amjamin

Most potent things come in small packages, it is said, which might hold true for a landmass that can be traversed in half a day, point to point. The potency of creative juices is both intoxicating and a heady cocktail of cultures and media. Barbados, like the sister islands in the Caribbean, is one such melting pot, where the key ingredients of creative acumen, sprinkled with a liberal dose of inspiration are brewing under the crisp Caribbean sunshine. "There is a lot of talent here (in Barbados) and across the region," says Martina Pilé, president of Arts Council of Barbados. Pilé, a trained ceramist, who has made Barbados her home for the last 27 years, delves in various media, from painting, sketching and her island-found love, calabash - a fruit and a medium of expression. "We need avenues to showcase the talent," the newly installed president of the Arts Council said, adding that it is her dream to expand the scope of work of th...

With beats emanating from every corner of the island, music is as much a part of the character of Jamaica as the pristine beaches, the vast expanse of the turquoise seas and the delectable food. Among the strolling, suitcase-lugging transit passengers, varied hues and aroma of the Duty Free shops and the usual hustle and bustle at the departure lounge of Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) is a serene space that speaks volumes of Jamaican music. Visualising 50 Years of Jamaican Popular Music, showcases the diversity of Jamaica's musical genre dating back to the 19th century from the emergence of Mento to the 20th century sounds of Nyabinghi drums. The space at the lounge, transformed into a Jamaican musical time capsule, also captures other popular Jamaican music to include ska, rock steady, dub, reggae and dancehall. The space, according to the Institute of Jamaica, which is one of the partners of this exhibition, aims to engage the memorie...

On an October afternoon, as the sun played hide and seek among the clouds, the shadows of the Georgian façades stretched and contracted like a time lapse video - the Spanish Town Square sat enclosed in a time warp as the world whizzed past. Home to Jamaica's finest historical buildings, the brick-and-mortar structures stand testimony to an opulent, sophisticated era that was a turning point in history. The King's House in the People's Museum of Craft and Technology holds a treasure chest of artefacts. "The exhibit celebrates the great creativity, industry and self-reliance of the newly freed Jamaicans," said Johnathan Greenland, director of the National Museum Jamaica. The items showcasing the people's transition from slavery and struggling to building a life of self-reliance and freedom while paving the path for future generations. The exhibits in the museum assume as much historical and archival value as the building in which they are hous...