Issue 19 August 2013

Miss Universal Carnival

UK

Production and concept: D.T. Kalloo

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Carnival is one of the binding elements that gels the Caribbean Diaspora together wherever

Caribbean people migrate and call home. No

matter how small or large the community,

Caribbean style carnival has the potential to

infiltrate and flourish in the furthest corners of

the earth, bringing all other cultures in their

environment under the umbrella of carnival.

London is no exception to this culture of

carnival, now in its 49th

year it has weathered

many obstacles and is now hailed as the biggest

of its kind outside of Trinidad. As carnival

people in all its arenas prepare to transform the

grey backdrop of London with its hues of the

Caribbean, lets pause to remember those who

are no longer with us. The pioneers, who

shaped, nurtured and cultivated the stimulus of

carnival culture into the younger generation

who now hold the future in their hands. People

such as Vernon Fellows Williams, Rhuane

Laslett, Larry Ford, Selwyn Baptiste, Claudia

Jones and Lawrence Stretch Noel are just a

few names of a long list that provided the

adhesive to bind the Diaspora in the unique

revelry that brings every creed, race and culture

to move in unison to one rhythm.

On carnival day when a samba beat touch your

soul and the sound of a steel band making you

move or the pulsating rhythms of a Soca song

rocking your body line, take ah wine, jump and

wave, bounce and palance yuhself because the

stage is we and its C-A-R-N-I-V-A-L.

D.Kalloo

Contents

Miss Universal Carnival UK

Black Behaviour, White Behaviour:

Is There Such a Thing?

Test-Tube Burgers

Who Vex Lost

Interview with Jameson Juwily,

owner of MYJ Beauty

1973 Remembered

Set against a backdrop of amazing

colours, stunning carnival costumes and

environmentally friendly inspired

Scavenge couture, Saturday 10th

August

2013 saw the crowning of the UKs first

Miss Universal Carnival Queen, in front of

a full capacity audience at the UK Centre

for Carnival Arts in Luton.

The inaugural Miss Universal Carnival

Queen UK competition was won by Miss

Tobago, 21 year-old Sureya John of

Canterbury Christ Church University.

Winning Miss Universal Carnival Queen

has been a great achievement for me, as it

was my first beauty Pageant. I love

playing mas at Carnival and winning this

title is a great honour. I want to thank

everyone who supported me.

Miss Tobago, Sureya John, Miss Universal

Carnival Queen UK 2013 carnival costume

was designed by Simone Williams-Watson

of Genesis Carnival Band. Steel Pan Diva,

Debra Romain, The Muraldo Dance

Company and The Caribbean Quadrille

Dancers and singers included Konata

Alleyne and Germaine Murray. The

smoothly run show was compered by a

fabulous duo Greta Mendez and Nigel Hall

all which contributed to a successful

inaugural event.

The star-studded judging panel had a

tough job to select the winner as all 16

contestants, representing European,

African, Caribbean and Latin American

countries, performed magnificently and

brought a truly carnival atmosphere to

Luton. They were judged in four

categories, carnival costume, carnival

inspired evening gown, scavange couture

and question and answers. Miss Tobago

secured the top prize which included

prizes donated by Orlando Gittens of

Musical Therapy, Flowers from Tamara

Event designs, Books by Hansib

Publications, trophies sponsored by JLM

Consultancy and goodie bags from

Chinara Enterprises, Design Essential,

Sleek and Western Union.

The UK Crowns its first Universal Carnival Queen

Miss Tobago, Sureya John, Miss Universal

Carnival Queen UK 2013

Miss Nigeria

Miss Universal Carnival Queen UK

competition organised by Carivog

International was being staged for the first

time this year, attracting over 200 patrons

and 16 contestants. Sheanna Alleyne, The

producer of the Show, stated: "This show

opened the Carnival Season in the United

Kingdom and the creativity and levels of

artistic excellence displayed auger well for

the rest of 2013. On the Carnival runway

there were excellent examples of design,

fashion and performance to delight

everyone. The audience went away not

only delighted but enlightened about the

multi-disciplinary art forms that make up

Carnival Arts. We are all looking forward

to 2014."

The night was herald a success by Mr

Franklyn Walters of Western Union and

other sponsors Palola, Chinara Enterprises

Ltd, Design Essential, KBell Cosmetics,

Soca News and Kissed Lashes. The event

featured tasteful yet creative tribute to the

culture and art of Carnival. Patrons were

entertained throughout the evening with

great performances by The South London

Samba Band,

The event organisers are now busy making

preparations for Miss Universal Carnival

UK 2014!

Miss Tobago

Miss Brazil

Miss Trinidad

The Results

1st runner up - Miss Venezuela, Mercedes

Roberts

2nd

runner up - Miss Nigeria, Flora Nabena

Miss Photogenic - Miss Vincent, Harmony

Murton-Edwards

Face of Universal Carnival Internet - Miss

St Lucia, Kimhia Toussaint

Miss Popularity- Miss St Lucia, Kimhia

Toussaint

Best costume - Genesis

Spirit of Carnival - Miss Tobago, Sureya

John

Best Evening Gown- Bacchanalia

Best Scavenge Kouture- Bacchanalia

The Gold sponsors are

Western Union. Other

sponsors include: Palola,

Chinara Enterprises Ltd,

Design Essential, KBell

Cosmetics, Soca News and

Kissed Lashes.

Carivog International is an

organisation that has worked

for over ten years in the UK

promoting beauty and fashion;

particularly among the

countrys diverse communities. All its activities

have been underpinned by its

support of local charitable

organisations.

Text and photos courtesy Carivog

International

Photographs by: BQuavs & Ben Black

Photography

Miss Nigeria Miss Antigua Miss Poland

New venue: The Refinery Bar 1 minute from Monument tube station

By Akilah Holder

During my tenure at Bishops Centenary

College, a student in my form one class

had asked me if I had ever found her

behavior to be white. I told her no and

that she should dismiss the statements of

anyone who said so. This young lady is a

particularly well-behaved and well spoken

young woman. I had not left the issue

there, however, for at the time I had been

studying V.S. Naipauls Miguel Street with

my class (I taught Spanish and literature at

Bishops Centenary College and the

student of whom I am speaking was a part

of my form 1 literature class). Given that

Naipaul addresses the issue of internecine

fighting in his text (for in the end, the

question of black behavior, white

behavior is a question of internecine

fighting), though implicitly, I thought it

would be a good idea to raise that

students concern with the class. What I

discovered during this discussion with my

class on internecine fighting is the impetus

for this article.

I am not sure if I had realized the

pervasiveness of such thinking in Trinidad

and Tobago until I had that discussion with

my class. While a couple of other students

had confessed to feeling the same way,

that is, as if they were white or behaving

white, (I should add here that the student

who asked me if I found her behavior to be

white, along with another student among

those who had later confessed to feeling

this way, are both fair in complexion with

long hair, though the formers hair was

less curly than the latter. Moreover, the

latter student is of mixed heritage and told

me that she is often deemed white because

of her light brown complexion and curly

hair. It seemed and still seems to me that

one is reviled even more for certain

behaviors in the black community when

one is of a lighter complexion) many

others admitted that they felt that certain

behaviors were exclusive to Caucasians

and others were exclusive to

Africans/those of African descent. For

instance, one student commented that in

response to her mothers pleas for her to

speak well, she often replies, but

mummy, only white people does talk like

dat. Many others in the class, as noted

before, had and perhaps still have this

young womans perspective. The way in

which one walks, dresses, sits, speaks,

self-presentation, if one shows interest in

the aesthetics of life or if one has an

affection/passion for learning, I found out,

all qualify one as white.

Significantly and evidently, this attitude of

some behaviors are white and others are

black extends beyond the classroom.

Just recently, while on my way home from

work I had noticed a taxi cab with the

phrase black attitude painted to the side

of it. My own mother, during her youth,

was called white by those in her

neighbourhood because of how she carried

herself she kept to herself a lot and

shunned behaviours that are considered

black.

Interestingly, while working on my

masters thesis, I discovered that many of

the behaviours that are considered black

Black Behaviour, White Behaviour: Is There Such a

Thing?

have their roots in American chattel

slavery. I often wonder, for instance, how

many black men in this country (and

elsewhere) realize that the way they dress

and carry themselves (their affection for

bling-bling, their hanging out on street

corners and their affection for ignorance)

is actually a white stereotype of black men

called the black Zip Coon, a minstrel

character developed by the white

plantation class to justify their

enslavement of Africans. The black male

Zip Coon is described in the following

way by American author James H.

Dorman in Shaping the Popular Image of

Post-Reconstruction American Blacks:

The Coon Song Phenomenon of Gilded

Age: a black dandy, sporting his flashy

attire and projecting a slick, urbane

persona, (this of course, within the overall

demeanor of the ignorant black buffoon

mimicking the manners of sophisticated

white folks). Their way of dressing, with

regards to their pants falling below their

buttocks, is also reminiscent of how

inmates dress (for inmates are not given

belts so their pants usually end up falling

below their buttocks) as Judge Greg

Mathis points out in his article The Sad

Truth about Saggin Pants: Emulating

Convicts can Lead to Prison Mentality.

Also, how many black women in this

country (and elsewhere) realize that the

lascivious clothing many of them wear

result in their upholding of the white

stereotype the black jezebel, the over-

sexual black temptress who seduced white

men during slavery? This stereotype was

and is not only a misunderstanding on the

part of white Europeans about black

cultural practices, but developed in an

attempt to justify the rape of black women

by their white masters. In this way, white

men were no longer culpable for raping

black women, but black women had

seduced white men. Historian Deborah

Gray White highlighted this point in her

text, Arnt I a Woman?

How widespread this way of thinking is in

Trinidad and Tobago leads me to believe

that while the physical chains of slavery

have fallen, the mental chains remain in

place. Blacks have internalized white

stereotypes about themselves and act in

accordance with those stereotypes. Quite

frankly, true emancipation will only take

place when those mental chains have

fallen.

In brief, there is no such thing as black

behaviour, white behaviour. There is,

however, what may be considered the

right behaviour. Moreover, the idea that

some behaviour are black and that others

are white emanates from racism/racist

ideology; and such thinking only limits

and cripples the (black) individual.

akholder22@aol.com

Like it or not in the near future most of us, if we are still alive, will be eating meat

that did not come from an animal in the

field or farm, yes, you read right.

Maastricht University have recently

cultivated beef by using stem cells.

Scientist at the university created the meat

by taking muscle cells from a cow and

growing them in a laboratory. The meat

was cooked in front of a live public

audience in London and offering

volunteers to taste the burgers made from

what is dubbed test-tube hamburger.

The scientist behind the project, Professor

Mark Post said the new advances

technology could see the burgers on

supermarket shelves within 10 years. The

research took five years and at a cost of

216,000 and with just a chosen few

having the opportunity to taste the lab

burger. The burger is made of pure protein

and has no blood or fat which creates

flavour.

Producing stem-cell meat is not cheap by

any means and, a large scale production of

the lab burger is very much many years in

the making. The Food Standards Agency

said any novel food using novel

production process must undergo

independent safety assessment before it is

placed on the market. The FSA confirmed

that no application to the effect has been

made.

Test-Tube hamburger

anyone?

The proverbial glass ceiling has been

broken and women no longer belong to the

home looking after the family. She can go

out and earn her own dollar to maintain the

family and herself.

Clearly, somewhere along the line the

African woman has been misguided by

what this term means. For many of them it

means usurping the authority of the man as

head of the household. Since the

beginning of time the man was created to

lead and, the woman to play a supportive

role. So when the glass ceiling had been

shattered and women had an equal

opportunity to gain employment to help

provide for the family, when she returned

to the home environment the man

remained the head of the family. It

mattered not if she earned more money.

The East Indian women used the same

proverb as a means to educate

themselves and today are Lawyers,

Doctors and Politicians with many holding

senior managerial positions in large

corporations along their male counterparts.

They have never allowed the glass ceiling

era to blind them of the role the father

should and must play as head of the

family. Not so with the African woman,

she is doing a minimum wage job by the

Chinese businessman and suddenly she

feels that she is the head of the household,

and before you say Jack Robinson

indiscipline steps in resulting with police

at your doorstep.

She sees her new-found empowerment as

an opportunity to bling for her son and

encouraging attitudes where daddy cannot

intervene and do anything about, because

she earns her own money. If he dares say

anything that she and her son objects to it

could result in a restraining order being

taken against the father and out of the

house he goes. Or, she and her son (which

is his child) would take matters into their

own hands to beat and throw him out of

the house. Next thing you know mammy

dressing up like a teenager and cavorting

in the same manner, often finding a lover

the same age as her son. This cycle

continues for soon enough the culture

starts rubbing off on her daughter.

Women to a very large extent are the

reason why the black family is in the

situation that we are in today, they need to

go back to the principles of the bible to

keep the black family together.

Who vex, lost!

Juliet Davy

Who vex, lost!

Jameson Juwily, was born in North Borneo,

Malaysia, a small village called Tuaran with a

view of Mount Kinabalu, the highest Mountain

in South East Asia. Living with his parents,

two brothers and three sisters, his father was a

teacher at a local school. His mother was busy

raising the family.

At 16 he went to boarding school and then

went onto to finish his studies in Computer

Science with distinction in the Malaysian

capital Kuala Lumpur. Though he was really

interested in the internet, it did not feel like the

right path for a career and living in the capital

was hard.

In December of 2003, he decided to leave

Malaysia. Selling all of his belongings he

moved to London England. His first job was

working in restaurant for a few months before

landing a permanent position as a civil servant

with a prominent government organization.

Jameson always wanted to work behind the

counter as a makeup artist and began working

part time in several famous London

department stores.

He attended London college of Fashion to

learn fashion and beauty makeup techniques

just after his first job as a beauty consultant to

learn and build confidence.

In 2011, Jameson graduated from University

of Greenwich and awarded Second upper class

BA (Hons) Advertising and Marketing

Communications, to understand the business

and learn in marketing.

In October 2011, Jameson started MYJ Beauty

business.

NM - Please give us a brief description of

MYJ Beauty.

JJ - MYJ is an abbreviation for

makeupbyjames. The company was set up in

October 2011, a UK based company.

NM - What made you want to do make up

and get into the beauty business?

JJ - Make up and beauty is my passion. I want

all women to look beautiful and to be able to

supply a beauty products which their can

afford to buy, my brand is a quality products

without having to think of and expensive.

Good quality ingredients as well as classy

packaging without the embarrassment of a

cheap looking product.

NM - What led you to the decision to create

your own Lipstick and Lip-gloss Line?

JJ - When I was working in departments stores

in London, 99% of women looking for

lipsticks and lip gloss something for everyday

use so they can use for work and everyday life

without an expensive investment (quality at an

affordable price). It took me nearly 2 years to

get everything in place

.

NM - What is the key difference between

your range and other cosmetic range?

Interview with Jameson Juwily, owner of MYJ

Beauty

JJ - The key difference with all MYJ Beauty

products is a new formula mineral ingredients

containing Vitamin E and not tested on

animals. All lipsticks are named after famous

London streets and the lip glosses named after

famous London bridges crossing to river

Thames.

NM - What do you hope to accomplish with

your business?

JJ - I would like to expand MYJ products in

the future and to be able to supply quality

products at competitive prices.

NM - What advice would you give to

anyone who wants to start his or her own

company?

JJ - Run with your heart and dreams do not let

others that have failed or not tried put you off.

You must carry out thorough research before

you invest too much time and financial

commitment. Make a checklist to avoid

disappointment and have a comprehensive

business plan.

NM - What would we surprise to know

about you?

JJI - was working with no experience in the

cosmetic industry. I had to fight to gain a

position behind the counter in well-known

department store. I then went to London

College of Fashion, learning fashion and

beauty make up techniques. I decided go to

University to have a solid understanding in

marketing for business. After I graduated in

summer 2011, I set up MYJ Beauty in October

2011. Everything starts in London.

NM - What are the key trends for

Autumn/Winter 2013 makeup?

JJ - A natural look with the wow factor.

NM - Any hints or comments on any

upcoming new products?

JJ - Something to look flawless, wait and see.

NM - After months of planning and

sleepless nights and hard work have gone in

to making this vision a reality; are you

nervous or just excited about the entire

project and where next for MYJ Beauty?

JJ - I feel amazing about the company with

little sleep, continuous problems and tasks to

overcome and hard work to introduce MYJ

products to the retail sectors.

NM - Finally, where can we get hold of

MYJ Beauty products?

JJ - At the moment only online

www.myjbeauty.com. Anticipating that the

website goes live after launch. But I actively

keep updating MYJ Beauty on facebook -

www.facebook.com/MYJBeauty

Jameson thank you so much for giving us an

insight into MYJ Beauty as well as yourself

and sharing your beauty tips here at

Culturepulse Magazine, I would like to take

this opportunity to congratulate you on

launching your MYJ Beauty products, I wish

MYJ Beauty lots of success and many

satisfied customers.

A dream really becomes a dream when you

make it a reality Nichola McDonald-

By Nichola McDonald

By D. Kalloo

When we think of people affected by

stroke we often think of an older person,

however according to the National

Institute of Neurological Disorder and

Strokes (MINDS) 5 out of every 100,000

children have a stroke in the UK and, up to

5 children a day are suffering with

undiagnosed stroke.

The Evelina London Childrens Hospital offers a unique service for young stroke

sufferers. It is the only one of its kind in

the country that offers this service for

children and young people. In the UK, at

least 400 children and babies have a stroke

each year with strokes occurring at a rate

of 1 in 5000 in new born babies. Most

hospitals are not adequately equipped to

treat or facilitate after care for children

who has suffered a stroke.

Dr Anne Gordon who leads the specialist

child stroke surveillance centre said, the service at Evelina provides young patients

with medical care when they first come to

the hospital having had a stroke. The care

they receive includes physiotherapy to

strengthen weak limbs and occupational

therapy to enable the children to be as

independent as possible. There is also an outpatient clinic offering support for those

needing further care when they leave

hospital.

Given that between 1979 2000 there have been 1,500 deaths as a result of strokes;

the new stroke surveillance unit at Evelina

could be a beacon for other hospitals to

pioneer similar schemes to care for

children and young people who suffer a

stroke. Dr Gordon said, most of our patients are from the south east of England

but we welcome patients from across the

country.

A 10million donation by Britain to Africa

has been agreed to help vaccinate over 6

million people against the outbreak of

polio in Kenya and Somalia.

The World Health Organisation fear that

the epidemic could spread across east

Africa. The International development

secretary said, We must act now to stop

this deadly and debilitating disease. At

present there is no cure for the highly

infectious virus and can only be prevented

from spreading through immunisation.

Evelina offers hope for

children who suffer stroke UK Africa Aid

The Maroons Restaurant invites you to share the historic moment in convivial

company on the 50th anniversary of the date on which Martin Luther King

delivered the State of the Nation Address of the poor and powerless people of

the USA.

Such was the power of his delivery that it has seared itself in the memory of every

living African-American citizen and across continents.

Marc Matthews, the Guyanese man of letters will present the text of the speech.

We celebrate the power of words and, the life of Martin Luther King.

Wednesday 28 August 7pm 10pm

The Maroons

514 Coldharbour Lane

Limehouse

London E1 OHY

Website: www.themaroonsrestaurant.co.uk

Invitation

Ebony Blocko in pictures

Leslie Palmer celebrated his 70th birthday in a fitting tribute to Notting Hill

Carnival under the heading 1973

Remembered at Portobello Green,

London.

It was 40

years ago

that Leslie

Palmer took

up the mantle

and gave

shape to

what is

known today

as Notting

Hill carnival.

Up until

1973,

carnival had

no direction

and no coherent order, Leslie changed this

when he attended a meeting organised by

Anthony Perry, a director at the North

Kensington Amenity Trust.

Leslie Palmer never looked back from that

day in 1973 and so Notting Hill Carnival

saw its first full costume band by

Lawrence Noel called Head Hunters,

signalling the true tradition of a

Trinidad carnival here in London

cementing its roots deep into the fabric

of British society.

1973 Remembered encompassed

everything that Leslie had set about 40

years ago, the involvement of the

community and a marriage of cultures. The

event was well attended by all strands of

community, something that mustve made

Leslie very proud. Invited guest included

Mr Anthony Perry Westminster and

RBKC Mayors along with Caricom High

Commissioners and other distinguished

guest such as Horace Ove, Mustafa

Mathura and Margaret Busby were among

the notable invitees.

Caribbean rhythms echoed through

Portobello Green as guests were treated to

a rum punch reception and Caribbean food

before watching a series of films on

carnival at scheduled intervals.