12012023 WEEKEND

Weekend

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Chic couture Pgs 08+09

Rock n’ scrape Curbside Rockerz beat the steel pan for Christmas album pg 07

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

art

Turning old into new UPCOMING EXHIBIT CELEBRATES THE BLUES OF THE BAHAMAS

By JEFFARAH GIBSON | Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net THE saying one man’s trash is mahogany, sea grape and dilly. another man’s treasure has defiThe show will feature about 15 nitely proven true for Bahamian pieces made from materials like artist Luciana Sicheri Hall, who broken glass from car windshields, takes scraps of materials and turns sea glass and more. them into works of art.

“It takes a lot to gather pieces The artist will unveil of sea glass to make one a number of her new piece. I like to use a lot works during an exhiof broken mirrors; old bition of recycled art, things that I found on wood and resin called the beach. I have a col“Bahama Blues”. lection of shells, a lot The show will be of them I do use a big held in collaboration pretty shell as the focal with Craig Roberts of point,” said the artist. the Native Sun NursLuciana decided ery, who will display his to name the exhibit woodwork.

“Bahama Blues” to “Bahama Blues” will reflect the beautiful hues be open upstairs in the of blue found in the gallery of Bahama Art Bahamas. and Handicraft store ‘The blues in the on Shirley Street from Bahamas are the most December 1- 8, from beautiful in the world 10am to 4pm daily. and I am drawn to that. I think I In 2021, Luciana hosted an exhi- do have one favourite piece. The bition to honour the legacy of her reason being it has all the blues, mother, artist and former owner including turquoise, aqua,” she of Bahama Art and Handicraft, said. the late Lou Moseley, who passed For two years after her mothaway on Christmas Day 2019. er’s death, Luciana said she The exhibition featured Lucia- struggled with finding inspirana’s work that marked the two-year tion to create art. Her grief was anniversary of her mother’s death. too overwhelming for her to The artwork featured in focus. However, she eventually “Bahama Blues”, she said, will be found the courage to delve into a modern version of her mother’s her creative core. artistic technique.

Lou Moseley spent half of cenLou Moseley’s dominant style of tury exploring the world of art, creating art involved using glass or creating numerous unique pieces other materials she could find. over the years that have brightened “You know they say one man’s up the homes and office spaces of junk is another man’s treasure. I many Bahamians and visitors. collected a lot of different materiShe was also a pioneer in local als and turned them into something retail art, opening the Bahama special,” said Luciana Art and Handicraft store so that Some of the works are framed the work of Bahamian artists and and use natural wood like craftsman could have a temporary

home until a permanent one came along.

The store was the only one in the Bahamas at the time that only sold locally made arts, crafts and other items.

It currently sells handmade

items including jewellery, paintings, wooden carvings, straw work, Androsia, crafts, bags and more.

“She didn’t open the store for herself; she did it for Bahamians.

She helped any and everyone she could,” said Luciana of her mother.

The Tribune | Weekend |03

Friday, December 1, 2023

entertainment

‘Bahamian Broadway’ for Boxing Day

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

A REWORKED ‘DAISY HITS THE JACKPOT’ COMES TO NASSAU AND FREEPORT ONE of the Bahamas’ most beloved acts, the performer known as Dynamite Daisy who has brought comic relief to audiences over two decades, returns this Boxing Day with the stage production “Daisy Hits the Jackpot” .

This encore presentation of the production, which was first held at the beginning of the year, will be staged in both New Providence and Grand Bahama.

In Nassau, it will be staged on December 26 at Bahamas Faith Ministries, at 3pm and 8pm. The production then moves to Freeport on December 29, where one show will be staged at 8pm.

“Get ready be entertained, challenged and inspired like never before,” said Lynn Terez Davis, the woman behind the dynamite character.

“Be ready to have your eyes opened to the importance of love above money. We need it, but truly, we must not be enslaved to it. A love story will also be highlighted and the hopes of rekindled love.

The performer and playwright said this production will follow the same pattern as previous ones, but with newer jokes and new music.

“Daisy being back on Boxing Day feels like how it was with the Junkanoo groups back on Bay after COVID-19. For 23 years, Bahamians visiting home for Christmas looked forward to a family show on Boxing Day and now they can plan for that again. Not only here in Nassau, but now we head to Grand Bahama to close out the year with a bang,” said Lynn.

At the centre of the story, as the title implies, is Dynamite Daisy who wins the jackpot. Jealousy and envy quickly rear their ugly heads among her family and friends.

This show, said Lynn, is all about

the need for self actualisation.

“We will discover how greed has the ability to choke the life out of any relationship and how the saying ‘the first shall be last and the last first’, bears truth,” she said.

“The fickleness of relationships based on material possession will also be examined and the woes of male-female relationships and how de-masculation of the man can never result in productivity for the family.”

While the message of the production encourages audience members to be reflective, in true Dynamite Daisy fashion, it will be delivered humorously.

“It’s a level of comedy and drama like you have not seen us produce.

The music aspect with original songs takes this presentation over the top,” said Lynn.

“The set will wow you. It’s like none we’ve had before. The venue is state-of-the-art in technology, so be ready for excellent sound and lighting, a comfortable environment, safe parking and a professional show. Bahamian Broadway at its best.”

As she prepares for the curtains to go up on “Daisy Hits the Jackpot”, the playwright also turns her attention to a book to be released called “Acting Up: Volume 1.”

The book will feature information on acting along photos of Dynamite Daisy through the years.

“We have been saying that Daisy must continue to be international and that is happening. South Florida and talks of a show in North Carolina are on the table,” said Lynn.

Dynamite Daisy will also be visiting many Family Island regatta and homecoming events in the new year.

For more information, call 242-557-4684.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

Books

The soul of a culture Father-son duo debut new book which captures the essence of Junkanoo

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

E

ach year on Boxing Day and New Year’s, thousands of revellers take to the streets to take part in the annual Junkanoo parades.

From afar, the sight is a spectacular explosion of Bahamian culture. But for those who can see the individual faces of participants from a closer streetside view, it is an intimate portrayal of the passion of the Junkanooers.

Nicholas Klonaris and his son Mike N Klonaris have spent the past several decades capturing the people that make up of the parades and have complied some of their favourite images in a glossy coffee table book called “Junkanoo” Portraits of the Soul”.

Nicholas said these images capture faces in motion, giving a glimpse into the energy, passion and pure joy participants feel when they rush.

Junkanoo has been a major part of the Klonaris family’s lives since the 1960s, when the family business, Mike’s Shoe Store, sponsored the Viking Junkanoo group (who later joined another group to become the Saxons Superstars.)

The Vikings were the first group to bring three-dimensional costumes to the parade.

Although his family is Greek by origin, Nicholas was born and raised in the Bahamas, and he said Junkanoo runs deep in his veins.

“As a young boy, I remember walking down to Market Street with my cousins to watch the Junkanoo parade go by. I was fascinated by the colourful costumes and the beat of the music that seemed to go right through my body,” he writes in the book.

When they decided to sponsor the Vikings, the Klonaris family

NICHOLAS Klonaris spent hours in the shacks, seeing first-hand the intense preparation that went into the elaborate costumes.

Nicholas has always enjoyed photography and would photograph the parades every year.

Eventually, his son Mike, who shared his interest in photography, joined him.

“We would usually go after midnight, because shooting against the dark backdrop of the sky was important in bringing out the colours of the costumes. We shot photos at close range and at

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, December 1, 2023

different angles in order to capture the expressions, feelings and emotions of each individual’s as they were rushing. Every picture is a different portrait of the soul,” said Nicholas.

Over the years, they shot thousands of photos and the idea of a coffee table book was always in the back of Nicholas’ mind.

But it was not until he mentioned the idea to a publisher friend, Beat Schlagenhauf, and fellow photographer Alessandro Sarno, that the idea sprang to life. He credits Alessandro for conceiving the design of the book.

“We were just talking and I mentioned that I had all these images and I wanted to do a book, and Beat said, ‘I can do your book for you.’

The rest, as they say, is history,” said Nicholas.

They chose images from a selection of over

this

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2,000 photographs, before settling on what they wanted for the final version of the book. The finished product is an eclectic array of pictures taken over the decades.

The book also features quotes from various Bahamians as to what Junkanoo means to them, as well as a contribution from Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, who notes, “Junkanoo is the most significant expression of us as Bahamians and a collective society. The rich tradition is more than a celebration, it is a rich competition of talent and art…Our people, country and region remain a depository of Africa’s legends. The story of John Canoe lives on and is enshrined in our way of life.”

The book is now available at various stores in New Providence, including My Wish List, My Favorite Things, The Island Store and Logos.

For those wanting a signed copy, the fatherson duo will host a book signing this Saturday from 11am to 2pm at the Logos Bookstore in Harbour Bay.

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27 Hero satisfied to imprison god (4) 28 Give weapon to old professor – it’s the end of the world (10)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

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

NMC RE E G E Y

● 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.

Verb forms ending in S permitted.

TODAY’S TARGET Good 10; very good 15; excellent 20 (or more). Solution on Monday

Yesterday’s Call 0907 181 2585

for today’s Target solution

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

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Opera if not comic might be grand (10) 6 Reasonable show (4) 10 Bolt inside and strive to hide (5) 11 Not turning down an invitation? (7,2) 12 A few upset the owner too (3,2,3) 13 I star in a moving production (5) 15 Sort of job having no lively conclusion (4-3) 17 Revised list for retailer in a growing trade (7) 19 Touching sympathy (7) 21 Music master (7) 22 Bounds can appear to be poles apart (5) 24 It turns its back in a curve in elegant way (8) 27 They are nominally unsuitable for inhabitants (9) 28 Collect money left in a manner of speaking (5) 29 Crazy to reverse; try going forward (4) 30 Men’s assets as a basis for taxation (10)

1

2

3

4

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(8) 14 Unusual like men being benevolent people (10) 16 English girl on a charge that is thrown out (8) 18 Nice trait unusually hard to resolve (9) 20 It’s difficult to see if they are broken (7) 21 Sea mist represented by a painter (7) 23 Father raised a worker on long-grain rice (5) 25 More than one team takes part (5) 26 Site of intrigue (4)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Warship, 5 Mania, 8 Figure out, 9 Man, 10 Rash, 12 Likeness, 14 Summon, 15 Gloomy, 17 Eminence, 18 Bear, 21 Dog, 22 Two-timing, 24 Reply, 25 Leg-pull.

Down: 1 Wafer, 2 Rig, 3 Hurl, 4 Prolix, 5 Motherly, 6 Number one, 7 Amnesty, 11 Summing-up, 13 Covertly, 14 Slender, 16 Scroll, 19 Regal, 20 Wing, 23 IOU.

Across: 1 Nashville, 7 Ritual, 9 Logical, 10 Omit, 12 Egg, 13 Crevice, 14 Gap, 15 Calm, 17 Airdrie, 19 Robust, 20 Newmarket. Down: 1 No longer, 2 Atom, 3 Sag, 4 Vice versa, 5 Italic, 6 Large, 8 Ligament, 11 Tedium, 13 Canoe, 16 Lime, 18 Rik.

Black square 25, 30, 33, 35, Across: Cosm Aqua, Draugh Jack, Karate, CAN you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid Down:Extra let Awestr number represents a letter – or black square.Use, Idly, Ivory 0907 18 AsTARGET in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet (Deduct thre Reach, Phalan is used.

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Solution on Monday

same if you turn the page upside down.

Solution on Monday A 12 B C 36 D E 5 F G 18 H I 40 J K 32 L M 16 N O 27 P Q 11 R S 34 T U 1 V W 16 X Y 25 Z

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90 and 100

33

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

KEIJO

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Across 1 Almost late (4,2,4) 6 Long deep cut (4) 10 Authoritative doctrine (5) 11 Relentless (9) 12 Utterly lazy (4,4) 13 Small boat for rowing (5) 15 Initiate (7) 17 Influential French composer (7) 19 North American open grassland (7) 21 V-shaped stripe (7) 22 To decree (5) 24 Treat as unimportant (4,4) 27 Deepest (9) 28 Lying flat (5) 29 Dissolve (4) 30 Pay for others’ pleasure (5,5)

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SUMMIT

6

1 Across: 1 Curious, 5 Pearl, 8 Clergyman, 9 Coo, 10 Acts, 12 Repulses, 14 Make up, 15 Outrun, 17 Gradient, 18 Blue, 21 Tot, 22 Escalator, 24 Norms, 25 Stopper.

Down: 1 Cocoa, 2 Rue, 3 Orgy, 4 Samuel, 5 Pendulum, 6 Ancestral, 7 Looks on, 11 Take after, 13 Business, 14 Megaton, 16 Knocks, 19 Error, 20 Also, 23 Tap.

THE ALP

THE ALPHABEATER

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

V E I X I B I E C H R N

4 5 9 2 6 1 3 8 7

27 SMALL CROSSWORD Friday, December 1, 2023V I28 L L A N

1 x Battleship

3 x Destroyer

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4 x Submarine

1

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Sol M

Friday, December 1, 2023

Music

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

A rake n’ scrape Christmas for the Curbside Rockerz A

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net s a fledgling rake n’ scrape band that got its start during the pandemic they could only perform in front of food stores and in parking lots, but now the Curbside Rockerz are well on their way to capturing the hearts of Bahamian audiences everywhere.

Founded by Vince Thompson and his friend Leo Jones, the band and its following have grown tremendously over the last three years.

“We started playing in front of Super Value food stores for tip money because everything was closed down, including tourism, which we specialise in,” Vince told Tribune Weekend.

“Over the years, (we have) played for every event you can name. We became popular due to our Bahamian people, and as we grew, we went on TV shows, flew out for events to various islands, and much more big things,” said Vince.

The Curbside Rockerz specialise in rake n’ scrape music infused with popular pop music. They also play other genres from time to time. Vince said while the band has many members, the original three are himself, Leo and Jimmy “Sawman”.

“We stay focused all the time, stay productive, are always on the move, and once everybody is working, everybody stays focused,” he said.

“We normally perform at Baha Mar all throughout the week, and at various restaurants in Nassau. We are currently getting the band’s name out to other islands while operating in Nassau as well,” said Vince.

The band recently released a promotional video for Halloween and got to play at several events while wearing costumes.

“We will be dropping another (promo video) for Christmas, so be on the lookout for that as well,” said Vince.

There is also Curbside Rockerz Christmas album out now, available as physical media on CDs and on Instagram.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

Gardening

Plants for aesthetics

G

ood day, gardeners.

This week I’d like to step from edibles to

aesthetics.

There are many commonly used landscape plants that are quite a bit more demanding than many may expect or may have been informed of. I’ve been working with some lately that are quite a handful to get them right, but they don’t have to be!

Ixora, particularly the Thai hybrids (the “miniature” varieties), are extremely demanding when it comes to nutrients and pest control.

The same can be said for hibiscus.

I have noticed deficient hibiscus just about everywhere I turn this week. There’s no overnight fix for an ixora or hibiscus that is yellow and pale. The problem did not occur overnight and the solution will not rectify it overnight. You may have noticed that I mention the pH of soil often. This is a huge part of successful gardening. The pH can be spot on, but the plant can still be sub par due to severe nutrient deficiencies.

It’s important to know which plant one is dealing with before seeking solutions. Each will require its own amounts of nutrients to remedy them, and each requires its own amount of time to do so.

Generally, I use the formula of

FLOWERING ixora plants (Photo: Pexels/Serg Alesenko)

1 pound of 12-6-8 complete fertilizer per 1 inch of trunk diameter measured 12 – 18 inches above the ground.

This is a loose and general formula that I adjust as per my experience depending upon the situation. It is not an exact science, and it can go wrong if too much is added, but conversely it can be a waste of time and resources if not enough is added.

Once again, and as usual in gardening, trial and error is the best teacher.

Seasonal aesthetics are a primary go to during the Christmas season in the form of poinsettias. Yes, it’s that time of year, already, again.

Typically, poinsettias are a very hardy and tolerant plant when in their native landscape setting, but when they are used indoors as seasonal color, they can be a bit fickle and moody.

To help the plant hold its leaves for longer, do not allow the soil to get too dry, but at the same time, do not allow the soil to sit too wet.

If possible, I prefer to remove the decorative covering from the pot, and water in a sink or bathtub, and allow to drain for a while before placing back in the spot where it is being highlighted. If one has many or if it’s not possible to move them to a sink or bathtub, then a measured amount of water is added while not being so much that the plant sits in water.

It’s the story of Goldilocks and the three bears as with most plants. Too much, too little, just right.

It’s impossible to say exactly how much water a poinsettia will need, or how much fertilizer a hibiscus or ixora will need. It’s a trial and error thing as with most plants, and none

of it is an exact science or practice.

Garden centres or plant nurseries can give information as accurately as they know how to, but each person’s particular situation will vary to some degree.

With a little practice and experimentation, we can all grow! Whether one hopes to give the gift of joy, or to look after their own plants, using landscape plants for aesthetics and seasonal color inside the office or home will always bring a good vibration to the yard, home, or office. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

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The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, December 1, 2023

Music

Local rapper shoots for the stars with superhero-themed album

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

“I

want to win awards.

I want to be the best rapper of all time.”

When it comes to his music career, Kwame Hanna’s goal clear: to go all the way to the top.

“I am trying to make music my full time job, but I have to be an entrepreneur to pay the bills and advance the music,” he told Tribune Weekend.

Kwame was taught about music from a young age; first, by uncles Sean Hanna, Oni Martin and Bud Rolle, then by Paul and Tanya Hanna, and later as he was enrolled in Grey’s Music School for summer lessons.

“I spent a lot of time with Charlie Brown and he would have me listening to his music he created and would let me hear Zoltan Johnson’s music and other foreign artists as they performed in his studio in Nassau and Miami,” he said.

“In 2008 and 2009, I started working with White House Music and began managing the artist El Padrino. We worked on the Inauguration Day (project) in Freeport as I learned to write my rap bars.”

Kwame has spent time with artists like Pimpronne, Helmet and Dolly Boy who are all based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, and worked on various songs with them.

“I returned to Dalhousie University and finished my Bachelor’s of Science degree in 2011 and came back to work with White House until 2014. In 2018, I began working on my own music,” he said.

KWAME Hanna

Kwame’s preferred genre of music is hip hop or conscious rap. When it comes to his own music, it is usually inspired by real life stories.

“My first song I wrote was ‘She is Gone’. It was on a track made by Roy

Millions. Then I worked on ‘It’s OK’ with El Padrino where he sang the hook for me. I had fun with my older music but I am more excited about my new music, because I have put it all together.

“I am now a better writer and performer,” he said.

Kwame said with the music for his newest album, “Hymns for Heroes”, he is trying something different.

Lyrically, he is going with a superhero theme.

“The feedback has been good. I have had people tell me they love my music from I first started rapping in 2009. I continue to get positive feedback. I have had one or two naysayers, but the majority of my feedback has been really positive and inspiring,” he said.

“My older brother, Aquil Hanna, has been the most musically influential person (in my life), as he was heavy into music and it benefited me having such a wide selection of CDs to borrow from growing up.”

His goal for the remainder of 2023, Kwame said, is to perform more and promote his “Hymns for Heroes” album, while also creating more music under his other rap personas, King Midas and 3rd Eye. “In 2024, I plan to put out two more albums, one as King Midas and another from 3rd Eye called ‘March of the Heroes’. People can mainly find me performing as an actor in theatre at the Dundas but I will be performing music more around the Bahamas,” he said.

Kwame’s music can be found on YouTube Spotify, iTunes, and at www. thirddimensionmedia.org and various radio stations under Kwame Hanna or 3rd Eye.

Spotify’s top ten most listened to tracks of 2023 1. “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus (pictured) 2. “Kill Bill” by SZA 3. “As It Was” by Harry Styles 4. “Seven” by Jung Kook, Latto 5. “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma 6. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift 7. “Creepin’” by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage 8. “Calm Down” by Rema, Selena Gomez 9. “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol 53” by Bizarrap, Shakira 10. “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

Literary lives – Lorraine Hansberry (1930 – 1965)

A radiant playwright and daring activist Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about the short tragic life of Lorraine Hansberry – the African-American playwright and author of A Raisin in the Sun.

HANSBERRY in 1959 in her Greenwich Village apartment where she wrote ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ (Photo: David Attie)

“Sometimes I can see the future out in front of me – just as plain as day. The future hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me.”

– Lorraine Hansberry Lorraine Vivian Hansberry was born on May 19, 1930 – the youngest of four children of Carl Augustus Hansberry, a successful real-estate broker, and Nannie Louise (Perry), a driving school teacher and ward committee woman.

In 1935, her father bought a house in the Washington Park subdivision of the South Side of Chicago, incurring the wrath of their white neighbours.

The latters’ legal efforts to force the Hansberry family out culminated in the US Supreme Court’s decision in Hansberry v. Lee. These covenants were eventually ruled unconstitutional.

The Hansberrys were regularly visited by prominent Black people: Professor WEB Du Bois, poet Langston Hughes, concert artist and actor Paul Robeson, pianist and composer Duke Ellington, and track and field star Jesse Owens.

Hansberry was also the godmother to singer-songwriter Nina Simone’s daughter.

Hansberry graduated from Betsy Ross Elementary School in 1944, and from Englewood High School in 1948.

She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison College where she immediately became affiliated with the Communist Party USA. She spent the summer of 1949 studying painting at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico.

“Obviously the most oppressed of any oppressed group will be its women.”

– Lorraine Hansberry In 1950, Hansberry left Madison to pursue her career as a writer in New York City, where she attended The New School. She moved to Harlem in 1951, and almost immediately joined the staff of the Black newspaper Freedom, edited by Louis E

Burnham and co-published by Paul Robeson.

At Freedom she worked with WEB Du Bois, whose office was in the same building, and other Pan-Africanists.

At the newspaper she worked as a subscription clerk, receptionist, typist and editorial assistant; besides writing news articles and editorials Additionally, she wrote scripts, and to celebrate the newspaper’s

first birthday she wrote the script for a rally at Rockland Place, a thenfamous Harlem hall, on “the history of the Negro newspaper in America and its fighting role in the struggle for people’s freedom from 1827 to the birth of Freedom.

Performers in this pageant included Paul Robeson, his longtime accompanist Lawrence Brown, the multi-disciplined artist Asadata Dafora, and numerous others.

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, December 1, 2023 The following year she collaborated with the playwright Alice Childress, who also wrote for Freedom, on a pageant for its Negro History Festival with Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Douglas Turner Ward, and John O Killens.

This was her earliest theatrical work.

Like Robeson and other Black civil rights activists, she understood that the struggle against white supremacy to be interlinked with the programme of the Communist Party.

One of her first reports covered the Sojourners for Truth and Justice convened by Washington, DC, by Mary Church Terrell. Hansberry travelled to Georgia to cover the case of Willie McGee, and was inspired to write the poem “Lynchsong” about his case.

Hansberry worked not only on the US civil rights movement, but also on the global struggle against colonialism and imperialism. She wrote in support of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, and criticised the mainstream press for its biased coverage.

She often explained these global struggles in terms of female participants. She was particularly interested in the situation in Egypt – the traditional Islamic cradle of civilisation, where women had led one of the most important fights anywhere for the equality of their sex.

In 1952, Hansberry attended a peace conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, in place of Robeson, who had been denied travel rights by the State Department.

“Once upon a time freedom used to be life – now it’s money. I guess the world really do change.”

– Lorraine Hansberry On June 20, 1953, Hansberry married Robert Nemiroff, a Jewish publisher, songwriter, and political activist.

Hansberry and Nemiroff moved to Greenwich Village – the setting of her second Broadway play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.

On the night before their wedding in 1953, the couple protested against the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union, in New York City.

The success of “Cindy, Oh Cindy”, co-authored by Nemiroff, enabled Hansberry to start writing full-time.

Although the couple separated in 1957 and divorced in 1962, their professional relationship lasted until her death.

Hansberry was a closet lesbian.

Before her marriage she had written in notebooks about her attraction to women. In 1957, when she separated

ABOVE: ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway (and later moved to the Belasco Theater) on March 11, 1959.

RIGHT: Hansberry with Sidney Poitier with his first wife, Juanita Hardy, at the opening of ‘A Raisin in the Sun’.

(Photo: Moneta Sleet for Ebony)

from Nemiroff, Hansberry contacted the Daughters of Bilitis – the San Francisco-based lesbian rights organisation, contributing two letters to their magazine, The Ladder, both of which were published under her initials. Pointing to these letters, some gay and lesbian writers credited Hansberry as having been involved in the homophile movement and an activist for gay rights.

Hansberry’s lesbianism caused her to feel isolated while A Raisin in the Sun catapulted her to fame. She attempted to cover evidence of her lesbian desires from other anxieties of respectability and conventions of marriage.

In 1962, Hansberry and Nemiroff SEE PAGE 14

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

FROM PAGE 13

divorced but continued to work together. On his ex-wife’s death, Nemiroff donated all of Hansberry’s personal and professional effects to the New York Public Library. In doing so. he blocked access to all material relating to Hansberry’s lesbianism. Near her death, she had built a circle of gay and lesbian friends, took several lovers, and vacationed in Provincetown, where she enjoyed her relationships.

“The grim possibility is that she who hides her brains will, more than likely, end up with a mate who is only equal to a woman with hidden brains or none at all.”

– Lorraine Hansberry Written and completed in 1957, A Raisin in the Sun opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959, becoming the first play by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway.

The 29-year-old author became the youngest American playwright and only the fifth woman to receive the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play.

She was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play, among the four Tony Awards that the play was nominated for in 1960.

Over the next two years A Raisin in the Sun was translated into 35 languages and was performed all over the world.

In April 1959, after her sudden rise to fame, when A Raisin in the Sun premiered on Broadway, David Attie did an extensive photo shoot of Hansberry for Vogue magazine in her apartment at 337 Bleecker Street, where she had written the play.

They are the best-known images of her today.

In her award-winning biography Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry, Imani Perry writes that Attie’s gorgeous photographs captured her “intellectual confidence, armour, and remarkable beauty”.

Hansberry wrote two screenplays for A Raisin in the Sun, both of which were rejected by Columbia Pictures.

Created by NBC in 1960 to create a television programme about slavery, Hansberry wrote The Drinking Gourd. The script was called “superb” but also rejected.

“I believe that one of the most sound ideas in dramatic writing is

HANSBERRY, who was closeted lesbian, was married to producer and songwriter Robert Nemiroff for nine years.

that in order to create the universal, you must pay very great attention to the specific. Universality, I think, emerges from truthful identity of what is.”

– Lorraine Hansberry In 1961, Hansberry was set to replace Vinnette Carroll as the director of the musical Kicks and Co, after its try-out at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Written by Oscar Brown, Jr, the show featured an interracial cast including Lonnie Sattin, Nichelle Nichols (‘Star Trek’), Vi Velasco, Al Freeman, Jr, Zabeth Wilde and Burgess Meredith in the title role of Mr Kicks.

A satire involving miscegenation, the $400,00 production was coproduced by her husband, Robert Nemiroff.

Despite a warm reception in Chicago, the show never made it to Broadway.

In 1961, Hansberry participated in a meeting with Attorney General Robert F Kennedy, set up by James Baldwin.

In 1963, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She underwent two operations, on June 24 and August 2. Neither of these operations was successful in removing the cancer.

Hansberry agreed to speak to the winners of a creative writing conference on May 1, 1964: “Though it is a thrilling and marvellous thing to be merely young and gifted in such times, it is doubly so, doubly dynamic – to be young, gifted and Black.”

– Lorraine Hansberry

While many of her other writings were published in her lifetime – essays, articles, and the text for the SNCC book The Movement: Documentary of a Struggle for Equality, the only other play given a contemporary production was The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.

It ran for 101 performances on Broadway and closed the night she died.

Hansberry died of pancreatic cancer on January 12, 1965. She was 34 years old.

James Baldwin believed that “it is not at all farfetched to suggest that what she saw contributed to the strain which killed her, for the effort to which Lorraine was dedicated is more than enough to kill a man”.

Hansberry’s funeral was held in Harlem on January 15, 1965. Paul Robeson and SNCC organiser James Forman gave eulogies.

“Her creative ability and her profound grasp of the deep social issues confronting the world today will remain an inspiration to generations yet unborn.”

– Reverend Martin Luther King , Jr A Raisin in the Sun was made into a 1961 American drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Roy Glenn and Louis Gossett Jr. (in his film debut). It was adapted from the play of the same name. Hansberry

took the title of the play from the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”

The film follows a Black family that wants a better life away from the city of Chicago. A Raisin in the Sun was released by Columbia Pictures on May 29, 1961.

In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Ruby Dee won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Both Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil were nominated for Golden Globe Awards, and director Daniel Petrie received a special “Gary Cooper Award” at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2010, Lorraine Hansberry was inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

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Friday, December 1, 2023

The Tribune | Weekend | 15

books

New devotional ‘Lessons from the Rain’ offers ‘real talk’ REAL life stories interspersed with thought-provoking commentary and applicable Bible verses can be found in the second book by author Hadassah Deleveaux.

“Lessons from the Rain” is a 22-day devotional filled with personal moments from Hadassah’s life, which turned into spiritual lessons she believes will resonate with readers.

“They’re my experiences which turned into spiritual revelations ranging from a food store interaction and a clogged tub to standing in front of Buckingham Palace, and even that time I made a blunder while reporting live on national TV,” said the two-time author.

“It’s real talk from my personal experiences. Refreshingly real.

Innately, I’m a storyteller. I love writing. I initially began documenting these experiences via a blog - which is the same way my first book, ‘Over the Hill: The Other Side’ started.

However, I received clear instructions from God to turn both blogs into books. Today, those blogs no longer exist. I’m simply being obedient.

The new devotional touches on themes such as faith, forgiveness, gossiping, the beauty in blessing others, the danger of boxing God in, assessing whether the people around you are assets or liabilities, standing on God’s promises, finishing strong and spending quality time with God among others.

“It’s not a preachy devotional. It’s easy to read, simple and relatable.

Jesus told stories all the time to get his points across and while I believe nothing should replace one’s reading of the Bible, I believe devotionals can be supplementary reading,” she said.

Initially, there were over 50 stories from the blog which Hadassah had to choose from. However, she narrowed the list to 22, with the expectation of each short entry being read daily.

“Blogging definitely has its place.

Some people would read a blog before purchasing a book, but I do love the idea of having these entries in book form. It’s about keeping

these stories alive for posterity. A blog, like mine, was only around for a few years, but a book could pass down through generations,” said the news reporter turned communications specialist.

Hadassah hopes “Lessons from the Rain” helps readers begin their day with nuggets of wisdom to get them through the vicissitudes of life or end it motivated to face the next day.

“It’s a little book, but my prayer is that this tiny book proves powerful, inspiring change in its readers. May it be personal whispers from God to souls. I hope people are refreshed, viewing God through new lenses.

Most of all, obedience is key. James is my favourite book of the Bible and speaks to not just being a hearer of the word, but a doer,” she said.

“Whether a reader is looking for encouragement or spiritual enrichment, they’re sure to find daily doses of simple spiritual truths. In fact, I hope readers pick it up at the end of the year, read it and then return to it months or years later and a particular story or specific paragraph speaks directly to them or perhaps they gain new insight because they’re at a different stage in their lives.”

In order to engage readers over the 22-day period and bring them deeper into their journey with God, each devotional story concludes with a brief reflection and prayer, paving the way for humility and allowing readers to see their need for God’s help and the power of embracing a life of faith and obedience.

“I wrote with the idea that if just one person reads this devotional and is encouraged to make meaningful change in his or her life, the book served its purpose and God gets the glory,” said Hadassah.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 1, 2023

art

Bahamian grad student is inspired by Cartoon Network and Adult Swim

ANIMATOR Falon Williams

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net When Falon Williams created her first animation at the tender age of four, it awakened not just her creative side, but also helped her decide what career path she would eventually pursue.

“I drew inspiration from the shows that I used to watch”, she told Tribune Weekend, “and then I would draw my own animations, using my grandfather’s tools. I would create stories and rehearse the lines so that I could flesh it out and make little books.”

She shared these with her teachers and classmates and their reactions further motivated her.

“They all loved it and every time I created something new and got their positive feedback, I basically knew that this was something I was good at and wanted to do,” she said.

Falon took art classes all throughout high school at St Andrew’s International School in New Providence before attending Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, where she majored in Industrial Craft and Design.

The programme focuses on fine arts, engineering, or architecture.

Most industrial design programmes include courses in drawing, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), and three-dimensional modelling, as well as courses in business, industrial materials and processes, and manufacturing methods.

Falon said animation is her first love and she draws inspiration from artists such as Genndy Tartakovsky, the animator behind “Dexter’s Laboratory” and the “Powerpuff Girls”.

The Russian-American animator is best known as the creator of various animated television series on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, including “Samurai Jack” and “Star Wars: Clone Wars”.

She also likes the style of the “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi”, a Japanese animated series, and Disney, particularly the animation style of Aladdin’s Genie and and “Fantasisa”, as a as well as Marvel animations. She has also been inspired by adult cartoons such as “Futurama”.

But recently, Falon said her biggest influences have come from social media, as she is very much into pop culture and parasocial interactions.

Parasocial refers to a kind of psychological relationship experienced by an audience in their mediated encounters with performers in the mass media, particularly on television and on online platforms.

Falon said there are three celebrities in particular who inspire her art and in whom she finds comfort.

They include Tucker Carlson, the conservative political commentator and writer who hosted the nightly political talk INSIDE JOB, Brett show and Han, and, “Tucker above, Blanka.

Carlson

Tonight” on Fox News from 2016 to 2023; and Academy Award-winning actor Nicholas Cage (“Leaving Las Vegas”), and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (“The Usual Suspects”, “American Beauty”).

“I draw them all the time,” she said of the three celebs.

When it comes to Kevin Spacey, Falon said she was especially enamuored by his performance in the 1999 black comedy-drama “American Beauty” Art is Falon’s happy place.

“I do like the creative process that goes into it and I also get a sense of peace. Drawing gives me the ability to express myself and say what is on my mind. It is very rewarding to me,” she said.

Her other hobbies include crafting and learning how to do DIY projects around the house. She also likes to exercise and read.

As to her plans for the future, Falon said she will continue working towards her dream and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in animation.

LULY and Tucker Freedom