2007 CRB books of the year

At the end of any calendar year, it's natural to find yourself thinking back over the high and low points of the preceding twelve months. Here at the CRB, we've found ourselves thinking, specifically, about the books we've been reading.

In 2007, the CRB reviewed a full sixty books, and "noticed" another thirty-odd in our "Also noted" column. That may represent just a half of all the Caribbean books published during the year. Because the CRB is a quarterly with a rather long lead-time, we'll be reviewing 2007 books well into 2008.

And of the dozens of books that have passed through our hands and our pages this year, which have we enjoyed best, or been most edified by? What were the stand-out Caribbean books of 2007, the ones we believe deserve a permanent place on our readers' bookshelves? Over the last week, we've done a rough poll of the magazine's editors and contributing editors, and come up with a collective list of our "books of the year". In what we hope will become an annual year-end tradition, we offer their names here, for the sake of those readers who may have overlooked them in the hurry and press of everyday.

The 2007 CRB books of the year, in alphabetical order:

Art and Emancipation in Jamaica: Isaac Mendes Belisario and His Worlds, by Tim Barringer, Gillian Forrester, Barbaro Martinez-Ruiz, et al (Yale Centre for British Art/Yale University Press)
This lavish catalogue of an exhibition that opened in October at the Yale Centre for British Art looks at the work of Belisario in the context of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century topographical drawing and painting, and the iconography of slavery and emancipation. (Look out for a review in the February 2008 CRB.)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Díaz (Riverhead)
The long-awaited first novel by the author of the short story collection Drown tackles the horrors of the Dominican Republic's modern history, the trials of immigration and diaspora, and the mysteries of fuku americanus, the Curse of the New World, with a linguistic verve that is Caribbean and American and also something in between. (Look out for a review in the February 2008 CRB.)

Brother, I'm Dying, by Edwidge Danticat (Knopf)
Catalysed by the death of Danticat's uncle Joseph while in the custody of US Immigration in Miami, this heartbreaking memoir describes a family caught in a cultural, historical, and political crossfire. (Look out for a review in the February 2008 CRB.)

An Eye for the Tropics: Tourism, Photography, and Framing the Caribbean Picturesque, by Krista A. Thompson (Duke University Press)
A wryly intelligent examination of the ways that postcard and poster depictions of the Caribbean have influenced and been influenced by the island's tourist economies, by a young Bahamian art historian. (Reviewed by Melanie Archer in the August 2007 CRB.)

Four Taxis Facing North, by Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw (Flambard Press)
Walcott-Hackshaw's first book of short stories takes an unsparing, un-nostalgic look at the here-and-now of contemporary Trinidad, from an urban middle-class female perspective still rare in Anglophone Caribbean writing. (Look out for a review in the February 2008 CRB.)

From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her People, by Lorna Goodison (McClelland and Stewart)
A family memoir by Jamaica's most important living poet, sharing with her poems their gentle wisdom, their understated lyricism, and their sense of how marvellous the real can be, and how real the marvellous. (Look out for a review in the May 2008 CRB.)

Ragamuffin, by Tobias S. Buckell (Tor)
This speculative fiction novel combines a perfectly paced plot and compelling characters with a powerful and very Caribbean allegory about personal independence and intellectual autonomy. (Reviewed by Lisa Allen-Agostini in the November 2007 CRB.)

Selected Poems, by Derek Walcott, ed. Edward Baugh (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
A distillation of the work of the Caribbean's great--greatest?--poet by one of his foremost readers and interpreters. (Reviewed by Brendan de Caires in the May 2007 CRB.)

There Is an Anger that Moves, by Kei Miller (Carcanet)
This second collection of poems by the promising and prolific Jamaican writer demonstrates an already distinctive voice and a rapidly maturing talent. Miller's first novel will be published in 2008. (Look out for a review in the May 2008 CRB.)

***

And what were your favourite books of 2007, dear readers? Tell us in the comments below.

A daughter speaks

The debut collection of short fiction from Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, the Trinidadian daughter of St Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, is selling out in Trinidadian bookshops.

Local distributors, Prospect Press (the book imprint of Caribbean Beat's publishers, MEP), have had to rush another shipment of books, and offer gift certificates for eager readers who want to secure their copy before they sell out again.

The reviews have been resoundingly positive, which no doubt have fueled interest in this collection of short stories which peek into the anguished lives of Trinidadian families, rich and poor. In his November review for the Trinidad Express, BC Pires gushed:

“The stories collected in Four Taxis Facing North are magnificent. The titular tale might have earned space within the pages of Another Life, such is its beauty and force. All the stories are excellent, making them a delight to read, even if they subsequently disturb in the same measure. Few things in life deserve unstinting recognition and unrestrained recommendation but Four Taxis Facing North is one. Were he not doing it with what must surely be deep parental pride, Derek Walcott himself would be looking over his shoulder nervously.”

Caribbean readers can pre-order securely online, or contact Prospect Press for gift certificates at: (868) 622-3821/5813/6138, or prospectpress@meppublishers.com.

Moforibale Esu

As this calendar year draws to a close, it's a time for reflection on and remembrance of years past, and for resolutions about the year ahead. It's a time when many of us think about what the future may hold, and try to prepare ourselves to make the best decisions possible, to (as Oprah might put it) live our best lives.

In the Yoruba tradition, at junctions like these between one year and the next, one might call on the orisha energy of Eshu, the Divine Messenger, Guardian of the Crossroads. S/he (traditionally described as "he", but orishas are without gender) makes all things possible.

So while many party the night away and awaken in a hungover stupor (giggle) on 1st January, I'll be playing or singing Ella Andall's latest CD of oriki to Eshu – Moforibale Esu – and calling on the energy of possibility and foresight for the year ahead.

Blessings to all in this diverse holiday season. And much peace, love and possibility for the months and years ahead.

Click here for Caribbean Beat's profile of Ella Andall in the July/August 2007 issue

For more information about the CD, contact Erica Ashton at (868) 662-1344 in Trinidad or visit http://www.ellaandall.com

Caribbean Christmas

Caribbean Beat contributor Franka Philip has her own blog and has been sharing some of the secrets a Caribbean Christmas.

Check it out at: cancookmustcook

In the current issue of Caribbean Beat she shares a recipe for black Christmas cake and reminisces about cooking with her family.

Seems the Trinidadian black Christmas cake is all the rage this season!
Check out this article in the New York Times: A Fruitcake Soaked in Tropical Sun

Meiling: Fashion Designer

Caribbean Beat editor Judy Raymond has been toasted in the local media in the last two weeks as her second book Meiling: Fashion Designer hit the shelves.

Raymond, one of Trinidad's most respected journalists, editors and authors, was working on the book even as she acclimatised to her new position as Beat editor.

Her first book covered the life and times of Barbie Jardine, one of the island's most creative precious metals artisans.

Meiling is one of the Caribbean's best known and celebrated designers, with a reputation for attention to detail. Her career spans several decades and she's never struggled to stay current. Her work and life have been covered in Caribbean Beat in 1993, 1997 and 2006.

An excerpt from Meiling: Fashion Designer was published in the August issue of the Caribbean Review of Books and the Jamaica Observer posted a notice about the publication this past weekend.

Remembering Martin Carter

13 December was the tenth anniversary of the death of Martin Carter, a great Caribbean man of letters and a poet who stands--alongside Walcott, Brathwaite, and Bennett--at the head of the West Indian poetic tradition.

In yesterday's Stabroek News, Al Creighton took a brief look back at Carter's posthumous career and offered close readings of two of his poems, "The Poems Man" and "The Conjunction". The CRB has run two substantial pieces on Carter in the last couple of years. In our November 2006 issue, Vahni Capildeo reviewed University of Hunger, the edition of Carter's poems edited by Gemma Robinson. And in February 2006, we published an essay on Carter, "The truth of craft", by Stewart Brown (who co-edited another edition of the great man's poems last year, with Ian McDonald).

(I wrote a review of University of Hunger too--in the July/August 2006 Caribbean Beat.)

Other Carter resources online:
- his very brief Wikipedia entry (in need of some expert attention)
- his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, for those with subscriptions
- a short tribute by Geoffrey Philp, published on Carter's birthday in 2006
- a review of Carter's 1977 Poems of Succession, by Wyck Williams
- an interview with Carter done in 1995 by Gemma Robinson

No Love for Synergy Soca Star

So, in the midst of all the nonsensical radio chatter that passes for sensible and informative radio commentary, there were reports last week that Synergy Soca Star Umi Marcano had signed a deal with VH1 for his song Flavour For Love to be the soundtrack for the new season of Flava Flav's reality show Flava of Love.

For those who don't know, Synergy is a local version of MTV in these here parts, and the Soca Star reality series is a competition akin to American Idol, where wannabe soca singers vie for the ultimate title, a car, video shoot and other sundries.

Marcano's winning song Move that Body, was a local hit for the 2007 Carnival and earned him endorsement deals with local retail chain Francis Fashions. He followed it up with a video a few months later. Now, as we are entering the 2008 Carnival season, he needs to maintain the hype which will get him airplay and ultimately gigs which will enable him to "eat ah bread" as they say.

So, the story of him getting the title track for a show that has a mass audience and has created spin-offs like I Love New Yorkwas big news and a real coup for Marcano. He even capitalised on the announcement by releasing the song to the radio stations, who were excited to play it for their listeners.

Thing is, the rejoicing may have been premature. In conversation with Question Mark Entertainment, the people who brokered the deal with VH1, we learned that the song was signed to the production company who will put it on placement. The song will not, however, be the title track, since the practice of replacing a recognisable title track with an unknown one for so popular a show is simply not done.

So why the misinformation? Was it to get the song played? To get gigs? Isn't the fact that it got placed enough cause for celebration? *sigh*

T&T’s Cruise Ship season kicks off

If you're a fan of the high seas and want to take a trip down to the Caribbean – including our personal favourites, Trinidad and Tobago – now's the time to book a cruise!

Over in these parts, the official cruise ship season runs from 8th November, 2007 until 22nd April, 2008, and started with about 2,000 visitors arriving on each the Oceana and Sea Princess vessels on the 8th.

Each year, the number of vessels and visitors stopping over in Trinidad and Tobago has been increasing. Port of Spain now features as a stop for the Star Princess, Noordam, Princess Danae, Delphin, and Discovery.

When they disembark, visitors are treated to local food, as well as season-specific parang, tassa, folk dance, parades of traditional Carnival characters, and steelpan on site. Cultural shows are often hosted at City Hall as well.

The November-April period gives visitors a chance to take in the best weather that we get, starting from when the rains begin to ease and the air gets a little cooler around Christmastime, right through to near the end of the dry season, before it gets too hot or humid.

They can also take in a number of our world-famous festivals and cultural offerings: parang at Christmas-time; soca and calypso, limbo and steel pan during the Carnival season (which is short this year, as Carnival is the 4th and 5th of February); the Muslim festival of Hosay in January, and the Hindu festival of Phagwa or Holi.

Visitors can also catch sight of some of the most magnificent (and endangered) creatures in the tropics – the ancient leatherback turtles, which comes ashore to nest from about Mid-March.

Local authorities are hoping to make Trinidad and Tobago a preferred cruise port destination worldwide with a high rate of stay-over visitors. In 2008, T&T will be hosting the annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's (FCCA) Caribbean Cruise Conference and Trade Show. The conference will give Trinidad and Tobago a major opportunity to showcase its sites, attractions and amenities to future cruise goers and other travellers.

Of course, a lot of cruise ships don't allow you the chance to spend long enough to take everything in, so it might be worth just flying down and skipping the other ports of call. ;)

In other Grammy News ...

While the kudos for Rihanna keep pouring in & she stays dry under her Umbrella, we should point out that the list of nominees for Best Reggae Album reads like a Reggae's who's who.

Burning Spear gets the call up for his album The Burning Spear Experience; Toots & the Maytals for Light Your Light; Sly & Robbie for Anniversary, Stephen Marley for Mind Control and Lee "Scratch" Perry for The End of An American Dream.

David Katz has written a great piece about the career of Burning Spear for the upcoming Jan/Feb issue (#89).

In the July/August 2005 issue (#74) Katz also covered Toots Hibbert "the hardest-working man in reggae" and his work with the Maytals.

Essiba Small reviews Stephen Marley's Mind Control in the September/October issue (#87).

Montserrat Festival celebrates 45 years

While most of the Caribbean is preparing for Christmas with lights, decorations, Christmas trees, traditional music and inflatable snowmen, people are jumping up to steelband and calypso music in the streets of Montserrat.

Over at Caribbean Net News they’re reporting that the official opening of the Festival took place on December 8, with performances, speeches and fireworks at the Festival Village.

The theme of this year’s festival: Monsterrat still alive, Festival is 45!

There is a packed calendar of happenings between now and the new year, including a swimwear competition, a Festival Queen show, choral singing, a Night of Pan, Soca Monarch competition, a parade of the bands and several street parties.

The Parade of the Bands takes place on Festival Day, December 31.

As a result of the Soufriere Hills volcano eruption than began on July 18, 1995, the capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and more than half of the island’s population now live abroad.

The eruption continues today, albeit on a much reduced scale ... and it probably won't affect the Festival.

MTV Networks sells TEMPO

MTV Networks has sold Tempo, the first and only 24-hour pan-Caribbean cable television network, to a group of investors headed by founder and the newly appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Frederick A. Morton, Jr. Morton founded Tempo while he was employed at MTV Networks. Terms of the deal, which closed on November 8, 2007, were not disclosed.

“Tempo’s mission to elevate the culture of this dynamic region is enhanced by this deal. I want to thank MTV Networks for providing the foundation for the channel’s launch and my Caribbean people for embracing the network,” said Morton.

“We are proud of the tremendous strides that Tempo has taken in such a short time, and we wish Frederick and everyone at the channel continued success,” said Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President and General Manager at VH1, which helped launch Tempo.

Tempo Networks, the first and only 24-hour, pan-Caribbean cable television network, features a dynamic mixture of programming centered on Caribbean music and culture. The channel was launched by MTV Networks in November, 2005. Since then, the company has obtained cable distribution in 25 islands, reaching nearly 400,000 households and an estimated 1.6 million viewers.

Grammy nods for Rihanna

Bajan beauty Rihanna has been nominated for six Grammy awards. Rihanna, whose debut single Umbrella, off her third album Good Girls Gone Bad, scored a nomination for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Rapper Jay-Z, her Def Jam boss, made a cameo on the song.

Her collaboration with NeYo on Hate That I Love You was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group, and Don't Stop the Music was nominated for Best Dance Recording. The Grammy nominations were announced on Thursday, December 6.

The nominations are the icing on Rihanna's year. Umbrella is arguably the biggest song of the year. It spent ten weeks at the top of the UK's charts, matching Whitney Houston's record for a female artist with I Will Always Love You in 1991. The single also helped her album go to number one.

She's won other awards for the year, including the 2007 American Music Award for Best Female Artist, and Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year for Umbrella at the MTV VMAs.

Rihanna was recently featured on the September/October cover of Caribbean Beat.

The Grammy Awards will air on February 10, 2008.

Well, if it's good enough for the Queen!

Prospect Press – the book imprint of Caribbean Beat's publishers, MEP (Media & Editorial Projects Ltd) – would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Professor Julian Kenny.

"Flowers of Trinidad & Tobago" was recently selected as a gift item on the Prime Minister’s last Trade Mission to the UK.

The coffee table book, containing over 100 images of the diverse flora unique to Trinidad & Tobago, was so well received that more books have been requested for some very special recipients.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be receiving a copy of "Flowers of Trinidad & Tobago" and Charles; the Prince of Wales will receive the same, as well as "Views From the Ridge", Professor Kenny's first book with Prospect Press.

Global Reggae: Jamaican Popular Music A Yard and Abroad

February 18 - 24, 2008
"Global Reggae: Jamaican Popular Music A Yard and Abroad"

December 3, 2007; Kingston, Jamaica: The Institute of Caribbean Studies and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the West Indies, Mona explores and celebrates Jamaican Culture at its best at the 3rd Annual Global Reggae Conference on February 18-24, 2008 at the UWI, Mona Campus.

The Conference titled “Global Reggae: Jamaican Popular Music A Yard and Abroad” is an international affair that will:-
• publicise the global impact of Jamaican popular culture
• provide fora for the discussion of reggae’s influence in various cultural contexts
• host a variety of stakeholders including artists, scholars and entrepreneurs
• expose youthful reggae talent through daily showcases

The week of activities will cover the roots & rise of Jamaican popular music, technological transformation and an examination of social, political and business aspects of Reggae while charting the way forward.

The Global Reggae Conference 2008 will partner with the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica (RIAJam), the Bob Marley Foundation and the Jamaica Tourist Board.

All are invited to share in a tradition started some 10 years ago that has paid homage to regional stalwarts including Professor the Hon. Rex Nettleford, Vice-Chancellor Emeritus of the University of the West Indies and Barbadian historian, Professor Kamau Brathwaite.

For further information on the Global Reggae Conference 2008 please contact:

Professor Carolyn Cooper, Conference Chair, or Kam-Au Amen, Conference Co-ordinator at the Reggae Studies Unit, Institute of Caribbean Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Education, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.

Tel: 1 (876) 977-1951 or 1 (876) 512-3228 and Fax: 1 (876) 977-3430
Email: globalreggae2008@uwimona.edu.jm
Conference Website: http://www.mona.uwi.edu/conferences/2008/globalreggae/index.htm

Job Opportunities -- Join Our Team!

Caribbean Beat's parent company and publisher, MEP (Media & Editorial Projects Ltd) is recruiting Graphic Designers for select titles in its range of tourism, culture and business magazine titles, as well as Interns to work in editorial and marketing of MEP's magazines and books!

1) Graphic Designer(s)

If you have a design qualification, a strong creative flair and work ethic, and would like the chance to design professional magazines, we’d like to hear from you.

Job Description:
• Work with the editors of select publications to design, lay out, and package the magazines for printing
• Design illustrations and marketing materials
• Flexible work hours
• Salary and benefits packages commensurate with experience
• Excellent experience and exposure in the local and international commercial magazine publishing industry
• Start date: January 7, 2008

Requirements:
• Advanced qualification in graphic design, or proven job training and experience
• Command of Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and Mac OS
• Ability to work effectively with existing editorial and creative teams
• Ability to work hard and to deadlines
• Creativity and initiative

To Apply:
• Please email your CV (including contact information and references) and a short cover letter to info@meppublishers.com
• Applications must be received by December 31st, 2007
• Please no phone calls or letters

2) Interns

We're looking for enthusiastic, creative and hard-working interns to work with our staff on various MEP magazine titles and Prospect Press books.

Some areas of responsibility include:
• Working with the editorial team of select MEP publications at every stage of the publication process – from content planning to proofreading
• Working with the marketing teams in promoting our website, magazine and book titles – including subscription drives, retail distribution, advertising and publicity campaigns
• Working with our graphic artists and editorial teams on making our publications available online
• Opportunity to write for and be published in MEP's magazines
• Providing support for other MEP departments as needed and as suit your interests
• Click here to learn more about MEP

Requirements:
• A sustained interest in magazine and/or book publishing
• Ability to work effectively with existing editorial and creative teams
• Ability to work hard and to deadlines
• Familiarity with Macintosh computers, Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Suite a plus

To Apply:
• Please email your CV (including contact information and references) and a short cover letter to info@meppublishers.com
• Applications must be received by December 31st, 2007
• Please no phone calls or letters