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"The characters that we draw do not have any nationality. They are a work of unlimited imagination," professed Masami Suda, one of Japan's most prolific and famous animators and character designers. This, according to Suda, is a conscientious move away from the stereotype that everything from the east has to have an Oriental tinge to it. Suda is revered as sensei (teacher, master) of those colourful creations of the virtual world which have spread worldwide. In Japan, he said, these illustrated characters live beyond television screens and book leaves. "Anime and manga (loosely defined as animations and comic books) are an important part of Japanese life," the sensei said. "They live in the bloodstream of the people." Almost 40 per cent of magazines and books sold in Japan are manga, which have a market worth of over 448 billion yen (US$4.3 billion approximately). On a recent visit to Jamaica, Suda said he was impressed by the creative thoug

Panoramic view of English Harbour from Shirley Heights Most potent mixtures come in small packages, it is said, and this could be true for a piece of heritage that is tucked away in Antigua. In Antigua and Barbuda, the visitor is invited to experience the 365 beaches, and, of course, the unofficial cricketing capital of the Caribbean. The drive to Nelson's Dockyard is replete with the scenic beauty of this eastern Caribbean island, just before the break of dawn, the smell of nature - foliage, dewdrops and the skies waking up to welcome the new day. The winding road leads to this sheltered marina, the masts of yachts anchored rising from the distance, Nelson's Dockyard is home to a range of structures, which house a museum, restaurant and a bakery, which is perched up on a hillock, accessed by stone path. Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua - cultural heritage site and marina in English Harbour On the steps of Dockyard Museum, which was the naval officer's and

Ska Vengers: Raghav 'Diggy' Dang; Stefan Flexi K, Tony Bass, Begum X, 'The Late' Nikhil Vasuedan, and Delhi Sultanate Think music and India - the image of damsels in their ethnic chic finery gyrating to the beat of percussions flashes in mind. But the home of Bollywood and the lip-smacking curry is whipping the tunes of ska. Begum X and Delhi Sultanate, lead singers of Ska Vengers, the new kids on the ska block from the heart of India's capital, breezed through Jamaica recently. "This trip is about absorbing the culture and the vibe from the birthplace of reggae and ska," exuded Begum X. The couple had their share of mystic, divine and serene eastern vibes to share as they sought to create a confluence of music in divergent cultures. "Music has the ability to bring people from different backgrounds together," said Delhi Sultanate. "So what I would really like to see is more alternative venues, more street dances etc."

'The Head' (right), one of the most intriguing photographs taken by Jamaican art photographer Ken Ramsay The soft lights reflected off the row of framed, black and white photographs, and as sun set in the distant horizon and the trees swayed in the cool evening breeze at Redbones Gallery in Kingston, the hues in the skies provided a creative perspective to the silhouettes and faces frozen in the frames. The occasion was to showcase and celebrate the works and life of Ken Ramsay, one of Jamaica's most prolific and well-known art photographers. "He always had different perspectives of life," recounted Anthony Bailey, Ramsay's nephew and one of the organisers of the exhibition. "This always reflected in whatever he did - from the riding boots and the scarf, which made a statement to his love and passion for capturing the beauty around him." Each piece of Ramsay's work, a heady mixture of creativity, craftsmanship and detail, has a story

Memorial to Jamaican soldiers who died in WW1 at Montego Bay Parish Church  Rays from the morning sun filtered through a patch of clouds, lighting up the inscription - "Remember the love of them who came not home from the War: 1914-1918". These poignant and sombre words are inscribed at the base of a 20-foot, whitewashed column at the Montego Bay Parish Church - a silent memorial to Jamaican soldiers from St James parish who lost their lives in World War I. Built in 1921, the Calvary, which has an octagonal base and column, in England, on the four panels at the base are inscribed the names of those who fell. "For me, World War I is personable, in that, if we search our family histories," said Captain Stacy-Marie Dehaney, force curator, Jamaica Defence Force, cleaning off a film of lime to get a better look at the names etched on the stone, "there is a good chance that you could come across a surname like your own in your parish," she remarked. T

World War I Trench Mortar The gaping 240mm barrell of the trench mortar, riveted to the ground, points to the sky and looks as cold and menacing as it did a century back, spewing bombs that were notoriously called 'flying pigs', and the results were catastrophic. The trench mortar, among several other pieces of weaponry and effects, have found a final resting place in Jamaica. These are reminiscent of World War I, which changed the face of the world, and the science and art of warfare. "First thing that came to my mind was, 'I wonder what stories these can tell, where they saw action how they came here to Jamaica'," says Captain Staci-Marie Dehaney, force curator, Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The Great War, spanning from 1914-1918, was entrenched, literally and figuratively, in testing the limits of human endurance and resilience. This is evident in the evolution of the warfare and the weaponry from that era - large and lethal. Though silent and r

What do you get when you combine hollow construction blocks, plywood, car bonnets? A house and a car would be the answer in normal circumstances, but then, the final outcome of these materials is something out of the normal. The term ‘conversation piece’ takes a new dimension, with a splash of colour and the often poignant life stories highlighted in Jamaican street art comes to life at Anything with Nothing. “This exhibition is a dialogue,” said Charles Campbell, chief curator at the National Gallery of Jamaica, where the exhibition is being hosted. “The objective is to highlight and showcase the works of the street artists, looking not only at their work and talents, but the social and economic dynamics of the communities.” Street art in Jamaica is not the usual graffiti; they tell stories, circumstances and the challenges facing the artists. The challenge, in this case, was also bringing alfresco and self-determined expressions into a defined space. Works of 10 street art

Carl Lauder started working when he was a teenager and has since kept going Carl Lauder gently pulls out a record from its cover, dusts it and places it on the turntable, gently placing the needle on the groove, and lets the player turn out the sounds of music. Lauder is not a fancy disc jockey, in Randy's Record Mart in Parade, downtown Kingston - a melting pot of the city - he is striving to preserve and keep a musical tradition alive. "I have been working here (at Randy's) since I was a teenager," said Lauder, as he meticulously wiped traces of dust from an LP (long play) record. "I love what I am doing and this gives me the motivation to carry on." Lauder is a lone soldier, treading the path to keep the romance of analogue tones alive in the 21st-century digital world. Randy's is testimonial to the crests of the island's musical history. Sounds of silence: A stack of vinyl in the recording studio Established by Vincent 'Randy&

Mobile Suit Gundam “Whenever there were problems that could not be solved at work, we always said if Doraemon could come and fix them,” said Mieko Araki, cultural officer, Embassy of Japan, pointing to the caricature of the robotic cat from the future. Doraemon may never have come to Araki’s rescue, but the unequivocal faith and she and almost all Japanese have on the manga, (translated “impromptu sketches”), makes them more than cutie pies with cutie smiles and more profound than mere figurines of a plasticated pop culture. integral part of culture “These cartoons and characters are an integral part of Japanese culture,” Hiromoto Oyama, first secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica, who grew up eptomising the gigantic robot Manziger Z. “Through them,” Oyama continued, “we get reinforced key and core values and customs.” Oyama said that through manga, every Japanese learns the way of life, how to make friends and learn basic human instincts. Aspects of manga in

Engine 54, which was built in 1944 at the Kingston Railway terminus What is romance, one might ask ... the sheer joy and rush of adrenalin, or as Oscar Wilde said, the very essence of romance is uncertainty. For all of us it is that human to human connection and can cold steel make you skip a heartbeat? The Georgian architecture facade of Kingston railway terminus epitomizes its grandiose demeanor. The cool blue painted walls and the silence along the corridors, oblivious of the blaring traffic zipping zapping and zooming by, just stand still. Even the air encasing the railway terminal seems to be of a different era - replete with hustle and bustle at the ticket counters; the impeccably uniformed railway staff stamping the tickets;, maintenance staff; the passengers, some in their finery and others lugging their wares, catching a breath as they wait for the announcement of the departure of the next train; the aroma of food cooking and the clanking of the co

From concept to finish, a 3D pattern that forms the basis of the patterns transferred on fabric. Take a stroll, shoot random pictures, superimpose them, employ technology, pour tradition and create expressions - sounds like a heady concoction? This is what Rodell Warner is out to do, giving defined space to asymmetries. "Expressing myself in art has given me the opportunity to appreciate whatever we normally tend to overlook," says Warner, a Trinidad and Tobago-based photographer and graphic designer. Armed with an unconventional style, the self-taught artist is converging traditional traits with technology, creating myriad kaleidoscopic patterns. Sitting in a room at New Local Space (NLS), an art incubator in Kingston, Warner meticulously merged photographs that he had taken of foliage to form a pattern, the cool tropical breeze, and the chirping of the birds provided background score. The creator and his creation, reflection of Rodell Warner as he shows on