12282020 WEEKEND

Friday, December 18, 2020

Weekend

photography culture gardening history interview puzzles animals

SANTA PAWS Page 15

Capturing the ‘Blue Kingdom’ New photo book celebrates the Exumas

pgs 08+09

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

photography

A Rose-Coloured Lens A Bahamian Christmas greeting

B

eauty is all around us in the Bahamas, on land and in the sea. But many of us are too busy with everyday life to pause and really see and enjoy the astonishing sights that surround us. Veteran photographer ROLAND ROSE captures both the ordinary and extraordinary, and puts it in frame for us so we can see our environment in a new light.

This Christmas we wish you good health, contentment and peace. And may all your blessings forever increase.

Friday, December 18, 2020

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, December 18, 2020

Weekend Inside

Interview 4 – 5

Dante Bazard Jr receives historic appointment to Human Rights Commission

Puzzles 6 Entertainment 7

Virtual awards show to elevate Bahamians is a success

Photography 8 – 9

Literary Lives 12 – 13

Gardening 10

Forgotten Facts 14

A love letter to Exuma through pictures, words and music A succulent trend

Holidays 11

Christmas traditions to create with your kids

THIS WEEKEND IN HISTORY December 18 • In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in the United States, was declared in effect by Secretary of State William H Seward.

• In 1940, Adolf Hitler signed a secret directive ordering preparations for a Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. (Operation Barbarossa was launched in June 1941.)

• In 2008, W Mark Felt, the former FBI second-in-command who’d revealed himself as “Deep Throat” three decades

The sassy songstress embraces love and change The seamy side of missionary work

Animals 15

Here comes Santa Paws, plus Pet of the Week

07 after the Watergate scandal, died in Santa Rosa, California, at age 95.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Cicely Tyson is 96. Rock musician Keith Richards is 77. Movie producerdirector Steven Spielberg is 74. Movie reviewer Leonard Maltin is 70. Actor Ray Liotta is 66. R&B singer Angie Stone is 59. Actor Brad Pitt is 57.

Professional wrestler-turned-actor “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is 56. Pop singer Sia is 45. Actor Katie Holmes is 42. Singer Christina Aguilera is 40.

Electro-pop singer Billie Eilish is 19

December 19 • In 1843, “A Christmas Carol,”

by Charles Dickens, was first published in England.

• In 1915, legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf was born in Paris. German

My perfect Bahamian Christmas

Nakita Cash Ta l k s h o w host

Q: Real Christmas tree or an artificial one?

“I love real trees. I love the smell of real trees in the house; it is very relaxing. It makes the house feel like Christmas and they are beautiful.”

Q: Fruit cake or rum cake?

“Even though I don’t drink alcohol, I prefer rum cake over fruit cake; especially rum cake with the nuts.

It is delicious. I hate fruit cake; too many things in it. It tastes awful.”

Q: If you could have Christmas dinner with a celebrity family, which one would it be?

“I would chose Oprah Winfrey and her family, because she is my hero. I look up to her and aspire to be like her. As we eat Christmas dinner, I would love her to tell me about success and how she became one of the richest women in the world.”

Q: What will you miss the most this Christmas

psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the pathological condition of dementia, died in Breslau (now Wroclaw), Poland, at age 51.

• In 1998, President Bill Clinton was impeached by the Republicancontrolled House for perjury and obstruction of justice (he was subsequently acquitted by the Senate).

Today’s birthdays: Actor Jennifer Beals is 57. Magician Criss Angel is 53. Model Tyson Beckford is 50. Actor Amy Locane is 49. Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is 48. Actor Alyssa Milano is 48. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is 40. Journalist Ronan Farrow is 33.

December 20 • In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred

due to Covid-19?

“I will miss Junkanoo the most. I love Junkanoo so much. I love to see the creativity of our Bahamian artists. We have the greatest festival in the world.”

Q: Other than home, where would you most like to spend Christmas?

“Paris, France has always been my dream vacation.

I studied French in school.

I never knew anyone who lived in Paris until December 31, 2018. I was driving my taxi and met an amazing man, Herman. I was his driver and photographer the entire trip and he invited me to come to Paris. So I am super excited for my husband Jamaal and my family to visit Paris to spend time with Herman so he can be our taxi driver and photographer.

We would love to go to the Eiffel Tower and take lots of photos.”

from France to the United States.

• In 1924, Adolf Hitler was released from prison after serving nine months for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch (a failed coup d’état by Nazi Party) • In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.

Today’s birthdays: Original Mouseketeer Tommy Cole (“The Mickey Mouse Club”) is 79.

Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 74. Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 74. Actor Jonah Hill is 37. Actor Bob Morley (“The 100”) is 36. Singer JoJo is 30.

- The Associated Press

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 18, 2020

interview

Historic Bahamian appointment to Human Rights Commission Dante Bazard Jr to serve three-year term as Commissioner of Prince Edward Island, Canada

D

ante Bazard Jr’s confirmation this month to the Prince Edward Island Human Rights Commission is not only a first for a Bahamian, but for Black people in the province. At 27, he is the youngest appointee named by the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province. He will serve a term of three years. Commissioners are selected for their in-depth knowledge and expertise in human rights issues as well as matters relating to vulnerable populations, public policy, social values, and concepts of fairness, justice, and public service.

“My goals are to increase representation for the Black, indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) communities in all areas of governance and make a difference in this position,” he said. “As a Black male I am well aware of the experiences and struggles of marginalized communities and hope to aid in the fight for justice.”

The 2011 Queen’s College graduate is the eldest son of Dr Dante Bazard and former Senator Cheryl Bazard.

“We are proud of Dante’s accomplishments and know that he will make a meaningful impact for BIPOC in Prince Edward Island and bring honour to his country at the same time,” said his parents.

In his new role he will help to enforce Prince Edward Island’s Human Rights Act. The Commission settles disputes through mediation. If warranted, it investigates to determine the merit of the allegation. The commission also has the power to hold a public hearing to establish the veracity of a discrimination complaint.

“Dante is so brilliant and he’s going places. Prince Edward Island needs Dante to be a greater province,” said Gordon McNeilly, chairman of the committee

“Black pioneers before me made it possible so that I can break down barriers and occupy positions of power.” responsible for the appointment in an interview with Canadian newspaper The Guardian. Brenda Picard, the Commission’s executive director was also quoted in the article: “I think that his experience, not only as a Black man, but his experience as a younger person and his experience with anti-oppression training, community engagement and policy advising are all going to be really useful skills and experiences he comes to the commission with.”

Mr Bazard is a 2016 graduate of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

Initially, his plan was to become a psychologist. Taking Dr Colleen MacQuarrie’s “Social Justice and Psychology” class his junior year changed his mind.

“Dr MacQuarrie became my mentor. She introduced me to the research aspect and the work of antiracism, fightBAHAMIAN Dante ing oppression, identifying Bazard Jr was apbiases and white privilege. pointed to Canada’s It paved the way for my Prince Edward entry into human rights Island’s Human advocacy.”

Rights Commission Ironically, it was in the on December 3.

Bahamas where Mr Bazard said he first experienced

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, December 18, 2020

PRINCE Edward Island racial profiling. In 10th grade, Bazard and his family moved to Paradise Island. During his time in high school, he would frequently be stopped

by PI police while walking home with his younger brother and cousin.

“When you’re in a majority black neighbourhood in the Bahamas, you’re fine,” he said. “I didn’t know at the time what was happening because I wasn’t able to identify it, but we had to prove that we lived there. We had to point out our home.”

He did not connect the harassment to race until later, as a college student in Canada.

“Racism and oppression came when I went away to college. It was covert and overt. It was the first time I was called the N-word aggressively. It stemmed not only from being Black but also from being from a small country. The experience fuelled my passion to go into human rights.”

In his third year at UPEI, Mr Bazard formed the school’s first Caribbean Society to bolster Black representation on campus and create a sense of community for students who hailed from the

“Dante is so brilliant and he’s going places.

Prince Edward Island needs Dante to be a greater province.” region. Following graduation, he went on to obtain a Master of Science in clinical criminology from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom (UK). After the brutal murder of George Floyd, Mr Bazard helped organise a Black Lives Movement March along with the Black culture society and BIPOC United for Strength, Home, Relationships (USHR). With over 10,000 people in attendance, it was the largest gathering in Prince

Edward Island history. At the event, Mr Bazard gave a speech entitled, “Take action”.

Mr Bazard is a founding member of BIPOC USHR and ASDA (Atlantic Student Development Alliance). His work with the former involves anti-oppression training, community engagement, and policy advising. The latter centers around college students’ professional development and helping bridge the gap between tertiary education and employment, particularly for international students.

Along with his passion for human rights and social justice, Mr Bazard is an accomplished researcher who is working on various academic publications with UPEI. One area of research analyses police discourse when officers investigate sexual and physically violent crimes. Another study area is youth development and recovery post COVID-19.

Said Mr Bazard: “Black pioneers before me made it possible so that I can break down barriers and occupy positions of power. I hope to do the same for the future generations.”

28 Rip lady off in a quick way (7)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

22 Important officer (5)7 Drying; righteous; 24 Marshland was 8Friday, Study; 13 Breathe; December redeveloped by 15 Closed; 16 Scamp; politician (5)

17 Grisly; 20 Annul.

EAm i cu r l r

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 Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

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

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

TODAY’S TARGET Good 27; very good 40; excellent 53 (or more). Solution tomorrow

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

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

BATTLESHIPS CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Isn’t involved with change benefiting from correction (10) 6 Eat nothing on return from work (4) 10 Ideal group to play an eightsome reel? (5) 11 A burning romance somehow holds it back (9) 12 Oliver sees worm wriggling in retreat (8) 13 Some who telephone for accommodation (5) 15 Takes a risk with the odds (7) 17 Cocktail for a fellow traveller? (7) 19 Iris lends colour to it (7) 21 Parson crazed with love for a highly vocal female (7) 22 Directions to prosecute follow (5) 24 Masterful man I don’t have to replace (8) 27 I’m so taken back by it in any display of ill will (9) 28 Swim before one can walk (5) 29 A bit of a teaser but no real difficulty (4) 30 Won’t livestock be sold by it? (4,6)

1

2

3

4

Down 1 Dog food? (4) 2 Showing unusual talent are to take turns (9) 3 Add ‘em up and get this figure (5) 4 Uncle is out to get us; that’s the heart of the matter (7) 5 Unnecessary loss of a point irritates (7) 7 The essential part of decimals (5) 8 One’s hotel accommodation (6,4) 9 Deposited on the shore - or on the rocks (6,2) 14 Increase the rate (10) 16 Guard of honour (8) 18 Its members were bound to work under strict supervision (5,4) 20 Fear of redundancy drove him to breaking point (7) 21 Breed of dog that will change some day (7) 23 Heaven’s above! (5) 25 Pearl’s mama is seen in northern area (5) 26 Boring note (4)

5

6

7

8

9 10

11

12

13

14 15

16

17

19

22

20

23

24

18

21

25 26

27

29

28

30

Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Bolster, 5 Set up, 8 In essence, 9 Tin, 10 Debt, 12 Farewell, 14 Poorly, 15 Nobody, 17 Eventual, 18 Fell, 21 Ape, 22 On standby, 24 Lofty, 25 Abysmal.

Down: 1 Build, 2 Lie, 3 Task, 4 Rental, 5 Skeleton, 6 To the core, 7 Penalty, 11 By oneself, 13 Gluttony, 14 Prevail, 16 Nausea, 19 Loyal, 20 Zany, 23 Dim.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Nomadic, 5 Reaps, 8 Downright, 9 Sue, 10 Rift, 12 Famished, 14 Nieces, 15 Letter, 17 Subjects, 18 Acid, 21 Era, 22 Enclosure, 24 Godly, 25 Spinner.

Down: 1 Nadir, 2 Mew, 3 Dora, 4 Cognac, 5 Retailer, 6 Aesthetic, 7 Spender, 11 Freeboard, 13 Cemetery, 14 Nest egg, 16 Stocks, 19 Drear, 20 Gobi, 23 Urn.

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Inappropriate (3,2,5) 6 Pack tidily (4) 10 Room in the roof (5) 11 A pungent seasoning (9) 12 Restore confidence to (8) 13 Private teacher (5) 15 A different one (7) 17 Pillage (7) 19 Act as peacemaker (7) 21 Determine (7) 22 A specialised market (5) 24 To disregard (4,4) 27 Swing to and fro (9) 28 Subject of talk (5) 29 To spring (4) 30 Immediately adjoining (4,4,2)

Down 1 Elliptical (4) 2 Having as a benefit (2,3,4) 3 Actual occurrences (5) 4 A hard bright varnish (7) 5 Coagulate (7) 7 Stealing (5) 8 Sadly (4,6) 9 Morally good (8) 14 Pleasing to the ear (10) 16 Celestial (8) 18 Moroseness (3,6) 20 Make amends for (7) 21 A detail (7) 23 A recurrent round (5) 25 Excel in performance (5) 26 Resound (4)

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

Solution tomorrow 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 2

B

2

C

1

D

4

E

2

F

2

G

1

H

3

I

1

J

2 4

2

1

3

1

1

3

P I S N C V

M U H N E S

O P E H Q S

C F T A D P

2

1 x Battleship

3 x Destroyer

2 x cruiser

4 x submarine

cAn you crack the Alphabeater? EachthE grid alph targEt Ext number represents a letter – or black square.

090 across: Brocad halfpENNy As in Alphapuzzle, every letter of the alphabet (Dedu flanhave flap to flay flea theFragment, each e isaleph used. elan But you complete grid too! Stigm Assume, halethehalf HALFPENNY use given letters andheal blackheap squares below Bottle, Busk, Maze, Lan henna hyena lane leaf leafy lean the grid to start. the grid is ‘rotationally 090 Abject, S leap nape neap pale pane symmetrical’ – in other words,panel it looksdown: the *Calls c Grumble, Raffia peal ifpean penalthe penna your same you turn pageplan upside down. net Pedals, Behind, plane play plea yeah Solution tomorrow Bout, Quango, L A 34 14 32 21 25 18 2 29 2 31 B C 37 8 20 6 37 34 1 5 30 20 D E 17 35 7 24 19 15 4 8 34 5 F G 10 12 26 36 2 28 36 13 20 34 H I 36 14 10 29 35 18 21 27 12 18 J K 37 8 3 20 33 38 36 12 23 11 L M 9 1 Yesterday’s 12 28 10 27 12 39 37 24 N O 27 Kakuro 31 37 Answer 8 40 10 38 37 40 20 P Q 11 29 19 15 40 35 5 14 21 27 R S 32 20 19 2 3 37 40 11 19 7 T U 28 38 15 18 36 21 34 8 6 39 V W 16 34 1 22 12 15 1 25 10 34 X Y 35 1 29 24 23 31 16 35 12 15 Z 1 21

A

1

T S O D C H 2020 G G A E B E F S B S P E

THE ALPHABEATE

TARGET 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.

M O 18, W E R C

2

3

22

W

23

4 24

5 25

6 26

F

7

8

Y■

27

28

■

9 29

10

11

30 31

12 32

■

13

14

33

34 35

15

● Alternatively, for six Extra Letter clues to you text DXBEAT to 84901. Texts cost £1 plus your usua

KEIJO 2 3

1

2

2

1

4

4

2

3

4

1

2

3

1

3

4

a

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, December 18, 2020

entertainment

Local artists are elevated in successful virtual awards show

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

T

HOUGH it was not presented under the most ideal circumstances, this year’s Elevation Media Awards Show garnered hundreds of viewers who watched as talented professionals in their respective fields were honoured during a virtual event.

Organisers of this year’s Elevation Awards thought long and hard about cancelling the event due to the pandemic. But instead, settled on a weekend of virtual activities to commemorate the awards, which turned out to be a success.

The Virtual Experience Weekend stated with The IElevate Entertainment Summit featuring entertainment professionals who spoke on various topics pertaining to the entertainment industry.

The award show was hosted by Apryl Donna and Kedar Clarke. The night opened with a rake n’scrape mash-up performance featuring Shine, Blaudy and Nishie LS, followed by a heartfelt performance by Patrice Murrell singing her latest single, “Be Ok”.

Another highlight of the event was a tribute to the late MDeez featuring Judah Tha Lion and BoBo Ken performing some of his top hits.

Another show-stopping tribute performance was done by musician Victor Johnson to Isaiah Taylor.

Wendi came through with a medley of her latest hits “In Front of You” and “Walk Out”, and Cara T Newton and Eman uplifted our spirits with atheir gospel hits “He Reigns”and “I Just Need a Minute”.

“Luckily, because the awards are always broadcasted live, it was not a challenge to divert to a fully virtual experience, also with digital content being produced through The Elev8tion Now platform, we were not out of our comfort zone,” said Travis Edgecombe.

The top winners of the night were: Patrice Murrell - Female Artist of the Year; Julien Believe - Male Artist of the Year; Cara T Newton - Gospel Song and Collaboration of the Year; Jaquay Adderley - Entertainer and Sketch Comedian of the Year; Shine - New Artist and Traditional Song of the Year; Najie Dun - Gospel Artist and Gospel Music Video of the Year; Baha Men - Music Video of the Year, and Zhane’o Newbold -People’s Choice Award.

Also, the Ronnie Butler Lifetime Achievement Award went to Isaiah Taylor and the Trailblazer Award to Andrew “Drew Harmony” Gardiner.

BAHA Men

JAQUAY Adderley

PATRICE Murrell

SHINE

CARA T. Newton

JULIEN Believe

NAJIE Dun

ZHANE’o Newbold

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 18, 2020

film

Plant trends:

succulents E verything goes through trends: music, shag carpet, open floor plans, skinny jeans, garden design, and plants too!

Caladiums and chrysanthemums were a rage in years past. While those two plants have fallen out of favour in the last decade or so, locally, a trend that has sustained itself for quite some time now is the fondness for succulents. It only makes sense, they are quite easy to care for, and they are tolerant of being neglected. Succulent plants, also known as “succulents�, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions.

Succulents are popular amongst new gardeners and the well-seasoned veteran because of the ease of care, and for the wide variety available, with lots of hybridization and breeding being done on them. The fact that they love it dry can lead to some issues when they are planted outdoors, particularly in the rainy season.

Succulents are ideal for a covered area, indoors, or on patios. It is entirely possible to grow them successfully outdoors though, and it all comes back to the roots. Good drainage is essential. I have grown succulents in many types of planting media, everything from peat and perlite, to cactus mixes, and now, clay pebbles.

It has been a lot of trial and error for me to finally understand succulents, and what growing conditions they respond well to. If you have tried succulents without success, I have found the

solution! I have only recently started using clay pebbles to transplant cacti and succulents into, and I am happy with the results. Large amounts of airspace, with small amounts of water holding capacity seems the ideal thing for these plants.

As with any gardener, I lose plants too, with nine out of 10 losses coming from too much water, and succulents are one of the quickest types to go backwards in the presence of too much moisture in the potting or planting media. Indoors, I add water to cacti and succulents very seldom. A month can go by without watering and they seem to hang right in there. Whether you are using succulents indoors or out, be sure to use a fast-draining potting or planting media and avoid containers or pots that are deep.

The trend of raised garden beds for planting vegetables and herbs continues to grow, raised beds are typically quite deep and they are ideal for growing edibles in, they are typically not

conducive to succulent type plants because of the depth. The roots of most succulents are typically quite small and not overly aggressive, and they are very susceptible to root rot when they are too wet, which easily happens when the containers are too deep.

Succulents can make a great gift and they can be combined in many combinations. The blues and pinks of Echeveria, the greens and red stripes of Sempervivum, the zebra striped leaves of Haworthia, or the Jade plant with it jade coloured oval shaped leaves, all thrive in the same or similar conditions. If you have a budding beginner gardener on your Christmas list, or a wizened master gardener who has been at it for a while, succulents can make a great statement and add beauty and simplicity to most any situation and are simple to care for once the conditions are right. If there is not enough light, succulents can look pale and skinny, it is best to find a location where they can get at least a small amount of natural light, it helps them to fatten up a little and brings deeper colours to the foliage. If they are kept in an office, on a desk or similar, it is recommended to take them out or place them near a natural light source every few weeks to give them a boost. They do perfectly well on a windowsill with a small amount of natural light or in a bright location with some direct sun. I encourage you to explore succulents.

Easy to grow, low maintenance, and relatively carefree, give succulents a try, and remember, a succulent garden makes a great Christmas gift.

Happy succulent gardening! • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.

The Tribune | Weekend | 11

Friday, December 18, 2020

holidays

Making Christmas traditions with your kids

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

N

ow that Christmas is a just one week away and the kids are finally finished with their home schooling, it’s time to put some jolliness into the season.

Here are a few fun and inexpensive ways to make it a more festive time with activities they will want to do every year.

Baking fun

Cookies are fun, but gingerbread houses are a tasty treat that require more than just basic baking skills. Kids will learn the art of construction and then they allow their creativity to run amok decorating to their heart’s content. You can snag one of the pre-fabricated kits, or if you are feeling really adventurous, you can go ahead and make the entire house and icing from scratch.

Tree decorating

While most trees today have taken on a more put-together Pinterest-inspired look, nothing screams nostalgia and family like being able to pull out those classic homemade ornaments.

Grab a ton of art supplies and make paper chains, popsicle stick stars, hand-printed ornaments, and create homemade tree decorations that will be fun to reuse every year.

Interactive tasks

Another idea is a scavenger hunt. Hop in the car and give each child a list of items they need to find as they drive around based on Christmas lawn decor. Items can include things like a wreath, Santa and the reindeers, nativity scenes, snowmen or candy canes.

Bonus points can be given if you spot harder items such as car bringing home a Christmas tree.

Just be sure to get home well before curfew.

Secret Santa

Another fun idea is to have secret Santa. This may be easier to do if you have a larger family where it will be harder to determine who is who.

Each child is responsible for doing something nice for someone else in the lead-up to Christmas Day. Maybe they will clean their room or do a chore without being told to do so.

Sing-alongs

Have an old-fashioned karaoke night. Let each family member prepare an act (you don’t even need a fancy karaoke machine, YouTube and a hairbrush will work just as well.)

End the fun with a good old sing-along of Christmas carols followed by a prize of delicious hot chocolate.

The whole point is to give joy to all the members of the family. Happy Holidays!

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 18, 2020

literary lives - Sarah Vaughan

The sassy songstress embraces love and change PART II Sir Christopher Ondaatje continues to write about the legendary American jazz singer who won four Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.

- Sarah Vaughan

“When I sing trouble can sit right on my shoulder and I don’t even notice.”

- Sarah Vaughan Vaughan married her second husband, Clyde “C B” Atkins, on September 4, 1959. It was an uneasy relationship and although Atkins had no management experience, Vaughan designated full managerial responsibility to him.

They bought a house in Englewood, New Jersey.

Vaughan’s contract with Mercury Records ended in late 1959, and she signed with the small label Roulette owned by Morris Levy, one of the backers of Birdland where she often appeared. A string of albums followed arranged and conducted

When her contract with Roulette ended in 1963, Golden negotiated another recording contract with Mercury Records. That summer she went to Denmark with producer Quincy Jones to record Sassy Swings the Tivoli, an album of live performances. This was the highlight of her second contract with Mercury. The next year she made her first appearance at the White House at the invitation of President Lyndon Johnson.

Music tastes changed in the 1960s. Changing demographics left many jazz musicians stranded with shrinking audiences and little new musical material. Although Vaughan always held her loyal fan base – enough to get bookings and maintain her career, she made fewer and fewer recordings as her voice darkened into a lower register. But her singing skills still remained undiminished.

When her contract with Mercury Records ended in 1967, she did not have a firm recording contract for another four years.

“I don’t know why people call me a jazz singer, though I guess people associate me with jazz because I was raised in it, from way back. I’m not putting jazz down, but I’m not a jazz singer ... I’ve recorded all kinds of music ...”

Although the professional relationship between Sarah Vaughan and George Treadwell, her manager and husband, was quite successful through the 1950s, she filed for divorce in 1958.

At the settlement, Treadwell, who had complete authority over financial matters, said that only $16,000 remained of their liquid assets. They divided the amount and ended their business relationship. She made her UK debut in 1958 at the London Palladium soon after the separation’ singing songs that included “Who’s Got the Last Laugh Now?”

Golden replaced Atkins as her manager and lover for the rest of the decade.

by a variety of orchestra leaders: Billy May, Jimmy Jones, Joe Reisman, Quincy Jones, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin and Gerald Wilson. She had pop chart hits with “Serenata”, “Eternally” and “You’re My Baby”.

Vaughan was unable to have children, so in 1961 Vaughan and her husband adopted a baby daughter, Deborah Lois Atkins, later professionally known as Paris Vaughan. However, her relationship with Atkins proved difficult and violent and, after several painful incidents, Vaughan filed for divorce in November 1963. She contacted two of her friends, club owner John “Preacher” Wells, a childhood acquaintance, and Clyde “Pumpkin” Golden Jr. She was a mess. They discovered that Atkins’ gambling and expenditures had put Vaughan $150,000 in debt.

The house the couple had bought in Englewood was seized by the IRS for non-payment of taxes.

Vaughan retained custody of their daughter, and

In 1971, Vaughan ended her relationship with Golden at The Tropicana in Las Vegas when she was introduced to Marshall Fisher – a concession stand employee. They were immediately attracted to each other and Fisher moved in with her in Los Angeles. He was white and seven years older than she was. He had no knowledge of the music business and no management experience, but Vaughan appointed him initially as her road manager, and then as her personal manager. Unlike her other managers and husbands, he treated her well and managed her career meticulously and efficiently. The relationship lasted for six years, but they never married. Fisher was responsible for working with Bob Shad, who had worked with Vaughan at Mercury, and had formed his own label Mainstream. Vaughan thus broke her four-year hiatus and signed a contract with Mainstream moving away from jazz and recording A Time in My Life with songs by Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Marvin Gaye – all arranged

by Ernie Wilkins. Her change in direction also included Sarah Vaughan and Michel Legrand with Legrand conducting an orchestra of over one hundred musicians – an album of his own compositions with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

She sang The Carpenters’ hit “Rainy Days and Mondays” on her album Feelin’ Good and Live in Japan­– her first live album since 1963. Sarah Vaughan and the Jimmy Rowles Quintet (1974) was a much more experimental album, allowing her to improvise while trying to break into the pop music market. Send in the Clowns was another attempt to crack the lucrative popular music field – much further away from the declining jazz and blues market which had made her name. The title

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, December 18, 2020

reunited with Tilson Thomas again for a modified version of the Gershwin programme with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The CBS recording of the event Gershwin Live! won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female.

“No matter how closely we dissect the particulars of her talent ... we must inevitably end up contemplating in silent awe the most phenomenal of her attributes, the one she was handed at birth, the voice that happens once in a lifetime, perhaps once in several lifetimes ... her voice had wings: luscious and tensile, disciplined and nuanced, it was as thick as cognac, yet soared off the beaten path like an instrumental solo ... her voice was a four octave muscle of infinite flexibility ...”

VAUGHAN and trumpet player Waymon Reed (1940 - 1983), both of the Count Basie Orchestra, in 1978.

(Photo by Chuck Fishman) ELLA Fitzgerald with Sarah Vaughan song, written by Steven Sondheim for the musical A Little Night Music, became her signature song.

Under the management of Fisher, Vaughan performed music by George Gershwin in 1974 at The Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, the performance was repeated in 1975 and 1976 with other symphonic orchestras in the United States.

She left Mainstream in 1976 and contracted with Atlantic Records to sing an album of songs

by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But the record was never made as Atlantic complained that the music contained no hits.

“I don’t know how they can recognise hits in advance. I don’t give a damn about record companies any more.”

- Sarah Vaughan Atlantic Records cancelled her contract.

In 1977, Vaughan travelled to South America: Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

She was followed by filmmaker Thomas Guy, who produced a documentary Listen to the Sun. It was her third tour of Brazil where she was received enthusiastically. She recorded I Love Brazil with Milton Nascimento, José Roberts Bertrami, Dorival Caymmi, and Anton Carlos Jobim. But there was no recording company to release it. So she appealed to Norman Granz for whom she had performed in one of his Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts Granz, who had once owned and then sold Verve Records, had founded Pablo and was dedicated to mainstream jazz and had recorded Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Clark Terry. In

VAUGHAN and Billy Eckstine in later 1978, he recorded Vaughan’s How Long Has This Been Going On?, a set of jazz standards backed

by Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Ray Brown and Louis Bellson. Granz agreed to release I Love Brazil. Both records were nominated for Grammy Awards.

In 1977, Vaughan ended her relationship with Marshall Fisher, and began a relationship with Waymon Reed, a trumpet player 16 years her junior who was playing with the Count Basie band. Reed joined her working trio as a musical director and trumpet player, and became her third husband in 1978.

Vaughan’s performance of her symphonic Gershwin programme with Tilson Thomas and the New Jersey Symphony in 1980 was broadcast on CBS and won her an Emmy Award the following year for Individual Achievement. She was

- Gary Giddins Author of Visions of Jazz (2000) Sarah Vaughan’s contract with Pablo ended in 1982 after which she made a number of studio recordings and appearances: Barry Manilow’s 2.00:AM Paradise Café (1984); and The Planet is Alive, Let It Live (1984), released by musical writer Gene Lees. She gave a concert at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris in 1985 (released posthumously on the Justin Time label) which features a breathtaking seamless connection between chorus and bridge of “If You Could See Me Now”.

She sang with Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras in a 1986 studio recording of two songs from South Pacific; and made her final album Brazilian Romance, produced by Sérgio Mendes, recorded primarily in the early part of 1987 in New York and Detroit. Vaughan made her last studio recording in Quincy Jones’ album Back on the Block (1989) which included a brief scatting duet with Ella Fitzgerald – the only time she had made a studio recording with Fitzgerald in a career that had started 46 years earlier when she opened for Fitzgerald at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem.

Sarah Vaughan’s health began to deteriorate in 1989, although she did not reveal any of her symptoms in her performances. During an engagement at New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club in 1989 she was diagnosed with lung cancer and was too ill to finish her final series of public performances. She was very brave.

Vaughan went back to her home in Los Angeles and began chemotherapy, spending stays in the hospital and days at home. She died on the evening of April 3, 1990 while watching her actress daughter Paris Vaughan in a television movie.

NEXT WEEK: The story of a celebrated writer and transgender trailblazer • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; Visions of Jazz (2000) by Gary Giddins; and Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan (2009) by Leslie Gourse.

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 18, 2020

history

The seamy side of missionary work

By PAUL C ARANHA | Forgotten Facts

T

he Quarterly Report that the Anglicans in the Bahamas sent to England for over 100 years contains the best descriptions of life in the Bahamas, particularly in the Out Islands. They are written by well-educated churchmen about their real-life experiences. Today, I offer an excerpt from the September 1913 Report: “In such a land of sunshine as ours, the glow of the skies is apt to tinge our pens and make us anxious to hide some of the difficulties of work. Nor is it fair (to ourselves, nor to those who are deeply interested in our Mission) that its work should be painted in too rosy colours.

Years ago, when I was an Out-Island priest, friends had a habit of writing, in envious terms, of my opportunities of yachting. How they would like to share an opportunity for just one voyage. They fancied seeing themselves preparing to embark, arrayed in faultless flannels, aboard a yacht, wellappointed and provisioned, the most favourable weather being assured, and secure harbours being nightly arranged. I will not be boastful or fretful, or any otherwise than perfectly contented, if I expose such fallacies. ‘Yachting’ is not our term, we call it ‘work’, usually with a larger degree of excitement than the real work affords.

Our barque lies but a stone’s throw from the shore, a ragged looking little craft that seems to bear traces of having been whitewashed, in some earlier life. Her sails are as flimsy as attic curtains, and her ropes would ordinarily be consigned to the rag merchant. Anyhow, this is our barque, as good as most other island boats. We contemplate the dinghy, which is to convey us - a thing which instinctively reminds us of washing day at home, and as we nimbly jump in and our yachting trip has begun. The dinghy rises and falls, and as she falls, fountains play through, her upper scams, while Francisco the cook bales with a saucepan.

But the distance is not far and after a short, but exciting, race we clamber aboard.

With accommodation for only two, a dozen passengers are squeezed aboard, plus a mixture of sisal fibre, vegetables, and the refuse of last season’s pineapple shipments. From her, I learn more in twenty-four hours than I could on a summer’s cruise up the Mediterranean. This getting aboard may have taken hours, or it may have taken a week, but at last with a mighty deal of racket we get under way. It seems a point of honour with most island crews to saturate themselves with bad gin before starting on a voyage and I prepare for excitement. Perhaps the boom will knock a couple of passengers overboard or, even worse than that, a respected resident’s pig, on its way to market.

When a meal is prepared, serviettes and cutlery are dispensed with. I would like to dispense with the meal too, for it is served in primitive style, and there is a primitive flavour about it, especially if fish is on the menu. Fortunately, there is a transitoriness about all earthly things, and tin spoons and bilgy drinking water, alike, come to an end.

Night comes, and I think of Edward Young’s ‘Tired nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep.’ It is just what I want, after hours of ineffectual attempts to find rest, while balanced on elbows and haunches. But Young was a poet, not an island missionary. We Bahamian ‘yachtsman’ wear our old clothes at sea, and so do the other passengers, the older the better. On board, nature is represented by onions, and potatoes, and legs, and heads, and arms, all mixed in indescribable confusion, but there is no balmy sleep. All the effervescent forms of life, unmentioned in Noah’s account of the Ark, are there, the ceaseless activity of the night hours, so the helmsman’s shouting ‘Day coming!’ meets with a deep sigh of relief.

An island missionary, unless he possesses independent means of his own, “enjoys a poverty

A CLERGY home on an Out Island

more intensely realistic than most of those religious Orders which take vows of poverty”. His income is £150, and with this he supports a wife and family, a mission boat, a horse, and keeps his rectory in repair, besides being the sole stay of the many of his parishioners, who need succour.

Even the bishop does not always understand why going to Nassau for a Retreat or Synod is often impossible. The missionary’s clothes look all right in the island, but they are apt to appear seedy on Bay Street, Nassau, So, as he makes his rounds among his bunch of churches, and from his meagre resources provides their needs, he smiles as he reads the last episcopal command, insisting upon a holiday in England next year; and he returns to his rectory, after weeks of wandering, content with the happiness he finds there, but well conscious that neither he nor his are deriving what our islands can afford, to enable the proper performance of work.”

P.S. I noticed that the author’s identity was not revealed.

• For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com

The Tribune | Weekend | 15

Friday, December 18, 2020

animals

Here comes Santa Paws!

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year! As we all get ready for the 25th of December, the last few days that lead into that special day tend to be a bit hysterical and rather stressful.

I must admit that this year has not been nearly as stress-filled as there are none of the habitual parties and deadlines.

We can only mix with a few friends and relatives, so the cooking demands are not as great. COVID has made us tone everything down more than a few notches.

How pleased our pets must be to not have all the hustle and bustle in the house. No constant flow of visitors, and we are not all rushing out at night, coming home in the wee hours of the morning.

No, this year we can sit and admire our handiwork as we gaze at the tree, turn on some music and cherish those things that we can’t buy.

If nothing else comes out of all of this frustration and fear, it will be, I suspect, a reset button that has enabled us all to take a few steps back and see what is really important.

These past nine months have given us a chance to reinvent ourselves, learn new skills and enjoy our pets, as we have never had the opportunity to do before.

I work in real estate and a vast amount of my time is spent at my desk working, my five dogs taking turns watching my every move. If I get up to go to the kitchen I have a convoy of waggy tails following behind me. It is very sweet really. I haven’t figured out if they are afraid of losing me, or if they feel they might miss something interesting (like food), or if they just feel that I need the company.

I think we all need the company.

People who do not have pets do not actually know what they are missing out on. The contented sigh of one or two (or more) animals in the evening when you are watching TV or working at your desk somehow completes the feeling of home.

This Christmas is a great time to see if you can get a good photo of

your best furry friend. I am very happy with this shot of Chief. He posed just long enough before giving a shake and sending the Santa hat flying.

I see that Pet Heaven is having a special event on the 19th of December where you can have your pet’s photo taken with Santa, If you plan to do a photo of your pet with Santa it is always best to go to an event sponsored by pet/animal people because they will have an animal friendly Santa who knows how to behave around a pet that may be a little bit apprehensive. Some pets are just not going to be happy with a larger than life human dressed in an intimidating red suit booming out ‘ho ho hos’ at intervals. If that is the case, respect their wishes and leave them in the cool somewhere.

The social pet that enjoys the attention can go and see Santa. The Pet Heaven event is from 9.30am to noon on this Saturday. Remember that there is a competition for the best dressed fur baby and the most photogenic. Chief is one of those dogs who would prefer to stay home, but he is almost 15 years old now.

Whilst on the topic of pets and holidays, every year I remind you about fireworks and dogs.

Most dogs are very frightened of fireworks.

Please bring your dogs in. If there are dogs that live outside, secure them in the garage or wash house for the night. Some animals get so afraid that they honestly “lose it”; they escape from the yard, scale walls, dig under fences, SANTA Chief and they run away, far away

pet of the week

from the noise. They have no idea where they are going, so panicked that they don’t check crossing the road, and frequently get hit by a car and are injured or killed.

So let’s hit that reset button and remember the firework warning. It would be amazing if the BHS could say they had no lost or found dogs reported this Christmas or New Year’s Eve. It doesn’t take much effort.

The season for giving is upon Photo/Linda Gill-Aranha) us and we will all be supporting food banks and toys for kids. The Humane Society would welcome any bags or cans of food you care to share, so that we can help those families who lack the funds right now to buy pet food.

Don’t forget donation cards are available if you wish to give a gift of

By THE BAHAMAS love in somebody’s name as a Christ- HUMANE SOCIETY mas present.

NEEDED: A home for Christmas

Chief and I wish you a very safe Christmas!

“P

lease adopt me! Hi, I’m Garvin, Gavin, Gerhard, no... Gary! I’m about one year old and I love attention.

See how I’m looking at you begging you to take me home? My long fluffy hair is sure to attract your attention! I’m young and playful and would love a home with another canine, but I’ll be fine on my own, too. I’d enjoy beach times and yard space, and just knowing I have a home of my own for the holidays. Are you that home? If so, please come to the Bahamas Humane Society to meet me, or call 323-5138 for more information. I look forward to shaking your paw!”

• BHS Raffle tickets are now available. The grand prize is $10,000 worth of groceries from Super Value, and the other prizes are amazingly useful coupons, too.

Tickets are $5 each or a book of 21 for $100. Pick yours up today at the BHS or at Fox Hill Nursery.

The drawing is December 29.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, December 18, 2020

culture

The Bahamas takes centre stage in Florida

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

B

AHAMIAN culture will be front and centre for an international audience as part of an 18-month long exhibition in Florida.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation (BMOTA) has teamed up with the organisers of the Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education (SPACE) Caribbean Museum to showcase the history, authentic Junkanoo culture and straw industry of the Bahamas. Island SPACE is mounting an 18-month long exhibit at the Westfield Broward Mall in Plantation, Florida, to put on display diverse aspects of Caribbean culture.

The first six months of the exhibit will be solely dedicated to the Bahamas. An official opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Mall sometime in January 2021.

Island SPACE is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development and advancement of arts, culture, history and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region in South Florida and the broader diaspora community. The organisation produces numerous cultural events, including Taste of the Islands Festival.

According to Calibe Thompson, executive director of the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, the main thrust of hosting an initiative such as the upcoming one is to introduce people from all parts of the US to the diversity that can be found in Caribbean nations that are but a stone’s throw away.

“Our goal through the creation of this 1,500 square foot Caribbean Museum project is to educate and inform of our history, promote diversity, build cultural tolerance and celebrate our ancestry, heritage and common traditions of the Caribbean.

The Caribbean diaspora and influence in South Florida are substantial. In fact, according to the 2017 Census data, one in every four persons in South Florida is of Caribbean decent,” she said.

The exhibition will run for 18 months at the Broward Mall, and a different Caribbean destination is expected to be featured every six months.

“Westfield Broward Mall is not only the central hub for people from the Caribbean, but it also attracts a number of Florida residents and other visitors who frequently visit the Bahamas.

Given that Bahamas has always promoted its offerings to US visitors, the collaboration with Island SPACE made perfect sense,” said Betty Bethell-Moss, Director of Sales and Marketing at BMOTA. “The opportunity to partner with Island SPACE in this promotion was a logical one and perfect

marriage for us. One of our major goals has been to stimulate travel to the Bahamas by staying visible within the market as we seek to keep the Bahamas at the top of mind with consumers. We know that people want to travel, experience a different culture and connect while doing so. Florida is so close to us, less than 50 miles away, so this is quick, easy and safe to do so.”

She added: “The Bahamas has a rich, diverse and colorful history. Through this interactive exbibit we are able to tell our own story, beginning with the history of those who came before us, from the Lucayan Indians to the Loyalists, enslaved Africans, colonialism, as well as the development of the various trades, all of which have shaped who we are as a people and are highlighted in our video and audio presentations and replicated in our authentic Junkanoo and straw craft displays.”