40% average of all sales. It is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzZ0NjV
not surprising, Florida is the number one b3xg
state for rum and Miami the number one
for all local rum market worldwide.
Rum is intricately connected with both
North and South America and the
Caribbean and forms part of the economy
and cultures in the region. The
connection with sugar and rum has a long
history and the region continues to
produce world class rums for the
demanding rum market.
The Miami Rum Festival will host an
incredible range of cane spirits and where
new products will be launched and where

30
 Barbados Ban Single-use Plastic Straws
Barbados will impose a ban from April
2019 on the import and use of single-use
plastic straws in the country. The
announcement comes as Barbados joins
a growing list of countries committed
effort to halt the use of plastic.
At a press conference in Barbados, the
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Blue
Economy, Karl Humphrey explained that
by 2020 the ban will include all petro-
based plastic bags, with the exemption of
packaging used in
pharmaceuticals/medicine, hygiene and
materials used in food preservation.
Barbados is heavily dependent on
tourism and is committed in the fight
against plastic pollution and preserving
its tourism. In 2018, the country had
623,293 visitors. The UK Director of
Barbados Tourism, Cheryl Carter said;
“Plastic contributes to contamination of
our marine species. Banning single-use
31
plastic goes some way to ensure the
protection of our pristine beaches and
crystal-clear water that we are famous
for. Attracting guests is our priority as we
seek to enhance our sustainable
credentials and be an environmentally
friendly destination.”
Barbados is home to the second-largest
hawksbill turtle nesting population in the
Caribbean and are very keen to maintain
its position in conservation of marine life,
especially endangered species. Barbados
have expressed its expectation of
becoming a fossil free country by 2030
and have a renewable energy platform.
The south west coast of Carlisle Bay has
already been designated a marine-
protected area in the drive to preserving
the marine environment and boost the
health of reef habitats.
 Andrea Levy

7 March 1956 –3214 February 2019