Successful September I wish you! Where does the time go? Well if you are busy enjoying the summer by attending several CropOver and Spicemas events, and by seeing your grandaughter frolic on the beach it goes quickly, and nicely!
It was another year of sweet tunes with some of my favourite Crop Over soca: "Soca You" by Adrian Clarke; "I Am Alive" by Red Plastic Bag; "Breakfast In Bed" by Lil Rick; "Feting Family" by Mikey; and "Jiggle Jiggle" by King Bubba! Some of my fave calypsoes were " Conversation With Bussa by Smokey Burke; "Kaiso Ain' Afraid by Structure; Sexual Harassment by Mr. Blood; Prayer for De Children by Donella, and Great Again by Jude Clarke. After a few tent nights, Soca Royale at Bushy Park, and the Calypso Finals at the Oval, and a Kadooment Day where I missed the live bands, especially a steelband on the road, I headed to Grenada for Spicemas!
There I enjoyed the Groovy Soca competition at the packed National Stadium but could not stay awake to even the middle of the Power Soca performances which ended after four in the morning! Chipping behind Flow Commancheros Steelband to their sweet renditions of Trouble in the Morning by Vaughn, Tombstone by Mandela Linkz, Pum-Pum by Scholar, and Get in Yuh Section by Little Natty and Thunda a.k.a. Wuss Ways was the highlight of Spicemas for me! Another highlight of my visit to Grenada was the Friday night after the finale Pretty Mas on Tuesday when I saw Kidnap Love, a well-crafted comedy written, directed and presented by Richardo Keens-Douglas! This slightly over 90-minute play was well received by an audience of around seven hundred at the Trade Centre as the six actors gave excellent performances. I heard it was repeated two weekends later to another appreciative audience of about four hundred and fifty patrons. It is certainly a drama that can be repeated internationally!
Now I am working on presenting a first for Canada: An Intimate Evening with Red Plastic Bag! It is a concert in a Toronto theatre where RPB will take us on a celebration of his forty year music journey! He will play his guitar while singing his classic hits, and he will be accompanied by Neu Jenarashun, an outstanding nine-piece band with three talented horn players! This special show takes place on Friday, October 26 at 8:30 p.m. at the Armenian Youth Centre Theatre, 50 Hallcrown Place in Toronto. For those who like sweet music, you will not want to miss it! Please contact me at alexbajan2018@gmail.com for more information.
In the meantime, I will leave you with a list of some of the best songs, in no particular order, of Crop-Over and Spicemas:

1. SOCA YOU - AC
2. BREAKFAST IN BED - LIL RICK
3. TROUBLE IN THE MORNING - VAUGHN
4. I AM ALIVE - RED PLASTIC BAG
5. FETING FAMILY - MIKEY
6. CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSSA - SMOKEY BURKE
7. KAISO AIN'T AFRAID/WE HAVE TO WORK - STRUCTURE
8. TOMBSTONE - MANDELA LINKZ
9. PUM PUM - SCHOLAR
10. RAIN - BOBO
11.BEST IN ME - IWEB
12.GIFTED - DASH
13. THE CCJ - ROOTSMAN KELLY
14. GREAT AGAIN - JUDE CLARKE
15. SEXUAL HARASSMENT - MR. BLOOD
16. PRAYER FOR DE CHILDREN - DONELLA
17. COME OVER/AH COMING OUT - BARACKA
18. DEAR FATHER - COLIN SPENCER
19. ADARA - IWEB
20. JIGGLE JIGGLE - KING BUBBA
21. PIECE AH DE ROCK - CHRYSTAL CUMMINS-BECKLES
22. MUDDA SALLY/TRUE STORY - LIL RICK
23. COUNTRY - BIGGIE IRIE
24. FEELING GOOD -SHELDON DOUGLAS
25. FUNKY BUSINESS - FIMBA (VincyMas)
26. FETE LOAN - SANCTUARY
27. AT LARGE - MARVAY
28. BOLD AND BRAVE - MR. DALE
29. GET IN YUH SECTION - WUSS WAYS a.k.a. Lil Natty & Thunda
30. THANK GOD FOR SOCA - PAPPY-BOI
31. TICK TOCK - STATEMENT
32. UP IN IT - BOYZIE
33. LOYAL SIDEMAN - BLAKA DAN
34. BILLBOARD - SEX CHANGE
35. CHANT OF THE SUMMER - SHORTPREE

Peace out!
aw

Since returning from Dominica in March it has been an enjoyable time in good ole Bim! I must say that Dominica was another great experience in my life. My first visit to Dominica was very different to my first trip to Nairobi and Maasai Mara in Kenya, and yet they were both enjoyable! Staying in Maasai Mara with the Me To We program was luxury that I did not expect but was quite welcome. Staying in Kalinago Territory and Canefield,next to the capital Roseau, in Dominica was a little rough but was very pleasant. I went to both places to do some volunteer building and a little sightseeing.  In the Masai Mara area, I was helping plaster walls for new classrooms at a local elementary school while in Kalinago Territory it was mainly making windows and doors for new mostly plywood small houses. In Masai Mara, my daughter Alexandra and I slept on beds in a large tent with bathroom and electricity. In Dominica, I slept on a mattress on the floor, limited solar lighting, and cold showers, except for one bath at a warm sulphur spring. Mind you I could have slept in a bed which a Carib couple, who had lost their entire house to hurricane Maria on September 18,2017 and who were staying at their son’s house, gave to me on my first night there. When I realized what was happening I had to insist that I sleep on the floor in the living room and they sleep in his bedroom. Their hospitality, especially my new friend’s mother, was outstanding during my stay!

So was the hospitality of their neighbours and many of the approximately 2,500 people who lived in hamlets with names such as Salybia, Mahaut, Sinekou, St. Cyr, Bataca, Touna Aute, Gaulette River, and Crayfish River in St. David parish. The resilience of these Caribs is wonderful. I did not do enough work to help families complete their mostly wooden houses made of plywood and hardwood from the nearby forest! I helped on only one of the few cement brick houses. There are some houses that have been built to withstand strong storms and they intend to build more, but I guess most persons just want to have their own homes after shacking up in shelters and tents for several months now. Electricity is lacking as many of the poles are down or leaning precariously over the rough roads. It is an extensive job for the water company DOWASCO, the electric company DOMLEC, and the Internet providers FLOW and DIGICEL to restore their services to pre-Maria levels!

I hope that they will concentrate more on this Carib Territory soon. Although there is plenty devastation one can still see and feel the beauty of this 15 square kilometres northeast coastal district. Indeed Dominica is a beautiful island!

In Bim I was pleased to attend the official launch of the Red Foundation at Holder’s House in St. James on March 17^th! “Le Diner en Rouge” was very tasty and most enjoyable as we were serenaded by Kellie Cadogan and Roger Gittens. They jazzed up several RPB tunes beautifully! Alvin Jemmott the Chairman of this charity in his brief address said, “ The Red Foundation grew out of the desire for renowned Caribbean entertainer and businessman, Stedson Wiltshire a.k.a. Red Plastic Bag (Bag), to give back to a society that has given so much to him.” Also, he said, “there is an old African proverb that says “It takes a Village to raise a child.”  It means that a child does not just grow up within a home, where there may be a single parent or a combination of parents, but a child will grow up in a community, a village.  That a child will not grow up just in a home but in a social world with input and understanding from the village.  That child will thrive if he lives surrounded by people who have a sense of community. A sense of community means that we all feel responsibility to promote the concept of love thy neighbor, that we look out for each other, be our brother’s keeper, be there for those who need us, respect others; and that the elders in each community seek to pass on wisdom, customs, standards and practices to the youth, in a way that helps them to grow and to also nurture the community.” He outlined that their “It takes a Village”  program is one that will seek to bring like-minded individuals and agencies together to work towards strengthening communities and facilitating guidance for at-risk youth in communities across the islands – home communities, geographical communities, school communities, and that Red Foundation will seek funding to assist these efforts. Stedson Wiltshire, the founder and patron, noted that The Red Foundation’s mission is to “mobilize people and resources to work together to relieve poverty, help those in need and elevate society through education and  community empowerment.”

The Board comprises Stedson Wiltshire  - Patron/ Founder; Alvin  Jemmott  - Chairman; Henderson Griffith - Deputy Chairman; Kim Deane  - Treasurer; Gail Callender  -  Secretary; Erica Smith, and  Dr. Juliet Daniel. I urge you to support this very worthy cause however you can! You may contact The Foundation by email: Redfoundationbarbados246@gmail.com.

Plenty Bajan activities in GTA this Autumn!

It's almost officially autumn and the weather continues to be nice this September in the Greater Toronto Area! Earlier this week I came back to Toronto from a very enjoyable Crop Over Festival and Carifesta 13 in Barbados. The Canadian contingent of Roger Gibbs, Macomere Fifi, Susan G., Moses Lewis, Judith Lezama, Rhoma Spencer, Michael Lashley, and at least thirty other artists represented well on the concert stage at the Esplanade on Bay Street in the parish of St. Michael and on stage during the Marketplace at the Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre during Carifesta! Alexandra and I especially liked the signal dance event at Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium where some of the most outstanding pieces were performed by excellent dancers from St. Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Belize, and Barbados!
Now I am looking forward to attending the 10th Annual Errol Barrow Memorial Dinner in Toronto on September 23rd where Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is the guest speaker, and Barbados Day in Ottawa the next day which will feature Allison Hinds, Red Plastic Bag, Lil Rick, Marvay, Susan G, Nikita,Rum and Koke,Elan Trotman, top chef Creig Greenidge, and mixologists Philip Antoine and Trevor Burnett, investment and tourist information,among other activities!
On October 14th I will be producing Laugh Fuh Days featuring two of the hottest young comedians of the Caribbean Chrispen Hackett and Simon Alleyne, better known as Rum and Koke! In the newly refurbished 600 seat De La Salle College Auditorium at 131 Farnham Avenue in Toronto it will be belly bursting laughter with this dynamic duo from Barbados! Roger Gibbs will be playing his guitar and singing some hilarious calypsoes and folk songs too. The flyer,with more information, will be available shortly.
In the meantime enjoy this beautiful warm weather,.... and donate what you can to the victims of Irma in Barbuda through the efforts of the Antigua and Barbuda Consulate on St. Clair Ave, and Tropicana Community Services in Scarborough. Also,here are some songs that you, family, and friends can enjoy. Peace out!

AW's BARBADOS 2017 CROP OVER FESTIVAL TOP TUNES!
1. BOATRIDE - RED PLASTIC BAG

2. PARADISE - TC & BUGGY NKENTE

3. BLESSING/ENERGY - LIL RICK

4. GIVE IT TO YUH - MARZVILLE

5. TAX-HE/BEGGAR/WINNERS CIRCLE - EDWIN

6. COLLATERAL - SHAQUILLE

7. ANTIDOTE - MARVAY

8. PICK ME UP - SANCTUARY

9. DE TWO OF WE - GRYNNER & RAS ILEY

10. ADVANTAGE OF ME - LIL RICK

11. SPLIT IN DE MIDDLE - FREEZY

12. ALL KINDA GIRLS/WAIT TILL TONITE - LIL RICK

13. LOVAH/SALESMAN/UP - I WEB

14. CARRY FESTIVAL/SAME WAY- NIKITA

15. INCREDIBLE GIRL - KIRK BROWN

16. REHAB - BIGGIE IRIE

17. SINGLE(ANSWER BACK)/HIGH - ALISON HINDS

18. UPSIDE DOWN - PETER RAM

19. DIP - HYPASOUNDS

20. RIGHT HERE- MR. DALE

21. SOCA MADE ME DO IT - KING BUBBA & LIL RICK

22. WOOD - SCRILLA

It's Spring! It's Festival time!

I just got back to Toronto from Barbados a few days ago and it was feeling rather cold! You are probably saying what does he expect when he is coming from thirty to ten degrees Celcius!Ah but it's warmer this week and will be hotter in more ways than one as Victoria Day weekend approaches. Actually, in about ten days it will be the very hot and sweet BARBADOS ON THE WATER FESTIVAL at Harbourfront Centre, downtown Toronto! From 6 p.m on Friday, May 26th until 7 p.m. on Sunday 28th you will experience Barbadian culture at its best! Outstanding musicians, thespians, artists, fashion, and tasty dishes will be features that you will not want to miss. Two very special presentations will be Laff It Off with Rum and Koke as the opening act, and Barrow: Freedom Fighter; the first two shows being some of the very best live comedy fresh from Barbados, and Barrow: Freedom Fighter a well-produced and acted docu-drama about the first Prime Minister of Barbados filmed in Barbados! Also, in concert there will be top notch performers Red Plastic Bag, Edwin, Arturo Tappin, Rupee, Mighty Grynner, Biggie Irie, Lil' Rick, Peter Ram, Marvay, King Bubba, Kellie Cadogan, Eddie and Quincy Bullen, Two Mile Hill Band, Gibbs Brothers, Susan G., Sonia Collymore, among others. Excellent chefs Craig Greenidge and Chris De La Rosa, and mixologist Philip Antoine will be giving demonstrations that will satisfy your taste buds! Please see full schedule below or check Harbourfrontcentre.com as Barbados salutes Canada's 150th Anniversary this month!

Joyful times in Bim as 2016 comes to an end!

Prince Henry of Wales, Rihanna, and Prime Minister Freundel Stuart

Special greetings to you at this holy time! It has been awhile since I blogged. Tempus fugit! It is now officially winter in Canada and I’m still enjoying a somewhat rainy season despite a cold which didn’t dampen my independence celebrations of Bim. I especially liked the unveiling of the 50^th Anniversary of Independence National Monument at the Garrison Savannah, St. Michael. The next day the Nation newspaper reported, “The unifying tone of the hour-long ceremony was set with a comprehensive prayer session by Hindu practitioner Pundit Thakor Pradash, Dr. John Hunte from the Spiritual Baptist faith and Dr. John Holder, Anglican Bishop of Barbados.” Also enjoyable was the Golden Anniversary Spectacular Mega Concert at Kensington Oval that same November 30^th night. Several dignitaries attended including Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, Prince Henry of Wales, and Rihanna. It featured several talented performances from the calypso, spouge, soca, and pop music genres of Bim! There were outstanding performances during this five hour free event that saw over ten thousand patrons.

Prince Henry, more popularly known as Prince Harry, who was on a 15-day tour of the Caribbean, brought on to the stage a Bajan environmentalist, Jamilla Sealy, and said, to cheers from the crowds, she had been named one of the Queen's Young Leaders for 2017.

He told us that, "She has been selected as one of the 60 exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth who are making an extraordinary impact in the lives of others. She will travel to London next year to build relationships with her peers from around the world and to be honoured by Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. I know that we will be hearing a lot more about her in the years to come."

Among the Bajan artists performing during the night was Emile Straker, lead singer of The Merrymen, a group which has performed over fifty years to international audiences, and Red Plastic Bag - Stedson Wiltshire - a hugely popular calypsonian singer who too has performed in Europe, America and the Caribbean to great acclaim during a career spanning more than 30 years. We saw a reunion of The Sandpebbles which included original members, Norman Barrow on bass guitar, Roger Gibbs, lead singer who lives in Toronto, Canada,  and Andy Weekes on drums (who now lives just outside Munchen in Germany and has not performed in Barbados in over 25 years), and an outstanding refreshing duet performance of Allison Hinds and Edwin Yearwood!

So now we are a few days from Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, so I want to wish you happy holidays and God’s blessings for 2017! I say Chag Chanukkah Sameach, Merry Christmas, and Joyous Kwanzaa!   

I am presently reading From “Superman” to Man by J.A. Rogers on loan from my friend L.D. Perch, and The Dark Land by Ronald A. Williams, his fifth well-written novel in as many years which can be purchased at Cave Shepherd in Bridgetown. In case you missed them their names are: Four Saints and an Angel, A Death in Panama, A Voice from the Tomb, and The Butterflies Coat. I highly recommend that you give any of these as a present at this special time. Also, I think you will find the CD titled Bim: Folk Songs of Barbados by the Gibbs Brothers, and the coffee table book Beyond Rum and Salt Fish excellent gifts for this festive season!

In the meantime, I continue to give thanks for a beautiful Xmas gift from my son Julian as Katherine gave birth to Liana on Tuesday the 20^th!!

Andre and Penny were outstanding at Olympics 2016!

Those heady days in Rio are now over but we still continue to enjoy the success of the Canadian athletes who garnered twenty two medals! Penny Oleksiah became the first Canadian to win four medals, one gold, one silver and two bronze, at a summer Olympics games!Andre DeGrasse  became the first Canadian to win three sprint medals, one silver and two bronze in the same Olympics and was the recipient of three of Canada's six track and field medals in Rio! She is 16 years old and he is 21. Great going for these youths in their first Olympics!Congratulations son and to all  who represented Canada and the other 204 countries too!

LIL RICK and GWYNETH SQUIRES TAKE HOME THE TOP PRIZES ON GRAND KADOOMENT DAY in BARBADOS!

Lil' Rick captured the Tune of the Crop or Road March yesterday with "I's a Bajan", while Stiffy's "Tek Off Someting" placed second, and tied for third most plays at selected judging points were Grynner's "Turn Up De Speaker", and Marzville's "Bang Bim". Lil Rick' prize was $7,500, Stiffy received $5,000 and Grynner and Marzville earned $1,000 each.  Gwyneth Squires won big band of the festival with her "Spirit of our Nationhood". Unfortunately after leading her band through the National Stadium at the start of the parade outstanding bandleader Renee Ratcliffe of Jump Promotions Happy Go Lucky Band died on her way to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown. Our condolences to her family and close friends.