CaribPR Wire

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Jan. 6, 2020: Jamaica’s world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, is kicking off his exciting new season of performances this decade in sunny South Florida.

Dr. Alexander, whose new jazz album ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations,’ was number 1 spot on US Jazz and NACC radio weeks after its release as a tribute to his roots, will begin the New Year on January 18, 2020 at Bailey Hall at Broward College, 3501 Davie Road, Building 4, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314.

Show time is 8:00 p.m. Tickets are US$50, $45, $40 and $10 students under 25 with valid I.D. Get tickets here.

Dr. Alexander returns to Bailey Hall by popular demand and will perform along with JJ Shakur and Jason Brown. The Caribbean musical genius says he is excited to return to South Florida, home to many Caribbean immigrants, and looks forward to seeing many in the audience.

Born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on D-Day in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, the musical virtuoso has five decades of performances and over 70 CDs under his belt.  Alexander began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear. He is now most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

Alexander also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums.

At 75, the jazz maestro continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful messages as he has done on ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations.’

For a sample from Dr. Alexander’s latest album or to hear the backstory, visit  him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performances on Twitter at @montyHKE.

Award recipients join Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Stevie Wonder and others on the list of changemakers during the 28th annual event

CaribPR Wire, Memphis, TN, USA, Sept. 23, 2019: JOHN LEGEND, HAFSAT ABIOLA, and GLORIA STEINEM are the honorees selected for the National Civil Rights Museum’s 28th Freedom Award to held on October 30. Honorees are selected for their many achievements and contributions on a national and global scale in the name of equality, social justice and freedom for all.

John Legend is an award-winning entertainer, social justice activist and philanthropist. Legend has worked in music for over 20 years becoming the youngest artist to complete the prestigious EGOT as an Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony Award winner. His musical work on films highlighting the Civil Rights Movements, such as Selma and advocacy for education have lauded national and international acclaim. He founded Show Me Campaign to break the cycles of poverty for children, and most recently, Let’s Free America campaign. He is also a former national board member for Teach for America. Legend continues to use his larger-than-life platform to inform and advocate on behalf of disenfranchised populations.

Hafsat Abiola, president and CEO of Women in Africa, is a noted Nigerian human and civil rights activist.  Since age 19, she has been working to ensure democracy and economic fairness in Nigeria in the name of her deceased mother and father. An evolving changemaker in both Nigeria and the United States, Abiola uses her global platforms to empower women through training and leadership development and strengthen civil society in Nigeria and other African countries through her founding organization, KIND.

Gloria Steinem is a feminist organizer, political activist and award-winning writer. The founder of Ms. Magazine and author of countless books, textbooks and essays, Steinem has dedicated decades to freedom for women, children and underserved populations globally. She co-founded foundations, including the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women’s Media Center in the United States. Most recently, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama and was the subject of the HBO documentary, Gloria: In Her Own Words. She was a member of the Beyond Racism Initiative, a three-year effort on the part of activists and experts from South Africa, Brazil and the United States to compare the racial patterns and to learn cross-nationally. She is currently traveling the globe on a book tour for her latest work, The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off.

“These three honorees have devoted themselves to lifting communities of women, protecting our youngest and most vulnerable and have effectively utilized the power of community organizing to promote change,” said Terri Lee Freeman, National Civil Rights Museum President. “They have drawn on the concept of peaceful protest, recognizing the freedom fighters and warriors that have gone before them.  We are excited to share their stories and recognize their achievements.”

Additionally, Freedom Award will pay tribute to the Green Book, also known as the Negro Travelers’ Green Book, that identified safe accommodations and services for African Americans traveling during the Jim Crow Era, which included the Lorraine Motel, the current site of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Over the past 27 years, the National Civil Rights Museum has presented The Freedom Award to some of the most lauded civil and human rights leaders and history makers in the world, including Coretta Scott King, President Nelson Mandela, The Dalai Lama, President Bill Clinton, President Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rosa Parks, Bono, Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Oscar Arias, President Mary Robinson, Paul Rusesabagina, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Tom Brokaw, Frank Robinson, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Bernard Lafayette, Marlo Thomas, Usher Raymond, Bill Frist, Dolores Huerta, Rev. James Lawson, Cicely Tyson, Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles, Kirk Whalum, Southern Poverty Law Center, Susan Taylor, Rev. C.T. Vivian, Alonzo Mourning, Danny Glover, Julius “Dr. J” Ervin, Eva Longoria Parker, Dr. Dorothy Cotton, Dr. Wangari Maathai, Vice President Al Gore, Diane Nash, B.B. King, John Hope Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Ava DuVernay, Swin Cash, Benjamin Crump, Tawakkol Karman, Soledad O’Brien, The Honorable Damon Keith, Rev. Bernice A. King, Hugh Masekela, Morris Dees, Vice President Joe Biden, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., Pitt Hyde and others.

The Freedom Award presenting sponsors are International Paper, FedEx Corporation, Hyde Family Foundations, Ford Motor Company and First Tennessee Foundation.

Tickets and sponsorships are available at freedomaward.org.

About the National Civil Rights Museum

The NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 students annually. Serving as the new public square, the Museum is steadfast in its mission to honors and preserves the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination.  We chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights, serving as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change.  A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum is recognized as a 2019 National Medal Award recipient by the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the top national honor for museums and libraries.  It is a TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today’s Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC’s Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.

About Smithsonian Affiliations

Established in 1996, Smithsonian Affiliations is a national outreach program that develops long-term collaborative partnerships with museums and educational and cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. The long-term goal of Smithsonian Affiliations is to facilitate a two-way relationship among the Affiliate organizations and the Smithsonian Institution to increase discovery and inspire lifelong learning in communities across America. More information about the Smithsonian Affiliations program and Affiliate activity is available at www.affiliations.si.edu.

Attachment

• NCRM-FAhonorees833×695

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs.  Sept. 19, 2019: Jamaica’s world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, celebrated his 75^th birthday in style this year, releasing his new album that has already grabbed the number 1 spot on US Jazz and NACC radio a mere 2 weeks after its release.

‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations’ is an album unlike any that Dr. Alexander has released in his more than five decades in the music business. Perhaps it is the wisdom of getting older and reflecting on one’s own musical journey that has resulted in the Mountain View, Kingston-born, Caribbean immigrant taking fans on a historical stroll down the jazz alley he has trodden, which pays tribute to the West Indian musical influences and influencers of the genre in American history.

As Dr. Alexander tells it, the album is a compilation that encapsulates the genres of roots, reggae, ska and jazz into one album – all of which have had significant impact on his musical psyche and made him into the West Indian jazz maestro he is today.

From a child of 8 observing Rastafarians going up Wareika Hill behind his house in Mountain View and hearing the sounds of their drums, to  sneaking into the Federal Recording Studios at age 14 to play piano rhythms with the musicians accompanying Jamaican singers like Keith and Enid Laurel Aitken and others recording for producers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid and Chris Blackwell, and then learning of American Jazz musician Thelonious Monk from Rasta trumpeter Jackie Willacy to hearing and then meeting the North Carolina-born jazz musician, Alexander’s ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations’ captures it all, while paying the most profound compliment to Monk and Rastafarianism.

“Maybe it was just my childhood memories connecting the two, but I was left with a deep impression that the world of Monk and Rasta were one spirit,” commented Dr. Alexander.   “I always thought that Monk’s compositions naturally lent themselves to West Indian and Rastafarian rhythms, perhaps accidentally or perhaps because as a child in Jamaica I had unconsciously merged and fused Rastafarians with Thelonious Monk.”

The 14-track album is dedicated to Theodore Sonny Rollins and the memory of Melbourne Bob Cranshaw and includes Dr. Alexander’s adaptation of several songs written by Monk such as ‘Misterioso,’ ‘Rhythm a ning’ and ‘Nutty,’ as well as two songs Monk played but did not write: “Abide with Me,” a beloved Christian hymn, and “Bensha Swing,” which was written by Monk’s friend and drummer, the Barbadian-roots Denzil Best.

“This should have been spelled ‘Bimsha,’ which is how Barbadians refer to themselves,” said Dr. Alexander. “‘Bemsha Swing,’ Barbados and swing – the connection with Monk and Jazz and Island rhythms was there all along given that Monk vibrated with West Indian roots musicians like Herbie Nichols, Russel Procope, Matthew Gee, Blue Mitchell, Fats Navarro, “Tricky” Sam Nanton, Carmen McRae, Arthur Taylor, Leonard Gaskin and a host of others.”

Musicians Ron Blake, Wayne Escoffery, Andrae Murchison, Joe Lovano John Scofield, J.J. Shakur, Jason Brown, Obed Calvaire, Karl Wright, Leon Duncan, Courtney Panton, Junior Wedderburn, Abashani Wedderburn, Bongo Billy and Earl Appleton appear on Dr. Alexander’s new album, merging their talent with his to create an indomitable sound that is truly and distinctly ‘RastaMonk Vibrations.’

For a sample from Dr. Monty Alexander’s latest album or to hear the backstory, visit  him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performances on Twitter at @montyHKE.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia J. Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Trinidad’s Ulric Cross Opens

The New York African Film Festival at Film at Lincoln Center

For Immediate Release:

CaribPR Wire, New York, NY, Mon. May 20, 2019: Director Frances-Anne Solomon’s acclaimed feature film HERO inspired by Trinidad and Tobago war hero Ulric Cross will have its U.S premiere at the 26th New York African Film Festival’s (NYAFF) Opening Night at the prestigious Film at Lincoln Center. It takes place on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30pm at the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65^th Street, NY.

“We are honored to be opening this important festival,” says Solomon. “This is a story that resonates with audiences around the world. From his career in the Air Force, to his time as a lawyer and judge working behind the scenes in the independence movements of Ghana, Cameroon and Tanzania, Ulric’s life blazed a trail that inspires us all.”

HERO headlines NYAFF’s recognition of the 100^th anniversary of the first Pan-African Congress with a showcase of films about Pan-Africanism and global game changers. Cross left Trinidad in 1941 to become the RAF’s ’s most decorated West Indian navigator. But his life took a different course when, along with a number of other notable West Indians, he followed the call of history and joined the Pan-African and independence movements sweeping the world in the ’50s and ’60s.

“As we celebrate 50 years of FESPACO, which paralleled the independence movements of Africa, we have to remember that achieving our liberation was integrally tied to the diaspora. In HERO we get a slice of how our diasporan counterparts advocated for the liberation of the Continent,” said Mahen Bonetti, African Film Festival, Inc., Executive Director and NYAFF Founder. “I want to thank Frances-Anne for shedding light on such a pivotal moment in our history.”

Since the HERO World tour began in February, the film has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike in Toronto, Trinidad and the UK:

“HERO is an electrifying, dramatic motion picture, filled with twists and turns that will thrill audiences across the globe.” - Stephen Weir, Caribbean Camera

“Filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon …deserves lavish praise for showcasing an historical legend, and for helping to change the negative stereotypical portrayal of people of African descent on the screen.”

HERO boasts an all-star international cast that includes Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicolai Salcedo, in the lead role of Ulric Cross, alongside UK stars Joseph Marcell (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Fraser James (Resident Evil), Pippa Nixon (John Carter), Canada’s Peter Williams (Stargate SG1), and Ghanaian superstars John Dumelo, Adjetey Anang and Prince David Oseia.

A second screening will take place on June 2nd at 4:15pm at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65^th Street.  Both screenings will include a Q&A afterward with the director.

The New York African Film Festival is co-presented by Film at Lincoln Center and African Film Festival, Inc., and runs May 30 to June 4; more information at filmlinc.org.

For media inquiries and interviews with Frances-Anne Solomon contact:

Fennella Bruce |647.290.76.10 | [email protected]

BUY MAY 30^TH TICKETS HERE

BUY JUNE 2^nd TICKETS HERE

Watch HERO trailer here

Social media:

Facebook: @Hero4Alltime

Instagram: @Hero_Film

Twitter: @Hero_Film

Visit the HERO Website

About Film at Lincoln Center

Film at Lincoln Center is dedicated to supporting the arts and elevating the craft of cinema and enriching film culture.

Film at Lincoln Center fulfills its mission through the programming of festivals, series, retrospectives, and new releases; the publication of Film Comment; the presentation of podcasts, talks, and special events; the creation and implementation of Artist Initiatives; and our Film in Education curriculum and screenings. Since its founding in 1969, this nonprofit organization has brought the celebration of American and international film to the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center, making the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broad audience, and ensuring that it remains an essential art form for years to come.

Film at Lincoln Center receives generous, year-round support from The New York Times, Shutterstock, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Film at Lincoln Center. For more information, visit www.filmlinc.org and follow @filmlinc on Twitter and Instagram.

About African Film Festival, Inc.

For 29 years, African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) has bridged the divide between post-colonial Africa and the American public through the powerful medium of film and video. AFF’s unique place in the international arts community is distinguished not only by leadership in festival management but also by a comprehensive approach to the advocacy of African film and culture. AFF established the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) in 1993 with Film at Lincoln Center. The New York African Film Festival is presented annually by the African Film Festival, Inc. and Film at Lincoln Center, in association with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. AFF also produces a series of local, national and international programs throughout the year. More information about AFF can be found on the Web at www.africanfilmny.org.

About Frances-Anne Solomon

Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, curator and entrepreneur in film, TV, Radio and new media. Following a successful career as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer with the BBC in England, she launched the CaribbeanTales Media Group in Canada and Barbados, that now includes production/distribution, and training worldwide. Full bio can be found at www.francesannesolomon.com

About CaribbeanTales Media Group

CaribbeanTales (CTMG) is a group of media companies that produces, markets, and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for Regional and international distribution, including CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, CaribbeanTales Inc – a registered Charity in Canada. Activities include The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, now in its 14th year; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI) a year-round development and production hub for Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Producers; Caribbeantales-TV a VOD streaming service for Caribbean films; and CaribbeanTalesFlix, their production arm. More info at www.caribbeantales.org

-30-

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. May 6, 2019: Less than two years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria slammed into the U.S. Virgin Islands, a technology, media and entertainment company that calls the islands home, is focused on helping the music students at the University of The Virgin Islands who were directly impacted by the disaster.

Intellectual Global Concepts, (IGC), has teamed up with The Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis, The RTPark, The University of The Virgin Islands, (UVI) and Grammy-Award winning Jazz Drummer, Dion Parson to present the first “Music Is Life” benefit.

The free event, with Eventbrite RSVP required for entry, is set to get underway at 5 p.m. on May 18^th and run through 12:30 a.m. on May 19^th at the St. John Bayfront at The Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis, 10-41 Estate Carolina in Coral Bay, St. John.

This event has a limited number of attendees and will be held in an enclosed area, so music fans must register for entry only on Eventbrite or donate US $10-50 for a variety of donation packages, including T-shirts and free drinks at the venue.

All event proceeds and sponsor donations will go to UVI for hurricane relief, music education and recruiting students for performance ensembles through the music program at the UVI campuses. Since 2017 the UVI’s music program has been led by Grammy Award-winning NYC renowned drummer and USVI native, Dion Parson.

“The UVI Music Program offers an amazing opportunity for students attending the University of the Virgin Islands to earn the honor to teach within the K-12 arena, providing local jobs, furthering the music culture in the USVI and continuing to bolster the local communities,” said IGC executives. “We are proud to be able to support this program through scholarship funding for additional university expenses such as fees, housing and books and supplies.”

The May 18^th event will feature world renowned South African electronic music maestro, Hyenah, who is known for his elusive identity, top charting tracks on ‘Resident Advisor,’ and his performances at top clubs across the globe. Additionally, the event will showcase USVI’s own Cool Session Brass Band and the SHUT Down Band along with DJ Mike Swells of NYC and local fire dancers and a drum circle.

Event attendees will also be able to experience the local culture with several amazing food vendors and various local merchants placed throughout the venue and the online Silent Auction at 32auctions.com/musicislife, that features a fantastic selection of prizes, with winners of the auction announced live at the event.

Taxis will be available to bring guests to the venue and back for US $6 each way, while boat operators will offer trips from St. Thomas to St. John throughout the entirety of the event along with late night options for transportation after the event ends.

For more information see Facebook at facebook.com/musicislifeusvi/ and Eventbrite at usvimusicislife.eventbrite.com

Sponsors interested in collaborating with IGC on this event can contact organizers at [email protected].

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Apr. 17, 2019: The countdown is on to an exciting free benefit concert for the US Virgin Islands this May 18th in St. John.

The “Music Is Life” benefit is being presented by Intellectual Global Concepts, (IGC), in collaboration with The Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis, The RTPark, The University of The Virgin Islands, (UVI) and Grammy-Award winning Jazz Drummer, Dion Parson.

It is set for May 18^th-19^th from 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m. at The St. John Bayfront at The Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis.

The event will feature world renowned South African electronic music maestro, Hyenah, who is known for his elusive identity, top charting tracks on ‘Resident Advisor,’ and his performances at top clubs across the globe. Additionally, the event will showcase USVI’s own Cool Session Brass Band and UVI’s SHUT Down Band along with DJ Mike Swells of NYC and local fire dancers and drum circle.

Event attendees will also be able to experience the local food culture with several amazing food vendors placed throughout the venue and an online Silent Auction at 32auctions.com/musicislife, that will feature a fantastic selection of prizes with winners of the auction announced live at the event.

Taxis will be available to bring guests to the venue and back for US $6 each way, while boat operators will offer trips from St. Thomas to St. John throughout the entirety of the event along with late night options for transportation after the event ends.

Proceeds from the event, merchandise sales, food, art, merchant vendor fees and sponsor donations will be used to bolster music education via the Music Education Program at the University of The Virgin Islands lead by Mr. Parson. Both the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses were heavily impacted by the 2017 back-to-back Hurricanes Irma and Maria that damaged the university and the RTPark’s 64 West Center Building, leaving a long-lasting impact on the local economy.

This event has a limited number of attendees so music fans must register for free tickets only on Eventbrite or donate US $10-50 for a variety of donation packages, including items like T-shirts and free drinks at the venue.

For more information see Facebook at facebook.com/musicislifeusvi/ and Eventbrite at usvimusicislife.eventbrite.com

Sponsors interested in collaborating with IGC on this event can contact organizers at [email protected].

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

(P): 718-476-3616

Email: [email protected]

HERO features a host of celebrated British actors including Joseph Marcell of Fresh Prince of Bel Air fame, playing the role of writer CLR James; Fraser James, of Terminator Salvation, playing the role of George Padmore and British-Nigerian actor Jimmy Akingbola, of BBC’s Holby, playing Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah.

CaribPR Wire, LONDON, UK, Sat. April 6, 2019: The life and times of Trinidadian war hero, judge and diplomat, Ulric Cross, will be portrayed in a new film – HERO to be screened at the British Film Institute, Southbank, London on May 18, 2019.

The feature film, produced by former UK resident, Frances-Anne Solomon, has already received international acclaim at its screenings in Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. (not the US yet).

The story told is of Cross, a trailblazer who made his mark on history as a Navigator of fighter planes in World War II. He became one of the RAF’s most decorated West Indian Airmen. He then went on to play a central role in the independence struggles of both Africa and the Caribbean.

“Ultimately, the story is about us. About who we are as Caribbean people and as citizens of the world,” says filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon. “In that spirit, we’re thrilled to be bringing HERO to the UK where much of the filming took place. It is particularly poignant that this year is the seventy-fifth anniversary of the first major generation of Caribbean arrivals in Britain — on the Empire Windrush.”

Filmed across the UK, Trinidad, Ghana, and Canada, HERO features a host of celebrated British actors including Joseph Marcell of Fresh Prince of Bel Air fame, playing the role of writer CLR James; Fraser James, of Terminator Salvation, playing the role of George Padmore and British-Nigerian actor Jimmy Akingbola, of BBC’s Holby, playing Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah.

Following its premier at the BFI Southbank, HERO will be taken across the UK in the lead up to the 75th Windrush celebrations in June.

For media enquiries, please contact Evadney Campbell, Shiloh PR, 07716 289 717 or email: [email protected]

HERO Inspired by the Extraordinary Life & Times of Mr Ulric Cross. TRAILER Click to view Trailer Filmed in Trinidad, Ghana, the UK and Canada, HERO is the story of Ulric Cross, who in 1941, left his small island to seek his fortune, and became the Royal Air Force’s most decorated West Indian. Then his life took a dramatically different course when he followed the call of history. He joined the African independence movements sweeping the world in the 50s and 60s.

About Frances-Anne Solomon An award-winning filmmaker, producer, curator and entrepreneur in film, TV, Radio and new media. Following a successful career as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer with the BBC in England,  Frances-Anne launched the CaribbeanTales Media Group in Canada and Barbados, which includes Production, International Distribution, and Industry Training worldwide.   Frances-Anne has just completed her latest feature film  HERO- Inspired By The Extraordinary Life & Times Of Mr. Ulric Cross, which (while in development) won the Best Feature Pitch at Discop 2016. About CaribbeanTales Media Group CaribbeanTales (CTMG) is a group of media companies that produces, markets, and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for Regional and international distribution, including CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, CaribbeanTales Inc –  a registered Charity in Canada. Activities include The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival now in its 14th year; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI) a year-round development and production hub for Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Producers; Caribbeantales-TV a VOD  streaming service for Caribbean films; and CaribbeanTalesFlix, their production arm. https://www.facebook.com/HERO4ALLTIME/ https://www.instagram.com/hero_film/ https://twitter.com/hero_film?lang=en About the BFI The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It is a cultural charity that: Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of World Cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Josh Berger CBE. BFI Southbank The BFI Southbank is open to all. BFI members are entitled to a discount on all tickets. BFI Southbank Box Office tel: 020 7928 3232. Unless otherwise stated tickets are £13.75, concs£11.25 including Gift Aid donation. Members pay £2.20 less on any ticket - www.bfi.org.uk/southbank. Young people aged 25 and under can buy last minute tickets for just £3, 45 minutes before the start of screenings and events, subject to availability - http://www.bfi.org.uk/25-and-under. Tickets for FREE screenings and events must be booked in advance by calling the Box Office to avoid disappointment

CaribbeanTales is a registered Canadian Charity no. 87896 4618 RR0001 committed to connecting people through film. This commitment to fostering intercultural understanding includes building community here in Canada, as well as a global community between Canadians and like-minded artists, cultural entrepreneurs, and community builders throughout the Diaspora.

The Third CineFAM Co-Production Accelerator  aims to develop female-led Canada-South Africa content

For Immediate Release

CaribPR Wire, Durban, South Africa/Toronto, Canada, Thurs. Mar. 28, 2019: CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG) and the Durban FilmMart (DFM) are pleased to announce the renewal of their partnership to develop films and television content  by African women and women of colour from the global Diaspora. The 3rd CIneFAM-South Africa Co-Production Accelerator will be launched during the 10th Durban FilmMart (DFM) which takes place from 19 to 22 July 2019.

The 2019 CIneFAM Program  will take the form of a series of workshops, in Canada and South Africa, that aims to kickstart original co-productions led by experienced and seasoned female producers, writers and directors from both countries.

“We are excited to expand our program and our partnership with DIFF, with a focus on building a slate of compelling co-productions aimed at the global market. Our ultimate goal is to increase the pool of world-class female-driven content so as to build the audio visual capacity of both our countries.” said Frances-Anne Solomon, Founder and Executive Director of CineFAM, and CEO of the CaribbeanTales Media Group.

The program is  co-led by Solomon and experienced South African Producer Zikethiwe Ngcobo of  Johannesburg-based Fuzebox Entertainment who said: “I am delighted to join this successful initiative. There is undeniably a need for women to start working across borders with each other, and at the  helm of strong original international co-productions.”

Women of colour are woefully underrepresented and underpaid in the global industry, including in South Africa and in Canada, where statistics do not even exist. The CineFAM Accelerator is specifically geared to building capacity and creative leadership among women creatives and producers.

In 2017, CineFAM  and the Durban FilmMart joined forces  for the first time to host the inaugural  CineFAM – South Africa  Accelerator. The winning  producer — Mary Ann Mandishona  — attended the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator program in Canada, where she won 3rd Prize for Best Pitch. Also in 2017, CIneFAM-SA  in association with South African Women in Film & Television (SWIFT) jointly held  a Short Film Challenge. The winning short  — The Walk — was screened at the 1st CineFAM Film Festival in Canada in September 2017.

In 2018, the second iteration of this hugely successful program focused on introducing South African producers to Canadian broadcasters in order to explore projects for co-production. From this intake, the original television series project, “Queen of the Rain” has received funding under the Canada-South Africa Co-Development Incentive, a collaboration between the Canada Media Fund (CMF ) and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), with Canadian broadcaster AfroGlobal Television attached.

Toni Monty, Head of the Durban FilmMart said, “We have had an extremely productive partnership with CaribbeanTales through the CineFAM Program, and are delighted to renew our relationship with Ms Solomon and to welcome Ms Ngcobo on board who brings to the table her experience and proven talent as a successful producer in South Africa. The programme comprises carefully structured workshops to actively reimagine and strategise how to facilitate, encourage and promote co-productions between South Africa and Canada and to ensure that they are women led”

The overall goal of the 2019 program will be to identify and develop suitable scripts, within the terms of the South Africa-Canada co-production treaty. Selected  projects will participate in a  two-day intensive workshop during DFM where they will be supported by senior executives and mentors. In September, the best projects will attend and pitch their projects at the 2019 CineFAM/ CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI),  held annually in Toronto, Canada, in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).  It is intended that from these, a number will be go forward for development and production in 2020 / 2021.

About CineFAM Women of Colour Creators Worldwide.

CineFAM is a Haitian Creole word meaning “films by women”. Registered as a not-for-profit company in Canada, and founded by filmmaker and producer Frances-Anne Solomon, the company aims to support bold, original film stories by women of colour creators worldwide. Since 2016, their program includes: an annual 1-day film festival; a short film challenge for emerging filmmakers;  and a partnership with the Durban Filmmart to develop South Africa/Canada co-productions led by African women. In 2019, CineFAM launched its first Feature Film Incubator program for Canadian women of colour directors.

ABOUT THE DURBAN FILMMART

The Durban FilmMart (DFM) is a co-production and finance market and is a joint programme of the Durban Film Office (DFO) and the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF). DFM provides filmmakers from across Africa with a valuable opportunity to pitch projects to financiers, distributors, sales agents and potential co-producers, and to participate in meetings, project presentations and a series of master classes and workshops on the latest industry trends. www.durbanfilmmart.com

About Fuzebox Entertainment

Fuzebox is a black female-owned and managed media Company that develops and produces content. The women in Fuzebox have a focus on creative excellence and are recognised for their in-depth research, and drive for resonant and relevant stories.  CEO Kethiwe Ngcobo, a former SABC Head Of Drama, has since she left that post,  gone from strength to strength and four critically acclaimed series with mass audiences have been produced by the company: Thola (SABC2,  2 series ), Mfolozi Street (SABC1, 2 series) Mokapelo (SABC1, 3 series) and It’s Complicated (Mzansi DSTV, 2 series). Produced feature films together with sister company Fuze Films: Mrs Right Guy (2016) and Love Lives Here (2019).

ABOUT CARIBBEANTALES MEDIA GROUP

CaribbeanTales is a group of companies that produces, markets, and sells Caribbean-themed film and television content for global audiences. It includes CaribbeanTales Inc. a registered Charity based in Toronto, Canada; the Caribbean-Tales International Film Festival (CTFF) that produces events around the world; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator Program, a development and production hub for original Caribbean content; CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD), the largest full-service distribution entity dedicated to the monetisation of Caribbean content; CaribbeanTalesFlix, our production arm, and CaribbeanTales-TV, a video on demand platform.

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Tues.  Jan. 8, 2019: Jamaica’s world-renowned jazz maestro, Dr. Monty Alexander, is kicking off the New Year in fine style with a musical explosion in his adopted city of New York.

Dr. Alexander will open his New Year tour with a five-night performance at the Big Apple’s legendary jazz club, Birdland, from January 15^th -19^th.

The Grammy-nominated international musician will present the New York show under the theme: ‘Love Notes-Jamaica to Jazz.’ The performance is sure to take fans through a musical history that starts in his homeland and features calypso, reggae, mento and other island music and ends with traditional jazz from his Grammy-nominated album. As with his performances, fans are sure to get into the rhythm while jazz purists are certain to be baptized into true fans of the genre.

Tickets for the show at 315 West 44th St., New York, NY 10036 are US$30 to $40 and can be obtained here by selecting ‘Tickets’ on the performance night. Showtime on opening night, Jan. 15^th is 11 p.m. while performances for Jan. 16^th – 19^th will start at 8:30 p.m. nightly.

Alexander, CD, late last year received an honorary Doctorate of Letters of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. Born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on D-Day in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, the musical virtuoso has five decades of performances and over 70 CDs under his belt.  Alexander began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear. He is now most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

Alexander also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums.

At 74, he continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message.

For more on the Monty Alexander and his amazing brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Dec. 12, 2018: Jamaican-born, Grammy-nominated international jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, CD, is set to make his first US performance this holiday as a newly-minted honorary Doctorate of Letters of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus.

Alexander, who has made his mark globally for his own brand of jazz, will celebrate the holidays at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, (JCAL), 153-10 Jamaica Avenue, Queens, NY 11432, on December 15, 2018 at 7 p.m. under the theme: “Love Notes.”

The performance is sure to feature the maestro’s mashup of jazz with calypso, reggae, mento and other island music from his Grammy-nominated album, and leave many fans tapping their feet, straight up dancing or make converts of the staid.

Tickets are US$20 for adults and $15 for students and can be obtained here or on Event Brite.

Born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on D-Day in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, the musical virtuoso has five decades of performances and over 70 CDs under his belt.  Alexander began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear. He is now most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

Alexander also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums.

At 74, he continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message.

For more on the Monty Alexander and his amazing brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Canadian Black woman filmmaker presents the acclaimed feature film

CaribPR Wire, Toronto, ON, Mon. Dec. December 10, 2018: Inspired by the life and times of Mr. Ulric Cross, political activist in the 50s and 60s,  filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon’s acclaimed feature film, HERO, makes its Canadian theatrical premiere on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the Royal Cinema, 608 College Street, Toronto.

“Ultimately, the story is about us. About who we are as Caribbean people and as citizens of the world,” says Canadian filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon. “In that spirit, we’re thrilled that Toronto’s Canadian premiere launches screenings across Canada and a cinematic world tour including Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe.”

HERO had its festival launch on home turf at the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival in September 2018, where it won the festival’s coveted Audience Choice Award and was met with rave reviews. Earlier that month, a sold-out special preview screening in Toronto had paved the way for HERO’s broader theatrical release to come.. The Toronto Premiere screening presented by Caribbean Tales Inc. will be followed by a Talk Back interactive session with the actors and the official After Party.

About HERO

Shot in Trinidad, Ghana, the UK and Canada, HERO is the story of Ulric Cross, who in 1941, left his small island home in Trinidad to seek his fortune, and become the British Royal Air Force’s most decorated West Indian airman. His life took a dramatically different course when he followed the call of history, and joined the independence movements sweeping Africa in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

The film boasts an all-star, international cast including Peter Williams (Stargate SG1), Joseph Marcell (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Fraser James (Resident Evil), Pippa Nixon (John Carter), Ghanaian superstar John Dumelo, and Nickolai Salcedo as Ulric Cross.

Watch HERO trailer here

Praise for HERO

“Frances-Anne’s work is heartfelt and powerful. It has and continues to play a vital role in carving out a space for underrepresented voices and important conversations.” – Tonya Williams, Reelworld Film Festival

“Solomon achieves a patina-ed narrative, patchwork quilting vignettes that go from Belmont, Trinidad, to Britain then Ghana, Cameroon and Tanzania…” – Christopher Pineiro, writer, artist, visionary.

“Uplifting and informative, the film features Nickolai Salcedo, a superb actor who commands attention. HERO is a cinematic juggling act, and director Frances-Anne Solomon pulls it off with aplomb.” – T&T Newsday

HERO Listing:

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2019

Location: Royal Cinema, 608 College Street, Toronto

Schedule:

Click here to buy tickets for the February 28 premiere

Social media:

Twitter: @CaribbeanTales_ @Hero_Film

Facebook: @CaribbeanTalesInternationalFilmFestival @HERO-InspiredByTheExtraodinaryLifeandTimesofMr.UlricCross

Instagram: @CaribbeanTales @Hero_Film

Hashtags

#ulriccross

#herofilm

Visit the HERO Website

-  30 -

About Frances-Anne Solomon

Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, curator and entrepreneur in film, TV, Radio and new media. Following a successful career as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer with the BBC in England, she launched the CaribbeanTales Media Group in Canada and Barbados, that now includes production / distribution, and training worldwide.   Frances-Anne has just completed her latest feature — long anticipated: HERO Inspired by the Extraordinary Life & Times Of Mr. Ulric Cross, which (while in development) won Best Feature Pitch at DISCOP 2016.

About CaribbeanTales Media Group

CaribbeanTales (CTMG) is a group of media companies that produces, markets, and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for Regional and international distribution, including CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, CaribbeanTales Inc -  a registered Charity in Canada. Activities include The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival now in its 14th year; the renowned CaribbeanTales Incubator (CTI) a year-round development and production hub for Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora Producers; Caribbeantales-TV a VOD  streaming service for Caribbean films; and CaribbeanTalesFlix, their production arm.

Award-winning Jamaican Jazz Maestro Monty Alexander (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 10, 2018: Over five decades of performances and more than 70 CDs later, award-winning Jamaican-born jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, is being bestowed with a honorary doctorate degree from the University of West Indies, (UWI).

Alexander, born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on D-Day in Kingston, Jamaica, will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the UWI Mona Campus this November.

The degree was approved by the University’s Council and will be conferred at the 2018 graduation ceremonies and presented by Chancellor Robert Bermudez.

The man, who singer extraordinaire, Tony Bennett, has declared put on one of the “best jazz shows” he has ever seen, will be one of four stellar Caribbean-born musicians who will be presented with honorary doctorates by UWI.

They include Bajan star Rihanna; fellow Jamaican artist Grace Jones, and Winston A. Bailey, aka the Mighty Shadow, from Trinidad and Tobago.

In commenting on the incredible recognition and prestigious honor, Alexander said humbly: “I have a sense of great privilege and gratitude.”

Alexander began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear. By age 5, he was entertaining neighbors and relatives and at age 6, he was taking his first piano lessons.

While he resisted formal instruction, he absorbed all the musical flavors from his homeland and which comprise his mature sonic palette of today.

Alexander began playing in local Kingston clubs at 14, when he also made his first recordings, some as leader of a group called Monty and the Cyclones, and others as a sideman for such legendary producers as Ken Khouri (Federal Records), Duke Reid (Treasure Isle), and Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One.

These early sessions for Federal, which Alexander describes as “not calypso music, but the beginning of Ska,” included such subsequently famous talents as trombonist Don Drummond, tenor saxophonist Roland Alphonso and guitarist Ernest Ranglin.

Alexander is most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function, as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

He also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums. He debuted the project at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2009 and documented it both on the Grammy-nominated 2011 CD, Harlem-Kingston Express: LIVE, and its 2014 Soultrain Award nominated follow-up, Harlem Kingston Express 2: The River Rolls On (Motéma).

For more on the Monty Alexander and his amazing brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

UWI

Established in 1948, UWI is the largest and longest standing higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean. In its more than 60 years of existence, UWI has evolved from a fledgling college in the Caribbean island of Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 45,000 students, approximately 9,000 graduates annually and more than 120,000 alumni. The impressive network of UWI alumni includes one Nobel Laureate, dozens of Rhodes Scholars and more than 18 current and former Caribbean prime ministers and heads of state.

Media Contact:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Award-winning Jamaican Jazz Maestro Monty Alexander (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. June 7, 2018: Over five decades of performances and more than 70 CDs later, award-winning Jamaican jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, is still thrilling jazz fans and introducing newbies to the genre with style. And this June, he is getting ready to do it all over again, as he gears up for a busy National Caribbean American Heritage Month in the United States.

The man, who singer extraordinaire, Tony Bennett, has declared put on one of the “best jazz shows” he has ever seen, is getting ready to play venues across the US as well as in Canada this June.

His month will kick off in Phoenix, Arizona on June 21^st as the man considered to be one of the top five jazz pianists ever, will take his rhythmic, emotionally charged and virtuosic style of playing to Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum, (MIM), at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Show time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $38.50–$48.50 and can be obtained here.

The Museum is the largest of its type in the world with a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments and associated objects includes examples from nearly 200 countries and territories. Alexander will join a long list of stellar artists who have performed at MIM, including jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, Grammy-award winner George Benson, Motown’s Martha Reeves, Lyle Lovett, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and Ronnie Spector.

Then its off to the West Coast for a two-night LA performance at Catalina’s Jazz Club at 6725 W. Sunset Blvd. from June 22nd to the 23rd. Showtime will be 8:30 p.m. nightly and tickets are priced from $30 for the Friday night show and can be bought here while Saturday night’s performance will cost $5 more and can be secured here.

New York Performances

Alexander will celebrate jazz and Caribbean American Heritage Month in New York City with back-to-back shows from June 24 – 26^th at the popular NYC Jazz haunt, Blue Note, at 131 West 3rd Street in Manhattan. Show time nightly will be 8 p.m. and this special series of performance will be presented under the theme: “Love Notes: Jamaica To Jazz,” paying tribute to the maestro’s homeland, which he left behind 55 years ago but still holds in his heart and honors with every performance.

Tickets start at $20 for a bar seat and $35 for a table reservation and can be obtained here.

Canada
The Jamaican and American classic will wrap up the month in Canada as he takes his unique brand of jazz to the groovy Montreal International Jazz Festival at Monument-National, 1182 St. Laurent Blvd. from 8 p.m. Tickets are $51.75 and can be secured here.

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5 and taking his first piano lessons at 6. He resisted formal instruction, but still, growing up in Kingston, absorbed all the musical flavors that comprise his mature sonic palette of today.

Alexander began playing in local Kingston clubs at 14, when he also made his first recordings, some as leader of a group called Monty and the Cyclones, and others as a sideman for such legendary producers as Ken Khouri (Federal Records), Duke Reid (Treasure Isle), and Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One.

These early sessions for Federal, which Alexander describes as “not calypso music, but the beginning of Ska,” included such subsequently famous talents as trombonist Don Drummond, tenor saxophonist Roland Alphonso and guitarist Ernest Ranglin.

Alexander is most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function, as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

He also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums. He debuted the project at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2009 and documented it both on the Grammy-nominated 2011 CD, Harlem-Kingston Express: LIVE, and its 2014 Soultrain Award nominated follow-up, Harlem Kingston Express 2: The River Rolls On (Motéma).

For more on the Monty Alexander and his brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

Media Contact:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Grammy Nominated Legendary Jamaican Jazz Great Monty Alexander.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Mar. 30, 2018: Jamaica’s Grammy-nominated jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, is set to return for a four-night performance next week in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., after a four-year absence.

Alexander is slated to perform at the legendary Blues Alley, located at 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., from Thursday, April 5^th to Sunday, April 8^th.  The show has been billed as: “Monty Alexander – From Kingston to Harlem,” and fans will certainly be taken on this extraordinary musical journey with the star musician, who not only treats his audience to a spectacular performance, but to a captivating tale of his rise from a self-taught young man in Kingston, to the globetrotting, in demand performer he is today.

“I have been playing at Blues Alley off and on since 1971, so this will be my 47th year there and I am looking forward to returning,” commented Alexander.

Showtimes are 8 and 10 p.m. nightly and tickets start at US $46 and can be purchased directly by logging on here or at https://www.bluesalleylive.com/?fuseaction=home.artist&VenueID=3&artistid=2145

Blues Alley has been around since 1965 in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. It is the nation’s oldest continuing jazz supper club. Jazz musicians who have recorded a Live at Blues Alley album include Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and Grover Washington, Jr. Blues Alley offers its patrons a unique ambiance, reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the 1920’s and 30’s.

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Alexander is a Jamaican and an American classic. Since moving to the US 55 years ago, he has continued to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. Like his “eternal inspiration,” Erroll Garner, Alexander – listed at Number 5 in ‘The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time,’ gives the hardcore-jazz-obsessed much to dig into while also communicating the message to the squarest “civilian “along with his Harlem-Kingston Express. In live performances with his band, Alexander spontaneously orchestrates, switching-off from straight-ahead to two-worlds-meet.

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5 and taking his first piano lessons at 6. He resisted formal instruction, but still, growing up in Kingston, absorbed all the musical flavors that comprise his mature sonic palette of today.

For more on the Monty Alexander and his brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

Media Contact:

Felicia J. Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Grammy Nominated Legendary Jamaican Jazz Great Monty Alexander.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Feb. 28, 2018: Jamaica’s jazz great and Grammy nominated musical maestro, Monty Alexander, is among a hand-picked group of musicians set to celebrate the twentieth edition of ‘Carnaval on the Mile,’ in Miami in Coral Gables, Florida this weekend.

Alexander will perform at the remodeled Miracle event, that will also feature musicians like Ozomatli, Negroni’s Trio, Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs and Dr. Ed Calle. The free event is set for Saturday, March 3^rd from 10 a.m. to. Midnight and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 4^th.

Monty Alexander and his Harlem Kingston Express will bring the curtains down on the show with a performance on March 4^th from 6:45 – 8 p.m. on the Heineken stage.

The event is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana and will also include an eclectic assembly of local artists and their unique jewelry, paintings, sculptures, photography and more, including a world-class juried art fair recognized by the artists it features and the collectors it draws. For more see http://carnavalmiami.com/events/carnaval-on-the-mille/

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Alexander is a Jamaican and an American classic. Since moving to the US 55 years ago, he has continued to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. Like his “eternal inspiration,” Erroll Garner, Alexander – listed at Number 5 in ‘The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time,’ gives the hardcore-jazz-obsessed much to dig into while also communicating the message to the squarest “civilian “along with his Harlem-Kingston Express. In live performances with his band, Alexander spontaneously orchestrates, switching-off from straight-ahead to two-worlds-meet.

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5 and taking his first piano lessons at 6. He resisted formal instruction, but still, growing up in Kingston, absorbed all the musical flavors that comprise his mature sonic palette of today.

For more on the Monty Alexander and his brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

Media Contact:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Feb. 14, 2018: “‘YOU run the show!’ is what we’re telling our Flow TV customers,” according to Shuja Khan, Chief Commercial Officer, C&W Communications. The company is embarking on an exciting new journey to give customers more control than ever before by launching the Flow Evo experience.

According to Khan, “What’s new is that viewers are now in charge of their own viewing experience as Flow Evo puts the power in the hands of our customers. At the click of a remote, they are able to ‘Pause Live TV’, ‘Start From Beginning’, access ‘Cloud Recording’ and several other new features coming soon. It means they can watch their favourite shows at a time of their choosing and convenience.  They can also easily access a large catalogue of programs and movies on demand. The transformation of TV will be rolling out across the Caribbean to deliver amazing experiences at home and on the go.”

With several enhanced, easy to use features and a fresh new look, Flow Evo goes live initially in Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, and Trinidad. This will immediately be followed by other markets in which Flow TV operates from March onwards.

Khan added, “The great news about Flow Evo is that it offers more benefits than online movie streaming platforms, making it the best way to watch TV. This is truly an entertainment service that empowers customers allowing them to run the show.”

Flow will embark on a bold campaign to get customers excited about the new changes and educate them on the full suite of features available through Flow Evo. This will include launching an all new Flow website, hosting of demo sessions with Flow Tech Experts at various customer experience centers and other convenient locations in the markets, an engaging social media and traditional advertising campaign as well as self-help sessions on their TV at home or online at www.discoverflow.co/flow-evo.

About C&W Communications

C&W is a full service communications and entertainment provider and delivers market-leading video, broadband, telephony and mobile services to consumers in 18 countries. Through its business division, C&W provides data center hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customized IT service solutions, utilizing cloud technology to serve business and government customers.

C&W also operates a state-of-the-art submarine fiber network – the most extensive in the region.

Learn more at www.cwc.com, or follow C&W on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

About Liberty Latin America

Liberty Latin America is a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil and BTC. The communications and entertainment services that we offer to our residential and business customers in the region increasingly include combinations of services comprised of digital video, broadband internet, telephony and mobile services. Our business products and services include enterprise-grade connectivity, data center, hosting and managed solutions, as well as information technology solutions with customers ranging from small and medium enterprises to international companies and governmental agencies. In addition, Liberty Latin America operates a sub-sea and terrestrial fiber optic cable network that connects over 40 markets in the region.

For more information, please visit www.lla.com.

Los suscriptores de TV del Caribe toman el control de su experiencia de visualización con Flow Evo

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Feb. 15, 2018: “‘¡USTED tiene el control!’ es lo que les decimos a los clientes de Flow TV”, declaró Shuja Khan, director comercial de C&W Communications. La compañía está iniciando un nuevo y emocionante viaje para dar a los clientes más control que nunca al lanzar la experiencia Flow Evo.

Según Khan: “Lo nuevo es que los espectadores ahora están a cargo de su propia experiencia de visualización ya que con Flow Evo nuestros clientes tienen el poder. Con solo hacer clic en el control remoto, podrán ‘Pausar TV en vivo’, ‘Comenzar desde el principio’, acceder a ‘Grabación en la nube’ y pronto a muchas otras nuevas funciones. Significa que pueden mirar sus programas favoritos en el momento que elijan, cuando les resulte más cómodo. También pueden acceder fácilmente a un gran catálogo de programas y películas a pedido. La transformación de la televisión se pondrá en marcha en todo el Caribe para ofrecer experiencias increíbles tanto en casa como en dispositivos móviles”.

Con varias funciones mejoradas y fáciles de usar, y un aspecto renovado, Flow Evo se lanza inicialmente en Jamaica, Barbados, las Bahamas y Trinidad. Inmediatamente a continuación, el lanzamiento tendrá lugar en otros mercados en los que opera Flow TV, a partir de marzo.

Khan agregó: “La gran noticia sobre Flow Evo es que ofrece más beneficios que las plataformas de transmisión de películas en línea, por lo que es la mejor manera de ver televisión. Es realmente un servicio de entretenimiento que permite a los clientes tomar el control”.

Flow iniciará una campaña audaz para entusiasmar a los clientes con los nuevos cambios e informarlos sobre el conjunto completo de funciones disponibles a través de Flow Evo. Esto incluirá el lanzamiento de un nuevo sitio de Flow, sesiones de demostración con los técnicos expertos de Flow en diferentes centros de experiencia del cliente y otras ubicaciones adecuadas en los mercados, y atractivas campañas de publicidad tradicionales y en redes sociales, además de sesiones de autoayuda en su TV en casa o en línea en www.discoverflow.co/flow-evo.

Acerca de C&W Communications

C&W es un proveedor de comunicaciones y entretenimiento de servicio completo que brinda servicios de video, banda ancha, telefonía y telefonía móvil líderes en el mercado a consumidores en 18 países. A través de su división de negocios, C&W ofrece alojamiento de centros de datos, servicios de red administrados nacionales e internacionales y soluciones de servicios de TI personalizados, que utilizan la tecnología de la nube para brindar servicio a clientes comerciales y gubernamentales.

C&W también opera una red de fibra submarina de última generación —la más extensa de la región—.

Obtenga más información en www.cwc.com o siga a C&W en LinkedIn, Facebook o Twitter.

Acerca de Liberty Latin America

Liberty Latin America es una compañía líder en telecomunicaciones que opera en más de 20 países en Latinoamérica y el Caribe con las marcas de consumo VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil y BTC. Los servicios de comunicaciones y entretenimiento que ofrecemos a nuestros clientes comerciales y residenciales en la región incluyen, cada vez en mayor medida, combinaciones de servicios que incluyen video digital e Internet de banda ancha, además de servicios móviles y de telefonía. Nuestros productos y servicios comerciales incluyen soluciones administradas, de conectividad empresarial, centros de datos y hosting, además de soluciones de tecnología de la información. Nuestros clientes incluyen desde pequeñas a medianas empresas hasta organismos gubernamentales y compañías internacionales. Asimismo, Liberty Latin America opera una red de cable de fibra óptica submarina y terrestre que conecta a más de 40 mercados en la región.

Para obtener más información, visite www.lla.com.

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Feb. 12, 2018: Love is in the air and so is the buzz around Season 4 of Caribbean’s Next Top Model (CNTM) as it expands to include aspiring young hopefuls from The Bahamas when it kicks off on Valentine’s Day, February 14 at 9pm on Flow 1.

According to Garry Sinclair, Caribbean President, C&W Communications, “We’re delighted to be on-board once again for the 4^th season of CNTM which continues to draw bigger and bigger audiences as a platform for young Caribbean women to develop careers in the fashion industry.”

Viewers are in for another captivating series which was filmed against the vibrant, rhythmic backdrop that is uniquely Jamaica, home of Season 3 winner, Shamique Simms. Miss Universe ‘98, Wendy Fitzwilliam who is also Executive Producer, Host and Chief Judge along with the sought-after fashion designer Socrates McKinney and world renowned Australian photographer, Pedro Virgil all return to the screen this season. The expansion to The Bahamas together with the poise, grace and stunning appearance of the aspiring models set against the eclectic charm of the islands makes for another scintillating series.

The off-screen excitement continues via social media as Caribbean viewers can follow their favourite girls on the show using the #CaribeNTM for exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and candid interviews.

Flow customers will have the added benefit of watching on-the-go from their tablet or mobile device with the MyFlow app as well as catch up on the past three seasons of CNTM with Flow’s Video on Demand.

Sinclair added, “Flow is committed to building Caribbean content for Caribbean audiences. In the end, regardless of who wins, the Caribbean benefits from productions that showcase the diversity, energy, talent and creativity of our people for the world to see.”

Executive Producer Fitzwilliam lauded the production team and the aspiring models as well as she praised Flow for their commitment to the project. “It has been a tremendous challenge to take a production of this magnitude from a mere concept to amazingly a 4^th season. Thanks to Flow for sticking with us, and thanks to the production team and the girls for showing up every season. Additionally, we couldn’t have done it without the support of the Caribbean people, and our loyal viewers – thank you. Stay tuned to Flow 1, the only place you can catch CNTM every Wednesday at 9pm. Let the season begin!”

“Caribbean’s Next Top Model” is produced by Starfish Media Ltd, based on the “Next Top Model” format licensed by CBS Studios International. Executive Producers are Dionyse Fitzwilliam, Wendy Fitzwilliam and Kiran Maharaj.

Currently, “America’s Next Top Model” is under license in over 100 markets around the world and has 20 international versions in production, which includes Caribbean’s Next Top Model. “America’s Next Top Model” and the “America’s Next Top Model” format are licensed internationally by CBS Studios International.

About C&W Communications

C&W is a full service communications and entertainment provider and delivers market-leading video, broadband, telephony and mobile services to consumers in 18 countries. Through its business division, C&W provides data center hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customized IT service solutions, utilizing cloud technology to serve business and government customers.

C&W also operates a state-of-the-art submarine fiber network – the most extensive in the region.

Learn more at www.cwc.com, or follow C&W on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

About Liberty Latin America
(NASDAQ:LILAK) (NASDAQ:LILA) (OTC:LILAB)
Liberty Latin America is a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil and BTC. The communications and entertainment services that we offer to our residential and business customers in the region increasingly include combinations of services comprised of digital video, broadband internet, telephony and mobile services. Our business products and services include enterprise-grade connectivity, data center, hosting and managed solutions, as well as information technology solutions with customers ranging from small and medium enterprises to international companies and governmental agencies. In addition, Liberty Latin America operates a sub-sea and terrestrial fiber optic cable network that connects over 40 markets in the region.

For more information, please visit www.lla.com.

Caribbean’s Next Top Model llega a las Bahamas cuando comienza la temporada 4 en Flow TV

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Feb. 13, 2018:  El amor está en el aire y hay expectación en torno a la Temporada 4 de Caribbeans’s Next Top Model (CNTM), ya que se alarga para incluir a jóvenes aspirantes de las Bahamas cuando comienza el Día de San Valentín, el 14 de febrero a las 9pm en Flow 1.

Según Garry Sinclair, presidente del Caribe, C&W Communications, “Estamos encantados de estar a bordo una vez más para la cuarta temporada de CNTM, que sigue atrayendo a audiencias cada vez mayores, como una plataforma para que las jóvenes del Caribe desarrollen carreras en la industria de la moda”.

Los espectadores se encuentran ante otra cautivadora serie que fue filmada con el trasfondo único, vibrante y rítmico de Jamaica, hogar de la ganadora de la temporada 3, Shamique Simms. Wendy Fitzwilliam, Miss Universo 1998, que también es productora ejecutiva, anfitriona y jueza principal, vuelve a la pantalla esta temporada junto con el solicitado diseñador de moda Sócrates McKinney y el fotógrafo australiano de fama mundial, Pedro Virgil. La expansión a las Bahamas, junto con el equilibrio, la elegancia y la apariencia deslumbrante de las aspirantes a modelos, frente al encanto ecléctico de las islas, nos convierte en otra serie brillante.

La emoción fuera de la pantalla continúa a través de las redes sociales, ya que los espectadores caribeños pueden seguir a sus chicas favoritas del programa usando el #CaribeNTM para obtener imágenes exclusivas detrás de las cámaras y entrevistas sinceras.

Los clientes de Flow tendrán la ventaja adicional de poder ver el reality sobre la marcha desde su tableta o dispositivo móvil con la aplicación MyFlow, así como de ponerse al día en las últimas tres temporadas de CNTM con el Vídeo a la Carta de Flow.

“Flow se compromete a desarrollar contenido caribeño para el público caribeño, agregó Sinclair. Al final, independientemente de quién gane, el Caribe se beneficia de producciones que muestran la diversidad, la energía, el talento y la creatividad de nuestra gente para que el mundo las vea”.

La productora ejecutiva Fitzwilliam elogió al equipo de producción y a las aspirantes a modelos, y alabó a Flow por su compromiso con el proyecto. “Ha sido un tremendo desafío llevar una producción de esta magnitud desde un mero concepto hasta una 4ª temporada asombrosa. Gracias a Flow por quedarse con nosotros, y gracias al equipo de producción y a las chicas por aparecer cada temporada. Además, no podríamos haberlo hecho sin el apoyo del pueblo caribeño y de nuestros fieles espectadores, gracias. Manténgase conectado a Flow 1, el único lugar donde puede seguir CNTM todos los miércoles a las 9 p.m. ¡Que empiece la temporada!

“Caribbean’s Next Top Model” es producido por Starfish Media Ltd, según el formato de “Next Top Model” con licencia de CBS Studios International. Los productores ejecutivos son Dionyse Fitzwilliam, Wendy Fitzwilliam y Kiran Maharaj.

Actualmente, “America’s Next Top Model” cuenta con licencia en más de 100 mercados de todo el mundo y tiene 20 versiones internacionales en producción, que incluyen Caribbean’s Next Top Model. “America’s Next Top Model” y el formato de “America’s Next Top Model” tienen licencia internacional de CBS Studios International.

Acerca de C&W Communications

C&W es un proveedor de comunicaciones y entretenimiento de servicio integral, que ofrece servicios de video, banda ancha, telefonía y móviles, líderes en el mercado, a consumidores de 18 países. A través de su división comercial, C&W ofrece alojamiento de centros de datos, servicios de red administrados nacionales e internacionales y soluciones de servicios de TI personalizados, que utilizan la tecnología en la nube para atender a clientes comerciales y gubernamentales.

C&W también opera una red de fibra submarina de última generación, la más extensa de la región.

Descubra más en www.cwc.com, o siga a C&W en LinkedIn, Facebook o Twitter.

Acerca de Liberty Latin America
(NASDAQ:LILAK) (NASDAQ:LILA) (OTC:LILAB)
Liberty Latin America es una compañía de telecomunicaciones líder que opera en más de 20 países en América Latina y el Caribe bajo las marcas de consumo VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil y BTC. Los servicios de comunicaciones y de entretenimiento que ofrecemos a nuestros clientes residenciales y comerciales de la región incluyen cada vez más combinaciones de servicios de video digital, Internet de banda ancha, telefonía y servicios móviles. Nuestros productos y servicios comerciales incluyen conectividad a nivel empresarial, centro de datos, hosting y soluciones administradas, así como soluciones de tecnología de la información con clientes que van desde pequeñas y medianas empresas hasta empresas internacionales y agencias gubernamentales. Además, Liberty Latin America opera una red de cable de fibra óptica submarina y terrestre que conecta más de 40 mercados en la región.

Para más información, por favor visite www.lla.com.