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Friday, March 18, 2022

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Weekend

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Bahamian heroes A new animated series from a unique perspective pages 08+09

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Friday, March 18, 2022

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(Photo_A House in the Hills Blog)

(Photo_Meredith Schmidt-Fellner)

Green is the new neutral of

ince our seasons are not as drastic as most other climates, they often tend to sneak up on us. We were all abruptly reminded of Spring fast approaching on Sunday when we set our clocks forward an hour. After groggily recovering, we started slowly to welcome the longer daylight evening hours and find ourselves with a sudden desire to do a springcleaning overhaul, decluttering and lightening our homes. Spring inspires a renewed energy into your home, a little zest for fresh air and slightly playful, bolder colours. It still calls for gently curved furniture, natural plants throughout, and a hint of an eclectic style geared more towards individual pieces strong enough to stand alone but blend nicely together. With more light in the day and a little more pep

SPRING 2022

in our step, our homes should reflect this by adding bolder patterns in accessories, art throw pillows and blankets. If there is also a little pep in your pocket, splurge on a louder abstract piece of art. Just ensure the colours in it do not shout and scream like a solo act. The piece will work better if some of the bold colours partner with something else in the area where you hang it. Bring in shades of green, mustard, and darker blues. There are so many hues of green to olive to mint, to eucalyptus to sage, to emerald to citron. It seems that green is the new splurge of design in 2022. Not sure which direction you want to go? Take a stroll in the garden. Be inspired by the flowers, clip bougainvillea to add life to the kitchen or the dining room table. The smallest activity like walking in a garden may inspire

your new spring direction. Pick out a few fun throw pillows with bolder patterns. Not a fan of abstract art? Forego it and look at bringing the outside in with landscape art. Art out of the budget? Focus on smaller accessories that you can incorporate like a colourful vase, a patterned pillow, a striped blanket, an unusual basket. Even coffee table books can add a bit of life. Have a shell collection? Dust it off and showcase a conch shell, murex or sea biscuit. Don’t have a collection? Take a walk on the beach at low tide. Of course, only take what is not living. We are fortunate to live in such a naturally beautiful country surrounded by every shade and hue of blue you can imagine, with vibrant flora and fauna. Step outside, take a deep energetic breath and feel

inspired as we welcome Spring to incorporate some of nature’s colour into our homes and lives. See how a little bit of extra light and BROOKE PYFROM colour bring a smile to our faces and added pep to our step.

LIFE BY DESIGN

• Brooke Pyfrom is the proprietor of Oasis, Sandyport, and Oasis, East Shirley Street. She sources exceptional pieces from around the world to combine trendy with traditional.

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Friday, March 18, 2022

STYLE

‘ECCENTRIC FASHIONISTA’ designs jewellery for eclectic tastes

enelle Sawyer’s tastes have always run to the slightly eccentric and eclectic. In fact, she describes herself as an “eclectic fashionista” and a “naturalista”. She wants her hair, her accessories and her overall look to reflect the “eccentric natural empress queendom vibes” she hopes to exude. And she wants to help others achieve the same with her unique brand of hand-made jewellery and quality accessories. “When I transitioned to becoming a ‘naturalista’ within the natural hair community in 2011, it sparked a desire for self-expression through fashion. I started dressing like the ethnic queen that I am and I felt free to change my hair colour and really dive into outward self-expression. Of course, accessories are a huge part of that,” she told Tribune Weekend. But Lenelle wasn’t always successful in finding the right

accessories to express jewellery – including herself like she wanted necklaces, bracelets, to. So, as someone earrings, rings, who always been loc jewellery creative, she and other hair decided to tweak accessories the jewellery and – as well as accessories she unique pieces was purchasing. she discovered “As time went on her many on, fast fashion travels. jewellery or Eclectic w costume jewellery Soul is currently el w a ler usually ‘popped’ or based in Freeport eS yd esigner Lenell became worn out. When but offers shipping that happened, I collected the throughout the Bahamas. pieces and remixed them to create “I value my time, and as creative my own jewellery. Then when I I enjoy being in control of the started getting compliments, I hours I work. While some days thought ‘Hmmm, maybe I should are longer and more stressful create jewellery to sell’. So, I started than others, I enjoy having the doing pop-up shops to try it out option to give myself a little time and got a really good response. out to gather myself when overly The jewellery was different, of stressed, then get back into my good quality, and even my clients creative flow. Over the years I’ve came back to me with stories of the learned that I feel suffocated in rigid compliments they received while work environments with limited wearing the pieces,” she said. flexibility, and so I have gravitated Lenelle’s brand, Eclectic Soul, toward jobs and work environments offers a combination of handmade that allow me to get the work done

ye r

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

while being myself,” she said. Lenelle enjoys working with wood, stones, and natural beads. She also loves bold colours and patterns, and finding inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram, keeping up-to-date with what is trending on the Afro eccentric scene. In addition to one day opening a brick-and-mortar boutique, Lenelle is also planning on exploring bridal accessories for the more non-traditional brides this year. “I see the brand as being something that can crossover into the larger Caribbean and international markets as well,” she said. “I am constantly consuming fashion trends, but I think I am naturally unique in my personal style so I go based on what I like and what gives me vibes,” she said. “I also consider my client base and try to do a little something for everyone. While some people like statement pieces, there are those who like a dainty earring or necklace. So, I work toward modifying designs to suit everyone’s fancy.”

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

INTERVIEW

Stefphen

SANDS While he believes in honouring those that paved the way, this young CEO thinks it is now time for the youth to take the reins. He tells Cara Hunt about his vision for the future of the Bahamas.

Friday, March 18, 2022

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, March 18, 2022

tefphen Sands has a passion for highlighting the achievements of young Bahamians. The 32-year-old CEO of Grace Management Group is a communications expert, event planner and social media guru with a passion for developing, highlighting and promoting the talent of local people “The youth of our nation play an important role in the future of the Bahamas by taking the country towards progress,” he told Tribune Weekend. “We can’t know the young professionals and their talent if we don’t seek and find out the contributions they can make to the growth and development in the Bahamas.” He said it is time that the youth take over the advancement of the country. “We respect and honour those who have paved the way before us, but we have a very capable generation that is willing and able to take the nation to (new levels of) innovation and imagination. They are problem-solvers and have great potential to generate positive social change,” he said. “The youth of our nation must step forward if they want to be heard and seen.” Stefphen has been doing his part to reach this goal.

For the past five years, he has hosted yearly workshops on music, the arts and communications, along with praise and worship which came under the umbrella of “United Worship”. Stefphen also recently launched a positive and much needed campaign to reach millennials called “Millennials: Project Y”. He explained that the initiative has already brought awareness to the public and has helped form relationships with young entrepreneurs and like-minded Bahamians who want to move this country forward. In 2020, Stefphen hosted a master class featuring professionals from 100 different areas of society. And Grace Management, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, recently launched its Black Box LIVE programme which highlights local sreatives. But Stefphen is especially proud of Project Bahamas. “The idea of Project Bahamas came about a few years ago in the form of a register to vote initiative for millennials and transitioned to us wanting to highlight millennials who are doing great things in their various areas,” he explained. “A committee was formed to set criteria for the programme… some 300 submissions were sent and 48 were chosen. We are now

This weekend in history March 18 • In 1662, the first public transport system in the world begins in Paris, France, as the Carrosses a Cinq Sols. Developed by mathematician Blaise Pascal, the system offers a set of horse-drawn carriages which stop set places along five different routes through the city. • In 1881, the Barnum and Bailey Circuses join forces. Known as The Greatest Show on Earth, the newly merged circus group debuts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. • In 1911, Irving Berlin copyrights the biggest pop song of the early 20th century. His “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” became multimillion-selling hit – sold in the form sheet music – that helped turn American music into a phenomenon around the world.

March 19

in the second year and the top 49 now have to be chosen. The project has helped identify and bring to the fore hundreds of the country’s young movers and shakers.” Those individuals who were nominated, he said, are all changemakers and have impacted the country in their very own way. “This project is important because I believe there are hundreds of millennials out there who are doing great things and highlighting them is important and is a must. They get to experience their flowers while they are alive and well,” he said. Stefphen added that he was inspired to see the accomplishments and achievements of so many talented and intelligent Bahamians of the millennial generation. “Despite their trials and tribulations, they still triumphed through it all,” he said. And that is something he feels the rest of the country needs to see as well. “The end goal is for everyone to be recognised and highlighted for their outstanding achievements and to have the wider public know that all is not lost with the millennial generation. Ultimately, we can be satisfied in knowing that the Bahamas’ future is in safe hands,” he said. As the country heads towards its 49th anniversary of Independence, nominations for this year’s

honorees are now open. “We are accepting nominations from millennials born between the years 1981 and 1996, between the ages of 25 to 41, who deserve recognition because of their invaluable contribution to our country. The application deadline is May 31,” he said. All areas of society are welcome, but applicants must be citizens of the Bahamas. “You may also nominate yourself. Bahamians living abroad are also welcome. In addition to filling out the nomination form, persons must include their reason why the candidate should be considered,” he said. Stefphen noted that the candidates are selected by a select committee which goes through all submissions and based on criteria, will make their final decision by June. The plan is to honour the young people at a gala event. Moving forward, Stefphen said: “We would like to see the top millennials programme go into the Caribbean and celebrate our brothers and sisters living in other regions and also nationally recognised here in the Bahamas.” Stefphen is also currently working on the Major Creatives Expo and a music festival called Baha Fest.

• In 1949, East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) approves a new constitution as a precursor to establishing a separate, Soviet-dominated state independent of West Germany. The two remain divided until the reunification in 1990. • In 1995, after a 21-month hiatus, Michael Jordan returns to professional basketball with his former team, the Chicago Bulls. • In 2003, war in Iraq begins as the United States, along with coalition forces, engage in early military operations. The US built its case for war on the claim that Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

March 20 • In 1345, according to what some scholars at the University of Paris believe, the Black Death (Plague) is created from the “triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius.” • In 1930, the American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is founded by

Colonel Harland Sanders Colonel Harland Sanders in North Corbin, Kentucky. The title of colonel is an honorific – the highest awarded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky – and not a military rank. • In 1965, US President Lyndon B Johnson sends federal troops to Alabama to protect a civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The group of about 600 demonstrators marched on the state’s capital city to protest the prevention of Selma’s Black population from registering and voting, as well as the killing of a Black man, Jimmie Lee Jackson, by a state trooper.

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Wisdom, Duster, Embezzle. down: Surround, Mourn, Jackass, Iceberg, Pure, Salient, That, Vestige, Flummox, Knoll, Derisive.

tV crossword

FLARE

suMthiNg

MuddlesoMe

5x6=30, 4x3=12, 9x3=27

Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey.

sMAll crossword

4 materialise 2 5 1 5(6) 1 2 24 Hammer to 3 3 4 2 1 donated 7 5 student 9 4 2 1 (5) 5Friday,

28 Aircraft reviewing ridge around lake (6)

6 7

9 8 6 7 4 8 6 3 9 5 3 2 3 1 8 7 9 8 3 4 2

TARGET

Across: 1 Magicians, 7 Acts, 8 Ennui, Across: 1 Brass, 6 Sara, 8 Campbell, 10 Gin, 11 Select, 13 Apologise, 10 Rowlf, 11 Beryl, 12 Trevor, 15 Solo, clock-wise 14 Eraser, 16 Rue, 18 Earns, 19 Abut, Orange, 17 Skye, 19 Diamond, 20 Dastardly. Best described as a number crossword, the 16 task in Kakuro Chap, Apex, Expo, Polo,based Loin, Inch Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle on a 9x9 grid 21 Katy, 229, Bride. down: 1 Massacred, 2 Accept, 3 Isle, is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to so 2 Rose, 3 Scales, 4 Aseveral Bit, with given numbers. The object is to place 4 Inn,the 5 Anguish, 6 Sincerity, the sum of each horizontal block equals thedown: number to its 5 Cleveland, 6 Storage, 7 ALF, 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each numbers row, 8 Escorts, 9 Glowers, 12 Useful, left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number QuiZ of the week 9 Madeley, 13 Room, 14 Deadwood, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same15 number Ajar, 17 Ant. on its top. No number may be used in the same block more 20 Air. 17 Silk, 18 Emmy, 1 Queens 2 Taxi 3 Brooklyn 4 Friends only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro cross douBt 5 The Wolf Wall Street 6 Hudson increases from Monday toOfSunday tV show: Dancing On Ice increases from Monday to Sunday. 7 Subway 8 West Side Story Across: DISCS 9 The Manhattan Transfer 10 JFK. down: PUBIS

Quick crossword ● The Across: 1 Miniature; 8 Eke; 9Target Pessimistic; uses 11 Suffice; 12 Annul; 13 Behave; words in 15 Utmost; 17 Clang; 18 Excited; the main 20 Transparent; 22 Bee; 23 Threefold. body of down: 2 Ice; 3 Alibi; 4 United; 5 Extract; 6 Reconnoitre; 7 Regulated; 10 SoftChambers hearted; 11 Subscribe; 14 Vagrant; 21st 16 Geyser; 19 Chase; 21 Nil. 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. Verb forms ending in s permitted. TODAY’S TARGET Good 13; very good 19; excellent 25 (or more). Solution tomorrow

Yesterday’s call 0907 181 2585 Sudoku for Answer today’s target solution

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

BATTLESHIPS Across 1 Kidnap the sailor by the canal (6) 4 Queen of Castile made her name as a libel negotiator (8) 9 Watch your heart (6) 10 Periodical may include explosive material (8) 12 A storyteller reverting to abuse (4) 13 Some found nervously lying in a cunning way (5) 14 Go to a western terminus (4) 17 Based on an earlier design (12) 20 As commanded by tennis umpires or judges? (5,2,5) 23 Passionate female singer makes a comeback (4) 24 Reading between the lines (5) 25 A boom in shipping perhaps (4) 28 Its choir could be famous (8) 29 Pacific island in which a girl may be found sunbathing (6) 30 Demanding much in either effort or money (8) 31 A rotten breakfast for an unpleasant fellow (3,3)

Down 1 Open late for supply of chamois (8) 2 Announced a number have cleared out (8) 3 I leave the chief cook in charge (4) 5 Minor economies that attract some interest (5,7) 6 Some light or heavy timber (4) 7 Toiler disposed to belie his nature (6) 8 Business fixed in minutes (6) 11 Initial repetition (12) 15 Distance to measure right inside (5) 16 Compassion makes me cry perhaps (5) 18 It’s put on for service (8) 19 Lacking bite? (8) 21 Girl’s pen had broken (6) 22 Feast I prepared for a religious festival (6) 26 After a job? (4) 27 She lives in Los Angeles (4)

10 11

20 21

Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Facet, 4 Decided, 8 Aim, 9 Ill-judged, 10 Thought, 11 Shame, 13 Nearly, 15 Player, 18 Spent, 19 Red flag, 21 On purpose, 23 Hoe, 24 Loyalty, 25 Dowdy. Down: 1 Flatten, 2 Come of age, 3 Thing, 4 Dilute, 5 Counsel, 6 Dog, 7 Dodge, 12 Any old how, 14 Literal, 16 Roguery, 17 Broody, 18 Seoul, 20 Dread, 22 Pry.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Gable, 4 Arrival, 8 Tea, 9 Absentees, 10 Entitle, 11 Wiser, 13 Stamps, 15 Dynamo, 18 Banjo, 19 Bad debt, 21 Suffocate, 23 Obi, 24 Engaged, 25 Rites. Down: 1 Gutters, 2 Boat train, 3 Enact, 4 Austen, 5 Runaway, 6 Vie, 7 Laser, 12 Scapegoat, 14 Prolong, 16 Outfits, 17 Aboard, 18 Baste, 20 Drear, 22 Fig.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Make out (6) 4 Virtually (2,4,2) 9 Largest Mediterranean island (6) 10 Relevant (8) 12 A brief communication (4) 13 Leather with napped surface (5) 14 Shaft of light (4) 17 Apply greater moral pressure (4,3,5) 20 Impervious to criticism (5-7) 23 Paint crudely (4) 24 Mixture of metals (5) 25 Plunge head first (4) 28 Conventional (8) 29 An Eastern temple (6) 30 Needing careful handling (8) 31 Adorn (6)

Down 1 Conflict (8) 2 Saying little (8) 3 Young male horse (4) 5 A spur-ofthe-moment judgment (4,8) 6 Still available (4) 7 Nonsense (6) 8 Weighty (6) 11 Snooty (12) 15 Restlessly eager (5) 16 Excellence (5) 18 Remedy to counteract poison (8) 19 Gossip (4,4) 21 Dexterous (6) 22 Rural (6) 26 Lacking enthusiasm (4) 27 Destiny (4)

FIND where the fleet of ships shown is hidden in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off. Solution tomorrow 1

9 10

2 1

1 x Battleship

3 x Destroyer

2 x cruiser

4 x submarine

THE ALPHABEATE

Gr i r f D Aue

CRYPTIC PUZZLE

1 March 18, 2022

tArget cAn you crack the Alphabeater? each grid

lActAtioN action antic attic number represents a letter – or black square. canal cant canto cation ciao clan As inclot Alphapuzzle, letter of the alphabet clint coal coat every coati coil coin coital intact is used. Butcola youcolt haveicon to complete the grid too! LACTATION octal octant tacit use the given letters andotic black squares below taco tact tailcoat talc tonic

(D eac

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 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

*Cal yo

Yesterday’s 29 15 36 30

10 Kakuro 39 22Answer 12 6

30 31

■

34 3

■

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to y text DXBEAT to 64343. Texts cost £1 plus your us

WORD BUILDER Answer the clues so that each word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus or minus one.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Solu 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, March 18, 2022

FOOD

Brunch back on the table at

MOSAIC

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

efore the pandemic, the brunch craze was sweeping the country. Bahamians everywhere were enjoying their weekend mornings in a new way at venues around the islands. Now, after a two-year break, local restaurants are reintroducing their brunch options to the public. Among them is Mosaic at The Cove. Last Sunday, the Paradise Island location hosted its first brunch since early 2020.

“This is the first brunch since we came back from the pandemic. There was excitement from both internal and external guests,” said Nadia Basden, assistant manager at Mosaic. “We have been opened a few months now, and we have had many of our international guests, but to have our locals, our Bahamians, come back and have this brunch experience with us, that is what we were looking forward to most.” Nadia said for her and the Mosaic team it is an absolute delight to be back into the swing of things. The brunch has a myriad of food options, starting with the

best sushi dishes from Nobu, seafood from FISH by José Andres and a Caribbean station with staples like mac and cheese. Going forward, Nadia said guests can continue to expect new and exciting additions. “For example, to our breakfast menu, we have added a vegan station for those persons who are interested. We are always switching it up and adding innovative offerings. You are guaranteed to see a new entree or desert when you come here,” she said. The brunch celebrated Atlantis’ new Taste of Paradise festival by

inviting many of resort’s culinary partners and supporters. There were signature dishes from nine of Atlantis’ dining outlets, including Fish by José Andres, Olives, Nobu, Chop Stix and Frankie Gone Bananas, plus wine and cocktails from around the world. Alan Orreal, vice president of Culinary Operations at Atlantis, said: “This year will be a transformative year right across food and beverage here at Atlantis. Among these changes, new outdoor and buffet food options recreated menus with a new range of healthier food options.”

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, March 18, 2022

GARDENING

The traveller’s

PALM

ood day, gardeners. When is a palm not a palm? When it’s a traveller’s palm! The traveller’s palm (botanical name Ravenala madagascariensis) is a misnomer that stuck for some reason or another, but that is neither here nor there. An alternate name, the traveller’s tree, is also a misnomer. It is not a palm at all and nor is it a tree in any meaning of the word. It is more closely related to banana (Musa spp) and the bird of paradise (Strelitzia spp). The fact is that the traveller’s palm, other than being confusing in its name, is a grand specimen for larger garden spaces. There are a couple of myths

involved with this plant, one being that it grows in line with east and west, this is untrue. Another myth is that it can provide clean drinking water from the leaf or “branch” axils, this is true. Thankfully, we are typically not in a situation to have to rely on this plant for drinking water though! It is used in the landscape and the interiorscape as a specimen or a screen. Indoors, it does very well in large pots if it is able to receive a few hours of bright natural light, and if it is given enough water and nutrients to hold its foliage or develop more foliage. While these plants tolerate some dry spells, they tend to keep a stronger leaf profile when given adequate amounts of

water, but they do not tolerate sitting for long periods in a saturated planting medium. There are very few pest issues that come with growing a Ravenala indoors, as with most anything else being grown or kept indoors, watch for mealybug, whitefly, and scale and if it is in relative low humidity, spider mites can show up. All are easily treatable with the right timing and the correct products, with the basic horticultural oils often being sufficient control. Systemic insecticides are acceptable to be used indoors as there is no bee, bird or butterfly activity indoors. This plant does flower once it

matures into a landscape setting, and the flower resembles the flower of the white bird of paradise plant or the Heliconia plant, but it is less colourful than both. Although the leaf gets a bit tattered in the wind this does not affect the health of the plant in any way whatsoever. I imagine this may be why some called this plant a palm, is because when exposed to the wind and the leaf gets tattered that is does somewhat, sort of, maybe, in a way, look like the leaf of a palm, possibly. There is a good use of these plants as a screen on the inside of a wall at a visible house near Dick’s Point on Montague Bay. I have also been told by acquaintances in Abaco that this is one of the few plants that the main trunk was left standing after Hurricane Dorian. That is quite a feat, and not only are these plants strong in their structure, but they also tolerate salt spray and the occasional saltwater intrusion. Some folks think that the ideal look for these plants is out of the wind with a leaf that is whole and untorn, but that really is only near possible indoors. If these are in the landscape, they will take on the look that I imagine gave it the palm misnomer, with leaves that are split. They tolerate the wind well, if one can get over the fact that the leaves will not stay as a whole perfect looking specimen that one might find in a protected location such as a valley or on the lee side of a large building. Some recommend planting these in a location that the roots are shaded as they tend to dry out less quickly, mulching always helps a lot to retain moisture in the soil around the plant. Ravenala generally have a medium nutrient requirement, and a fertilizing with whatever is available close to an all-purpose or even, yes, palm fertilizer. once or twice a year ought to be sufficient. Misnomers happen, and call it what you will, palm or tree, the traveller’s is a striking specimen garden or indoor plant when in the right location. As always, I wish you happy 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.

The Tribune | Weekend |11

Friday, March 18, 2022

FASHION

RALPH LAUREN seeks to honour heritage of Black colleges with new collection

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

alph Lauren is an iconic brand that conjures up images of preppy Americana. Think polo matches and lawn croquet. But now the fashion house has a special collaboration that celebrates another great aspect of American life, that of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs). Ralph Lauren has partnered with two iconic HCBUs – Morehouse College and Spelman College, both located in Atlanta, Georgia – for a line of clothing the brand says “seeks to honour the history of both schools and widen the aperture of Ralph Lauren’s storytelling.” “This collection expresses the spirited history, deep sense of community and legacy of timeless dressing at historically Black colleges and universities,” said Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation. “It’s so much more than a portrayal of a collegiate design sensibility. It’s about sharing a completer and more authentic portrait of American style and of the American dream — ensuring stories of Black life and experiences are embedded in the inspiration and aspiration of our brand.”

Morehouse alumnus James Jeter, Director of Concept Design and Special Projects for Ralph Lauren, in collaboration with Spelman graduate Dara Douglas, Director of Inspirational Content for Ralph Lauren, were instrumental in the project, which is the company’s first partnership with an institute of higher learning. It is also the first time the brand has ever had all Black cast for a campaign – something critics suggest was long overdue. The full collection — which includes outerwear, knits, tailored suits, dresses, footwear, accessories and more — reference styles worn by Morehouse and Spelman students from the 1920s to 1950s, capturing the colleges’ long history and honouring their contributions to American style. Tribune Weekend spoke with several Bahamians, some of who attended HBCUs, to get their take on the collection. “I think it’s something that we should see positive change in,” said Michelle, who herself went to Clark Atlanta University, located just down the road from Morehouse and Spelman. “I like that it emphasises the idea of Black collegiate success. I think that the polo brand in particular was marketed as kind of preppy Ivy League, you know, Harvard, Princeton, NYU, so it’s nice to see that now they are showing images of young Black people in a positive setting getting a college degree, allowing them to own the

Photos/Ralph Lauren brand rather than feel like they are borrowing the brand. But I have to say that when I was in school, we certainly weren’t going to class in white eyelet dresses, so that’s a bit farfetched.” Thomas, who attended Florida A & M University, said he really isn’t that impressed with the line. “OK, to be honest, when I first saw it, I was like this is sooo Carlton (a reference to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air character) And the brand says they drew inspiration from the 1950s and 60s, really when the Civil Rights movement was at its peak – that’s what’s inspired you. I wish they had done polo with a twist…maybe a Kente cloth horse, I don’t know. It is still very ‘white’,” he said. Tracey, who also attended CAU added: “Ralph Lauren has a very specific look and all these clothes look exactly like Ralph Lauren. Do they scream Black college experience?Not really. It’s more like, ‘Hey, we added some Black faces to our campaign.’ And I am totally onboard with that idea, so I give them credit for finally realising that Black people buy their stuff too.”

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, March 18, 2022

LITERARY LIVES – STEVIE WONDER

A child prodigy turned

POP MUSIC ICON Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the blind American singer, songwriter and musician credited as being a pioneer influence across a range of genres including rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz. “Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.” – Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Lula Mae Hardaway and Calvin Judkins. He was born six weeks prematurely which, together with the oxygenrich atmosphere in the hospital incubator, resulted in retinopathy of prematurity where the growth of the eyes is aborted causing the retinas to detach, so he became blind. When he was four, his mother divorced his father and moved with her then three children to Detroit, where Wonder sang as a child in the choir of the Whitestone Baptist Church. He began playing musical instruments including piano, harmonica and drums at an early age, and organised a duet with a friend calling themselves Stevie and John, playing on street corners. When he was eleven, Wonder sang his own composition “Lonely Boy” to Ronnie White of The Miracles who took Wonder and his mother to Berry Gordy, CEO of Motown, who immediately signed him to Motown’s Tamla label. Clarence Brown, Tamla’s producer, gave him the name Little Stevie Wonder. Because of his age, they produced a rolling five-year contract where royalties would be held in trust until Wonder was twenty-one. He and his mother would be paid a weekly stipend to cover their expenses. Clarence Paul and Stevie Wonder worked on two albums during

the first year – one covered Ray Charles’ song, and the other The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie consisted mainly of Paul’s compositions. The Berry Gordy song “I Call It Pretty Music, But the Old People Call It The Blues” was his debut single – and it almost broke into the Billboard 100, spending one week of August 1962 at 101. He enrolled in Michigan School for the Blind, and also joined the Motortown Revue touring in 1962 the “Chitlin Circuit” of theatres that accepted black musicians. His twenty-minute performance Recorded Live: The 12-Year-Old Genius was released in May 1963. “Fingertips” – a single from the album became a major hit. It was a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and made the thirteenyear-old Wonder the youngest

artist ever to top the chart. As his voice changed, Motown considered cancelling his contract. Sylvia Moy convinced Berry Gordy to give him another chance, and in the 1960s he not only created a number of hits including Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”, but also began to work in Motown’s songwriting department composing songs for himself and “The Tears of a Clown” (1967), a number one hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. In 1968, he recorded mostly harmonica solos under the title Eivets Rednow (Stevie Wonder spelled backwards), but between 1968 and 1970 he scored several vital hits, including “For Once in My Life” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”. The early hits also included “My Cherie Amour”, “I Was Made to Love Her”, and “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”

– co-written with Henry Cosby. In September 1970, when he was twenty, Wonder married Syreeta Wright, a Motown songwriter. They worked together on Where I’m Coming From (1971). At the same time Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On was issued and Wonder became interested in utilizing synthesisers and writing music about social problems. He played numerous instruments on the hit “It’s a Shame” for fellow Motown act The Spinners, but allowed his Motown contract to expire on May 13, 1971. He was twenty-one years old. Wonder independently recorded two albums when he was on his own, and then in 1972 signed a with Motown Records giving him a much higher royalty rate than before. His first new album, Music of My Mind, was a full-length artistic statement playing most of

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the instrumental parts himself. Talking Book, released in late 1972, included a number one hit “Superstition” as well as “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” – also a number one hit. He began touring with the Rolling Stones which helped promote both singles. By 1973, Wonder had become the most influential Black musician of the 1970s. On August 3, 1973, Stevie Wonder was involved in a serious automobile accident in North Carolina when the car he was travelling in hit the back of a truck. He was in a coma for four days but nevertheless performed in a benefit for the troubled Shaw University, raising much needed money for the scholarship fund. Wonder toured Europe early in 1974 and came back to play a soldout concert in Madison Square Garden in March 1974. His album Fulfillingness’ First Finale won one of three Grammy Awards. The same year he co-wrote and produced Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta (Syreeta Wright – his wife of four years). In October 1975, he performed at the “Wonder Dream Concert” in Jamaica for the Jamaican Institute for the Blind. By 1975, he had won two consecutive Grammy Awards. The following year when Paul Simon won the Album of the Year Grammy for Still Crazy After All These Years he thanked Stevie Wonder for not making an album that year. Songs in the Key of Life was released in September 1976 and was the first album by an American artist to debut straight at number one on the Billboard charts for fourteen non-consecutive weeks. “Isn’t She Lovely”, about his newborn daughter Aisha, became another hit and helped the album win Album of the Year and another Grammy. *

Stevie Wonder achieved his highest level of fame and produced his biggest hits in the 1980s. “Let’s Get Serious”was performed by Jermaine Jackson, and Hotter Than July (1980) was his first platinum selling album. His single “Happy Birthday” was used to establish Martin Luther King Jr’s as a national holiday in the US.

STEVIE Wonder at age 11 in 1960

song in 1985. Wonder accepted the award in the name of Nelson Mandela, which caused the tune to be banned on radio in South Africa by the Apartheid government. The following year he released his number one pop hit “Part Time Lover”, and played backup harmonica to Elton John’s “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”. He sang a featured duet with Bruce Springsteen on the all-star charity single “We Are the World” for the African Famine Relief, and was part of “That’s What Friends Are For” with Dionne Warwick, Elton John and Gladys Knight on another charity single for AIDS.

released through Motown Records.

Wonder played harmonica on John Denver’s Dreamland Express (1985) and also on Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album. In 1987, Wonder appeared on Michael Jackson’s Bad album, and sang a duet with him on his 1987 Characters album.

Wonder has been married three times. His 1970 first marriage to Motown singer-songwriter Syreeta Wright ended amicably in 1972. From 2001 to 2012 he was married to fashion designer Kai Millard. In 2017, he married Tomeeka Bracy. Wonder has nine children by five women. The mother of Wonder’s first child is Yolanda Simmons who applied for a job as secretary at his publishing company. Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris was born to Yolanda Simmons on February 2, 1975. She was the inspiration for his best-selling hit “Isn’t She Lovely”. Wonder and Simmons also had a son, Keith, in 1977. In 1983, Wonder had a son Mumtaz Morris with Melody McCulley. He has a daughter, Sophia, and a son Kwame, with a woman who has never been publicly disclosed. Wonder has two sons with second wife Kai Millard Morris – the elder of whom is named Kailand; and the younger son, Mandla Kadjay Carl Stevland Morris, was born on May 13, 2005 – his father’s fifty-fifth birthday. Wonder’s ninth child, Nia, his second with Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, was born in December 2014. The name of Wonder’s first

After the Characters album, Stevie Wonder definitely slowed down. Mostly he played harmonica for several recordings. He backed up Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved which was sung at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony; and played harmonica on Sting’s Brand New Day (1999). Rutgers University in New Jersey presented Wonder with an Honorary Doctorate degree in Fine Arts. Moving into the 2000s, he continued to record and perform – but only occasionally.

STEVIE Wonder with Paul McCartney of The Beatles in 1981. The two first met in the 1960s In 1982, he released a retrospective of his 1970s work Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium. His duet with Paul McCartney “Ebony and Ivory” was a poem to racial harmony and became a number hit. “Stay Gold” (1983) was the theme to Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Outsiders, and he performed “I Just Called to Say I Love You” – the lead single for The Woman in Red - a number one hit in both the US and the United Kingdom. It won the Academy Award for best

Wonder’s first new album in ten years, A Time to Love, was released in October 2005 to lukewarm reviews. Fans were disappointed that there was nothing new. He also did a thirteen-date North American tour, and a first European tour in over a decade and released on DVD and Blu Ray the title Live At Last. He clearly did not need the money and was estimated to have a net worth of over $200 million. He sang at the Michael Jackson Memorial Service in 2009, and at the funerals of Whitney Houston in 2012, and Aretha Franklin in 2018. So What the Fuss records were released in 2020 through Republic Records – the first time his music was not

Wonder was one of the most popular music figures in the second half of the 20th century. He has recorded more than thirty US top ten hits, and sold over a hundred million records. He is one of the sixty best-selling music artists of all time, and was one of the only two African-American musicians to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song “I Just Called to Say I Love You”. He has won twenty-five Grammy Awards – the most ever by a solo artist.

child with Bracy is not known. • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Signed, Sealed and Delivered: The Soulful Journey of Stevie Wonder (2010) by Mark Ribowsky; and The Enduring Otherworldliness of Stevie Wonder by Giles Smith, The New Yorker (2020).

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HISTORY

Friday, March 18, 2022

Those were the days, my friend

Sir Etienne Dupuch’s Foreword to The Tribune Handbook (1924) reads: “A practical and reliable handbook, such as the visitor expects to find on sale in Nassau, has never yet been produced. Nor is there, in print or on sale, a reliable history of the Colony. The publishers of ‘The Tribune Handbook’ have undertaken to supply a book, on the Bahamas, that can be introduced into every school in the Colony, as containing a summary of the Colony’s history, past and present, referred to by every Bahamian as reliable and authoritative, and accepted by every visitor as accurate and interesting…” It took a lot of looking to find a copy of this book and although it’s in a very delicate condition, I think its worth every penny that I pad for it, for I’ve never found another copy of it on the web. Mine lives in its own container and is rarely touched, but I will offer, here, various bits and pieces about ‘the way we used to be’. “The (Bahama) islands extend

over an area nearly as extensive as Great Britain …population in 1921 – 53,031. Andros, the largest in the group, is 115 miles long and 45 miles wide – population 6,976; Abaco 3,993; Acklins 1,811; Berry Islands group 328; Biminis 610; Crooked Island 1,647; Eleuthera 6,048, Exuma 3,730, Grand Bahama 1,695; Inagua 937; Long Island 4,659; Mayaguana 432; New Providence 12,975; Rum Cay 338; Watlings Island 686; Cay Lobos (the smallest inhabited island of the group) was home to 23… “Turtles of three kinds are to be found, the Green, the Hawksbill and the Loggerhead. The first is a choice delicacy and is becoming very scarce... (By the 1990s, turtles had become an endangered species. The Bahamas banned the taking of sea turtles in 2010.) “Most of the harbours…are of little depth…the principal one, Nassau, having an average depth of 15 feet… deepening to a depth of 30 feet is in progress. (A few days ago, the ‘Wonder of the Sea’, the largest cruise ship in the world, 1,118’10” long, with a draft of 30’6”, was comfortably

1922 NEW PROVIDENCE by W. E

docked at Prince George Wharf.) “Grand Bahama, a quarter century before Wallace Groves created Freeport, bore no resemblance to the island we see today…is 66 miles long and averages 7 miles wide…an area of 430 square miles. It is said not to have been permanently settled until about 1806…has extensive pine forests and an abundance of other fine timber…the soil is good with good grazing land…in times past, it supplied Nassau with beef… “Ragged Island is a salt-producing island, which exports to Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the domestic market…also does a small trade with Haiti, in dried fish… “Cat Island is…said to have been settled by Loyalists…has always been agricultural… in the earlier days cotton was extensively PAUL C cultivated… ARANHA later, FORGOTTEN FACTS

pineapples were profitably grown… quantities of other field produce, such as corn, potatoes, peas have always been grown and supplied to the Nassau market, as well as cattle, hogs, poultry…horses of good breed used to be obtained there… “Nassau – a long list of amenities includes a wireless station, a Public Hospital, a Public Lunatic Asylum, 9 licenced Physicians, 3 licensed Dentists and 20 trained Nurses… and 2 Masseuses… In Nassau, life and property are absolutely safe. (This morning, as I write, The Tribune’s headlines say “FIVE KILLED IN WEEKEND OF VIOLENCE. Two more critically hurt after a spate of shooting incidents.) A popular song, sung Mary Hopkin in 1968, said: “Those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end. We’d sing and dance forever and a day. We’d live the life we choose, we’d fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our way…” • For questions and comments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com

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ANIMALS

REMINISCING AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE

“H

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

i Mum! Your three big boys have got together finally for long enough to write to you on Earth. We look down and just watching you cooking in the kitchen got us to laughing and rolling around on our backs remembering all the times Boss stole things off the kitchen table if you didn’t remember to push the dish to the middle of the table! Boss got a bit shy when we reminded him of all the expensive Ferragamo shoes he destroyed when he was little. You never really got mad, did you, Mum? You would blame yourself for leaving the shoes where he could get at them. “Silly me,” we would hear you mutter to yourself. Except the time you were away and the dog-sitter left the dressing room door open and Boss got six shoes and none of them were a pair. You still weren’t cross with him! We met a dog up here called Lucky, he looks a bit like a red setter, he said you rescued him, he told us about when he got his paws up on the dining room table and ate a chunk of the Christmas cake the day before your Christmas party, and you had to do you best to recover some. He said it was delicious by the way, he also said you didn’t get mad at him either. And what about when Garmin got into the chocolate cookies and brownies and he had to be rushed to the vet he was so sick? You said his punishment was being on a drip in the hospital. Well, Garmin is still down there with you Mum, so maybe you can remind him. The coolest part of Rainbow Bridge is that all of us get together and discuss our lives. So many dogs are here who loved you. Their stories are such fun for us most recent arrivals. Friendly, your first dog, speaks of you as a little girl. That’s kind of hard to imagine. He said when you rescued him in Fox Hill his owners had tied him up with a barbed wire collar and he still broke the rope in spite of the pain. How

can people be so cruel? There are a lot of pets up here who have some pretty hard to hear stories. They are all OK now, but what they went through was really sad. Humans are very disappointing sometimes, aren’t they? Getting back to Friendly, he says that he was a very good boy, but that the name Friendly only really was indicative with how he behaved with his family because he was fiercely protective. He says that you still have the piece of furniture he would sleep on in your room and that it belonged to your Granny. He loved running on the sand banks in the Berry Islands and digging down into crab holes on the beach. He never caught a crab but he spent many happy hours trying. Friendly did not like swimming but would go into the water “up to his ankles” and bark excitedly. He had two families to love dearly and says he was actually really spoiled (like us). He lived a good long life and when he came up here he hooked up with Mum’s father’s bulldogs… funny to see a potcake leading a whole troop of bulldogs! We were talking about when Chiefie was sniffing in the bush on Bird Cay and suddenly leapt

Friendly, a Fox Hill potcake, was Kim Aranha’s first dog.

backwards screaming because he had been slapped by a feral cat. The crazy adventures we all had on Bird Cay! Friendly was the king of the island and ruled the humans pretty well there. Perhaps the craziest one was when Spats (the Disney Dog) got out of our garden and the boys chased after him, and they ran through the neighbours’ garden while they were having a lunch party. First, Spats went running through their garden, followed by the boys yelling at him. A bit like a crazy scene in a movie. Oh, the apology notes Mum had to write to get Spats and the boys off the hook with that!

pet of the week

A NEW DAWN By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY “Are you sure you’ve got my good side? I don’t want to shift from this tiny patch of sun.” Dawn is pretty laid back for an older kitten, but like the rest of the kittens at the Bahamas Humane Society, she’s hoping you’ll be able to offer her a patch of sunshine all her own. Do you need a little sunshine in your life? Why not consider adopting Dawn or

one of the other cats at the BHS? Call 323-5138 for more information. Dawn looks forward to meeting you. • The BHS Thrift Shop is open and ready to sell you all kinds of wonderful things: nooks, clothing, housewares, giftware, art, and much more! Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11am to 3pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Bring your bag!

We are hoping, Mum, that you are remembering all these happy moments that we all had with you. The memories stay alive forever as long as you take care of them and don’t allow them to disappear. We are watching and seeing the terrible times in the Ukraine and how wonderful so many people are carrying their pets across the border to safety and sharing their food with them. We worry about the pets whose families have been killed by bombs but they escaped. We hope people will take care of them. Humans are making a right mess of this wonderful planet. Looking down, we can see the beauty but we can also see the mess.

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