Friday, February 12, 2021
photography art gardening history fashion puzzles animals community
Weekend
FRIES WITH BENEFITS Page 07
Fashion fanfare Travel enthusiast brings home a touch of Africa
pgs 08 +09
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
photography
A Rose-Coloured Lens Flocks of seagulls
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eauty is all around us in the Bahamas, on land and in the sea. But many of us are too busy with everyday life to pause and really see and enjoy the astonishing sights that surround us. Veteran photographer ROLAND ROSE captures both the ordinary and extraordinary, and puts it in frame for us so we can see our environment in a new light.
Friday, February 12, 2021
The Tribune | Weekend | 03
Friday, February 12, 2021
Weekend Inside
My Perfect Bahamian Weekend Valentine’s Day edition Tammy Perry Career coach
Interview 4 – 5
Bahamian rapper Big Bank Frankk has started his own US-based record label and is eager to share the wealth and his expertise
Puzzles 6 Food 7
Fries with Benefits come loaded with fresh ideas and toppings of your choosing
Fashion 8-9
A travel enthusiast who has fallen in love with various African cultures makes a fanfare with Ghana-inspired accessories
Gardening 10
Q Q
: Chocolate, with or without nuts? “Definitely with nuts for that extra saltiness.”
Learn that dropping leaves doesn’t always mean diseased plants
Forgotten Facts 11
Literary Lives 12 – 14
: Who’s your Valentine? “I’m single, but I have to say I’d love RegéJean Page, aka Simon Basett, Bridgerton’s Duke of Hastings, to be my Valentine. He lives in a far distant land called my dreams.”
Animals 15
Q
The A-Z of memorable Bahamian moments and people The life story of the ‘Greatest of all Time’ concludes The danger of disregarding rules for protection, plus Pet of the Week
10
Books 16
A female trio launches publishing house, plus a children’s book that celebrates the Bahamian culture
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:
SHINE STRIVES TO BE TOP RAKE N’SCRAPE ARTIST By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Reporter jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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E may have slowed down in his musical pursuits due to the global pandemic, but Lavardo “Shine” Sands is still dreaming of becoming the Bahamas’ top rake n’ scrape artist. And knowing this dream cannot be realised while resting on his laurels, he has released a new single called “Did It On My Own”. Being out of the work and not being able to perform live during the pandemic meant he had to get serious about recording and promoting
his music in a creative way. “Seeing people being laid off and things getting shut down really showed me that sometimes you really have to go through (things) on your own, not every time you have people in your corner or on your team. It is just something you have to go through by yourself. The feeling of fulfillment
: Who is your favourite celebrity couple? “George and Amal Clooney. I love them because Mr ‘I will never settle down’ married the perfect career woman. They are stylish, smart, and sexy to look at.”
Q
: Where would be the perfect place to spend Valentine’s weekend? “Paris, France, because it’s the city of love, duh!”
when you overcome and figure some things out by yourself, it makes you feel good,” he told Tribune Weekend. Like all of his other songs, “Did It On My Own” has a message. “I am working on visuals for this new single and it should be out shortly,” he said. Shine’s latest musical release is proof things are still brewing musically. He said his main goal is building momentum and then taking off. “I’ve crossed over to become a mainstream Bahamian artist, but the pandemic came in 2020 the set all booking and shows back. Not being able to perform, I decided to channel my energy into production, songwriting, marketing and the music business, bettering myself in the music industry. The pandemic musically worked out for me, as I was able produce myself and better myself,” he said. “I hope to be, whenever the time comes, the top Bahamian rake n’ scrape artist who represents the Bahamas
locally and internationally. Also, in the near future do some give-back and charity work throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.” In addition to creating new music, Shine has also been busy launching a business venture and, more importantly, spending quality time with his family. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with family and learning new skills in music production and songwriting. I’ve just recently opened a new barber shop (Above Average Studios) located on East Street opposite Portion Control. A lot of businesses are closing due to this pandemic, but my business partners and myself managed to open a highclass barber shop/salon,” he said. Fans of his music can expect even more new material from him in the near future. “I am hoping to do more collaborations with senior Bahamian artists and up-and-coming artists as well. I’m working on catalogue so expect a lot more music from me,” he said.
04 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, February 12, 2021
interview
Big Bank Frankk
Inspired by tragedy, this young “conscious” rapper has overcome adversity to pursue a career in music. Now, with his own US-based record label, he tells Cara Hunt he hopes to give his fellow Bahamian artists a chance to connect with their international counterparts and further their careers.
The Tribune | Weekend | 05
Friday, February 12, 2021
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t was the tragic death of a good friend that propelled rapper Big Bank Frankk to finally pursue the music career he had always dreamed of having. “I have always been musically inclined, since I was five years old,” he told Tribune Weekend. “It was something that was a part of me, but it wasn’t something that I really pushed to go into, but I had this good friend who I would share some of my music with and he was always supportive. He would tell me if I ever die, promise me you will go further with it. He was killed a few years ago in a stabbing incident when he was just 16 years old, and so I knew that I had to keep that promise to him.” Frankk wrote his song “RIP” as a tribute to his friend. It was a hit and gave him the motivation to officially start his career. “Before that I had really thought that a musical career was just impossible for someone like me from the Bahamas. But I found that once I actually started it was not as difficult as people made it out to be,” he said. Frankk moved to the United States to get more exposure and eventually started his own label, the BBF music group. Although he describes his style of music as rap, he draws inspiration from a variety of genres and artists, including Future, Drake and Andre 300, and closer to home, locally renowned artists such as Ronnie Butler, Mac and Ira Storr. He said they are hard workers in the industry. He describes his own personal voice as “a hard-hitting contemporary vibe” It sets him apart from his peers but also allows him to use his voice to relate to his listeners. “I get the ideas for my lyrics from current events, my surroundings and from my own personal life story. My rap is conscious, and I like to give listeners a story when they hear my songs. I think that is what people are able to relate to my words,” he said. Frankk’s ability to hone in on the pulse of his listeners is evident in one of his most recent tunes, “Let’s Go to the Beach.” It struck a chord with listeners last summer when the frustration over lockdowns and the closure of Bahamian beaches was intense, and of course the
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song was a huge hit and has been in rotation at local radio stations. While singing will always be something he remains passionate about, Frankk is also determined to use his music career as a platform and stepping stone to not just inspire other Bahamian musicians, but also to serve as a liaison for international artists who may be interested in coming to the Bahamas to do future projects. Frankk is extremely passionate about giving other Bahamian artists and entertainers’ opportunities, and he hopes to be an inspiration for them in a culture, which he says, values traditional careers over the entertainment route. “I just want people to know, if there is something you want to do, you can do it. I’m using myself as an example,” he said. “I think one of the hardest parts about getting into this business is just being able to find the right people who are willing to open the right doors to help you get to the next stage. You can get into this business, but you do need help along the way and encouragement. There’s a lot that has to happen and a lot of expenses to get your music out from studio time to production. And a lot of people get discouraged because there can be a lot of bashing in this industry.” Frankk’s advice to aspiring musicians is to never give up and to believe in themselves. “You need to stay focused and work hard. You know what you are capable of doing and you know when you have ‘it’.” Frankk is currently working in his studio, preparing for the release of his next project, “Foxhill to Miami”. It will include collaborations with artists such as Zoey Dollaz, Oz Sparks, Kiba, Bmoney, Coopz, Flo, Jaymoney Quan. And his time stateside has meant that he has formed many personal relationships with the artists. “I want to expand my brand,” he noted. He explained that a lot of international artists would love to come to the islands, whether it be for business purposes or to interact with fans. Frankk said he would love to serve as a liaison in these instances. “I could arrange their transportation such as limos, planes and yachts. And this could also be a great way to help local artists get to interact with them as well,” he added. Frankk’s current songs and features can be found on YouTube and SoundCloud.
…I had really thought that a musical career was just impossible for someone like me from the Bahamas. But I found that once I actually started it was not as difficult as people made it out to be.”
2 Agreed; 3 Abet; 4 Culside post (4) de-sac; 5 Shovel; 6 Foot; 23 Reported to be not fast 11 Moorcock; 13 Ensemble; Friday, February 15 Damson; 17 Anorak; food (4)
tired (6-4) 27 Just a lake (4)
06 | The Tribune | Weekend
19 Tiny; 21 Nail.
i l n E uD Gn t
Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
● The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)
HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? in making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. no plurals or verb forms ending in “s”. TODAY’S TARGET Good 24; very good 36; excellent 47 (or more). Solution tomorrow
Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudokufor Answer today’s target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Shorts designed for hill climbing? (6,4) 6 Composer drops in for a bit of pork (4) 10 Times by the score (5) 11 It provides an easy let-down for the dropouts (9) 12 Flag and sail hung incorrectly (8) 13 Well-equipped place for caravans en route (5) 15 Beasts retiring with broken toes (7) 17 Some soldiers a philosopher gets on with (7) 19 Where pedestrians are in danger in attacks (7) 21 Person on the make? (7) 22 Provide proper directions first (5) 24 State of California if left in chaos (8) 27 He can cut quite a figure in the garden (9) 28 Key material for instrument makers (5) 29 Pay attention or bend over (4) 30 Sums up the scrambled egg as great (10)
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Yesterday’s Easy Solution
Down 1 Scraps for horses (4) Across: 1 Surplus, 5 Match, 8 Breakdown, 9 Kin, 10 Rate, 2 Novel young 12 Ambrosia, 14 Rather, American (3,6) 15 Parody, 17 Propound, 3 To be paid nothing to 18 Skim, 21 Act, 22 Voice-over, fly (5) 24 Later, 25 Gallant. Down: 1 Sober, 2 Rue, 3 Like, 4 They have no settled 4 Stormy, 5 Montreal, 6 Take occupation (7) stock, 7 Hungary, 11 Tit for tat, 5 But for inflation it would 13 Revolver, 14 Raphael, never have gone up (7) 16 Ending, 19 Merit, 20 Deal, 23 Via. 7 Some time we hear is due to us (5) 8 Requests put with an attempt at jocularity (10) 9 Royalty’s own touch of Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution honour (8) 14 Fortuitous bit of Across: 1 Reaches, 5 Hotel, 8 Daredevil, 9 Emu, 10 Reel, scoring? (10) 12 Animated, 14 Retail, 15 Lovely, 16 The difference between 17 Gardenia, 18 Stow, 21 Out, imports and exports (5,3) 22 Abstainer, 24 Posed, 18 Emphatically not at 25 Derides. home (3-3-3) Down: 1 Radar, 2 Air, 3 Hide, 5 Half-moon, 6 Treatment, 20 Laying off wholesale 7 Laundry, 11 Enteritis, 13 Sixes destruction (7) and sevens, 14 Regroup, 21 He looks after our cart when 16 Biased, 19 Worms, 20 Parr, 23 Nod. damaged (7) 23 They are defrauded of a penny in fees (5) 25 Prone to mendacity (5) 26 They see and show audible approval (4) Down Across 1 International 1 Priority (10) 6 7 8 treaty (4) 6 With the 2 Interminably (9) deduction of (4) 9 3 Penetrate (5) 10 Young military trainee (5) 4 Plain (7) 11 Unwise (9) 5 An evergreen conifer (7) 12 Regain 13 possession of (8) 7 Laud (5) 13 Fruit of gourd 8 Mediocre (6-4) family (5) 9 Graphite (8) 18 15 Brief moment (7) 14 Insipid (5-5) 17 Utterly destroy (7) 16 Beekeeper (8) 19 All awry (7) 18 Reprimand (7-2) 21 Pamphlet (7) 20 Strong feeling (7) 22 Bet (5) 21 Indicate (7) 25 24 Leave behind (8) 23 Juices of cooked 27 Knockabout meat (5) 26 comedy (9) 25 A grasping 28 28 West African instrument (5) river (5) 26 Showy-flowered 29 Fluctuate (2-2) herbaceous plant (4) 30 Alert (2,4,4)
EASY PUZZLE
FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow 1
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12, 2021
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THE ALPHABEA
TARGET Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.
R E S P A S S S
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2 x cruiser
4 x submarine
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The Tribune | Weekend | 07
Friday, February 12, 2021
food
‘Fries With Benefits’ comes loaded with new ideas
By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net
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ike so many of us, Rakel Dean used the pandemic to expand her culinary horizons. But unlike the rest who simply stuck to learning new recipes and preparing new dishes for our families, she has taken it one step further by starting her own food service. Seven months ago, she came up with the idea of Fries with Benefits, a home-based company that specialises in over 30 different variations of homemade loaded fries, specialty wraps and sandwiches. “The unique idea came from my personal love for fries. I have always been a huge fries lover, like other Bahamians. I remember having a debate one day with a friend about which restaurant has the best fries and thinking about creating my own restaurant offering different variations of loaded fries, and using other vegetables besides potatoes to make homemade fries,” she told Tribune Weekend. Rakel, who has spent most of her adult life working behind a desk, admits the transition to running her own food service was challenging one. She started the business after being permanently laid off as the marketing manager for the British Colonial Hilton. But losing her corporate job has proven to be a blessing in disguise. She said the move forward in this new direction for her life was the best decision she has ever made and possibly she made it at the most opportune time. “We opened for business on National French Fry Day of last year and the feedback has been great. Initially, we thought that operating from home would put us at a huge disadvantage, but because we are innovative with our business model and menu, it yielded great rewards,” she said. “We are able to offer a personal service that the other bigger companies may not have the time to extend, and being millennials, we were able to leverage social media and word amount to our advantage.”
MAC and cheese hot dog
TWISTED mac and cheese with chicken parmesan
BUFFALO chicken ranch loaded fries The future at Fries With Benefits, she added, looks extremely bright. “Our goal is to one day become a franchise business and open locations on other Family Islands, curating menus specific to what each island offers. Can you imagine eating pineapple fries using pineapples
native to Eleuthera? The possibilities are endless and there are so many benefits when it comes to fries, hence the name Fries With Benefits.” Some of the customer favourites so far include the Buffalo chicken ranch loaded fries, the Philly cheesesteak
loaded fries, and mango habanero conch loaded fries. “The dishes are unique because we handcraft our sauces and pair unique flavours that persons can learn to love. People are becoming more and more adventurous as to what they are willing to try as it relates food. This constantly challenges us to create new sauces or new menu offerings,” said Rakel. Rakel’s plan for the remainder of the year is to invest in a food truck and to also take part in pop-up events on the Family Islands. Since launching, Rakel has had people reach out to her from Grand Bahama and Andros. At the moment, Fries With Benefits operates from Rakel’s home from Monday to Wednesday, and can be found at the Tin Ferl Pop-Up Park on Gladstone Road from Thursday to Saturday. They also offer curbside and delivery service through Da Delivery Guy.
10 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, February 12, 2021
gardening
Leaf drop doesn’t mean disease By Adam Boorman
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deciduous tree or shrub is a plant that drops its leaves annually. The leaves are shed as they have completed their lifecycle and it is typically followed by a period of dormancy (where the tree or shrub has no leaves as with grape vines mentioned a few weeks ago), followed by the regrowth of leaves at a certain time of the year (usually an early point in springtime). In the northern climes, this process is quite predictable, and autumn is a time of great colour displays of this process. In our region this process
occurs with far fewer trees or shrubs than in the north, but it still occurs every year. This topic has come about lately as sugar apple are currently shedding or have finished shedding their leaves, and those unfamiliar with the process may think that the tree is having issues or problems. This is not a sign of disease and it is not a sign of an issue; this is a normal process and no cause for alarm. While in northern areas the period of dormancy is typically throughout the winter, here it is a very short-lived process occurring in the winter months, and it varies between
species as to the timing of initial leaf drop, length of dormancy, and time of regrowth.Sugar apple leaves will begin with either black spots or darkening leaf edges, yellowing, and then the shedding process. Their dormancy period is very short lived, although it will vary depending upon the microclimate that they are located in. Our current batch of sugar apple have finished their leaf drop already, and the earliest ones are already beginning to bud and regrow this years’ leaf. Their period of dormancy lasted all but two weeks (wintertime in the Bahamas). Other trees that are deciduous in our region include, but are not limited to: poinciana (Delonix regia), tropical almond (Terminalia catappa), sugar apple (Annona squamosa), Jamaican dogwood (Piscidia piscipula), woman’s tongue (Albizia lebbeck), frangipani (Plumeria species and hybrids), p oor man’s orchid (Bauhinia species), etcetera. Some of these trees are very messy and require clean up in most situations, with tropical almond being the messiest in my opinion as it has many leaves, they are large, and they tend to shed every last one! Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that Poinciana hold their leaf a lot longer than in the past and drop later than they used to? It seems to me that they are dropping their leaf later in the year, and the period of dormancy is a shorter time period than in the past. Temperature and day length are the typical triggers to initiate leaf drop, and it is not debatable that the temperatures have and are continuing to warm… please, plant more trees! Is it a good time to prune trees? In my opinion, the answer is yes. Some have expressed concern that pruning in the dry season may create stresses on a plant or tree, but if a plant or tree is in a cultivated area (a garden or yard where they receive water
through supplemental irrigation), then the issue of drought stress is a moot point. Many trees are experiencing a flush of regrowth at the moment, and it is often suggested to prune trees before this growth flush occurs, especially in a cultivated area. The next month is a perfect time to prune, and March is the best time to fertilize (after pruning) to provide sufficient nutrients through our “springtime” for acceptable growth patterns to be successful. When fertilizing fruit trees, remember that mango trees do not want high levels of nitrogen, especially at this time of year (many early varieties are already pushing flower buds – future fruit), and if a highnitrogen fertilizer is used it may be a year or three until that tree will give the expected amount of fruit again. High nitrogen levels will inhibit fruiting, and push more leaf than fruit. Most other fruit trees can do quite well with higher levels of nitrogen, but as always it is recommended to do a soil test to determine the existing levels of nutrient available in the soils before applying supplemental fertilizers. Sugar apple is one fruit tree that performs well with high levels of nitrogen, as are citrus. Iron is usually lacking in our soils and a quality fruit tree fertilizer will have sufficient amounts of iron to keep strong growth and green leaves to increase photosynthesis. Most low-cost fertilizers are lacking in many of the essential minor nutrients, such as iron (which is a costly ingredient). With something like fertilizers, you get what you pay for and it is directly related to the ingredients which in turn directly result in an overabundance, or less than expected abundance of fruit later in the season. Soil tests will help to determine which fertilizers to use, but if no tests are performed there are good quality all around fruit tree fertilizers available, one formula that is relatively common for example, is 5-5-15. Don’t be concerned with leaf drop on many of our deciduous trees; it’s normal and it will occur annually. As always, I wish you happy gardening! ß • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.
The Tribune | Weekend | 11
Friday, February 12, 2021
history
The A-Z of the Bahamas Part one
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ichael Craton, an authority on Bahamian history, has published several books (some together with Dr Gail Saunders). I met him when he was researching for his 405-page “A-Z of Bahamas Heritage” and much of this article is taken from that very readable book. A – Albury might be the most popular family name in the country. In 2005, when I catalogued the inscriptions in 14 of our cemeteries, Albury appeared more often than any other name. In St Matthew’s churchyard, I found 13 Armbrister monuments, all born in the 19th century. B – Bailey, Robert Melville (1875-1960) was Nassau’s most sought-after master tailor. As adept in the cut and thrust of debate, as with his needle, he was ever critical of the educational “backwardness” of Black Bahamians, often speaking publicly on political and educational matters. His most notable achievement was to influence the creation, in 1925, of the Government High School. In 1968, the R M Bailey High School, on Robinson Road, was named in his honour. C – Carmichael Village was the first settlement created for Africans, liberated from illegal slaveships, during the Sir James Carmichael Smith’s tenure as governor. Smith praised the industrious settlers for having cut a three-mile (Carmichael) road, to connect the village to Blue Hill Road, to give them access to Nassau. D – Darling, Clifford was born in Acklins, in 1922, and moved to Nassau at the age of 16 with all his worldly goods contained in a small suitcase. Later, he answered the call for migrant agricultural workers, in the US. His three-year sojourn in the land of ‘Jim Crow’ made him determined to better the lot of his fellow Black Bahamians. He became a self-employed taxi driver, joined the union and became president of the Trade Union Congress. He was knighted by the Queen and become the fourth Governor General of the Bahamas. My time at the Department of Archives produced a newspaper article that read: “CAR CRASHES INTO BARBER SHOP – Station wagon 457, driven by Roland Donathan, crashed into White’s Barber Shop, in Shirley Street, just after 10 o’clock last night (February 24, 1948), after being struck by a taxicab, coming out of Mackey Street. The taxicab, driven by Clifford Darling was going south along Mackey Street and turning into Shirley Street. It collided with the station wagon, causing it to crash into the shop. The shop was moved some six feet from its foundation …” E – EDUCATION – Craton devotes more than four pages to this subject, closing with, “Among the most outstanding of these unsung heroes were Abaconians Walter Sands, of Cherokee Sound, his pupil Patrick Bethel, who became the first principal of the Teachers’ College (and died May 28, 2020), Haziel Albury, of Man o’ War Cay, Nelson Major, of Deadman’s Cay, Long Island … widely
ROBERT Melville Bailey was a tailor, social activist, teacher and community leader
TIMOTHY GIBSON, composer of the Bahamas National Anthem
regarded as the best Bahamian branch of his Miami-based Home school, in the 1940s and Hugh Furniture Company in 1923, being Campbell, of Cat Island.” succeeded by his son, Joseph, the F – FREE COLOUREDS – This following year. Home Furniture was a term applied to those was the first shop in Nassau to inhabitants of the Bahamas, have glass windows. who were of mixed race, but not K – KILLARNEY – Everybody enslaved. Those born free were knows Lake Cunningham, because referred to a ‘freemen’, while they see it whenever they travel slaves who were freed by their along John F Kennedy Drive. owners were known as ‘freedLoyalist General Robert Cunmen’. Freeing a slave was called ningham owned several hundred manumission. acres between the north side of G – Gibson, Timothy the lake and the sea – including – Teacher, musician and comthe Cable Beach stretch. LAKE poser of the Bahamas National KILLARNEY, the largest lake on Anthem. A list of national heroes New Providence (4,000 acres), is is not complete without him, almost a secret, because it used to H – HEPBURN, Davidson FORGOTTEN FACTS be very difficult to find. No one - With the support of his governknows how it got its name, leaving ment, this Bahamian diplomat us to assume that it was the work would have been elected presiof some homesick Irishman. dent of the United Nations, but he did become L – LEBANESE BAHAMIANS – In the late president of UNESCO. 19th century, small groups of migrants settled in I – IGUANA – “A large lizard that once teemed the Bahamas to escape the economic hardships throughout the Bahamas. It was hunted almost to suffered in the dying Turkish Empire. Amoury, extinction. The largest of all Bahamian iguanas, Armaly and Moses are well-known family names, six feet in length, lived on New Providence but is but Ouwade is not generally known, because their now extinct.” Today iguanas, including those on the Exuma Cays, are a tourist attraction, protected name was changed to Baker – giving us the oldest shop on Bay Street. by law. J – JEWISH BAHAMIANS are few and barely To be continued next week. enough to constitute a recognisable minority, which is no mere historical accident, but rather the result of unofficial but effective anti-Semitism. • For questions and comments, send an e-mail The pioneer was Moses Garfunkel, who opened a to islandairman@gmail.com
PAUL C ARANHA
12 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, February 12, 2021
Literary lives – Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)
‘The Greates of All Time’ PART TWO Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues to recall with awe the life of the American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist who is widely regarded as being the most significant and celebrated sports figure of the twentieth century. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see. Now you see me, now you don’t. George thinks he will, but I know he won’t.” - Muhammad Ali No one gave the former champion Ali any chance of winning. He was 32 years old and had lost much of his speed and quickness of reflexes. But he was confident and boastful before the fight. Ali, the underdog, was wildly popular in Zaire, the crowd who followed him around chanting “Ali, bomaye. Ali, bomaye.” (“Ali, kill him. Ali, kill him.”) Ali didn’t disappoint them. In sweltering heat Ali retreated to the ropes, covering up, and occasionally counter punching. It appeared that the fight was fixed as Ali offered little or no resistance. His “rope-a-dope” tactics violated all boxing wisdom. But curiously and unexpectedly Foreman began to tire midway through the fight which appeared to be so incredibly one-sided. Towards the end of the eighth round, against the ropes, and against the odds, Ali electrified the crowd with a flurry of counter punches which dropped an exhausted Foreman to the middle of the ring. Foreman failed to make the count. It was a total and major upset victory watched by a television audience of over a billion viewers all over the world. It was the world’s largest television audience of all time. “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. It is nothing. - Muhammad Ali Now the champion again, Ali had fights with Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, and Joe Bugner. They were all uneventful fights which Ali won. He then agreed to a third fight with Joe Frazier in the Philippines that became known as the “Thrilla in Manila”. It was held on 1 October 1975 in temperatures of over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. It was a bruising battle, with Ali being the aggressor in the early rounds but tiring and resorting to his “rope-a-dope” strategy that had been so effective in Zaire. He withstood cruelly destructive blows from the younger relentless Frazier who appeared
to tire somewhat in the 12th round allowing Ali to focus his ailing attack on Frazier’s eyes. He dominated the 13th and 14th rounds with merciless punches on Frazier’s closing left eye and a cut over his right eye. Despite protests from Frazier, his trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow Frazier to answer the bell for the fifteenth and final round. Frazier’s eyes were both swollen shut. Ali, the winner by TKO, was clearly exhausted and slumped on his corner stool. “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” – Muhammad Ali After the fight Ali said that the experience “was the closest thing to dying that I know”. He admitted then that he was considering retirement. But his fighting days were still not over. He fought Jean-Pierre Coopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn, winning the last contest by a knockout – the last time Ali would knock down an opponent in his boxing career.
In September 1976, Ali fought Ken Norton for the third time in Yankee Stadium. Ali won a heavily contested decision that was loudly booed by the audience. He announced that he was retiring for good, but returned to beat Alfredo Evangelista in May 1977, and then struggled to beat Earnie Shavers in September. But Ali was not well and his doctor Ferdie Pacheco told him in no uncertain terms that he should not fight again. But Ali needed the money so he agreed to fight Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion, in February 1978 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Ali was not prepared, unfit and completely out of shape. He lost by a split decision. In the re-match the following September, in the Superdome in New Orleans, seventy thousand people paid over $6 million to see the fight. It was the largest gate in boxing history. Ali won a unanimous decision in a journeyman contest. Neither boxer seemed enthusiastic about the event, but Ali’s victory made him the first heavyweight champion to win the title three times. Again Ali announced his retirement from boxing, but again his retirement was short lived.
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Friday, February 12, 2021
“My toughest fight was with my first wife. She didn’t do what she was supposed to do.” - Muhammad Ali The marriage was childless and they divorced on January 10, 1966. Ali married Belinda Boyd on August 17, 1967. They had four children and were divorced in 1977. During the marriage he married 16-yearold Wanda Bolton in an Islamic ceremony – not legally recognised. They had a daughter and she lived at Ali’s Deer Lake training camp with Belinda Boyd and her family – until their divorce in 1977, when he married Veronica Porché. They had two daughters but divorced in 1986. Ali’s relationship with Wanda Bolton ended following a $200,000 trust fund set up by Ali for their daughter. On November 19, Ali married Yolanda “Lonnie” Williams for the fourth and last time. Ali’s battle with Parkinson’s disease led to a gradual decline – although he was active well into the early years of the millennium. He was well known for being a humanitarian and a philanALI knocks out George Foreman in Kinshasa, October 1974. “It isn’t the mountain ahead to climb that wears you out. It’s the pebble in your shoe.” - Muhammad Ali Ali announced he had agreed to fight Larry Holmes for the WBC heavyweight championship for an unprecedented fourth time. It was a ridiculous decision – but he needed the money badly. There were a lot of hangers-on: promoters, managers, fitness coaches, medical staff, and others who were dependent on him. He was not at all well, having trouble with speaking and trembling hands. Larry Holmes did not want to fight him. He knew Ali didn’t have anything left, and that it would be a horror scene. The Nevada Athletic Commission decided that he would have to have a complete medical test in Las Vegas before being allowed to fight again. Instead Ali checked into the Mayo Clinic which declared him fit to fight. Their decision was accepted by the Nevada authorities on July 31, 1980 and the fight took place on October 2, 1980 in Las Vegas. Holmes completely dominated Ali who was further weakened by thyroid medication he had taken to lose weight. The one-sided fight was a disaster – probably the worst sporting event in boxing history. Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee told the referee to stop the fight in the 11th round. It was the only time Ali ever lost a fight because it had to be stopped. He was a battered weary figure. He fought one more time on December 11, 1981 in Nassau, Bahamas, losing against Trevor Berbick in a 10-round decision.
JOE Frazier misses Ali with a left hook. Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 – a disease almost certainly resulting from continuous head injuries received during his boxing career. He was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons. Introduced to cocktail waitress Sonji Roi in 1964, he asked her to marry him after their first date. The wedding took place one month later on August 14, 1964.
thropist. He practised his Islamic duty of charity, donating millions to charity organisations and disadvantaged people from all religious backgrounds. It is estimated he helped feed more than 22 million people afflicted by hunger across the world. One of his main focus was youth education. He spoke at several historically black colleges and universities about the importance of education, and was the largest single black donor to the United Negro College Fund. He began visiting Africa in 1964 after he had been to Ghana.
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In 1974, he visited a Palestinian refugee camp pledging support for their struggle to liberate their homeland. He visited Bangladesh and received an honorary citizenship there. He participated in The Longest Walk – a protest march in the United States in support of Native Rights. In 1980, he was recruited by President Jimmy Carter for a diplomatic mission to Africa to join the US-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics in response to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. In 1987, the California Bicentennial Foundation for the US Constitution selected Ali to personify the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. In 1988, during the “First Intifada”, he participated in a Chicago rally in support of Palestine. That same year he visited Sudan to raise awareness of famine victims. He participated with the Muslim Educational Society in Kerala raising funds for charity. In 1990, he travelled to Iraq prior to the Gulf War and met with Saddam Hussein to negotiate successfully for the release of American hostages. He campaigned in 1994 for the US government to aid the refugees affected by the Rwanda genocide. In 1996, Ali had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. On January 8, 2001, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton. On November 17, 2002 he went to Afghanistan as the “UN Messenger of Peace” and was in Kabul for the three-day Mission for the UN. On November 19, 2005, the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Centre was opened in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the Centre focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.
ALI receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W Bush, November 2005. After February 2013, Muhammad Ali had difficulty speaking and he was not expected to live for long. But he fought on. On December 20, 2014, he was hospitalised with pneumonia, and then again on January 15, 2015 with a urinary tract infection. He was released the next day. Ali was hospitalised in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 2, 2016 with a respiratory infection which didn’t seem to be serious. But the situation worsened and he died the next day of septic shock. He was 74 years old.
In November 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W Bush, followed by the Otto Hahn Peace Medal by the UN Association of Germany. On June 5, 2007 Ali received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Princeton University at their 260th. graduation. On July 29, 2012, Ali was a titular bearer of the Olympic Flag during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. That same year he was awarded the Philadelphia Liberty Medal in recognition of his lifelong efforts in activism, philanthropy and humanitarism. “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” – Muhammad Ali It is estimated that by 1978 Ali’s fight earnings were nearly $30 million, or $318 million in today’s financial terms. By 1980 his earnings were said to be over $70 million (or $333 million in today’s terms). However. he revealed that he had been nearly bankrupt in 1978, with a net worth of $3.5 million. This dire financial situation was as a result of taxes which siphoned off half of his income. Management took another third of his earnings,
MUHAMMAD Ali lights the first Olympic torch for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Atlanta, December, 2001. and his lifestyle, family costs, charity and religious responsibilities caused his decline in wealth. In 2006, Ali sold his name and image for $50 million, after which Forbes estimated his net worth to be $55 million. When Ali died on June 3, 2016 his fortune was estimated to be between $50 million and $80 million.
Ali’s funeral had been planned by himself several years before he died. On June 9 there was an Islamic prayer service at Freedom Hall in the Kentucky Exposition Centre. The following day a funeral procession passed through the streets of Louisville, ending at Cave Hill Cemetery where his body was interred during a private ceremony. His grave is marked with a simple grave marker that bears only his name. His pallbearers included Will Smith, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, George Chuvalo, Larry Holmes and George Foreman. The memorial service was watched by an estimated one billion viewers worldwide. NEXT WEEK: The French poet whose scandalous book of lyric poetry influenced a whole generation of poets. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; The Greatest: My Own Story (1975) by Muhammad Ali; and The Soul of a Butterfly (2003) by Muhammad Ali.
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Friday, February 12, 2021
animals
The sinister side of disregard By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters I see more and more articles from the world over showcasing the fact that many people refuse to respect the laws put in place to protect certain species of animals, and plants too, for that matter. This article comes hot on the heels of last week’s article that praised the fact that Mother Nature is catching herself thanks to the calamity of COVID-19; perhaps nature is the only non-victim of the past 12 months. This remains to be seen. The “cruise ship fields” as they are now referred to off the Berry Islands are testament to the fact that our seas and reefs are being left alone to regenerate, and I hear all cruise ship activity has been pushed back once again until October. I hear the collective cry of merchants, hair braiders, stall owners and taxi drivers, but somewhere out in the ocean there is a massive sigh of relief as our crystal clear waves lap up on the white sand of the Bahamas or, as depicted last week, the happy waterfowl hungrily and successfully fishing in the heart of the city of Venice. Yes, nature thrives whilst humans have to cope with new hardships that some of us have never encountered before. There is, however, another side to this coin, a more sinister side of it, one that people do not willingly admit to but continue to exercise, and that is the crime of fishing, shooting, killing animals that are protected under the Endangered Species Act. There seems to be a proliferation of this lately. Why? I have been thinking about it and even though people in general have never been terrific in following these laws, why does it get worse? There are several possible reasons, one being elementary, and that is that people are hungry. Hunger makes you do things that you may
DESPITE the fishing of grouper being restricted to certain months, they are still caught with alarming frequency throughout the year.
not have considered doing. However, here in the Bahamas, way before COVID, there has always been a blatant disregard for the conservation efforts of species. There is a grouper season… we all know why. The grouper is protected during the months that it spawns and baby grouper are born. It probably seams pretty obvious to some, but how many times do we go to restaurants here and in the Out Islands and see grouper on the menu. When you ask if all the fish is fresh, they always assure you that it is, then you say, “But wait a minute, this is closed grouper season!” Suddenly your “fresh” fish miraculously becomes “frozen”. Several cooks or chefs come out of nowhere spilling over with all sorts of nonsense from, “It’s not a Nassau grouper”, to “It depends where it was caught”, to “I bought a bunch and froze it.” And at one place I was told just plain and simple: “As long as the fishermen catch it, I plan to buy it.” Alas, as long as he buys it, the fishermen will fish it, and many will eat it without a second thought. There is still no season for conch, only a size limitation, but that is not respected. Conch of all sizes are brought up, and chopped up as quickly as possible, no concern about if there will be any for future generations. The same applies to crawfish. There is both a season and a size restriction. The fishing of crawfish, out of season is so prolific that illegally caught crawfish are called “summer crab”.
pet of the week
Have you been wanting to add to your family? Are you looking for a yard dog? A family pet? You’re sure to find a good match at the BHS. You can call 323-5138 for more information on the adoptable dogs, and wave a fond farewell to RJ and Juno as they head out on their new adventures.
Find a new family member By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY RJ and Juno have been hanging out at the Bahamas Humane Society awaiting a new home. Juno is just over a year old (he’s the brown one) and RJ is a bit older than that. These two are fortunate; they’ll be travelling to new lives in Florida very soon and may even be able to find a home together. There are, however, many other highly adoptable dogs at the BHS. They just need you to come looking for them.
Many years ago people liked to eat flamingos. Thank goodness that appears to be a thing of the past. They were already protected at the time, and their secret name was “hush mouth”. There is also the issue of hunting and killing protected animals, birds particularly fall prey to that. Hunters bring down scores of endangered birds. It is difficult to know whether it is ignorance or intentional. This problem is compounded by the fact that many hunters are not the superb shots they profess to be, frequently maiming a bird that will perhaps languish and die a painful death. Some of these birds may be out flying, searching for food for a nest full of chicks, when they are shot and killed, so subsequently the peripheral damage is increased; more protected birds will die from one bullet. This entire period of our lives is frustrating. We can’t do half the things that we want to do. We can’t travel, we can only meet up with a handful of friends (a whole new meaning for the word ‘bubble’), we have to be careful, careful, careful, and that leads to frustration; people do silly things when they are frustrated. Perhaps killing endangered animals and plants can happen by mistake sometimes. Eating them should not be possible if people care to follow the law.
(Photo/Linda Gill-Aranha)
• Pennies, pennies, pennies! They ceased being legal currency on December 31, 2020. What better way to shift them out of your house than to donate them to the BHS. There are several drop-off points around town (BHS, Fox Hill Nursery, Captain’s Table, Sandyport Medical Centre, to name a few). Got buckets worth? Call 323-5138 to arrange a pick-up.
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books
Female trio launches publishing house with distinction By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
H
AVING successfully collaborated on a book already, three local female authors are once again teaming up to express their love for writing. This time they are doing it by launching a publishing house that caters to both Bahamian and international authors. Distinction Publishing House is the brainchild of Allison Denise, Sherry Johnson Deal and Sherell Brown, all of whom are all published authors. Each member in the trio brings their unique set of skills to this venture; Sherry Johnson Deal is the writing coach and editor; Allison Denise is the creative director, while Sherell Brown is the marketing and public relations specialist. Distinction Publishing is an independent hybrid publisher and distributor dedicated to bringing
ALLISON DENISE, Sherell Brown and Sherry Johnson Deal works of poetry, fiction, as well as non-fiction like self-help books to the public. The publishing house, the trio explained, specialises in helping CEOs, entrepreneurs, public figures, religious leaders, professional athletes, thought leaders and private citizens who may want to put their knowledge into both print and digital books to expand their platforms. “We have all decided to take our love for writing combined with our unique gifts to create a platform that is professional in the delivery of services and is affordable in cost in order to help make one’s dream of becoming an author a reality,” said Ms Brown. “It is our desire to assist those who wish to write to empower, who wish to write educate or those who wish to write to entertain. This journey had been months in the making and now that we are finally here, the first thing we want to do is give back. To this end, we will be facilitating a contest to give aspiring authors an opportunity to win some of our services.” Although the publishing house was launched in Colorado, Ms Brown said they want to cater
Children’s book that celebrates Bahamian culture wins international award A children’s book that celebrates a childhood spent in the Bahamas by American author Robert E Constant has won third place in the 2021 Feathered Quill Book Awards. The illustrated book “Hello Grandma!” won bronze in the Early Children’s Readers category, and Mr Constant could not be more delighted. “Congratulations! Normally we see a 20 percent increase in nominations every year but this year we saw an astonishing 80 percent increase. Robert should be quite proud that his book rose to the top of all these nominations,” said the organisers of the awards in an e-mail sent to the author. “Hello Grandma!” tells the story of Saniyah and Robbie following their decision to visit their grandmother in the Bahamas, Nassau to be precise. This brings them to the realisation that saying
“Hello Grandma!” online is nothing compared to having a physical interaction and connection with their grandparents. The book takes readers on an exciting adventure as they travel miles to see their grandma and experience the rich, colourful Bahamian culture. Mr Constant, who is of Bahamian descent, said he wrote the book because he wanted his children to learn about his childhood summers spent in the Bahamas – the place where he learned to swim, dive and cook. The American writer has been travelling back and forth to the country since he was six weeks old. “Hello Grandma!” is the author’s second children’s book and the follow-up to his five-star rated debut, “Hey Tuskegee!” – a story about outstanding accomplishments of iconic African-Americans.
to authors both in the Bahamas and around the world. “This decision was made because we want to make a global impact by assisting authors from around the globe. This platform is nondiscriminatory, whether local or international, it is our desire to see you paid and published,” she told Tribune Weekend. To help aspiring writers, Distinction Publishing has launched a special contest for a chance to win a book deal valued at $2,100. Other prizes include a free book cover design, free book editing of up to 20,000 words or a free six-second voiceover for a book trailer “The contest is symbolic of who we are as individuals; we believe in the godly principle that if you give it shall be given back unto you by good measure pressed down shaken together running over,” said Ms Brown. “Currently we are in the process of publishing two books, ‘Active Faith’ by Allison Denise and ‘Move On Already’ by Sherry Johnson Deal.” For more information, visit www.distinctionpublishinghouse.com.