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December 2013 NO. 27

CEO AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MARKETING DIRECTOR

PUBLISHER

| NATASHA VON CASTLE

| JUNIOR RODIGAN

| ROHAN BECKFORD

| L3 GROUP OF COMPANIES

MANAGING EDITOR AND LIFESTYLE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND MUSIC EDITOR

TRAVEL EDITOR

MUSIC REVIEW EDITOR

ALLIE DUKER

TRICIA ‘ZJ SPARKS’ SPENCE

TRE CARN

STACIA VON CASTLE

JENNIFER MENSTER

WEB DESIGN: EIAN ‘NEEMO’ BECKFORD

WEB DEVELOPMENT JUAN VAZQUEZ

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSHEIKE DEMPSTERMIMI MAMICHULAMARCUS WELLERDAMON GATLINGAYEOLA GEORGEZAKADA MILTONPORTIA CLARKEJIMMY TAMBOU

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORGreetings!

Just as we were going to release this final issue of 2013, news broke that President Nelson Mandela passed away at age 95 (December 5th, 2013). He was a great man and a great leader. He was unwavering in his beliefs, and always stood for what was right, even if it meant facing adversity. Standing in opposition to Apartheid put him in jail for 27 years, but it did not silence his voice, as a matter of fact, it made his voice louder and global. The world lost a hero whose message lives on in every person he’s impacted around the world.

Rest in peace Mr. Mandela and thank you for the example and legacy you have left with us, and thank you for reminding us with every breath you took that we can achieve our goals, and we can turn our dreams in to reality.

Speaking of dreams … I had the honor of meeting a man who does radio right, and has created an empire from his passion. His name is Bobby Clarke. His story is not too different from other people unafraid to dream, and his story breaks down like this: man has a dream, man aspires to make his dream come true, man overcomes struggle, man now lives ‘the dream.’

The time it takes to go from dream to reality is where things get tricky; for some its 1 year, for others, 5 and for others 20. The importance is not the number of years, the importance is staying the course and not giving up. Appreciate the time you have on your journey. Bobby is 20 years into his dream. That looks easy, but it’s a long road. Take your time … you’ll get there, and when you do, it will be big!

Tribute to Nelson Mandela >>> http://youtu.be/Iw46qi4uVdU if you have comments, you can reach me on Twitter @NatashaVonC

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Marvel Studios and Disney’s Thor: The Dark World thundered its way to a $86.1 million domestic launch as it continued its global assault, finishing its introductory month with a sizeable $500 million in worldwide ticket sales.

That’s an impressive start considering the first Thor, which debuted to $65.7 million domestically in May 2011, grossed $449.3 million globally in all. The sequel nabbed one of the top November openings of all time in North America, although it couldn’t quite match the $88.4 million earned by Skyfall on the same weekend a year ago.

Thor 2, like Iron Man 3, is benefiting from 2012 global blockbuster The Avengers, the crown jewel in Marvel’s superhero film empire. The Aveng-ers, which features Hemsworth as Thor and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, among other Marvel characters, earned $1.5 billion worldwide to become the No. 3 film of all time behind Avatar and Titanic.

Contributed by Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter

Hammers Home &Hits $500 Million Globally

THOR 2 : BOX OFFICE SMASH

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THOR 2 : BOX OFFICE SMASH

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For the first time in Marvel’s The Avengers series, Thor 2 grossed slightly more domestically on Saturday than on Friday ($31.7 million versus $31.6 million) in a major victory for Marvel and Disney’s marketing operation. Usually, Friday is by far the biggest day because of the fanboy audience. “It played in an un-conventional way,” said Disney’s distribution chief Dave Hollis. “The franchise is moving away from just fanboys and crossing into the mainstream in a way that makes out-of-school, out-of-work Saturday shows super lucrative. The combination of storytelling and a very successful, inspired marketing campaign made it appeal to the broadest possible audience.”

Thor 2 played to all quadrants of the movie going audience and quickly trans-formed into a date-night movie, with couples making up 62 percent of the audience. Families made up 21 percent of those buying tickets, and teens, 17 percent. All told, 39 percent of ticket buyers were under the age of 25, and 61 percent over. Thor 2 takes place one year after the events of The Avengers, as Thor reunites with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and tries to save his planet from a mysterious enemy. Thor also forms an uneasy alliance with his adoptive brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

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CALL OF DUTY : GHOSTSby LISA GURRY Editor Of XBOX WIRE

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The dawn of a new era for Call of duty fans as Activision, developer Infinity Ward, and Xbox gives fans worldwide the all-new “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” heralded as the next-generation of multiplayer gaming.

“Call of Duty” has a massive fan base, with over 100 million fans, and “Call of Duty: Ghosts” continues the tradition of game-play and innovation that has led to its success. “Call of Duty: Ghosts” delivers an all new online experience, with the greatest amount of customization, new ways to play, and access ever. “Call of Duty: Ghosts” features dynamic map events, new tactical player movements, a visually stunning world, an arsenal of new weapons, kill-streaks, maps and game modes, and an all-new second screen experience. Importantly for Xbox fans, they now have the ability to transport players profiles from Xbox 360 to Xbox One.

“‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ continues the tradition of unrivaled gameplay and innovation that has made ‘Call of Duty’ one of the most engaging entertainment experiences in the world played by more than 100 million fans,” said Activision Publishing, Inc.’s CEO, Eric Hirshberg. “‘Call of Duty’ set the benchmark for the current generation and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do for the next generation.”

“Since its launch on the Xbox 360, the ‘Call of Duty’ series has firmly established its home on the Xbox platform with the games largest and most engaged community,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Marketing & Strategy, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With the debut of Xbox One, we have no doubt that our longtime partners, Activision and Infinity Ward will raise the bar higher than ever before for this incredible franchise in ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ and look forward to add-on content again coming first, exclusively to Xbox.”

CALL OF DUTY : GHOSTS

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Customization Offers Over 20,000 Possible Combinations“Call of Duty: Ghosts’” customization includes the all-new Create-a-Soldier system, in which you can customize your weapon loadouts, plus, for the first time in the series, the physical appear-ance of your soldier, delivering over 20,000 possible combinations, including heads, body types, equipment, gender, and more. Not only can you Create-a-Solider, but you also can create an entire squad of up to 10 unique soldiers which can be customized by their appearance, perks, loadouts, and style of play. Each custom squad member earns XP toward Prestige and can be modified to specialize in various combat classes and across multiple game modes.

All-New Third Mode of PlayYou can take your squad of soldiers into “Call of Duty: Ghosts’” all-new third mode of play called Squads, where you can enlist to play solo, cooperatively up to 6-players, or competitively for one vs. one, head-on matches pitting players and their squads against others and their squads. Squads features a variety of play-types, allowing you at any time to swap-out your custom A.I. soldiers with real friends for quick-action co-op. The competition can be fierce as squad soldiers display life-like, skilled tactics and behaviors like side-strafing, corner-camping, jump-shooting and more. You, plus your squads, will earn XP, and if you’re offline, be prepared as your squad may get challenged for play without you.

“This is the biggest overhaul of multiplayer since the original ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,’” said Mark Rubin, Executive Producer, Infinity Ward. “We’re pouring our hearts and souls into making ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ multiplayer the best it can be on next gen and current gen alike. With all the customization options, our new Create-a-Soldier system, dynamic map events, new perks and killstreaks, tactical player animations, new Squads mode, Clan support in-game and on second screen, it’s the complete online experience.”

You can also now take “Call of Duty: Ghosts” anywhere, utilizing your Call of Duty account, already secured through your registration to “Call of Duty” Elite, to carry your profile with you, including profile change updates between Xbox One and Xbox 360. When you are ready to upgrade your Xbox 360 to Xbox One, all your “Call of Duty: Ghosts” stats, unlocks, and more will seamlessly go with you and be ready and waiting.

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Other key new features for “Call of Duty: Ghosts” • The evolution of multiplayer maps through dynamic map events. Player-triggered traps and events allow gamers to strategically redirect the course of battle, including the ability to call-in a map-changing killstreak, which can completely transform or modify the map delivering new levels of strategy and gameplay. • An all-new “Call of Duty” Companion App, which offers a second screen mobile experience that works hand-in-hand with both current gen and next gen versions of “Call of Duty: Ghosts.” With the “Call of Duty” App, you can edit your entire squad pre-match, have one touch access to change loadouts for your next spawn while in match, and view and share after-action results with friends on Facebook and Twitter. • A deep level of clan support and in-game integration. With your “Call of Duty” account, you can join, create, and manage a clan all from in-game or from the “Call of Duty” App. From the game, you can enjoy in-game clan rewards, as well as clan vs. clan playlists, which are all available on both current and next gen. Additional clan features on the app include clan chat, rally-up, and a clan emblem editor. The “Call of Duty” App also includes for “Call of Duty: Ghosts” players clan wars, an all-encompassing, 24/7, experience on the app that is tied directly to “Call of Duty: Ghosts” multiplayer, connecting the game and second screen. This brand new experience enlists players into a larger conflict, where any clan member, no matter what skill level, can contribute to the clan war mission and compete against other clans for additional XP and exclusive in-game content.Activision unveiled the next generation “Call of Duty” along with a list of headlines during the live streamed world premiere, including several special offers for Xbox fans: • “Call of Duty®: Ghosts” Season Pass. Four epic DLC Map Packs for one discounted price (based on Season Pass suggested retail price of $49.99/4000 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live and four DLC Map Packs at a suggested retail price of $14.99/1200 Microsoft Points each). Included in the Season Pass is the Ghosts Team Leader Pack featuring for the first time a multiplayer character modeled from one of the characters from Ghosts’ single player campaign, along with additional bonus digital content. While the DLC Map Packs will be available starting in 2014, the Ghosts Team Leader Pack and other Season Pass bonus content activates immediately upon purchase following the game’s launch beginning Nov. 5, 2013. And, once purchased, the Season Pass will upgrade to next-gen (from Xbox 360 to Xbox One) for a limited time only at no additional cost. • “Call of Duty®: Ghosts” Collector’s Editions. Two special editions covering the gamut of col-lector’s interest beginning with the Hardened Edition, including a copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts, the DLC Season Pass, limited edition Collectible Steelbook and Paracord Strap; and the Prestige Edition, which includes all content from the Hardened Edition, plus the “Call of Duty: Ghosts” Tactical Camera, a full HD 1080p, water resistant, wide-angle mounted, wearable camera based on the actual helmet camera featured in the game itself. Both the Hardened and Prestige Editions are available for pre-order.

Once again Xbox will host the “Call of Duty” Championship, presented by Xbox returning in 2014

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MILENA MATIC

Contributed

She goes by the name of Milena Matic and her style is best described as ‘Picasso touch with an Urban feel.’

Milena’s art instantly grabs attention because of her bold use of color and large and black strokes which almost always is centered around the eye which is the focal point of the piece.

Born and raised in Chicago, Milena has been painting since she was a child, and has always been fascinated with color.

Using bold and vibrant colors to inspire, some of Mile-na’s pieces include “IzaDora” which experts agree to be one of Milena’s best piece’s of work. “IzaDora” is a woman of many talents, and his accented by her class and slight attitude.

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Full of abstract expression, Milena’s piece “Freedom” provokes the viewer to see the World Trade Center as the center of the world’s eye, and that of the universe too.

The watchful eye of the moon and the sun, and the subtle accent of white representing stars, enhances the Universe’s concerns about what mankind is doing to each other on earth.

Included in Milena’s art catalog, are pieces that put religion, culture and modern icons in focus.

Whether her medium is canvass or wood, Milena’s bold style cap-tures everyday life through bold use of colour and telling black lines. Because of this, Milena Matic will always capture the eye of the Art lover!

For more on Milena Matic, visit www.mojiexpressions.biz

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ART CHILD FESTIVAL 2014 ART IN FOCUS

JWENE JOHNSON

The third annual ART CHILD festival will take place on Sunday January 26, 2014 from noon until 6pm. This one day free event is filled with workshops, performances and on-going activities in every sector of the arts. Kids of all ages get a chance to participate in classes that are no-longer offered or are no-longer financially available to them. This event gives children a taste of the arts and a chance to express their talents and discover new ones.

Last year, organizers offered such workshops as jazz dance, film, DJ-ing, painting, card making and hair design. As well as host a full scale youth fashion show with live performances and singing artists showcasing their talents. Attendance was double expectations and has given the community high hopes for a greater 2014.

Some of the highlights for this years workshops include an awards ceremony for local young artists, hosted and presented by local Member of Parliament Paul Dewar. There will be a youth panel on the arts showcasing some of Ottawa’s great young talent, and hearing their stories. As well, organizers are busy planning a statement fashion show and concert for the end of the night. This year’s fashion show will be hosted by Marilou from Twenty York St. and Yannick Beauvalet from L’Hexagone and will include a live performance by local artists, The Joynt and Maya Mayne performing the ART CHILD 2014 theme song, ‘What I Do’. This song was inspired by talks at local Ottawa schools about bullying and being positive.

For more information on ARTCHILD or to get involved >>> www.artchildcanada.ca

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History Miami has dedicated its walls to Bob Marley, the legend whose spirit, music and messages continue to touch millions of people around the world every day.

‘Bob Marley Messenger,’ curated by The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live., celebrates the life and legacy of Marley as a musician and a man, using artifacts, photographs and interactive elements. Many of the items from the private collection of the Marley family offer a close connection and private glimpse into Marley‘s life while the concert footage and music show him as an outstanding artist.

Visitors are greeted by an elaborate black and white mural by Mi-ami artist Trek6. The tribute to the king of Reggae stretches over three walls and features various portraits of Marley, the Lion of Judah as well as song titles of Marley’s many Reggae tunes that have seeped into the soul of millions.

The exhibition celebrates Marley’s universal message of peace and One Love, his concern with the struggles of the poor and his lyri-cal fight against oppression. As a spiritual man, political activist, Rastafarian, Reggae revolutionary and one of the most influential musicians of the millennium Marley’s voice has reached beyond music, impacted history and entered the realm of contemporary popular culture.

HEIKI DEMPSTER

BOB MARLEYMESSENGER

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“My father’s message of peace and unity was always of great importance to him and to our family,” said Ziggy Marley, “especially in the current times, it seems appropriate to remind the world of what he stood for and hopefully, by honoring him, we can all make efforts to live our lives with the same message.”

Biographical details about the artist and his career as well as information on Reggae music and the Rastafarianism faith accompany a series of rare photos of Marley throughout his life, engaging young and mature alike. The images, often candid shots, depict him at all ages. The camera caught Marley smiling, pensive, surrounded by family, playing soccer, on his first trip to Africa and performing on stages around the world. One of the most iconic photographs shows Marley on stage flanked on either side by Michael Manley and Edward Seaga at the One Love Peace Concert held on April 22, 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Personal items, fan memorabilia and stage props add a personal touch to the exhibit. Viewers can peruse through varied items such as backstage passes, drums, clothing worn by Marley and the I-Three, a tam worn by Ziggy, magazine articles, Marley’s Bible and Kebra Nagast, records, handwritten stage notes by Marley and his famous Les Paul guitar.

Each item tells a part of Marley’s story and the museum provides engaging and interesting information for Reggae music novices and lifelong Marley fans alike. Videos, interviews, concert footage and interactive aspects round of the reggae legend experience. Fans can learn more about the legend by watching video interviews with his children as well as friends and musicians like Carlos Santana who were inspired by Marley.

Bob Marley’s music will continue to inspire the world. At History Miami ev-eryone has a chance to feel the spirit of the legend until January 5th, 2014 when this traveling exhibition will make the journey to its permanent home in Jamaica.

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FITNESS CHECK

with Damion Gatling Photo & Video by : LATASHA GATLING

90 SECOND CORE WORKOUT

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Maintaining the core is essential to anyone maintaining their physical regime, so I’ve condensed a 90 second workout that places the core in focus.

1. Plank Reaches aka Supermans: Get on the floor in a push up position but place your forearms on the floor and your shoulders over your elbows. Put your fists together and spread your elbows to form a triangle. Keep your hip and knees off the floor and as stiff as possible, similar to a board. Hold yourself up on your elbows and toes and spread your feet a little past hip width. Extend one hand out in front of you and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the alternate hand.

2. Spidermans: Get into the plank position just like the position used in the Supermans. Keep your elbows in triangle form and keep your feet together. Next, bend one of your legs towards your armpits while staying low to the floor. If done correctly, your body and legs will form the number 4. Repeat this on each leg for 30 seconds.

These exercises will be difficult at first, so beginners will have to build their stamina to get to the 30 second mark. You can also start by doing one set and build to a goal of 5 sets. Included this month is a video for your to watch as I demonstrate each exercise in the gym.

Please consult with your physician before beginning a new workout routine. For personal training while you’re in New York, email Crescendofitness@gmail.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0WswE-hBls&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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Photpgraphy : JEROME DUPONTMake Up : EBONY MURRAY

EBONY MURRAYMODEL OF THE MONTH

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SPANISH COFFEE Holiday Beverage Perfection

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We may not get a lot of snow this year for the holidays, but we are guaranteed to have a few days of cold. For all City bunnies (opposite of Snow bunnies), the perfect warmer on a cold night is Spanish Coffee.

Serve this after an intimate dinner for 2, or hosting guests for your annual get together!

½ ounce Tia Maria coffee liqueur½ ounce Bacardi Rum6 ounces hot coffeeWhipped creamCherries

Pour Tia Maria and Rum into a clear glass Irish Coffee Mug.

Fill to just below the brim of the mug with Coffee.

Top with whipped cream and cherry for garnish.

Enjoy!

THE ULTIMATE RUM CAKE by CHARLOTTE

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It’s the holiday season, and we just can’t imagine the holiday’s without a good Rum Cake! This recipe will have your guests happy.

Fruit Puree Base:Soak the fruit in rum for up to 2 weeks (or at least 3 days) prior to baking500g prunes500g dark raisins750g currants500g dried cherries250g mixed candied citrus peel(Total of 5 and 1/4 pounds of dried fruit or 2.4 kilograms)1 500 ml bottle cherry brandy (you can use regular Brandy)1 bottle rum (I used a 1 litre bottle of dark rum) 2 tbsp Angostura bitters

Browning:Heat the sugar in a heavy based pan until it melts and then add a little bit of the water at a time until it becomes a dark caramel. Be careful not to burn it, but it will come very close to being burnt to achieve ‘browned’ perfection. 500g brown sugar1/2 cup boiling hot water

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Cake:Beat the sugar and eggs together and then beat the eggs in one by one (you will need a big bowl as it gets a bit messy with 8 eggs!). Add all the flavours to the egg mix.Sift the dry ingredients together and then fold it into the beaten eggs, sugar and butter. Then mix in the fruit puree and browned sugar liquid.Pour into 3 greased and double lined cake tins.Bake at 120 degrees Celsius (250F) for 3 hours500g unsalted butter500g sugar8 eggs1 tsp lemon essence 2 tsp lime rind2 tsp almond essence2 tsp vanilla500g white flour (I used plain white flour but you could make this cake gluten free by using your favourite gluten free plain flour or a combination of gluten free flours such as 250g cassava flour + 250g rice flour)4 tsp baking powder2 tsp mixed spice1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

The Final Touch:Pour a generous amount of rum/brandy onto the top of your cake. It should absorb rather a lot of rum at this point. The cake will get darker with the more rum that you force feed it. It may take a day for the cake to absorb the rum but it will get there.

Wait until the cake has cooled completely before removing it from the tin and pop the cakes in an airtight container.

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Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer. Even the James Bond’s Aston Mar-tin which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

Form 1 is a personal 3D printer which can be yours at just $2799 (price listed at time of publishing this article). It may sound like a high price but to have the luxury of get-ting producing your own prototypes, this price us reasonable. Soon we will be fully engaged in a future where every individual professional has the capability to mass produce their own creative physical products without limitation. This is the future where personal productivity and creativity are maximized.

THE DAWN OF 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

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BLACKBERRY MESSENGER for IPhone & Android

MARC SALTZMAN

BlackBerry finally flipped the switch on its oft delayed BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app for iOS and Android. Talk about demand: BBM was downloaded more than 10 million times during its first 24 hours, says the company.

App Insider took the app for a spin, on both an iPhone and Android, and while it’s miss-ing some of the features found in the BlackBerry version, this smart instant messaging service proves to be a fast, reliable, secure and fun way to communicate with friends, family and colleagues.

In case you’ve never owned a BlackBerry, BBM allows you to communicate in real-time through BlackBerry’s secure servers, without requiring a text message package from your wireless carrier. You can see when your message has been delivered and read; chat with multiple people at once; broadcast a message to a large number of people; create groups for easy communication; send attachments like photos and documents; and post a status update people can read before they reach you (such as “In a meeting”). Previously, BBM was only available for BlackBerry owners, while cross-platform apps like WhatsApp, Viber and WeChat saw a huge gain in users over the past few years.

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Now that BBM is finally available on multiple devices, many have wondered if it was worth the wait especially with so many BBM alternatives. The answer is yes, though the app doesn’t let you do things possible in the latest BlackBerry version, such as make voice and video calls for free over Wi-Fi to anyone in the world, BlackBerry says it’s in the works. You can, however, send a voice note to someone over BBM. The iOS and Android versions also do not support BBM Channels, BlackBerry’s social networking feature. For both of the new versions, the interface is attractive and clean, making it easy to start a chat, see your conversation as linear speech bubbles and use some fun emoticons plus you’ll know when the messages have been delivered and read with the little D and R letters, respectively. Large buttons on the bottom let you invite more people, attach a file and add new contacts or groups.

BBM will always be on and always connected, that is, no app to open regardless of what platform you’re using. You can post a profile picture of yourself or use an animated GIF for added fun. How to get going? Like its BlackBerry brethren, all BBM users get a unique PIN (Personal Identification Number) that’s not tied to your mobile number. To sign up, visit BBM.com from your iPhone or Android browser to download the BBM app from the app store. Once installed, you’ll be prompted to enter your email address to retrieve your PIN. You might get a notification saying your spot has been saved in a virtual queue, and you’ll receive an email when it’s ready (a few hours to a day or so). The last step is to type in your credentials to launch the app.

BBM for iOS and Android is a treat for expats who left the BlackBerry platform, as well as those new to instant messaging world. Its reliability, speed and security give it an edge over IM alternatives, but BlackBerry needs to beef up its feature set to truly compete on multiple platforms.

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By turns sumptuous and seductively shabby, St Kitts, or Saint Christopher’s Island, has seen a surge in global interest thanks to its increasingly popular annual music festival. The scattering of former British, French and Dutch island territories that form the Eastern Caribbean are bucket list destinations for many; but without a specific reason to visit, they can remain just that.

It was the music festival on St. Kitts that happily proved the catalyst for my first foray there, drawing thousands of visitors every year from neighboring islands and the wider world. The 17th St. Kitts music festival saw the capital Bassettere’s War-ner Park cricket stadium jam-packed with revelers, known in the islands as ‘limers’, taking in dozens of acts from local Rap, Soca and Reggae artists to international superstars.

The three-day party culminated in spectacular form with none other than Lionel Richie taking to the stage and telling fans: “Sugar City, I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get here, but I am here to stay!” To the delight of the crowd, the soul icon added: “I’ve been all around, but now I understand what Shaggy was saying, ‘You’re gonna come here and you’re not gonna wanna leave, brother!’”

The chart-topping Jamaican pop star Shaggy had headlined the second night, among other artists including Reggae legend Beres Hammond and veteran calypsonian, Relator. Practicing what they preached, Shaggy, Lionel and a lot of the other acts could be seen soaking up the St. Kitts sun days after the show had finished, and it wasn’t hard to see why they stuck around.

At just 68-square miles, St. Kitts is one of the Caribbean’s smaller islands, but just as well-stocked with pristine beaches and plenty of other sights, all within easy reach.

While some might prefer to lounge in all-inclusive luxury, the adventurous can also explore pretty much everything the island has to offer in just a few days. Small as it is, wide areas remain agricultural or undeveloped, thanks in part to the closure of its sugar mills in 2005, pushing tourism and offshore finance to the fore as the island’s main revenue earners.

ST. KITTS Sends The World A Musical Invitation

RICHARD POWELL

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St. Kitts’ colourful half-millennium among the expanded horizons of the New World started when Christopher Columbus landed there in 1493. Possession of the coveted Caribbean jewel has since changed hands several times: firstly, from its indigenous Kalinago Indian or ‘Carib’ inhabitants to British and French settlers, before in-fighting saw it pass back and forth until the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, where Britain finally laid claim to the island in its entirety.

St. Kitts gained independence in 1983 - making it the youngest and smallest sovereign state in the Americas - although Queen Elizabeth II of England remains its reigning monarch.

Small wonder then that the island’s rich history leaps out to greet visitors to what the British Empire called its ‘Mother Colony of the West Indies’. Noteworthy sights include Bloody Point at Caribelle, the Carib Petroglyphs, Wingfield Manor, and the imposing military citadel at Brimstone Hill.

The first, Bloody Point marks the decisive battleground that saw a combined force of French and British troops preemptively decimate the island’s indige-nous people, as they prepared an offensive that they hoped would send their unwanted overseers back to Europe.

The Caribs made their final stand in 1626, three years after the foreign troops had arrived. But following the familiar colonial motif, they were hopelessly out gunned, with bows and arrows against rifles, and their subsequent massacre turned the river red, bringing to a conclusive end their claim to the island.

Journey further up the road to the nearby Wingfield Manor Estate and the Carib Petroglyphs, religious stone carvings by the same original islanders, provide a haunting memorial to lives long since vanished. While many of St. Kitts’ present occupants can trace their ancestry back four to five hundred years on the island, the Caribs arrived from the Americas five millennia ago.

Two of the ancient etchings are easily accessible from the road, but intrepid explorers are richly rewarded by traversing the overgrown banks of Pelham River that flows through Bloody Point. After half an hour or so, one of the best petroglyph collections in the Caribbean of approximately 100 carvings, reveals itself on the canyon walls. Guides on the island will take you there, including Greg Pereira of Greg’s Safaris, who also hires scooters, although pothole-ridden roads mean four wheels are generally better than two on St. Kitts.

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The Wingfield plantation also hosts Romney Manor, well worth visiting for a walk around its six acres of botanical gardens. The pièce de résistance is a gargantuan 400-year-old Saman tree whose ancient limbs majestically span the plantation’s front garden. Caribelle Batik, a working wax print workshop housed in the Manor itself, produces clothes, books and artwork using a 2,000 year-old Indonesian batik technique that make great gifts.

A few miles’ drive from there and a sharp climb up narrow, winding roads built for horses and carts takes you into the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park: a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by British military engineers and built by African slaves at the end of the 17th Century.

Sitting magnificently astride the remnants of a dormant volcano that still vents sulphur, hence its name, the so-called ‘Gibraltar of the West Indies,’ offers a breath taking panorama of the island’s crystal waters, idyllic beaches, lush green rainforests and sprawling fields. On a clear day, you can also see its closest Dutch island neighbours, St Eustatius and Saba, out at sea.

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I stayed at the St. Kitts Marriott on the northern part of Frigate Bay. Its white sand Atlantic coast beach, sprawling swimming pools and proximity to plenty of bars and restaurants make this a great place to stay, swim and soak up the sun during the day. However, it’s a colossal hotel resort for such a small island, especially when you factor in its arena sized casino floor.

If it’s peace and quiet you seek in a more refined setting, the 18th Century Ottley’s Plantation Inn set on a 35 acre hillside estate on the island’s northeast coast is the last word in luxury accommodation on the island. Here you can dine in style while drinking in the surroundings at the Royal Palm Restaurant.

Excellent dining is also to be had at the Waterfalls, offering local dishes such as cornmeal dumplings or ‘johnnycakes,’ and green bananas in lime butter sauce, framed by superb views of the harbour from its open air veranda. Ballahoo meanwhile serves up enticing blackened grouper and salt fish on a breezy balcony overlooking Basseterre’s bustling centre, worthy of island time indulgence while people-watching.

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On the southeast peninsula, Reggae Beach offers probably the best beach on the island to swim, sunbathe and snorkel in relative sol-itude. Cockleshell Bay, encompassing Reggae Beach, is a secluded three-kilometre stretch of powder-white sand with a great view of nearby Nevis across the channel that sepa-rates the two islands, the Narrows.

For night-life, a favoured hangout for Kitti-tians, visitors and students from the island’s US veterinary college is The Strip on Frigate Bay, where dozens of beach shacks serve cocktails, local Carib beer and rum punches into the early hours.

In this lively avenue of action; peeling, weath-erworn huts sell bootleg rum alongside smart upmarket bars mixing Mojitos, club music and Reggae to keep all comers happy. Here you can hit open-air dance floors with or without a major music festival in town, or simply sit around a beach fire and marvel at the stars.

The perfect remedy to partying too hard on the Strip is a relaxed coastline cruise aboard Mr X’s catamaran, which leaves from the Shig-gidy Shack Bar and Grill at Frigate Bay. The tour navigates the waters around the island’s south peninsula, whose rainforests double as nature reserves rich in wildlife, including mon-keys, goats and the island’s national bird, the pelican.

Dive in and snorkel off the ship-wreck at the southern-most point and you’ll be feeling fresh in no time, surrounded by an underwater paradise of coral sponges, lobster, sting rays, turtles and parrot fish.

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Respected and requested, Jah Prince is an extremely active Jamaican personality in the Atlanta community. The ‘Prince of the People’ makes several trips to the Caribbean to network with artists and producers of all genres and as a media correspondent, Jah Prince has provided on-air coverage for global events like Reggae for Japan (NY), Rock The Bells (CAN), The Best of the Best Concert (MIA), Rebel Salute (JA) and Reggae Sting (JA). In 2000 at the first Atlanta Caribbean Awards he won ‘Solo DJ of the Year’, in 2007 was nom-inated ‘Best Reggae Mixtape DJ’ at the 11th Annual Justo Mixtape Awards and in 2010 won the award for ‘Best Radio Personality’ on DaFlavaRadio.com. His on-air voice and offline technical knowledge are the main reasons why DaFlavaRadio.com is one of the top internet stations in the world providing content to cover four continents while spanning over thirty countries.

Jah Prince hosts the five year running ‘Sunsplash Mix Show’ from 10am to 1pm every Saturday, and spins an upbeat morning mix of dancehall music on DaFlavaRadio.com, Georgia’s most established online Caribbean radio station. Ingenious mixes and creative sound effects accompany his playful demeanor which is heard on Radio 971 in Dubai and Vibes FM 106.1 in Gambia.

Prince’s motto: “I’m just a team player surrounded by winners… and I sincerely believe, no man is a failure who has friends, so I do this [music] to please my family and my friends.”

Connect with Jah Prince on Twitter >>> @iamJahPrince

DJ WORLD MAP

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CELINE DION - LOVED ME BACK TO LIFE Tis the season for giving friends and family great gifts, and Celine Dion is at the top of our list of gifts to give thanks to her brand new full length album, Loved Me Back to Life!

One of the singles that caught our attention (every single song on the album is amaz-ing) is the remake of “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder. Using a symphonic opening as grand as Celine’s show in Las Vegas (slight exaggeration but you get the point), we hear the sweet introduction with Stevie’s voice singing “over time / I’ve been building my castle of Love….” Oh those familiar lyrics; classic melody which has become in-stitutional for lovers of true Adult Contemporary! We didn’t think a sing so fine could get any better, until the sweet voice of Celine comes in singing “over dreams / I have picked out a perfect come true / though you’d never / knew it was of you I’ve been dreaming / the sand man has come from too far away / for you to say come back some other day….”

Using an underlying syncopation similar to Billy Joel’s classic “Just the Way You Are,” Celine and Stevie draw us deep in to their vocal interplay which pays the ultimate compliment between the two.

Celine and team creates a musical masterpiece for her 11th studio album (English) that can best be described as your favorite blanket on a cold winter day; not only will you not part with your blanket, your listening device will not depart from the melodies heard which includes production from Babyface and Ne-Yo (who also makes a vocal appearance).

L3’s rating is 3.7 out of 5

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75Jay Ghartey storms the Afrobeat scene with the release of his most anticipated single , ‘African Money (No fronting). The uptempo Afrobeat anthem is completely written and produced by him and features El, and AJ Omo Alajah. A collaboration that brings an edgier side to the Afrobeat sound, the fast rising star in his quest to use his music to unite Africa, has surprisingly combined 4 different African languages, pidgin and African slang in this single - Yoruba, Ga, Twi, and Hausa. This makes Jay the first Ghanaian artiste ever to use 6 languages on a single track, initiating a new direction both for himself and Afrobeat.

The multi-awarded Ghanaian US born artist is not a new name though in the music industry. The single ‘African Money’ is a propulsive follow up of his well received blockbuster hit singles , ‘Love You Better’, ‘Papa’, and ‘Somebody’. His first album, a 12 track titled ‘Shining Gold’ was released in September 2010, and inspired by the likes of Kojo Atwi and George Darko two heavy names in Ghanaian music. His song ‘My Lady’ was also on heavy rotation on channel O a strong and leading Pan - African music stations.

The song ‘My Lady’ earned Jay recognition on BET’s 106 and park show and in April 2011, he became the first Ghanaian artist to be featured on the show with the song ‘Waiting For You’. In 2010, his song ‘My Lady’ won the best male video award at the Ghana Music Video Awards and was nominated in three additional categories. For 2013, Jay was nominated best Afro Pop song.

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The crew at Larger Than Life Records is taking the good vibes of Reggae to higher heights with the release of their instant hit and classic, Going Home Riddim!

Keeping their artist line up tight sweet, the riddim features Chino McGregor (“Larger Than Life”), Busy Signal and Exco Levi (“Wicked Evil Man”), Gappy Ranks (“My Chains”) and Bobby Hustle (“The Hunted”). Fusing foundation sounds similar to what we would hear from Gussie Clarke, Larger Than Life entices younger generation music lovers with a peppy bounce and swing which results in immediate addiction for the riddim.

Radio jocks such as David Rodigan from BBC 1Xtra call the riddim a ‘scorcher,’ Sir Daddy D from Reggae 4 Us says each song on the riddim is a ‘boom shell,’ and DJ Baby Ace from California says his listeners can’t get enough. In Spain, DJ Fiestagal says this is the kind of riddim that gets fans excited about the music again and we say the same too!

Unifying the people through bass line, harmonica and horns, this is the kind of riddim that will make people want to go to a session (dance) and skank on their good foot. This is ital music at its best!

L3’s rating is 4.8 out of 5!

GOING HOME RIDDIM - V/AHot New Riddim Alert

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GOING HOME RIDDIM - V/AHot New Riddim Alert

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Mikey General’s 12th studio work Hailelujah Song comes to us this month thanks to his label Reggaeland. The 15 track set contains acclaimed singles “Jah Will Be There” and “King Selassie I Alone.”

Recorded partly in the prestigious Tuff Gong studios in Kingston and partly in Reggaeland’s own Barcelona studio, the album is the result of a two year study which looked at the musical tastes of a broader listening audience that the artist wished to reach.

Staying with the principles of Rastafari, the title sums up the story behind this well rounded work. In the words of Mikey General “Hailelujah Song comes from Haile which means power and Lujah which means of Jah, so Hailelujah Song is the Power of Jah Song.”

People who have heard the album so far agree that this is one of Mikey’s most significant works. “When Mikey records in Tuff Gong it is always quite an event. People pack the studio to see this mystical and musical experience. But I believe that it is in the recording sessions in Barcelona that the special alchemy between artist and producer reached its climax” says Marcus from Reggaeland.

L3 Rating is 4.8 out of 5 !

CONTRIBUTED

MIKEY GENERAL -HAILELUJAH SONG

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As quickly as she sings to a Roots Reggae riddim, is as quickly as she moves to R&B, is as quickly as she moves to Soul. She is Nikki Burt, and her voice is one that is all yours on her current album “Dreams.”

Establishing her singing roots at the age of 12, Nikki represented her school as part of a folk group. To enhance her school singing experience, she also sang in church and joined a local band called Fresh. After High School, Nikki performed at hotels in the Ocho Rios area where she had a chance meeting with Reggae star Mickey Spice. That meeting resulted in Nikki becoming a backing vocalist for the star, which included his recording sessions.

Continuing to grow, Nikki released several singles, most notable being “To Sir with Love.” She has worked with Israel Vibration, Tarrus Riley, Buju Banton and Julian Marley. Her new EP Dreams is currently available on iTunes and features work with Jamaica’s musical fraternity including Saunjay “Triple Ace’ Kerr, Earl “Chinna” Smith, Steven “Lenky” Marsden, Live Wyya Band, Andre “Spider” Dennis, Tony Asher, Shaun Darson, Raging Fyah Band, Paul “Computer Paul” Henton, Sangie Davis, Donald “Danny Bassie” Dennis, Carol Dexter, Rohan Dwyer, Fiona Robinson Sterling and Sherieta Lewis.

Her 8 track EP , “DREAMS”, will pleasantly surprise fans of all tastes and backgrounds. Each track becomes more addictive than the previous and encompasses all past experiences which strengthens this excellent vocalist to share her Dreams!

Connect with Nikki on Twitter >>> @sexcras

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It’s hard to believe Penthouse Records is celebrating 25 years of success. Firmly entrenched in the history of Reggae, the original studio where magic was created was 56 Slipe Road in Kingston where Donovan Germaine and the team gave us classic hits such as “Who Say” by Buju Banton and featuring Beres Hammond, as well as Sanchez “One in a Million” and “Love Me Haffi Get” by Beres Hammond and Cutty Ranks. These songs and more are staples for most selectors in the Dancehall, on the Radio and on CD decades later.

Not only does Penthouse stand on classics, they’ve also given us modern day gems from the younger generation that will stand the test of time similar to music released before their time. Artists such as Dalton Harris give us a beautiful rendition of “You Will Know” (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), addresses social issues via Exco Levi and his thought provoking song “Bleaching Shop,” and Romain Virgo’s “Mi Caan Sleep” who addresses violence plaguing communities.

The label has nurtured some of the biggest names in Reggae on the microphone and behind the mixing boards, with much of their work included in their latest release. To celebrate 25 years of the best, Penthouse teams with VP Records to release Penthouse 25 – The Journey Continues which is a 2 Audio Disk and 1 DVD Disc compilation and a must add to every Reggae lovers collection.

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From the time you hear one note from R&B’s newest sensation Em Jai (pronounced M.J.), you know that she is the Princess who represents the intersection between R&B and Soul with a side street of Hip Hop.

Hailing from Chicago, Em Jai is an urban pop recording artist and songwriter from the south side of Chicago. Making huge strides in a short time, this artists song “Contagious Love” was featured on Disney’s Shake It Up in November of 2012, and Disney chose to use the song as the first single on the show’s latest soundtrack, titled I Love Dance. So impressed were Disney executives with her music, her song was re-recorded by the stars of the show, Zendaya and Bella.

Adding to her initial success with Disney, Em Jai wrote a second song for the soundtrack titled “Freaky Freakend” that was recorded by Disney star, Coco Jones. Now focusing on her own artistry, Em Jai has recently finished her EP, Love Etc. which is receiving excellent reviews by industry and fans.

She’s described as the dope girl next door, Em Jai continues to sing and rap about love, being young and free, and having fun.

Connect with Em Jai via Twitter >>> @EmJaiGirl

THE PRINCESS OF R&B SOUL EM JAI

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At the offices of Irie Jam Media Group there are a few things that stand out: the chatter of the team consulting with each other on upcoming and or present proj-ects, the sound of the office phones ringing, and the overwhelming vibration that Irie Jam, and all its subsidiary companies are moving – up.

In the midst of the forward motion at the office, a giant observes, plans and consults. That giant is Mr. Bobby Clarke. Mr. Clarke is not loud, but his presence is, and he reminds me of an insurance companies’ punch line: “you’re in good hands with Allstate.”

Indeed, the community (the 3 plus million people of Caribbean decent), which he proudly serves is in good hands. Every moment of air time on Irie 93.5 FM, every moment at the signature Irie Jamboree and all events endorsed by Irie Jam; all of it is carefully planned and structured for you. One evening when all was a little calm, Mr. Clarke and I sat down to talk and it was Irie!

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L3: To a lot of people, you are so well known, and yet you are unknown. Your story and evolu-tion in media is a ‘coming from little, to having much.’ Walk us through how you got here!

BC: Wow, well Irie Jam started through a concept; a love for the Caribbean community and a love for media. Before I started Irie Jam, before I opened the microphone for the first time, I made a huge banner, and the banner said Irie Jam FM New York, and I put that over my bed. When I woke up in the morning, that was the first thing that I saw, and that motivated me to keep moving in that direction and to fulfill that dream.

A good 8 months before it was registered, before we were on the air, that banner was up. The concept of bringing real Caribbean radio to the Diaspora is why we started. I’m not saying that what we had here before was horrible; it’s just that I thought that the quality of radio in Jamaica was higher than what we had here. To fix this, I went to Jamaica, I met with Irie FM who is the #1 Reggae radio station in the world, I met with the owner Carl Young, Clyde Mackenzie (General Manager at the time); those were the men who made it happen.At first there was some resistance because we’re coming in to Jamaica and trying to export a product so right away we heard ‘no.’ When we talked about monetizing it, things changed and we heard ‘ok let’s talk.’ We started through Irie FM Jamaica and through the miracle worker, Mr. Junior Jawara Blake who was on 93.5 at the 12 midnight slot, and Mr. Blake was partners with Mr. Milford Edwards who is a founding partner of Irie Jam. They decided to take his program (which was called Culture Jam) and simulcast Irie FM. We simulcast the White River Reggae Bash, so people here could hear Garnett Silk, Gregory Issac and tons of great acts like that here which was a big thing.

We moved to the afternoon and then, the race horse commission changed the hours of broadcast, so we left Irie FM and went to FAME FM with Collin Hines. It was a process. That worked for years, so we bought more airtime here because we realized that the people here needed to be serviced. We had listeners who are from Jamaica, but we also had listeners from Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Barbados etc, and we hired the best disc jockeys we could find in New York City, and most of them are still with us. They are the ones who make Irie Jam who we are. People like DJ Roy who comes in to your home every day and speaks to you like you’re his best friend and people gravitate to that!I see Irie Jam as a community service. We have 3 million people of Jamaican decent here in the Tri-State area and we make sure we take care of them. That means music plus the educating of them, we inform and just being a part of their lives.

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L3: Irie Jam was one of the first outlets to think about the community and the statistics we represent. How do you feel about the growth that Irie Jam has contributed to the Diaspora?

BC: I want to take credit for that; I would love to take credit for that but I can’t. I believe the growth came through us identifying where they were. The truth is they were always here, and they had kids, and many more migrated here because the States is lucrative. I think because we cover the tri-state, there’s a major bonding because there are so many Caribbean’s here. It’s important that we realize that the wealth of people that are here contribute to the wealth of New York in a big, big way. When we as Irie Jam host an event called Irie Jam-boree, and we have 25,000 people show up, or we have an event in the park and 95,000 people shows up, we begin to see that we can affect who we vote for, who we buy from and can affect change in our community. That’s what I want to take credit for, is being able to affect change in our community.We can affect who the next mayor is. We can do that in Florida, Washington DC etc. We just did Barclays’s Center and will probably do it again; we’re doing Brand Jamaica and Brand Caribbean to the world in a big way from Jamaica, and from the second largest population of Caribbean people outside of the Caribbean. That’s my job and purpose and I’ve dedicated my life to that.It’s not important who Bobby Clarke is, it’s what Bobby Clarke does, it’s about what we stand for. The push and the movement is not me, it’s the legacy that we’ve started which will live on forever.

L3: How many people attended the first Irie Jamboree? and what were your feelings?BC: We had 5,000 people and that was big for us! We celebrated with champagne! It was

way, way past our expectations. We were celebrating our 10th year on the radio. Our Jamboree partner was Steve Williams from Black Emperor and we were putting on small events, but we said ‘you know what, it’s out 10th year, we should do something larger.” Then the monster started and it just grew from there – it’s its own entity.

L3: It’s grown in the sense that you’ve got demand from artists who see this event as a huge milestone in their career, and you you’ve got the fans who look forward to this every year. How do you handle both sides of that demanding coin?

BC: After 10 years of doing it, it comes with the turf. This year, there are some artists who are not talking to me at all and that’s fine. Just know that if you were on last year, you may not be on this year. That may also happen 2 years in a row. The fans look forward to it because it’s now a part of their calendar … it’s a part of their summer. I think what we have to do is look after the business first. Who’s going to pull in the audience, who’s going to fill the seats, then we build from there.

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L3: This year, were you nervous to be at the Barclay’s?BC: Listen, I’m nervous when I wake up (Bobby laughs)! I’m always nervous,

but Stephen Williams and the Irie Jam crew had major fights. Should we do it, should we do it for 3 days, other people were involved including Dahved Levy from WBLS, and we pulled it off. It worked. We learned a lot of lessons, some good, some bad and we can go on from here.

L3: This may sound odd, but as a fan, what can we do to participate in the success of Irie Jamboree ?

BC: Bring more people! It’s important that we spread positivity. If you love it or like it, tell someone else, and talk about it in a positive way. Other than that, it’s not a responsibility of the fans to push the concert, just share the experience with everyone you meet.

L3: We were at the Morgan Heritage concert at SOB’s in August and some remarks were made by Peetah Morgan about Irie Jamboree and its push of Roots & Culture music. How were you impacted by his comments?

BC: Yes I was there and Peetah is a very good friend of mine and he is someone I love and respect. Let me start by saying that hearing it from the stage is not the first time I’ve heard those comments. Peetah has told me to my face how he felt about what we’re doing. I agree with him to a point. He represents the Cultural aspect of Reggae, and Morgan Heritage is the Am-bassadors for that genre. I love him for doing that. If he is not the soldier fighting that cause, what’s the point! I like what he did because I am radio first, and as radio producer, I will deal with anyone who says anything bad about Morgan Heritage because they are one of the best groups ever. As a concert promoter, I can’t just put Culture on stage. His point was that there was too much Dancehall and unequal amounts of other genre’s on stage. I say, ‘I hear you Boss, but I have to pull from all sides of the Dias-pora to bring all sides in.’ If I have a hot song from Mavado or Kartel, those represent ticket sales.

There were a few years that we couldn’t have Irie Jamboree because the economy couldn’t allow it. So if we don’t make it a business first, then everybody loses, including Peetah because nobody works. We have to make sure we look at this as a business. I may not be a personal fan of certain Dancehall acts, but I am not the entire Diaspora. If that act can pull 3,000 people, I would be stupid to not but them on the stage. We have to do Lover’s Rock, we have to do an older segment, Culture even Calypso. We have to draw for everyone.

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L3: Your Business education came from…?!BC: Excelsior School in Jamaica, then Monroe College, then Iona College. I was a bartender at

Zamaca in New Rochelle during college, and I owned my own travel agency so I’ve always been in business.

L3: Your crew! Hand selected or referrals or both?!BC: And sent by God! Let’s start with my Admin crew who is the core – we’ve been together

some 20 years, and we go through what we go through, and we go through it together. We may disagree, we may agree, we may argue, but we are a family and that’s the value we stand on. Louie Grant is the Vice President, Syntyche (Syn) Dawkins who is my part-ner and Fiance, Mike Williams completes the executive team. We work hard to accom-plish what we accomplish.

On air, it’s Chris Dubb Master, DJ Roy, Jabba, Platinum Kids, Cali B, Irwine Clare, Aubrey Campbell Felisha (pronounced Fil-ee-shia) Loud, Raggashanti. Before that we also had Spread Love Bobby, Pat McKay, Donna Cooper, Lady C, Andrew D, DJ Face, Vinette Price, Oliver Samuels, David Rodigan from England and Colin Hines from Jamaica, and several others who are still family to us. It is not driven by ‘star power,’ it is driven by culture; we are here to serve the community at all times, and we never spread news or information that is derogatory to the Caribbean, women, orientation, minorities. We remain positive and stand on that platform. The traditions and heritage of our islands is what we live to preserve

L3: Do you have the last say within decisions?BC: Yes I do, but we still vote and we make decisions as a unit.

L3: If you think you have everything worked out in terms of a decision you’ve just made, and one of your sons comes along and says ‘no Dad I think we should do this…’ do you change the decision you initially made?

BC: It just might. Because of how we’ve grown here I make decisions based on what I think they would agree with. If that case were to ever come up, we would have a meeting, come to an agreement quickly and move forward. We think alike and like minded al-ready, we are never too far off the mark in terms of thinking in the same accord.

L3: During the recent Irie Jam Barclay’s Center concert, Damiam ‘Junior Gong’ Marley stopped his set while performing AFFAIRS OF THE HEART, so that you could propose to your fiance on stage. Was that wedding proposal planned?

BC: No it wasn’t. A close friend of mine encouraged me to do it then, and she told me she would bring the rings the night of the concert.

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Here’s the thing .. I went to Jr. Gong’s bus and I said, this is what I’d like to do. Mind you, it may not have happened because up until that time, he hadn’t agreed to it. He said to me, ‘what if she says ‘no?!,’ then I’ll be embarrassed, my set will be done, and that would ruin the entire show! So I said ‘I’m pretty sure she’ll say yes,’ and then he said if she says no, and you ruin my career at the Barclays stage, that’s it. It was not planned but everything was aligned and everything went perfectly, and she said yes, and I’m a happy man!

L3: Are there some artists a lasting impression on you? In the course of business, there is the business, but has anyone just left a lasting imprint within you?

BC: Of course there’s my favorite Shabba Ranks, but before I answer that let me say that my Dad is one such person. He was a cabaret singer who sang on the north coast (of Jamaica) at the hotels to feed the family. My Dad is Winston Clarke! Half of my childhood or more was spent in re-hearsals, on stage to catch his coat when he threw it etc. He sang Harry Belafonte songs to tourists, and he was the best at it and that genre of cabaret on the north coast. When he recorded, I would be on the mixing board, and I remember that as a small boy. I had no voice to be an artist, so the next best thing was to be around the music and be of the music and that’s how this manifested itself.

Of course there’s Bob and Peter and Bunny, then of course there’s Beres whom I call ‘Uncle Beres’ as he is a close friend of my Dad, so I’ve been around the fraternity since birth. What’s more important to me in an artist, apart from the talent that God gave them, is the person they are outside of the music. I like being around those people.

L3: Your journey; anyone’s journey that is not always smooth. Is there any one person who gave you encouragement when those tough times came about?BC: You know I’m going to say his name because it’s important for him to know. I’ve never done this before, but Sly Dunbar. When I was start-ing Irie Jam, and we had the link to Jamaica, and we had to pay our air-time which was not cheap, Sly would be an avid listener (Bobby is visibly tearful), he would call after a show, and say ‘that was good’ or ‘that was great.’ To hear a legend say that your work is great…! He didn’t know what his words meant to me, and he saved Irie Jam a couple of times.

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There were times where I had to tap in to my credit, my Dad’s credit, my Family’s credit just to keep the company open. So people like Sly, and other people have made reference to the fact that we have to keep this thing going; we also heard that from the listeners too.We did a show not long after 9-11 (September 11th, 2001) where we paid tribute to the 4 Jamaicans who died in the World Trade Centers, and just to hear families calling in – ex-pressing that they can’t find loved ones – the desperation of the people. Without Irie Jam, I’m thinking that would have been a hard thing for the community. Things like that help to remind us that we are important and needed; other things like Hurricane relief, coat drives, fundraising for various causes … all of that is important in addition to the entertainment, and all of that is why we are here.

L3: Taking a walk to one of the walls in your office, we see a lot of plaques which read of proclamations and citations!BC: These are just some of them. We’ve been able to capture the attention of people in power, and as we receive the honors, we put them on the wall.

L3: After radio, media and all the companies, will we see Bobby Clarke the politician?!BC: No! Honestly, I am a behind the scenes type of person. It’s important to me to serve and I’m not one for the limelight. I want to give voice to the politicians, and I think it would be better served to help them.

L3: Do any of the accolades remind you of your first broadcast?BC: Yes they do, and it’s important to be reminded of that first broadcast, and how far we’ve come since then, and where we’re going! These bring back memories of how and when and where, and Milton Edwards who suggested that we do the simulcast broadcast from Irie FM in Jamaica! To think that from that conversation we are here!

L3: Of all the pictures you have on the wall, of all the proclamations and citations, the photo closest to you is that of your family!BC: And this means the most to me because it’s Christian, Amber, Jordan and Jade and Syn; my family. They are my motivation, they are the reason why I am building this empire, they are the reason why I continue. After this there is Louie’s family and Roy’s family etc and that is the essence of what Irie Jam is.

L3: What general advice can you give our readers on Life, Love and Lyrics?BC: It’s pretty easy … always do what you love!

Connect with Bobby via Irie Jam >>> www.IrieJamRadio.com

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PORTIA CLARKE

DENYQUED

PC: Denyque! You’re a breath of fresh air must ask how old are you? D: Thank you! I’m 22!

PC: Your music style is very unique how would you describe it?D: My music style is very Pop / R&B inspired.

PC: You’ve already built up an international fan base … do you have a name for your fans?D: Right now I call them my heroes. Their love and support do so much for me.

PC: Who produced your new single MAKE ME BELIEVE YOU and what is s the song about ? You look stunning in the new video, tell us about the concept behind it . D: Thank you so much. Make Me Believe You was produced by Stephen McGregor aka Di

Genius. The song is about telling the truth, with a twist on words. I wanted the video to have a simple story line and be more enjoyable via performance scenes. It’s a more abstract video. The teddy bear signifies the fictional man so he was very important, because he was the one I’d practice confronting before the actual confrontation.

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PC: There’s a remix to “Make Me Believe You” that not too long ago dropped featuring Mr. Konshens, the remix is fire now as a young female artist how did this big feature come about?

D: Very simply actually. I asked him if he’d be interested in doing a feature, he listened to the track; loved it and bam … we had a remix!

PC: You’ve recently featured Gappy Ranks on the album track titled “First Sight.” This is an international feature with him being based in the UK. How did this collaboration come about?

D: Wow I don’t even remember how I met Gappy but I don’t regret it at all! He is a fantastic artist and an incredible songwriter.

PC: When working with artist of the likes of Konshens or Gappy do you feel pressure to deliver as they’ve been in the industry for so long and in high demand?

D: Just a little but I never lose composure. I’m always me.

PC: As the world is getting to know and love Denyque tell us something that no one knows about you? D: I’m a sucker for a great movie and lots of pillows. And I love Hello Kitty! Ha!

PC: We at L3 Magazine love fashion, food and music! What fashion trend are you currently rocking? which fashion item could you NOT live without ?D: Currently rocking Boots! ... and couldn’t live without Shorts . PC: If L3 was to go into your fridge what would we find? D: Lots of Pepsi, Cheese, Burgers, Lobster, Chicken and Shrimp.

PC: We’re coming round for dinner what are you cooking for us? By the way, can you cook Denyque?!D: I can do my thing! I would cook you a mean coconut curried lobster with White rice.

PC: What are your 3 top songs for 2013 of any genre? D: Konshens: Hot Patty / Miley Cyrus: We Can’t Stop / Denyque – Hooked on Me!

PC: Lets see if you can fill in the blanks...!D: Music makes me lose all worry.

Love is everything. Believe in the seemingly impossible.

PC: Closing words?!D: Message to existing and new fans - I love you my heroes. You inspire and motivate me to

be better and do better.

Connect with Denyque via Twitter >>> @denyque

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Sometimes you hear an artiste’s music and yeah (s)he sounds good, then again sometimes studio engineers can be like real makeup artistes, they mask the artiste’s flaws so well that when you do hear the artiste on stage you wonder ‘who the hell is that?!’ Then you hear the management going ‘goo goo gaa gaa’ and you think to yourself ‘oh well, that’s what they’re

supposed to do, be excited over their talent’.

If you don’t know Nature, you better get familiar. You are going to want to Youtube him! So recently, I happened to be working at an event in Kingston called Full Black, the emcee then called up Nature. While he was doing so Foota Hype and Boom Boom (both selectors) turned and said to me ‘Sparks him bad’ (meaning he is a good performer). I said ok, since I had never seen him work the stage before. Let me tell you this, barely into his first song, he blew me out of the water, I said to myself, nope nope, he cannot be that good. Well let me tell you this, for a new artiste on the scene, not only is he a good writer and singer, but he is an awesome performer. Upon leaving the venue I sent a message to Cordell ‘Scatta’ Burrell (yes same top shot producer of the Coolie Dance Riddim) requesting an interview with Nature. I just had to, his performance spoke volumes. Boom Boom and Foota Hype were on the mark and Joseph Bogdonavich (C.E.O of Downsounds Records) definitely has a diamond in his camp.

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TS: You hail from Western Jamaica right?N: Yes, originally from the Most High, but yes, I was born to Regina and Carlisle Ellis at a

place called Glendevon in Montego Bay. Due to my musical talent, I realized that proba-bly was journey would take me to Kingston in order to achieve publicity. So I left Mobay for Kingston. While I was in Mobay I won a scholarship for singing and did well on some of the major shows in Montego Bay, but I started wondering to myself ‘why don’t I have my songs playing on the radio’. So, one day I just took a bus to Kingston without even knowing where I was going and slept on the road for a night or two until certain things ironed out. I give thanks to the Most High because he brought me through a lot and right now I am here and now finally eyes are seeing and hearing Nature.

TS: You came to Kingston and say you slept on the road for a night or two, but did you really sleep? What was going through your mind while you were there?

N: You are right, I didn’t really sleep, but I got a nap. I am thankful God sent an angel because I am here and I could have turned to other things, but I did not.

TS: How would you define the artiste Nature?N: I am mentally strong and one of those who have been through great tribulations and I am

proud to say that. You see, you will have people who are going through a rough time and need motivation, given my experiences, I am able to deliver and reach them because I sing with passion and conviction. Whether you are going through rough times or have been through rough times, we all who doesn’t (I guess Bill Gates goes through rough times at times) you get the full package. Within one song you feel so much energy, so many elements.

TS: Is that how you got your name, Nature, because your music and performance have so many elements?

N: I didn’t name myself, people observed me. Actually, my elder brother gave me that name. I used to climb plum trees a lot. I would go to the bush a lot, mango and naseberry bush. I used to build slingshots and even go to banana walk and build bows and arrows. I would just break an entire branch full of plums and eat them. Ever since I was a child I used to even eat plum leaves. I try to do things as natural as possible.

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TS: Talking about natural, does that mean you are a vegetarian?N: Not 100%, I eat fish, but I do not eat red meat. Big respect to the ones out there who a

hold it (vegans) and not eating any meat at all. We a yute (I am a person) who preach justice, we don’t pretend to be perfect cause we are not. We are all perfect and im-perfect in some ways. One man might eat fish and a next man might say he is a vegan and be around the corner sniffing coke. I am not saying that to justify anything, but we all have something to work on; myself included. We give thanks for life and we are here doing music.

TS: Not a lot of persons will admit to the fact that they have imperfections, I like that about you.N: You can’t be a man of the Most High Haile Selassie, Buddha or any God that you serve

if you are telling lies to other people. Why should I sit in my bed later on and say to myself, ‘you know I lied on this interview that I did not eat fish’ for example and then I am going to hide and eat it. No. When I stop eat fish I will tell you. When you don’t have to tell lies it makes you one with the Most High. You see the man that tells lies and say ‘I don’t do this’ and he hides and does it, he is worse than the man who just does it in public, not pertaining to what people think but according to the Universe. You try to be one with the Universe and it starts by talking the truth. A liar is a thief and a thief is a liar.

TS: You are rather profound in how you reason things, were you always like this?N: I have always been like this, but the more you grow the more you find yourself more.

I am on a daily quest to know myself even better. The more you know yourself the more you know your surroundings even better. As I said before we are all reflections of each other, we are all humans. At the continuing of the day you will find that only the truth shall set you free.

TS: You keep mentioning the Universe and reflection of one another, I have to tell you when I saw you singing on stage at Full Black, I said to myself ‘he is almost like a hybrid of Jah Cure and Garnett Silk with the energy of Capleton and Buju Banton’, have you heard this before?

N: I have heard a lot of things including that. I am not sure if I being myself at that time because I am caught up in the spiritual realm. When I say not myself, I mean not 100% myself in flesh. When I go on the stage to perform for the Universe I let go everything pertaining to what I am wearing, who I was with, who I am going to be with, whoever is looking, I just perform for the Universe. I sing for the rocks, I sing for the sky, I sing for the ants, the trees and humanity.

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TS: How have you been able to hone your craft so well for a young performer, I say young per-former because it’s only been over the last year that persons have come to know you. You use the stage well, you know keys, write good songs and have good stage presence.

N: You know what happen, the people out there who are doing what some would say ‘devil work’ they are doing it so well, so when The Most High call you, you should be able to take the time out meditate and think about what does it take on a positive meditation. When you talk about what does it takes, people think about so many things, but keep it positive pertaining to you and the Universe. Just be true to yourself. When I am going to do an interview, I don’t try think about what I am going to say, I just say what I feel is right within myself. When I go on the stage, I allow the Holy Spirit to take over, I am not performing in flesh, I am perform-ing in Spirit and in truth. Spirit mean you not seeing it, but you are feeling it, the words from my mouth and my emotions from the Most High. You will see a ripple of spirituality through The Most High.

TS: How did you make the link with Downsound Records?N: In a nutshell, this friend of mine, who is also an artiste, Okeebo, was having his birthday bash

and another friend of mine Damari, along with Okeebo invited me to perform there. It just so happened that Skatta was in the crowd and while I was there performing he started giving me some forwards for my performance. While I was performing I saw him. When I came off stage we had a talk and that is where it all began. He was impressed with me and I was impressed as well to know that Skatta who is an experienced person at judging talent was impressed with my performance. As you know, he is one of the top judges in the Magnum King and Queen Dancehall Competition (one of the biggest TV talent shows in Jamaica). He introduced me to Downsound Records as he is the chief producer there.

TS: Because you are a trying man!N: (He chuckles, its also the name of one of his songs) Yes, I am a trying man . I think I walked

to the studio. (he pauses) Actually, I don’t even remember how I got to the studio.

TS: Oh, I have to tell you that you did a wonderful take on Revolution, what inspired you to do that song.

N: Tracy Chapman is the original singer of that melody and most of the words in that song; in this time a lot of artistes are doing good songs, but sometimes it not about the number of new songs that you build, sometimes we could take a little of one or two songs from artistes who were out there before us and refresh some of the songs which would be relevant in this time. I changed some of the words in the song and made it fit into this time. Many people now think that I am the original singer. People are loving it.

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TS: You’ve made the song your own.N: We need a Revolution. When I say revolution, I am not referring to bombs, guns

and grenades. Real revolution is knowing yourself. The real revolution is learning to respect others for what they believe in, once they are not being a menace to society. For example, if I should say I am a Rasta and that person over there is a Christian and that other person over there is a Muslim, if I am about love and unity and I am saying my God is about love then I should be able to respect your religion. What I don’t respect is if your religion promotes rape, racial discrimination, gender discrimination like putting down women or men for example, I won’t be a part of that. That is when we have a problem. Once you are not being a menace to society and you are not going against what we all know is right. I don’t have to pin point what is right and what is wrong. WE ALL KNOW IT. When we are doing something that is wrong we know it, which is why when many of the people are doing something wrong they hide. You understand, they hide and they don’t make it public because they know it is wrong. Once you are not trying to destroy the human race, troddings or existence, then we’re good. When I say human I mean the dogs too enuh (as well) because you know they say that the dog is a mans best friend. Respect to bredda lion, dog, cat, giraffe. There is a lion in all of us, there is a lamb, a bird et cetera in all of us. I can just imagine if Creation is like how they say it was; I can just imagine The Most High put all the animals together and created us. We have dominion over all these things, even though I think most animals live better together than most humans.

TS: What parting words can you leave with the readers of L3 Magazine?N: I have many philosophies, but I will highlight this one: treat each other NOT as

how you would like to be treated, BUT how you would love to be treated.

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He is such a diminutive figure who is so unassuming that if you even happened to see him you would just walk right pass him. Even if you went to a studio and saw him there you would never guess that he had magic fingers, unless you saw him sitting in the studio chair with his

penetrative stare at the computer screen. As I walked into the studio, I saw a younger version of Pharrell, swiveling in a big chair that he could easily get lost in. He would rock and swing in the chair, pause, look at ceiling and then mutter something inaudible then just rapidly start pressing buttons that would tweak sounds. A past student of Edith Dalton James High and from Duhaney Park, welcome to the world of Jheneal ‘Jay Crayzie’ Witter.

EXPERIENCING THE CRAZE WITH

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TS: Yow! You look so young, I have been seeing your label name around, but would never have guessed that you were so young. How old are you?

JC: (He bursts out in a big laugh) I’m 24. (He straightens up, pop collar and say) Hi, I’m Jay Crazyie. I have been doing music for a long time. I have made the beats for a lot of the stuff out there that people know, but I just don’t get credited for it. (He pops a sly grin)

TS: Hold on, a long time, what you mean a long time, you are only 24.JC: I have been doing for about 8 years now. Let me add, self taught by the

way (he proudly adds with a beaming smile).

TS: Hang on 24 - 8 puts you at starting from you were 16.JC: Yah. I was just around the keyboard and just messed around til I got to where I am now.

TS: (He literally stumped me) 16 and self taught. What clicked in your brain at 16 that made you say to yourself, ‘you know what music is what I am going to do’ because you have some kids at 15, 16, 17 even in their 20s who still don’t even know what they want to do.

JC: I had just left school and didn’t know what the hell I was going to do. I found myself drawn to instrumentals and I could hear deeper than what others would hear when they listen to instrumentals. Someone offered me some equipment and I just spend a lot of time around it until I realized that this is what I wanted to do and that I could do it.

TS: What kind of instruments did you start with first?JC: I started with the keyboard. Actually, that is my only instrument, but I

plan on learning more. My favorites are the keyboard, violin, guitar, drum and bass those are my favorite instruments so you tend to hear a lot of keys when I am playing a riddim with good structure.

TS: How long did it take you to learn how to play the keyboards really well?JC: About 5 years and that is doing it constantly everyday till my hand hurt.

I really understood it only 4 years ago because before I was only doing it by ear.

TS: What was your first production?J: I was a gospel producer first. I made a big impact in Gospel doing a lot

of work with Dj Nicholas, Prodigal, Omari but then I changed my direction to Dancehall and that is when I met Elvis from So Unique Records.

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TS: Why did you decide to change to Dancehall?JC: Gospel music lacks structure and I just felt like if I had continued doing it, I would

have died of hunger. The music and that genre lacksstructure. They don’t treat it seriously because you could just voice a Gospel song and it’s off key and off beat and it still got on the radio.

TS: So you met Elvis from So Unique and you went Dancehall?JC: I was looking to go Dancehall and then I met him like soon after his project Lost

Angel came out. He asked me to make a riddim for him. The first riddim I did for him was Aurora Skies which featured Tommy Lee , Khago and a lot more artistes. My first interview was from that. I was interviewed as a young producer on ER (Entertainment Report) and no one knew me.

TS: What are some of the other riddims and singles that you worked on, but a lot of persons probably don’t know that you were the creative genius behind it?

JC: The First Capital Riddim, I Octane - We Love The Vibe, Vybz Kartel - Mr Bleach-in and Owna Lighter, Betray the Gaza Boss - Vybz Kartel and Tommy Lee … (phew) so many I can’t even remember!

TS: How do you get the inspiration to build riddims?JC: I stay inside, don’t listen to other peoples’ works and just push myself and try to

be different. I try to go out of the box.

TS: Who are some of the artistes out there that you would like to work with that you have not worked with yet?

JC: All of them, music is what I do. I have no beef with anyone. I have asked many before, but they have not linked me, that aside though, you can still work with me.

TS: Has it changed since you have worked with Elvis from So Unique and Vybz Kartel?JC: It has made it somewhat easier, but mostly they are looking at me as a composer

and not a producer.

TS: A lot of persons your age are frustrated and want to leave Jamaica, yet you saw an opportunity and are making the best of the times, what advice would you give to young people here?

J: Believe in something, work towards it and don’t give up. Stay true to you and dare to be different. Even if people bash you, keep at it. I got a lot of bashing that I would not make it and look I am here. If I did it, so can you.

TS: What do you have to leave with the readers of L3 Magazine?JC: Don’t chase women, chase money and women will come.

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