02202021 WEEKEND

Friday, February 19, 2021

photography art gardening history fashion puzzles animals community

Weekend

ECO CHIC

Pages 08 + 09

Divine dining HappyFoods returns with a spotlight on the local gourmet

pg 10

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

photography

A Rose-Coloured Lens Gateway to Love Beach

B

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 19, 2021

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, February 19, 2021

Weekend Inside

2 Photography

Roland Rose takes us to Love Beach

4-5 Interview

The first Bahamian to win the Miss Plus World title

7 Fashion

Discover “Athleisure” attire Going chic, going green

10 Food

HappyFoods returns with new season

11 Gardening

Windy weather gardening

12-13 Literary Lives

Scandalous poet who influenced a generation

14 History

The A-Z of The Bahamas

15 Animals

Airlift to a new home Nansi packs a punch

08+09

THIS WEEKEND IN HISTORY • In 1878, Thomas Edison received a US patent for “an improvement in phonograph or speaking machines.”

• In 2008, an ailing Fidel Castro resigned the Cuban presidency after nearly a half-century in power; his brother Raul was later named to succeed him.

Today’s birthdays: Singer Smokey Robinson is 81. Actor Stephen Nichols is 70. Actor Jeff Daniels is 66.

Actor Ray Winstone is 64. Britain’s

What will you be binge watching?

I have to binge watch Bridgerton because I love period pieces, and anything produced

by Shonda Rhimes.

If you had to quarantine with any celebrity, who would it be and why?

Does Jeff Bezos count?

I would love to learn how to become a billionaire during this

Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean 800 miles southeast of Bermuda.

February 19

• In 1968, the children’s programme “Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood,” created by and starring Fred Rogers, made its network debut on National Educational Television, a forerunner of PBS, beginning a 31-season run.

Managing partner, Island Destination Services

What are your weekend plans? What will you be doing to keep busy?

I take nature walks on the weekends but this weekend my focus will be community service with Rotary. I’ll also be entrenched in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion research in preparation for an international workshop that I’m moderating next week.

8-9 Fashion

Cover photograph courtesy of Chef Jay Johnson

Lonise Carey,

What is on your weekend menu?

Tuna, kale, & flaxseed salad thanks to my trainer Natasha Brown.

6 Puzzles

16 Music

My Perfect Bahamian Weekend

• In 1987, a bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright.

HAPPY birthday Sir Sidney Poitier!

Prince Andrew is 61. Singer Seal is 58. Actor Benicio Del Toro is 54.

Actor Millie Bobby Brown is 17.

February 20 • In 1905, the US Supreme Court, in Jacobson v Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.

• In 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the

Today’s birthdays: Actor Sir Sidney Poitier is 94. Actor Anthony Head (“Buffy”, “Merlin”) is 67. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 58.

Model Cindy Crawford is 55. Singer Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys) is 46.

Comedian Trevor Noah is 37. Actor Miles Teller is 34. Singer Rihanna is 33.

February 21 • In 1862, Nathaniel Gordon became the first and only American slave-trader

pandemic, so shadowing him would be ideal.

If you could spend a COVID-free weekend anywhere in the world where would it be?

I went to Eleuthera for a month during COVID just to regain peace of mind but if I had to choose anywhere else, I’d travel to New Orleans for the music, culture and freedom or Capri, Italy for the dream-like ambience because I had the time of my life there.

to be executed under the US Piracy Law of 1820 as he was hanged in New York.

• In 1965, minister and civil rights activist Malcolm X, 39, was shot to death inside Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom in New York by assassins identified as members of the Nation of Islam. (Three men were convicted of murder and imprisoned; all were eventually paroled.)

• In 1916, the World War I Battle of Verdun began in France as German forces attacked; the French were able to prevail after 10 months of fighting.

Today’s birthdays: Film/music company executive David Geffen is 78.

Actor Tyne Daly is 75. Actor Anthony Daniels (“Star Wars’ C-3PO”) is 75.

Actor Kelsey Grammer is 66. Actor Jennifer Love Hewitt is 42. Comedianactor Jordan Peele is 42. Actor Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page) is 34. Actor Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”) is 25.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 19, 2021

interview

Randeika Foulkes-Cartwright Not one to deterred by what society considers the traditional beauty ideal, Randeika has made history by becoming the first Bahamian to win the Miss Plus World title.

She tells Cara Hunt all about her journey to the crown and how it’s important to never give up on your dreams.

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, February 19, 2021

R

andeika Foulkes Cartwright is proof that beauty can never be measured.

She recently made history when she became the first Bahamian to win the Miss Plus World beauty pageant last month. She was named the winner in a virtual ceremony that was viewed by people all around the world.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved pageants and have wanted to participate in one, but my family always just thought that it was a frivolous expense and so I was never able to do it until I got older,” she told Tribune Weekend.

“For me, pageants are more than just the glitz and glamour. It’s the investment that you make in yourself to get ready to compete. It’s how you present yourself and how you carry yourself.”

While she always knew that she wanted to compete in pageants some day, she also knew that she was not the usual size required by traditional beauty pageants. But she soon found her own niche: plus size beauty pageants.

“Plus beauty pageants allow you to be comfortable in your size and compete without weight bias.

You don’t have to worry about persons asking you to lose weight or meet a traditional standard,” she explained.

Randeika admits to being extremely nervous the first time she competed in an official event, especially since she only had three weeks to prepare at that time.

The hardest part was overcoming her own fears and concerns that she hadn’t done her best.

She didn’t win in her initial competitions, but she did not let that discourage her. Instead, she worked with local pageant coaches and rewatched tapings of her performances so that she could see in which areas she could improve.

Her efforts paid off when she was crowned Miss Plus Size World 2021.

Competing as Miss Plus World Caribbean Coast, she also won the Covergirl award and the best costume in the Miss Division. (Her costume depicted the yellow sun that covers the Bahamas and the Caribbean.)

Her prizes included $3,000 in cash, a custom crown, sash, pin and sceptre, official notecards and commemorative award, a pearl necklace, an Olympia USA Metropolitan luggage set from EMC2 Travel and Event Planners, a graphic design credit from Imperial 1002 Design and Conquer, a branding course from She Is The ish, a personal appearance dress, A Shoedazzles gift credit and a Mary Kay gift.

But Randeika wasn’t the only Bahamian success story at Miss Plus World 2021.

Her fellow countrywoman Edraniece Ferguson, Miss Plus World Bahamas, won the People’s Choice Award and was the second runner-up.

The pageant’s vision is to showcase the diversity, creativity, leadership, style, grace and beauty of women worldwide.

The Miss Plus World pageant is dedicated to promoting, elevating and celebrating the accomplishments and humanitarian services of women from across the nations.

Their goal is to build a sisterhood of confident and influential women who share their cultures

with each other and the world as they promote education, peace, wellness and cultural awareness.

The contestants had to compete in categories like National Costume and Denim Couture, answer on-stage questions, undergo a panel interview, and finally, compete in the Evening Gown segment.

The minimum size to enter the pageant is a dress size of 12.

This year, the pageant had to be held virtually due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It was originally scheduled to take place at the Sheraton North Houston Hotel in Texas on February 6.

And while Randeika had put a lot of effort into her preparation this year, she said competing virtually was very different and much more difficult.

“You still have to do everything to prepare for the various categories of the pageant, but it’s harder because you are not there in person and so the judges can’t feel your vibe. And so you have to find the right ways to show them your personality from afar,” she said.

“Another thing is that when you are competing there is always the chance that you will have technical difficulties and so you have to prepare and take that into consideration as well.

In a post-pageant interview, she said of her fellow contestants that they were not only beautiful, but hardworking as well.

“I am grateful that the judges were able to For me, see all the dedication pageants are that I put in. I think more than that is what made me a worthy contender and just the glitz someone deserving of and glamour. the crown,” she said.

It’s the investment Randeika has also chosen a subject close that you make in to her heart to be her yourself to get platform during her ready to compete. reign.

“The platform that It’s how you I have chosen is called present yourself ‘Beauty Marks’, and and how you it is meant to inspire carry yourself.” women to love themselves. We all have scars. For some persons those scars are physical and can be seen, for others they are emotional and inside of them, and they can’t be seen, but they are still there. And so I want to encourage women that no matter the scars that they may have and the fact that sometimes life may not be perfect, they are still beautiful,” she said.

Randeika is excited about the future and her reign as Miss Plus World.

“I want to continue to represent the Bahamas on an international scale and make a difference where I can.”

That includes continuing her volunteer work at local charities and organisations such as the Bahamas AIDS Foundation, the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Bilney Lane Children’s Home, and others.

Eventually she would like to have a pageant of her own.

“

She also has the following advice for women who may be considering if entering a beauty pageant is for them.

“The first thing I would do is to get a coach.

Chantal O’Brien, who was Miss World Bahamas 2015, was a huge help to me every step of the way.

You have to treat pageants as a job and work at it to get to be the best you can, and it has to be something that you are passionate about.”

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06 | The Tribune | Weekend

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U R A J B P O A N E N A U R X E S H A

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● 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 10; very good 15; excellent 19 (or more). Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 for today’s target solution Sudoku Answer *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Down 1 Spot a complicated clue but it’s of little matter (8) 2 Get heir a settlement he expects (8) 3 Rain spread around the country (4) 5 Odd thing to say (6,6) 6 Tie up about ten and depart (4) 7 A wrong guess about customs (6) 8 They happen to upset Steven (6) 11 Mine can peter out with such lack of restraint (12) 15 Feeling irritable? (5) 16 It’s most desirable to enclose a wild animal (5) 18 Held back free trade when in the red (8) 19 Reckon the deceased’s property is about one thousand (8) 21 Their coats are lined (6) 22 Fifty-one competent and responsible (6) 26 Left to wander idly round, but happy (4) 27 Laid out in Salvador (4)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Augur, 4 Grapple, 8 Roe, 9 Bluebeard, 10 Hangdog, 11 Throw, 13 Prance, 15 Credit, 18 Joker, 19 Feature, 21 In the pink, 23 Lob, 24 Tacitly, 25 Witty.

Down: 1 Airship, 2 Greenback, 3 Rabid, 4 Grudge, 5 Arbiter, 6 Pea, 7 Endow, 12 Red mullet, 14 Correct, 16 Trembly, 17 Effigy, 18 Joint, 20 Askew, 22 Tic.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Press, 4 Optical illusions, 8 Emu, 10 Emerges, 11 Aught, 13 Teasel, 15 Serbia, 18 Sited, 19 Biretta, 21 Eiderdown, 23 Ego, 24 Linseed, 25 Handy.

Down: 1 Prefect, 2 Exuberant, 3 Sling, 4 Owlish, 5 Testate, 6 Coo, 7 Liszt, 12 Go-between, 14 Endorse, 16 Analogy, 17 Abroad, 18 Shell, 20 Ranch, 22 Den.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Apprise (6) 4 Demagogue (8) 9 A kingdom of northern Europe (6) 10 Unambiguous (5-3) 12 Long hard journey (4) 13 Amount wagered (5) 14 Stigma (4) 17 A curry-flavoured soup (12) 20 Withdraw to avoid trouble (4,1,7) 23 Sole (4) 24 Eskimo canoe (5) 25 An affected attitude (4) 28 Soldiers’ living quarters (8) 29 Throughout the time of (6) 30 To bear (8) 31 Settle conclusively (6)

Down 1 Very quickly (2,2,4) 2 In the past (8) 3 Actually existing (4) 5 Progress very well (2,4,1,5) 6 Travel at great speed (4) 7 Amuse (6) 8 To delay (6) 11 A highly restrictive measure (12) 15 Split (5) 16 Oneness (5) 18 Ardent loyalty (8) 19 Intensity (8) 21 Fighting (6) 22 More than one in number (6) 26 Wild animal’s den (4) 27 Uninteresting (4)

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The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, February 19, 2021

fashion

Learn how to be fashionable ‘Athleisure’ attire and corset trends to be explored in new TV show segment

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

L

ITTLE has changed when it comes to the major fashion trends for 2021 compared to 2020. For instance, the global pandemic majorly influenced so-called athleisure attire – the cool, casual, comfy look that became the go-to for people during worldwide lockdowns and limited movement.

But new, if subtle, changes in trends will of course occur, probably increasingly so as the year advances and we slowly win the battle against COVID-19.

And Bahamians will be kept abreast of not only what is happening around the world, but here at home as well, by way of the new “It’s Fashion” segment on the “Bahamas At Sunrise” TV show.

This new feature will be hosted by someone who loves fashion and is a professional in the field: local designer Cardell McClam.

“We will continue with athleisure attire, which is a mix of athletic wear and luxury. We will see corsets. Corsets? Yes, corsets. The Netflix drama series ‘Bridgerton’ has impacted style. We will see that seep into today’s fashion where corsets will be paired in casual ways,” said Cardell.

“We will see blending prints, black and white combinations, brown as the new black and distressed denim. We will see more relaxed fitting jeans or trousers along with oversized sleeves, blouses, and blazers. Some may say that this one is tragic, but low-rise jeans/pants will make it back on the scene.”

“It’s Fashion” with Cardell McClam was inspired by an article the designer was interviewed for.

“I was asked, ‘What is Bahamian style?’ That question yet remains. What is our fashion/style identity? How would one describe the Bahamian way of dressing? It’s important to harness and discover the answers to those questions. Through

LOCAL designer Cardell McClam will help inform the Bahamian public on new fashion trends and individual style during the “It’s Fashion” segment. our interactions with bloggers, socialites, business owners, artists – whoever is the guest for a particular episode – we get closer and closer to finding answers to those questions.

I think that our guests will assist in helping us to grasp our overall cultural fashion/ style identity,” he told Tribune Weekend.

Launched by “Bahamas At Sunrise”, this reality TV series will feature five- to sevenminute episodes where Cardell helps various Bahamian influencers assemble head-to-toe outfits to suit three fashion challenges. These outfits will be pulled from racks of curated clothing, shoes and/or accessories from a particular brand.

“Viewers will be exposed to everything related to fashion and style. We will celebrate

individuality and bring attention to trends while creating new trends. Everyone will be updated on the projects of our weekly guests and their products and services,’ he said.

“We are the platform created to introduce clarity and sharpen the voice of fashionable individuals along with those who simply wear clothes and would like a new, different and fresh perspective.”

And viewers will also be provided with information on how they can style themselves.

“For the first-timer: Start light and easy (accessories - shoes and bags). Feel no pressure; if you do not like it or if it does not fit your body, wait for the next trend. Know that trends are always changing. For the intermediate fashionable: Wear one to two elements at a time. For example, pair a trendy shoe with distressed jeans. Then build up your style from there.

“For the advanced fashionable: Wear it all and don’t wait too late. Get to shopping now! Build upon the present trends and make them your own,” he said.

The “It’s Fashion’ segment airs on Fridays during the live “Bahamas at Sunrise” show at 6.30am on Cable 212.

The show re-airs later that morning at 8am and again on Saturday at 9am. The 6.30am show is also streamed live on the “Bahamas at Sunrise” Facebook page and on the Cable Bahamas REVGO app. A dedicated IFWCM social media network— Facebook, Instagram and YouTube—allows for audience engagement throughout the week.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 19, 2021

food

HappyFoods returns with new season of spotlighting local restaurants

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

FTER successfully pulling off a 13th season in the face of a global pandemic, the HappyFoods242 team is back with yet another addition of the series that spotlights local restaurants and goes behind the scenes to see what’s cooking in their kitchens.

The TV show aims to give an insight into the vibrant culinary scene here in the Bahamas, featuring various, eateries, chefs, pastry chefs, food entrepreneurs, and even bartenders.

The show’s CEO, executive producer and host Sasha Lightbourne said season 14 was, like the previous season, also shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the team made the most of the situation and worked in accordance with the necessary restrictions.

“There were more relaxed restrictions so it was not as hard as season 13, but we got it done.

Whenever we shoot the final show of each season I breathe a sigh of relief. But this season was more than a sigh. People are, as a result of the pandemic and rightly so, watching their coins and so lots of convincing went on in the early stages. But we got it done,” Sasha told Tribune Weekend.

In this latest season, which premieres this Saturday at 7pm on Channel 212, viewers will see the Balmoral Club highlighted.

“Many people still do not know that while Balmoral is a private residential community, the general public is allowed to dine at their restaurant. I was blown away by what they offered and the drinks were amazing. They even offer brunch on most weekends and daily specials throughout the week. You just have to follow their social media to keep updated,” said Sasha.

The show, she explained, strives to give those in the local food and beverage industry a platform.

It’s an especially useful platform for venues that cannot afford to have a huge marketing or PR budget.

She also believes that now more than ever, the culinary industry needs a show like this.

“So many places were closed for so long during the pandemic and are still trying to recoup their losses, and so if we can help, we will do that. The lockdowns were not easy on the industry and I did give it a serious thought to not even produce another season, but things looked so grim. The demand was there and so we did what we had to do – health and safety protocols and all,” she said.

“And for our viewers, too, there is so much COVID-19 related information on our TVs so it’s good that people can choose to pull away, if only for half an hour, to watch the happiest food show on television.”

While she enjoyed the time to rest and reflect that the lockdowns afforded her, when it comes to

A SWEET treat from The Waffle Zone

SURF and turf by IChefUEatBahamas

CHARCUTERIE board by PinPoint242 Cherries and Brie Bristol Cellars her personal dining habits, Sasha admits that she couldn’t wait to get back “out there” once restrictions were lifted a bit.

“I love dining out, whether it’s a table for one or a table for 11; I love it. So when it was announced that outdoor dining could begin I was happy. Now, I’ll admit, I did not immediately rush outside, but when I felt comfortable enough I went. I almost felt compelled to dine more so to put money in the economy and to help the clients who have been on the show. I felt the need to do my part, even if it was just takeaway. I almost felt like it was my solemn duty to get back out there and spend. But nothing in life can replace an awesome all-around dining experience for me. There is just no love in this world like it,” she said.

Meanwhile, the HappyFoods242 team is already in planning stages of the 15th season, scheduled for release this Fall.

“We also plan to do some shorter mini series on our social media pages so people need to stay tuned because new aspects of the show are in the works,” said Sasha.

“I also want to use this time to thank my team, ‘Da Boys’, as they are affectionately known – Kenny and Jay – have been with me from day one in October 2014. This show is not me; I owe a lot to Kenny and Jay. They are the real heartbeat of the show. My stylist, Shakara, and my makeup artist, Yeisha; they came along during our third or fourth season and have been with me ever since and they, too, have to be commended. Our drone aerialist Abe was the last addition to the team, so most of the drone shots from about season seven onwards are all him, some were done by Jay too.

Without this team, there is no HappyFoods242 and they deserve all the praise that I can give to them.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, February 19, 2021

gardening

Windy weather gardening

T

he wind can be both calming and cooling, or it can wreak havoc in the garden.

Banana “trees” are one plant that typically takes a beating in the wind. Some of the larger growing Cavendish type banana plants are easily torn up, and if they’re fruiting, the weight of the banana bunch with pressure from the wind can easily topple a banana plant.

February and March are often windy months, but with some preparations the garden can tolerate it quite well. If tall varieties of banana plants are being grown, it is often wise to prop them up to help them to stay standing, but to avoid this altogether plant bananas in a valley, or in the lee of a building to help protect them.

Indeterminate tomato plants are easily blown over by the wind, even in tomato cages. I often find that I have to not only train the tomato up into the top of the cage, but that it is also beneficial to add a few bamboo stakes inside of the tomato cage to help strengthen it and avoid having broken tomato plants. Traveller’s palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) has a banana type leaf, and even though they are quite salt and wind tolerant, their leaves can get quite shredded in heavy winds.

This is of no detriment to the plants, and is to be expected. Again, these do well when planted on the backside of a hill, in the lee of a building, or in a valley type situation for the best aesthetic effect.

I’ve recently seen someone trying to air layer (moss) mango trees, and my initial reaction was “uh-oh, that’s not going to work!”, and here’s why – the wind! Layered trees will not develop as deep a root system as a fruit tree grown from seed, or grafted onto a seeding. Even the strongest of fruit trees can be knocked over in the wind, and it is always recommended to give heavy branching fruit trees preventative pruning throughout the year to keep the middle of the tree more open to allow air to move through. Beware when thinking of catching a fruit tree by mossing or air layering, as the tree matures, a strong root system becomes all the more important. The reason layered fruit trees are not sold on the commercial market (with very limited exceptions, lychee and longan for example) is because to meet the qualities of a commercially viable tree, the roots must be disease resistant, and wind resistant. I am even wary of layered citrus (although many do not get to be huge trees), not only because of disease susceptibility, but also because of the propensity for layered trees to be easily knocked over in heavy breezes. Consider this method of propagation with caution.

The wind can also cause plants in the garden to dry out much faster than regularly, as it increases the rate of transpiration and plants can get quite dry in the matter of a day or two. This is equally as true for plants in pots or containers as it is for plants in the ground.

As this is typically quite a dry time of the year to begin with, it increases the importance for irrigation, or at the very least, deep watering. The deeper that water can penetrate the ground or a container, the deeper the roots are encouraged to go, which not only increases drought tolerance, it also increases wind tolerance and lessens the chances of a tree or a container to be knocked over in the wind. Pruning is an essential tool for increasing wind resistance as well as it allows the breeze to move through a tree rather than moving the tree.

If you live near the sea, not only are deep waterings recommended, but often times plants that are in the lee of a building can be affected by wind whipping around the side of the building and it really helps to wash off the leaves by overhead watering to minimise salt damage. I have a particular example at a house on the sea where the owner insisted on certain plants (lady palms and bougainvillea), and it is quite incredible how the salt air finds its way

around to the back of the house to cause salt and wind damage to these lower or medium salt tolerant plants.

Regular and thorough watering can also help to avoid blossom end rot on tomato or peppers, as well as to decrease the stress on edibles such as broccoli or similar that may tend to bolt (go to seed) if they are too dry and stressed out.

The wind through the trees can be a lovely, calming sound, but it can also damage the garden. Plan ahead by using material that is not propagated by mossing or layering, consider the leaf texture and size, and in some cases salt tolerance ought to be considered even when in the lee. Support plants if needed, and water thoroughly to encourage deep roots. Happy windy gardening!

• 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.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 19, 2021

literary lives

Charles Baudelaire

(1821-1867)

Sir Christopher Ondaatje reminds us of the French poet whose scandalous book of lyric poetry Les Fleurs de Mal (The Flowers of Evil), published in the mid-19th century, influenced a whole generation of poets. irregular literary output, although he did complete a translation of stories by Edgar Allan Poe. He tried to kill himself.

“As a small child, I felt in my heart two contradictory feelings: the horror of life and the ecstasy of life.”

- Charles Baudelaire My Heart Laid Bare

A few of Baudelaire’s poems were published in 1855 in the Revue de deux mondes (Review of Two Worlds) by his friend Auguste Poulet Malassis, and a few in various French magazines, but it was not until 1857 that his most famous volume of poetry Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) was published. The book found a small appreciative audience but greater public attention was given to Baudelaire’s subject matter – considered scandalous for the time. He introduced his book with a poem “To the Reader” where he lists a wide range of sins and vices – the worst of which is boredom.

Charles Pierre Baudelaire was born in Paris on April 9, 1821 to Joseph François Baudelaire (1759-1827) – a senior civil servant – and Catherine (Dufaÿs) – who was 34 years younger than her husband. His father died when he was six years old. A year later his mother married Lieutenant Colonel Jacques Aupick who became a French ambassador to several noble courts – a crucial life-changing experience for Baudelaire, who found that he was no longer the only focus of his mother’s affection and attention – possibly explaining the excesses in his later life.

Baudelaire was educated in Lyon where he was boarded. He was an attentive and sophisticated student – particularly revealing a precocious love of good literature. However, his studies were erratic and he tended to be lazy. Later he studied law at Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris, but was undecided on what kind of a career he would embark. He ran up huge debts and begged his mother for money – something he would do for the rest of his life. He also started spending his time with prostitutes and contracted gonorrhoea and syphilis during the years before he graduated in 1839. He was not yet 18 years old and told his brother that he didn’t seem to have a vocation and ambition for anything.

“Life has but one true charm: the charm of the game. But what if it were indifferent to whether we win or lose?”

His stepfather Lieutenant Colonel Aupick urged him to practise law or strive for a career in diplomacy – but instead he decided on a literary career.

Baudelaire’s first published work (under the pseudonym of Baudelaire Dufaÿs) was his art review Salon of 1845 getting some critical attention for his brave opinions, notably his championing of Delacroix. His second Salon review in 1846 continued his support of Delacroix and gained credibility as a critic of Romanticism. In 1847, his novella La Fanfarlo was published. He

“Infatuation, sadism, lust, avarice possess our souls and drain the body’s force; we spoonfeed our adorable remorse like whores or beggars nourishing their lice was a slow and methodical worker but was sidetracked by indolence and sickness.

“The poet is a kinsman in the clouds who scoffs at archers, loves a stormy day; But on the ground, among the hooting crowds, he cannot walk, his wings are in the way.”

When he was 20, in 1841, his stepfather sent him on a trip to Calcutta in India, hoping that he would stop his aimless life of debauchery, but he returned to the taverns of Paris and his dissolute ways and started composing his poems. He was known in artistic circles as a dandy and a freespender, dissipating an inheritance that he had received within a few years.

“There are women who inspire you with the desire to conquer them and to take your pleasure with them; but this one fills you only with the desire to die slowly beneath her gaze.”

He acquired a mistress, Jeanne Duval, who was rejected by his family, particularly his mother, who thought Duval a “Black Venus” who tortured and drained him of what little money he had left. In the early 1850s he struggled with bad debts and an

“The devil, watching by our sickbeds, hissed old smut and folksongs to our soul, until the soft and precious metal of our will boiled off in vapour for this scientist.

“Each day his flattery makes us eat a toad, and each step forward is a step to hell, unmoved, through previous corpses and their smell asphyxiate our progress on this road.

“If poison, arson, sex, narcotics, knives have not yet ruined us and stitched their quick, loud patterns on the canvas of our lives, it is because our souls are still too sick.

“It’s boredom. Tears have glued its eyes together.

You know it well, my Reader. This obscene beast chain-smokes yawning for the guillotine – you - hypocrite Reader – my double – my brother.”

The Flowers of Evil was Baudelaire’s first volume of poems, and it announced its sumptuous depravity right from the very beginning.

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, February 19, 2021

“Baudelaire is the great pathologist of shades: beauty, death, melancholy, desire – all are led into his poetic laboratory for observation, dissection, autopsy. There he turns abstractions, in one critic’s apt phrase, into existential intimacies. His stanzas stand like dark prisms of hard light, decadent monuments in the sensible streets of his symbolic Paris. To walk among them is to enter a realm of mythological mystery and power, a netherworld that in some ways spawned the aesthetic embrace of excess, shock, and wilful perversity that would come to shape – and in lesser hands than Baudelaire’s, to disfigure – so much of modern literature.”

– 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die James Mustich Because of Baudelaire’s descriptions of unnatural sex, and its fiendish insistence of the connection between sexuality and death; as well as his references to lesbianism, profane love, melancholy, lost innocence, and the corruption of the city (Paris), Baudelaire, his publisher, and the printer were successfully prosecuted for creating an offence against public morals. They were fined, but Baudelaire was not imprisoned.

Six of the poems were suppressed – but printed later as Les Épaves (The Wrecks) in Brussels in 1866. A second edition of Les Fleurs du Mal with a number of additions (but without the six suppressed poems) was published in 1861. One hundred years later, on May 11, 1949, the judgement against Baudelaire was officially reversed, and the six banned poems were reinstated in France.

“What can an eternity of damnation matter to someone who has felt, if only for a second, the infinity of delight?”

BAUDELAIRE’s mistress Jeanne Duval, painted by Édouard Manet in 1862 Baudelaire’s mistress Jeanne Duval, painted by Édouard Manet in 1862 probably encouraging his mother to allow him to live with her in Honfleur. But then his publisher Poulet Malassis went bankrupt and his financial problems erupted again. He left France for Belgium in 1864 hoping to sell the publishing rights to his works. This never did happen. He continued to smoke opium and he started to drink heavily.

He suffered a massive stroke in 1866 and the last two years of his life were spent in a semi-paralysed state.

THE FIRST edition of Les Fleurs du mal with author’s notes

After Les Fleurs du Mal, Baudelaire worked on a translation of Thomas de Quincey’s Confessions of an English Opium Eater (1821) – an autobiographical account about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. Several English writers (Francis Thompson, James Thomson, William Blair, and Branwell Brontë) were led to opium use and addiction by De Quincey’s literary example.

Baudelaire’s 1860 translation and adaptation Les Paradis artificiels spread the work’s influence further, and certainly influenced his own use and life.

“I see that my son, for all his faults, has his place in literature.” Many of Baudelaire’s works were published posthumously, and he is now regarded as one of the major innovators of French literature.

“Baudelaire’s work has unquestionably created a new frisson (a shudder, a thrill) in French literature.

If the shudder came from his melancholy, the lasting thrill came from his unabashed conviction that the dignity of art and even beauty fell outside the borders of morality.”

– 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die James Mustich

“The Devil pulls the strings which make us dance; we find delight in the most loathsome things.”

Baudelaire is buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.

NEXT WEEK: The chaotic life of a noted New Zealand modernist writer of short stories and poetry.

Baudelaire also published Petits Poèmes en prose (Small Prose Poems); a series of art reviews in Pays; studies on Gustave Flaubert, and on Théophile Gautier; Les Paradis artificiels: opium et haschhish (Artificial Paradises; opium and hashisch), and Un Dernier Chapitre de l’histoire des oeuvres de Balzac (A Final Chapter of the history of works of Balzac).

Baudelaire’s addiction to laudanum, stress and poverty eventually sapped his energies and health,

Baudelaire died on August 31, 1867. He was 46 years old. After he died his mother settled all his many debts but acknowledged,

PORTRAIT of Baudelaire, painted in 1844 by Emile Deroy (1820–1846)

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; The Flowers of Evil excerpt “To The Reader” translated by Robert Lowell; The Cambridge Companion to Baudelaire; and 1,000 Books To Read Before You Die by James Mustich.

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 19, 2021

history

The A-Z of the Bahamas Part two

M

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.

metal, seed pods, and a primitive bass, made from a wash-tub, with a 3-foot stick, to which a string is attached.

S – STANDPIPES provide water to residents in areas where there the houses have no indoor plumbing. In my youth, they were common and it is surprising to see that there are still areas, not far from the city centre, where homes have no indoor plumbing.

T – TAYLOR, Peanuts – Paul Meeres Senior lifted the young Berkley Taylor onto the stage, called him a peanut and that became his stage name. A gifted drummer, Peanuts Taylor became world-famous and an excellent ambassador for the Bahamas.

PAUL C ARANHA

FORGOTTEN FACTS

U - ULM CAY is a small islet in Andros, a little north of Mastic Point.

M – MILITIA. In the British Empire, all ablebodied free males were required to serve in the militia and Woodes Rogers formed the white in habitants into three contingents to augment the 150 soldiers that he had brought with him.

N – NAMES. According to Craton, who quotes Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, the top 20 girls’ names were: Daisunique, D’Andrea, Dekera, Lanisha, Lashan, Latishka, Latonya, Latoya, Llakel, Pashtashia, Raynishka, Shakeira, Shakera, Shameka, Shamond, Shenae, Shaquania, Shawna and Tamika; for boys, her favourites are Danardo, Danavio, Denmark, Devon, Janero, Jimiko Keno, Kevon, Lavardo, Leron, Shaun, and Tameko.

V – VENDUE HOUSE – It was as not a ‘slave market’, even though slaves were sold there.

Vendue House was Nassau’s market, where everything was sold.

PEANUTS Taylor

O - OREE BAY is near the northeast tip of Great Inagua.

P – PEAS & RICE is a distinctive Bahamian delicacy, made from salt pork or bacon, pigeon peas or black-eye peas, rice, minced onion, diced green peppers, tomato paste, thyme and water.

It is served as a side dish for meat or seafood. At boarding school, in Suffolk, I was allowed to use the kitchen, on Sunday evenings to cook peas and rice.

Q – QUEEN’S STAIRCASE – is named in honour of Queen Victoria. I grew up calling it the 66 Steps, but when Union Street/Elizabeth Avenue was paved, the bottom step was covered over. It was featured on the first Bahamian pictorial postage stamp.

R – RAKE N’ SCRAPE – The traditional, homemade method of making music. Rake n’ scrape bands date back to the days of slavery and, typically, the instruments consist of a drum (made from a barrel, covered with a goat skin), a carpenter’s flexible saw (that is scraped with a piece of

VENDUE House; today the Pompey Museum

W – WEST INDIES FEDERATION – From 1948 to 1958, Britain negotiated for its colonies in the Caribbean to join together, as a first step to independence, but the Federation lasted only from 1958 to 1962, when Jamaica was granted independence. The Bahamas is not in the West Indies.

The Tribune | Weekend | 15

Friday, February 19, 2021

animals

And off they go!

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

R

arely does a plane taking off from the LPIA evoke such emotions and such elation 53 potcakes and 20 of their feline counterparts left on Friday, February 12, heading to a new life of love and care! What a spectacular way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Most of these animals were dumped, surrendered, no longer loved or wanted - the others were wandering the streets hungry for food, attention and love (love is something that every living creature craves). The Bahamas Humane Society has been struggling to keep all these animals fed and healthy - it has been an enormous challenge both physically and economically.

Can you begin to imagine how much it costs to feed hundreds of hungry cats and dogs day after day after day? Then there is keeping their kennels clean (non-stop cleaning, scrubbing, washing, drying) backbreaking and once you have finished, it starts all over again.

The staff at the Bahamas Humane Society shelter has been stretched to the absolute maximum - all the while trying to find time for a kind word here and a stroke there (which is also very important). It is an extremely daunting daily demand!

Sometimes, staff members go home exhausted and depressed because they simply feel that they are not making a difference. COVID has put stress on the entire shelter - our staff have been very cautious health-wise and if anybody doesn’t feel well they stay away and get tested. Caution has helped up to create a safe working environment.

Hours can be long and the preparations for an international airlift can be grueling. There is a mammoth amount of paperwork to make these lifts possible. All the dogs need to be microchipped and of course all the vaccines have to be properly documented. All dogs and cats need to be healthy and ready to adopt on arrival. Not that this is an impossible task but it is hugely demanding and

THE HARDWORKING NHS team

CRATES with cats and dog waiting to board the rescue flight time consuming. We are tremendously lucky to have several very hard-working and willing volunteers whose existence has made all of this possible, the clerical work is very precise.

The flight on February 12 is small in comparison with the “Great Canada Airlift” to Nova Scotia at the beginning of March. More than 200 dogs and cats are booked to fly up to Canada - it sounds so easy, but I assure you there is an awful lot of red tape required.

Some people may be wondering why we are sending animals out to other countries. It’s interesting, most countries are experiencing the opposite problem to what we are dealing with. The loneliness of COVID has encouraged people in other countries to adopt a pet, to have a friend at home, a sweet, goofy, loving cat or dog to help them through the isolation and loneliness… alas not here.

Here, people have been getting rid of their pets, every day there are more and more streaming in. We offer a food bank to help people who are

experiencing the financial hardships of COVID, but no, many people just don’t want their pets anymore.

We are a “no kill” shelter, which means that we do not put animals to sleep just because they are there.

It was not their fault that they were irresponsibly bred… so we take them in, but there are not enough people willing or able to give these poor animals a home, a chance, love. So the only solution is an airlift.

They are all settled in sturdy cages, with blankets and towels. They have frozen water bottles that gradually dispense water, some of the dogs and cats who have boarded together and who have bonded, get to travel together. It is an enormous undertaking and the staff and the volunteers at the shelter do an absolutely amazing job, no doubt about it!

The Canada airlift is just a few weeks away and we working our hardest to get all the animals ready.

To have 200 cats go out is just a miracle and we are so amazingly grateful. Many of them have foster homes lined up. It won’t necessarily be easy for them: there is the transport, the cages, the noise, the change of climate and the newness of all the people but at the end of that tunnel is a loving family, and probably a fireplace to warm themselves in front of.

We love getting the photos and videos of the Bahamian cats and dogs leaving with their new families and photos of them with their new humans and animal brothers and sisters. There is a happy ending and the BHS staff, board and volunteers do their best to help every animal to attain the perfect home.

If you wish to help donations are very welcome. Contact me at berryislandgirl@gmail.com.

pet of the week

A laid-back Benjamin

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

Three-year-old Benjamin isn’t exactly yelling to be adopted; he’s so laid back he yawned in Linda’s face while she was taking his photo. That’s not to say Benjamin isn’t hoping for a home of his own someday soon.

He’d love a laid-back home where he can relax with you in front of the TV or the picture window (there might be some birdwatching to do).

Do you have that just right fit for Benjamin? If so, please call the Bahamas Humane Society for more information. Benjamin looks forward to meeting you.

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.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 19, 2021

music

Nansi wants Bahamians to ‘Get Up and Move’

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

S

HE may be new on the scene, but Anansia “Nansi” Leadon promises her music will be packing a punch.

The soul singer recently released her new single, “Get Up and Move”, that she’s sure will get people grooving to the beat.

The song was written by Nansi herself and was released by Megamouth Music/ Baheuro Studio. It was produced by Maitland Thompson and Campbell Forbes, the dynamic duo behind Funky D’s latest hit, “Feel the Summer Breeze”.

Currently in heavy rotation on local airwaves, the song showcases Nansi’s smooth vocals.

The “get up and move” track is a fresh approach to combining her silky rhythmic voice with a Junkanoo groove.

The song came about after her father’s death. Nansi said her production engineer and mentor encouraged her to “just write and lyrically send out a message to have fun and get up and dance.”

Nansi has been surrounded by music all her life, either in school through the performing arts programme, or in church where she sang gospel tunes in the tiny tots choir. As she got older, she also toured and recorded a CD with the Christian Music Association. From that point on she

ANANSIA “Nansi” Leadon

Music out of the pandemic For singer, songwriter Matthew Jesubetham, there is no place like home.

After spending time aboard studying and furthering his music career, Matthew is riding out COVID-19 back in Nassau where he is recording new material including his first solo project - an ode to his homeland.

His new song - his first solo project is called “Come Down”.

He explained the inspiration came from the current state of the world due to the pandemic.

Matthew has played musical instruments since he was a young boy and says his

style is really a bit of electronic melody, dance music.

He added he had enjoyed the process of creating his first solo release.

“It was a challenge as there a lot steps to think about so that everything is executed correctly but it was fun,” he explained.

Now he is back home, Matthew hopes to make a larger name for himself, by partnering with other local artists and providing jingles or other work for local companies.

“I love being back home and I can see myself staying here and then travelling as needed for my music.”

MATTHEW Jesubetham

became a background singer for many gospel artists in the Bahamas.

“My inspirational mood comes from whatever soundtrack of life I am on at the moment,”she said.

Today, as Nansi aims to pick up the pace with her solo career, she is hoping to remain as creative and cutting edge as she possibly can. And in spite the pandemic, she feels the local music scene is amazingly charged right now.

And she will be taking full advantage of this energy.

“Hopefully it will stay creative in such a tough and competitive climate.

It should be all about quality, not quantity,” she said.

“Local radio stations need to give Bahamian artists pride, support and more airplay to different genres of the home-grown music scene. Bahamian artists need to be known for their own identity and have their style taken seriously so it can be known on an international level. Room should be made for future generations by allowing the new up-and-coming artists to have more promotion and get better support and encouragement from the developed (individuals) already within the Bahamian music circle,” she said.