02172017 weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

books television film fashion music puzzles food gardening

Weekend

belles of the ball Pages 14&15

Dock star Island life inspires music icon Mike Oldfield Interview, pages 4-7

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

fashion

Ripe for the picking JuJu Seasons offers fashion for the eclectic taste

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

N Designs by JuJu Season

OW that the Bahamian brand JuJu Season has made the transition from an online clothing and accessory boutique to a brick and mortar store, customers will have easy access to eclectic, hand-made fashion by a local designer.

The store, located on 117 Collins Avenue, officially opened its doors last Friday.

JuJu Season offers women’s clothing in varying styles and sizes as well as accessories from other local companies. The store also offers complimentary alteration if needed.

The opening of JuJu Season was a long time coming for sisters Myrlande and Geraldine Julien, who along with another sibling are partners in the business.

As a designer, Myrlande dreamed of having her own manufacturing and retail space since she attended fashion school in 2008.

“We were previously hosting popup shops to let people preview our line and begin to get the brand out there. This has definitely been a transition to a full retail space. We got most of our inquiries through wordof-mouth and Facebook. Now, having to think about retail merchandising and store layout and more overhead has been interesting thus far. But we have people who are supportive of our vision,” Geraldine told Tribune Weekend.

The store’s uniqueness is not limited to the diverse styles it offers.

What makes it special is that all of its merchandise is hand-made right here in the Bahamas.

“JuJu Season is the ready-to-wear line that is featured in the store. We also have custom pieces by Myrlande. We showcase a lot of prints.

African prints are perfect for the eclectic woman or a woman who just wants a different look. We have light, airy pieces like rompers and camisoles that are perfect for our warm weather. We will also have a lot of maxi dress options. While we source our fabrics locally and from abroad, we make all the pieces in-house,” said Geraldine.

When it comes to designing pieces for the line, Myrlande said inspiration for her comes after drawing sketches and comparing how certain designs look.

“I usually just see how things look in my mind. I sketch them out sometimes and then I make the pieces. I don’t really study what other people do,” she said.

Other local jewellery lines featured in the store include Always by Allia M Dean, Divine Transformations and Eclectic Soul by Lenelle Michelle. The store also carries locally hand-poured soy candles from Khairos Kandles, and products from AnnEzekiel, a brand that caters specifically to men with custom-made boxes containing signature items for him.

“It is very important for us to feature the work of local entrepreneurs – community over competition. We are doing what we wish we had available to us before – a shared space for those of us who are looking to push boundaries and showcase our brands with strong important messages,” said Geraldine.

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 7 Cara Hunt interviews world-famous musician and composer Mike Oldfield at his Nassau home Food 8 - 9 Graycliff serves up first-class dining alongside a taste of history

Music 10 - 11 Janiqua Armbrister sings about God’s love, plus Dyson Knight is ready to “Play” this carnival season Film 12 “Fist Fight” reviewed, plus Hollywood goes to China with “The Great Wall”

Weekend fashion report 13, 16 The hits and misses of the Grammy and BAFTA red carpets Belles of the ball 14 - 15 The 53rd Heart Ball

Books 17 - 19 Bahamian fans eagerly await new Tanya R Taylor book, plus “Books Under the Stars” aims to teach kids a love of reading, plus the latest releases reviewed Television 20 - 21 “Family Feud” gets the Bahamian treatment in new Cable 12 show Literary Lives 22 - 25 Sir Christopher Ondaatje recalls meeting the great Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev Forgotten Facts

25 Jocelyn “Joy” Pyfrom’s journey to the Bahamas in 1946

Puzzles 26 Animals 27 Kim Aranha on why the family pet is an institution, plus Pet of the Week Gardening 28 Jack Hardy delves into sweet peppers

Cover photo | Bahamas Visual Services/Craig Lenihan and Tim Aylen

My perfect Bahamian weekend Niandre Meronard Wife, mother and entrepreneur Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday brunch?

“Sunday brunch, because Sunday is just a slower, more relaxed day and you have more time to enjoy the meal and the person you are with.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“I have to say sofa, because I prefer being able to curl up and watch a movie or a TV show and then fall asleep.”

Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik?

“Can I say two? I like wine because it’s an easy-going light drink and I am not a big drinker. However, I have to also choose the Kalik Radler, especially the cranberry; they only have two per cent but they are so, so good.”

Q: One thing that you cannot live without?

“Definitely my family. I was an only child and now I am a wife and a mother-of-two, and I just cannot imagine not waking up and my family being there. It has just become what is normal for me.”

Q: Weekend away, where would you go and why?

“I would go to Maui, and all because of the movie ‘Moana’. I saw it with my daughter and I was just inspired by it and want to see it.”

Things 2 Do this weekend Saturday • The Pan Hellenic Council’s Chocolate Fun Run/Walk Time: 6am Venue: Arawak Cay Join your favourite Greeks at this year’s Chocolate Run/Walk. Registration is $15 and includes a bag and chocolate goodies.

Sunday) Venue: The Greek Orthodox Church grounds, West Street Get your fill of Greek goodies during this two-day event that only comes around once every two years. Gryos, Greek pastries and beer, and other delectables served in a festive setting with live music and dancing.

• Farm to Table Pop-Up Market Time: 8am - 3pm Venue: Bush n’ Tings, #5 Delancy Street Fresh local produce, natural and organic bath and body products, and other locally made items will be available.

• In Pursuit of Passion Time: 7.30pm Venue: Taj Mahal Authentic Indian Restaurant Join Insight Stage for their event designed to help participants discover their passion for love, life and work.

• Greek Fest 2017 Time: 12pm - 11pm (continues on

• 2017 International Junior Miss Bahamas Pagent

Time 7.30pm - 9.30pm Saturday Venue: Pelican Bay Hotel, Freeport The winners of this event will represent the Bahamas July 2-9 in Nashville, Tennessee at Internationals.

• Black & Sexy Valentine’s Party Time: 7pm Venue: Doongalik Studios, Village Road The fundraiser for the African People’s Socialist Party offers live entertainment and food and drink specials.

Admission is $10 for women and $15 for men. All proceeds will go toward building institutions that will improve the conditions of poor and working class people throughout the Bahamas.

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Friday, February 17, 2017

interview He has sold more than 20 million records worldwide and won numerous awards. His move to the Bahamas was supposed to signal his retirement, but the composer of the famous “Exorcist” theme tells Cara Hunt how the beautiful island surroundings have reignited his creative passion, how Rose Island almost cost him his Olympics call and about the mysteries of Nassau traffic.

Photos/Bahamas Visual Services/Craig Lenihan and Tim Aylen

Mike Oldfield

M

ike Oldfield is a worldfamous musician and composer who has won multiple awards, provided the main theme for the horror classic “The Exorcist” and performed at the London Olympics.

But all that is a world away from the relaxed life the English recording artist now enjoys at his Eastern Road home.

Although the 63-year-old originally

moved to Nassau about a decade ago to retire, the musical genius has found the beauty and tranquillity of island living has helped his creative juices to continue to flow.

Today, he keeps himself busy in his home recording studio. That is, of course, when he is not indulging in his passion for sailing, playing with the two huge Potcake dogs he recently adopted from the Bahamas Humane Society or fighting traffic to drop off his two

sons, Jake and Eugene, at St Andrew’s School.

“Working here in this environment has helped. It’s just the colours and it’s paradise; it makes working easier. A lot of Bahamians may not realise just how grey it is in Europe in the winter.

It is, in winter, paradise here,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“I was living in England and was really depressed. One whole summer I was only able to sit in the garden for

half an hour. So I went first of all to Spain and then to the south of France.”

While there, he got his day skipper boat licence and met an agent who showed him a brochure for the Grand Bahama Yacht Club.

“It was rainy and cold again, so we decided to see what it was like and we landed in Freeport. I saw the Yacht Club and thought, ‘This is it. This is what I have been looking for,’ and I

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bought a house in Grand Bahama,” he said.

However, as much as he enjoyed life in Grand Bahama, he fell in love with Nassau when he visited on the way back to Freeport after a sailing trip to Fort Lauderdale.

“We saw Nassau and I said, ‘Oh, this is even better.’ I loved Grand Bahama, but Nassau seemed more alive and more populated.”

He said his current home on the Eastern Road just ticked all of his boxes. It allows him space for a recording studio, a dock for his boat, and the perfect environment in which to raise his kids. Being situated on top of a hill also helps his internet connection, he joked.

“The very good thing about this house is the internet connection is good and I conduct sessions from here.

I don’t really have to travel, which is great because I don’t like to travel anymore. I travelled non-stop for 30 to 40 years. For the last album when I moved here I had an old-fashioned satellite dish with a very slow internet connection, so I can be connected even when the cable is out. I actually delivered the last album by satellite. It took about three days to send it. I came here to retire, but I just keep working,” he said.

Mr Oldfield is best known for his “Tubular Bells” album. The record, an hour-long masterpiece which features him playing multiple instruments, was released in 1973 when he was just 20.

The record helped launch Richard Branson’s Virgin Records and became a hit in America after its opening was used as the theme for the film “The Exorcist”.

Mike Oldfield in 1973

“I very nearly didn’t get the (Olympics) job because I didn’t know how big Rose Island was...I don’t think anything will ever compare and it changed the way people think of me.

Signature work And now, more than 40 years later, he is about to embark on the album’s fourth incarnation.

“I am working on the fourth version.

It is going to be something different, like a multimedia experience. Like an application it will have all kinds of goodies in it, so this is the next stage,” he said. “I call it my advanced music player; it was designed with a software and code writer.”

Mr Oldfield explained that he has revisited “Tubular Bells” time and again because it is his signature work.

“The thing is that it is a brand name,” he said. “I could release the same music under a different name and it wouldn’t get the same attention. It is a really lucky situation to be in.”

Mike Oldfield with one of his beloved potcakes at his home.

Among the variations of the popular piece is a “Tubular Bells” for schools, which he composed at the request of the headmaster at St Andrew’s.

“The headmaster asked me to do something for the school,” he explained. “So I did a simple arrangement that one student could play, and I worked very closely with the school and they found one student who could play it. They decided to do a premiere at the school and I had the idea to invite Richard Branson. He was delighted to come over. He spent the night here and we played some music, drank some champagne. Some of the people at the school were surprised to see him there for sure,” he said.

Mr Oldfield noted that there is still a relevance to the music that continues four decades later.

“It does seem like people keep discovering ‘Tubular Bells’ because there is so much in it. It’s not like a three-minute pop song. It’s a 45- or 50-minute piece of instrumental music, there are so many different parts of it, so they will discover all the different parts.”

If “Tubular Bells” is his signature musical creation, his performance at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics is the career highlight he is most proud of. And as he told Tribune Weekend, it was a performance that almost didn’t happen.

“Never in a million years did I think that I would be asked,” he said. “It was in 2011 that I got the call from my record label that the famous film producer Danny Boyle is going to ask you to be a part of the ceremony. I got the e-mail and it said that he will call you.

I didn’t know what to do, I was like a cat on a hot tin roof. So I got on my little boat and decided to go to Rose Island, and I had this great idea that I would go around Rose Island, not realising that Rose Island is 18 miles long, which is like 36 miles round trip. I was out there thinking, ‘It has to come to an end soon because Danny Boyle is going to call me’. It was just as far to go back as it was to go back around and I finally got to the end and there was a huge sand bar and I thought, ‘I’ll get stuck in the sand bar, I’ll never get the call’,” he said.

“And so I had to go around the sand bar. But I got back finally and ran up to the house and the phone rang just then. And so I very nearly didn’t get the job because I didn’t know how big Rose Island was! Anyway, (Danny

Continued on page six

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Continued from page five Boyle) was great. He came here and back in one day. I picked him up from the airport, we sat down in my studio and he played me a video that was a pre-vid of the ceremony. It had things like James Bond in it and he said this is the bit where the Queen is going to jump out of the helicopter and there will be hundreds of Mary Poppins coming down. He had seen a show I had done down in London and wanted me to do something similar. We sat down for about an hour and he was catching the 10 o’clock flight back. We had a few hours to spare and on the way to the airport I took him to see Atlantis. He went back and I got to work straight away.”

Olympic fanfare The first thing he wrote was the fanfare. “That fanfare became the Olympic fanfare. When the Queen opened the Games it was my fanfare.

I got 17 minutes out of an hour, quite a big chunk. It was just spectacular; it was just a high spot in my life,” said Mr Oldfield.

“I sometimes still have to pinch myself that that really happened. And that every part of it was a success; all the performers they just gave it all 100 per cent. A lot of people were sneering at it before: they didn’t like the garden, they thought it looked like the Teletubbies. There were about five to ten thousand performers and we really just socked it to them. It was a triumph.

“I don’t think anything will ever compare and it changed the way people think of me. My music had been deemed to be very old-fashioned; no one makes music like that any more.

The current album which has just come out is like a rebirth. This handmade instrumental music had gone out of fashion but it has been very well received,” he said.

“My music has become fashionable again. People are willing to spend the time listening to instrumental music, not someone just twerking, but an artist who can play and has created something beautiful,” he said.

Mr Oldfield says he is very pleased with the new album, “Return to Ommadawn”, which features a blend of Celtic and African music.

“The first three albums starting in 1973, they were all handmade pieces of music. Then in the late 70s they became to me a disaster. It was the advent of what they called punk rock,

Mike Oldfield playing his guitar in front of actual tubular bells at the opening of the 2012 London Olympics.

“Bahamians are some of the nicest people in the world, and I am very well travelled.

I love the culture, the Junkanoo, the colours.” which to me was just these very skinny guys shouting. For some reason the music industry and the press thought that this was wonderful,” he said.

“I thought they had all gone mad, and even my own record company lost interest in my music. So I had to reinvent myself, I suppose. I started writing shorter pieces and I started writing songs. I had some success in the 80s and some are songs that people still listen to today. I had to learn how to write songs. But it is only since the Olympic Games that I have felt that is

all right to make music the way that I used to way back in the beginning, with a human touch on everything.”

And he hopes a new generation will discover and enjoy his music.

“It is a very different experience if you have never heard this music before,” he said. “If you like classical music, you will be more open to it.

You’re not going to enjoy it if you like Top 20 pop or something like. But if someone wanted to try it they just have to be open to something different to listen to. There is a lot to it.”

When it comes to his own musical tastes, he admits that he does not pay attention to music when he is not recording.

“I get asked the question, ‘What do you listen to?’ and the answer is, ‘I make music, I am not an expert on musicians.’ I don’t listen to anything unless it’s by chance or there is some reason to listen to it, because when you are constantly making music, when you are not making music the last thing you want to do is listen to it. Listen to the sounds around us – that to me is relaxation and music,” he said.

However, when he is in the studio, he said the music takes him over.

“I wouldn’t say it’s when I am happiest. It would be more accurate to say I lose myself and I become the music.

The time when it works best is when I am interfering with it as least as possible. Because I learned how to play when I was very young I am as good a guitarist now as I was when I was 13. I don’t have to think about it when I am doing it. I can put all my heart and soul into the end result and the instrument is just the vehicle.”

He said that is probably how it is with any creative person.

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A discography spanning 40 years “You don’t have to think about it. It’s like the centipede who is asked, ‘How do you walk on so many legs?’ and then he could never walk again, because he started thinking about it.”

School traffic One of his favourite creations is “Amarok” – an album he created in 1990 which was originally conceived as an angry protest record, but which he feels has was not as well received as he would have liked. “ ‘Amarok’ means wolf in some Northern European language; it is something else not for beginners. It is so just crazy, but crazy enough to be fascinating. There are all kinds of things in it. I decided to make music with my tool box, so I used my hammer and my wrench. Then it has African drummers on top of it and then it has a Margaret Thatcher speech.

It has a 500-member choir singing and then there will be footsteps. It was something people either love or don’t get,” he explained.

“It’s not music for entertainment but other reasons. If you were to compare it to a painting it would not be a peaceful landscape. I fell out with Richard Branson at the time and so I had the horn section spelling out a rude message to him in Morse code, but now we laugh about it.”

Another thing he is passionate about is promoting the Bahamas abroad.

“In my interview for permanent residency they asked me what could I do for the Bahamas. I told them I can promote tourism. I often do interviews and press interviews all over Europe, including

photos, especially when an album is coming out, and they always ask me about the Bahamas. There is a piece coming out in the Daily Mail on me and five million people will see that, and if one in a thousand sees that and decides to bring their family...”

“I’d like to contribute. I do not want to sit here and not give anything. It is what I promised in return for the honour and privilege of having permanent residency.

I love the Bahamian people – the man on the street, the woman on the street.

Bahamians are some of the nicest people in the world, and I am very well travelled.

I love the culture, the Junkanoo, the colours,” he said.

“No one really knows who I am here; they leave me alone. Bahamas people are not like that; they are not nosy and they are genuinely nice. I would not want to live in a gated community. I feel like I live along the people and I feel protected; it’s lovely.”

He also feels a connection to most Bahamians who have to endure early morning traffic, particularly as he does the school run.

“It’s one of life’s great mysteries. I cannot understand why coming back from school (there is traffic); it doesn’t make any sense. One day everyone is on the road and it takes me one hour to get back, and the next day there is nobody.

Where have they all gone?

“I go past the prison and pick up the lights near Fox Hill. It has taken me about two years to work it out, but there are ways and little rat runs you can take to avoid the traffic,” he said.

Mike Oldfield has had more than 30 charting albums and 25 charting singles on the British charts and many more around the world.

They include:

1970s • Tubular Bells (1973) • Hergest Ridge (1974) • Ommadawn (1975) • Incantations (1978) • Platinum (1979)

1980s • QE2 (1980) • Five Miles Out (1982) • Crises (1983) • Discovery (1984) • The Killing Fields (1984) • Islands (1987) • Earth Moving (1989)

1990s • Amarok (1990) • Heaven’s Open (1991) • Tubular Bells II (1992) • The Songs of Distant Earth (1994) • Voyager (1996) • Tubular Bells III (1998) • Guitars (1999) • The Millennium Bell (1999)

2000s • Tr3s Lunas (2002) • Tubular Bells 2003 (2003) • Light + Shade (2005) • Music of the Spheres (2008) • Man on the Rocks (2014) • Return to Ommadawn (2017)

Although Mr Oldfield considers himself primarily a guitarist, he has played more than 40 distinct and different instruments on record, including: • A wide variety of electric and acoustic six-string guitars and bass guitars (plus electric sitar and guitar synthesiser) • Other fretted instruments (banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, ukulele, Chapman Stick) • Keyboards (piano, organ, assorted synthesisers, spinet), • Electronic instruments (Fairlight CMI plus other digital samplers and sequencers; assorted drum programmes, vocoder, software synthesisers) • Wind instruments (flageolet, recorder, penny and bass whistles, Northumbrian bagpipes) • Free-reed instruments (accordion, melodica) • String instruments (violin, harp, psaltery) • Unpitched percussion (including bodhrán, African drums, timpani, rhythm sticks, tambourine, shaker, cabasa) • Tuned percussion (tubular bells, glockenspiel, marimba, gong, sleigh bells, bell tree, Rototoms, Simmons electronic drums, triangle) • Plucked idiophones (kalimba, jaw harp) • Occasional found instruments (such as nutcrackers)

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food

A taste of history

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

I

T is not every restaurant that invites its guests to partake in its history. But that is one of things that sets the five-star Graycliff Restaurant apart from other establishments.

As soon as you walk through the doors you get a feeling of what the former private home must have been like in the 1940s.

Guests can enjoy a tour of the world-renowned wine cellar that holds an inventory of more than 250,000 bottles, a view of the gardens and swimming pools, the chocolatier, the famous cigar company, the piazza and more.

“The atmosphere is very much colonial style. When you come for lunch or dinner, if you are in a hurry we will seat you straight to your table, but our way is that you sit and look at the menu right here in the lounge, decide what you are having, and then you are taken to your table where lunch or dinner is served,” said Roberta Garzaroli, marketing representative at Graycliff and daughter of the owners, Enrico and Anna Maria Garzaroli.

Over the years, said Ms Garzaroli, they have significantly expanded on their menu and service. She explained that they initially started with a very traditional French chef, but later took on a Bahamian chef.

“All of our staff have been here for a long time.

We have a lot of positive feedback and repeat clientele, both local and tourists.

It is very family friendly and lots of people bring their children. At lunchtime we also offer a wine luncheon so persons can do a wine-paired lunch. Chef also does a cooking lesson by appointment; we require a minimum of six persons,”

“I like to give persons the opportunity to experience not only local cuisine but also international.

I try to elevate my cooking techniques and flavours.”

she said.

Grand Bahama native Chef Elijah Bowe said working at Graycliff was a decades-long dream for him which actually came true.

He remembers standing across the street on Baillou Hill Road with a friend more than 20 years ago, looking at the restaurant, and telling his friend: “I am going to be the executive chef there one day.” “(That’s) a true story,” Chef Bowe told Tribune Weekend.

The aspect he enjoys most about working at Graycliff is that he not only gets the opportunity to serve great food, but also to provide first-class service.

“We have great products, wines, an ambiance – we offer the total package.

Whatever the occasion, we cater to that. Whether it is a wedding proposal, birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s, I have done my share of those,” he said.

When it comes to the menu, Chef Bowe said there is something for every palate. Appetisers and entrées include fettuccine Enrico; smoked duck pro-

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Photos Shawn Hanna

sciutto; roasted beets and French goat cheese Napoleons; Bahamian style conch chowder; stuffed raviolacci with lobster morsels; Tamaha steak; chilled Bahamian stone crab claws with warm French dijon mustard sauce, and jumbo shrimp. For dessert, guests can choose from the grand gourmet cheese platter, the cherry jubilee Italian gelato, the Graycliff apple crumble, old-fashioned Louisiana banana foster, and more.

“I like to use Bahamian products, but I also like the fact that I get food from all over the world, especially the shrimp – Spanish shrimps. I like to give persons the opportunity to experience not only local cuisine but also international. I try to elevate my cooking techniques and flavours. I am also a meat lover and that is why I chose to

do the Tamaha steak today. That is a meat lover’s dream; a 32-ounce steak.

For the herbivores we have a variety of salads available here. I did the beet and goat cheese salad because I like combining flavours, and I like to say I am a mixologist of the kitchen,” said Chef Bowe.

“The raviolacci pasta, you can almost consider it a vegetarian dish as well. The ravioli are filled with cheese and I did a mushroom ragu and tossed it all together with a little bit of chardonnay, butter and sage. I just try to make sure we cater to everyone’s needs. We got you here at Graycliff.”

While he enjoys one-on-one feedback from the guests, Chef Bowe said it is also great how word-of-mouth has been promoting their food.

“I have a really good childhood

friend and whenever we get together he tells me stories how persons give him rave reviews about Graycliff, so it is not just what people tell me, it is what they share with others,” said Chef Bowe.

Speaking about the restaurant’s interior design, Ms Garzaroli said her parents tried to keep as much of the original décor as possible.

All of the rooms have a mix of new and original furniture.

One of the eye-catching pieces found in the lounge area is the wine bottle ‘tree’ that stands 15ft tall. Approximately 780 bottles are arranged on the metal frame, offering guests an ideal backdrop for their photos.

“You are actually standing on the third largest wine cellar in the world, so those are all empty bottles from the restaurant. Last year we did a contest to guess how many bottles were on the tree and we had a young lady who won and the prize, which was a dinner for two,” she said.

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music

Not just another love song “God, you gave me all of these songs so now I want to give a song to you.”

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

M

OST, if not all, of the love songs that inundated the radio airwaves this week focused on the deep emotion and connection that people in intimate relationships experience.

But one song that was released on Valentine’s Day communicated a different kind of the love – the deep love God feels for his people.

The single is simply called “Love Song” and is by gospel singer Janiqua Armbrister.

The artist said the song is a product from a chapter in her life she experienced three years ago.

“During this season God was just singing over me. He would wake me up and begin to sing. I’d be in the car and He would sing, in prayer meeting, in the shower, just about anywhere and He would speak to me through song. Some days He would give me a new song, an original, and some days He would just sing to me a song I already knew. But no matter what I was dealing with, He always responded and quieted me with a song,” she told Tribune Weekend.

Janiqua said this experience made her songwriting journey a unique one.

“I cannot take credit for any of those songs. He gave them to me fully loaded with melody and lyrics. The only thing I did was record what it was I heard. I began to get overwhelmed by His love for me. I felt so loved that He would communicate with me in such a unique way. I’d hear testimonies from others about how God spoke to them and I had found myself wanting to know His voice in that same way, but He kind of put a twist on it and wrecked me forever. So ‘Love Song’ is really me communicating how I felt about the way God felt about me. I was like, ‘God, you gave me all of these songs so now I want to give a song to you.’ I sat down to write exactly what I felt for Him and there were no other appropriate words to begin with than, ‘I’m so in love with you’,” she told Tribune Weekend.

What Janiqua loves most about the song is that it is a honest expression and a response to the love she experiences

Gospel singer Janiqua Armbrister sings about God’s love in her personal relationship with God every day.

“We sing love songs to our significant other to let them know how we feel about them or we play love songs that get all sorts of emotions rolling. In some cases, it draws you closer and makes you want to be more intimate with your mate. ‘Love Song’ does that for me in relation to my Father. It’s me just wanting to love Him more and wanting to be closer, and I feel that way every time I

sing or hear the song,” she said.

Janiqua began singing as a child being when she was invited to churches and various events to share her talent.

She wrote her first song at the age of 18 and has since penned numerous tracks.

“I really never even imagined that I would ever record or release any of them. For me, they were more an intimate thing between me and God. However, about four years ago I met one of my mentors, and now my big

sister, Trisha Green.

She was my vocal coach at that time.

And sharing my songs with her, she was adamant about me sharing my music with the world. She was the first person that made me feel like this was something that I could really do. She poured into me selflessly and pushed me far beyond myself, and she was a major key in me deciding to actually release a song. I would say that ‘Love Song’ is the beginning of something great for me,,” said Janiqua.

‘Love Song’ is available for download on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

Copies of the single are also available at the Bible Book and Gift Centre in Palmdale. Janiqua’s ‘Love Letter’ T-shirt series featuring printed lyrics from the song are also available via pre-order. All orders can be sent to jae. armbrister@gmail.com.

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music “Carnival is my time. I’ve been a soca-flavoured artist from the very first song I recorded in 2000. I’ve always had a love affair with the culture of Caribbean carnival. Maybe it due to my Bajan roots, but carnival is freeing for me.”

Dyson Knight is here to “Play”

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

D

YSON Knight’s daily schedule involves hitting the gym shortly after sunrise, rehearsing in the studio, conducting meetings and interviews, and working on marketing, promotion and bookings on behalf of the bands Visage and Baha Men. To put it simply, the artist is constantly on the move and has little down time.

But he told Tribune Weekend that he does not mind sacrificing his free time in order to focus on his music projects.

After all, his success in the industry as Bahamian artist is his top priority.

Since late last year, Dyson has been prepping this season’s new releases for the carnival, Junkanoo and regatta seasons.

“I’ve been spending some time working with young musicians/entertainers through the Noo Music School, and most recently, the Music Project, which hosted a world-class high school band competition. I’ve also been performing solo gigs as well as band gigs here in Nassau and around the Family Islands,” he said. “Namely First Fridays at Club Secrets in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, and Fantastic Fridays with Visage (at the British Colonial Hilton).”

Dyson has also just released his newest soca single, “Play”, just in time for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in May. “Carnival is my time. I’ve been a soca-flavoured artist from the very first song I recorded in 2000. I’ve always had a love affair with the culture of Caribbean carnival. Maybe it due to my Bajan roots, but carnival is freeing for

me. Much like Junkanoo, but there’s no competition amongst masqueraders. It’s just about having a great time and being thankful for life. This concept was my inspiration for ‘Play’,” he said.

Whenever the song bursts through speakers, Dyson said he imagines himself celebrating on the road with friends. He hopes to evoke this same feeling in everyone who listens to the song.

“I expect everyone to have a slightly

different reaction to this track. Some will want to jump around by themselves while others will want to couple up with someone for a close dance,” he said.

Dyson is expected to team up with local videographer Lavado Stubbs of Conch Boy Films for a music video to accompany the single.

“He heard the song and has shown strong interest in directing the music video,” he said.

“My next project is the ‘Play Party’.

It will be an event that will cater to the people that enjoy carnival the way I do. It will be good, clean fun with the highest rated songs from around the carnivals. I also have three more singles and another music video to introduce to the world before summer,” he said.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

film Bob Mahoney/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP

review

‘Fist Fight’ an indulgence in pre-teen male fantasy fist fight running time: 91 mins

I

f you like Ice Cube surly and sneering, find penis drawings hilarious and believe real men solve problems by throwing punches, “Fist Fight “ is for

you.

This R-rated comedy from director Richie Keen starts with a ridiculous premise: One high-school teacher insists that another fight him after school to settle a professional beef.

The opening scene further sets the juvenile tone, taking just seconds

Ice Cube plays history teacher Strickland to introduce viewers to the script’s three favorite words: the F-word, the P-word and the B-word. Higher learning, this isn’t.

“Fist Fight” is an indulgence in adolescent male fantasy, where teachers fight and kids rule the school. So it doesn’t really matter that it plays its leading men as caricatures and uses sexist insults throughout. It’s an ab-

surd undertaking from the start.

Charlie Day is Andy Campbell, a nebbishy English teacher at Roosevelt High School. Cube is Strickland, a humourless history teacher who’s carrying a bat and wearing a scowl when we first see him onscreen. It’s the last day of school, and the seniors are going wild with pranks.

One such prank leads Strickland to

lose his temper and he ends up smashing a student’s desk with a hatchet during class.

Campbell points the finger at Strickland, who’s fired on the spot.

That’s when Strickland challenges Campbell to “handle our differences like real men” with an after-school fist fight. “Hashtag teacherfight,” Strickland says.

Day is convincing as a pathetic putz, even as the story gets more and more farfetched. As established at the outset, “Fist Fight” is set in the world of the ridiculous, so it follows that Campbell would go to crazy lengths to avoid the fight with Strickland, including buying drugs from a student to plant on his colleague.

Cube’s character, though, isn’t developed beyond the snarl. All we know about Strickland is that he’s angry and prone to violence.

The brightest spots in the film come from the supporting players. Jillian Bell is a riot as a school guidance counsellor completely off the rails.

She does drugs before school and lusts after the students, lamenting that when teachers are caught having affairs with kids.

Tracy Morgan is in fine form just being himself as a kooky football coach. Kumail Nanjiani shines as the ineffectual campus security guard, and 10-year-old newcomer Alexa Nisenson is a scene-stealer with her school talent show performance.

SANDY COHEN AP Entertainment Writer

China goes Hollywood in ‘The Great Wall’ Big Hollywood hits commonly reap half or more of their box office overseas, as “Finding Dory” and “Rogue One” have done. Zhang Yimou’s “The Great Wall,” which opens Friday, will test whether that trick works both ways.

“The Great Wall,” a mostly Englishlanguage film with a Chinese director, crew and cast, stars Matt Damon as a European mercenary who finds himself caught in a battle between a Chinese army of the Song dynasty (960 -1279) and ravenous monsters on the other side of — you guessed it — the Great Wall of China.

The $150 million production is already a blockbuster at home. It premiered in China in mid-December and has made more than $225 million internationally. But there’s still a lot

Matt Damon stars in “The Great Wall”

riding on the film, which its backers hope will pave the way for future Chinese-made films designed to wow North American audiences.

“It’s an interesting test case for how a film that originates in China, utilizes big name American stars and has a big budget, will play in North America,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at research firm comScore.

Whether is succeeds or fails is “no small thing” for those considering other films like “The Great Wall,” Dergarabedian said. “You have to show a viability of these types of films that go from East to West rather West to East,” he said.

MAE ANDERSON AP Technology Writer

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, February 17, 2017

celebrity

pART

1

The Weekend Fashion Report 59th Annual Grammy Awards

SPLIT

FAIL

HIT

HIT

SPLIT

Rihanna

Katy Perry

Adele

Lady Gaga

Solange Knowles

Karin says: “This is like an edgy take on ‘Barbie goes to the Grammys’ from the 80s.... and I like it. The neon orange contrasts nicely with the huge black skirt. The Grammys tend to be when the stars go a little crazy style wise – usually with hideous results – so this is actually a great ensemble.”

Cara says: “OK, I know her fans gonna be mad, but I don’t like it. The skirt is lovely and dramatic, but I hate that top.

It’s like a bad Halloween throwback. The hair is on point, but it’s not her best look overall.”

Karin says: “I know she wanted to go with the one hair colour she hasn’t tried yet, and while blonde doesn’t really work for her, I’m willing to let it go. What I won’t let go is my hatred for that skirt. How many Fraggles had to die for that ugly ombre skirt, Katy?

Oh, and the top is awful as well.”

Cara says: “I didn’t recognise Katy on the red carpet at first.

That being said, I don’t care for her outfit. The top looks like she is being strangled by tin foil, while I assume hundreds of ostriches had to be plucked for that skirt. I also hate her messy hair, but love the dramatic makeup.”

Karin says: “It was refreshing to see Adele not don the usual black which so many fuller figured ladies reach for. This green is lovely on her. I love the intricate details on the dress and the fact that it has a distinct waist (many make the mistake not having one).

However, like always, I still think she dresses a bit too old for her 28 years.”

Cara says: “If ever an artist was true to her style, it’s Adele. She wore three dresses Sunday night and they were all variations on the same theme.

She has very consistent taste.

This one is lovely, featuring exquisite detailing. It was a fitting dress for the lady who ruled the night. Her hair was also a bit softer than usual, which I really liked.”

Karin says: “Gaga sure looked like she came to rock with heavy metal band Metallica, which she did despite technical problems. And of course this is the perfect over-the-top sexy outfit one can only wear to the Grammys and get away with. And she looked fantastic.”

Cara says: “It’s Lady Gaga, what else can you say. I am such a fan of Gaga that it doesn’t matter what she wears.

I just close my eyes and let her voice do the work. Again, when you are Jo Nobody you can’t get away with a hooker on crack outfit like this, but Gaga...she’s fine. Can we give ALL the props to the twoway tape holding that top together?”

Karin says: “Solange looks like a partially unwrapped Ferrero Rocher in this gold gown. It’s dramatic, yes, but I haaate those pleats; pleats everywhere you look. Why isn’t this 80s revival over yet?

I have yet to see a truly great 80s-inspired look on the red carpet. And the Grammys would have been the one place to try and pull it off.”

Cara says: “The dress I love – the cut, the style the oneshoulder drama. I just hate that its that 1980s gold lamé mess. I just wish it was a nicer fabric, although I guess the gold was a nod to her sister’s performance maybe?”

AP Photos

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

• See PAGE 16 for Weekend Fashion Report Part II

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

celebrity

pART

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

SPLIT

SPLIT

SPLIT

HIT

FAIL

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

Viola Davis “Fences”

Emma Stone “La La Land”

Noomi Rapace “Alien: Covenant”

Naomie Harris “Moonlight”

Karin says: “I love this! The different hues of blue are so pretty on her. Viola has really be serving us all kinds of colours and styles on the red carpet this season. The problem this dress had was that Viola had to pull it up all night long, but then that is the curse of almost every strapless gown.”

Cara says: “The colour combo is lovely, but I have to admit to not being blown away. The boob fit is a bit off, hopefully that’s just the angle she is standing at for the photo. Her hair is on point and she looks great, but the dress doesn’t scream amazing to me.”

Karin says: “Another winner.

This is so unusual. Yes, it has the over-down plunging neckline, and yes, pants should never work with a dress like this, but here they do. This is an exquisite sparkling vision of elegance. I love it!”

Cara says: “I love the idea behind this beaded two-piece.

It’s beautiful. The problem I have is the length of the top just makes it look like she has beaded but old-fashioned pantaloons peeking out underneath. The top needed to be a bit shorter and more tailored....or she could have lost the pants altogether.”

Karin says: “Sooo dramatic.

This is an awesome look.

Yes, it’s a bit costumey, but somehow it works. Noomi looks like the perfect Roaring Twenties vixen with her sharp bob, faux fur stole and killer makeup. Gorgeous.”

Cara says: “Love it! Very dramatic in that Cruella de Vil type of way. I love the glamour of the simple black dress, the fabulous stole, those lips and bangs. I don’t understand the gloves, but I am here for them, too.”

Karin says: “This looks like it could be Tinker Bell’s prom dress. What was Gucci thinking? This unflattering chiffon mess just makes her look wider than she is. I suppose it’s supposed to be whimsical and feminine, but it’s merely ridiculous.”

Cara says: “There is always that one person who ensures we have at least one fail each week. Readers, here is today’s tribute. Naomie looks horrid. I hate everything about it – the mismatched skirt and top and those ugly flowers. The only nice thing I can say is her hair is laid.”

Karin says: “This is just so-so for me. Overall, from afar it looks pretty, but close up I don’t like the black bands strangling the gown, nor the old-fashioned floral print.

She also looks uncomfortable wearing an off-the-shoulder dress.”

Cara says: “I am a fan of Kate’s fashion and this is an interesting choice. Anytime you choose a bold all-over print you run the risk of it being overkill. However, I think the bands help to break up the pattern just enough and the neckline is elegant. It works for me.”

AP Photos

The Weekend Fashion Report EE British Academy Film Awards

II

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, February 17, 2017

books

A starry love New event to encourage kids to read

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

I

N an ongoing effort to inspire kids to see the magic in reading, the Connection To Creativity team will host its first “Books Under the Stars” next Friday.

The organisation is inviting children of all ages to come out to the Harry C Moore Library and Information Centre at the University of the Bahamas and enjoy readings by local authors.

Participating authors include Leila O’Brien, Philippa Moss, Candice Pyfrom, Lenora L Brown and Valderene Gardiner.

Each author will be given free rein in determining how they wish to tell their stories. Some may take the route of delivering a story like they are addressing students in a classroom, while others may use illustrations, props or other tools. There will also be activities to promote literacy along with games and other Bahamian-themed activities.

Aliv, the event’s sponsor, will raffle off prizes and one lucky book lover will walk away with a special Aliv product.

Stephaney Davis, founder of Connection to Creativity, said this effort is in support of literacy, creativity and fun. She said families that love to read and discover new books will truly benefit from this experience.

Established last year, Connection to Creativity aims to create magical events for children which provide a unique and distinct learning experience. A key to achieving this is making the events as

Kids of all ages are invited to rediscover a love of reading at “Books Under the Stars”.

“We want to bring fun and excitement back into reading as we try to stimulate the mind. I want kids to read books written

by Bahamian authors.” creative and innovative as possible.

“We want to bring fun and excitement back into reading as we try to stimulate the mind. I want kids to read books written by Bahamian authors. This is the first time the event is being held and I am so excited to bring this type of event to life. A lot of our youth are consumed by digital devices with entertainment apps, which have trumped reading,” said Ms Davis.

With this initiative, she said, they are looking forward to helping children rediscover their love for reading, storytelling and the art that make these books come to life.

be Author Philippa Moss will ooks “B ing om upc the reading at children.

Under the Stars” event for “Books Under the Stars” is expected to take place on one Friday each month until December.

Each event will be held at a different venue and feature four to five authors.

“My son, Aliko, had challenges with reading. This event will do for others what I was unable to do for him. I want to instil that love for literacy and reading that most children don’t have and that my son never had. For the month of February, we will feature five authors – four adults and one child author.

Three of them are seasoned authors and two are first-time authors. Their books will be on sale at the event as well,” said Ms Davis.

She believes the love of reading starts in the home, and it is her hope that families are enticed to attend and have a fun night out with their children at “Books Under the Stars”.

Next Friday’s event starts at 6.30pm and admission is free. For more information visit the Facebook page ‘connectiontocreativity’.

New York Times bestsellers Top 10 Children’s middle grade hardcovers 1. Dog Man Unleashed

by Dav Pilkey 2. Wonder by R J Palacio 3. Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly 4. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill 5. Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein 6. Pax by Sara Pennypacker 7. Gravity Falls: Journal 3

by Rob Renzetti and Alex Hirsch 8. Dog Man by Dav Pilkey 9. I Got This by Laurie Hernandez 10. Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

books

review

Drabble confronts old age in ‘The Dark Flood Rises’

A

car races along a British motorway. The driver, Fran Stubbs, is gainfully employed in her 70s — in fact, an expert in her field — on her way to a conference on housing for the elderly.

She is speculating on how she will die, having read the obituary of an acquaintance that perished in a fire after smoking in bed. Fran doesn’t think the acquaintance made such a bad exit compared with a friend who died in a hospital corridor in a wheelchair.

“At least Stella had nobody to blame

review

“All Our Wrong Todays”

by Elan Mastai What if the world we know today is actually a dystopian society? Could the reason we don’t live like the Jetsons be attributed to one person’s mistake that altered the evolution of technology? Elan Mastai explores this possibility in his novel, “All Our Wrong Todays.”

It’s 2016 and life is full of handy gadgets that help you sleep, eat, drink and travel. The Earth is pollution-free, crime-free and poverty-free. There’s an algorithm to find solutions for most problems, which helps society continue to move forward at a rapid pace.

Thanks to an incredible invention in

This book cover image released

by Farrar, Straus and Giroux shows “The Dark Flood Rises,” a novel by Margaret Drabble.

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux via AP) but herself,” Fran thinks as she speeds ahead on the M1, “and although the last minutes couldn’t have been pleasant, neither had Birgit’s.”

A vein of black humour pulses in Margaret Drabble’s “The Dark Flood Rises,” which, thankfully, makes the novel’s reflections on how we age and die as entertaining as a conversation with a dear friend.

Fran is one of a cortege of mostly older characters whose thoughts on aging and death often provoke a laugh or at least a smile.

There is Josephine Drummond, who conducts research on an obscure genre

This cover image released

by Dutton shows “All Our Wrong Todays,” a novel by Elan Mastai. (Dutton via AP) 1965, the world as we know it never existed.

Tom Barren is a normal guy who works for his genius father in a research lab. After his mother dies and the love of his life breaks his heart, Tom bursts into the lab one night and tests his father’s time machine. He chooses to travel back to that fateful day in 1965 when history changed forever. Not only does he want to be the first man to time travel, he also wants to be part of something spectacular. Instead, he inadvertently alters time and space, thereby creating a new 2016. Our 2016.

In the beginning, Tom is overcome with emotion that he’s stranded in a

of 19th-century literature, yet struggles with the workings of her phone and DVD recorder. There is Christopher Stubbs, Fran’s son, who isn’t sure what to make of the fact that his girlfriend has died young and unexpectedly while making a human rights documentary in the Canary Islands.

There is Teresa Quinn, who is dying of mesothelioma, yet happy to imagine her priest might enjoy performing her last rites; she wryly takes comfort in the fact that she is too old to die young.

Drabble’s characters are literate, even scholarly, so they naturally attend a Samuel Beckett play or page through a heavy art book or ponder D.H. Lawrence’s awareness of his declining health. How do humans cope with, understand and distract themselves from the deterioration of sickness and old age? For these characters, even for religious Teresa, it is art that comforts by offering epiphanies that feel both familiar and edifying.

The novel’s title comes from “The Ship of Death,” a poem by Lawrence, who died young at 44. The poem’s next line after “the dark flood rises” is this: “We are dying, we are dying, we are all of us dying.”

CARLA K JOHNSON Associated Press wasteland version of his home. Close friends were never born. Inventions were never pioneered. Technology seems to have stalled. Just as he begins to panic, Tom’s mother enters the picture. A woman who has been dead for years. His sweet father follows, along with a sister he never had in his world.

Tom learns he is a world-renowned architect. He has a loving relationship with his family. He seeks out the girl who broke his heart and immediately falls in love with this slightly alternated version. Suddenly, this 2016 doesn’t seem like such a bad place. Should he fix what he did to history? Or should he stay in this world, knowing he would always battle his secret truth?

“All Our Wrong Todays” is an incredibly creative work. It’s as if Mastai time traveled and took copious notes of what a future utopian world would be. The science is as engaging as the romance. Mastai has mastered the art of endearing himself to an audience through both knowledge and entertainment. It’s definitely out of this world — or an alternate universe.

LINCEE RAY Associated Press

The top 10 audiobooks on Audible. com 1. An Accidental Death by Peter Grainger, narrated by Gildart Jackson 2. 1984 by George Orwell, narrated by Simon Prebble 3. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, narrated

by Christina Moore 4. Write to Die by Charles Rosenberg, narrated by Will Damron 5. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer, narrated by Ellen Archer 6. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, narrated by George Newbern 7. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, narrated by Ron Butler 8. A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, narrated by William Dufris 9. Bright Side by Kim Holden, narrated by Roger Wayne and Lidia Dornet 10. Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner, narrated by Luke Daniels and Teri Schnaubelt

The Tribune | Weekend | 19

Friday, February 17, 2017

books

Fans eagerly await new book by best-selling Bahamian author

By Fay Knowles

B

ahamian bestselling author Tanya R Taylor has fans around the world who can hardly wait for her 15th book, “10 Minutes Before Sleeping”, to be released on February 25.

A fan from Belgium wrote: “I am so excited that soon I will be able to read your new book. I admire your strength and endurance to show the world that you are a great author. You grew so fast and amazed us all.”

“10 Minutes Before Sleeping”, available for pre-order now, is the story of a young woman named Eva who was left on the doorstep of a neighbour as a child by her mother. She is abused, neglected, rejected and without a legal footing in the only place she knows as home. All the odds appear to be stacked against her, and those looking from the outside in seriously wonder how one human being could be expected to battle such atrocities without making a fateful decision to end it all.

Ms Taylor ended 2016 with the release of “Cara”, her 14th published novel and the third book in the “Cornelius Saga”.

In “Cara”, young Rosie Cullen meets a mysterious loner by that name.

Disturbing secrets involving the strange little girl begin to surface and a worthy deed turns out to be an unforgettable nightmare.

“Cara was dedicated to our daughter Mercedes on her birthday,” said the author.

Ms Taylor said “Cara” was eagerly awaited by readers who have been following the “Cornelius” series. On the day of its release, “Cara” made the top 100 paid best-sellers list and eighth place on the Hot New Release list on Amazon.

Ms Taylor has had several number one best-sellers in the US, UK and Canadian Amazon stores.

An earlier book release, “Haunted Cruise: The Shakedown” (Book One in the “Haunted Series”), was dedicated

ylor Author Tanya R Ta to her son Christian last year on his birthday.

It got the attention of the popular TV show “America’s Most Haunted”, which in turn, picked it up and tweeted: “With Haunted Cruise, author Tanya R Taylor joins the ranks of horror greats.”

“Cornelius”, the first book in her latest series, was number one in Amazon’s Teen and Young Adult category and continues to be a favourite of many readers. The second in the series, “Revenge of Cornelius”, also became a best-seller soon after its release. For a limited time only, Ms Taylor is offering this novel free as an e-book from Amazon.

“Infestation: A Small Town Nightmare” is now a number one international best-seller. Readers have called it “outstanding”.

“Clearly an equal to Christian authors like Frank Peretti”, said one reader. “Best book ever. I wish there were more books like that one,” said another.

Ms Taylor has been described by

“10 Minutes Before Sleeping” is the author’s 15th published book.

American media chief Diane Morasco as a “prolific storytelling phenomenon”.

Ms Morasco wrote: “Tanya R Taylor is the possessor of one of the most ingenious and infinite minds in the horror genre to come along since Clive Barker, Stephen King and Ruth Rendell.”

This Spring, Ms Taylor will release “The Haunting of Merci Hospital” (available for pre-order) as a continuation of her “Haunted” series, and later in the year, “The Life I Chose”. She will also release “We See No Evil”, Book 4 of the “Cornelius Saga”.

Ms Taylor, who was born and raised in Nassau, has worked in the financial sector and is also a seasoned ghostwriter. Her clients include insurance executives, CEOs, and now added to the list is a world-renowned entertainer.

She has a passion for the welfare of children, and her hobbies include reading, writing, and researching. She is married to Oswaldo Taylor, who is an avid basketball player and coach outside of his day job.

Her parents are Cecil Ferguson Sr

“Cara” is the third book in the popular “Cornelius Saga”. and Gwendolyn Ferguson. Ms Taylor fondly remembers the times she and her father spent watching TV shows together during her childhood and how they later impacted her writing.

“We both enjoy shows like ‘The Twilight Zone’, movies based on books by Stephen King and documentaries. My father always used to say, ‘Think big’.

That meant I had no room for mediocre thinking. I know that one’s thoughts are powerful and if you believe you can do something; you can. My mother always believed I had great potential as well.

I am thankful to my parents for their hard work and sacrifice over the years,” the author said.

Her childhood experience watching “The Twilight Zone” with her father was incorporated into “Revenge of Cornelius”.

Ms Taylor’s books are available at Amazon and other online retailers.

For more information visit her website, www.tanyaRtaylor.com.

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

television

Feuding Bahamian style

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

O

ne of the most successful game shows in television history has officially arrived on Bahamian shores. And while “Survey Says Bahamas” follows the familiar format of the Steve Harvey-hosted “Family Feud”, it also boasts a unique Bahamian take on proceedings.

Chris Wells, executive producer of the Grand Bahama-based show, said words cannot describe the overwhelming feeling of pride he has in having produced a great product. But alongside that sense of accomplishment, he admitted, there is also a feeling of trepidation in how the show will be received by viewers.

He said that while this is a great start, he believes the real work is yet ahead.

Chris switched to television work after 10 years of producing and publishing a series of word search puzzle books called “All T’ings Bahamian”.

He said he felt there was a lack of diversity to be found in the Bahamian TV landscape and not many local shows compelled him to tune in and watch.

After working on “Survey Shows” for two years, Chris was finally able to

Entertainer Wilbert Stubbs hosts “Survey Says Bahamas”, a Bahamian take on the popular “Family Feud’ game show share his vision with an audience. The show officially debuted on Cable 12 on February 7, and now airs Tuesdays at 8pm, Wednesdays at 10am, Thursdays at 12noon and on Fridays at 6pm.

“As the saying goes, be the change you want to see. The experience has been a challenge to say the least, but I like a good challenge. There is a lot of planning and strategy that must go into producing a product that you hope to

be perceived as worthy. What makes the show unique is the overall presentation. From original theme music and set design, to the host, contestants and questions. While the format is similar to the original, it is Bahamian in feel and character,”said Chris.

He hopes the first season will consist of 12 episodes. The first four – hosted

by Grand Bahamian entertainer and actor Wilbert Stubbs – were filmed last

year, while the back eight episodes are expected to be filmed and aired in 2017, dependent on sponsor support.

As to the format, family teams of four contestants compete to win prizes by guessing the most popular responses to survey questions. Each question was answered beforehand by 100 persons and the most popular answers were selected. The surveys were conducted in Grand Bahama.

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, February 17, 2017

Photos/Keen i Media

“As the saying goes, be the change you want to see...

What makes the show unique is the overall presentation.

From original theme music and set design, to the host, contestants and questions.

While the format is similar to the original, it is Bahamian in feel and character.”

Chris said the questions asked on the show are not trivia questions. They are just common everyday questions that everybody knows the answer to. For example, contestants are asked to name something Bahamians do on a Sunday besides going to church, or which hair colours are preferred by ‘jungaless’.

The winning team goes on to play a speed round where two teammates are each asked five questions and have to reach 200 points. If they succeed, they are awarded a prize.

Prizes currently offered are a Swedish massage from Renu

Day Spa, a dolphin close encounter at UNEXSO, counter top appliances from Master Technicians, and a $300-gift certificate for the local department store Park and Shop.

The overall winners of the season will receive a grand prize, which is a makeover of an entire room in their home sponsored by the Home Design Centre in Grand Bahama.

The makeover will include furniture, accessories, and also a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore Paint sponsored by Spectrum Coatings. They will also enjoy three nights at the Pelican Bay Resort.

“I must say that I started this endeavour knowing virtually nothing about the industry.

It was my goal to simply produce a quality show that Bahamians would enjoy,” said Chris.

“To make up for the experience I lacked I partnered with Keen i Media as they are titans in the industry and widely recognised for their high standard of quality. The entire team is very professional, helpful and played an essential role in the production of the show.”

He remembered the excitement from the first time he took to the streets approaching people with survey questions.

The response was one of excitement and anticipation.

“We filmed the first shows, audiences were blown away be the professional presentation.

As to what is to come, viewers can expect more of the same as we feel the current formula works. There will be improvements where necessary, but overall as the saying goes, if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. We also hope to offer fans the chance to play and win prizes through our free app.”

Families interested in appearing on the show can visit the Survey Says Bahamas Facebook page and send a private message, or sign up through the company’s free app which is currently available for Apple and Android devices. The app also allows followers to answer survey questions and suggest new questions for future episodes.

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 24, 2017

literary lives roald dahl

The story of the great storyteller Children all over the world have grown up with the Norwegian novelist’s tales. Sir Christopher Ondaatje looks at what influenced him

“When C S Forester read Dahl’s writings he decided to publish what Dahl had written exactly as Dahl had written it.”

R

oald Dahl was born in Wales to Norwegian parents, on September 13, 1916. He was named after the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the South Pole two years earlier.

He was educated at the Cathedral School in Llandaff, and later at St Peter’s in Weston-Super-Mare, before spending many unhappy years at Repton School in Derbyshire. Ritual cruelty, vindictive beatings and other violent experiences had a significant effect on Dahl’s dark writings. Nevertheless, his children’s stories – which included ‘James and the Giant Peach’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ earned Dahl the reputation of being one of the greatest storytellers for chil-

dren of the 20th century.

When he was only eight, he was caned for putting a dead mouse in a sweet jar in Wales, and later beaten by Geoffrey Fisher, the future Archbishop of Canterbury, while at Repton School.

This last punishment caused Dahl to have severe doubts about religion and God. He was a tall boy, eventually growing to 6’ 6”, and was good at sports.

After he finished school, Dahl rejected any thought of going to either Oxford or Cambridge University. “No. No. No,” he said. “I want to work for some company that will send me to some faraway place like Africa or China.”

And that is what he did. After a wild hiking expedition across Newfoundland with the Public Schools Exploring Society, he got a job with the Shell

Oil Company which, after a two-year training period in London, sent him to Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam in East Africa where he spent three luxurious years in the Shell House outside the Tanzanian port city with all the comforts of servants, maids and personal attendants. Life was cosy.

However, with World War II approaching, the young Dahl briefly joined the King’s African Rifles before

The Tribune | Weekend | 23

Friday, February 17, 2017

Rudolf Nureyev with Erik Bruhn, a famed Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Bruhn became Nureyev’s lover, his closest friend and his protector until Bruhn’s death in 1986. dance only within the country. Then, in 1961, Nureyev was chosen to replace the Kirov’s leading male dancer, who was injured, on their European tour.

In Paris, his dancing electrified audiences but at the same time alarmed the Kirov’s management and the KGB. They wanted to send him back to Russia because he was mixing with foreigners. They lied to him that his mother was seriously ill. But he knew that if he ever went back he would be arrested and would never be allowed to dance again. So, with little alternative, Nureyev defected at Paris airport, aided by the French police. Within less than a week he was dancing with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas in “Sleeping Beauty” with Nina Vyroubova. Again he electrified audiences, toured with the company and, in Denmark, met the dancer Erik Bruhn who became his lover and mentor (and who would be appointed director of the National Ballet of Canada in 1983,

where he would serve until his death).

Nureyev was not allowed back into the Soviet Union for another 28 years; in 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev permitted him to visit his dying mother.

Since 1961, Nureyev’s fame as a dancer had become worldwide. He was first invited to dance in England

by Dame Margot Fonteyn, the Royal Ballet’s prima ballerina. He danced “Poème Tragique”, a solo, and the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake”. In 1962, he was invited by Dame Ninette de Valois to become a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and for the first time he partnered Margot Fonteyn, in “Giselle”. Fonteyn and Nureyev became one of ballet’s great partnerships, and were rumoured to have been lovers. “Marguerite and Armand” was their signature piece.

Nureyev stayed with the Royal Ballet for another eight years, concentrating on a series of international guest appearances. In fact, he was still performing with the company when I met him, and he continued with them until he moved to the Paris Opera Ballet the following year.

Amazingly, Margot Fonteyn went on dancing with him until the end of her sixth decade. Their last performance together was in “Baroque Pas de Trois” on September 16, 1988. Nureyev was then 50.

Now here was I, sitting next to one of the world’s great ballet dancers, having lunch, complaining about the food, and drinking too many glasses of chilled white Burgundy. Eventually, guiltily, I did tell him that I was on the board of the National Ballet of Canada. “They got rid of me, you know,” he said sadly, “but Erik is still there.

He is very sick,” which I also knew. We discussed everything, particularly Paris and the Paris Opera Ballet. Nureyev was having trouble with the French authorities getting a permanent work permit and had become an Austrian citizen. For some reason this helped matters in Paris.

We ate our chicken main course, drank more wine, had a chocolate mousse pudding and were still chatting and drinking coffee when the lights were dimmed and a large screen was lowered to show the feature film. It was “Superman”. Immediately, Nureyev became very serious and quiet. He grabbed his headphones, stopped talking and concentrated on the film.

I followed suit, although I didn’t think “Superman” was the kind of

Continued on page 24

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

Continued from page 23 film I would normally be keen to see.

But Nureyev was intent on watching Christopher Reeve as Superman, along with Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Glenn Ford and some other big names.

In case you don’t know, “Superman” is the film widely credited with bringing science-fiction films and super-hero films back into Hollywood cinema. It shows the early years of Superman, the comic-strip character. As a small child, Kal-El, he is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kansas. They take the child home after seeing the toddler lift the rear-end of Jonathan’s pick-up truck, thus saving Jonathan’s life. They call him Clark and lovingly raise him as their own son. Fourteen years later, the teenager exhibits extraordinary powers; he can outrun speeding trains and kick a football into the stratosphere. But as an adult, disguised as a newspaper reporter, Clark Kent conceals his prowess as he develops a romance with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Soon he is battling his arch-enemy Lex Luthor, who plans to make a fortune in real estate by buying enormous tracts of cheap desert land and then diverting a nuclear rocket from a missile testing site to blow apart the San Andreas Fault. Although this plan will kill mil-

Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn were one of ballet’s great partnerships and danced together for decades. lions of people, and destroy California, it will make Luthor’s real estate into the new west coast of America.

The plot is complicated, with many twists and turns. But of course there is endless scope to show Superman performing outrageous superhuman feats.

The large-scale visual effects make for some astonishing sequences. It’s a good story. Even better, though, was the extreme effect of the story on my new friend, Rudolf Nureyev.

He laughed, louder than any single

person should in a confined space.

Through my headphones I could hear his delighted screams. He kicked the seat in front of him, causing the woman occupying the seat to stand up and glare threateningly. He squirmed. He cackled. He stood up and applauded.

He laughed and giggled again and again and again until, exhausted, at the end of the film Nureyev took off his earphones, put his head back, closed his eyes, and said: “You Americans have the most incredible sense of

humour.” And with that brief sentence, the great dancer sank into a deep sleep from which he did not wake until we were circling Kennedy Airport, about to land in New York.

NEXT WEEK: The vividly creative children’s storyteller Roald Dahl.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankan-born CanadianEnglishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, February 17, 2017

forgotten facts

My friend Joy’s journey to a new life in the Bahamas

By Paul C Aranha

A

t the top of the hill in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, resides a British nonagenarian with an interesting story to tell about her arrival in Nassau in 1946.

Jocelyn ‘Joy’ Pyfrom, nee Malcolm, and her brother, David, were trying to travel to the Bahamas, to be reunited with their mother, from whom they had been separated since before the Second World War. After several unsuccessful attempts to secure passage by ship to the Americas, they were offered seats on the “Star Land” - a 14-passenger converted Lancaster bomber, piloted by Air Vice-Marshal D C T Bennett, which had been used in the Berlin airlift. This British South American Airways plane continued to Mexico, Belize, Panama, Kingston and Trinidad in an exploratory capacity prior to opening a new service.

Joy’s mother had left both children at boarding school in England, when she went to the United States on October 7, 1937, intending to return the following spring. Instead, she remarried and tried to arrange to have her children evacuated to the US but, due to having been born in Austria, Joy was placed on the Austrian quota for entering the US during World War Two, which was continuously filled. Finally they were able to travel to the Bahamas, which were British.

The flight left Northolt airport at 10am on July 17, 1946, and landed in Nassau the next day,

having stopped in the Azores and Bermuda. On Bermuda, during a five-hour layover, they were able to purchase items at the US Post Exchange store. Deprived of luxuries by England’s wartime ration of 12oz a month, Joy and David were delighted to re-embark loaded down with cartons of chocolate.

Imagine their dismay when they opened them and found that the confectionery was green with mould!

Landing safely in Nassau, after a 24-hour flight, their first night in the Bahamas was spent at the air conditioned movie theatre to escape the sandflies. Tired from the journey, they slept through the movie.

An article in the Nassau Tribune of July 18, 1946, under the headline “LONDON TO NASSAU IN ONE DAY”, referred to the plane as a ship and stated that “she carries 6 crew and a Star Girl (hostess)”.

The Bahamas must have had a magical effect on Joy, because she settled in Governor’s Harbour, where she has now resided for over 70 years. She has a wonderful memory and her family and friends take great delight in listening to her stories about the changes she has witnessed living in Eleuthera.

There will be more about Joy in my upcoming book about the history of Bahamas Airways Ltd. This week’s Forgotten Facts is based on an interview with Joy Pyfrom by Ros Seyfort, of the Haynes Library, Governor’s Harbour.

• Comments and responses to islandairman@gmail.com

The Tribune from

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26 | The Tribune | Weekend

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The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, February 17, 2017

animals Animal matters Kim Aranha

pet of the week

The family pet: an institution

By The Bahamas Humane Society

“A

loving home is in my future!” Taylor is certain there’s someone out there ready to adopt him. This eight-month-old tabby is friendly and outgoing, and knows how to pose.

He gets along well with the other cats at the Bahamas Humane Society, but he knows there’s a special person missing from his life. Is that person you? If so, come to the BHS to meet Taylor and the other adoption cats, or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Taylor looks forward to meeting you!

• Pull out those hippy outfits! The BHS Flower Power Party is back on Saturday, March 25, at the Nassau Yacht Club. The fun starts at 7pm. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. Tickets are $75 and are available at the Shelter. Have a rocking good time and support the animals while you’re doing so.

Patricia Vazquez

S

o many of us grew up with pets and treated them as members of the family.

The patient and loving family pet that put up with countless hugs, dress-up games, having make-believe wounds bandaged by mini wanna-be doctors and nurses.

The family dog who would have gladly laid down his life to save his little humans. The dog whose fur we cried our salty tears into when something went wrong or we got into trouble. Nobody on earth understood us like that dog did.

The families who had cats experienced much the same situation. Their beloved feline would curl up, frequently on top of them, and in the morning stare them awake. When Kitty brought back a mouse it would be greeted with screams and shrieks of “Gross!”, but Kitty didn’t get into trouble.

As we grew up, so our faithful friend grew older, always there and keeping up with the family events and celebrations: sleeping a bit more, turning a little grey. Did we notice that when he tried to jump up in the bed it was a bit more of an effort, then he stopped all together; in our youth, did we notice?

It is dreadfully unfair that our beloved pets live shorter lives than we do. They come to us as lovable babies, bounding around the place, their antics causing us to laugh and at times causing us to stress. They become irresponsible and selfish adolescents for a couple of years, and then settle into responsible adults who eventually age.

Really their life cycle is much like ours, only accelerated. A six-year-old girl is credited with saying: “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life. Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

The family pet is a selfless being.

Their lives revolve around the young

Taylor the tabby cat

The family pet is a selfless being, devoted to its owners, young and old. people in the house when they arrive as puppies or kittens. They play with the kids tirelessly, they lick, purr, chew, snuggle, and by doing so foster self-esteem, courage and confidence in their young humans.

As the humans grow up and start to spend

more time away from home, the family pet realises that there are older humans in the house who serve more purpose than just providing dinner, fresh water daily and the occasional bath or visit to the vet. The family pet gravitates to the older human, who by this time is probably about the same age as the pet (in animal years). They sit and watch TV together, enjoy the sun on their backs. And together at night they listen for the sound of that car coming back safely. They both love their kids dearly.

As the family cat or dog ages, their joints may become a bit stiffer, perhaps their hearing or sight may be impaired, but it seams to me that their heart grows. They have more love to give and share. Human girlfriends and boyfriends come and go; they are shown love and consideration, and if the family pet graces you with living long enough he will be there to welcome the new baby .

What we all need to remember is that a family pet is forever, not just for while our kids are young. Not just for the fun of taking them to the dog show, but for their entire furry life.

I have seen dogs brought in

for surrender who have some grey on their muzzle and stiff joints, and because “My son is in college and this dog is to much trouble to take care of now he is old,” they are discarded.

Those sad and very wise eyes meet mine and I want to sob my heart out.

I have two soon-to-be elderly family dogs who live with my husband and me along with the other dogs. They are wise beyond their years, faithful and kind. The nine-year-old black Labrador is going to be part of my son’s wedding this summer – ring barer, centre stage!

Buddy and Chief are never forgotten; they are part of family celebrations. They are still able to jump up on the beds, a little more carefully perhaps. But the canine steps are ready and waiting for the day they need them.

They can still see across the canal and bark if somebody walks on the lawn far away. They sleep a little deeper and longer in the morning. They are a bit more grumpy and require more time to stretch. But it is such a treat to share my mornings with them or hear them snore peacefully at night.

The family pet is an institution.

Every child, as far as I am concerned, should grow up with a pet at home.

And that pet should always be guaranteed a privileged spot in the family, forever.

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 17, 2017

gardening

Sweet peppers They can be sweet or they can be hot, but they are always healthy. Jack Hardy talks sweet peppers in all their varieties.

D

ifferent varieties of sweet peppers can be called bell, capsicum, paprika, chile, chilli, pimento or pimiento. The last two names are rather confusing because Jamaican allspice is called pimento, while sweet peppers – usually of the cherry type – are called both pimento and pimiento.

Along with the related potato and tomato, sweet peppers originated in the Americas. They and their hot cousins found acceptance in Europe and its colonies far faster in immediately postColumbian times even though there was doubt about them because they are related to deadly nightshade.

Sweet peppers can be classified by their shape. The most popular is the bell pepper, blocky and substantial.

Long sweet peppers like Sweet Banana and Cubanelle are highly productive and are becoming very popular because they can be grilled or fried to provide a delicious accompaniment to many dishes.

Halfway between bell and long are shorter peppers that are usually smaller than bells but have a rounded

or pointed end. Paprika is made from cherry-type sweet peppers while the pickling standard is pepperoncini.

Bell peppers were enormously popular in the US a generation or two ago as stuffers, usually containing a rice-based filler, and these are making a comeback because of their healthy appeal. For most other uses bell peppers are cut into strips or chopped fine to be used as a cooking base or salad constituent.

Long sweet peppers can be used in the same ways and have the additional feature of being able to be cut into rings.

Most sweet peppers start off green and ripen to red but there are some that ripen to yellow, orange, brown or purple. Green bell peppers have a distinctive raw grassy flavour while fully ripe peppers – of whatever colour – develop sugar and are sweeter. Red varieties of bell pepper start off green. If you allow large green peppers to stay on the plant and eventually turn red you may cause a hiatus in fruit production.

Use peppers designated as red rather than green, even though they start off green. Cubanelle peppers are usually marketed at the yellow stage but I much prefer them red.

Sweet peppers take from three to four months to grow to maturity from seed. A pepper seed takes twice as long as a tomato seed to germinate, usually about three to four weeks. I would recommend growing sweet peppers in three to four-gallon containers and using good potting mix as the medium.

Pepper plants can last through the summer heat but need protection from intense direct sunshine. If your plants are in pots it is easy to move them to a lightly shaded position when the time comes.

Both hot and sweet peppers can be transplanted from seed trays to pots when about three to four inches tall.

Use Osmocote or some other time-release fertilizer as your standard supplier of nutrients but add some superphosphate once the plants have produced flower buds. Pepper plants also benefit from extra magnesium so you can add Epsom salts in liquid form – or a little palm fertilizer that contains magnesium and manganese.

Peppers are heavy feeders and you will only get a heavy crop by satisfying their appetite.

Sweet banana peppers are high-yielding and are great for frying and pickling, and for making pepper rings for sandwiches.

Sweet peppers are subject to both insect predation and diseases. Check the underside of leaves on a weekly basis and wipe away any whitefly eggs you see there. Spray with a soap solution to deter all insects. If you grow your pepper in pots you can turn them on their sides and easily spray the undersides of leaves. If you are a smoker, wear latex gloves when you tend your peppers.

Viruses attack pepper plants and these are usually identified by an attenuation or unnatural stretching appearance in the leaves. As with humans not all viruses kill but it is wise to separate any pepper plants you feel are stressed, another benefit of growing in pots. Pick off any diseased leaves and dispose of them well away from your plants. Do not allow diseased leaves to fall and stay within the container. As with most plants – particularly tomatoes – do not touch them with your bare hands in the morning hours when they are wet with dew.

There are many bell pepper varieties to choose from. The standard for home gardeners is California Wonder, medium sized and a heavy producer.

In addition I am growing Big Red, Chinese Giant and Bell Boy. A friend of mine is growing a mildly warm Anaheim pepper called Biggie Chile Hybrid that grows enormous fruits 9 inches long, a real stunner. My favour-

ite peppers at the moment are Chablis that go from pale yellow to orange then to red. Very popular are small sweet peppers -usually with the word Lunch in their name - that are finger-like and about three inches long with their seeds packed at the stalk end. Cut this section away and you have red, yellow and orange morsels that can be quickly cooked and served with virtually any meal – particularly breakfast.

Bell peppers are regularly used in Bahamian cuisine as a flavour enhancer, diced and cooked along with onions and garlic. The very bottom and the shoulders of bell peppers do not taste as good as the sides so it is advisable to cut the side lobes off and discard the top, bottom, and core with seeds. That may seem wasteful but gives you the best flavour.

If you find yourself with an overabundance of sweet peppers I can give you advice in two words: salsa cruda.

Chop lots of sweet peppers into fine dice along with firm ripe tomatoes, onions and celery. Add a couple of mashed bird peppers and fresh lime juice and stir well. Salsa cruda is, of course, conch salad without the conch and is wondrously healthy.

• For questions and comments e-mail j.hardy@coralwave.com.