SPIRITS COCKTAILS TO WRITE HOME ABOUT TRAVEL US VIRGIN ISLANDS ST. PETERSBURG THAILAND AND MORE!
Questlove
Resurrecting the Summer of Soul
SUMMER 2021
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Summer 2021
Features Quest Love Summer of Soul
Pg. 18
US Virgin Islands St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas
Pg. 22
Morgan Rhodes Space Jam
Pg. 32
Travel Barcelona
Pg. 36
Travel Thailand
Pg. 40
Travel St. Petersburg
Pg. 46
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Summer 2021
The Loop Spirits Hella Cocktails
Pg. 12
Spirits HH Bespoks
Pg. 14
Spirits Loft & Bear
Pg. 16
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Hella Cocktail Co. BY MALCOLM RASHAAD BANKS
Millions can relate to the memories of hanging out with friends, laughing, chillin’, enjoying what life has to offer over an ice-cold beverage. For many, those moments come with testing different spirits and concoctions—trying to find the perfect drink. For most, these are memories of good times; Hella Cocktail Co. co-founder & CEO Jomaree Pinkard took it a step further in creating something more than just memories. Instead, he built a flourishing business with his friends Eddie Simeon and Tobin Ludwig. What started as hipsters in Brooklyn, NY making cocktails in their apartments has evolved into Hella Cocktail Co., a mixology company crafted with integrity and rooted in discovery for everyone who wants to taste more and know more. Nearly a decade into the operation, Hella Cocktail Co. continues to climb the ladder as a promising company gaining traction across the nation using the core values of celebration, roots, diversity and giving at its core.
UPTOWN caught up with Pinkard to discuss Hella Cocktail Co.'s origins in New York City and companies' current and future goals. UPTOWN: Tell us about the beginnings of Hella Cocktail Co. Did this start as a hobby at first? JOMAREE PINKARD: Hella Cocktail Co. is a combination of a bunch of my buddies and my hobbies. If you take it back to where we began, Eddie, Tobin, and I were the kind of guys, think hipster Williamsburg, make homemade pizza, and try to one-up each other, creating a cocktail. The secret sauce and try to do that one-upmanship was making cocktail bitters. Cocktail bitters are a flavorful infusion of spices and bitterroot. If you're a bartender, you know bitters are one of the quintessential four ingredients to making any cocktail. You have a spirit, you have ice, you have sugar, and then you have bitters, and that's how you make a proper cocktail. Bitters were the secret weapon that we would make in mason jars back in the day. Long and behold, this secret got out about these hipsters making bitters in their apartment in Brooklyn. The bartenders, restaurants, and community around Williamsburg Andy, the Lower East Side, galvanized around us and pushed us out into the marketplace. Mixology was a hobby for many years until we put our business hats on and took it to the next level. UPTOWN: Tell us about some obstacles you faced in the early stages. PINKARD: Yes, there are a bunch of obstacles. It's the basic understanding of the industry. Most people have a hobby but don't know much about the actual industry. For us, understanding the landscape was like obstacle one, like how does this work? How do you sell the store? How do you sell online? You know, how do you find your customer? So those are the initial obstacles. The challenge was educating ourselves on how the finance of the industry works. We're still learning the nuances because you can't learn it all in one day.
Soda, which is super new. It's all about having a choice in your journey. You don't have to have an alcohol product all the time. Our Bitter & Soda highlights the old traditional European culture of a bitter apéritif. It's something that starts opening your tummy for a meal or closing your tummy when you're finishing a meal. So it does a good job of being kind of sophisticated at the moment when you're about to eat. Those are our key lines of business at this point. UPTOWN: Do you have a favorite cocktail? PINKARD: Yes, right now, my two-year-old daughter and my favorite is the grapefruit Bitter & Soda. It's an excellent carbonated, sparkling, zero sugar aperitif that we just like to knockdown. When I get home, we share one. It's become a little tradition. UPTOWN: It seems like a big responsibility to create a product that you believe in and then sell it to the masses. Is there any ever, you know, added pressure, you know, to keep producing and coming up with new products? PINKARD: That is a yes and no question. For your super fans, the people who love your brand always want to see you get it right because they want to continue to be excited. There's always this in-between where you want to keep your customers excited, but you don't want to make too much because every time you make a new product, it costs you a lot of money to put it through all your channels and systems. What we're trying to do now is stick to the brand-new products that we just launched in the business and tell that story to make it just as exciting as the rest of the products. So right now, we're holding steady. There's always pressure, but right now, we're keeping tight. UPTOWN: What's it like being a Black owner of a Spirit brand and building a company in this industry? Is that a different kind of experience at all?
UPTOWN: Tell us about your products. What makes them unique? PINKARD: We have three product lines, and one is our cocktail bitters which I talked about a little. The bitters are the anchors in the ground to what got us started. As we moved forward and listened to our customers, they asked us to make traditional mixers. The bloody mary mix, a margarita mix, things that still have credibility and still had care behind how we made the product. Our last line of business is our Bitters & 1 2
PINKARD: I would have to say yes, but the craziest thing is that I don't know what it's like not to be a Black owner. So I can imagine that there are communication issues. Some people don't want to see you win. There are all kinds of barriers, but I don't know what it's like to be those people. So I know it's difficult for me. It's like a beautiful place to sit at the intersection. I have self-knowledge of my culture, and I love it. I hope that people start to recognize us for who we are as not only a Black
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company but a very diverse organization that truly understands that there's value in our experience and our expression as Black people. My communication style and style will be different from that of another person in this industry space. The way I sound, my Queens accent, I just sound different. We don't operate in the same circles. Often, that will hinder you because no one knows where you're from, what school you went to, who your brother and sister are, etc. Those are just things that we have to overcome. I'm always looking for people and partnerships and being to help tell our story better than I can.
UPTOWN: Where do you see the company, five, 10, maybe even 15 years down the line? PINKARD: We want to be the company that offers the most choice in your cocktail drink. We are not a huge company, but we are Robin to Batman. We do provide you with all the utilities that you need to be a hero. We want to be the best utility belt possible. Right now, some competitors are ahead of us in that space. But that's our goal —coming soon to a neighborhood near you!
UPTOWN: Where can folks find your products? PINKARD: You can find our products first and foremost on our website Hella Cocktail Co. If you input the code, 'the Black man can' you will get 15 percent off anything in the store. Secondly, you can get most of our items on Amazon and Wholefoods. Total Wine and More is another location as well if you're interested in grabbing our products. www.uptownmagazine.com 1 3
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The success of HH BeSpoke Spirits & Beverages is almost inevitable when you learn about the story of its owner and family. For anyone from Harlem or the surrounding neighborhoods, chances are you’ve heard of the fashion company 5001 Flavors, a staple in the community for nearly 30 years—with years of making their claim in fashion, entertainment and sports. Running the business as President & CEO, Sharene Wood took her years of experience and success and entered the spirits industry.
HH BeSpoke Spirits & Beverages BY MALCOLM RASHAAD BANKS
HH BeSpoke Spirits offers three distinct Spirits: rum, gin and vodka, each offering a unique and warm experience. Perhaps its most outstanding quality is its undeniable presentation, making it one of the most memorable and fashionable spirits on the market. The packaging makes even a non-drinker’s imagination sparkle with the idea of using it as house decor —the look is that impressive! The taste of each blend holds up strong, capable of mixing into any classic cocktail, as well as being exceptional on the rocks. Woods aims for decades of success with her spirits, and a combination of quality and presentation makes it a winner.
UPTOWN caught up with Wood about her history, owning the former home of Malcolm X, and why she decided to launch HH BeSpoke Spirits. UPTOWN: Tell us about HH BeSpoke Spirits & Beverages—where did the idea originate? Please share some of your history with us. SHARENE WOOD: In 1992 my husband and I started a custom clothing company called 5001 Flavors, still in existence today as a custom clothing company that makes and designs custom clothes for artists, entertainers and various personalities in the entertainment industry. I started working with Uptown Records. Heavy D and The Boyz was one of our first album covers. So we’ve worked with who’s-who in the last 29 years. We’re about to celebrate our 30th year in business next year. Still very current, working with DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee and Lady Gaga. We started, and I want to say in fashion. It’s a consulting business, so it’s not exactly fashion but more service, fashion, entertainment and sports. Roughly 10 years ago, we decided that we wanted to branch out from beyond the exclusive realm, like dealing with celebrities, and realized our customer base has grown into people who are not celebrities but want to have their red carpet moment. So Harlem Haberdashery was born. It’s an actual retail space, a brick and mortar at 245 Lenox Avenue, allowing us to have the same design sensibility in a retail space. We have small production runs, but we still dress our clients like our celebrity clients. We knew we wanted to be a lifestyle brand at Harlem Haberdashery and expand beyond retail to have our goods in other stores as well as international distribution and different wholesale markets. We were trying to figure out the categories that encompass Harlem Haberdashery and the brand aesthetic that we set up. We brought in multiple generations of our family now that they’re older. We have one hundred percent of in-house house and family designs in the store. We don’t carry a lot of other designers. For us, clothes were a category we wanted to expand. Still, because we had a brand aesthetic and had a specific look at Harlem Haberdashery, we knew that we could grow into home, beauty and furniture. It was a lifestyle brand we were building, and it just so happened that the first category that took off was the spirit brand. HH BeSpoke Spirits and Beverages is a brand expansion of Harlem Haberdashery, a great expansion of 5001 Flavors. We bill it as created by the designers of 5001 Flavors and Harlem Haberdashery. It’s about building a transferable legacy of wealth and business opportunity. We are familyrun and operate all of our businesses and work together to promote what we call the parent brands. My brother has his brand; my son has his brand. It’s about a fashion collective that we’re building at Harlem Haberdashery, and we all work to promote the spirit brand because we have a lovely picture of the family here. It’s still an opportunity for us to 1 4
talk about our lifestyle brand. The bottles have a heavy fashion influence between the colorway and the background. We wanted to create a personality for each product. You can see that there’s a fashion swatch feel when you look at the back of the bottle. Even if you don’t drink, you can see the bottle from a fashion standpoint and appreciate it. We’ve gotten awards because of this distinction. We take great pride in that esthetic that we carried over from Harlem Haberdashery. HH BeSpoke Spirits is just playing on our love for Harlem. The same principles that we love at Harlem Haberdashery are emphasized here: tradition, family legacy and heritage. UPTOWN: You own the former house of Malcolm X. That’s fascinating in so many ways. Can you explain how that came to be? WOOD: 245 Lenox is a building that I always walked past over the years. I grew up in Harlem, so I’m very familiar with the area. It was vacant for years, and a tree ran from the basement to the roof. So I’d watch that building deteriorate, come back to life, get designated as a landmark, and get redone. It’s really beautiful. So it was the perfect place for us to start our business. I didn’t realize it was the home of Malcolm X previously, but after research and talking to the landlord, it was part of its landmark designation. We are from Harlem and had a working space around the corner in a family brownstone for 5001 Flavors. When I knew that we wanted to expand into a retail brick and mortar, I knew I wanted to stay in Harlem, and I knew I wanted to be on Lenox. For me, it had so many great memories. So it was significant for my husband and me to be here. We’re very proud of our former residents and being in this location. UPTOWN: Tell us about your products. What makes them unique? WOOD: My family and I worked with our manufacturer to create three products, rum, gin and vodka. We did three products because we wanted to have enough products to make most of the classic cocktails for our drink program. We worked with the manufacturer to identify a taste profile. The gin has many specific products to the northeast, including peach, plum, rosehip, cranberries—and it’s delicious. The rum is a young-aged amber rum, has a double-barreled aging process in New American Oak, and then once-used Bourbon barrels that create a tremendous double profile. The vodka works excellently in all classic cocktails. Our goal was to start at a place where we could go into the market with three products that we were proud to sell separately and together. Most retailers carry all three products and promote them as a collection, just like our fashion collection. They look great on the shelves by themselves, but they work very well independently. So we
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have many people gifting them, even though they say they don’t drink or the gift recipient doesn’t drink, but they’re so fantastic and look great on any bar. So we’re proud to sell them, together or individually. UPTOWN: What’s your favorite cocktail from the collection? WOOD: Surprisingly, my favorite drink might just be the gin and tonic. I love our gin, and I never like gin separately. I always like it in a mixed cocktail. But my favorite drink is gin and ginger beer. I love it so much. I wouldn’t say I like a lot of complicated ingredients. I love to taste the product. I love a lot of our products just on the rocks, not mixed, so I can really taste them. UPTOWN: Do you plan on expanding at all past rum, gin and vodka? WOOD: I would love to expand, but I think for us, after three years in the industry, we have to strategize more and increase our network and distribution before we can expand to another product. I would love to say that I knew as much as I did about the industry when I joined. I think if I had known what I know now, it probably would have been an industry I did not enter. It’s a whole different industry with a completely different set of industry professionals you have to deal with consistently. It’s a different distribution chain than fashion. Especially for Black spirit makers, there’s not much access to capital and resources and strategic partnerships, so it’s tough. But that never stopped me and never stopped the people before me. I just didn’t know what a challenge it would be. But I knew that I loved the product. I knew that I stood behind it. I knew that we’re committed to quality and being consistent. So I knew there was a customer out there. It’s just that I had to get to the customer. I didn’t realize that the industry is controlled very heavily by larger companies and their budgets. Small makers have a hard time competing with that. There’s not a lot of brown and Black people in the industry, so it’s a hard sell all the time. So not only do you need to have a great product, you also need great contacts and strategic partners. That’s what I’m learning is the obstacle. But we’re happy to be here and happy to keep working. I just wish we had a little bit of a push, but I’m proud of the words that we’ve goten. We are critically acclaimed, and we have awards and great customers. We’re always looking to increase our number of retailers, get into more national chains. We would love to get into the hospitality space with casinos. We are a certified minority business, so we’re looking to get into businesses that want to work with different businesses such as ours. And we’re looking to increase the supply chain opportunity. We are looking to scale up and get into other areas and various venues, casinos, etc.
UPTOWN: That’s interesting because my next question was, what’s it like being a Black woman, owner of a spirit brand, and building a company in this industry? WOOD: It’s challenging, and the obstacles that we have to overcome are difficult, but we’re here, and we’re stepping over them every day. UPTOWN: Where do you see the company five, 10, or 15 years down the line? WOOD: I would love to see HH BeSpoke Spirits in every major city, state, venue and international presence. I would love to know that we have scaled into every market possible. I would love to say that we have more products. We have expanded to the beverages portion of our name because we have brought a bottled Alkaline water product named Marvelous Waters into our portfolio. A family member had the water and was already in the market, so we partnered up, and now that’s part of our portfolio. These are all products that we know that our consumers need, love and consume. We want to be in every major category where our consumers are. www.uptownmagazine.com 1 5
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Loft & Bear Vodka BY MALCOLM RASHAAD BANKS
Loft & Bear is a vodka company built for the long haul—with its distinct flavor profile consisting of sweet vanilla bean and buttery, smooth, understated mellow wheat notes. Led by its owner Paul Ryan Elliot, the spirit that emphasizes smoothness is the winner of over 10 different taste awards. When learning about Elliot’s inspiring journey and family history, it’s no surprise Loft & Bear is a spirit gaining serious traction in the Los Angeles area. The entrepreneurial spirit runs through Elliot’s veins as a decedent of successful business owners on the iconic “Black Wall Street.” With production kicking off in the Bahamas and a new distillery in South Central LA, Elliot aspires for Loft & Bear to be much more than your typical spirit brand—not solely focused on making money—but one that can help lift its surrounding community.
UPTOWN caught up with Elliot to talk about the origins of Loft&Bear, his family history that traces back to the historic “Black Wall Street,” and the company’s mission to not only please its customers but bring a diversity of thought and inclusiveness to the beverage space. UPTOWN: Tell me about the history of Loft & Bear. Where did you get the idea to start the company? PAUL RYAN ELLIOT: I’m from the East Coast—Washington D.C, to be exact. I went to school at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. So I graduated with many brilliant friends who went on to graduate school, medical school and law school. During that time, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. We get pressured by our parents to go into stable professions, so while [friends] were going into those professions, I was one of the rebels in the group. We all want to be ambitious and pursue something that we’re passionate about in life. It’s just figuring out what that passion is. During that time, I worked with my cousin, who eventually became my business partner. My mother and I owned a construction company prior to me writing a business plan for Loft & Bear. I worked with her for two years, we did very well, and after those two years, I said, “Hey Mom, you know, I’ve given you two years, it’s time for me to pursue something that I’m interested in pursuing.” So naturally, I disassociated with my friends. I was the one procuring all the alcohol. [My friends] were broke, and I told them, “I got you guys.” I started a two-year journey of media, researching, and writing a business plan to launch [Loft&Bear], which I was interested in doing. I drank vodka; at the time, I was a Kettle One drinker, but for me, I knew I could create vodka because there are other spirits that you can develop, but they take aging, and they have to go through a specific process to get produced and go to market. My cousin, who I worked for, is a big vodka drinker who heard about what I was doing and latched onto the project. We went back and forth for two years. I visited his office probably over one hundred times. I’d pop in, and he’d be busy. I’d drop off this three-inch, thick binder for research, and eventually, I moved out to LA to look for space where we could open our distillery. That was two years into the game. I started in 2010, and we got the distillery licensed and opened in 2013. Between 2012 and 2014, I had been homeless for a short period because I didn’t have the capital. So I had a buddy who put me in touch with a very generous friend who allowed me to sleep on his couch. It was in Echo Park, and about four other guys were living in this home. Everybody’s trying to make it in LA. I stayed there for like two or three months. Once we got the distillery launched, the biggest hurdle was just getting 1 6
the product out there and getting some sales rolling in. We had some small victories that kind of helped launch us. After our first two to three years, we probably had three to four hundred customers, a mix of onpremise restaurants and bars—some of the more popular restaurants and bars that are slightly more progressive than cocktail programs. But the main thing was how do we get distribution in those markets? And then ultimately outside of California, which we’ve done recently. UPTOWN: Tell me about your vodka. What makes your formula unique? Do you have a favorite cocktail? ELLIOT: One of the unique things about how I consumed vodka was that I only drank it with lime. When you’re just drinking vodka with lime, it must be smooth. So when I developed the recipe itself, my objective was to have some character in terms of the flavor profile, the aroma, and certain elements of how the actual products felt in my mouth. But also the ability for someone to sip that vodka in a cocktail and blend well. So we have won [several] tasting awards. One of the biggest things that most judges would tell us is that it’s super smooth. You could sip this straight, which is kind of rare for vodka. I believe we were one of the first to go after a smooth profile with a little of that buttery vanilla character on the mouthfeel. That was my objective, and I think it’s been to our benefit today. It helped with the resurgence of this craft cocktail culture. We use a high pH, a slightly higher pH water in the production of our vodka. So it balances it well with citrus cocktails. UPTOWN: Do you have any plans on expanding? ELLIOT: We have distribution in the Bahamas and a process that drives our product development. Our customers in the Bahamas are saying, ‘hey, we have people coming from all over the world who love tasting new spirits, but they also want an amazing cocktail.’ We don’t have that skill set [in the Bahamas]. So, a few years ago, we developed a line of craft cocktails, kind of before this big boom of RTD’s (Ready to Drink), now you’ve got all these hard seltzer’s, and you’ve got cocktails, due to COVID-19, but prior there was a need specifically in that market for an RTD. We’re trying to bring that RTD back to the states, and then any of the things that we do are just dictated by what customers are telling us they need. So it could be a gin, or it could be a whiskey. We’re interested in the RTD that we started probably three or four years ago and growing that market. UPTOWN: Do you view this work as exciting? Or are there heaves of pressure in creating products that people want to buy?
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ELLIOT: I enjoy this. I started writing a business plan in 2010, so it’s been like eleven years. I won’t say that it’s the pressure of the business itself, but there are several dynamics within the business that you’re not considering when you start. You have to understand the dynamics of internal as well as external forces. So the most prominent external forces that affect us are our access to distribution, our ability to support distributors in a way that will make them incentivized to sell our products. That’s the external force that’s difficult to overcome. Then there’s the internal where you have partners who have expectations or a particular way of doing things. You have to play both sides, and that’s the most challenging part for me. Understanding that you may have different expectations and growth strategies can add a lot of pressure. You have to be committed to it, but ultimately I think God has blessed me, and I try to do what I feel is right. UPTOWN: When researching your story, I read about your conversation with a member of your team about the Tulsa Race Riots. What is it about the “Black Wall Street’’ story that motivates you as it pertains to Loft & Bear? ELLIOT: The entrepreneurial spirit is in my bloodline. [My] great, great-grandfather owned an apartment store on Black Wall Street. We owned a few hundred acres in that area. My aunt curated a special at The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She spoke about our family, and I wrote a letter stating that it takes considerable effort to build wealth. What happened on Black Wall Street was the demolition of wealth for the Black community. When you think about the efforts that are being made now, It’s important to understand the history, so when you’re educating your kids or peers about your efforts and the purpose behind them, you can’t help but mention [Black Wall Street]. You can’t help but mention something so devastating that it could set an entire race of people back, one hundred years. UPTOWN: How is the experience of building a spirit brand as a Black man? Are there additional hurdles that you experience?
don’t see many Black-owned brands in our space. I think, as of last year, it was something like 20 brands out of close to one thousand brands in the United States, which is insane, right? I’ve just been very fortunate. We’ve run into instances where I felt like there was a bit of prejudice involved, and you speak to the owner, and they will say, ‘oh, you know, we’re not interested, but when you talk with the staff or chat with the head chef, and they tell you how much they like the product. Ultimately, you can’t get hung up on those things. There are thousands of customers, there are thousands of opportunities out there, and everybody’s going to have to overcome some challenges. UPTOWN: You have accomplished a lot over the last decade. Where do you see Loft & Bear in the next 10 or 15 years? ELLIOT: We purchased a building in South Central about three or four years ago. We’re just getting to the point where we will finish up renovations of that building and the build-out, probably this year. Trying to build out a distillery can cost you anywhere from half a million to a million-plus [dollars]. I think the upside is we’re in South Central. We can do a lot for the community here. We can bring people in and make it a space where we’re not just building a product that people are consuming. We are educating and helping others and doing things. Going back to Black Wall Street, we would have done it before during that time. Ideally, we will build up our space in that area and then start to grow other businesses, and then ultimately, you’re adding value outside of just pushing cases. Ultimately, we have to keep the lights on, but if you can find a way to do that and do something positive for those around you, that’s the objective. We’re excited because It’s ten thousand square feet in the interior, and then we’ve got the exterior that’s another ten thousand square feet. Our original distillery was only fourteen hundred square feet. It’s a big jump, and I’m excited about it. It’s not without challenges like I talked about earlier, but it’s worth it.
ELLIOT: I think I’ve been fortunate. We’ve got a lot of great customers. People are generally most receptive to something a little different. You www.uptownmagazine.com 1 7
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Resurrecting the
‘Summer of Soul’ by BRYNA JEAN-MARIE
QUESTLOVE EXPLAINS HOW HIS FILM SUMMER OF SOUL EXCAVATES A MOMENT OF BLACK MUSICAL EXCELLENCE, THE HARLEM CULTURAL FESTIVAL, THAT WAS FORGOTTEN FOR DECADES.
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have lost count of the number of live concerts that I have seen in this lifetime. But there are a few that have left a Memorex memory. One of them is seeing The Roots. It was the mid 1990s and the venue was the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. I was in grad school at Howard, so down time with lots of music was imperative for my sanity. Do You Want More ?!!!??!, the “Illadelphia” band’s second studio album, stayed in constant rotation on my CD player, and finally experiencing them in person was glorious. They were artists who altered the course of urban music by producing an organic hip hop jazz soundtrack of an unforgettable time in many lives. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)—which captures rare footage of some of the 300,000 concert attendees and dozens of Black musical performances at The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969—is one of the most important arts revolutions of our time. And although the film was buried in a basement for five decades, Questlove is hoping that the story it tells still breathes the same kind of transformative life into people who see it. Particularly Black young people.
I knew all that I needed to know about festivals. I was wrong. UPTOWN: Has there ever been an array of Black musicians and artists assembled in one concert series like this? QUESTLOVE: It’s hard to say “ever” or “never.” There are some other incredible events, but most of them happened after this one. There’s Soul to Soul, a 1971 event in Ghana with Roberta Flack, Santana, Wilson Pickett, and Ike and Tina Turner. There’s Save the Children, a 1973 film of a 1972 event from Chicago affiliated with Jesse Jackson’s PUSH that featured Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and others. There’s Wattstax, another 1973 film (and 1972 event) that included Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Albert King, and more.
UPTOWN: How and when did you find this wonderful film? QUESTLOVE: The footage itself was the work of a man named Hal Tulchin, a filmmaker and producer. He was the one who originally recorded the festival, who gave it the name Black Woodstock, who tried to get it done as a documentary but couldn’t. His footage went to his basement. Then the producers David Dinerstein and Robert Fyvolent, who had been trying to secure not just the footage but all the material around it—the notes, the thinking—got it. They got word to me. At the time, I was in kind of a cocky place, convinced 2 0
UPTOWN: Are we seeing all of the footage or was there a lot left on the cutting room floor? QUESTLOVE: You’re not even seeing 10 percent. That was one of the hardest parts of the process. My first draft ran to three hours and twenty minutes, and we were looking to get to just about two hours. One move I made was to take out the comedy acts: George Kirby, Moms Mabley, Willie Tyler and Lester, and Pigmeat Markham. But it still wasn’t easy. UPTOWN: How many hours of unedited footage didn’t make the film? QUESTLOVE: Lots and lots and lots. UPTOWN: Which performances simply overwhelmed you?
Those sizzling hot days between June and August changed the lives of African American people and artists forever. This Black Woodstock, created to celebrate Black music and culture and to amplify Black politics, was divinely placed in Questlove’s palms by the original producers of the live concert series. The sacred lost and found treasure is a record of music that shifts and strengthens the course of a culture through raw and utterly beautiful art forms. It is some of the most breathtaking Black jazz, Nuyorican soul, gospel, Mbaqanga, blues, R&B and spoken word film ever captured during its time. But what happens to a film deferred? Does it alter the course of Black music? Questlove broaches this theory and shares his thoughts about the film that may have changed the historical impact of Black artistic expression.
piece of the Sly and the Family Stone footage. But it was birds-eye footage, so I couldn’t see the crowd, couldn’t see the Black faces, and I assumed it was taken from a European festival somewhere in Switzerland. When I saw that clip in the context of the whole festival, and understood what David and Robert had and what it really was, I got serious quick.
And there’s Zaire 74, which was supposed to accompany the Rumble in the Jungle [Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman] prizefight and included performances by James Brown, B.B. King, Miriam Makeba and Tabu Ley Rochereau. But this festival is way up there, because of the superstar power of acts like Stevie Wonder and Sly and the Family Stone and the sheer diversity. UPTOWN: How did you feel when you first saw the footage? QUESTLOVE: Ironically, I had seen a piece of this before, though I didn’t know it. When I first went to Japan back in 1997, 1998, there was a restaurant there called something like the Soul Train Cafe. They had monitors all over showing footage, and one of them had a
QUESTLOVE: Everything was a discovery. There are the big-star names, of course, including Sly and the Family Stone and Stevie Wonder. One of the things that really struck me was that I wasn’t prepared for the power of Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson. They floored me. It’s obviously a summit meeting, and both of them really hold their own, even though it was sort of public knowledge at the time that Mahalia’s health was declining. I also discovered, through Mavis, that Aretha Franklin was booked and cancelled two nights before. According to Mavis, it was Aretha who was supposed to have the showdown with Mahalia. That’s why the Staples Singers did two sets— one gospel and one this other kind of protest music. That connects to something else I learned: I hadn’t realized how controversial the secularization of gospel was. Groups like the Edwin Hawkins Singers and the Staples had to make an effort to move into secular music, which meant leaving the church. UPTOWN: Why do you think the concert was produced at this particular time in 1969? QUESTLOVE: There’s a mechanical answer, which is that Tony Lawrence, a singer and entertainer, was hired by the city to create a festival, and this was the result. It was also the era of festivals, definitely, from the Human Be-In and Monterey Pop in 1967 through to this festival, and then to Woodstock in 1969. But really 1969 is something else, a paradigm shift. It was a year in which an atonal Sonny Sharrock guitar solo on top of Herbie Mann’s cover of Aretha’s “Chain of Fools” could find the same safe spaces as “Watermelon Man” by Mongo Santamaria and a just-cominginto-his-own Stevie Wonder can also coexist with Moms Mabley’s post-vaudeville brand
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of comedy. There’s suddenly a massive fusion and blending that carried into the seventies. Every period has its own history, and music is part of that history. In fact, I talk about that in my next book, Music Is History. UPTOWN: Why was it so important for artists like Gladys Knight and Marilyn McCoo to feel accepted and praised by Black people? QUESTLOVE: There are always those questions about where you came from and where you’re going, and whether you are selling out by moving from one to the other. One of the main lessons of this film, for me, was the amount of code-switching that has to be done in order for Black people to feel safe in a space—even creatively. Is it safe for us to sing a gospel song or to add gospel stylings to soul music? Or what about the whole charm school model. Even more telling for me than Marilyn McCoo grappling with the idea that The 5th Dimension was thought of as “too white” is the scene where David Ruffin performs “My Girl” in the middle of August while wearing a wool tuxedo and a pea coat. He felt he couldn’t go out without looking a certain way. Probably the most revolutionary moment on the stage is Sly and the Family Stone performing in their street clothes. UPTOWN: How did the drumming scenes and artists—such as Max Roach, Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto – affect you as a drummer? QUESTLOVE: In my career, sometimes I have downplayed the drum solo in Roots shows because I worry there’s really not anything that exciting about it or that maybe I’m doing too much. From the first time I saw this footage, what stood out to me was how powerful the
drum was, how much spotlight it took. There are those three, of course, but they’re not the only ones. The Chambers Brothers drummer did a solo. Greg Errico kept it going. There’s Olatunji. And, of course there’s Stevie Wonder. People don’t think of him as a drummer but when I saw his drum solo, it was shocking and exciting and demanded prime placement. Lots of my testimony is based on camera four and watching the faces of the audience. There was an instant spark and a jolt in the audience when they went to drum solos, and the Stevie more than any other. UPTOWN: What do you want people to feel or gain by experiencing this footage? QUESTLOVE: I want them to illuminate options and pathways. In his book, Prince mentioned going with his father to see the Woodstock movie. It’s a beautiful testimony about their relationship, a “come to Jesus” moment for Prince. He was secretly learning to play piano, to play all these songs, knowing that his dad believed he’d never be as good as him, but that movie and all the acts it put on display gave him a life mission, which was to learn to play all those instruments, to be better than his dad, to feel unbounded. Think about all the other Black kids who never got this opportunity. My personal experience was that I was lucky to have a family who kept me focused on Black music and Black musicians, and lucky for me Soul Train was there to pick up all the pieces and be the paramount source of Black joy that got us through the ’60s and into the ’70s and ’80s. But this movie should have been that. Black kids should have seen what was on display, all the different kinds of Black talent, Black genius, Black art, and instead this movie didn’t exist.
UPTOWN: And what affect did that have? QUESTLOVE: As a result, Black musicianship starts to wane. Creatively starts to taper off in 1978 and it’s mostly gone by the early ’90s. This problem remains. Today, The Roots are one of four Black bands with a record deal. Black bands are an endangered species. For that matter, you can look at something like the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special from 1983, which ended up being its generation’s equivalent of the festival that defined a generation and reshaped the world. It’s not even the whole special. It’s the segment where Michael Jackson did the Moonwalk. That’s the four minutes that count, that created a multi-billion-dollar empire. That’s when Thriller started to sell a million copies a week. That shows you the power. Imagine if this movie had been there in its time, how it could have expanded minds, planted seeds, how it would have given Black kids a musical alternative to hip hop. I also wanted the film to work as common-ground bonding. Those who lived in the era can revel in the nostalgia. Those a little younger, who experienced the era through fumes (samples, covers, rereleases) can get something from it too. And for Gen Z and millennials who are living in the reality we are living in, now, they can see a mirror of their reality and start to understand how platform and audience and creativity really matter. Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is now in select theaters and available for streaming on Hulu.
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BY JASON GORDON
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The last four years have been quite an historic and challenging period for the US Virgin Islands (USVI). In September 2017, the islands experienced a devastating impact by Hurricane Irma (St. Thomas and St. John) and then subsequently by Hurricane Maria (St. Croix). 2018 and 2019 were years of recovery—and then the Covid-19 pandemic completely shut down tourism throughout the world in 2020.
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Visiting USVI (St. Croix island) for the first time in 2017 (before the Hurricanes hit), the culture, spirit of community and hospitality instantly hooked me. Since then, I visited in 2018 and again in May 2021. And you know what? With all that the USVI has endured in the last four years, it is very clear that the people of USVI are determined and undaunted, which is demonstrated by their strength and determination to resume the business of USVI: Being a standout Caribbean destination in a post-Covid world.
The St. Thomas Yacht Club Invitational Regatta’s 3-day competition. 2 4
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ST. THOMAS Without a doubt, St. Thomas has been known as a key Caribbean cruise port-of-call with tons of great shopping. However, a land-based vacation on this island will impress you even more as the island seamlessly blends culture with sophistication. This year, The St. Thomas Yacht Club Invitational Regatta brought eight teams together for a 3-day competition where the skills of seasoned sailors are tested to the hilt. Witnessing this event firsthand left me in awe as I watched the teams race each other and work dutifully to position their spinnaker sails to achieve sharp turns at buoy points along the course. While some may consider boat races such as these to be activities that are solely for wealthy, St. Thomas Yacht Club dispels that myth by making sailing accessible through its foundation which benefits youth through its scholarships and sailing programs. While this year’s regatta consisted of 8 teams, but future regattas are certain to be exponentially larger. This event is something not to be missed! An epic culinary experience can be enjoyed at Chef David Benjamin’s Blue 11 restaurant. Chef David has been cooking since the age of 10 and fine-tuned his skills at restaurants throughout USVI, including the restaurants of the stunning Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas. The focus of Blue 11 is local ingredients at its finest. As such, you must experience Chef David’s 11 course tasting menu! Everything is extremely flavorful. From the Callaloo dish which includes a Pan Seared Scallop, Mahi Mahi, Mussels and a Slice of Ripe Plantain on top a Purée of Spinach, Dasheen Leaf and Okra with Coconut Milk, to the Pan Seared Caribbean Lobster Tail that is topped with an Annetto Butter & served with Pumpkin Purée and Pickled Red Cabbage, to the Jerked Chicken with Plantain Gnocchi, you will quickly realize that Blue 11 is not a mundane gastronomic experience.
Delicious samplings from Blue 11 restaurant. www.uptownmagazine.com 2 5
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ST. JOHN If you’re staying on St. Thomas, you’ll want to plan a day trip to St. John island. After a quick 45-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas you’ll arrive on St. John where a visit to Honeymoon Beach will afford you wonderful views and opportunities to snorkel, canoe and experience other aquatic offerings in a beach resort environment. One thing that is unmistakable about St. John is its natural beauty. And this is intentional: 2/3 of the island is a national park (Virgin Islands National Park). Within that beauty lies a raw and horrible part of history: Slavery. Remnants of a bygone era are the ruins of sugar and cotton plantations estates.. In particular, the sheer surreal reality of the cliffside Annaberg Estate is haunting: Slaves picked cotton adjacent to the natural beauty of Watermelon Bay. Many slaves tried to escape their oppression by jumping off the cliff into Watermelon Bay – and most jumped to their deaths as a result.
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ST. CROIX As the largest of the 3 main US Virgin Islands, St. Croix can be best described as the island of history and cuisine. From the history perspective, a tour with Ms. Frandelle Gerard of Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism (CHANT) in Frederiksted provides a very sobering insight about the history of St. Croix. One interesting fact: The 1848 slave revolt precipitated the end of slavery throughout the Danish West Indies (currently, the US Virgin Islands) on July 3 of that year. Please keep in mind that an additional 17 years passed before slavery was abolished in the United States. St. Croix boasts some of the best culinary offerings in the Caribbean! For breakfast, the quirkily designed Caroline’s Restaurant serves traditional breakfast fare all-day including very tasty Blueberry Pancakes and
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a delicious Crab Benedict. You will also want to experience breakfast at Chef Todd Manley’s TOAST Diner which specializes in authentic Venezuelan and American cuisines. While there, you should enjoy a Bistec Y Queso Arepa along with a Hash Brown Casserole. For lunch, you should experience authentic Crucian cuisine. So be sure to visit Cast Iron Pot Restaurant and Bar to experience their authentic Caribbean Pot Fish, Conch in Lemon Butter Sauce, Oxtails or Grilled Lobster. A visit to St. Croix isn’t complete without a visit to La Reine Chicken Shack for some of the best roasted chicken in the western hemisphere! For Dinner, Chef Charles Mereday’s menu offerings at The Galleon Steaks & Seafood are extremely delicious and decadent—so much in fact, you’ll be praying for forgiveness after enjoying your meal! Chef Mereday’s Crab Cakes, Shrimp with Plantains and Surf & Turf are certain to tantalize your palate.
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Also, while you’re visiting St. Croix, you should visit MUTINY Island Vodka and experience the varietals of their vodkas after touring their factory (which used to be a dairy processing facility!). Chef Todd Manley (of TOAST Diner) stumbled across the primary ingredient for the vodka which launched his MUTINY Island Vodka brand: Breadfruit! While most brands use potatoes, MUTINY’s use of breadfruit is purposeful as it is exponentially environmental beneficial and sustainable. As you can tell, USVI is open for business and is ready to welcome you! As always, for US citizens, no passport is required to visit USVI. www.visitusvi.com
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Space Jam with Morgan Rhodes BY MALCOLM RASHAAD BANKS
Following Michael Jordan’s footsteps and the original Space Jam is a challenge for more than just LeBron James—the man who has drawn comparisons to his basketball idol for the better part of two decades. For all of Jordan’s star power, the 1993 cult classic reached iconic heights for its incredible soundtrack featuring many unforgettable records. Over two decades later, a new chapter is opening in the Space Jam story. The talented Morgan Rhodes has been selected as a co-music supervisor for the film and aims to use her impressive 10-year run in the industry to stick the landing! UPTOWN recently caught up with Morgan Rhodes for an exclusive interview about her background, a career as a music supervisor, and working on Space Jam: A New Legacy that hit theaters in July 2021. UPTOWN: There are so many avenues and careers one can explore within the entertainment world of film and television. How did you get into the space of music supervision? Was music and film an early passion of yours in life? MORGAN RHODES: I majored in Mass Communications in college, and I was an English minor. I thought at the time that I was going to be a writer —music sort of fell into my life as a happy accident. I started working at a radio station here in L.A. called KCRW, and I was there because I wanted to get into voice-overs. I heard that was the way to work at a radio station, and I’m not sure if that is the way, but that’s why I was there. I ended up being a music programmer and on-air deejay. I got my own show, and I was there for a while, then floated around to different radio stations, and that’s how I got into music supervision. I went straight from radio into music supervision, so I learned everything on the fly. The first project that I did was Middle of Nowhere. It was an Ava Duvernay indie film. It went to Sundance [film festival], received a lot of love, and the rest was history. That jump-started everything. Before that, I had no experience with being a music supervisor. I had to learn what the job was and all that it entails. It was a great first project to be a part of and a great start as a music supervisor. That was ten years ago and my start in this business. UPTOWN: You’ve been a part of larger and smaller budget projects. Is the process any different working on a smaller budget project as opposed to Space Jam? Does that come with challenges in any way? 32
RHODES: I think that the goal for a music supervisor on every project is to make sure that you do your best to help carry the narrative that is in front of you. Whether that’s a big budget [film], a small budget film, a television show, or a documentary—the job is the same. Your job is to make sure that you do your best to carry out the narrative, support the filmmakers who produce the show and make sure that you can carry out their vision sonically. The challenges, I think, come into play with time. If you’re working on television, those songs have to be turned around pretty quickly. With film, you’ve got a long lead time. They might have six months to a year, or in the case of Space Jam, we had two years to work on it. So the goal is the same, and the job is the same from project to project. The difference is time, but you still have to do the same thing whether you’ve got a million-dollar budget for music or you’ve got one hundred thousand dollars. UPTOWN: Space Jam: A New Legacy is one of the more significant releases of 2021. How does it feel to be the music supervisor on such a major release? What drew you to the film? And what can people expect? RHODES: I think, in a word, Space Jam has been dreamy. It certainly is dreamy because it follows one of the biggest films and one of the most memorable soundtracks. So I’ve been excited to work on this for two years and co-supervising it with Kier Lehman. I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised by the look of the film and the animation. It’s so smart, so cool, so of the now, so technologically progressive, and so funny. I think we did a really good job to underscore all of those key moments in the film and the humor and the sweetness of the story. I’m really proud of the work and excited for people to see it.
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UPTOWN: One of the highlights from the 1993 film was the music which was incredible. Is there any added pressure following in those lofty footsteps to meet a certain standard? RHODES: I think it’s a good challenge, and it’s been an exciting one to make sure that people watching the film have the same experience with the music that they did the first time around. That was just something that I think was a goal and a challenge that we took seriously, but we were so excited about it. I can’t wait for people to see the film and hear the music because we took a unique story and did something cool with the music to surround that narrative and grab it in an authentic moment. I think people will be really happy with what they hear. UPTOWN: LeBron James is a part of this film, and he’s such a big A-list celebrity. Do prominent names make your process more manageable in clearing music as opposed to working on an indie film with fewer big names involved? RHODES: I think that music supervision is an exciting new landscape that artists want to be a part of. The way that the music industry is changing [is also shifting] the way the recording industry operates. I think artists across all levels of indies, majors and independent labels all realize the value of having their music in television, film or games. I found that artists are excited to be on projects, whether it’s a brand-new television show for Netflix or a gigantic film like Space Jam. Since Space Jam is so legendary because of the first [film], we didn’t have to convince people to be a part of this process and [convince them] to have their songs included. So it’s been great to have all of the fanfare around Space Jam because I think people are excited for this film, and it has made getting people involved in the film a lot easier. Those moments where your music is featured in a film can really change your career because people ask what songs they are Shazaming. I think artists are starting to realize the value of having [their] songs featured no matter the show or film. The immediate gratification of looking up those songs and finding out more about that artist can be career-changing.
UPTOWN: Are there any artists, soundtracks or music supervisors who inspire you? RHODES: I’m so inspired now by all of the content made by Black creators and filmmakers. I’m so inspired by the different stories being told [and] the music placed. There isn’t a cookie-cutter formula. We see a lot of diversity in the types of stories told, and the types of experiences brought to film and television. I see a lot of things that I like. I’m just like a kid when it’s not my own project. I’m just as excited as everybody else, waiting to see what music has been playing. So that’s what I enjoy. I May Destroy You is one of my favorites of the newer shows. I really like the music selection there. It’s a show that I enjoy watching every episode and wait to see how the music is being played. I’m really thrilled to watch that. All across the board, I’m just so excited at this time in the business. I see so many new voices being ushered into the spotlight and then giving them a chance to tell their story. I’m super excited about that. I’m excited to have been part of some of these stories. UPTOWN: You mentioned Black creators, and you are a successful Black woman in this space. What can you tell us about this profession’s future trajectory? Is this an inclusive environment that’s growing, or are there barriers and hurdles for Black women in this space? RHODES: We are a small but mighty tribe. We are a community that is very supportive of each other. We are looking to grow that community. As we become more visible in the marketplace and the industry, people are more attracted to this career. I think people need to see themselves and, hopefully, some of my colleagues and I have supported young women being able to see themselves doing this. I expect the field to grow. I certainly want to be part of ushering the next class of Black women music supervisors into this industry because we need them. I always look to the late, great Pilar McCurry, who was the first Black music supervisor. Pilar did the soundtrack for Love Jones, which is one of my favorites, among many others. I always keep her in mind as I wouldn’t be doing this if she didn’t blaze a trail for me, so I want to do that for the next generation. I think my colleagues feel the same way. There are maybe 15 or 20 of us, but we want to make sure that number grows exponentially. So we’re committed to doing our part to help usher those young women in and mentoring young women. There needs to be a lot more in this business and I hope to do my part to make sure that happens.
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UPTOWN: Is there a general criteria by which you judge whether someone’s music will fit into the frame of a project? How is the process of determining what is a good fit or not? RHODES: Typically, music supervisors come in at the script phase. You’re given a script, and sometimes music cues are identified right in the script. The writer has identified songs that they’d like to see. What I do is I make notes within the margin in the body of the scripts. So I usually write all over the script what I hear and think in those moments. We try to build a playlist for either characters or moments, or times. Then you chase those songs down, and you present those to a team of showrunners, directors and producers. You get to see what works, and then you go about the business of trying to get clearance. I think every music supervisor has their own process, but I stockpile music in between projects. I stockpile music for projects that I don’t even have yet because I want to be prepared if I’m asked for something wild, something random, or something that I’m not familiar with. I do a lot of studying and homework, even between projects. So that’s my process. The other part of it is that most of what you’re going to pull is informed by the budget, and you want to keep those things in mind and do your best to serve the narrative, given any limitations that you might have. The fun for me is chasing the song. It’s so much fun to try and find what works for a scene. I’m most excited about breaking new artists. I tend to search for indie artists because I’ve been very fortunate to find a lot of gold in the underground and what we call the “Wonderground.” I love to give new artists a chance, and that’s the chase that drives me to find that great song by an artist that no one is going to get.
UPTOWN: You have been in the business for ten years now, working on critically acclaimed projects. What motivates you to keep pushing forward? Is music supervision where you feel the most comfortable, and do you have other goals within the film industry that you’re looking forward to achieving? RHODES: I’m curious. I love being a music supervisor. I’m curious about everything and I don’t know what else I might be interested in [moving forward]. I’m open, just like I was open to this, because it was such an unexpected career. So I’m open to the next unexpected career if there is one. I’m just excited about music. What gets me motivated is the opportunity to find that needle in the haystack. That one song or that one artist that is going to change a scene and, in turn, have their career change. That is what keeps me excited. Even if it is an artist that’s been around awhile, but we haven’t heard from them, or we weren’t aware that they did that song. I feel very much like an archivist, and I’m protected when it comes to Black music. I’m interested in making sure that it’s at the forefront of this project and that it’s accredited, and that some of these artists get the shine they deserve. I certainly feel responsible in the best way for bringing some of this music to the forefront. That’s the thing that gets me most excited in the morning. I’m like, “Oh, you’re going to find something like this.” That keeps me excited—the possibility of discovery. www.uptownmagazine.com 33
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Barcelona Barcelona is a city for falling in love: with a stranger, with your travel companion, with food, Gaudí, wine, art, or simply life itself. BY AYANA BYRD PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE O’CONNOR
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t’s a sensory overload of color, languages, and a bohemian-meets-beach-meets-urban scene. And even though the euro continues to be a challenge for the dollar-earning traveler, the city, perched on the Mediterranean in northeastern Spain, is easy on the wallet. Barcelona grabs you the moment you arrive. A culinary and architectural powerhouse, it’s a city for walking. You will never be able to appreciate it from inside a taxi. Your daily itinerary should include plenty of hours to wander, get lost, and enjoy a strong café, beer, or una clara (a lemonade-beer combo available at any bar).
Start at the top of Las Ramblas at Plaça Catalunya, a major pedestrian thoroughfare that is packed with street performers, mimes, flower vendors, and the occasional birdcage. It is crowded with slow-moving people no matter what time of day, though a little less so in the morning. And since it is filled with tourists, this street is a prime spot for crafty, fast pickpockets. (A rule of thumb in Barcelona is to keep your wallet someplace more secure than in your back pocket, to hold your camera or cell phone tightly, and to wear a messenger-style bag with straps that go across your body, keeping it zipped at all times.) A must-see on Las Ramblas is La Boqueria (boqueria. info), a huge food market where many Barcelonans do their shopping. ou can grab fresh produce, coffee, olive oil, and jams for late-night snacking or to give as gifts back home. To the west of Las Ramblas is El Raval. This used to be one of the more nefarious parts of town, but it has been gentrified and is teeming with mothers pushing strollers and artists dotting the maze of streets. Visit MACBA, the Museu d’ Art Contemporáni de Barcelona (macba.cat), which is a contemporary art and photography museum. Home to most of the city’s Arab population, El Raval is an excellent place to hear different languages and
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Clockwise from top left: La Boqueria; a performance artist posing as a statue in Parc Güell; the W Barcelona; a skateboarder on the Barceloneta boardwalk on the beach; a side street in La Ribera.
music and taste spices and foods that you won’t find in the rest of Barcelona. Also, you’ll become an instant fan of the Colombian artist Botero as soon as you see “El Gato del Raval,” his oversize cat sculpture in the Rambla del Raval square (his “Adam” and “Eve” statues are in the lobby of Manhattan’s Time Warner Center). While in El Raval, stop in the many vintage record stores that offer a collection of classic soul and R&B albums in pristine condition for less than 15 euros. On the east side of Las Ramblas is Barri Gòtic. Because it is right off Las Ramblas, this neighborhood is typically crowded with tourists, but it’s also a hangout for locals. Visit the cathedral, and make sure to stop at one of the many cafés for churros con chocolate. Barri Gòtic borders El Born, the SoHo of Barcelona, filled with clothing boutiques, specialty shops, and home-design stores. El Born is also home to the Museu Picasso (museupicasso.bcn.es/en), which focuses on works from the artist’s earliest days before he developed his characteristic style. While any guidebook will sing the praises of El Born, many have not caught on to its southernmost tip, La Ribera, an area that is newly bustling with shops and restaurants. Locals like the laidback, bar-lined square Plaça de Sant Augustí Vell. If you’re wiped out from shopping and eating your way through El Born and can’t make it to the beach (a 20-minute walk), there are two rest options: Parc de la Ciutadella, a flower-strewn expanse popular with joggers and home to the Barcelona Zoo. Or go the more unexpected route and cool down at the Arab Baths (airedebarcelona.com), which is right across from Parc de la Ciutadella. Trust us: It’s not sleazy—it offers Turkish showers, pools, and massages at reasonable prices.
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Afterward, head south—until the sea stops you—to the neighborhood of Barceloneta. It’s a working-class beach hub and boasts some of the city’s best seafood. Relax and drink in the scene until hunger drives you to one of the chiringuitos (seafood café-bars) dotting the sand. To truly appreciate the architectural work of the great Antoni Gaudí, L’Eixample is the neighborhood to visit. Passeig de Gràcia, the big boulevard that runs through the middle, has a number of buildings that were designed by Gaudí, including numbers 43 and 92, which are open to the public. Plus, bigname stores like Gucci and Burberry are here. Of all Gaudí’s creations and of all the churches that you’ll ever see, Sagrada Família (sagradafamilia.org) may be the most memorable. Incomplete at the time of the artist’s death, it is still under construction, and many of the scenes etched in stone are contemporary, including one featuring Nelson Mandela. Thanks to Barcelona’s late lifestyle (an early dinner reservation in this city is 10 p.m.), you can get through this packed itinerary without feeling rushed—but that doesn’t mean you won’t be exhausted. No worries: You can sleep when you’re old, or at least when you return home.
DAY TRIPS:
Barcelona offers much to explore beyond the city limits. If you think all parks are alike, make a point to visit Gràcia’s main attraction, Parc Güell. It was designed by Gaudí and looks like an adult Candyland or the set of a Tim Burton film, with colorful tiled animals dotting the multilevel landscape. It’s a tough sell on paper but an essential trip. Drink sangria and people-watch at one of the many cafés scattered throughout the grounds. Expand your museum-hopping beyond Picasso by visiting the Fundació Joan Miró (fundaciomiro-bcn.org) at the top of Parc de Montjuïc. The view of Barcelona from Montjuïc, located at one of the highest points in the city, is amazing. From the park, you can take the funicular down the hillside and straight onto the beach.
OFF THE RENFE TRAIN:
At least 30 minutes: To see beach towns along the Mediterranean, jump on the RENFE commuter train (catch it from Plaça Catalunya). A well-known spot along this route is Sitges, less than 45 minutes south of Barcelona. Another option is to hop on and head north along the Mediterranean, jumping off wherever looks inviting. These beaches are clean, quiet, and picturesque, and there’s always at least one good restaurant nearby. One hour: Girona is beautiful if you go to the old city, boring if you see only the new part of town. Walk the original halls and the grounds of the massive cathedral. Go to the old lighthouse. Wander the old Jewish neighborhood’s narrow cobblestone streets, and eat traditional Catalan cuisine.
From left: The Gaudí-designed Casa Batlló, at Passeig de Gràcia, 43; a covered walkway in Parc Güell.
An hour and a half: Visit the “Black Madonna.” The statue of the patron saint stands at the top of Montserrat (“sawtoothed mountain.”) The view from the top is impressive, as is the black face of the virgin. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes: It takes many steps to reach the top. www.uptownmagazine.com 39
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Southern Thailand
WITH A SPORTS LEGEND BY DONNA PERKINS
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COBI JONES
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...a vacation that is equal parts relaxation, adventure and delicious cuisine... As many of you know, Thailand is one of my most favorite places in the world and I was thrilled to have soccer superstar Cobi Jones join me to tour Phuket and Phang Nga in Southern Thailand. We started our trip from Los Angeles with Norwegian Air, with a 24-hour stopover in the beautiful city of Copenhagen, Denmark. From there, we flew to Bangkok and then onward to Phuket with Bangkok Airways. If you want a vacation that is equal parts relaxation, adventure and delicious cuisine, then Southern Thailand is your destination. We stayed at the ultra-luxurious and gorgeous Sri Panwa Hotel & Spa in Phuket where we both received individual accommodations in ocean front luxury pool villas which were the epitome of opulence and comfort. While there, Cobi received Muay Thai instruction at the resort’s Muay Thai ring. By the way, Baba Beach Club in Phuket is a new sister property of Sri Panwa’s that is quite spectacular! Be sure to check it out. One of our adventures included sea caving in Phang Nga with John Gray’s Sea Canoe. The caves led into some of the most beautiful, untouched bays, blanketed by grand limestone walls. Within the caves we quietly paddled through the waters as to not disturb the many bats perched along the cave walls. We saw some of the most amazing stalactites and unique rock formations. This was truly one of the most serene, yet majestic experiences!
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...beautiful, untouched bays, blanketed by grand limestone walls.
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The Romanov Suite at the Grand Hotel Europe.
BRIDGETO
EVERYWHERE Discover the not-so-hidden gems of the former Russian capital Saint Petersburg.
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BY DEENA CAMPBELL
n the United States, Moscow might get all the name recognition but world travelers know that Saint Petersburg also dazzles. Founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great, Russia’s capital from 1732 to 1918 is still regarded as its cultural center. It is here that Russia’s greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin, whose great-grandfather hailed from Africa, died in 1837. The last black jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, Jimmy Winkfield, also lived here from 1904 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. 46 www.uptownmagazine.com
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A city of more than 300 bridges, it is only natural that Saint Petersburg is an intersection of food, history, and the arts. And that’s exactly what I discovered. Once I arrived at the Grand Hotel Europe from the Pulkovo International Airport, I happily nestled into the Romanov Suite, named for members of the Imperial Russian dynasty who regularly visited the distinguished hotel during their reign. The walls of the structure date back to the 19th century and the stairs have supported the footsteps of revolutionaries, royals, and even Whitney Houston and Lady Gaga. I dined at the hotel’s Caviar Bar & Restaurant and supplemented my vodka with Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga caviar—among the most exquisite delicacies in the world. Life is good at this historic landmark.
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en minutes away (or 45 minutes, depending on traffic) stands Mariinsky Theatre, home to the highly acclaimed opera, orchestra, and ballet. When there, see Raymonda; the ballet’s precise acrobatic movements and die-hard adherents define Russian entertainment. Later in the trip, I traveled 40 minutes from the city’s center to Pushkin, where I visited a fairy tale–like castle known as Catherine Palace. I was amazed by its grandiose size and architectural detail; each gilded door lead to a string of rooms that seemingly stretched infinitely. Nearby stands Fortress BIP Boutique Hotel and Restaurant. This smaller castle’s atmosphere is distinctly that of a modern London or New York hotel. The beef stroganoff and friendly English-speaking staff made it
The Caviar Bar & Restaurant at the Grand Hotel Europe.
well worth the scenic drive. Saint Petersburg has long been celebrated for both its art and history, and those two worlds rub shoulders at the State Hermitage Museum. I began at Winter Palace, the main building where emperors once resided, and three hours later, I realized that—despite having already seen Michelangelo, Rembrandt, van Gogh, and Matisse exhibits—I hadn’t seen a fraction of the $3 million works of art housed there. A quick trip to The Russian Museum helped me
familiarize myself with the city’s medieval religious icons and the present-day works of prominent local artists.
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erhaps the greatest attraction in any season is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. Its Baroque architecture marks the spot where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Inside, the walls are covered in detailed mosaics that tell age-old stories.
The rooftops in Saint Petersburg.
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fter a week of majestic palaces, exquisite art, and Russian delicacies, I felt most at home at SOHOLOUNGE. The relaxed vibe is inspired by Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, but it feels more like a gentrified Brooklyn haunt where the stylish patrons know your name. That makes sense when you know that the head chef, Jenna Kistner, made a name for herself while cooking in New York’s supposedly coolest borough. At SohoLounge, I savored whiskey laced with chocolate bitters, ripe blackberries and cinnamon. It’s true: Brooklyn goes hard everywhere—even in Saint Petersburg.
White-night view of the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood. www.uptownmagazine.com 47
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WORKS
Marcus Samuelsson, acclaimed chef, author, and TV host, is bringing clean drinking water to women around the world, and he wants you to do the same.
BY NICHOLE FRATANGELOA “The water crisis affects more than 60 million people globally”, explains Samuelsson, “and hits women and children especially hard. My siblings had to walk an hour and a half to get clean water,” he recalls. After experiencing their struggle firsthand, Samuelsson committed himself to helping relieve the global water crisis. It’s the reason he’s involved with the Buy a Lady a Drink Campaign, a partnership between Stella Artois and water.org that aims to provide clean water to those in need. To date, the Buy a Lady a Drink campaign has helped more than five million people throughout the world. In Honduras alone, water. org has positively impacted more than 40 communities, and the campaign plans to extend efforts to El Salvador and Guatemala. “What I love is that you can just purchase a drink…and you can change someone’s life for the next five years,” says Samuelsson. For every $13 limited-edition Stella Artois chalice sold, $6.25 is donated to water.org. Samuelsson points out, however, that the global water crisis won’t be solved overnight. Rather, it will require thoughtful efforts and sacrifices by all. “My dollars matter and my choices matter,” he says, noting that when shopping for his restaurant, he only buys ingredients that reflect fair practices and support environmental issues. Similarly, he urges consumers to educate themselves, get involved, and donate to the cause. For millions of women and children, it could be the difference between life and death.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO DONATE, VISIT stellaartois.com/buy-a-lady-a-drink.
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P H O T O G R A P H S , C L O C K W I S E F R O M L F E T: G E T T Y I M AG E S F O R S T E L L A A R T O I S ; N AT H A N S M A L L F O R STELLA A RTOIS.
Every 90 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. For Chef Marcus Samuelsson, author, TV host, and owner of Harlem’s acclaimed Red Rooster restaurant, that number isn’t just heartbreaking—it’s close to home. Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia, an East African country that has struggled to provide clean drinking water to its residents for decades. Other countries include Peru, Chile, Spain, and much of North Africa and Eurasia.
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CANCER DOESN’T STOP. NEITHER DO WE. FOR ONE NIGHT. WE STAND TOGETHER.
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American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE, Amgen, Cless Family Foundation, Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Farrah Fawcett Foundation, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Laura Ziskin Family Trust, Legacy Circle, LUNGevity Foundation, Mirati Therapeutics, Pancreatic Cancer Canada, Sara Schottenstein Foundation, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, Lew, Jean, and Kari Wolff Stand Up To Cancer is a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
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