Articles - Dessert
May 17, 2011 at 09:05 AM
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If I could pay so much for my outfit to come here, organizers can afford to put out some money to up the wow factor of Jazz,” a friend remarked as we made our way around the Pigeon Island National Landmark at Sunday jazz. It sounded funny, but it made sense. Anyone who’d attended the festival for a consecutive amount of years would have realized by now that not much has changed—and for an event that’s supposed to be the 20th anniversary of St Lucia Jazz, the ‘same old’ was pretty much a letdown.
Could it be that the Tourist Board is resting on the fact that the numbers will come so they don’t bother to put together a wow show? If it ain’t broke dont fix it, type mentality. It was all a little too predictable, but then again, jazz isn’t really for locals anyway, right? So what does our opinion matter? That’s the furthest thing from the truth because the fact of the matter is a large number of international patrons of the St Lucia Jazz Festival are repeat guests, and obviously they’re going to notice they’re paying more money for the same thing, or less as Jazz progresses.
One of the key features from years prior was left out of the mix this year. At jazz events over the years people have grown accustomed to, and even looked forward to see the ladies decked in carnival wear, promoting one of the island’s biggest events to people from all over the world.
Apart from the music on the side stage and short clips on the viewing screens, carnival promotion didn’t seem much of a priority this year. Not that carnival promotion should overtake the festival’s main intension, but as organizers have said before, it’s the perfect opportunity and time to market carnival and for that reason it should either be done in a memorable way, or not at all.
Perhaps the fact that the site is a national landmark and there must have been limitations as to just how much could be done to spruce up for Jazz should be taken into consideration. And surely the set up must have been affected by the fact that some parts of the grounds were waterlogged from recent rainy weather and not really fit for use. That would probably explain the precarious set up of the bathrooms.
Amid everything else were complaints that the bathrooms were too small. “What is this?” one woman remarked. “I’m seeing your toes; you’re seeing mine, what kinda thing is that?”
At that point I couldn’t help cracking up almost throwing my Blackberry into the bowl in my balancing act. Whoever had set up the bathrooms had done so in a manner that made you feel like you were about to topple over once you got in. Ah well, small matters. It was kept clean and freshly disinfected for the most part, and if relieving one’s self while off balance wasn’t your thing, you could simply walk a bit further to the park’s main washroom!
As with everything else, Jazz had its ups and downs, but when it was down, it really was a hopeless situation. Like at Saturday’s show when Trey Songz was about to come onstage. The front lines were littered with a number of young faces, some under sixteen and the force coming from the back from people who wanted to come up front was so intense that some of the girls were getting injured from being pushed hard against the metal barricade.
The MC stepped in before anything really tragic happened, and after what seemed like eternity the crowd calmed down enough for Trey to come on. Never in any other show have I seen such force used to calm down a crowd, it was pure mayhem for a while there, but then again those screaming girls were tough to control!
While officials tried their best to contain the crowd, there were confrontations between security and police officers and above it all I heard someone shout, “That’s not the place for that!” At one point in the press area, during the melee before Trey Songz got onstage, one of the event’s security personnel approached a man who was also in the press area asking him roughly: “What are you doing in here? If you’re not taking pictures you can’t be in here, you have to get out!” Now mind you a large number of people in there didn’t have cameras.
The press area was not only supposed to be made up of cameramen, but journalists and reporters as well. The man showed the security his pass and the guard said no more. The man he’d tried to embarrass was one of the members of John Legend’s band and he was holding an all access pass, which the security could have clearly seen if he’d taken the time to.
With a confused look on his face and the other band members looking on now uneasy because of the exchange, the musician remarked: “Is that how things work around here?”
The media was briefed beforehand that they could only record the earlier part of Trey’s performance and everyone was warned against flash photography.
Needless to say some didn’t comply and got the royal boot from the press area. Sadly though, even those who followed the instruction were soon kicked out of the press area as well in a pitiful case of Peter pays for Paul.
At another juncture, an official from the Tourist Board rounded up the press for a backstage interview with Yellowjackets. After their performance it was announced that they’d be conducting an interview after their CD signing.
We were all instructed to stand by for about 15 minutes and that we did—for almost half an hour. By that time the next artiste was about to take the stage and photographers and video people couldn’t exactly be in two places at once, again due to the limited, recently reduced (again) amount of passes media had in the first place. We waited outside the backstage entrance for a prolonged period until I finally got one of the security guards to ask what was going on. “The interview is already in progress,” she returned saying.
“But we’re supposed to be in there as well,” I explained. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
The only response from the female security was that she couldn’t let us in and rightly so because we didn’t have backstage passes, but where was the person who was supposed to escort us in? “She’s busy now,” the male security said after going in to check for a second time. Frustration had already begun to set in, but we stuck around and finally the tourist board official came to speak with us. The interview was indeed already in progress and no, local press would not be a part of it.
We were informed that the band had to make their way back to the hotel and was only doing two interviews, one of which was an exclusive with international press, so what were we, chopped liver?
The whole thing was disorganized to say the least, and even officials didn’t seem to know what was really going on.
We took the incident for what it was, another let down not entirely unexpected. But the show went on, wowed some, disappointed others, but one thing that could not be disputed was the impact the Festival had on the island’s entertainment scene.
A vibrant mix of people from all over the Caribbean and the world had come to see performers Haiti, Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Jamaica, St Lucia and more.
As one frequent Jazz goer told the STAR after the show: “Jazz was great. I mean in the few years of the festival it has become less about jazz, more the meeting together of minds, physical body and spirit of Caribbean people. It’s a melting pot. It’s less to do with the music than just hanging out together and enjoying life, which is a gift.”
Could it be that the Tourist Board is resting on the fact that the numbers will come so they don’t bother to put together a wow show? If it ain’t broke dont fix it, type mentality. It was all a little too predictable, but then again, jazz isn’t really for locals anyway, right? So what does our opinion matter? That’s the furthest thing from the truth because the fact of the matter is a large number of international patrons of the St Lucia Jazz Festival are repeat guests, and obviously they’re going to notice they’re paying more money for the same thing, or less as Jazz progresses.
One of the key features from years prior was left out of the mix this year. At jazz events over the years people have grown accustomed to, and even looked forward to see the ladies decked in carnival wear, promoting one of the island’s biggest events to people from all over the world.
Apart from the music on the side stage and short clips on the viewing screens, carnival promotion didn’t seem much of a priority this year. Not that carnival promotion should overtake the festival’s main intension, but as organizers have said before, it’s the perfect opportunity and time to market carnival and for that reason it should either be done in a memorable way, or not at all.
Perhaps the fact that the site is a national landmark and there must have been limitations as to just how much could be done to spruce up for Jazz should be taken into consideration. And surely the set up must have been affected by the fact that some parts of the grounds were waterlogged from recent rainy weather and not really fit for use. That would probably explain the precarious set up of the bathrooms.
Amid everything else were complaints that the bathrooms were too small. “What is this?” one woman remarked. “I’m seeing your toes; you’re seeing mine, what kinda thing is that?”
At that point I couldn’t help cracking up almost throwing my Blackberry into the bowl in my balancing act. Whoever had set up the bathrooms had done so in a manner that made you feel like you were about to topple over once you got in. Ah well, small matters. It was kept clean and freshly disinfected for the most part, and if relieving one’s self while off balance wasn’t your thing, you could simply walk a bit further to the park’s main washroom!
As with everything else, Jazz had its ups and downs, but when it was down, it really was a hopeless situation. Like at Saturday’s show when Trey Songz was about to come onstage. The front lines were littered with a number of young faces, some under sixteen and the force coming from the back from people who wanted to come up front was so intense that some of the girls were getting injured from being pushed hard against the metal barricade.
The MC stepped in before anything really tragic happened, and after what seemed like eternity the crowd calmed down enough for Trey to come on. Never in any other show have I seen such force used to calm down a crowd, it was pure mayhem for a while there, but then again those screaming girls were tough to control!
While officials tried their best to contain the crowd, there were confrontations between security and police officers and above it all I heard someone shout, “That’s not the place for that!” At one point in the press area, during the melee before Trey Songz got onstage, one of the event’s security personnel approached a man who was also in the press area asking him roughly: “What are you doing in here? If you’re not taking pictures you can’t be in here, you have to get out!” Now mind you a large number of people in there didn’t have cameras.
The press area was not only supposed to be made up of cameramen, but journalists and reporters as well. The man showed the security his pass and the guard said no more. The man he’d tried to embarrass was one of the members of John Legend’s band and he was holding an all access pass, which the security could have clearly seen if he’d taken the time to.
With a confused look on his face and the other band members looking on now uneasy because of the exchange, the musician remarked: “Is that how things work around here?”
The media was briefed beforehand that they could only record the earlier part of Trey’s performance and everyone was warned against flash photography.
Needless to say some didn’t comply and got the royal boot from the press area. Sadly though, even those who followed the instruction were soon kicked out of the press area as well in a pitiful case of Peter pays for Paul.
At another juncture, an official from the Tourist Board rounded up the press for a backstage interview with Yellowjackets. After their performance it was announced that they’d be conducting an interview after their CD signing.
We were all instructed to stand by for about 15 minutes and that we did—for almost half an hour. By that time the next artiste was about to take the stage and photographers and video people couldn’t exactly be in two places at once, again due to the limited, recently reduced (again) amount of passes media had in the first place. We waited outside the backstage entrance for a prolonged period until I finally got one of the security guards to ask what was going on. “The interview is already in progress,” she returned saying.
“But we’re supposed to be in there as well,” I explained. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
The only response from the female security was that she couldn’t let us in and rightly so because we didn’t have backstage passes, but where was the person who was supposed to escort us in? “She’s busy now,” the male security said after going in to check for a second time. Frustration had already begun to set in, but we stuck around and finally the tourist board official came to speak with us. The interview was indeed already in progress and no, local press would not be a part of it.
We were informed that the band had to make their way back to the hotel and was only doing two interviews, one of which was an exclusive with international press, so what were we, chopped liver?
The whole thing was disorganized to say the least, and even officials didn’t seem to know what was really going on.
We took the incident for what it was, another let down not entirely unexpected. But the show went on, wowed some, disappointed others, but one thing that could not be disputed was the impact the Festival had on the island’s entertainment scene.
A vibrant mix of people from all over the Caribbean and the world had come to see performers Haiti, Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Jamaica, St Lucia and more.
As one frequent Jazz goer told the STAR after the show: “Jazz was great. I mean in the few years of the festival it has become less about jazz, more the meeting together of minds, physical body and spirit of Caribbean people. It’s a melting pot. It’s less to do with the music than just hanging out together and enjoying life, which is a gift.”
Read More
There’s excitement in the air at the SHE Caribbean publishing house! This week the magazine’s publisher, Mrs Mae Wayne, announced that SHE Caribbean is now available as an App, meaning that the quarterly publication can now be downloaded easily to your smartphone. Currently this App is only available for Apple Iphones and Ipads, however, versions for other mobile devices and platforms will soon become available.
Now the vibrant photography, in depth articles, profiles and more are just a click away and can instantly be uploaded to any mobile device.
“This is a new, innovative step for us and we are so thrilled and proud,” said Mrs Wayne, beaming as she looked at the pages of the Magazine jump from her own SmartPhone. “Having an App means that we are not just ahead of other magazines in the region, we are a leader in the technology department. This is a first for the Caribbean and we couldn’t be more elated.”
Mrs Wayne was most excited, however, about the reach the magazine will now have around the world.
“Distribution wise, this will change the way we do things,” she said. “We have received letters for years from people all over the world who want to read the magazine but may not be able to get it where they are. This is a thing of the past. This makes us truly an international magazine able to reach people wherever they may be. SHE readers who are on the road often can get their new issue right away, and read it while they travel and take it with them everywhere.”
The App revolution that has swept the rest of the world has spawned an entire new market for publishing and Mrs Wayne explains that the SHE Caribbean App is just the beginning. This will also be a phenomenal added feature for advertisers.
“It’s limitless and so easy,” explains Mrs Wayne. “Our advertisers will now be able to not only reach people who buy the magazine on newsstands but also those who download the App. It opens up a whole new technology savvy clientele.”
SHE Caribbean magazine is printed and published by the Saint Lucia Star Publishing Company Limited and has won numerous awards for its covers and photography.
The SHE Caribbean App can be downloaded easily from the Apple App Store on Itunes or visit www.shecaribbean.com for details. Loyal SHE readers have already begun downloading the just released SHE Spring Issue featuring, on the cover, the breathtaking Miss Caribbean-World Aiasha Gustave. Don’t be left behind, download it now!
How to get the new SHE App:
Download from the Apple App Store on Itunes from your Iphone, Ipad or Computer, PC or Mac. For more details, logon to www.shecaribbean.com.
Happy Reading!
Now the vibrant photography, in depth articles, profiles and more are just a click away and can instantly be uploaded to any mobile device.
“This is a new, innovative step for us and we are so thrilled and proud,” said Mrs Wayne, beaming as she looked at the pages of the Magazine jump from her own SmartPhone. “Having an App means that we are not just ahead of other magazines in the region, we are a leader in the technology department. This is a first for the Caribbean and we couldn’t be more elated.”
Mrs Wayne was most excited, however, about the reach the magazine will now have around the world.
“Distribution wise, this will change the way we do things,” she said. “We have received letters for years from people all over the world who want to read the magazine but may not be able to get it where they are. This is a thing of the past. This makes us truly an international magazine able to reach people wherever they may be. SHE readers who are on the road often can get their new issue right away, and read it while they travel and take it with them everywhere.”
The App revolution that has swept the rest of the world has spawned an entire new market for publishing and Mrs Wayne explains that the SHE Caribbean App is just the beginning. This will also be a phenomenal added feature for advertisers.
“It’s limitless and so easy,” explains Mrs Wayne. “Our advertisers will now be able to not only reach people who buy the magazine on newsstands but also those who download the App. It opens up a whole new technology savvy clientele.”
SHE Caribbean magazine is printed and published by the Saint Lucia Star Publishing Company Limited and has won numerous awards for its covers and photography.
The SHE Caribbean App can be downloaded easily from the Apple App Store on Itunes or visit www.shecaribbean.com for details. Loyal SHE readers have already begun downloading the just released SHE Spring Issue featuring, on the cover, the breathtaking Miss Caribbean-World Aiasha Gustave. Don’t be left behind, download it now!
How to get the new SHE App:
Download from the Apple App Store on Itunes from your Iphone, Ipad or Computer, PC or Mac. For more details, logon to www.shecaribbean.com.
Happy Reading!
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18
I’ve always been too sensitive for my own good. Things which others seem content to just let slide, I take rather personally. Like the stereotyping of Catholic priests as nothing but a bunch of undercover homosexuals or, worse yet, a bunch of child molesters. After all, I am a Catholic priest but I am neither homosexual nor a child molester. What I am is a fan of the website www.stluciastar.com.
It was through the St Lucia STAR online that I kept abreast with so much of what was happening in St Lucian society and in life while studying, first in Trinidad and then Rome, in preparation for my ordination to the priesthood. When I returned home in July of 2008, it was almost as if I had never been away. I must also confess that in continuing to indulge this online guilty pleasure, I hardly ever read an article without scrolling down to the comments posted by other regular readers who are eager to share their profound intellectual reflections on the issues dealt with by STAR reporters and regular contributors. I continue to do this even though many of the comments posted cause me to cringe in embarrassment at what passes for profound thought in this fair isle that gave birth to two Nobel Laureates.
Still, nothing could prepare me for the venom that was spewed out in lieu of comments in response to a February 23 STAR article entitled “Archbishop Makes Peace Proposal to the PM.” Apparently none of those who took time to share their innermost thoughts saw any merit in the initiative being outlined in the article… none that was worth applauding anyway. Or could it be that their issue was not so much with the initiative per se, but with the fact that it was the local Roman Catholic Archbishop proposing the initiative. After all, can anything good come from the Catholic Church; that great bastion of evil, seeking to enslave or corrupt the minds of the truly righteous ones? After all, she is nothing more than the drunken whore of Babylon; a secretive, idolatrous organization run by the “beast” himself right? Right!
Judging from the majority of the online comments to the above mentioned article and to other recent articles as well, such as the one entitled “Archbishop’s New Year Message of Hope;” this seems to be the perception of the Church now harbored by so many of those who consider themselves enlightened. I would be lying through my teeth if I said that this does not cause me untold grief, because what others call “Whore of Babylon” I call “Mother.”
I do not write to convince anyone that evil has not existed within the Church over the centuries. That would be like saying that all of our politicians over the years have been beacons of virtue. No doubt the devil has made his corrupting presence felt from within, as he will do in seeking to destroy anything that is good. I believe the fact that the Catholic Church has existed and continues to exist only by Divine Grace, but it is obviously a body of human beings and as such, we are all far from perfect. Greed, hunger for power, lust, selfishness, pride and blatant dishonesty have been just some of the forms of rot we have suffered and it is true that many of those who should have been held accountable were not. It would be a crime for us to simply ignore thesedark stains on our Church history.
However, is it not just as criminal to judge the Church, which traces its history back over two thousand years to the Apostles of Christ, by the bold evil of some while totally ignoring the heroic virtue of so many others? There are many who would choose to see the likes of the ridiculous Pope Alexander VI as symbolic of Catholicity, while totally ignoring spiritual giants like Gregory the Great, Augustine and in our own time, a man like Karol Jozef Wojtyla (John Paul II). Catholic women too have not been outdone in terms of holiness of life. Think of the likes of Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux and again in our own time, a woman like Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Google them if you feel the need.
There are those who would suggest that the Catholic Church today is nothing more than a money- and gold-hoarding “organization” with little or no concern for the “ghetto youth.” Here again they choose to ignore the continuing work of the Church in some of the most trying circumstances, through parish initiatives or organizations like Caritas and the Missionaries of Charity, among so many others. Catholic leaders like Bishop Oscar Romero have died in defense of those who are considered the least in society. The work of such Catholic heroes and groups so often goes unnoticed as they hold on to the principle that our good deeds should never be trumpeted before men to win their approval.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not suggesting the good we have done and continue to do today should in any way erase the pain we have caused on too many occasions. But is it fair that I should be judged only by the worst I have done in my life? Is it also fair that I as a Catholic today should be judged, using today’s standards, for mistakes made from as far back as the medieval period? Have the enlightened and liberated thinkers ever stopped to wonder if it is not in the best interest of an immoral or amoral few to highlight and broadcast far and wide the sins of the Church while totally ignoring her virtues? One almost gets the impression that pedophilia is a “Catholic thing” or worst yet a “priest thing,” but doesn’t child abuse also take place in the classroom, in the doctor’s office and especially in the trusted family home? Are not other pastors, rabbis and elders guilty of some of the same, if not more atrocious misbehavior that some Catholic leaders are singled out for? No, this does not make such behavior acceptable for us, but think for a moment about the number of other church assemblies which owe their filled pews to Catholic Church bashing.
I also believe that it would serve some very well to have the Church silenced on issues like abortion. What better way to achieve this than to attack our credibility. The fact that this silencing strategy seems to have worked on the Church in St Lucia is a source of great pain for me…but that is for my next article. Over to you great thinkers. . .
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” John 15:18
I’ve always been too sensitive for my own good. Things which others seem content to just let slide, I take rather personally. Like the stereotyping of Catholic priests as nothing but a bunch of undercover homosexuals or, worse yet, a bunch of child molesters. After all, I am a Catholic priest but I am neither homosexual nor a child molester. What I am is a fan of the website www.stluciastar.com.
It was through the St Lucia STAR online that I kept abreast with so much of what was happening in St Lucian society and in life while studying, first in Trinidad and then Rome, in preparation for my ordination to the priesthood. When I returned home in July of 2008, it was almost as if I had never been away. I must also confess that in continuing to indulge this online guilty pleasure, I hardly ever read an article without scrolling down to the comments posted by other regular readers who are eager to share their profound intellectual reflections on the issues dealt with by STAR reporters and regular contributors. I continue to do this even though many of the comments posted cause me to cringe in embarrassment at what passes for profound thought in this fair isle that gave birth to two Nobel Laureates.
Still, nothing could prepare me for the venom that was spewed out in lieu of comments in response to a February 23 STAR article entitled “Archbishop Makes Peace Proposal to the PM.” Apparently none of those who took time to share their innermost thoughts saw any merit in the initiative being outlined in the article… none that was worth applauding anyway. Or could it be that their issue was not so much with the initiative per se, but with the fact that it was the local Roman Catholic Archbishop proposing the initiative. After all, can anything good come from the Catholic Church; that great bastion of evil, seeking to enslave or corrupt the minds of the truly righteous ones? After all, she is nothing more than the drunken whore of Babylon; a secretive, idolatrous organization run by the “beast” himself right? Right!
Judging from the majority of the online comments to the above mentioned article and to other recent articles as well, such as the one entitled “Archbishop’s New Year Message of Hope;” this seems to be the perception of the Church now harbored by so many of those who consider themselves enlightened. I would be lying through my teeth if I said that this does not cause me untold grief, because what others call “Whore of Babylon” I call “Mother.”
I do not write to convince anyone that evil has not existed within the Church over the centuries. That would be like saying that all of our politicians over the years have been beacons of virtue. No doubt the devil has made his corrupting presence felt from within, as he will do in seeking to destroy anything that is good. I believe the fact that the Catholic Church has existed and continues to exist only by Divine Grace, but it is obviously a body of human beings and as such, we are all far from perfect. Greed, hunger for power, lust, selfishness, pride and blatant dishonesty have been just some of the forms of rot we have suffered and it is true that many of those who should have been held accountable were not. It would be a crime for us to simply ignore thesedark stains on our Church history.
However, is it not just as criminal to judge the Church, which traces its history back over two thousand years to the Apostles of Christ, by the bold evil of some while totally ignoring the heroic virtue of so many others? There are many who would choose to see the likes of the ridiculous Pope Alexander VI as symbolic of Catholicity, while totally ignoring spiritual giants like Gregory the Great, Augustine and in our own time, a man like Karol Jozef Wojtyla (John Paul II). Catholic women too have not been outdone in terms of holiness of life. Think of the likes of Catherine of Siena, Therese of Lisieux and again in our own time, a woman like Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Google them if you feel the need.
There are those who would suggest that the Catholic Church today is nothing more than a money- and gold-hoarding “organization” with little or no concern for the “ghetto youth.” Here again they choose to ignore the continuing work of the Church in some of the most trying circumstances, through parish initiatives or organizations like Caritas and the Missionaries of Charity, among so many others. Catholic leaders like Bishop Oscar Romero have died in defense of those who are considered the least in society. The work of such Catholic heroes and groups so often goes unnoticed as they hold on to the principle that our good deeds should never be trumpeted before men to win their approval.
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not suggesting the good we have done and continue to do today should in any way erase the pain we have caused on too many occasions. But is it fair that I should be judged only by the worst I have done in my life? Is it also fair that I as a Catholic today should be judged, using today’s standards, for mistakes made from as far back as the medieval period? Have the enlightened and liberated thinkers ever stopped to wonder if it is not in the best interest of an immoral or amoral few to highlight and broadcast far and wide the sins of the Church while totally ignoring her virtues? One almost gets the impression that pedophilia is a “Catholic thing” or worst yet a “priest thing,” but doesn’t child abuse also take place in the classroom, in the doctor’s office and especially in the trusted family home? Are not other pastors, rabbis and elders guilty of some of the same, if not more atrocious misbehavior that some Catholic leaders are singled out for? No, this does not make such behavior acceptable for us, but think for a moment about the number of other church assemblies which owe their filled pews to Catholic Church bashing.
I also believe that it would serve some very well to have the Church silenced on issues like abortion. What better way to achieve this than to attack our credibility. The fact that this silencing strategy seems to have worked on the Church in St Lucia is a source of great pain for me…but that is for my next article. Over to you great thinkers. . .
The single “Oh” or “I love you” as the fans call it which has been making headlines and hitting the airwaves lately is coming from none other than Linda “Chocolate” Berthier. The local celebrity; the music artist who is loved by her many fans has always shared a passion for music. She has also released singles such as: “In the way” and “Faith”. Originating from a gospel background the artist has stolen the spotlight once more with her amazing hits and bubbly personality.
Her music has an original flavour and her voice is absolutely amazing. The singer seems to be capable of all genres of music as she has done jazz, reggae, rhythm and blues/ soul music and of course her burning passion; gospel music. The local celebrity has not only been blessed with singing talent; she has pursued acting. She was an actress on the local movie “Nana’s Paradise” where she played the role of a teacher, and a mentor to a student who performed exceedingly well but came from a poor background and also had a family who had problems more than money; as he had a father who was a drunk. The singer and actress aced her role as the acting appeared to be something that came to her quite naturally. She also hosts a weekly family show on Choice TV. (Act II). Apart from being a singer and actress she is also a radio personality.
Her single “Feeling the Vibe” has won “Best Jazz Award” at the Saint Lucia Music Awards. She has also appeared on stage regionally and internationally with artists such as Chevelle Franklin and Isaac Blackman. She recently appeared on the local music video “Rebuild Our World” with other local artists including Claudia Edwards, Ronald Boo Hinkson, Shane Ross, T.C. Brown, Nicole David Mantius and several other local artists. The video which was dedicated to Sabi and family who lost their lives in hurricane Tomas was directed by Colin “Dove” Weekes and written by Lion I; was described as a video that was “touching” “beautiful” and “surreal.”
“Chocolate” spoke to the journalist sharing her joy about her success. “I feel really good about my recent accomplishments and that my single “In the way” is now in the top ten in the United Kingdom. I haven’t checked it this week but for the past few weeks it was in the top ten and went up to number nine and hopefully climbing. It has given me a lot of air play and you tube hits. It jumped from 900 to 1019 in a week.”
She says that Linda and “Chocolate” are two different people. She says that Linda is obsessed about music and Chocolate loves to do back up vocals and a little more than lead vocal. She describes the back up vocals are “soothing”. The aspiring artist said Linda Berthier was born before “Chocolate” was born. She said when she started radio the “then manager” announced her as “Chocolate”. She said that she did not like the name initially but young children and senior people loved it. She said in Trinidad especially they loved it so much that they started to forget her real name; this was the reason why she started to call herself Linda “Chocolate” Berthier.
She spoke about her spiritual life and the passion could be heard in her voice. “I grew up in church but I have not always been the perfect angel. We’re all sinners, we’re all born from sin and we make mistakes but I don’t think I’ll ever turn my back totally on God; I have tried because of circumstances like really big discouragements like when my mom died I was really discouraged but within three months I put my knees down and I wept like a baby because God is my everything and I feel empty without Him. It does not matter what we try to make our selves happy with; money, friends, material things, music, whatever it may be nothing can feel it like God. I think when you develop a really close relationship with God it’s very hard to turn your back. He gives you unspeakable joy and no one can take that away from you.”
The singer is a registered nurse and a recently certified midwife. She says she is looking forward to travelling because she has been getting a lot of invites and she wants to take her music more seriously. She is also looking forward to releasing her album which should be released in a few months.
The singer Linda “Chocolate” Berthier has brought publicity for her home country Saint Lucia and has shown that there is nothing like her: “Chocolate” a sensational unique delight.
Her music has an original flavour and her voice is absolutely amazing. The singer seems to be capable of all genres of music as she has done jazz, reggae, rhythm and blues/ soul music and of course her burning passion; gospel music. The local celebrity has not only been blessed with singing talent; she has pursued acting. She was an actress on the local movie “Nana’s Paradise” where she played the role of a teacher, and a mentor to a student who performed exceedingly well but came from a poor background and also had a family who had problems more than money; as he had a father who was a drunk. The singer and actress aced her role as the acting appeared to be something that came to her quite naturally. She also hosts a weekly family show on Choice TV. (Act II). Apart from being a singer and actress she is also a radio personality.
Her single “Feeling the Vibe” has won “Best Jazz Award” at the Saint Lucia Music Awards. She has also appeared on stage regionally and internationally with artists such as Chevelle Franklin and Isaac Blackman. She recently appeared on the local music video “Rebuild Our World” with other local artists including Claudia Edwards, Ronald Boo Hinkson, Shane Ross, T.C. Brown, Nicole David Mantius and several other local artists. The video which was dedicated to Sabi and family who lost their lives in hurricane Tomas was directed by Colin “Dove” Weekes and written by Lion I; was described as a video that was “touching” “beautiful” and “surreal.”
“Chocolate” spoke to the journalist sharing her joy about her success. “I feel really good about my recent accomplishments and that my single “In the way” is now in the top ten in the United Kingdom. I haven’t checked it this week but for the past few weeks it was in the top ten and went up to number nine and hopefully climbing. It has given me a lot of air play and you tube hits. It jumped from 900 to 1019 in a week.”
She says that Linda and “Chocolate” are two different people. She says that Linda is obsessed about music and Chocolate loves to do back up vocals and a little more than lead vocal. She describes the back up vocals are “soothing”. The aspiring artist said Linda Berthier was born before “Chocolate” was born. She said when she started radio the “then manager” announced her as “Chocolate”. She said that she did not like the name initially but young children and senior people loved it. She said in Trinidad especially they loved it so much that they started to forget her real name; this was the reason why she started to call herself Linda “Chocolate” Berthier.
She spoke about her spiritual life and the passion could be heard in her voice. “I grew up in church but I have not always been the perfect angel. We’re all sinners, we’re all born from sin and we make mistakes but I don’t think I’ll ever turn my back totally on God; I have tried because of circumstances like really big discouragements like when my mom died I was really discouraged but within three months I put my knees down and I wept like a baby because God is my everything and I feel empty without Him. It does not matter what we try to make our selves happy with; money, friends, material things, music, whatever it may be nothing can feel it like God. I think when you develop a really close relationship with God it’s very hard to turn your back. He gives you unspeakable joy and no one can take that away from you.”
The singer is a registered nurse and a recently certified midwife. She says she is looking forward to travelling because she has been getting a lot of invites and she wants to take her music more seriously. She is also looking forward to releasing her album which should be released in a few months.
The singer Linda “Chocolate” Berthier has brought publicity for her home country Saint Lucia and has shown that there is nothing like her: “Chocolate” a sensational unique delight.
A leading hotel here was last week the proud recipient of a major award from an international company. Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa, located in Vieux Fort, last week received top honours from Transat. The hotel was awarded the prestigious “Green Level Award” for Health and Safety by the company.
Transat is an integrated tour operator that specializes in holiday travel and offers more than 60 destination countries. Created in Canada, it now has offices in many other countries and owns an air carrier, provides destination services, is active in the accommodation industry and operates an extensive distribution network. The company operates regular flight schedules here particularly during the busy winter season. Transat
offers its customers an extensive selection of destinations and holiday packages on all continents. Its key markets are sun destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida.
The award presented to Coconut Bay by Transat is based on having to adhere to strict operating criteria for Health and Safety in all aspects of operation.
Of the 246 hotels within the Transat Travel Portfolio, Coconut Bay ranked within the top 50 hotels and was the only hotel from the Eastern Caribbean to qualify for this level. The General Manager of Coconut Bay stated that the resort continues to strive for excellence in this regard and foresees more accolades in the future.
“We are pleased that the consistent hard work of the team is being recognized by the industry” said General Manager Vishal Bhalla. “We still have a long way to go, and this is an important milestone indicating we are heading in the right direction,” he added.
Coconut bay is a 254 room resort catering to families and couples with two seemingly different worlds in one breathtaking setting along the bay in the south. An adult oasis flanks one side, while the other side boasts one of the liveliest family playgrounds complete with swimming pools and water slides. The resort also boasts four dining options, five bars, three swimming pools, a full-service spa, kids club, gym and boutiques.
Transat is an integrated tour operator that specializes in holiday travel and offers more than 60 destination countries. Created in Canada, it now has offices in many other countries and owns an air carrier, provides destination services, is active in the accommodation industry and operates an extensive distribution network. The company operates regular flight schedules here particularly during the busy winter season. Transat
offers its customers an extensive selection of destinations and holiday packages on all continents. Its key markets are sun destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida.
The award presented to Coconut Bay by Transat is based on having to adhere to strict operating criteria for Health and Safety in all aspects of operation.
Of the 246 hotels within the Transat Travel Portfolio, Coconut Bay ranked within the top 50 hotels and was the only hotel from the Eastern Caribbean to qualify for this level. The General Manager of Coconut Bay stated that the resort continues to strive for excellence in this regard and foresees more accolades in the future.
“We are pleased that the consistent hard work of the team is being recognized by the industry” said General Manager Vishal Bhalla. “We still have a long way to go, and this is an important milestone indicating we are heading in the right direction,” he added.
Coconut bay is a 254 room resort catering to families and couples with two seemingly different worlds in one breathtaking setting along the bay in the south. An adult oasis flanks one side, while the other side boasts one of the liveliest family playgrounds complete with swimming pools and water slides. The resort also boasts four dining options, five bars, three swimming pools, a full-service spa, kids club, gym and boutiques.
