Masquerade - courtesy Bacchanal Jamaica Spring is in the air, the foliage of the tropics blooming spreading innumerable colours of Mother Nature, from trees to flowers to mango trees laden with succulent, juicy fruits sweetening in the crisp Caribbean sunshine. As the monochrome rays of the sun refract into spectral colours at the Mas Camp in Kingston, in a quiet corner, Earl 'Fuzzy' Franklin sits surrounded by glue, stapler guns, pliers and scissors - unlikely tools one may think that transform mundane, raw material into sensuous, colourful carnival costumes. "I am not a designer," Fuzzy says, "I know how to put the costumes together." Fuzzy, who has been with Bacchanal Jamaica since its inception, says that initially the costumes were bought from Trinidad. "While we were out there (in Trinidad), I would watch them (the designers) at work, and I picked up the traits," he said. "After three years, we started making our own
Hues of the yellow light dispersed on the hollow eyes of the Zemi, standing like a warrior enclosed in a glass frame, the large eye sockets of the mahogany figurine holds centuries of Jamaica's history buried in them. The Zemi, which were worshipped by the Taino, are part of the selection of the rich heritage housed in the Art in Jamaica, c. 1000-c. 1900 section at National Gallery of Jamaica in downtown Kingston. "These (artefacts) are priceless and (are a) deep-rooted representation of Jamaica's history," said Monique Barnett-Davidson, curatorial assistant in the education department at the National Gallery. The diversity of the exhibits - like the country's motto 'Out of Many, One People' is a confluence of cultures - commencing from the early Taino artefacts made of wood, chiselled into the early Spanish-Persian influence in limestone, dissipating on to canvas in geometrical perfection and symmetrical symphony. This artistic journey
Sonia Gray is proud of her roots and her country, which shows in the warmth and the down-to-earth attitude that she exudes. Owner and operator of Ahlambra Inn and Restaurant, the lush green foliage, fish tanks and quaint and historical relics welcomes the visitors. A thoroughbread country girl, Gray recalled her childhood in Portland, where she used to spend time, at one with nature. “As a little girl growing up in Portland I used to catch Jhaanga (shrimp) and make soup.” She went abroad to pursue degree in film and television with minor in radio, after a career in public relations, Gray decided to live her dreams. “Cooking is my passion, all my life I have loved to cook… I decided to go back to my passion of cooking,” she said. The journey began in 1981, when Gray started her catering business from home. The transition was tough, but it was a learning experience, it gave her a chance to go around the city and explore the shops. “In the first couple of years I knew what was sell
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