10212022 WEEKEND

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Plantbased future

Capturing culture

entertainment

BNT Wine and Art Festival returns to kick off holiday season

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

Aftera two-year break due to the pandemic, the Wine and Art Festival at the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is back.

Set for October 29-30, the event

will be the first for many of our new team members, so the excitement is palpable. The response from our corporate partners and sponsors has been overwhelmingly positive and all of our artists are very happy to be once gain participating in the

international wines and spirits, celebrating arts, and providing a platform for entertainment in the Bahamas. Wines from Common wealth Brewery and 700 Wines and Spirits will be featured this year

“You can sip wine and champagne,

of the country’s oldest and longest running art and culture festivals. Over the years, the event grew from a one-day event to a full weekend; from 20 artists to over 50, and every year we bring on new sponsors, partners, and experiences. The event

will once again take place at The Retreat on Village Road.

Kimberly Knowles, BNT develop ment officer and event coordinator, said it “feels amazing” to be back, and this year they are celebrating 30 years of the festival.

Doing things a bit differently this time around, general access will be from 12pm to 6pm; the VIP Cham pagne Lounge from 3pm to 6pm, and the Heineken Beer Garden After Party from 6pm to 10pm.

The BNT will also be introducing online ticket sales, as well as utilising the Central Bank of the Bahamas’ digital currency, the Sand Dollar.

As to the ongoing roadworks on Village Road causing potential disruptions, Kimberly said they have received confirmation from officials that they will put all work on hold during the event weekend.

“We are so excited to invite people back into their parks for these fundraising events. This year’s event

year’s festival. BNT’s Wine and Art Festival essentially kicks off the holiday season for many people, so it’s so rewarding to be able to bring back this important experience for so many people,” said Kimberly.

The festival focuses on expos ing the diversity in local cuisine,

gaze at beautiful works of art, enjoy great food and music, all while supporting the conservation of the Bahamian environment in one of the beautiful green spaces in the country, The Retreat,” said Kimberly.

“The Wine and Art Festival has stood the test of time, being one

has also evolved into an educational experience as well, as we introduced experts who demonstrate how differ ent wines pair with different foods and also the introduction of various classes during the event.”

Kimberly said both veteran and emerging artists are excited to show off pieces they have been working during the pandemic.

“It feels like a light at the end of this crazy COVID-19 tunnel and a true sign that we are returning to normalcy. All of our vendors are beyond happy to be able to get back to these events, which really support that part of our economy. Events like Wine and Art are a key revenue gen erator for many of them and several other small businesses. Social media has been abuzz about all of the pro motional material we’ve released,” she said.

Tickets for the Wine and Art Festi val can be purchased at www.bnt.bs.

books

Twelve Bahamians tell their stories of overcoming adversity and strife in new anthology book

Ina new book, 12 cou rageous people share their stories of how, when the odds were stacked against them, they managed to overcome and turn their lives around.

The recently released Courageous Overcomers

Anthology is a collection of stories from men and women of the Bahamas who have braved storms and strug gles and lived to tell the tale to now help others move from extreme challenges to victory.

The common question asked by those who are hurt ing is, “How do you break free of a cycle of tragedy when you don’t know where to find help or what questions to ask if you do? “

Publisher Teri M Bethel she has seen many people who are turning around to extend a help ing hand to those barely able to stand under the weight of their trials, and she is highlighting some of their stories in this new book.

“It’s easy to minimise pain and sweep it under the rug, but if we’re not careful, the seeds we cover with dirt will grow into fruit-bearing trees that produce more of the same,” said Mrs Bethel.

She believes pain can erupt into something quite dangerous and may become a generational cycle in a family until someone dares to find help.

Joining her in telling their remarkable stories of overcom ing life’s challenges is a former commander of the Defence Force, who shares what it took for him as a young man to break

away from a wayward lifestyle to become the leader of the nation’s military.

A former nurse and now counsellor tells how she sur vived domestic violence as a young mother and averted selfharm. Another compelling story is the turnaround of a former repeat offender of Her Majesty’s Prison, who believes not having a positive male role model in his home triggered his downward spiral. His life quickly declined when he was kicked out of school at age 14 for retaliating to ongoing bullying, which led to his becoming a drug dealer who was later sentenced to 58 years in prison for murder.

Then there is the young reporter who the Bahamian public has come to love from her television shows. Her com pelling story takes readers on a journey of rising through the ranks to build a media busi ness and become a national and international consultant to private sector agencies and governments.

Though the stories are intended to give hope to readers, Mrs Bethel said they’re not all easy to digest.

Two incest survivors (male and female) share their harrowing stories of the pain of being violated by people close to them and their journey to move on to live and love again.

The old saying that Christians are not perfect, just forgiven, comes to mind with the story of a church leader who makes a comeback after becom ing pregnant out of wedlock. Now restored to active ministry, this writer has helped hundreds of single mothers get their lives back on track to raise healthy children.

Also included in the anthol ogy are stories of how two women broke free of their abusive marriages, how another woman freed herself from the “dark arts”, and the troubling effects of a shotgun wedding on an innocent child.

“If you’re still of the mindset that sticks and stones hurt, but words don’t, you may want to rethink your position as you read the story of one who broke free of the trauma of words loosely spoken over her as a child,” said Mrs Bethel..

Copies of Courageous Overcomers are available from participating authors in Nassau, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera or on Amazon. To listen to audio samples of each story, visit www.booksbybethel.com/ courageous-overcomers, for the authors’ contact information.

USA Today’s best-sellers

By The Associated Press

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The Illustrated Edition” by JK Rowling; art by Jim Kay with Neil Packer

“Long Shadows” by David Baldacci

“The Maze” by Nelson DeMille

“It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover

“Verity” by Colleen Hoover

“Lore Olympus: Volume Three” by Rachel Smythe

“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover

“Fairy Tale” by Stephen King

“Confidence Man” by Maggie Haberman

the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

Whisper” by Christine Feehan

High Notes, Danielle Steel

“Mad Honey” by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Glad My Mom Died” by Jeannette McCurdy

“Distant Thunder” by Stuart Woods

of Him” by Colleen Hoover

Nicholas Sparks

Prey” by John Sandford

Habits” by James Clear

“I’m So Glad You Were Born” by Ainsley Earhardt; art by Kim Barnes (Zonderkidz)

Remembering a legend music

Jeffarah Gibson writes about the late drummer and vocalist Berkley Van Byrd, one of the Bahamas’ most successful music artists of all time, on the 10th anniversary of his death.

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

THEfamily of the late Berkley Van Byrd is paying tribute to a Bahamian musician who touched audiences around the world.

October 18 marked the 10-year anniversary of the popular T-Connection singer’s death at the age of 59 following a short illness

While they still mourn him, Berkley’s family hopes to remind Bahamians of the major impact he made both here at home and abroad during his 30-year career.

Berkley, a Grammy Award-nominated artist who was described as the “total package” – a flashy performer, adroit musician and a compelling singer – began his musi cal journey at a very early age.

While living in Exuma from 1969 to 1970, Berkley, along with Harry and Kenneth Nixon and Kirkwood Coakley, played in a band together called The Apollo II. While commuting to and from Nassau, Theophilus Coak ley, the brother of Kirk Coakley, invited Berkley and Kirk to join his band as the rhythm section. The funk and disco group became known as the T-Connection.

The band debuted at the famous Trade Winds Lounge in St Augustine, Florida, one week after the American R&B group the Tavares Brothers. They were a smashing success. They then went on to perform at the Show Club for two weeks and then at the Nassau Beach Hotel’s Out Island Bar, where they remained in residency until 1975. Thereafter, T-Connection were invited by Thomas Maillis to relocate to Freeport, Grand Bahama, to perform at a club called The Kiki Rouge. Subsequently, the club was renamed The Connection Room.

The band then obtained a record deal with T K Record ing label, which had also signed Betty Wright (“The Clean Up Woman”), Timmy Thomas (“Why Can’t We Live Together), K C and the Sunshine Boys, and many others.

T-Connection were signed and released music on the Dash label, a subsidiary of T K Records. They scored two hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1977 and 1979, and their song “Do What You Wanna Do”, which reached No 1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, while “Everything Is Cool” peaked at No 10 on the US Bill board R&B chart. In the United Kingdom, they scored five entries in the UK Singles Chart, with “Do What You Wanna Do” their highest placed success at No 11.

In 1977, T-Connection were nominated for a Grammy Award alongside Donna Summer and Rod Stewart.

One of Berkley’s most memorable performances was T-Connection’s appearance on the famous Dick Clark’s American Bandstand show on ABC. They also performed on iconic shows Soul Train and Top of the Pops, and on TV specials with the Bee Gees, Donna Summers, the Village People and others.

T-Connection travelled and toured the United States and Canada and also performed with popu lar artists such as the Isley Brothers, War, Tower of Power and Neil Diamond. Berkley sang lead vocals on all of T-Connection’s four singles. The track “At Midnight” was one of the biggest hits for the band.

After T-Connection disbanded in 1983, the first single Berkley recorded was “I Like What I See”, written by Ishmael Ledisma for Vision Records.

T-Connection had a 20-year anniversary cel ebratory concert in March 2003 and performed two sold-out shows in Nassau and Freeport. These shows were the first time all of members of the band performed on the same stage.

Suzanne Brown, who was Berkley’s significant other for 18 years and fiancée at the time of his death, said the group’s impact on the local music scene was profound and deserves to be constantly highlighted.

“As a member of a world-renowned Bahamian group, T-Connection, the influence the group’s music has had on music locally is attributed to the success of their music on an international level,” she told Tribune Weekend.

“Also, Berkley’s compilation of tourist favour ites – ‘Day-O Medley’, ‘Uncle Lou’, ‘In the Bush’, ‘Never Been So Cold Medley’, ‘Where You Going To Go Next Year’ – has had a profound impact on our music and tourism industries. Many of these songs are played daily on our local radio stations.”

this weekend in history

October 21

• In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan discovers the gateway to circumnavigating the globe. The Portuguese explorer and three Spanish ships entered the strait later named for him, sailing between the mainland tip of South America and the island of Tierra del Fuego toward the Pacific Ocean.

• In 1805, of the most decisive naval battles in history, the

“Berkley had an eclectic taste in music. He was not defined by or limited to one genre of music. His music today would represent diverse genres,” said Suzanne.

Some of Berkely’s last projects were recordings he did for a songwriter/producer in Los Angeles.

“‘Midnight’ was one of his most favourite songs to perform,” said Suzanne.

“He always said this song was like fine wine. He said he was able to perform the song better as he aged.”

Suzanne has numerous fond memories of her time with Berkley. One of her fondest is the T-Connection reunion concert in Nassau in 2003.

“This was the first time in 20 years since all of the original members of T-Connection performed together. His excitement in the days leading up to the concert and his incessant rehearsals of the playlist and his determination to perform like has he had never done before…and he did.”

Berkley performed as a solo artist at the Play boy Casino and at the Drum Beat Show Club in Nassau. He filmed music videos and commercials, one of which was with recording artist Shakira’s “Catch The Vibe”, which was filmed in Nassau. He also recorded the jingle for Burns House, “Kalik, the Great Bahamian Beer”.

Berkley’s performances at the Drum Beat Club from 1989 to 1992 were considered some of the most spirited and riveting of all native shows. He performed and entertained at every hotel in New Providence and was considered the social heart of each group with which he had performed. His effervescent spirit captured the hearts of many tourists who visited the Bahamas along those of locals. His versatility as a musician and entertainer and his high standard of performances made him one of the best entertainers the county had to offer.

Battle of Trafalgar, takes place. The British fleet of 27 ships under Admiral Lord Nelson defeats a fleet of 33 ships (18 French and 15 Spanish) off the west coast of Cape Trafalgar, Spain. Charing Cross in Central London is renamed Trafalgar Square to commemorate the victory and a high column bearing a statue of Nelson is placed at its centre.

October 22

• In 1797, the first parachute jump is made over Paris, France, by pioneering balloonist AndréJacques Garnerin. He jumps from a hydrogen balloon 3,200 feet above the city. While Italian inventor Mariano di Jacopo had conceived of the idea of the parachute in the 15th century, and the Frenchman Louis-

On May 18, 2012 in Nassau and the following day in Freeport, T-Connection took the stage for the last time as a group of the original members.

Berkley’s music, Suzanne said, had impact and influence.

She wants him to the remembered for “his amazing talent as a powerful singer and an incredible skilled drummer along with his accomplishment of being a member of a Grammynominated Bahamian Group. His love and never-ending passion for music. His commitment to give 100 percent at every performance. His demonstration of consistent work ethic of profes sionalism and originality and his philosophy of finding a profession you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

Berkley recorded an array of songs, includ ing: “Poinciana Queen”, “Slow & Deliberate”, “Dreams of America”, R&B Reggae “We are the Children”, the Reggae “Cupid”, “Junkanoo Time”, and “Remember When”.

Sebastien Lenormand had tried to fashione one out of two umbrellas and jumped from a tree in 1783, Garnerin was the first to design and test the first functioning parachutes.

• In 1962, US President John F Kennedy, in a televised speech, shocks Americans by alerting them to the Cuban missile crisis. US spy planes had discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba. The medium-range missiles were capable of striking a number of major cities in the United States, including Washington, DC. President Kennedy declared a naval blockade to prevent further missile shipments to Cuba.

• In 42 BC, Brutus, the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar, commits suicide “by falling on his sword” to evade capture by his enemies. This occurs during the Roman Republican civil wars; the Second Battle of Philippi, when Brutus’s army is decisively defeated by Mark Antony and Octavian, the first Roman emperor and greatnephew of Julius Caesar.

• In 1911, the first aerial reconnaissance mission is flown by an Italian pilot over Turkish lines during the ItaloTurkish War, a conflict between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire (1911 -1912). This was also the first war to feature aerial bombardment.

food

‘The future is plant-based’

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

PEOPLEmay switch to a plant-based diet for many reasons, but for Katherine Coakley, her journey began due to health concerns and was inspired by faith.

Now, she is sharing her lifestyle changes and her discoveries on nutri tion with the public through her new food service, Bahama Foodie.

In 2014, Katherine sustained an injury to her ankle that changed her life. At first, Katherine thought she had just broken a bone, but the injury developed into a more complicated condition. He had to undergo months of physical therapy and treatments, and was prescribed heavy pain medication, but nothing helped.

Eventually, she had to have recon structive surgery, which was followed by intense pain and inflammation. After visiting three different doc tors that could not tell her what was wrong, she turned to her faith.

“I was desperate because the pain some days was debilitating, and it began eroding my inner security and hope. In August 2017, I was led into the Daniel Fast and I felt so much better when it ended,” she said.

After she completed the fast, she saw a video online of a pastor giving his testimony about how the Holy Spirit instructed him to change his diet.

“I thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, this is it!’”

The pastor in the video explained how he had transitioned to a pes catarian diet (fish, but no meat) and it changed his life.

“At that moment I knew it was confirmation and I got my answer. From that day in September 2017, I never ate meat again and I even tually transitioned to become a pescatarian and eventually, plantbased. Since transitioning, I have managed my weight better and I don’t struggle with the level of inflammation or discomfort I used to.

Beyond that, I feel much healthier and I still get to enjoy delicious food that also makes me feel good,” said Katherine.

Her newest venture, Bahama Foodie, is a digital and cashless pop-up restaurant and food content

brand that offers plant-based meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“Bahamas Foodie was born out of my own journey of overcoming the effects certain foods and food preparation had on my health, body, weight, and as a result, self-esteem. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I became intentional with sharing my lifestyle and journey publicly, but since then, it has inspired many people to change their lifestyle and eating habits for their mental and physical health,” she told Tribune Weekend.

The fully plant-based service offers multi-cultural dishes and comfort food using fresh ingredients that are updated weekly. There is an option to purchase meals individually or as a three-day meal plan; pickup and delivery are offered.

Katherine said more than 3,000 people follow her page, mostly from the Bahamas, the US and the UK. Some major interna tional plant-based brands have also shown interest.

“Our meals are 100 per cent plant-based, which means they are void of meat, meat derivatives, eggs and dairy products,” said Katherine.

“Studies have shown that a bal anced plant-based diet has many benefits when it comes to combating obesity and weight management, and in reducing inflammation, which leads to chronic issues.”

Katherine believes a plant-based diet leads to improved gut health, improved heart health, and can be used in better management of diabe tes and hypertension.

“A plant-based diet has a tremen dous positive impact on the whole body, so much so that there is a rise in the creation of plant-based products, restaurant options and fully plant-based services through out the world. Most recently, Kevin Hart opened a plant-based franchise called Hart House, with an intent to open 200 locations throughout the United States. The future is plantbased and people are now catching wind of the growing market and health impact,” she said.

In the future, Katherine said she would like to work with more local food supply stores and restaurants to introduce plant-based food options and products to their customers.

Bahama Foodie can be found at www.hellobahamafoodie.com and on social media.

KATHERINE Coakley hopes to encourage people to eat healthier with her Bahama Foodie brand.

gardening

Go deep!

Goodday, gardeners. Some plants seem to thrive regardless of what is thrown at them or what they are thrown into, but some plants seem to go backwards for no good reason at all.

As long as I have been in the horticultural industry, the one thing that fascinates me is that I am always learning and usually as soon as I think that there is a rule that is hard and fast, I find an example to change my perspective and cause me to reevaluate those rules.

Not many plants that are used locally have a set of conditions that they must be planted into, with a few exceptions, sea lavender being one that has quite strict soil needs.

I have killed countless amounts of plants. Typically, this is caused by either overwatering, or by those plants being in a soil mix that is too rich for the plant. Vinca is a good example. Vinca does not like a mix that is too rich, and they seem to thrive in sandy conditions with relatively poor soil. Think about tomatoes, they are grown the world over and the result is always some what the same.

Safe & Pure.

Why is this? Tomatoes are an extremely adaptable plant with seemingly quite few problems. Yes, they get blos som end rot from the lack of calcium availability. Yes, they get chlorotic from a lack of nitrogen. All in all, though, tomatoes can be grown just about everywhere and anywhere albeit sometimes with slight amend ments to the native soils. Tomatoes do thrive in deeper containers or soils. One of the beauties of garden ing is that three neighbors can use three different methods and yet all three can achieve the same result. Experimentation is a part of garden ing, and if one thing does not work, keep doing, and you will find the right combination for you. With the rains, powdery mildew and fungus can become a problem. Ample plant spacing and sunlight can alleviate the issue, but sometimes fungicides will be needed. I have always had issues of powdery mildew on cucumbers, and in order to achieve the best results and the largest yield, fun gicides are a part of my arsenal to combat plant fungus issues.

One thing that I find goes a long way to optimal plant growth is the depth available to a plant in the ground, pot, or planter.

This is one reason that it is often recommended to go a size or two larger if growing in containers, to provide for more depth and a stronger root system. There will always be the plant that says no, this is not ok. Desert rose is one of those that does not want too much depth in a pot. They prefer to be a bit more root-bound than most. Of course, the soil quality with regard to aeration, moisture holding capacity and cation exchange capacity makes a difference.

Science definition of the day: Cation exchange capac ity (CEC) is a measure of how many cations can be retained on soil particle surfaces. Nega tive charges on the surfaces of soil particles bind positively charged atoms or molecules (cations) but allow these to exchange with other positively charged particles in the sur rounding soil water. This is one of the ways that solid materials in soil alter the chemistry of the soil. CEC affects many aspects of soil chemistry, and is used as a measure of soil fertility, as it indicates the capacity of the soil to retain several nutrients (e.g., K+, NH4+, Ca2+) in plant-avail able form. It also indicates the capacity to retain pollutant cati ons (e.g., Pb2+). In short, there are many factors in soils that dictate plant health, growth, and yield. For most of us, all of that is irrelevant, we just want tomatoes on our bush or vine (determinate vs indeterminate). If the plant is yellow, add fertilizer but not too much to burn the plant. If the plant has blos som end rot, water more frequently, but not too much to rot the roots. Shown in the photo is a false agave that has been in the planter for one year. It has tripled in size, it is in quite poor soil, but the planter has ample depth. This is an extreme example, and one that shocked me, I have never seen these things grow so quickly. The depth of the pots or planters that you’re growing in can make a huge difference on plant growth. Go deep. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

• Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at Fox Hill Nursery on Bernard Road. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see dis cussed, at gardening242@gmail.com

THE DEPTH of a planter can make a huge difference on plant growth

A mural to brighten up kids’ cancer corner at PMH

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

Well-known

Baha mian artist Allan Pachino Wallace feels satisfied and fulfilled after having created new artwork to uplift kids undergoing cancer treatments at the Princess Marga ret Hospital.

The artist was commissioned by the Blue Rose Foundation to design and create a mural that would “awaken” the children’s corner at the Oncology Centre; to make it livelier and more inviting so that when kids are receiving chemotherapy, they are able to do so in a space that evokes hope, healing and encouragement.

The newly revitalised children’s corner was unveiled last week by Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith.

The design features an orange rose and incorporates inspi rational words of hope and encouragement.

“We wanted the image to invoke a good feeling when you look at it. So, what we came up with was a young lady blowing a rose. It’s pretty much a feel ing piece,” Allan told Tribune Weekend.

While he is no stranger to com munity work and creating art for good causes, having done work for numerous non-profits, Allan said being a father of a four-yearold daughter made him even more eager to participate in this initiative.

“If that piece can be a little glimmer of life during the (treat ment) process, then I am happy. It is a tiny contribution, but every little helps and hopefully this can help with their mood,” he said.

There is also a butterfly image on the wall that kids are invited to use a backdrop to their photos.

Astranique Bowe, a repre sentative of the Blue Ribbon Foundation, told Tribune Week end that the revitalisation of the children’s corner was very impor tant to their organisation.

“The idea just came to us to revitalise that space, to bring life to it make it appealing and inviting. We got together as a committee and we brainstormed,” she said.

“We worked with Allan Wal lace. He created the design and the concept. Then we connected with the nurses at the Oncology Centre and the hospital adminis tration. They loved the idea of it.”

Mrs Bowe said the mural can also act as a form of psycho-emo tional care for the kids.

“A lot of times you think of your treatment, which is the physical aspect, but what about the therapy? In a lot of instances, the healing rate depends on the mental attitude and the mental state of the patients and their ability to be positive. We want them to know they have a com munity of supporters that extends beyond family, friends and nurses; that there are people that care,” she said.

FXT and Bahamas Harvest Church contributed to this cause.

The Blue Rose Foundation is a non-profit organisation estab lished in December 2019 by Phil and Anja Bowe in memory of their mother, the late Minerva Kemp-McIntosh, a well-known and well-loved banker, phi lanthropist and Rotarian who dedicated her life to cultivating and strengthening her community in Grand Bahama.

She was diagnosed with leukae mia in 2004, at which time doctors gave her six months to live.

Deemed a medical miracle, she was a 15-year leukaemia survivor, having experienced two episodes of reoccurrence after her initial diagnosis. In February 2019, she finally lost her battle with the disease.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation’s mandate is to assist children living with leukaemia and other blood cancers.

GOVERNOR General Sir Cornelius Smith helps unveil the new children’s corner at the Oncology Centre. (Photos/Austin Fernander)

Literary lives

A musical trio that helped shape the Romantic era

Sir Christopher Ondaatje remembers an article he helped write for his cousin, the cellist Rohan de Saram. He hoped it would inspire him to write his own story (somewhat different) which appeared in his book ‘Love Duet’, published in England in 2013.

When I was in mid-career, after being taught by Pablo Casals, I played my cello all over the world in such esteemed places as Carnegie Hall in America and the London Festival Hall. I also played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra – a great experience. Therefore when I was in Canada I never missed an opportunity to visit an old friend Glenn Gould – a genius who played and

understood Bach like no one I have ever known before or since. I visited him often at his reclusive house in Rosedale and we discussed a lot of musi cal matters and people. He was a very opinionated person and knew his musical history and theory well. My visits were well after the controversial performance of Brahms First Piano Concerto in 1962 with the orchestra led by its musical director Leonard Bernstein.

The concert became famous because of Bern stein’s remarks from the podium prior to the concerto with which he disassociated himself from the interpretation from Gould which was to come. In the performance, one of the last of the orches tra’s 71st season at Carnegie Hall, Gould chose to take three very slow tempi in playing the three movements. Gould tolerated Bernstein’s remarks but critical fallout from the event led to Gould’s withdrawal from public performance for the last years of his career.

The remarkable story of Clara Schumann

On one particular afternoon we discussed Johannes Brahms who had of course rather a strange relationship with his mentor Robert

Schumann, and later with Schumann’s eventual wife, Clara Wieck. Clara’s father was a music teacher who adopted rather intense methods and rigorous practice schedules. He was a rough task master and when his wife left him, Wieck obtained a court order to retrieve his daughter Clara from her mother – something possible in Leipzig law. Curiously Clara Wieck did not speak for the first four years of her life – a not uncommon malady known as “selective mutism”.

By devoting herself to her father and music she managed to find a safe haven and refuge from the rage and tumult around her. She became quite adept, and into this musical world came a young man who had first studied law, but gave it up to study music. He was nearly 18 years old when he heard the young nine-year-old Clara play ing. Taken in as a boarding student in the Wieck house, the young Robert Schumann began to study piano and he became a kind of big brother to the young Clara. They began composing simple piano concertos together and when Robert Schumann damaged his hand with one of Clara’s father’s more brutal finger-stretches it became obvious that he would never be able to become a concert pianist of note. So he began to compose

ROBERT Schumann

CLARA Schumann

JOHANNES Brahms

and founded a music magazine that championed the causes of younger composers who were follow ing the traditions of Mozart and Beethoven but were overlooked by more popular music critics. Eventually Schumann would become best known to the music world as a critic and an advocate of new music.

The relationship between Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck blossomed into composer and inter preter, and she became the primary performer of his music. Thus it developed into one of the great love stories of the music world – despite a constant battle with her father who was bitterly opposed to the relationship and eventual marriage. In fact, Wieck went to court to stop their wedding plans, which he did successfully until she was 21 years old. Clara had by this time increased her prow ess as a teacher and had become an important promoter of her father Frederick Wieck’s business. Thus he realised that the young Schumann was taking away the mainstay of his music and teach ing business.

When Clara Wieck became Mrs Robert Schumann, his crea tivity blossomed into a torrent of songs and chamber music. They had three children before moving to Dresden where they met Richard Wagner but found each other’s music incompatible. Sadly too,

Schumann’s bursts of creativity were often followed by periods of deep depression, with Clara eventually becoming his protector rather than his advocate. Five more children were born, but her husband’s mental illness worsened. Long periods of depression were followed by turbulent behaviour when one afternoon Schumann threw himself into the river and tried to drown himself. He was rescued and was taken forcibly first to a hospital and then to an asylum. He never returned home again.

During this calamitous situation a young composer came to town to meet Robert Schu mann, and that was how Clara Schumann first met Johannes Brahms. The young handsome man now became indispensable to the 35-year-old Clara – Helping to look after her children and finding solace in music-making with her as she had become the chief income producer, giving piano concerts on stressful tours. Her husband never recovered and lasted only two more years. She never saw him alive again.

Composer, aesthete and influential music critic, Schumann was probably the most representative of composers of the Romantic era. He published compositions exclusively until 1840, but later com posed works for piano and orchestra, many Lieder (songs) for voice and piano, four symphonies, an opera, and other choral and chamber works.

Clara Schumann continued her concert pro gramme concentrating on playing chamber music, Beethoven sonatas, and particularly music by her late husband. She also began playing music by her new young friend Brahms who had by this time become completely reliant on Clara for her sage comments and approval of his work. In fact, she often re-wrote works if he agreed with her criticisms.

Rigours of health and artistic problems with her children eventually took their toll on Clara Schumann, and mounting expenses were becom ing another trial. She became the editor of her husband’s music and this, together with the sale of his manuscripts, helped produce some income. Two of her children died and she found it harder to perform and recover, and she was reduced to accepting a teaching position and buying a humble home to house her children. She continued to teach and to perform her husband’s music, as well as that of the younger Brahms. In the final concert she performed the original two-piano version of the Haydn variations by Johannes Brahms. She was 72 years old.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial.

GLENN Gould

ROHAN de Saram

history

The Tribune Handbook

October 26 will mark the 100th anniver sary of my parents’ marriage. Wanting to write about the Bahamas in the 1920s, I opened the 1924 Tribune Handbook and started to re-read it, not stopping until I reached the final page.

Quickly, I realised that I could not improve on the words of the late Sir Etienne Dupuch, then editor of The Trib une, who wrote:

“The Bahamas are a group of islands, lying on the Great Bahama Bank…and the Little Bahama Bank, forming a large archipelago… between Florida and Haiti.

These islands are famed for having…the landfall of Columbus and Nassau, a delightful winter resort, of which George Washington said, “This is the perpetual Isle of June”.

The archipelago con sists of a large number of islands, cays and rocks… with a 1921 population of 53,031…

These islands are rich in products of sea and land, the chief articles of export being sponge, shells, fruit, sisal, hemp, wood and salt… Shellfish are not abundant, except for the conch… …fruit, in almost endless variety…flowers are mostly perennial and in riotous beauty…hogs, sheep, cattle, horses and mules are raised in small quantities; the ponies, or horses, though small, are hardy, strong and good looking.

The climate of these islands is the most equable… bathed by the waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through.

Most of the harbours are of little depth; Nassau having an average of 15 feet. Deep ening to a depth of 30 feet is in progress. The future prospects of these islands depend, in great measure, on this urgently needed improvement…

In 1861-65, the time of the American Civil War, the Bahamas became famous as the base of supplies to the Southern Confederacy, to the annoyance of the Federal States…Nassau’s harbour was crowded with shipping. Blockade-runners were to

be seen everywhere…arriv ing with mountainous heaps of cotton…departing with munitions and weapons of war. Money, money, money, everywhere…until the war suddenly ceased…and the Bahamas fell into a heap of stagnation…then, in 1920, the 18th Amendment to their Constitution brought ‘Prohibition’ to the United States…thirsty Americans flocked to the Bahamas… West End, Grand Bahama and Bimini thrived on ‘rumrunning’…bootleggers were ‘everywhere’.

Again, money, money, money, everywhere…until the 18th Amendment was repealed, causing another inglorious ending, as at the end of the Civil War.

Today (1920s), the Baha mas have developed into a flourishing and progres sive Colony, a substantial link in the chain of Empire that circles the earth, and most creditably accounted for itself, in the Great War (1914-1918, in which Sir Etienne served).”

In the chapters about New Providence, Sir Etienne describes the new power house as “this remarkable building was built over the original power house, with all the machinery in operation, so as not to disturb the electrical service. It con tains the machinery for the electric power plant and was intended to house the ice-making plant and cold storage, but the space (Now the site of Pompey Park) was found to be too small for the erection of a building large enough to accommodate it. The machinery is claimed to be the last word in machin ery of its kind, but this has not yet been demonstrated. The changeover from direct current (DC) to alternating

current (AC) was accom plished on September 22, 1922. The change was made in a fraction of a second and caused no inconvenience to users of electricity.”

Unsurprisingly, ice-making was of high priority, because it was the next subject men tioned: the new ice house.

“This building was erected in 1923 and carries the equipment for the manu facture of artificial ice plus cold-storage accommodation for the use of the public…it is expected to keep the price of ice at a half-penny per pound.”

• For questions and com ments, please send an e-mail to islandairman@gmail.com

SIR Etienne and Lady Dupuch

PAUL C ARANHA FORGOTTEN FACTS

animals

First there was one, then there were two, now…

Animal matters Kim Aranha

Theibis – or is it “sacred ibis”; I have frequently heard it referred to as a sa cred ibis. This dates back to the times of the Egyptians and ancient Greeks. It is believed that the ibis was one of the first animals to be released from Noah’s Ark. The ibises were considered a symbol of fertility. They have been admired since before Christ.

Sometimes they were bred to be sacrificial birds (especially in Saqqara, home of the step pyramid which served as the necropolis for the ancient Egyp tian capital, Memphis). Archaeologists found the mummies of more than 1,500,000 ibises there.

I do not remember seeing these rather lovely birds in my childhood in the Bahamas and I am quite sure that I never saw them on Bird Cay as a child. I was rather like a female Gerald Durrell in those days, someone who took in every detail of nature on that cay. Having been left to myself, as my cousins and brother were four and five years older than I was, I spent an amazing amount of time on my own. They were shipped off to school and I was still unacceptably young (even for my family). I did get shipped off at eleven, but that is another story.

I have been told that the ibises got blown here after a hurricane, when the Miami Metro Zoo was devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 (the year Hubert Ingraham won the general election; the year my second son was born).

We would pack up the children, the dogs and anything else we needed and boat over to Bird Cay; wonderful free island living. There, one day I noticed a magnificent flock of white (sacred) ibises all grouped up together feeding. As the months melted into years so we saw more flocks of varied colours: pure white, raven black and speckled… a spectacular array of shades and pat terns.

They just appeared one fine day and have never left. I then started to see them in the western end of New Provi dence. They would group together in one of the puddles created by a heavy rain storm the day before.

They are now everywhere, so elegant with their long legs, elongated necks and dramatic curved beaks. Who could possibly resist them?

Ever since we moved to a new house, I have been aware of a single, solitary black ibis in my neighbour hood. For some reason I think he is a male, but I have no idea. I would see him on the side of the road pecking through the manicured verges. He would spend a lot of time on the hill, a solitary beacon indicating that I was almost home until one day he found

his way to my house.

I was so happy and surprised some months ago when I came outside one morning and there he was, all alone pecking into the grass as if there was no tomorrow. I watched him for a long time, how elegantly he moved his legs when he walked, how effectively his in quisitive beak was at digging amongst the grass foraging for his breakfast.

Once he discovered that my freshly laid grass hid a host of delicious unsus pecting bugs living amongst the roots in the damp soil, he never looked back, taking up residence, feeding seemingly constantly.

The ibis is a wading bird with long legs who love lakes and ponds, and apparently spontaneous puddles in Lyford Cay!

I have grown incredibly fond of my solitary friend, never in company, always solo. However, I started to become very concerned that he was always alone, I wondered why was this? Why did he have no friends? All the other ibises appear to hang out in very large flocks walking together in the same direction. White as the driven snow, black as night or speckled… But my friend stood alone. I do not know how you can tell if an ibis is sad but he did not appear to be, he seemed to take his solitary life in his stride…. until recently when I looked over at my beloved reclining coconut tree and there were two of them peacefully feeding side by side with perfectly arched necks and curved beaks from the buffet of bugs hidden under ground.

You can imagine my delight to see that he had a friend. Was this perhaps a mate or a buddy? Difficult to tell, but they seem very harmonious together, crisscrossing the lawn like two ballet dancers engaged in a complicated pas de deux. I could watch them for hours, contented just and to see them happy and together.

Can you imagine my amazement when I opened the door on Tuesday and saw three of them digging quietly in the grass next to each other…so elegant; it made my day!

There is so much beauty on our doorstep, we just have to look

A glossy ibis (Photo_Britannica)

In ancient Egypt, the ibis was a symbol of the god Thoth, god of wisdom and magic. The people believed they could speak with the ibis through their dreams, and in hieroglyphics, “ibis” means “dream.”

art

ECCHO officially opens; expands artistic canvas at Baha Mar

THECURRENT Art Gallery at Baha Mar celebrated the official opening of its newest space this week: ECCHO (Expressive Collaborations and Creative House of Opportunites).

The new multifunctional 13,0000 sq ft space will support a wide array of cultural programming and bolster the gallery’s mission of showcasing local art up to par with international standards that resonates with a global audience.

“Our mission is to position Baha mian art to a higher professional global standard by forging unique and mean ingful partnerships with other arts institutions in the local community,” said Christian Wong, curatorial and design coordinator.

The museums opening featured new artwork by Dede Brown and Kachelle Knowles for their duo exhibition, “BEGUILE” and by American con temporary artist and activist Shepard Fairey (famous for his Barack Obama portrait).

“The Current has been at Baha Mar since its inception and ECCHO repre sents an exciting new chapter for our art program,” said John Cox, Baha Mar’s executive firector of Arts & Culture

“It expands our ability to incorporate art and culture into the ethos of the Baha Mar experience through unprec edented new partnerships, a dynamic new platform, and an overall larger footprint across the resort. The Current and ECCHO have transformed into their own district within the resort, and it’s essential for us to broaden the con versation about art in hospitality and Bahamian culture in a meaningful way to the region, country, and beyond.”

To expand Baha Mar’s current art platform, ECCHO is also partnering with the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. In a first-of-its-kind partner ship for the 20-year-old historic gallery, ECCHO will exhibit a 5,000 sq ft satel lite exhibition space for the NAGB, marking the first time the museum has showcased outside its current location.

ECCHO will also significantly expand The Current’s exhibition space and house the relaunch of Baha Mar’s artist in residence programme with artist Lynn Parotti, as well as support curated programming year-round including artist talks and lectures, musical events, and more.

(Photos/Austin Fernander)