CARIBBEAN NEWS
Vol. 3, No. 2
May, 2005
WILLEMSTED, CURACAO (BBC/CARIBBEAN-4/9/05)- Curacao voted overwhelmingly to break away from the Netherlands Antilles and become an autonomous country within the Netherlands. However, residents on the island of St. Eustatius have voted to remain in the 5-island federation. Because of this, it will be difficult for the efforts of the other 4 islands to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles.
In Curacao, 68% voted for autonomy. In Oct. 2004, a report recommended that the Netherlands Antilles be disbanded. The Jesurun Commission recommended that Curacao and St. Maartin be made autonomous and the other 3 territories (St. Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire) administered directly by the Dutch government.
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (EXPRESS-4/10/05)- All of the People’s Mall; 6 stores,1 restaurant and a Government office were destroyed in a fire in the downtown area here. The fire blazed for more than 8 hours due to a shortage of water, strong winds and tenders that kept breaking down.
A preliminary estimate placed losses at $25 million. Arson may be the cause.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (BBC CARIBBEAN- 4/13/05)- The House of Assembly has approved legislation paving the way for the island to formally end its relationship with the British Privy Council. It effectively makes the Caribbean Court of Justice, inaugurated April 16, the final court of appeal for Barbados.
Barbados is the 2nd English-speaking country in the region to replace the Privy Council. Guyana did so when it became a republic in 1970. Advocates of the court say it will bolster sovereignty in the region.
When activated, the Court will hear criminal and civil law appeals and arbitrate trade disputes originating from the Caribbean single trade market, which is to be launched this year. However, only Guyana and Barbados have completed legislation to adopt the CCJ as their final court of appeal.
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (DAILY NATION- 4/17/05)- Seated among the first panel of 6 judges of the Caribbean Court of Justice was its sole female justice, Desiree Bernard, a Caribbean woman of many firsts. At 66, she has the unique distinction in her native Guyana as: the first female High Court judge of the Supreme Court, the first woman Chief Justice and first female Chancellor of the Judiciary in the Commonwealth. Now, she has taken her place with distinction as the first female judge of the CCJ.
Madame Justice Bernard, single with an adopted daughter, has held membership in a number of international organisations and was a founding secretary of the Caribbean Women’s Association and a former president of the Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Associations.
TORTOLA, BR. VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 4/16/05)- Chief Minister Orlando Smith represented the BVI in Trinidad at the inauguration of the CCJ.
The Court has been installed as the highest judicial body for many countries in the region, ending their 170-year dependence on Britain’s Privy Council. The Court’s juristiction will extend to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Almost 700 people, including heads of regional governments and government ministers of a number of countries attended the inauguration. While most countries are ready to use the court for trade disputes, only Guyana and Barbados have adopted it as their final court of appeal. Jamaica and Trinidad are mired in political battles over the Court while other countries are facing administrative difficulties.
ST. MARY, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 4/3/05)- A former St. Mary’s parishioner has developed a drug from the Annatto plant that initially served as a cure for persistent sores but is now being used for other remedies including arthritis, and as an aphrodisiac.
Leonard Lewis, a Jamaican living in the U.S., and who last year brought “Cumsee Ointment” to the attention of the public has revealed that the product is in fact a derivative from annatto. Lewis is originally from Cumsee district in St. Mary. Before graduating from Michigan University, Lewis studied for 4 years at West Indies College.
He originally planned to market his product as a skin care lotion after introducing it to residents in St. Ann last year and seeing miraculous results. Persons with sores that were deemed untreatable are reportedly journeying from St. Mary, Portland, Trelawny, St. Elizabeth, Kingston and other parishes for treatment. At least one doctor has endorsed the lotion, saying he has seen results on patients with sores 10 years old.
Although Mr. Lewis is reluctant to give away the secrets of his lotion he says, “Some of the ingredients are local and could be made here, but the major ingredients can be found anywhere.”
Annatto grows wild in most of Jamaica’s parishes and is used in the Caribbean and Central America for a variety of remedies including heartburn, stomach ache, fever, headache, epilepsy and diabetes as well as a insect repellant and an aphrodisiac(?). It is also used as a food coloring. The parts of the plant used are the seeds, leaves, bark, roots and shoots.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER-4/17/05)- The incidence of poverty, measured by headcount, declined significantly in rural areas, but increased by almost 5% in the Kingston metro area, according to a report released jointly by the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Statistical Institute.
Government’s largest social assistance program is now PATH, with almost 6% of the population receiving benefits in 2004, with children being the main beneficiaries.
ST. CROIX, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 4/16/05)- Leaders of the British and U.S. Virgin Islands convened here for the first Inter-Virgin Islands Council meeting. Co-chaired by USVI Governor Charles Turnbull and BVI Chief Minister Orlando Smith, the council discussed common issues facing both territories and reviewed the structure of 11 committees that will deal with specific concerns such as sustainable use of the sea, law enforcement and disaster preparedness. (see related story- vol. 3, no. 1)
“The peoples of the BVI and USVI are forever connected”, said Smith. “We need a place where we can gather to work together to meet our common challenges and advance toward our common goals….In creating this council, we have created what I hope and expect will be a strong and enduring bridge between us.”
The next meeting of the council will be held within 3 months in the BVI.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 4/9/05)- Citing soaring fuel costs, one of the companies operating car barges between St. Thomas and St. John has raised its rates by more than 40% for a round trip. On April 1, Boyson Inc. raised round-trip fares for cars to $50 and one-way fares to $30. On Saturdays and Sundays, they are offering discounts to locals.
Officials at the other 2 barge companies operating between the 2 islands have not yet raised their $35 round-trip fares, although they left the possibility open. Anecia Sewer, CEO of Republic Barge Service said, “We realize that car ferries are the umbilical cord that connects St. Thomas to St. John and our customers rely on it.”
The 2 companies that operate passenger-only ferries running between the 2 islands also are looking to increase rates. Because these 2 companies have exclusive contracts with the VI government, any fare hike must be approved by the Public Services Commission. The commission has approved a $2 excess baggage fee for these ferries. It does not apply to carry-ons and packages.
TRELAWNY, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 4/5/05)- Irate residents hacked to death 2 men who were reportedly caught stealing yams. Two others managed to escape the angry mob.
Yam forms the economic backbone of most of southern Trelawny. Farmers cultivate the crop and sell mostly to middlemen who, in turn, sell to local or foreign markets.
According to the police report, the 4 borrowed a motor car and went to Mendez Town, where they raided various yam fields. They were attacked, in the act, by furious citizens with stones and machetes.
Steve Warren, a yam farmer and representative of the parish council, expressed regret that the citizens had resorted to vigilante justice. “I am sympathising, but when a thing gone too far, it gone too far”, he said. “This should be a warning for the rest that are doing the same thing.”
SCARBOROUGH, TOBAGO (TOBAGO NEWS- 4/15/05)- A 26-year-old welder who was found in possession of 20 grammes of marijuana was ordered to pay a fine of $5000 at once or serve 9 months prison time with hard labour. The defendant told the court he had no comment, having pleaded guilty to the charge.
In another case, a young Trinidadian defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $1500 or serve 90 days with hard labour for 2 grammes of ganja found in his shoe after he came off of the ferry from Trinidad. The man told the magistrate that he had come to Tobago for a party and brought the marijuana along. The magistrate replied, “When you come to party in Tobago, leave the marijuana in Trinidad.”
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT:
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 4/5/05)- Carnival fever has gripped Kingston, with thousands of revelers thronging the streets here, either as participants or spectators. The revelry began mid-morning on a brilliantly sunny day.
The colors of the costumes and body-painted designs were fabulous. There were feathers and fashionable faces, skimpy costumes, fun and a whole lot of frolic.
PARIS, FRANCE (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 4/14/05)- The French had the opportunity to enjoy “authentic Calypso” when a group of veteran Calypsonians performed here. The Mighty Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Mighty Bomber and Superior delivered some of the old-time classics which form the newly-released documentary, “Calypso at Dirty Jim’s”.
The performance in Paris is part of a European tour which will also take the artists to London and Germany.
Mighty Bomber stated, “Authentic Calypso, as we call it was, is, and will always be. Nothing can take away from it. The people who know calypso have always said we are the foundation and the foundation will always stand strong.”
Dirty Jim’s was a 1950’s Port of Spain nightclub that featured calypsonians and limbo dancers and was one of the city’s trendiest spots. The only evidence of its existence is a few photographs. However, a few year’s ago, a Frenchman named Jean Michel Gibert decided to recapture the essence of the time by producing the “Calypso at Dirty Jim’s” compilation.
Gibert, who has been living in Trinidad for the past 15 years said he fell in love with calypso music and wanted to capture the veteran Calypsonians singing in the acoustic style of the early 20th century. He worked with the Business Development Co. of Trinidad and Tobago and the United Nations Development Programme on this project which aims to preserve T&T’s culture.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 4/17/05)- Let’s go back to the beginning, when studio/session musicians were expected to not only arrange but also compose the music.
Bassist Jackie Jackson, who was a studio musician at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label in the ‘60’s says, “Singers would come with the lyrics and sometimes the melody of a song, but rarely with properly structured or constructed songs. When they enter the studio, they automatically go over to the session pianist who finds and sets the key, comes up with the intro and often the melody.”
The guitarists and bassist join in to configure keys, instrumental breaks, harmonies and progressions. If there was a horn section, they too would enter this process. Once this is complete and the song recorded, it was delivered to the producer to accept, reject or alter. For it was the producer who had the final say in what was released to the public- the songs he knew were good and would become hits.
This meant that producers like Duke Reid, Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd, Leslie Kong, Sonia Pottinger clamored to surround themselves with excellent musicians, composers and arrangers who could deliver the hit songs. These were the days when songs were complimented by an arrangement which was unique to that song.
Nowadays in our “riddim-driven” market, the process has been virtually turned on its head. Home studios rule the roost. The riddim is being promoted over the song and must have a host of artistes on it to sell.
The trend began in 1985 with King Jammy’s Sleng Teng riddim, Blood Fire Posse’s Rub-a-Dub Soldier and Tiger’s When. The revolution in technology saw the introduction of drum machines, synthesizers and sequencers. With the aid of a single piece of equipment like Midi or Pro-Tools and a computer program such as Fruity Loops, a single person can build rhythms, record voices and produce other instrumentation. This “Producer” will do this oft times without the experience of a musical background.
When the producer believes he has a suitable product, he shortlists a batch of 10 or 20 artistes who will ‘voice’ the riddim. They retreat to their home studios, write lyrics and record their voice-over, then return it to the producer. The producer therefore has no say or input in the production of the vocal track, the purpose of which is to compliment his rhythm. He does however have the option to scrap the project.
There is hope yet. Jamaican music is turning again because some of the master musicians have taken up the role of producer. Unfortunately, they will still face the problems of competing with money launderers who elicit payola in the local mass media.
SPORTS:
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 4/8/05)- Brian Lara reached his 27th Test Century in the final session of the second Test against So. Africa on his home Queen’s Park Oval. In doing so, he surpassed Sir Garry Sobers as the West Indies most prolific century maker.
The 35-year-old’s defiant century, in conjunction Shivnarine Chanterpaul(33 not out), brought West Indies to 184-3 after tea.
Lara, who is now level with former Australian captain Alan Border, is still 7 centuries behind the all-time record holders – India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar on 34. Also ahead of Lara on the list are Australians Steve Waugh and Sir Donald Bradman who made 32 and 29 respectively.
Lara also leap-frogged into 3rd place on the all-time list of leading run scorers with 10,094. Only Border(11,174) and Waugh(10,927) have scored more.
WEATHER:
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 4/2/05)- Colorado State University’s Dr. William Gray, one of the U.S.’ top hurricane forecasters is calling for another active tropical storm season, although a little lighter than last year’s. He is predicting 13 named storms, 7 that will develop into hurricanes with 3 of those achieving Category 3 or greater.
Last year, one of the most active in history, saw 15 named storms, 9 reaching hurricane status- 6 of them intense. Gray was off last year. He missed his predictions by 2 named storms, 2 hurricanes and 3 intense hurricanes, all on the low side.
Forecasters believe we are in the midst of a decades-long cycle of hurricane activity that began in the mid-1990’s. More tropical storms have formed in the past 10 years than in any decade since the U.S. began keeping records in the 1870’s.
In the Virgin Islands, the most destructive storm last year was Tropical Storm Jeanne with gusts as high as 90 mph. However, the islands were spared the brunt of Jeanne, which was devastating to Haiti a couple of days later, as well as Hurricanes Francis and Ivan, which passed just to the north and south respectively of the islands.
The official National Hurricane Center forecast for this season is to be released May 16.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 4/23/05)- Major thunderstorms bubbling up from South America rumbled across the territory dumping 3 inches of rain over St. Croix and 2 inches across St. Thomas/St. John, prompting the NWS to issue a flash flood warning. Another 2-4 inches of rain is expected.
The severe weather even caused a waterspout to appear over St. Thomas’ south side. There were no reports of the funnel touching ground.
AN UPDATE FROM ARAWAKROOTS NEWS:
Over the past 5 months, we have been reporting on the environmental problems in Guinia Gut on St. John. One person we have failed to mention in our updates has been long-time resident Paula Myles. She was a very vocal opponent of the initial dumping of sludge from the marine project at Susannaberg and has continued the struggle ever since.
Recently, she has taken the Devcon Corp. of Deerfield, Florida to task for the illegal dumping on St. John property the company owns. The following letter she wrote to them comes courtesy of Charlie Deyalsingh and is dated March 14, 2005:
Sirs:
Exactly a month ago I spoke to you about the appalling and illegal dumping on property you own(#7 Susannaberg) and lease to Llwelyn Sewer. I told you about the news clippings and correspondence I’ve kept over the years since Mr. Sewer first stripped all the trees from a residentially-zoned lot directly upgrade of the National Biosphere- federally protected land that guards the head of Guinea Ghutt, a valley flowing steeply south to the sea.
The stripping and subsequent dumping of truckloads of vehicle tires, barrels of used diesel oil and solvents, and construction debris has proceeded without a single permit from government agencies. The mountain of rubble now towers above a 2-story residential building just yards from it.
This illegal dump has been ‘inspected’ by local environmental agencies and ‘threatened’ with orders to cease on several occasions, but mysteriously continues unabated. Your promise was to look into this mess and get back to me as soon as possible. I’ve called several times and left messages for you, but to date have had no response.
I want to remind you that a similar illegal dumping of pond sludge was approved this past Fall by our local environmental agencies. But this time we took our complaint directly to stateside Federal agencies. The dumping was ended immediately. The planned project was stopped in its tracks.
We haven’t reported Devcon’s dumping to those Federal agencies yet, but we are prepared to do so along with petitions from local residents and a promise from the President of the VI Senate to work with us. We’re waiting to see if your firm will do the right thing.
Please contact me immediately. Show us that Devcon Corporation respects the rights of its residential neighbors and is willing to correct the damage already done to St. John’s fragile environment.
Looking forward to your reply.
Paula Myles
Never get weary, Paula!
