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music Alexis takes control

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

IT’S been a disconcerting feeling for Alexis Pelecanos to not be able to interact with her supporters and perform for crowds of people, which is her favourite thing about being a music artist, but she is grateful social media has been there as a platform to keep her connected and to facilitate the release of her new music.

“The world can still hear you and get to know you,” she said speaking of her latest single, “Take Control”, which was produced by Padrino and written by Alexis herself.

“The feedback has been amazing on Facebook and YouTube. The support has been incredible and people love the song. This is just the first of many. I have ready for my new project. It will feature at least five new songs and a few older ones that were previously unavailable,” she told Tribune Weekend.

The music video for “Take Control”, Alexis explained, was initially supposed to be shot at several locations in her home town of Freeport, Grand Bahama, but with COVID-19 related restrictions in place, she and her team were forced to make several compromises.

“As we were driving around to scout locations in Grand Bahama we noticed a lot of areas are still a little desolate from last year’s Hurricane Dorian. On top of that we shot it during lockdown, so time was limited. I wanted a night bonfire scene, but with curfew that wasn’t possible. I went ahead with doing what we could, because I normally would release a song and the video comes months later, but this was different. I wanted the visuals to complement the song and be premiered at the same time. And we only had a couple hours each day for three days to shoot. The video was directed by myself and filmed by Jason of GFX Digital Productions,” she said.

Although you wouldn’t know it looking at her, Alexis is an old hand at music. She wrote her first song, “House of Prayer” at just nine years old and made her first official recording of an original track at age 17. That song was called “Brighter Dayz” and enjoyed airplay on several local radio stations.

“That performance has led me to having opportunities of opening shows for some of the biggest names in music, including Rick Ross, Sizzla, Jah Cure, Cardi B, Migos, Mavado, Capleton and Lil Baby,” said Alexis.

As to what inspires her songwriting, she said it is mainly all about the beat. After she hears a beat that appeals to her, the lyrics just follow naturally.

“I just hurry to record or write down what I sing because I can hear one beat and sing five different things for it, then forget what I originally wanted to say. So the beat inspires my writing. I always had lyrics written in black and white notebooks. I performed at my first big show in 2002, opening for the reggae artist Ghost, but I also would write songs over popular beats,” she said.

Some of her most popular tracks include “I Want U”, “Good For You”, “All Night”, and “All Eyes On Me”. Her first album, “Journey”, was released in 2012, which included one of her biggest songs to date called “Goodbye”. Alexis has also had success with remixes of international hit songs, like her reworking of Drake’s “Controlla” which garnered her over 16,000 views on YouTube

The artist is happy to note that she has recently obtained a new management team based in Miami, Florida, and they are really supportive of her vision and goals. She said the fact that they recognise her work ethic means a lot to her.

“I have been told for years that I was talented, but the people I reached out to about managing me either couldn’t or wouldn’t. So honestly, I was very discouraged because it made me question if I wasn’t talented enough, or had the attributes for what they considered success, including my physical appearance. But I used that as motivation to really work on myself and my craft during this time - practicing on expanding my vocal range, learning more about the business side of it as well as marketing, working out even more intensely and more,” she said.

Alexis now feels motivated to face the future.

“Earlier this year I created a vision board for myself that’s posted on my room wall. Yes, I know this idea has been around for years, but I have so many goals all in my mind to accomplish, it seemed scary to think about all of them because you just want everything to happen fast and at the same time. But life doesn’t always work like that. And also it gets overwhelming and discouraging. So I posted all of my different goals and I look at that every single day. It kinda makes it more visual for me to see to obtain rather than just be a thought, if that makes sense. It includes Emmy and Grammy Awards and a performing arts school I hope to open in the Bahamas one day,” she said.

Alexis’ music is available on SoundCloud, Spotify, and social media platforms Twitter and Instagram @ 242alexis.

WHAT is GMO? Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are defined as an organism that “does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination”.

GMO crops are only grown by large scale, commercial farmers, sold to them as seed by multi-national agri-tech or bio-tech corporations by license and with very strict regulations that prohibit the sale or distribution of said seed. There are even legal cases (in the US and Canada) involving farmers, where the farmers were suspected of using the GMO seed without paying royalties, and the large corporations are literally putting farmers out of business over the legal row.

GMO seeds are considered a proprietary product, as they are not a product of “nature”. GMO seeds of farm crops were created to tolerate spraying by a weed killer labelled as glyphosate (canola, sugar beets, soy beans, alfalfa, and cotton, amongst others). GMO seeds have also been created to allow crops to produce BT (Bacillus thuringiensis – a pesticide used to treat and prevent caterpillar damage), corn is the main crop that has been modified with BT. Typically the GMO corn that is grown is used for processing rather than eating fresh. Think of the cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar in your kitchen. It is highly likely that these products are manufactured from GMO crops. Genetic modification has also been used in papaya, eggplant, apple, pineapple, squash, and salmon. GMO versions of tomato, potato and rice have been created but are not yet available for use, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. There is still lots of debate regarding the use and the safety of genetically modified organisms, but despite the debate, grocery store shelves are laden with these products. GMO seeds are not available for sale to consumers or retail markets, and unless you know a large scale farmer who will send you seeds (which is illegal), you can NOT buy them. No garden centre can or will sell GMO seeds. Please stop asking your seed suppliers if their seeds “are GMO”. GMO seeds are NOT available to any of us.

Are you saving seeds from your store bought produce to plant this season? You may not be growing what you think you’re growing. The vast majority of these are hybridised varieties. A hybrid is created when plant breeders intentionally

GMO vs hybrid seeds

Adam Boorman

cross-pollinate two different varieties of a plant, aiming to produce an offspring, or hybrid, that contains the best traits of each of the parents.

Most of the produce that we know would not exist in their current forms were it not for hybridisation (research the lineage of corn for example). This is not GMO and if you’re interested to learn more about inherited genetic traits and your food, look up Gregor Mendel. The process of developing a hybrid requires many years (and often commands a premium price point).

Hybridisation occurs both naturally and by hand. If you re-plant seeds from hybrids, you get a mixture of inferior varieties. What this means is that when you take the seeds from that gorgeous tomato or melon and plant them, the offspring will not produce the same tomato or melon. Cross pollination (hybridisation) can happen naturally in the home garden, one plant in particular that is easy to cross pollinate is sweet and hot peppers. If sweet and hot pepper are grown within a short distance of each other, it is highly likely that the seeds planted from either will be the result of cross pollination and the original strain will be corrupted and not grow true to type. Plant breeders are required to keep large distances between crops that can cross pollinate in order to harvest seed and label it as any given type, variety, or cultivar. I cannot grow sweet pepper and goat pepper for example, within several hundred feet of each other, harvest the seeds, and label the ones from goat pepper as goat pepper, as almost certainly there are genes from the sweet pepper now in those seeds from the goat pepper and the original strain is corrupted (have you heard anyone mentioning that locally available goat peppers are not as hot as they used to be?).

There is much to discuss on the subject of seeds, and next in line will be heirloom, organic and open pollination. There isn’t enough room for them here today. To sum it up, no, you cannot buy GMO seeds, yes much of the food in the grocery store contains GMO product (unless labelled otherwise), hybridised plants do not grow true to type (most, if not all the fruit and veg in the grocery store), and in planting seeds from a hybrid fruit or vegetable will yield a plant with less desirable traits (disease susceptibility, inferior growth habit, lower quality fruit, etc.) and the offspring will be inferior to the parent plant as will the resulting fruit or vegetable. This isn’t my opinion, these are easily verifiable facts, and this is crop science! Confused yet? I hope not, and I hope to continue along these lines next week to give some clarification on such a simple thing (what is simple anymore) as seeds. Gardening has always been and will always be a union of art and science.

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.

An iconic designer who changed the world of fashion

Sir Christopher Ondaatje reveals the creative life of the French fashion designer who founded his own fashion label in 1961, and is regarded as being among the foremost fashion designers of the 20th century.

“The most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty-five years, Yves Saint Laurent can be credited with both spurring the couture’s rise from its 1960 ashes and with finally rendering ready-to-wear reputable.” - Caroline Rennolds Milbank, author ofResort Fashion (2010)

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-SaintLaurent was born on August 1, 1936 in Oran, Algeria, to French parents, and grew up with his two younger sisters in a villa by the Mediterranean. By the time he was in his early teen years he was designing dresses for his mother and sisters. When he was 17 he moved to Paris and enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture where his designs gained notice. The editor of French Vogue, Michel De Brunhoff, introduced Saint Laurent to Christian Dior - then the most respected designer in the fashion world. speak in front of him. He taught me the basis of my art. Whatever was to happen next, I never forgot the years I spent at his side.” - Yves Saint Laurent

Under Dior’s tutelage, Saint Laurent’s style matured and gained ever more notice. Dior gave the young designer mundane tasks like decorating the studio and designing accessories. Later Dior accepted his sketches for the couture collection.

In August 1957, Dior met Saint Laurent’s mother and told her that he

had chosen Saint Laurent to succeed him as designer for the studio – a confusing remark, as Dior appeared to be in good health and was only 52 years old. Surprisingly, Dior died of a massive heart attack at a health spa in northern Italy in October later that year.

When he was only 21 years old Saint Laurent found himself as the head designer at the House of Dior. In fact, the young Saint Laurent’s Spring 1958 collection saved the famous House of Dior from financial disaster. His straight line creations

YVES SAINT LAURENT

were a softer version of Dior’s “New Look”, and launched Saint Laurent to international stardom with his “Trapeze Dress”. Other dresses in his collection had a narrower shoulder and flared gently at the bottom.

“The most beautiful clothes than can dress a woman are the arms of the man she loves.” - Yves Saint Laurent

Mathieu-Saint-Laurent to the simpler Saint Laurent, which was much more acceptable to the international press.

Saint Laurent’s 1958 Fall collection (which included hobble skirts and beatnik fashions) was not nearly as successful as his first, and his later collections. It was ridiculed by the press. Nevertheless, he was chosen by Farah Diba to design her wedding dress for her marriage to the Shah of Iran in December 1959.

“Over the years I have learned what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it.” - Yves Saint Laurent

Quite suddenly, in 1960, Saint Laurent found himself conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. Rumour has it that Marcel Boussac, the owner of the House of Dior, had initially used his influence to get the French government not to conscript Saint Laurent – but after his disastrous Fall 1958 season Boussac reversed his plea, urging his conscription, intending to replace him at the House of Dior.

Saint Laurent served in the army for only 20 days, succumbing to cruel taunts from his fellow soldiers because of his effeminate nature and his sexuality. In the end, the stress led to his being admitted to a military hospital where he received word that he had been fired from the House of Dior. His condition worsened, and he was transferred to Val-de-Grâcehospital where he was subjected to electroshock therapy and substantial doses of sedatives and psychoactive drugs. Many years later Saint Laurent blamed his mental problems and his drug addiction to the treatment he had received at Val-de-Grâce hospital.

After his release from hospital in 1960, Saint Laurent sued the House of Dior for breach of contract and, in a highly publicised case, won his court case. Saint Laurent then, with his partner Pierre Bergé, started their own fashion house - “Yves Saint Laurent” - with the backing of J Mack Robinson, an American businessman from Atlanta, Georgia. Even though Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé split romantically in 1976, they remained business partners.

“One must never confuse elegance with snobbery.” - Yves Saint Laurent

YVES Saint Laurent with his long-term partner Pierre Bergé and, right, at the opening of London Rive Gauche boutique, in 1969. and 1970s. The “beatnik look”, safari Saint Laurent’s prét-a-porter line jackets, tight trousers, thigh-high became extremely popular with the boots, and “Le Smoking” – the claspublic although sneered at by the sic tuxedo suit for women – were critics. It earned many times more for enormously popular items. The 1965 Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé than geometric Mondrian collection was their haute couture. particularly renowned. Saint Laurent also introduced historical silhou“Fashions fade, style is eternal.” ettes from the early 1920s, 1930s - Yves Saint Laurent and 1940s. He opened his YSL Rive French newspaper France Soir called at clubs such as Regine’s and Studio Gauche – his prét-a-porter house – in In the early 1980s, Saint Laurent’s 1967 and was the first French couhealth was getting increasingly fragturier to shift his focus from haute ile and became precarious under couture to ready-to-wear. This wider the pressure of designing two haute range was both fashionable and couture and two prȇt-a-porter colleccheaper. Their first customer was tions every year. He sought refuge Catherine Deneuve. Other fashin alcohol and drugs, and sometimes ion houses followed Saint Laurent’s had to be helped down the runway lead and changed the French fashion by models at the end of his shows. business. Although brilliantly creative, he was becoming something of a pathetic

“The most beautiful makeup for a figure. woman is passion. But cosmetics are But he remained popular among easier to buy.” his fans and the public, and his - Yves Saint Laurent female clientele and muses remained

Most of Saint Laurent’s collections Doutreleau, Loulou de la Falaise, received positive acceptance. Some the Somali supermodel Iman, Betty were controversial. His Spring 1971 Catroux, Catherine Deneuve, Talitha collection, inspired by 1940s fashion, Pol-Getty, Nicole Dorier, Katoucha was rejected as romanticising the Niane, Rebecca Ayoko and Laetitia German occupation of France. The Casta. this collection “Une grande farce!” “The atmosphere in the studio (a big joke) could get very silly and jolly and we

Considered to be part of the Paris all had loads of fun.” “jet set”, Saint Laurent was visible - Loulou de la Falaise loyal to him – among them Victoire 54 in France and New York. He was After Saint Laurent’s disastrous known to be a heavy drinker and a October 1987prȇt-a-porter show in frequent user of cocaine. When he New York he turned over the responwas not working, he spent time at sibility of the line to his assistants his villa in Marrakech, Morocco and who managed to continue its popuat Chateau Gabriel, which he and larity for a while. Pierre Bergé bought in BenervilleIn 1983, Saint Laurent became sur-Mer, near Deauville in France. the first living fashion designer to be given a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York organised by Diana Vreeland. He was awarded a Commander of the Légion d’honneur in 2001, and later, after he retired in 2002, made a Grand Officer de la Légion d’honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

Yves Saint Laurent died of brain cancer at his home in Paris on June 1, 2008. A few days before he died, he and Pierre Bergé were joined in a same-sex civil union known as ‘Pacte civil de solidarité’ in France. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered in Marrakech, Morocco, in the Majorelle Garden – the residence that he had owned with Pierre Bergé since 1980.

“I have the belief that Yves would not have been strong enough to accept the news of his impending death. I also know that I will never forget what I owe him and that one day I will join him under the Moroccan palms.” - Pierre Bergé

Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé had begun collecting art in the 1950s. In February 2009, an auction of 733 items was held by Christie’s Auctioneers at the Grande Palais, ranging from paintings by Picasso to ancient Egyptian sculptures. Also included in the sale were two of twelve bronze statue heads taken from the Old Summer Palace in China. The Chinese government unsuccessfully tried to stop the sale and the sculptures (of the heads of a rabbit and a rat) sold for 15,745,000 Euros. The anonymous buyer was a representative of the Chinese National Treasures Fund which refused to pay for them. The two heads remained in Pierre Bergé’s possession – until acquired by François Pinault – by then the owner of the Yves Saint Laurent luxury brand – who then donated them to China. The record-breaking Christie’s sale realised 342.5 million Euros – including Henri Matisse’s painting Les coucous, tapis bleu et rose which sold for 32 million Euros – at that time the highest price ever achieved for a Matisse painting.

NEXT WEEK: An American burlesque entertainer who became famous for her striptease act in the 1930s.

Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Yves Saint Laurent – A Biography (1996) by Alice Rawsthorn; Yves Saint Laurent: A Moroccan Passion (2004) by Pierre Bergé; and Loulou and Yves: The Untold Story of Loulou de La Falaise and the House of Saint Laurent (2018) by Christopher Petkanas.

The man who helped shape the modern Bahamas

By PAUL C ARANHA Vice-Chairman - Carey; Treasurer – Cartwright; Chaplain - Knowles.

HENRY Milton Taylor was the The first business to be dealt with first of eight children of Clara Maud by the new party was the choice of a Forsyth(e), but he and his brother name that would convey to the BahaScott were raised by an uncle and two mian people the direction the party aunts and used their family name – would follow and, at the same time, Taylor. The other siblings carried the provide a rhythmical sound when family name, Forsyth(e). Throughout the first letters of the name were put my youth, I knew him as Milton, but together and used. A dozen or more always heard him called ‘H M’. names were submitted and after

I think of him as the founder of careful consideration, on November the Progressive Liberal 23, 1953, the SecretaryParty, but to be exact, the idea was the brainchild of William W The PLP had its own crest, flag, General announced to the Bahamian people the formation of the ProCartwright and Cyril St salutation and gressive Liberal Party. John Stevenson, who invited H M to go along with them in establishing slogan and party song. The song The slate of officers and the executive board were subsequently the colony’s first political was composed, ratified at the first conparty. H M was the catalyst around whom the party developed. written and set to music by Timothy vention of the party, held at the Aurora Lodge Hall at the top

In his book, “My Gibson who, of Charlotte Street, on Political Memoirs – A Political History of the later, composed June 11, 1954. The PLP had its own Bahamas in the 20th the Bahamas’ crest, flag, salutation and Century”, H M wrote National Anthem. slogan and party song. about their history-makThe song was composed, ing achievement. written and set to music

“We wanted to broaden the scope by Timothy Gibson who, later, comof the membership, to include a posed the Bahamas’ National Anthem. larger divergence of political opinThe salutation was the raising of the ion,” he wrote. right hand to shoulder height, with the

So they prepared drafts of the thumb and forefinger forming a circle party’s constitution and platform, and the other three fingers pointing up then interviewed persons whom they and touching, while saying “PLP”. The thought to be like-minded. Six of response was “All the way”. them were invited to join the fledgBetween 1953 and 1963, Taylor was ing organisation – Holberton (Holly) elected, unanimously, each year, to Brown, John S Carey, Paul Farthe post of national party chairman. rington, Urban H Knowles, Clement Jumping ahead to 1991, Sir Henry Pinder, and Felix Russell. This Taylor became a Knight Bachelor expanded team reviewed and revised and Governor General of the Bahathe draft constitution and platform mas. To leap ahead once more, his and became the first self-appointed cousin, Dame Ivy Dumont, became executive board. They elected the Governor General in 2000. following officers: Chairman- Taylor; • For questions and comments, Secretary-General - Stevenson; e-mail islandairman@gmail.com

SIR Henry Taylor (1903- 1994) aged seven

This weekend in history

September 11 • In 1789, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first US Secretary of the Treasury. • In 1941, groundbreaking took place for the Pentagon. In a speech that drew accusations of anti-Semitism, Charles A Lindbergh told a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, that “the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration” were pushing the United States toward war. • In 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed as 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four jetliners, sending two of the planes into New York’s World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. September 12 • In 1913, Olympic legend Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama. • In 1962, in a speech at Rice University in Houston, US President John F Kennedy reaffirmed his support for the manned space program, declaring: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” September 13 • In 1851, American medical pioneer Walter Reed was born in Gloucester County, Virginia • In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur died at a Las Vegas hospital six days after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting; he was 25. • In 1997, funeral services were held in Calcutta, India, for Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa.

Two perfectly blissful little boys

TWO perfectly blissful little boys live in an enchanted paradise, on an island far away from the noise and bustle of any city, on a tiny patch of land surrounded by bright blue water, and powdery white sand as fine as flour…this is where these two lucky little people call home, with their loving Mummy and Daddy.

Sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it? But it is actually true… two very blessed individuals are growing up as only some can imagine…

Of course, they are not the only two to be so blessed; they are simply the only two I know to write about.

These two flaxen haired little fellows live in a land that is touched by Mother Nature with affection and favour.

In their home they are blessed with an amazing selection of animals, because their Mum is a friend of nature and a lover of all creatures big and small. There are dogs and cats, chickens in the gardens with their baby chicks running around, there are goats, and birds who come for a day and stay forever, or who are wounded and need to stay until they can leave again and live a life back in the wilds.. They are free to go back to where they came from or if they wish to stay…well then they may…

Most of the dogs came from a bad place in their lives and needed a refuge, a new start, a second chance, an opportunity to learn what it means to be loved, how life works without being scared… in that house that we are talking about there is nothing to fear just oodles of love By The Bahamas Humane Society

Six-month-old Max, seen here with BHS staff member De’Andrea Kelly, loves to play. He’s enjoying his time with the other pups at the Bahamas Humane Society, but he’d love to have a home of his own and learn more about things like walks and the beach, and something called a ‘sofa’? OK, maybe not the sofa (though potcakes do love sleeping on furniture), but you get the idea.

He’s smart and trainable and would be happy to be adopted alone or with

and understanding, coupled with food, fresh water and the wonderful knowledge of being safe. 100% safe with nothing to fear…

Little hands, little feet, reach out and caress these broken souls as they regain their lives and start to trust again in this house where these two very lucky little boys live. Licks, wags and wet noses abound as waggy tails slap small suntanned legs every morning… what is this you ask?

Pet of the Week: A potcake king for a friend

This, my friends, is bliss.

a buddy. Do you have a place for

Max? If so, call the BHS at 323- 5138 for more information. Max looks forward to meeting you! Photo: Patricia Vazquez

•The BHS Thrift Shop is open! Numbers are limited inside, so please bear with us if you have to wait. Wear your mask, and please leave your children at home. Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, 11am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Donations of gently used items always gratefully accepted.

TWO blissful little boys with their dogs photographed by their Mum.

“Mummy” they ask. “Can we go out?’ “Can we go and see the magnificent Manatee who drifts, without a care, a few feet off the beach, and gazes peacefully at us as we approach?” She, and they have no fear of each other because they both know that the other would never harm or strike. They run along the beach to where she lies, peacefully

crewing some herbal delicacy that she has retrieved from the bottom of the sea. As they approach they slow down, mindful not to disturb or startle her… they sit in the water and watch her, they watch her with stars in their eyes as they appreciate this amazing encounter with nature… Mummy watches from a few paces back… the manatee knows they are there but she knows they come in peace and are friends so she blissfully continues to eat her greens gathered from the bottom of the sea…

Two weary little boys make their way home full of stories for Dad about the manatee and her lunch.

The weekend approaches and an outing in the boat is how Saturday afternoon will be spent… various dogs of different sizes are loaded on board with two happy boys, Dad puts the engines in gear and the boat leaps forward to the cries of glee from the young passengers…

Not far into their outing there is cause to throttle back as three wild porpoises gamble around the boat, they lift their heads out of the water and look straight at the young boys who sit on the bow with their mother absolutely enchanted with this chance encounter…but it is not unusual, they are used to seeing different pods of wild dolphin swim in the sea, not far from where they swim every day, when the boat speeds up the porpoises play in the wake of the boat as it were their toy.

When they pull into the beach for their long awaited swim, the boys and the dogs all tumble out of the boat into the sea and onto a pure, pristine white beach that soon will be covered with small footprints and paw prints of varied sizes, “look” say Mummy and points to a turtle swimming by with his head out of the water watching the goings on at the beach. The boys stop, they watch and appreciate the silent passing of one of natures dinosaurs… At he end of the day, sandy feet washed off, hair slicked back, pajamas on, these two remarkably lucky little boys climb into bed with dogs at their feet and parents by their side and fall asleep full of the splendors of the day past, to wake up and start all over again tomorrow.

The show must go on for ‘Oneofakind’ model contests

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

A GLOBAL pandemic and nation-wide lockdowns couldn’t stop photographer Donavan McIntosh from moving ahead with hosting this year’s Face of Oneofakind modelling SOME of the competition. contestants in

“I feel like myself and my team can this year’s Face accomplish anything we set our minds to of Oneofakind and this brought tears of joy to my eyes,” competition. said the owner of the Oneofakind brand.

He told Tribune Weekend he feels the Oneofakind brand has been able to make a name for itself as a respected organisation in “This recent years, and those entering its annual modseason elling competition have received a big boost in we had their popularity and opportunities. three

“The winners of the Face of Oneofakind teams have gone on to become brand ambassadors of 10 for numerous brands, participated in numermodels ous runway and professional photoshoots, built led by businesses and brands for themselves, and the three menlist goes on,” he said. tors per team.

“My goal for the competition has been to These mentors were build up each contestant’s confidence, platform comprised of past and modelling skills.” winners of the Face

He added that the concept for the Face of of Oneofakind and Oneofakind is heavily inspired by shows like fellow photographer America’s Next Top Model, The Face UK and colleagues. The teams even RuPaul’s Drag Race.” were branded into three

This year’s competition, the fourth instalseparate team colours of ment, included both men and women. Donavan blue, red and pink. There said his team received twice the amount of subwere weekly singles chalmissions than they did in the previous season. lenges and team challenges to Season four included 15 male and 15 female help build sportsmanship and the ability to contestants. work with other individuals. For this season,

“We started this season with a literally hot I’d say just expect some great Bahamian conchallenge and we haven’t looked back since. tent with a little laughter and drama,” said We have fun and exciting challenges, great Donavan. Bahamian guest speakers and we’ve included Episodes can now be viewed on the Oneofaknumerous Bahamian brands such as designer ind Photography YouTube channel and will also Cardell McClam whose outfits made our final be available on the Facebook page “The Face shoot a memorable one. Our contestants for this of Oneofakind” once the season has officially season are A1, which made weekly elimination concluded. To-date, four of eight episodes have really difficult but dramatic and entertaining,” been released. he said. “This season was the toughest so far. I was motivated by my team and my following to create this season while facing a worldwide pandemic. As a creative I love a challenge and I love to create for the people,” he said.

“We began filming season four on July 5 after being given the all-clear to film while practicing social distancing, which was super hard. The theme of the season,

‘The Show Must Go On’ is symbolic (of the fact) that even though there are bad things happening around us every day, our lives must go on and we should try to make the most of it while we can,” he said. Filming was scheduled to end on August 16, however, due to lockdowns there were several postponements. Donavan admitted that while most of the feedback so far has been amazing, there was also some criticism. Bahamian Twitter, in particular, he said, felt there weren’t enough dark-skinned women represented this season.

“The Bahamian Facebook community did not like the choice we made to include a homosexual female in the boys category. However, the positive feedback has outweighed the negative by a huge margin. Bahamians are loving the show and it only motivates me and my team to make the product better,” said Donavan.

Team members are now planning a virtual award show to end season four with a bang. Donavan said a spin off all-star season is also in the works for the Christmas holidays.