03102023 WEEKEND

Getting crafty with clay and thread

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY-THREE-OLD entrepreneur

Jewel Dunnam can offer her customers something flashy as well as something comfy through her two handcraft businesses.

Perhaps not surprising given her name, but the young woman from Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, has taught herself how to make jewellery. This came after she learned to knit chunky yarn blankets.

“I taught myself these talents by doing research about each one. I also grew up my whole life watching my grandmother, Cecile Dunnam, sewing handmade quilts and selling them all over the islands of the Bahamas. From watching her (I developed) my passion for knitting these chunky knitted blankets,” said Jewel.

When she’s not knitting blankets for her Sleepy Threads brand, Jewel designs and makes jewellery from polymer clay under the label JL Clay Creations.

“I have always had a love for dressing up and wearing jewellery growing up, which made me decide to start making my own. And I have always been inspired to create and own my own business,” she said.

“My most memorable experiences are seeing how people enjoy my products and also seeing how it inspires some of them to pursue their dreams by starting their very own small businesses.

Jewel launched Sleepy Threads in December of 2021, and began with blankets. This expanded into making chunky knitted décor pieces like pumpkins and Christmas trees. She started JL Clay Creations shortly after, in May of 2022.

“I have come a long way by teaching myself new tricks and trades by working with clay and I learn more every day. What makes my products unique is the fact that they are all handcrafted with pride and differ in their own way. I research regularly to keep up and get further ideas for my businesses,” she told Tribune Weekend.

“Going forward, I aspire to grow more by getting established throughout the islands of the Bahamas.”

CREATIONS by Jewel Dunnam

Bahamas Carnival returns with reggae icon as headliner

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

Music icon and Grammy Award winner Buju Banton – one of the biggest voices in reggae and dancehall – is set to hit the stage for the grand return of Bahamas Carnival.

The highly anticipated event kicks off May 18 with a fete to remember, followed by a number of performances sure to deliver the vibes carnival lovers have been missing for the past three years.

Bahamas Carnival was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the dark clouds have cleared, the organisers are enthusiastic about presenting this year’s event which will feature some of the biggest names in soca music.

Trinidadian soca legend Machel Montano will also be returning. He will be joined by the queen of soca, Destra Garcia, along with other major players, including Trinidad & Tobago’s Road March winner Bunji Garlin.

“We are more than elated to bring this exclusive Carnival experience back to the people and the shores of the Bahamas,” said Sebas Bastian, spokesman for Polantra Media.

“From May 19-21, we want you to enter the epic world of Road March winner Bunji Garlin, along with other icons including Machel Montano,

Buju Banton and many other special guests for an extreme soca and dancehall session at Clifford Park. We plan for this show to take the audience on a far-out flight around the Caribbean and back.”

Bahamian music artists will have a chance to win the opportunity of a lifetime by entering the Rising Stars competition, aimed at finding the next big act. Among other fantastic prizes, the winner will get the opportunity to create a song with an international recording artist. The winner will be crowned on Saturday, May 13, during a live event.

The local Carnival groups are already gearing up for an exciting season, with some already having celebrated their costume launches for 2023.

For the first time ever there will also be a band competition.

Polantra Media said the event will present numerous opportunities for Bahamian artists to prove themselves.

According to Polantra Media, costume packages have already gone on sale as Mas bands have begun releasing packages for revellers eager to be back on the road.

The Road March is scheduled for Saturday, May 20.

“We are now seeing the evolution of Bahamas Carnival,” said Rafael Dean, president of the Bahamas Carnival Band Owners Association.

“If you look at the costumes, they have changed since the first Bahamas Carnival and have gotten better. Our bands have learned and continue to learn as we all work to create the best carnival experience one can have. Let’s not forget, we have perhaps the most beautiful backdrop one can ask for in a carnival destination. I think by now we have proven that Bahamas Carnival bands are ready and Bahamas Carnival is here to stay.”

Commonwealth Brewery has also returned as a sponsor of the event.

“At CBL we are always looking for new and disruptive ways to reach our consumers and this event is a perfect fit for us,” said Queswell Ferguson, CBL Senior Portfolio Manager for Beers.

“During the fun-filled concert series we will showcase several of our well-known and loved brands, including Heineken, Guinness and Hennessy.”

The national flag carrier Bahamasair has also come on board as a sponsor.

More information on Bahamas Carnival 2023 can be found at www.carnivalbahamas.com

BUJU Banton

Miss Giggles

Growing up, she used humour to mask her pain, but today she is using her comedy skills to entertain and bring laughter into people’s lives. She tells Cara Hunt about how she became a local social media sensation.

If laughter is the best medicine, then entertainer Miss Giggles is truly healing souls all over the country.

Her unique comedic posts on social media have gained her quite a cult following; people needing a quick laugh and pick-me-up throughout the day.

And laughter has helped Miss Giggles – whose real name is Sharilyn Woods – find the joy in her own life.

“From when I was in primary school, I battled with depression… and I battled it by telling jokes and trying to make myself laugh. My schoolmates used to tell me that I was funny and I was able to use that humour to hide a lot of hurt,” she told Tribune Weekend.

It was not until 2018 that she really started to share her comedic takes on life’s absurdities with the public.

“I was in my car and there was something playing about Island Luck and so I did a little video about that and then I just kept making more and more of them,” she explained.

Her videos soon caught on and became viral sensations.

“People starting sharing and I got more and more people watching. I remember one day I was picking my son up from school and this boy came over and was like, ‘Oh, you the lady who be on TikTok’, and I was like, ‘Boy, what you even know about TikTok?’.”

Her videos showcase the humour that can be found in daily Bahamian life and those crazy events that are the talk of the town.

Topics she has covered include the national pastime of playing numbers, Bahamian parents and how they are fiercely protective of their children, sweethearting, religion and relationships.

“I think there is always something about our society that people can relate to that they can find something in it to laugh about.”

Case in point, for the Valentine’s Day she made several funny videos of women who were expecting gifts and received nothing – “not even a hot patty or a bag of cement.”

Another joke she told was about women going around with sponsorships to finance a BBL (Brazilian butt lift).

In her prayer line videos, she jokes about women who pray for the men they are sweetheartning with to leave their wives. “You want cheat and you ugly,” she joked.

Miss Giggles said she is inspired by God when it comes to her comedy routines.

“I usually pray about what I post, because I want my jokes to be clean and appropriate for everyone. I feel like this is a gift that God has blessed me with and I hope that

it is a gift that can help comfort people. You know that saying, ‘If you don’t laugh, you will cry’. Well, that it what I want to do for other people: give them something to make them laugh for a bit,” she said.

“A lot of people are hurting and going through depression. Sometimes just catching a laugh can really help you feel better about things.”

Her stage name also came from an answered prayer.

“I knew that I needed a stage name and so I prayed about it and the name Miss Giggles came from God. That’s what I bring to people, so it fits,” she said.

She said doing the comedy routines has made a big difference in her own life as well.

And she has expanded her repertoire to include hosting gigs as well.

“In 2018, I also started being an emcee. My cousin got married and her emcee was not able to make it at the last minute and so I decided to try my hand at it. That led to me starting my hosting: weddings, showers, anniversaries and parties.”

Miss Giggles said she does a lot research to ensure her clients have a fun and entertaining event.

“I really try to read the crowd and scope them out so that I can see what they are into and what they may enjoy and get their feedback” she said.

this weekend in history

March 10

• In 1876, the first successful telephone call is transmitted. Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell calls his assistant in another room by saying, “Mr Watson, come here; I want you.” Bell later refused to have a telephone in his own home because he considered it a distraction and something he had invented by mistake.

• In 1997, the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premieres on The WB.

Created by Joss Whedon, the comedy-drama follows Buffy Summers and her friends as

Her comedic efforts are also opening more and more doors.

“I have gotten to do several commercials and I recently was in my first stage play,” she said.

“That was my first time and I really loved acting. It is something that I know that I want to do. I am preparing to do another stage play later this year.

“I like to think of myself as an entertainer rather than just a comedienne. I also like to call myself an atmosphere shifter.”

Her dream role would be to be cast in a Tyler Perry production.

“Tyler, please come to the Bahamas. We have so much talent here,” she joked.

they battle vampires, demons and other supernatural forces of evil – which are often metaphors for growing up.

March 11

• In 1811, in the village of Arnold, Nottingham, textile workers stage the first major Luddite riot in England. The rioting workers broke the machinery that was causing their displacement – wide knitting frames. This and other protests of this kind launched a movement that spread throughout the country.

• In 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” debuts at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York City. It’s the first play by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Its title is taken from Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem” and the play follows a working-class Black family

from the South Side of Chicago hoping to improve their lives.

March 12

• In 1894, Coca-Cola is sold in glass bottles for the first time. For the first several years of its existence, the beverage – which was originally developed as a non-addictive substitute for morphine in 1886 – had only been available as a fountain

drink. The first person to sell Coke in a bottle was Joseph A Biedenharn, owner of a candy store in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

• In 1969, London police conduct a drug raid at home of George Harrison of The Beatles. He is reported to have told the officers with their drug-sniffing canines, “You needn’t have turned the whole bloody place upside down. All you had to do was ask me and I would have shown you where I keep everything.”

Harrison and his wife, model Pattie Boyd, were arrested, causing them to miss Paul and Linda McCartney’s wedding that same day. A few weeks later, despite the rather large amount of hash discovered at their home, the couple were allowed to plead guilty and were each fined £250 (roughly $5,000 in today’s money).

ACTOR portraying Alexander Graham Bell in a 1926 silent film.

“I like to think of myself as an entertainer rather than just a comedienne. I also like to call myself an atmosphere shifter.”

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE

Across

1 Way out in the theatre perhaps (5-5)

6 The last of many complaints?

Definitely! (2,2)

10 I held out for capital (5)

11 Create a fuss as Adam and Eve had to do (5,4)

12 Paper thrown at the match (8)

13 One transaction that’s flawless (5)

15 Woodmen at play (7)

17 Magnificent morning for an old lady (7)

19 Change gears, points and lubricants (7)

21 Aviation spirit (7)

22 I complain when she returns (5)

24 One is not expected to live on them (4,4)

27 Insulting attack (9)

28 Not qualified to give the final figure (5)

29 Pretentious tunes? (4)

30 Just now - or just Christmas? (7,3)

Down

1 Help a character in opera (4)

2 Musketeer’s call for a non-share policy? (3,3,3)

3 What he does is appropriate (5)

4 New area to decline after rising charges (7)

5 Compulsive motoring (7)

7 Draw a small amount (5)

8 People having it agree - not to marry? (6,4)

9 He may not like women. Bet Alice can change him (8)

14 Horrid woman novelist on board perhaps (10)

16 Parliamentary terms? (8)

18 Very pleased with the lamp indeed (9)

20 At least he’s private (7)

21 Effusive oil-producers? (7)

23 Going with some hesitation to tender (5)

25 People may decline to learn it (5)

26 Parking place for sport (4)

Across

1 Strong and firm (10)

6 Silly (4)

10 Generously sufficient (5)

27 Spoken of morality (4) bearings (4) 23 Dishonest person has left with air-conditioning (4)

gratis (10)

TOdAY’S TARGeT

SmAll CROSSWORd

SmAll CROSSWORd

ACROSS

1 Regulates (8)

6 Not closed (4)

Good 18; very good 27; excellent 36 (or more).

Solution next Saturday.

THE ALPHABEATER

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

8 Modify (5)

lAST SATURdAY’S SOlUTION

11 Look at or inspect again (6)

12 Current fashion or style (4)

14 Whole quantity (3)

15 Sorrowfully (5)

16 Mesh (3)

17 To bridge (4)

E B E E A L C P A

19 Not as fast (6)

CAN you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid number represents a letter – or black square. As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet is used. But you have to complete the grid too! Use the given letters and black squares below the grid to start. The grid is ‘rotationally symmetrical’ – in other words, it looks the same if you turn the page upside down.

Solution tomorrow

20 Sharply sloping (5)

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here?

21 Catholic service (4)

22 Puddings (8)

DOWN

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. Verb

For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2583

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

lAST SATURdAY’S SOlUTION

ACROSS 1 Exchange, 6 Shop, 8 Loyal, 11 Inform, 12 Aged, 14 Art, 15 Urged, 16 Led, 17 rage, 19 Switch, 20 Stand, 21 Fete, 22 Attended. dOWN 1 Establish, 2 Cone, 3 Alongside, 4 Gym, 5 Flattened, 7 Highest, 9 Order, 10 Alright, 13 Drown, 18 Aced, 19 Sat.

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Three Rs, 5 Bloom, 8 Go begging, 9 Tin, 10 Tame, 12 Restless, 14 Patrol, 15 Script, 17 One-sided, 18 Next, 21 Let, 22 Bete noire, 24 Mince, 25 Rebound.

Down: 1 Tight, 2 Rib, 3 Edge, 4 Shiver, 5 Big stick, 6 On the line, 7 Mind-set, 11 Moth-eaten, 13 Sociable, 14 Problem, 16 Debtor, 19 Trend, 20 Snub, 23 IOU.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Across: 1 Jupiter, 5 Tacks, 8 Policeman, 9 Nor, 10 Rock, 12 Identity, 14 Ignore, 15 Legend, 17 Squirrel, 18 Item, 21 Ant, 22 Meditated, 24 Turns, 25 Parades.

Down: 1 Japer, 2 Pal, 3 Tuck, 4 Remade, 5 Tenanted, 6 Continent, 7 Strayed, 11 Conductor, 13 Triremes, 14 Instant, 16 Held up, 19 Midas, 20 Stir, 23 Ted.

EASY PUZZLE

Down

1 Notable achievement (4)

2 Widely disliked (9)

3 Expand (5)

4 Hilly areas (7)

1 Most cumin (anag.) (9)

2 Require (4)

3 Precipitation (9)

4 Jude _, actor (3)

Yesterday’s Sudoku Answer

5 Lack of movement (9)

7 Shield (7)

9 Transactions (5)

acre acute acuter brace bracer bract caber care carer caret cart carte cater cert cite crab crate crater crib crier cruet cube cubit curare curate curb cure curie curt cute ecru erica erratic race racer racier react recruit recur rice ricer

rubric RUBRICATe

trace tracer trice truce uric

Yesterday’s Kakuro Answer

11 Set up an ambush (3,2,4)

12 Conspicuous wealth (8)

13 Light boat with paddles (5)

15 Ailment (7)

17 Libyan capital (7)

19 Appears by chance (5,2)

21 Foot-operated lever (7)

22 US composer of marches (5)

24 Pretentious nonsense (8)

27 Nourishment (9)

28 Percentage (5)

29 Deserve (4)

30 The developing countries (5,5)

5 Vote back into office (2-5)

7 Another time (5)

8 In elaborate style (2,3,5)

9 Sluggish (8)

14 A heightened intuitive power (5,5)

16 Overjoyed (8)

18 Any great Renaissance painter (3,6)

20 Full of mischief (7)

21 Sports teacher (7)

23 Speak (5)

25 To cast (5)

26 Audacious (4)

BATTLESHIPS

10 Columns (7)

13 Bird of prey (5)

Call 0907 181 2586 for today’s Target solution

18 Fruit (4)

19 Look (3)

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off.

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. All puzzles use The Chambers Dictionary

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to your mobile, text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your usual operator

Well-known radio personality gets second chance at love

A surprise Christmas proposal cements couple’s relationship

WHEN Y98 live radio personality Anthony “AC” Coakley got down on one knee to propose to now fiancée Aja Moss (of course she said yes), he declared: “I have a second chance to make it right for the first time.”

This single phrase encapsulates the tumultuous love life of one the Bahamas’ most well-known on-air voices. It also symbolises the commitment he is determined to make.

AC’s proposal, which took place just days before Christmas Day 2022 in the foyer of Radio House on Shirley Street – home to 100 JAMZ, Classical, Y98, KISS FM and Joy 101.9 – felt almost like a fairy tale scenario. The journey for AC to that point, however, had not exactly been a magical carriage ride.

Speaking with Tribune Weekend, AC candidly spoke about the mistakes he made that led to the demise of his first marriage, which was in the process of being officially dissolved when he and Aja crossed each other’s paths in 2020.

AC was neither looking for love or yearning for romance. In fact, he was pulling himself out of a “very dark place.”

“I was very depressed and confused and feeling so many things because my first marriage had ended. I took full responsibility of why things ended,” he said.

At that juncture of his life, AC said he made a promise to God that if he had a second chance do it all over again, he would do it right.

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

“I met Aja many years prior to 2020. However, we crossed paths at church. When we reconnected, she still had that infectious personality and beautiful smile I remembered,” he said.

One encounter was all it took for AC and Aja to click. Their interest

in one another became even clearer during their first date – for which AC said he relied on prayer to determine the way forward.

“I prayed about everything because I knew the mistakes I made previously and did not want to make a wrong move. I wanted God’s

presence in and a part of this, and she wanted the same,” he said.

On their first official date, AC and Aja spent hours on the beach, drinking a bottle of wine and getting lost in conversation.

“Then she put her hand on my shoulder and something in me came alive. In that moment I thought, ‘This is what a relationship should feel like.’ There was this warmth and an overall peace I felt towards her,” he said.

From that day forward, AC and Aja’s relationship blossomed into a union that which they now consider a “blessing to each other”.

“God revealed to my heart that Aja was placed in my life to stretch me, to help build character. And that was what she certainly has done. And I have been that to her as well,” she said.

The couple has been using their individual stories as well their shared love story to minister to singles through their church group.

After working through the inevitable challenges that come with every new relationship, learning one another and finding their own rhythm, two years later, AC decided he wanted to take the big step and propose marriage to Aja.

“I had finally gotten my divorce papers,” he said. “I already knew I wanted to marry her, but I did not want to propose to her until I had the papers. I would always call her my wife and she would say, ‘I’m not your wife’. Or I would introduce her as my fiancée and she would say, ‘Stop introducing me like that…. because people be looking at ya hand and they don’t see no ring and it makes me feel funny’. I would say to her, ‘I can only call you what you are to me’.”

family and friends and told them what I had planned to do,” he said.

“Then I went to the print shop and had the sign created. Everything was coming together so seamlessly. I literally was planning all of this in one day.”

Aja, a divorcée herself, was fully ready to embark on this chapter of love, nevertheless, AC’s proposal took her completely off guard.

Once at Radio House, Aja was in the foyer taking her individual Christmas pyjama shots. When she turned around, to suddenly saw her family and close friends standing on the staircase. AC was holding a sign he had made a day prior, simply stating: “Aja, will you marry me?”

“The moment I turned around and I saw my family and close friends and saw the sign I went through about 40 different emotions. I went from shock to nervous, to overjoyed. I wanted to cry, I wanted to laugh…I thought I was going crazy in that moment,” she said.

With divorce papers in hand, AC began thinking about how he wanted propose.

“I wanted to make sure my proposal to her was very loud and grand. Of course, I am very much so involved in Junkanoo and she said to me, ‘I see people proposing with Junkanoo and I don’t want no Junkanoo as part of my proposal’. I said, ‘OK, fine’,” he said.

“I thought it would be very nice if I could propose to her at the parade. I reached out to some media friends about actually putting a proposal out on the big screen on Rawson Square. There were some challenges with making it happen, and then leading into the parade there was the whole deal with the weather being iffy, so that didn’t happen.”

After several of his plans failed to pan out, AC decided his and Aja’s planned Christmas photo shoot would be the ideal occasion to propose.

“We had planned to use the Christmas tree at Radio House as the backdrop for our photos. I contacted the photographer, videographer, her

“The most special part of the proposal to me were the words that Anthony said to me right before he gave me the ring. He told me he was committed to me; he is committed to being faithful to me, to love me, cherish me. His words were the most impactful thing to me in that moment.’

Since their engagement Aja said she and AC have been learning so much about one another and are excited to plan their life together.

“Our (wedding) date is truly a representation of the uniqueness of our bond and we can’t wait to reveal that date to our family and friends,” she said.

“Things have been great since the proposal. We have been planning our wedding and planning for our future together…looking for a home. But more importantly, we have realised how vital communication truly is, especially with the planning of our wedding. We make an extra effort now to ensure we are both on the same page. Even if we disagree, we both have learned to compromise with each other. So, the proposal has certainly brought us closer.”

• Do you have a meaningful, romantic or unique proposal story you want to share with Tribune Weekend? Contact jgibson@tribunemedia.net.

SHE said ‘yes’! Aja Moss and Anthony “AC” Coakley during their Radio House proposal.

literary lives - Dolly Parton

An inspirational country legend

Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the American singer-songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, known for her decades-long career in Country music. With a career spanning over 50 years, she made her album debut in 1967, and has since sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

“It takes a lot of money to look this cheap. And besides that … I’m not blonde.”

– Dolly Parton ‘Country Music’

A film by Ken Burns

Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin on the banks of the Little Pigeon River in Pittman Center, Tennessee. She is the fourth of 12 children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr. Parton’s father worked in the mountains of Tennessee, first as a sharecropper, and later looking after his own small tobacco farm.

He also worked on construction jobs to supplement the farm’s small income.

Despite his illiteracy, Parton comments that he was a relatively smart businessman. She credits her musical abilities to her mother, who had 11 pregnancies in 20 years. She was a mother of 12 when she was 35.

When Parton was a young girl the family moved from the Pittman Center area to a farm up on nearby Locust Ridge. Parton describes her family as being “dirt poor”. Parton’s father paid missionary Dr Robert F Thomas with a sack of cornmeal for delivering her. For seven years, Parton lived in their rustic, one-bedroom cabin on their subsistence farm on Locust Ridge.

Music played an important role in her early life. She was brought up in the Church of God in a congregation her grandfather, Jake Robert Owen, pastured. Her earliest public performances were in the church when she was six. When she was seven, she started playing a homemade guitar.

Dolly Parton was a born performer. She started singing on local radio and television programmes in the East Tennessee area. When she was ten, she appeared on The Cas Walker Show on both WTVK Radio and WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. At 13, she recorded “Puppy Love”, and met Johnny Cash at the Grand Ole Opry. He knew

she was something special, and urged her to follow her own instincts.

The moment she graduated from Sevier County High School in 1964, she moved to Nashville –the very next day – and signed with Combine Publishing. She wrote songs with her uncle Bill Owens and was almost immediately charting singles. She moved to Monument Records in 1965 and produced two Top 10 hits: “Put It Off Until Tomorrow (1966) by Bill Phillips, and “Fuel to the Flame” (1967) by Skeeter Davis.

Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr also recorded her songs. At 19, she released a string of singles, but only “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby” charted. Although she was keen to record country music, Monument Records thought her unique high-pitched voice was not suited to the genre. However, when her song “Put It Off Until Tomorrow” was recorded by Bill Phillips (with Parton singing harmony) and soared to number six on the country chart, Monument relented and allowed her to sing country. “Dumb Blonde”, one of the few songs she did not write, reached number twenty-four on the Country chart in 1967,

followed by “Something Fishy” which went to number 17. Both songs were included in her first Country album “Hello, I’m Dolly”.

In 1967, Dolly Parton’s career changed significantly. Porter Wagoner, who had a weekly syndicated television programme, invited Parton to join his organisation. It was a rocky but successful love/hate commercial relationship. Wagoner convinced his label RCA Victor to sign Parton, and the record company protected their investment by releasing her first single as a duet with Wagoner. “The Last Thing on My Mind”, released in late 1967, reached the Top 10 in January 1968, launching a six-year streak of uninterrupted Top 10 singles for the partnership.

Parton’s first solo single for RCA Victor “Just Because I’m a Woman” (1968) reached number seventeen in the charts, but none of her solo recordings were anything like her duets with Wagoner. He had a considerable stake in her future as he co-produced her work and owned nearly 50 percent of OwePar, the publishing

THIS now-iconic photo was taken in 1978 and became the cover of her Heartbreaker album

PARTON makes her first recording, “Puppy Love,” on Goldband Records. The single is released in 1959, but does not chart

company she had set up with Bill Owens. Parton’s solo records were almost ignored.

However, Wagoner persuaded her to record “Mule Skinner Blues” in 1970, an old Jimmie Rodgers’ tune. The idea worked and shot to number three on the charts, followed in February 1971 by her first number-one single, “Joshua”. For the next two years she had several solo hits, including “Coat of Many Colours” (1971). Duets with Wagoner continued to be hits including “Burning the Midnight Oil” and “The Right Combination”.

Her biggest solo hit of these early years was “Jolene”. It topped the Country chart in 1974, and reached number seven in the UK.

Parton decided to leave Wagoner and performed their last duet in April 1974. She stopped appearing on his TV show in mid 1974, although they continued to release duet albums until 1975. The 1974 song “I Will Always Love You”, written about her break with Wagoner, went to number one on the country chart.

Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record the song. But Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told Parton that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song recorded by Presley. Parton refused – a decision that helped her make many millions of dollars in royalties from the song over the years. Parton had three solo singles reach number one in the Country chart in 1974: “Jolene”, “I Will Always Love You” and “Love Is Like a Butterfly”, as well as her duet with Porter Wagoner “Please Don’t Stop Loving Me.”

Between 1974 and 1980, Parton had a series of country hits. Eight of her singles reached number one. Olivia Newton-John, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstradt were crossover artists who performed her songs. Observing their leadership, Parton embarked on a high-profile campaign to aim her music in a mainstream direction outside of country music. She hired Sandy Gallin as her personal manager, who worked with her for the next 25 years. She began taking more of a role in production and aimed at middle-of-the-road songs “New Harvest … First Gathering” (1977), “My Girl” and “Higher and Higher” – co-produced with Porter Wagoner. They topped the country charts – but didn’t have much effect on the pop charts.

Her national visibility began to increase. She won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal for Here You Come Again in 1978, and continued to have hits with “Heartbreaker” (1978), “Baby I’m Burning” (1979), and “You’re the Only One” (1979). She made several TV appearances: Barbara Walters Special (1977), Cher’s ABC TV Special, and with Carol Burnett on CBS.

She hosted Fifty Years of Country Music (1979) with Roy Clark and Glen Campbell, and followed it with the NBC special The Seventies: An Explosion of Country Music.

Her commercial success grew substantially in 1980 with number-one hits: “Starting Over Again”, “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”, and “9 to 5” – the theme song to the 1980 feature film in which she starred with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin – a huge hit that topped both country and pop charts. It also received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Between 1981 and 1985 she had twelve Top 10 hits – half of them at number one. A rerecorded version of “I Will Always Love You” from the film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), and “Islands in the Stream”– a duet with Kenny Rogers, spent two weeks at number one in 1983.

Her record sales were still strong in the mid1980s, but RCA Records did not renew her contract. She signed instead with Columbia Records in 1987. With Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, she released Trio (1987) to critical acclaim. It seemed to revitalise her flagging career, spending five weeks at number one on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. It sold several million copies and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

After another attempt at pop success with Rainbow (1987), a commercial failure, Parton returned to her roots and focused on ountry material. White Limozean (1989) produced two number one hits: “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” and “Yellow Roses”. However, there was a change in the air and when a new contemporary country music entered the field in the early 1990s, many veteran country artists were moved off the charts.

PARTON and Andy Warhol crossed paths several times throughout her career, and she most notably inspired his 1985 portrait of the singer

She switched to producer Gary Klein for her new album Here You Come Again (1977), and it became her first million-seller, topping the country chart and reaching number 20 on the Pop chart. A second single, the double-sided “Two Doors Down”-”It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” topped the country chart and crossed over to the Pop Top 20. Almost all of her subsequent singles crossed over simultaneously.

Parton’s greatest commercial success of the late 1980s and early 2000s came when Whitney Houston recorded “I Will Always Love You” for the soundtrack of her feature film The Bodyguard (1992). Both the single and the album were massively successful. The soundtrack album for the film Straight Talk, however, was less successful.

Slow Dancing with the Moon (1993) did much better, reaching number four on the country charts, and number sixteen on Billboard 200. She recorded a duet “The Day I Fall in Love” with James Ingram for the film Beethoven’s 2nd (1993). It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. She then released Honky Tonk

Angels in 1993 with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It helped revive the careers of both Lynn and Wynette. The following year she featured stripped-down versions of her old hits in the album Heartsongs: Live from Home (1994).

Parton started looking back. The music field was changing. Her recorded music remained steady but somewhat eclectic. “I Will Always Love You” performed with Vince Gill was Country Music Association’s Vocal Event of the Year Award in 1995. Then Treasures (1996) was released containing songs by Mac Davis, Pete Seeger, Kris Kristofferson, Cat Stevens, and Neil Young. Her recording of Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train” was re-mixed and released as a dance single, and her Country-Rock album Hungry Again made up entirely of her own compositions was issued in 1998.

Trio II with Harris and Ronstadt was released in 1999 – the year Parton was included into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was now fifty years old. That year she recorded a series of bluegrass-inspired albums: The Grass is Blue (1999), which won a Grammy Award, and Little Sparrow (2002), which won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Halos & Horns (2002) included a version of the Led Zeppelin song “Stairway to Heaven”. In 2005, she released Those Were The Days – her interpretations of hits from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Parton earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “Travelin’ Thru’”, which she wrote for the film Transamerica (2005). She returned to number one in the country chart in 2005, lending her distinctive harmonies to Brad Paisley’s “When I Get Where I’m Going”. Her first single from her own record company, Dolly Records, titled “Better Get to Livin’” (2007) reached number 48 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts. Backwoods Barbie was released in 2008.

Continuing to look back, Parton released a four-CD box set Dolly (2006) which featured 99 songs from her career. Even when she was 60, she had boundless energy and maintained a thriving commercial interest in her work. She was her own best asset. She released her second live DVD and album, Live From London, in October 2009, filmed during her sold-out concerts in London’s O₂ Arena. On August 10, 2010, she released Clyde which she co-wrote with Billy Ray Cyrus, and on January 6, 2011, Parton announced that she would embark on a Better Day world tour – the title of her next album.

Whitney Houston died on February 11, 2012.

“Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song … “I will always love you”. You will be missed.”

– Dolly Parton

In 2013, Parton re-recorded “I Will Always Love You” with Lulu Roman, and re-united with Kenny Rogers for the title song of his album You Can’t Make Old Friends, which was nominated at the 2014 Grammy Awards for Best Country Duo.

Now well into her 60s, and unstoppable, Parton embarked on a Blue Smoke tour of her record in Australia and New Zealand in 2014. The album reached the Top 10 in both countries, and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart, making it her best charting solo album ever. In June, she sang for the first time at the UK Glastonbury Festival to a crowd of more than 180,000. On March 16, 2016, she toured the US supporting another new album Pure & Simple. She performed 64 concerts in the US and Canada.

She released “Jolene” again in 2016 and sang “On the Road Again” and “I Will Always Love You” at the CMA Awards, where she was awarded the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2017, she performed a duet with Kesha Rose Steward “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You”. She also co-wrote and featured vocals on Younger Now - an album by her goddaughter Miley Cyrus.

On April 10, 2020, Parton re-released 93 songs from six of her classic albums and released “When Life is Good Again” on May 27, 2020. She followed this with A Holly Dolly Christmas in October 2020.

On November 5, 2022, she was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although initially declining the nomination.

Finally, she reluctantly announced in October 2022, at the age of 76, that she would no longer do any tours, but would play live shows occasionally.

Dolly Parton turned down several offers to pose nude for Playboy magazine over the years. She did, however, appear on the cover in October 1978 with a candid interview by Lawrence Grobel. “Dolly” the sheep was named after her since the sheep was cloned from a cell taken from an adult ewe’s mammary gland. In Mobile, Alabama, the General WK Wilson Jr Bridge is commonly called “the Dolly Parton” bridge due to its arches resembling her bust. She is known for having undergone considerable plastic surgery. In the Oprah Winfrey show she stated that cosmetic surgery was imperative in keeping up with her public image.

partnership with

and his show played a big part in her early success and inspired the song ‘I Will Always Love You’

On May 30, 1966, Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean were married in Ringgold, Georgia.

“We’re really very proud of our marriage. It’s the first for both of us. And the last.”

– Dolly Parton

Carl Thomas Dean is retired from running an asphalt road-paving business in Nashville, Tennessee. He has always shunned publicity and rarely accompanies his wife to any events. Parton has admitted jokingly that he has only seen her perform once.

Dolly Parton

“If I see something sagging, bagging or dragging, I’ll get it nipped, tucked or sucked. –

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia.

PARTON’s

Porter Wagoner

PARTON at the ACM Awards in 2022.jpg

Inagua in 1944 – Part II

The Commissioner of each Out Island ‘district’ had to send an annual report of events and developments in his district during the preceding calendar year. Many had little to report, but Herman Pyfrom (1898-1955), a highly respected commissioner, had a lot to say about Inagua:

EDUCATION

The board school at Mathew Town was regularly conducted and the attendance satisfactory. As reported last year, “the educational standard of this school is exceedingly low” – but I am pleased to report that a new Headteacher, together with an Assistant, was placed in charge of this school, during the month of October.

Under new management and reorganisation, I have already observed improvements.

PUBLIC WORKS

Apart from the general upkeep of roads and streets, upkeep public buildings, upkeep burial grounds, cleaning of drains, upkeep bridges and canals, for which a recurrent grant of £380 was allocated, public works were undertaken during the year.

LABOUR CONDITIONS

There has been a great demand for unskilled labour, by West India Chemicals Limited and, during the period ending 30th May, there were 287 labourers on the pay roll. On the 15th June, 28 Turks Island labourers struck for higher wages.

This demand was ignored by the company and 14 returned to work, on the same day. The remainder were sent back to Turks Island. These labourers, who struck work, were earning 5/- [five shillings] per day and a number were earning as much as 8/- per day, making overtime. The men sent home regretted their actions, before leaving, and requested the company to take them back, as they had fallen prey to local agitation, but the company did not accede to their requests.

All labourers receive free medical treatment, when necessary, sick pay and three meals are supplied daily

for 1/6d [one shilling and six pence] per day. The taking of meals was optional. Men hospitalised receive free meals. Labourers housed by the company, at a weekly rental of one penny. All able bodied Inaguans, who want to work, were employed. There are a very small number of Inaguans who seem indifferent to regular employment and prefer to hunt, fish and farm.

Apart from the incident in June, there was no unrest or dispute and relationship between employer, and employees were cordial. At the end of the year, there were 48 Turks Islanders still in employment here.

The average number of Turks Islanders employed, during the year, were 125. Number of Inaguans 112, other Bahamians 40, Haitians 8. Average employed 285.

AGRICULTURE

This district suffered a severe draught, during the year under review and, from January to October, no crops were raised. The autumn crops, which consisted of Indian and guinea corn, are almost negligible and will have no effect on the importation of the regular amount of farinaceous foodstuffs, for consumption in this district. The farming community is indeed small and consists chiefly of old men and women, as all able-bodied men are employed by West India Chemicals Limited. In my opinion, which is based on observations during

the past three years, Inagua is not suitable for agriculture. The soil is extremely poor and the rainfall scanty and infrequent. On the whole, the weather is always ideal for salt production. There is very limited acreage of private land. 126 acres of Crown Lan were leased, during the year, for farming – an increase of 49 acres over the previous year’s lease. The average rainfall was 20.63 inches – 4.65 inches less than the previous year.

SALT INDUSTRY

60,000 tonnes of salt were harvested and, from January to December, approximately 65 men were constantly employed, in the production of salt. Most of these labourers came from Turks Island and are conversant with the making of salt. Weather conditions have been ideal for salt production, during the whole year, and 9,000 tonnes were exported to the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

There has been considerable improvement in this industry and the area has been extended. Salt harvested is stored in huge piles, near the salt ponds and, whenever a shipment is required, it is brought out, and deposited at the shipping point, by trucks,

some days in advance of the arrival of the vessel.

There were 2 casualties among the labourers, in October, when two men were killed in a truck accident.

GENERAL REMARKS

Constructional work on the large chemical plant, at Lake Windsor, is nearing completion and it is anticipated that a large number of labourers will be released, who may be obliged to seek employment elsewhere. A technical staff and maintenance crew will be in constant employment and so the number of common labourers will be limited.

A miniature plant is now erected in the laboratory and experiments are being carried out, which should prove helpful, when the large plant is in operation.

This was another prosperous year for the entire community and Savings Bank deposits show an increase of £914.11.0, over the previous year. Notwithstanding the fact that public works were limited, and almost negligible, there were no hardships.

On the 29th June, Mr DuBois, of Anglo-American Caribbean Commission, accompanied by Mr. Hugh Griffith, of Bahama Seafoods Limited, visited Mathew Town, in connection with a fish survey and all necessary assistance was rendered to these gentlemen.

On the 25th July, the district was honoured with a visit by His Excellency, the Honourable D G Stewart, Acting Governor, Group Captain Field, together with several other gentlemen. This visit was highly appreciated, and His Excellency was keenly interested in the development of the salt and chemical industry.

A large quantity of lignum vitae was shipped to the Chairman, War Materials Committee, who paid wood cutters the handsome sum of £4.10.0 per ton.

Through strenuous efforts and loyal assistance, of a few people, I was able to raise a sum of £64.6.0 for the Bahamas Branch of the British Red Cross, the receipt of which was gratefully acknowledged. The Local Red Cross Group have again contributed a number of knitted and woollen garments.

Herman PyfromSenior Commissioner

Forever has become expendable

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

Iknow that I have written about this before, and if I am boring or getting boring, you must please let me know.

It is just that this is something that touches me so deeply, that breaks my heart, that keeps me awake at nights, that I cannot not talk about. I feel compelled to bring it up at every possible opportunity. This fact of life that literally haunts me is the dreadful and heartless exercise of just “dumping” a pet when they are no longer relevant to the family they lived in before.

This morning I was reading through some of the stories on The Do Do website and they had a story of a little black dog with a white star on her chest who was dumped near a shop. She had been left her with her blanket, toys and food before the owners drove away. She waited, like a good girl, for them to come back, day after day after day… They of course never came back. Fortunately for her, the people in the shop were watching out for her. They brought her additional food when she ran out and they called a local rescue group.

This little dog was perfectly healthy but totally emotionally drained; so exhausted by waiting and hoping. Her heart was broken because she had been totally abandoned on the side of the road like a piece of unwanted furniture.

I really try not to read these articles because I know how I am going to feel afterwards. The good thing about The Do Do is that you know there will be a positive ending (which, the truth be told, is not the normal outcome). I turn these stories around and an around in my mind. There are worse cases; there are those who dump the dog and jump in the car and drive away as fast as they can whilst the dog tries to follow, but is incapable.

Here in the Bahamas, there are those who dump them at the Fish Fry near Arawak Cay and leave.

Perhaps they have a little conscience, just maybe they hope that the animal they are forsaking may get a little food now and then from a passing friendly hand.

For the love of God, people, what is wrong with you? How can you just turn your back and walk away? Do you wake up at night feeling cold and empty wondering if your pet may have been run over or attacked by other dog and lying somewhere alone frightened and suffering? No. I suspect you are so devoid of any principles or heart that you don’t ever give it a second thought.

These thoughts visit me at night as I hear my dog’s regular breathing from his soft and cozy bed next to mine; safe and loved. I think of those poor betrayed dogs and cats all over the world and here in the Bahamas who have be treated like an old sofa.

I think the problem is global. I believe the cause is simple. We live in a “disposable” world. If you don’t like something, you sell it half price on the internet. If you don’t like somebody, you can block them. People no longer collect things. There is no great excitement over collectables. When I was young, in the 1970s and ’80, everybody

A shy boy in need of love

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

Bobby is a male potcake, about one year old. He’s been at the Bahamas Humane Society all his life, but because of his shy personality, he’s been overlooked while his siblings were adopted.

The Saturday/Wednesday walkers are trying to help socialise him more, but he’d really love to be out of the shelter and in a home of his own with a human that understands

collected something: frogs, unicorns, pigs, roosters, snuff boxes, paperweights, baseball cards, boxes and other curious items.

We now live in a society when the perfect house has a strange hotel lobby quality, devoid personality: no magazines (who needs them? You read them online); no photos (you have them on your phone); nothing that reveals anything about the people who fill that space in the evenings. Colours are all very monochrome and the atmosphere is pleasing; the old is tossed for the new.

You do not cherish family heirlooms; you upgrade and trade in… Is this the mentality that has nurtured the attitude that has led to a lack of commitment to the family pet?

Of course, this does not apply to everybody, just those who dump their pet, or at best take them to the shelter. The fear, loneliness and confusion that the animal feels are of no concern to them.

Thank goodness there are wonderful, caring and compassionate people still out there who are willing to take up their days helping the discarded pet become whole again, to wag their tail once more, to purr, to snuggle and finally to trust.

We need more of those exceptional being in our lives and less of the callous and selfish humans who put self and convenience first.

Hats off to the pet owners who remain committed no matter what, they are the ones to know the true meaning of commitment and unconditional love.

he’ll need time and patience to come out of his shell.

Bobby’s good with other dogs, would do best in a house with at least one more for support, and seems to be fine with cats. If you have some time to help settle this shy fellow, come into the BHS to meet him or call 821-4121. Bobby hopes to see you soon.

• Looking for some exercise? Want to help socialise some of the adoption dogs? Then come and join the weekly dog walks! Wednesdays at 10am. For more information, check out the Volunteering/Fostering for Bahamas Humane Society page at Facebook. It’s a fun way to help the dogs experience some ‘out of cage’ time!

(Photo_The Do Do)

(Photo/Judy Young)

Catering to a dream

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

Self-taught cook and caterer Cyrilla “Dena” Adderley is a shining example of never giving up on one’s dreams, no matter the setbacks and obstacles.

Without finishing high school or having any financial backing, she was able to start her own successful catering business in Exuma, offering Asian, Italian, Jamaican and Bahamian cuisine, as well as sushi, charcuterie boards, fruit platters, donuts, pastries, and baked goods.

“I’ve always loved cooking, which can be attributed to my mom being a chef. I’m the oldest of five children and had to cook when my mom was not at home. Unfortunately, I did not graduate high school and I really thought my life was basically over. I knew I didn’t have any qualifications for anything, and sadly, I knew that I didn’t have the funds at the time to attend college or improve myself academically, so I found myself just going to work,” she told Tribune Weekend.

To make a living, she worked on and off at different bars and clothing stores throughout Nassau, until she finally relocated to Exuma, where she currently resides. After her to the island, Cyrilla bounced around from job to job, but all the while she worked on perfecting her culinary skills.

Armed with all the experiences she had gathered at previous jobs, Cyrilla decided to start her own catering business, Dena Donuts and Catering.

“The funny thing is, my brand’s name came from one of my former friends who called me Dena Donuts, and I just stuck with it,” she said.

“I wanted people to know that I was the owner; it was truly a great accomplishment of mine to finally own a business.”

Cyrilla said she is immensely grateful for all the support she has received.

“I had great support during the development stage of my business. My logo was paid for by Mrs Bekuh Johnson; she was so excited for me and offered to help me get a logo designed by Sarcher Photography, who did an awesome job,” she said.

“The catering side of the business came to me at 3am in the morning when a friend of my mom was looking for a caterer for some guests. She actually called for my mom, who is also a chef, but my mom was busy that week. She said, ‘Dena, why don’t you try?’, and I was really scared to do this for the first time, but I gave it a try and knocked it out of the park the first day. The guests only wanted three dinners, but they changed their minds and booked me for four more dinners and five mornings serving breakfast.”

Through her work, Cyrilla has met people from all walks of life, even star athletes like Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard.

“My guests love the diversity of my menus. They love the different flavours of our foods, and most importantly, the service we provide. They love our personalities, especially that of my sister Mia, as she’s more entertaining than I am. Overall, they love their experiences,” said Cyrilla.

“I don’t like making boring food, so I always want to add a little extra. I love making breakfast charcuterie boards; it is my favourite thing to make. I love cooking, so I am in my element once I’m in a kitchen; meeting new families, meeting celebrities, and working alongside my sister Mia; she’s the best.”

For the future, Cyrilla said she would love to have her own restaurant “where people can sit and enjoy fresh donuts and food every day.”

CYRILLA “Dena” Adderley loves making people happy with her cooking