05122017 weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

art books film fashion music food style gardening carnival

Weekend

flower power Pages 14&15

Stirring it up Marley is back on the menu Food, page 8&9

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

life through a lens Photos/Terrel W Carey

A sea of red

F

ree National Movement voters had cause to celebrate on Wednesday night as their party ousted the ruling Progressive Liberal Party in a landslide victory.

Jubilant party supporters came out dressed in their red caps, red T-shirts with slogans, and waving their red, white and blue pom poms as they converged on the carnival grounds at the Q E Sports Centre.

There, the new prime minister, Dr Hubert Minnis, addressed the crowds, promising them that now was indeed the ‘people’s time’.

Have you taken a selection of photographs that might make a Life through a lens feature page? If so please submit it to weekend@ tribunemedia.net for consideration

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, May 12, 2017

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 5 Cara Hunt talks to up-and-coming artist Durelle Williams about ‘what if’ scenarios in Bahamian history Art 7 Teen artist Wedlear Eugene makes a splash

Food 8 - 9 The Marley Resort reopens with a revamped, contemporary menu

Film 10 - 12 Bahamian movie ‘Crucifixion’ explores the value of sacrifice, Guy Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur’ reviewed, plus the highlights of summer cinema

Style 13 International fashion star Stevie Boi scouts Bahamas for new film series

Society 14-15 The BHS puts the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraising’

Fashion Report 16 The hits and misses of the MTV Movie and TV Awards red carpet

Books 17 - 18 This summer’s best beach reads, a new online Harry Potter book club, and more

Gardening 19 Jack Hardy takes us from garden to kitchen

Carnival 20 - 21 Shugar is named the 2017 Music Master, High Energy wins Junkamania and Trinidad’s soca star Olatunji shows love for the Bahamas Literary Lives 22 - 25

My perfect Bahamian weekend Kayla Smith College student Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

“Sunday lunch, because Sunday is a big day when everyone cooks that big meal of Bahamian food.”

Q: Weekend away: where would you go?

“I think Hawaii, because it has beautiful beaches and I have never been and would like to see it.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“Sofa, because personally I don’t like the sun, and the beach is just way too hot.”

Things 2 Do this weekend Friday • The Bahamas: Forgotten History Time: 5.30pm Venue: The Ladder Gallery The art exhibit features the works of Durelle Williams. The Show runs through June 9, 9am-9pm, Monday to Saturday.

• POP, Paint & Sip Fundraiser for Lupus 242 Time: 7pm - 9pm Venue: Sandyport Lupus 242 and Big Picture Paint & Sip Studio are teaming up to host the POP (Put On Purple) fundraiser to support Lupus Awareness Month. The painting theme for the night is ‘Purple Butterfly’. Purple is the official lupus colour and the butterfly is the official group symbol. Space is limited. To reserve your spot book online at https:// www.bigpicltd.com.

Forgotten Facts 25 Paul Aranha rediscovers one of Nassau’s few obelisks Animals

Saturday

Cover photo | Shawn Hanna

• 3rd Annual Megan Louise Sands Ostomy Foundation Fun Run and Walk

27 Kim Aranha on cruelty and the cause, plus Pet of the Week

Q: What could you not do without?

“I can’t live without my parents, because what is life without parents? They are always there when I need them.”

Q: Wine, Kalik, rum or cocktail?

“Definitely Kalik, and I only need one to get that ‘boozy’ feeling.”

• Live At Pirate Republic Time: 9pm - 2am Venue: Pirate Republic Brewing Company Come and wind down with the smooth sounds of Rashad Leamount. Admission is free.

Casting doubt on Daniel Defoe’s castaway

“I can’t live without my parents, because what is life without parents?”

Time: 6.15am Venue: Montagu Foreshore • Embracing Imperfect Time: 6.30pm - 8pm Venue: Studio Ohana, Shoppes of Cable Beach Join Erin Brown and Nicole Farquharson as they take you through a journey to the depths of self-love, acceptance and how to understand and calm your inner critic.

There will be a $10 cover charge that includes wine (sponsored by Young’s Fine Wine) and finger foods (sponsored by Da Glass Kitchen, Taj Mahal, and La Caverna). Proceeds go to the Ranfurly Home for Children and HEY! (Health Empowerment through Yoga) charities.

• Mother’s Day Pop-Up Shop Spectacular Time: 2pm - 6pm Venue: Glimpse Into Perfection, Carmichael Road A variety of local vendors come together in one spot to provide a convenient shopping experience.

Each vendor will carry an assortment of products, all catering to women.

• Movies in the Square Time: 7.30pm - 10.30pm Venue: Pompey Square DNP and Pupstar Entertainment & Events are joining forces celebrate

Space Day with the movie “Men In Black”. Concessions available at 7.30pm and the film starts at 8pm.

The movies are free and concessions are provided by Vell Monkey Foot. Security and surveillance provided by the Tourism Police.

Sunday • Mother’s Sunday Fun Day Time: 12noon - 5pm Venue: Pearl Island The boat departs from Nassau Harbour (Woods Rodgers Wharf behind the Straw Market). Check-in is 15 minutes prior to the departure time.

For the ticket price of $50 for adults and $20 for kids (4 -12), you can enjoy a private island getaway with a new water park, two beaches, a welcome photo, a buffet lunch, and free access to all water sports equipment.

• Demetrius’ 3rd Annual Mother’s Day Comedy Show Time: 6pm Venue: St John’s College Auditorium Get ready to ‘Laugh Your Head Off’. Tickets are available at Signature Styles and Stilettos Shoe Loft for $25 for general admission and $50 for VIP. There will be games and prize giveaways.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

interview He is inspired by wildly different artists, including Marvel’s Joe Madureira and the iconic Baroque painter Caravaggio, but ultimately he is on a journey to discover his own unique style.

Now, with his first exhibit about to open, Durelle Williams tells Cara Hunt about how his latest works explore various ‘what if’ scenarios when it comes to Bahamian history.

Durelle Williams

D

urelle Williams has reached a point where he is comfortable with his art and with who he has become as an artist.

It’s not surprising when you consider that art has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember.

“I have been drawing ever since I knew my self; since I was a little boy watching cartoons on TV,” Durelle told Tribune Weekend.

While he spent a lot of his time as a youngster drawing, he said it was not something that he focused on in high school, although he did take art classes with noted Bahamian artists Antonious Roberts and John Cox. And while he did learn from those art lessons and his experience studying animation at university, he has also learned to develop his own style of art.

“I think I would describe my style as very versatile, but at the same time I think it also combines realistic elements with a bit of fantasy,” he explained.

Durelle counts among his influences an eclectic mix of Bahamian and international artists.

“I really admire Joe Madureira,” he said. The American comic book artist, writer and gamer is best known for his work in Marvels’ ‘Uncanny X- Men’ comics. His style combines Western comic book influences with aspects of Japanese manga. In fact, Madureira has been credited with introducing Japanese style art into the American comic book industry.

“He has brought a new school

“I hope that they will take a look at the pieces and think about what our ancestors have gone through – whether it be the good or the bad, and that they will think about how those experiences are still affecting the lives of Bahamians today.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, May 12, 2017

style of art to the comic book genre,” Durelle explained.

Another of his favourite artists is the legendary Caravaggio. The 17th century Italian painter combined a realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional, with a dramatic use of lighting, and had a formative influence on Baroque art.

“I like his work because it is a little dark, but it is done with a lot of contrast,” said Durelle.

His love of attention to the nuances involved in some paintings is also why he is a fan of the work of the late Bahamian artist Brent Malone.

“His work was so realistic and detailed,” said Durelle.

“I can relate to it much more than I can to abstract art.”

Durelle said he tries to bring emotion to his work so that the viewer feels the details that he puts into each piece.

“I am really honing my style,” he said when asked how he would describe his works.

“I love doing cartoon work, but I also enjoy doing more formal style painting. But I think that now I am really coming into my own, I would say that I am beginning to become more comfortable and free in my style and in who I am as an artist.”

This confidence is what has inspired Durelle to launch his first art exhibition which opens this evening at The Ladder Gallery on Blake Road and John F Kennedy Drive.

The show is called the “Bahamas: Forgotten History”.

“The show features about 15 pieces that I have worked on over the past three years,” he said. “It started with a few pieces that I had done a while ago and they kind of represented the theme, although that was not the original intent.

But when I saw them together I was inspired by the message of where we have been as a people and the notion that our present will one day be the

past, and that was the idea for the show,” he said.

And he has incorporated a bit of the theatrical in the works.

“For example, one of the paintings is of an Arawak/Lucayan Indian. He is in a bent over position over the severed head of Christopher Columbus. It conveys a kind of David and Goliath scenario.

It’s my take on what if that had happened and how it would have impacted history,” he explained.

Durelle hopes people will enjoy his first exhibition and learn something from it.

“I hope that they can visually see a bit of what we have been through as a people, including everything that we may have been taught and then forgotten. I hope that they will take a look at the pieces and think about what our ancestors have gone through – whether it be the good or the bad, and that they will think about how those experiences are still affecting the lives of Bahamians today,” he said.

When Tribune Weekend spoke with Durelle, he was wrapping up his preparations for the show, including the final framing of some of the pieces.

“Preparing for my first show has been an extremely hectic but extremely fulfilling experience,” he said.

“It is a lot more work than I thought it would be. It really entails more than just hanging up pictures. But it has so far been a great experience.”

“The Bahamas: Forgotten History” exhibit opens this evening at 6pm. It will remain on display until June 9.

“I was inspired by the message of where we have been as a people and the notion that our present will one day be the past.”

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

section

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, May 12, 2017

art PHOTO/SHAWN HANNA

Colourful expression Teen artist makes a splash

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

W

edlear Eugene may be only 19 years old, but he is already carving his own path in the local art community.

In an effort to get more exposure for his work, the C R Walker graduate recently presented portrait paintings to several radio personalities.

Among the recipients was 100 Jamz’ very own JJ McKenzie, who was left awestruck by the young artist’s talent.

“One of the reasons I did the portrait is to get more exposure and to have my work seen. I wanted to just let everyone know that I exist and want people to see what I can do,” Wedlear told Tribune Weekend.

The young artist said he has loved being creative since he was six years old, and it feels surreal that today he is actively living out his passion.

“I always had a love for art. I did art in high school, but they were teaching me things that I already know. So I went on my own and learned certain things,” he said, Wedlear said he believes he has found his niche with his expressionism style. He said he loves this style of art because he can be as free as he wants with his use of colour.

“This type of technique is vibrant; it has a lot of colour and it shows. To me it is not just a painting, but it shows a lot of emotions and I just love doing painting with different colors,” he said.

While expressionism is one of his favourite art styles, Wedlear said he dabbles a little bit in everything.

“I do other forms of art like realism, abstract, charcoal sketches and more,” he said.

In addition to posting his art on social media, Wedlear had the opportu-

Portraits by Wedlear Eugene

The teen artist at work nity to formally present his work during a Central Bank exhibition a few years ago.

“The only art show I have ever participated in was the Central Bank art show 2014/2015 and I entered about three Junkanoo pieces in that show,” he said.

Now that he has completed high school, the young artist said he is pay-

Wedliar Eugene presents JJ McKenzie with a painting of her that he did live on air at the 100 Jamz studio at Radio House. ing full attention to developing his craft and becoming a trendsetter in the creative community.

His main goal, he said, is to make his mark locally. He also hopes to go abroad to pursue tertiary education and learn more about the different art styles and techniques.

Most of what Wedlear knows now about art he learned from the trial and

error process. However, he does draw major inspiration from several local artists.

“Allan Wallace is one who inspires me. I find it so interesting how he takes a blank canvas, paints and it turns into something so realistic,” he said.

“I also draw inspiration from the artists Stefan Davis and Jamaal Rolle. I really love their work.”

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

A new Marley experience

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

T

ucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Cable Beach strip, the Marley Resort offers a tranquil escape for guests and locals alike.

The hotel was formerly the private vacation home of legendary Jamaican reggae artist Bob Marley and his family.

Bob and Rita Marley discovered this former governor’s mansion on a visit to Nassau while they were recovering from an assassination attempt in Jamaica in 1976.

The property’s lush gardens and ocean-front location provided a respite for the Marley children and offered a contrast to life in the Jamaican mountains.

In 2004, Mrs Marley began renovations to turn the property into a boutique hotel and spa. It remained open for several years before eventually closing.

Then a year ago, Mrs Marley hired a new management company to oversee the entire operation and renovation of the hotel.

“It was closed for three years and so we had to do major renovations,” said Allysan Knowles, the assistant general manager of the property.

These major renovations included upgrades to the 16 guests rooms and suites – all of which have themes inspired by a Bob Marley song – redoing the pool area and landscaping the grounds.

It also included a revamp of the restaurants menu options, both at the outside bar and casual dining area Stir it Up, and at the slightly more formal inside dining area, Simmer Down, which houses the Marleys’ own elaborately carved dining table where they used to sit to have dinner as a family every evening.

Guests have a choice of where they wish to dine – in either of the two dining areas, poolside or on the back patio, which is just steps away from the gorgeous beach.

“We have recently added a new breakfast menu which starts at 7am, but it will be offered all day. The breakfast is a combination of international offerings like a continental breakfast, American style steak and eggs, Bahamian chicken

Crab cakes with fruit salsa and a side salad

Jerk sautéed shrimp souse and boiled fish, and of course we have to have our Jamaican ackee and codfish with callaloo and peanut punch. Additionally, we will offer breakfast cocktails like mimosas,” said Ms Knowles.

She added that the restaurant is

Parfait with Greek yoghurt, berries and honey roasted granola. working on a brunch menu that will be offered on the weekends. This weekend, they intend to launch a special brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day. For their lunch and dinner menus, the resort has added event more options, with a heavy focus on seafood dishes

such as a seafood flatbread, lobster bites and conch fritters, a curry conch and a ‘Duppy Conqueror’ – a surf and turf style dish. Chicken, burgers and quesadillas are also a part of the newly revamped menu.

“Of course, this being the Marley Re-

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

food

The Tribune | Weekend | 09

Friday, May 12, 2017

“Of course, this being the Marley Resort, we have quite a few vegan offerings...”

‘One Love’ fruit salad with strawberries, blue berries and blue cheese tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Traditional steak and eggs

Seafood flatbread

Kalik stewed fish served with peas and rice and fried plantain

All dishes prepared by Chef Rancourt Nixon

sort, we have quite a few vegan offerings such as a ‘Rasta Pasta’, a curry lentil soup and a ‘Lively Up Yourself Salad’, all of which will ensure that every diet preference is accounted for,” said Ms Knowles.

While catering to their hotel guests is their primary goal, she noted that the resort is now tapping into a “mature, older local crowd interested in socialising in a relaxed quiet atmosphere”.

“We have daily specials and events.

For example, on Fridays we have dollar wings – prepared how you would like with a choice of jerk, rum and coconut, buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce – and mixed drink specials. Entertainment is provided by I-Rate,” she said.

Thursday nights are billed as game nights with wine and beer specials.

The resort is also available for private functions such as weddings, birthday parties and dinners.

Additionally, the newly renovated spa will soon be open as well and will offer one-day pampering packages.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

film Summer movie preview: Highlights from May through August

their music-loving driver. With Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm.

• Despicable Me 3 (June 30) — Steve Carell gets double voice duty as Gru and his twin brother Dru. • The House (June 30) — Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell try to recoup college funds by starting a gambling ring in their home.

JULY Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah take a “Girls Trip” on July 21.

T

his summer at the movies there will be aliens, evil and friendly, pirates, scantilyclad lifeguards, ladies letting loose, some classic superheroes in fresh suits, an evil mummy, two King Arthurs and a few very different war films.

Here’s a monthly rundown some of the summer’s highlights. Dates are subject to change.

MAY • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (May 5) — Chris Pratt’s Star Lord and his band of misfits, including a too-cute Baby Groot, return for some more intergalactic adventures — and heartfelt family drama — set to another toetapping mixtape.

• King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (May 12) — The classic Excalibur tale gets a kinetic reimagining from director Guy Ritchie, with Charlie Hunnam as Arthur.

• Snatched (May 12) — A freewheeling daughter, Amy Schumer, and her uptight mother, Goldie Hawn, get kidnapped on vacation in this raucous comedy.

• Alien: Covenant (May 19) — Director Ridley Scott takes audiences on a new terrifying trip to space with Katherine Waterston and Michael Fassbender.

• Baywatch (May 25) — Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario bare most in this raunchy big screen update of the cheesy ‘90s televi-

• Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7) — There’s a new web-slinger in town, Tom Holland, and he’s just trying to survive high school (and save the world).

• War for the Planet of the Apes (July 14) — In this third installment, Caesar (Andy Serkis) takes a dark turn after the apes suffer massive losses.

• Dunkirk (July 21) —Visionary director Christopher Nolan takes us to the beaches of France in 1940 to tell the story of the evacuation of nearly 400,000 Allied soldiers.

• Girls Trip (July 21) —Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah get rowdy in New Orleans.

‘Cars 3’ hits cinemas on June 16 sion show.

the action/adventure classic.

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26) —Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, with newcomer Brenton Thwaites, for a fresh adventure in the long-running franchise.

• All Eyez on Me (June 16) — A dramatic biopic about the late rapper Tupac Shakur starring unknown Demetrius Shipp Jr.

JUNE • Wonder Woman (June 2) — After over 75 years of being one of the most popular superheroes, the Amazonian warrior finally gets a big screen origin story, set in World War I, with Gal Gadot and Chris Pine.

• Cars 3 (June 16) — Lightning McQueen is back for a new installment in the popular Pixar franchise.

• Rough Night (June 16) — Comedians Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell and Ilana Glazer join Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Kravitz for a disastrous bachelorette party in Miami. Yes, there’s a dead stripper involved.

• Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (June 2) — An animated one for the kiddies, based on the hugely popular book, with the voices of Kevin Hart and Ed Helms.

• Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23) — Anthony Hopkins joins Mark Wahlberg in the 5th Transformers, from Michael Bay, which looks at the role the autobots played in King Arthur’s time.

• The Mummy (June 9) — Tom Cruise is helping to launch Universal’s monster movie universe with a reboot of

• Baby Driver (June 28) — Director Edgar Wright takes to the roads for an edgy thriller about big time crooks and

• Atomic Blonde (July 28) — Charlize Theron is a stone cold killer in this 80s-set spy pic.

AUGUST • Detroit (August 4) — Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow reteams with “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty” writer Mark Boal for this drama about the 1967 riots in Detroit starring “The Force Awakens’” John Boyega and Anthony Mackie.

• The Dark Tower (August 4) —This adaptation of Stephen King’s classic sci-fi Western features Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as Walter Padick.

• Annabelle: Creation (August 11) — The terrifying possessed doll just won’t go away.

• The Hitman’s Bodyguard (August 18) — Ryan Reynolds has to protect Samuel L Jackson in this action pic LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, May 12, 2017

film

New Bahamian movie shows the value of sacrifice

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

A

project that started out as an Easter drama production for Bahamas Faith Ministries International has grown into a fulllength movie set for a special premiere next month.

“The Crucifixion: Dying to Self” was written and directed by Gaylean Forbes. With its message of learning to trust solely in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, the film follows the story of a young woman by the name of Mattie who is the product of a violent rape.

After giving birth, her mother, Sandra, leaves Mattie in the hospital to be taken in by an orphanage. A grown-up Mattie appears to have things together, but beneath the surface lies a troubled woman who seeks answers to the internal troubles she faces. During the 1 hour 15 minute run time, Mattie discovers a myriad of secrets concerning the rape of her mother and the perpetrator.

“In February of this year I was contacted by the leadership of BFM and they wanted a drama for Easter. We started to work towards it and then I said it won’t work for that time because it is bigger than that, even though there is an element of Easter because it is called ‘The Crucifixion: Dying to Self’,” Ms Forbes explained.

“The film is about us as people, the body of Christ, as a nation, and as people on earth in general who don’t realise that every day you have to put something on the side or on the back burner, sacrifice something in order to he here today.”

The director said viewers will get to see how making certain sacrifices is necessary in life, especially when it comes to the character of Sandra who decides to have a child after being impregnated

Jamell Dawkins as Mattie and Ricardo Forbes as Reese

Raven Knowles as the young Sandra by her rapist.

“There is an element where the mother had to ‘die’ to herself and she comes to the realisation that life is bigger than you,” said Ms Forbes.

Tribune Weekend also spoke with the some of the main cast members at Compass Point – one the venues used to shoot different scenes in the film.

The cast discussed their role in the film and the significance of its message.

Jamell Dawkins, who plays the role of Mattie, said her character is one viewers will definitely relate to.

“My character is pretty much a bitter, confused, lost young lady who is in search of a lot of answers in life,” she said. “I could relate with some of the things that Mattie went through. I am excited about the message because a lot of people go through things that happen in the movie and no one knows about it, and seeing it on the screen would help

Ilka McPhee as an angel them to see that other people are go through it without even saying a word.”

Ricardo Forbes, who plays Reese, a conceited owner of a multi-million dollar business, said what he loves most about playing the role is that he gets to live vicariously through his character.

As for the film itself, he believes it has a number of elements that work together to make for great viewing.

“I like the fact that the movie is realistic. Each character has a part of

them that people can relate to, whether it is in themselves or someone that they know. I like the fact that it has some drama, some action, and it has a spiritual foundation. I also like the fact that is shows the human struggle where people go through stuff, but at the end of the day it shows where they triumph and overcome. And all of those dynamics make a great movie,” he said.

An official date for the film premiere will be announced in the coming weeks.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

film

review

Guy Ritchie reinvents ‘King Arthur’ with mixed results King Arthur: Legend of the Sword running time: 126 mins

D

eep into Guy Ritchie’s “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ,” a bad guy who we’ve never met before informs Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) and his mates that they’d better be at the castle before dark if they want to see “the boy” and “the girl” again. It’s one of those harmless, up the stakes clichés that’s all too common in action movies, but, in the flawed yet amusing “King Arthur,” it unwittingly left me baffled. “Which girl?” I wondered, sincerely doubting that this was the intended effect.

At this point there are two options: The Mage (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), a strange animal-controlling sorceress who we recently saw with a knife at her throat, or Maggie (Annabelle Wallis) who over the course of the movie is so underdeveloped that at different points I’d thought she was Arthur’s presumed to be dead mother (who is in fact played by the just similar enoughlooking Poppy Delevingne) or the evil King Vortigern’s (Jude Law) wife.

(She’s neither.) It’s a strange thing for a movie that is this packed to the brim with dialogue and clever exposition to have managed to so insufficiently explain a supposed key player. The film is somehow both overwritten and underwritten.

It’s a stretch to even deem it a King Arthur movie (marketing calls it an “iconoclastic take on the classic Excalibur myth,” while a producer says it’s

Charlie Hunnam as Arthur Photos/Warner Bros Pictures via AP

Jude Law as Vortigern

“not your father’s King Arthur.”)

And yet, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” is reasonably entertaining with its CGI-laden summer nonsense, stuffed with mystical beasts (including giant elephant-like creatures with wrecking ball tails), vulgar action and delicious scenery chewing from Law. It skates by on Ritchie’s divisively kinetic filmmaking and the charisma of Hunnam’s reluctant hero.

This Arthur was raised in a brothel after seeing his mother and father, King Uther (Eric Bana) killed in a coup.

A speed-induced montage later and Arthur is a fully grown and martial arts trained man who is a street-wise protector of the brothel’s prostitutes.

His Uncle Vortigern, who sold his soul to get the crown, rules Camelot. But Vortigern can’t access his full powers without the Excalibur sword, which, as you know, is stuck in a rock. This leads Vortigern’s soldiers to round up every man of Arthur’s age to find the remaining heir.

Hunnam’s Arthur is a wise-cracking, sensitive brute, who neither seeks nor wants power of any kind. What he does want is never really explored beyond the fact that he cares about his friends and feels some sort of obligation to protect the weak. But he eventually gets on board with his birthright — partly to avenge his father’s death and partly because a group of outlaws, including The Mage, Bedivere (Djimon Hounsou) and Bill (Aidan Gillen), sort of make him do it. An Arthur for the millennial generation perhaps?

Indeed, Ritchie’s “King Arthur” seems specifically designed to appeal to the “Game of Thrones” crowd (though mercifully with some hope infused into the core of the story) and definitely not to anyone who has any deep reverence for the classic tale. If that’s a compromise you’re willing to make, there are some genuinely compelling and innovative sequences of the action and dialogue variety (and a jarring David Beckham cameo). The film falls apart in the final showdown, however, when Ritchie gives himself over to the CGI gods to craft a mind-numbing duel that looks so much like a video game, it would be easy to forget you’re still watching “King Arthur.”

Despite a shameless non-ending that hints at sequel possibilities, this is not a film that is likely to stick with you even past the movie theatre parking lot. Like Arthur, you’ll be happy that you got alive and relatively unscathed.

LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, May 12, 2017

style

International fashion star scouts Bahamas for new film series

W Stevie Boi

hen he’s not travelling the world or designing fashion pieces for some of the biggest shows such as the recent New York Fashion Week, Steven Strawder, better known as “Stevie Boi”, is busy shooting footage for his new destination film series.

The American social media star is a fashion designer, actor, author and founder of clothing brand NOIR and the luxury eye-wear brand SBShades. Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Katy Perry have been widely published wearing the distinctive sun glasses.

Recently, the fashionista visited Nassau to research sites and events to film for the next episode in his destination film series and declared the Sandyport Beach Resort as his favourite resort in the Bahamas. The award-winning boutique resort became the backdrop for a fashion photo shoot with Miss World Bahamas 2016 Ashley Hamilton, who posed in new ensembles from the Stevie Boi NOIR collection.

“I love Nassau and hope to see much more of the Bahamas on future trips,” said Stevie Boi. “Overall, my experience was phenomenal; the Sandyport Beach Resort was ideal for me to bring fashion to the beach with the lovely Miss World Bahamas. I was able to get away from the noise of the city. I feel the resort puts you in a tranquil space that is full of good energy and pleasant people. The staff greeted me with open arms and was available for any questions I had.”

Stevie Boi continued: “I’m also very happy with the sample footage of local sights, people and events that I took back to my producer in the States. We can now plan for the next trip to the Bahamas, most likely with our film crew.”

Some of Stevie Boi’s time was spent visiting popular spots in Nassau such as the John Watling’s Distillery, Blue Sail Restaurant Bar, Curly’s at Arawak Cay, the National Art Gallery, the Straw Market and enjoying a morning of water sports activities at Jetlink Adventures.

A New York Times write-up recommended Sandyport Beach Resort as a “serene” place to stay when in Nassau.

Travel writer Brendan Spiegel included the popular resort in an article featuring 11 of the islands best attractions for the tourist seeking a subtler, more authentic Bahamian experience. Spiegel praised the popular Sandyport resort for its “picturesque collection of villas in a gated Marina community near Cable Beach with waterfront views and a serene atmosphere.”

Additionally, Travel & Leisure wrote that it was “one of the best Boutique Resorts in the Bahamas.”

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards

FAIL Emma Watson “Beauty and the Beast” Karin says: “I dislike it almost as much as her never-ending acceptance speech (this is MTV, not the Oscars!). I’m sure someone in the ‘80s wore this same exact asymmetrical dress and mistakenly thought they were edgy. I also hate huge sequins on anything.”

Cara says: “She may have won the genderless best actor award, but Emma was not the belle of this ball.

Not in this half finished dress. It has so much going on that it just confuses the eye. It’s like those creations we made in needlework class where you had to just show a combination of skills, but you would never actually wear them out.”

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

SPLIT

FAIL

SPLIT

Zendaya “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Taraji P Henson “Hidden Figures”

Farrah Abraham “Teen Mom”

Karin says: “I honestly don’t know what’s going on with Taraji here. This futuristic disco ball dress is a disaster.

But even worse is her makeup, especially that fuchsia lipstick, and that hair. All of it just looks greasy and tired.”

Cara says: “I literally laughed when I saw this alien meets tinfoil outfit. I just expect so much more from Taraji.

I hate everything about it. I hate how she has lines dividing her body on the dress. I hate how it ‘stole’ her neck, and I hate her shoes. Really, I can’t say anything else. It’s simply horrid.”

Karin says: “Well, we all know why she wore this – to get attention... and she succeeded. But cultural appropriation aside, this Indian sari just doesn’t make any sense for the MTV Movie Awards red carpet...or for Farrah. It’s just the most random thing ever. In her mind, she probably killed it...but that is only in her mind.”

Cara says: “Farrah did get some flack for wearing this Indian inspired ensemble, and while I do get both sides of the debate, I am strictly here for the fashion. I love the skirt and the top. This style of ‘crop top’ makes sense. It’s gorgeous in colour and detail, and definitely made a red carpet statement.”

Karin says: “This is a stunning look.

Everything works – the chartreuse colour, the ethereal material and the delicate beading. It’s almost like a glamorous robe you would have seen at some pool party during the golden era of Hollywood. And the short, soft curls complement the ensemble perfectly.”

Cara says: “This dress was a crowd favourite. I am here for the stunning detail on the gown, although that green looks a little like you threw up pea soup, sorry. I do really like the sleeves, but I think it hits at an awkward length and I really dislike how those cheap shoes cut off her ankles. And of course the plunging neckline... so over it.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, May 12, 2017

books

Best-selling authors discuss art of ‘the beach read’

F

or author Elin Hilderbrand, the art of the beach novel is very much a matter of location.

Starting with where she writes.

“I write my books in longhand, so I actually work on them at the beach,” Hilderbrand, who sets her best-sellers at home on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, told The Associated Press during a recent telephone interview.

“And all those elements that make for an authentic summer experience, the fetishes that go with summertime — love of that special summer place and the distinction between summer and the rest of the year — these are what I try to depict in my novels.”

The “beach read” is shorthand for disposable page-turners, but Hilderbrand and others who write them have long-held rules and standards: strong characters and narratives, and settings that are compelling and accurate.

Mary Alice Monroe, whose “Beach House for Rent” comes out in June, sets her work along the South Carolina coast and calls it a “personal pet peeve” when she reads a beach story and finds mistakes in the description of

the landscape.

Monroe believes the “beach read” can be more than an escape. She likes to combine stories of family, friendship or romance with her advocacy for environmentalism. “Beach House for Rent” tells of two women unexpectedly sharing a summer home and the plight of shorebirds that helps unite them.

Here are other books to look for this summer: • “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid Imagine if before their deaths, Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor agreed to sit down to an extensive interview about their much-scrutinised love lives. That’s what happens in “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”.

An up-and-coming journalist gets the scoop of her career by landing an exclusive interview with an aging legendary actress. She’s ready to talk about her life and storied relationships. The book is fascinating, emotional and will be hard to put down. For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is her best

work yet.

• “Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins The best-selling author of “The Girl on the Train” follows up that smash hit with “Into the Water.” Hawkins sticks to the suspenseful format she’s known for with the mystery behind the deaths of women who are believed to have drowned in the same river in an English town. Like “The Girl on the Train”, the narrators jump around, the characters are complex and there are surprises throughout.

• “Rich People Problems” by Kevin Kwan Kevin Kwan closes out his “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy with “Rich People Problems.” If you haven’t read the first two books, you should start there, but Kwan’s books about the absurdly wealthy in Singapore are laugh-out loud funny. These books are fun page-turners.

• “Quicksand” by Malin Persson Giolito This Swedish mystery follows a teenager named Maja who is on trial for a series of murders where her

boyfriend and best friend were among those killed. The story is told in the present time and in flashbacks, piecing together what really happened.

Throughout the book, as you get to know Maja, you’ll waiver on whether she’s guilty. It’s a satisfying murder mystery.

• “Fitness Junkie” by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza Like their co-author debut, “Knockoff,” Sykes and Piazza’s second novel, “Fitness Junkie,” is more than just its title. Both books provide insightful commentary about the times we live in. “Knockoff” explored society’s obsession with e-commerce and social media. “Fitness Junkie” tackles the wellness craze. A CEO of a couture wedding-dress company is forced to go on leave from her job because she’s gained weight. She embarks on a fitness journey to shed pounds and discovers what really matters to her.

HILLEL ITALIE Associated Press ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

books

Online book club for Harry Potter fans to launch in June

J

K Rowling is launching a free online book club for fans and newcomers to her “Harry Potter” series.

The Wizarding World Book Club will launch in June in celebration of the 20th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the first in what would become a sevenbook series.

The online community “aims to surprise and delight those who have never read a Harry

1. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, narrated by Laura Aikman, Rachel Bavidge, Sophie Aldred, Daniel Weyman and Imogen Church 2. The Handmaid’s Tale: Special Edition by Margaret Atwood, narrated by Claire Danes, author and full cast

Potter book, as well as returning readers who want to join the conversation,” says Pottermore, Rowling’s digital publishing arm.

The club says its goal is to “create a global community of Harry Potter readers who are communicating with each other as they are reading the same book, at the same time.”

New York Associated Press

‘Since We Fell’ shows the power of introspection and love

acter shooting her husband, whom she loves.

“Since We Fell” also marks the first time that Lehane has devoted a novel to a female protagonist.

Certainly, Lehane expertly has written strong women characters throughout his career; Angie Gennaro was an equal to Patrick Kenzie in his series about those two Boston private detectives.

But Rachel Childs isn’t a detective — she’s not even a journalist anymore having had a massive on-camera breakdown while covering the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Now she barely leaves the house. Rachel’s retreat from the world derives from her childhood and her selfish mother’s refusal to tell her the name of her father. During her own hunt for her father, Rachel hired private investigator Brian Delacroix, who told her not to continue her search. Years later, Rachel and Brian met again, and

3. American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition y Neil Gaiman, narrated by Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes and full cast 4. Complicated by Kristen Ashley, narrated by Lance Greenfield and Erin Mallon 5. The Gunslinger: the Dark Tower, Book 1 by Stephen King, narrated

by George Guidall

eventually married. Brian is a very loving husband who understands why she stays at home. The plot turns when Rachel becomes involved in a conspiracy that forces her to re-examine her choices.

Lehane imbues “Since We Fell” with an intense character study, showing why Rachel became so troubled and how she will delve into the strength she didn’t know she had. When violence enters Rachel’s life, it’s as shocking as any of the action in Lehane’s hard-boiled novels.

In each novel, Lehane has stretched himself and taken chances with his stories. “Since We Fell” meets his high standards, showing the power of introspection and love — and, yes, it is a crime story.

OLINE H COGDILL Associated Press

6. Age of Myth: Book One of The Legends of the First Empire by Michael J Sullivan, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds 7. Lady Fortescue Steps Out: The Poor Relation, Book 1 by M C Beaton, narrated by Davina Porter 8. The Fix by David Baldacci, narrated by Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy 9. Starman Jones by Robert A. Heinlein, narrated by Paul Michael Garcia 10. 16th Seduction by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, narrated

by January LaVoy Associated Press

Riverhead Books via AP

Dennis Lehane’s crime fiction has highlighted some of the most insightful looks at parenting (“Gone Baby Gone”), mental health (“Shutter Island”), loss of innocence (“Mystic River”) and the life of mobsters (“Live By Night”).

In his latest novel, Lehane delivers a poignant story about a woman’s search for her identity, wrapped in a love story.

Make no mistake, “Since We Fell” is crime fiction, filled with con men, murder, greed and revenge. But the love story gives this novel its heart. And, as one would expect from Lehane, this is no normal love story. After all, the first sentence of the novel shows the lead char-

The top 10 audiobooks on Audible.com

Pictured is the cover of “Inter the Water,” a novel

by Paula Hawkins, which was released on May 2.

The Tribune | Weekend | 19

Friday, May 12, 2017

gardening

From garden to kitchen Jams, ice creams and barbecue sauces – Jack Hardy explains how they can all be made from ingredients found in your backyard.

T

here has been a small but significant culinary trend in recent years that abandons the old-fashioned way of treating preserved vegetables and fruits for greater freshness and clarity of taste. Let’s start with pickles.

We all have at least one jar of pickles in the pantry or fridge. It is there to add to hamburgers if sliced and hot dogs if relished. Pickles may be sweet or strong with vinegar. Whichever, they are soggy and powerful.

The new trend is to fresh pickles, if you would allow the oxymoron. Slice a cucumber and place it in a jar, then pour over boiling seasoned vinegar, by the time it has cooled to room temperature it is a pickle. Not soggy. Not overpowering; a delightfully fresh and crispy pickle. Hamburger, stop drooling.

I have eaten many more pickles in recent years since I started to make these short-term offerings. A pickle can be made to eat in hours or refrigerated to eat in days. There is a resemblance between your pickle and the cucumber you grew in your garden that begat the pickle. You can adjust your seasonings

– the type of vinegar, the amount of sugar, the choice of dill or mustard seed – and enjoy the pickle of your palate’s dreams.

You can also make short term and small batch jams. If you buy pectin you will find a recipe sheet inside the package with instructions for traditional and Quick & Easy jams, also called freezer jams. These freezer jams do not even have to be cooked, though an alternative method – which I prefer – calls for bringing the fruit mixture to a boil before pouring into jars. Either way, there is no extensive boiling of sugar and fruits for hours.

Freezer jams are a godsend when harvests are small. I have only one bearing grumichama tree at the moment and after I have snacked out of hand it is hard to harvest even a cupful of berries. The freezer jam-making method makes small quantities manageable. Mulberry is another fruit that makes a fine jam, and mango season is approaching. And do not forget there is such a thing as tomato jam.

I love papaya jam but find that the flesh should be cubed and cooked before adding sugar and completing the cooking process. The texture can be modified by using an immersion

blender once the papaya is soft. I have about a quart of passion fruit syrup in my freezer and I find a tablespoonful added to a large jar of papaya at the same time as the sugar brightens the flavour considerably.

As the tomato season winds down you may have to pull some dying vines that have large green tomatoes attached. For me, that means chutney.

Making chutney is very similar to making jam and the resultant relish can be used as a condiment for virtually any savoury dish but goes particularly well with grilled cheese sandwiches.

During May your mango trees will likely experience what commercial growers call ‘May drop’, the shedding of fruits that are quite large but well short of maturity. These can be used to make mango chutney.

Barbecue season is 12 months long in the Bahamas, but we’ll be doing more outdoor cooking during the long summer evenings. A true barbecue master (male or female) has personalised finishing sauces for different meats and these are exciting to make and use.

Start with a basic unseasoned sauce (or ketchup) and experiment with additions that include oil, herbs and fruit.

Chicken and most white meats are

Soursop is the king of Bahamian ice creams.

enhanced by citrus flavours while red meats and pork ribs can take stronger flavours such as tamarind pulp. If you are like me you may come up with a wonderful sauce but when you try to make it again you will have forgotten the proportions.

There are probably more fruit juices available from your garden than you realise. Barbados cherries can be simmered with a little water - and sugar to taste, for most people – to produce a very healthy as well as tasty juice when strained. Suriname cherries can be treated the same way. Guava pulp usually needs more water because the fruit does not contain juice as such. Apple juice can be used instead of water to make what industry calls nectar.

Tamarind pulp can be transformed into switcher while the outside flesh of wax jambu can be boiled with water and sugar for a drink and the resultant cooked flesh can be a pie or fruit patty filling.

Making ice cream in quantity requires a large machine that needs ice and salt as the coolant. Much handier are smaller machines that have a metal bowl that is frozen for 24 hours before use and can make up to two quarts in short order.

The king of Bahamian ice creams is soursop. Most ice creams benefit from the addition of vanilla to the mix, but for soursop the vanilla is best left out.

You have not tasted banana ice cream until you try home made with sugar bananas. Mango ice cream is a tropical classic and guava ice cream has a haunting flavour. Coconut ice cream made with freshly-prepared coconut milk and cream is not as strong in flavour as commercial products but is an epicurean delight, as are ice creams made with sapodilla or passion fruit.

Your small ice cream maker also produces sherbets and these are wonderful to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. The citruses come into their own here and my favourite sherbet is grapefruit, traditional white grapefruit rather than the omnipresent Texas Ruby Red. Some people say that soursop sherbet tastes better than soursop ice cream. There’s only one way to find out…

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

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

carnival

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

fter just missing placing first last year, members of the High Energy band jumped for joy last Saturday as they were named the 2017 winners of Junkamania and the recipients of a $15,000 prize.

Junkamania took place last Thursday as part of the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. It is a concert of Junkanoo orchestras – a unique musical event showcasing Junkanoo music and other Junkanoo-inspired folk forms such as drumming and dance.

Participants are free to let their imaginations run wild, producing new and exciting sounds by using traditional Junkanoo instruments with other instruments from across the full music spectrum.

“With our performance, we took a walk through time. We played songs from Ronnie Butler, Ancient Man, D-Mac, Veronica Bishop, Ultimate Rejects’ ‘We Jammin Still’ and more,”

“The High Energy band is going to be the first Bahamian band that will go down to Trinidad and win the Soca Monarch. Take my word for it.”

Junkamania winners High Energy with BTC CEO Leon Williams.

(PHOTO/SHAWN HANNA)

High Energy wins Junkamania

said Dwayne Omar Mackey, a member of High Energy.

“We had a short video during our performance where one of our lead singers, Lavant, was being chased by what appeared to be a ‘bogga woman’.

So we piggybacked off the spooky idea of Bahamian music – more so, a resurrection of Bahamian music.”

Mr Mackey said through their performance they all tried their best to portray the group’s love of Bahamian

culture and its growth over the years.

“Remember, Bahamian music is more than just a sound; it is actually the expression of the artists themselves. We also brought a Junkanoo visual with the art on stage – the costumes, drums and so forth. We try to appeal to our crowd as much as possible, still keeping our love for Junkanoo and adding a carnival flavor,” said Mr Mackey.

Speaking about the band’s performance last year, he said although they placed second, they were still hopeful

that they could achieve a victory in the future.

“Henry Ford did not design his first car on the first try, and we didn’t win on the first try, but we have to keep going.

God is definitely a good God and we are going to try to come back next year and make it a ‘two-peat’. You can also hold me to this, the High Energy band is going to be the first Bahamian band that will go down to Trinidad and win the Soca Monarch. Take my word for it,” he said.

The first time I came it was real vibes.

I came for a vacation as well as a show and stayed at the Breezes Resort; a beautiful place. People here really like my energy and my music, so I honestly and genuinely love this place,” said Olatunji.

He was happy to take the stage for the 2017 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival because he believes the event has the potential to grow with every year.

“I missed the road experience this year because I was in the Caymans

doing their carnival, but it is not about their carnival right now; it is all about Junkanoo Carnival, and I came back for this event,” he said.

Olatunji said it was a great experience to share the stage with artists such as fellow Trinidadian star Lyrikal and the living legend himself, Beres Hammond.

“The crowd got the normal from Olatunji tonight, which is high energy, a connection, a nice little Afro style and more,” he said.

“After the Bahamas, I am headed to Antigua next weekend and things are going on and on every weekend, so I want to give thanks to the new management and team because we are just working.”

Soca star shows love for the Bahamas

TRINIDADIAN soca star Olatunji hopped, skipped, jumped and danced all over the stage last Saturday as he kept the crowd entertained on the third night of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.

“Ola”, as he is known, was one of several popular Caribbean artists invited to perform during the third annual carnival.

In an interview with Tribune Weekend, the singer expressed his love for the Bahamas, which he had visited once before.

“I always said the Bahamas was my favourite island after my home island.

(PHOTO/SHAWN HANNA)

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, May 12, 2017

carnival Photos/Shawn Hanna

Sweet victory Shugar is crowned ‘Master of the Bahamian Sound’

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

A

fter suffering defeat in the inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, singer Valerie “Shugar” Richards triumphed last Friday night, walking away with the title of ‘Master of the Bahamian Sound’ and $20,000.

Out of the 10 songs that made the final cut, Shugar’s “Carryin on Bad” was the one that impressed the judges the most as it exemplified the festival’s vibe with its high energy and catchy lyrics.

This was the second time the singer participated in the Music Masters – a song contest that has been an aspect of the festival from day one and represents a stage for the top contemporary artists of the Bahamas to perform in competition in front of a global audience.

Over the past two years, the competition has created new opportunities and opened doors for local artists.

The finalists who took to the stage alongside Shugar last Friday included Qpid, Muzikal, Ebony, Bantangy, Illsha, Lil Joe Cartwright and Patrice.

“I really wasn’t planning on entering this competition, but someone from the Festival Commission reached out and asked if I would put a song in ,and I wrote this song in a day and entered it,” Shugar explained.

In addition to “Carryin on Bad”, the singer also entered the song “Carnival Madness” into the competition. She had high hopes for it, but ultimately “Carryin on Bad” carried the day.

“I was really focusing on that song and I didn’t think ‘Carryin on Bad’

Music Masters winner Valerie ‘Shugar’ Richards is pictur ed with BTC CEO Leon Williams at Bahamas Junkanoo Carni val.

“Do you, have fun and everything else will go from there.”

would be the winning song. I was thinking ‘Carnival Madness’ would be the winner, especially because I have a grand-baby who loves that song and I feel if children love a song it is going somewhere, and look what happened,” she said.

And while ‘Carnival Madness’ also embodies the spirit of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, she believes it was the lyrics and the catchy chorus of “Carryin on Bad” that won the judges over.

“I always try to find lyrics that would match the vibe of carnival,” she said.

As a seasoned singer who has performed with the Soulful Groovers

band since 1998, Shugar said getting on stage in the front of hundreds of concert-goers did not phase her. In fact, she confidently and energetically performed the song.

She also used the opportunity of the competition to impart her wisdom on younger Music Master participants.

“One of things that I told them was not to have an ego and everything will be fine. I told them, ‘Do you, have fun and everything else will go from there’,” she said.

As for her next step, Shugar and the song’s producer, Colyn McDonald, are working on a few plans concerning the song.

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

literary lives daniel defoe

Casting doubt on a castaway Sir Christopher Ondaatje looks at the English author and merchant suspected of plagiarising material for his most famous novel, Robinson Crusoe

D

aniel Defoe was born Daniel Foe in Cripplegate, London in 1660, the son of a wealthy chandler.

In childhood he experienced the Great Plague of London in 1665 and the Great Fire the following year. His mother died before he was 10.

He was educated at the Rev James Fisher’s boarding school and later a Presbyterian academy at Newington Green in London. After a chequered schooling Defoe began selling clothing, food and wine successfully and was able to buy himself a country estate.

He also became involved in the manufacture of perfume and, in 1684, married Mary Tuffley - a marriage that lasted 50 years and produced eight children.

Despite his success he was always heavily in debt. He was involved in the ill-fated Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 - but pardoned - and three years

“It is estimated that Defoe was responsible for over 500 political and religious pamphlets as well as satirical verses...

However, his overly ambitious business ventures and debts once again got him into trouble and he was again forced into bankruptcy and imprisoned.”

Daniel Defoe (1659/1660 – 1731)

The Tribune | Weekend | 23

Friday, May 12, 2017

later was a spy for Queen Mary and her husband, William III. In 1692, Defoe was arrested for debts. After his release from prison he continued his trade in wines and for a while ran a brick factory in Essex. It was not until 1697 that Defoe’s first paper, ‘An Essay upon Projects’, was published proposing social and economic reform. His first poem, ‘The True-Born Englishman’, was published and he presented the Legions Memorial to Parliament demanding the release of prisoners supporting the King in an expected war against France.

When William III died in 1702, he was replaced by Queen Anne who immediately attacked religious Nonconformists, of whom Defoe was a natural target because of his pamphlet ‘The Shortest-Way with the Dissenters; Or, Proposals for the Establishment of the Church’. He was arrested on July 31, 1703, charged with seditious libel, and placed in Newgate Prison with a punitive fine - and eventually released with the financial help of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford.

That same year, the Great Storm was the subject of another of Defoe’s publications. He continued with his political writing, supporting Robert Harley and the Tory Ministry until it fell from power with the death of Queen Anne in 1714.

It is estimated that Defoe was responsible for over 500 political and religious pamphlets as well as satirical verses. He was prolific. However, his overly ambitious business ventures and debts once again got him into trouble and he was again forced into bankruptcy and imprisoned. On his release he published ‘The Review’, mostly written by himself, the main mouthpiece of the English Government promoting the 1707 Act of Union.

Two years later he published ‘The History of the Union of Great Britain’.

His writings continued - both religious and political - with varied financial reward, until the publication of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ in 1719. Between 1719 and 1724 he published the novels for which he is most famous. These included ‘Captain Singleton’ (1720); ‘A Journal of the Plague Year’ (1722); ‘Colonel Jack’ (1722); ‘Moll Flanders’ (1722); and ‘Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress’ (1724).

‘Captain Singleton’ deals with an adventure across Africa and piracy, while ‘A Journal of the Plague Year’ is an account of the 1665 Great Plague of

Continued on page 24

An original edition of Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’

‘An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon’ by Robert Knox is said to have inspired Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’.

Daniel Defoe’s grave and monument at Bunhill Fields, London. The burial ground was favoured by religious Noncomformists.

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

Defoe in the pillory, by James Charles Armitage.

Continued from page 23 London. ‘Colonel Jack’ tells the story of an orphaned boy who survives both poverty and crime and rises to affluence. ‘Moll Flanders’ and ‘Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress’ were Defoe’s attempts to write bawdy, popular stories.

In this he succeeded. Moll Flanders is a whore and bigamist, while Roxana is a society courtesan who experiences moral and spiritual decline.

It is speculated that ‘Robinson Crusoe’ was based on the story of the Scottish castaway Andrew Selkirk, who spent four years stranded on the Juan Fernandez Islands, but this is inconsistent with history. It is far more likely that Defoe took a great deal of

“In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe even relates Knox’s description of how the Sinhalese made bread and steals Knox’s account of how he walked backwards intentionally leaving footprints in the sand to confuse his pursuing captors.”

Rajahsinge II, King of the Kandyan Provinces of Ceylon, captured Robert Knox in 1659 and held him captive for two decades.

information for his novel from ‘An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon’ written in 1681 by the English trader and sailor Robert Knox (1641-1720), which describes his experiences on the island now known as Sri Lanka.

Knox was a 19-year-old sailor in the East India Company when his ship stopped to trade on the coast of Ceylon.

He and his crew were captured in 1659

by King Rajasinha II. Knox was kept prisoner in his up-country kingdom of Kandy for 19 years, and survived by bartering self-made goods and providing rice and other staple goods to the natives – probably taken from the King’s supply.

After nearly two decades he escaped with another prisoner, Stephen Rutland, to the west coast town of Arippu, held

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, May 12, 2017

Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha by the Dutch, and from there he made his way back to England.

The book was written on his return voyage and contains many details which Defoe plagiarised not only in ‘Robinson Crusoe’, but also in his subsequent 1720 novel ‘Captain Singleton’.

In ‘Crusoe’ he even relates Knox’s description of how the Sinhalese made bread and steals Knox’s account of how he walked backwards intentionally leaving footprints in the sand to confuse his pursuing captors.

On discovering Knox’s work, his employer, the British East India Company, recommended its publication by the fledgling Royal Society in 1861, following which it enjoyed popular sales and was widely read and translated into German (1689) and French (1693). The book made Knox famous and had a major influence in the development of the English novel. The book portrays the hero as an inventive and hardy individual, very similar to Defoe’s shipwrecked mariner Crusoe, and continues to be an important lexicon of the history and anthropology of Ceylon during this period.

Despite considerable effort by the author, ‘An Historical Relation’ never achieved a second edition but was opportunistically usurped instead by Defoe’s classic story ‘Robinson Crusoe’ in 1719. It is interesting that an accurate reprinting of Knox’s book was eventually made in Sri Lanka as recently as 1989.

Daniel Defoe went on to publish ‘The Complete English Tradesman’ in 1726, and is estimated to have used as many as 198 pen names.

What fame and financial success he achieved was short-lived. He died in penury on April 24, 1731, while hiding from his creditors. He is buried in Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds in the Borough of Islington in London, particularly favoured by the Noncomformists. Bunhill Fields also contains the graves of many notable literary people, including John Bunyan who died in 1688, and William Blake who died in 1827.

NEXT WEEK: the erotic dancer who fought for civil rights in the US • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankan-born Canadian-Englishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”

An obelisk in St Matthew’s churchyard

I

n the last few weeks, I have noticed a sudden interest in locating graves of various family members and been relieved to be able to supply most of the information sought.

One person wanted to know which is the ‘best’ grave in St Matthew’s cemetery, between Church Street and Lover’s Lane, not realising that he was talking about three separate burial places between those two streets.

St Matthew’s churchyard fronts

onto Dowdeswell Street, Church Street and Shirley Streets. The government-owned Eastern Cemetery has gates on Dowdeswell Street, Lover’s Lane and Shirley Street and the little-known Jewish Cemetery has only one entrance, on Shirley Street, opposite Sacred Heart Church.

The Hoffer family plot, in the Jewish Cemetery, is unquestionably the most impressive grave site that I know of. It is only yards away from the traffic on Shirley Street but feels “far from the madding crowd”.

Burial places are, by nature, not specifically happy places but they are rich in feelings, often poignantly expressed, as is the case of Belinda Williams, whose monument is one of the few obelisks in Nassau cemeteries.

As a child, I often read her inscription and imagined how happy she must have felt when this island came in sight, as so eloquently expressed by her widowed husband.

• Comments and responses to islandairman@gmail.com

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

section

the alphabet

Both today’s words in a moment

*Calls cost Chambers you tomc andhave last 2.5 21st grid Use Friday, May 12, 2017 too!www.e letters and bl Century below the gri Dictionary grid is ‘rotatio (1999 symmetrical’ edition) words, it look

*Calls cost 75p plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

TARGET

O U G B D D R A Y

B D D R A ALPHABEA Y THE

Halve your Target Time!

WRITE, DAILY (across or down)

The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 15; very good 23; excellent 30 (or more). Solution tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION beech bench bencher birch breech BREECHING cere cheer cheering chin chine crib cringe enrich generic genic hence iceberg inch nice nicer niche niece rice rich

Call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

turn the 27you 3 down.39Solutio

HOW many of four letters CAN you crack words the A 14 18 Alphabeater?

Each grid or more can you make from the B number represents a letterIn making a letters shown here?

C used – or black square.

As inmay be 33 1 word, each letter Alphapuzzle, of contain D once only. every Eachletter must the the alphabet is used. But centre and the there must at E 4 be19 you haveletter to complete least one word. No grid too!

Usenine-letter the given F plurals orblack verbsquares forms ending in “s”. letters and

Yesterday’

13 Black 9 squa 4 7, 11, 13, 17,

37, 12 36, 24 38.9 Across: Cr

Ebb, Piazza

20 below the grid to start. The G 6 TODAY’S TARGET grid is ‘rotationally H symmetrical’ – in other Good 15; very good 23; excellent I 38 24 words, looks the same if tomorrow.

30 (oritmore).

Solution J you turn the page upside down. Solution tomorrow.

K 35 9 YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

17 Disco, 31 Misju 1

Toolsheds, Yawned, Fly

28Eight.

8 Down 3

Rabbi, Taxi Larynx, Dip

14 Chalks, 20 Egg3

beech benchsolution bencher birch Yesterday’s L breech BREECHING Black squares: 2, 3, 5, cere M 10cheer26 7, 11, 13, 17,chin 19, 23, 29, 31, cheering chine crib cringe N 36, 37, 38. enrich generic genic hence Across: Crowd, Control, iceberg inch nice nicer Oniche 21 37 Ebb, Piazza, Womb, niece rice rich P

Unsaddle, T

34Ovum, 4 Zilch 1

Extra le

4 0907 17 15

Disco, Misjudges, Toolsheds, Agaze, Stir, Q 22 11 Yawned, Fly, Jinxing, R Call 0907 181 2585 for Eight. Down: Depths, S 23 25 Rabbi, Taxi, Sumo, today’s Target solution Larynx, *Calls Diplomas, cost 80p per minute T your telephone company’s Chalks,plus Eggnog, 31 U 13 access charge.

Unsaddle,network Thawed, Gala, V Ovum, Zilch, Bisque.

6 18

Full solution

1

Full s

0907 1 2

2

1

29

20PLAY 15 M 1

Y 28 Z

17

22

0907 181 2560 X

0907 181 2558

16

*Calls cost 8 plus your telep 30 network 18 ac 1

Extra clues0333W202 3390 *SP: Spokeletter – Helpline (Deduct three minutes for each extra clue letter heard)

(Deduct thre each extra clu

1

*Calls cost 80p per minute 21 plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

2

3

4

22

23

24

5

■ 25

15

4

6

7

26

27

G

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to

PLAY MORE CROSSWORDS AND GA

The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, May 12, 2017

animals Animal matters Kim Aranha

Cruelty and the cause

Shy guy

By The Bahamas Humane Society

PATRICIA VAZQUEZ

R

ecently I wrote an article that was to be continued.

Because of the unjustified bad behaviour in the Berry islands and the illegal killing of a protected turtle, I postponed the writing of this article by a week.

In my first article, which was inspired by a lady who saw a man mistreating his dog in broad daylight and who didn’t know what to do, I explored what you can do if you witness cruelty to an animal.

Today, this second part will be dedicated to exploring why, as a nation, we are so careless and disinterested in animals and their rights.

Cruelty to animals is the product of a very sick mind indeed. The action of intentionally hurting a creature smaller than yourself who can neither fight back nor invariably run away is despicable. The correlation between cruelty to animals and spousal abuse, child endangerment and worse has been proved over and over again.

Somehow, no matter how many times this is pointed out in the Bahamas most people think that we are spewing garbage.

Funnily enough, people in hot countries appear to have a tendency to mistreat their animals more than those in cold countries. What could cause this I wonder? Is it because passions run higher in hot places, impatience, and hot bothered and short tempers lead to the wanton lashing out at the innocent?

In the Bahamas we blame an awful lot on “our culture”. If there is ever anything that we do habitually and can’t fathom why, we simply put it down to being “in our culture”. Somehow that explains everything. Well, I do actually think that animal cruelty is “in our culture”; it is coupled with fear.

Fear can make people do very silly and unexplainable things.

PET OF THE WEEK

P

recious has been at the Bahamas Humane Society for almost a year now. As you can see from his early photo, he is very shy, but he definitely comes out of his shell when there’s a lady dog around, even if she’s spayed.

This young man is almost two years old and would make a great yard dog so long as he has at least one other dog to keep him company. Precious isn’t a biter and could be worked on with some patience to be a little less shy.

Do you have the yard and the

patience to provide a loving home for Precious? If some, come in to the BHS to meet him or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

Have you ever watched a bunch of kids walk by a fenced-in yard with some dogs barking? Chances are that one or more of those children will pick up a stone and throw it at the dogs.

You know I am right, because you have seen it too. If they do not throw the stone, they will linger, jeer and taunt, driving the poor animals nuts behind the fence, causing great hilarity

in the children.

From an early age kids are taught to stay away from dogs because they might bite. They are told dogs are dirty, they see dogs tied up, not allowed in the house, and God forbid if they lick you. A young child sees the underfed, sorry-looking potcake in the street, passed by without a care. Why in the world would they ever consider

• Are you ready for summer and for Mother’s Day? Come and check out the ‘Welcome Summer’ jewellery sale at the BHS Thrift Shop on Saturday, May 13, from 10am to 2pm. Find something awesome for mom and perhaps a lovely treat for yourself. All proceeds go to the BHS.

those “poor creatures” worthy of consideration?

Then there is the power thing. It seams to me that frequently in our country the only emotion that is considered acceptable for a man to exhibit is anger. It is acceptable for a man to “beat” people – wife, kids, workmate, dog etcetera.

The recounting of these events are more often than not accompanied by laughter, because it has become acceptable in “our culture”. If boys show kindness or tenderness they are laughed at. It is machismo all the way – temper, yelling, threatening – that leads to cruelty, guns, abuse and horrors.

The desensitisation of our young is alive and well, and has been such for many moons. How many reports do we get about people aiming for dogs crossing the road? Why on earth would you want to do that?

There are frequent cases of puppies with severe burns because somebody threw boiling water or burning on them to stop their barking! We have animals come in who have been cut, burned, beaten, starved and sexually assaulted – yup, you read that correctly.

The perpetrators of these actions are very sick minds indeed. They derive pleasure from seeing suffering. The abusive action towards one smaller or weaker makes them feel powerful. These people are dangerous.

Eventually they will turn their anger and cruelty towards fellow humans.

We need to recognise the warning signs before it is too late.

The man beating his dog near Arawak Cay a couple of weeks ago had probably decided his dog was too friendly. There is a belief here that beating your dog makes him meaner and he will protect you better. Wrong!

It may make him terrified of you and submissive, but protective of the monster who makes his life hell? No. If you want faithful protection, become your animal’s friend. Nothing fosters love like love. Dogs are capable of unconditional love at its finest, but you get out of any relationship what you put into it.

The concept that animals have feelings, or that they are capable of understanding, or can feel emotional hurt or betrayal is a very alien concept in general in this beautiful little country of ours. It would serve us all well if we could learn or teach love, understanding and kindness to each other and to all of God’s creatures.

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, May 12, 2017

section

free and unlimited ALIV to ALIV calls from April 13th to May 31st on the following ALIV plans + + + +

freedom10 freedom20 liberty50 liberty90

free the conversation with ALIV terms & conditions apply.

learn more at bealiv.com. stay ALIV & follow us: MyAliv

MyAliv

iamaliv

@be_aliv

ALIV

we’re here for you. call 611 on your ALIV mobile phone or (242) 300-2548.