By Dr. Monty Alexander

CARIBPR WIRE, Tues. May 23, 2023: On April 25, 2023, the world bid farewell to Harry Belafonte, a true icon of music, cinema, and activism. I not only mourn the loss of an extraordinary individual, but also a dear friend.

Growing up in Jamaica, my home, Harry played a significant role in my life. In 1956, his album “Jump Up Calypso” emerged, validating the heritage music of Jamaica. The delightful songs sung by Harry, such as “Banana Boat” and “Island in the Sun,” brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Long before the rise of Bob Marley and the popularization of reggae, Harry was already putting Jamaica on the map with Calypso, or as we called it then, mento. He brought Caribbean rhythms and influences to the forefront of popular music, paving the way for generations of artists who followed in his footsteps.

Harry possessed both striking looks and a compelling voice. When he appeared in movies, his talent as an actor shone brilliantly. I recall watching him in the 1959 film “The World, The Flesh and The Devil,” and I distinctly remember my mother having a crush on him. In fact, Harry Belafonte was adored by many ladies of that era.

As I began my own journey in music, Harry became one of my influential figures. His attitude, grace, integrity, and warmth left a lasting impact on me. Our friendship flourished when I moved to the United States, as we shared a common Jamaican heritage. Despite being an American born in Harlem, his parents hailed from Jamaica, and he even attended high school there for a few years.

Harry always treated me with great kindness. Whenever he saw me, he would joyfully exclaim, “cousin!” Our bond grew stronger over time.

I also cherish the memory of Harry’s contributions to the civil rights movement in America. He leveraged his celebrity status and rallied his Hollywood friends, including Paul Newman, Tony Bennett, and his dear companion from The Bahamas, Sidney Poitier, to join Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in raising awareness for the cause before marching in Selma.

Harry’s activism extended beyond the borders of the United States. He utilized his fame and influence to shed light on human rights abuses in South Africa and other parts of the world. He embraced his platform as a performer to champion the issues closest to his heart, inspiring countless others to do the same. Harry Belafonte was not only an extraordinary entertainer but also an unwavering advocate for social justice and civil rights.

In recent years, I had the privilege of spending time with him on several occasions. Our last meeting occurred on December 16th, 2021, when Harry received the distinguished title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor from the President of the Republic of France. I was honored to be among the select few non-family members present at the private ceremony held in his New York City home. Though time had passed, and Harry seemed quieter than usual, we shared a wonderful moment, exchanging smiles and embraces. During that special event, Mrs. Belafonte, Pamela Frank, took this lovely picture that I share with great honor and pride.

Losing him fills me with deep sadness. Harry, I will miss you and the tremendous difference you made as an activist for people of color and the less fortunate.

Harry’s legacy serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of music. His music brought joy and inspiration to millions around the world, while his activism fostered real and lasting change.

As we remember Harry, let us draw inspiration from his example and continue to utilize music and art as vehicles for promoting social justice and equality for all.

In closing, I would like to share a quote from Harry Belafonte that has always resonated with me: “The artist is the radical voice of society.” Let us all strive to be that radical voice, and to use our talents and platforms to make the world a better place.

Au Revoir Harry. God Bless, and Happy Journey Home.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Monty Alexander, C.D, is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning Jamaican-born, world renown musician who was recently awarded the Order of Jamaica (OJ) for sterling contribution to the promotion of Jamaican music and the Jazz genre interpretations globally. Hear his version of Harry Belafonte’s ‘Island In The Sun’ at youtube.com/watch?v=XSf96gDBMco

GET PHOTO FOR USE WITH THIS ARTICLE HERE

CAPTION: Dr. Monty Alexander, C.D., (l), with Harry Belafonte at his home in Manhattan, NY, in 2021. (Pamela Frank image)

New Album Takes A Comprehensive Look At The Career Of Award-Winning Producer & Engineer

New Album Takes A Comprehensive Look At The Career Of Award-Winning Producer & Engineer

CARIBPR WIRE, Kingston, JA/New York, NY, Thurs. Feb. 23, 2023: - From learning about recording from the iconic King Tubby to being an engineer for the likes of Sly & Robbie and Winston Riley to working with pop icons like Rihanna and Britney Spears, Collin ‘Bulby’ York has been a central figure in Jamaican music for more than 30 years. With his latest album Time & Color, Bulby is drawing from his expansive career with a variety of Caribbean and Latin-American flavors and a roster of talent that spans decades.

Set for release on his birthday, February 24th, Time & Color is a reflection of the range and scope of work he has produced over the years with names ranging from Reggae legends Beres Hammond and Ali Campbell (of UB40) to Panamanian artist El Maleante and new vocalist Stacey Mirander.

“This album is a reflection of my career, in both time and what I call ‘color,’” explains Bulby. “It features timeless music with ageless artists like Beres, Ali, Bounty Killer, Tanya Stephens, Admiral Bailey, and Richie Spice.” Most people think color is what they see, but I am referring to sound. How music colors what we feel and how we see the world. The kind of music we listen to even colors our identity.”

Time & Color features 13 tracks colored with the sounds of Gospel, Reggae, Dancehall, and Latin music. The latest single “Good Time” by Richie Spice is a feel-good bass-heavy roots Reggae single that is currently streaming on all platforms. The album also features spiritually uplifting songs from

Jahvinci and Stacey Mirander, a smooth lovers rock single from Beres Hammond, and a remake of a pop music classic with Ali Campbell and Bounty Killer.

Previously released singles on the album include dancehall singles “Queen” with Tanya Stephens and Malica, “Ignorant” with Admiral Bailey and Christopher Martin, and “Race to Waste Your Life” with Spragga Benz, and the pop tinged “Want her Love” with Maxi Priest.

Bulby’s 30-plus-year journey in music began when he started following his uncle, George “Dusty” Miller of the famous Firehouse Crew band, to King Tubby’s studio in the Waterhouse area of Kingston. Bulby learned the art of recording and engineering from the master and even helped Tubby build his state-of-the-art studio, assisting with rewiring and soldering. Bulby eventually created the Fat Eyes label with Lynford ‘Fatta’ Marshall and produced classic hits like “Stop Live Inna Di Pass” (also known as

“Memories”) by Beenie Man, “Suspense” by Bounty Killer, “Down By the River” by Morgan Heritage, and “Want You Back” by Singing Melody. He has engineered tracks for No Doubt, Chaka Khan, Cyndi Lauper, Sinead O’Connor, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Sean Paul. He launched his own label Bulby York Music in 2016.

“To be honest, I can’t even remember all the albums I’ve worked on and all the people I’ve worked with,” Bulby chuckles. “I’ve been involved in music since I was very young. It’s been a long time and A LOT of

color!”

Time & Color is Bulby’s fourth studio album on the Bulby York Music imprint, following Epic & Ting (2016), Master Blaster (2018), and Heart Crafted (2020). Additionally, he has released juggling projects Padang Padang Riddim (2021) and Far East Riddim (2022).

Time & Color will be released on all platforms on Friday, February 24th.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Images for use with this release is available for use as follows:

Jamaican-entertainer-Collin ‘Bulby’ York’s Time & Color drops on his birthday, tomorrow Feb. 24th. (Rohjay Anderson image)

Collin ‘Bulby’ York.  (Rohjay Anderson Image)

Time & Color Album Cover

CaribPR Wire, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Fri. Feb. 3, 20223: On the heels of the release of his ‘Love Notes’ album and an Order of Jamaica from his native land, Grammy-nominated jazz great, Dr. Monty Alexander, is set to bring a Valentine’s Day performance to West Palm Beach, Florida this February 14^th that will see the marriage of Jamaican rhythms and vibrations with the great American song book of love songs.

The world-renowned, international musician will perform ‘Love Notes’ at the Rinker’s playhouse at The Raymond F. Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, on Feb. 14th, for two shows only – at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The intimate and romantic evening, according to Dr. Alexander, will feature songs from the greats he grew up with as a child in Jamaica, such as Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday, as well as Jamaican musicians from the era of ska and reggae, including Sly and Robbie.

Alexander was blessed to not only grow up on the music of the American greats he listened to as a child in Jamaica, but later to play with some in his early musical career, including the legendary Sinatra.

The Feb. 14^th Valentine Show will also feature international vocalist, Caterina Zapponi, as well as Cleveland-born American jazz trumpeter, composer, and big band leader, Dominick Farinacci; acoustic guitar and talented Jamaican-born electric bass player, Joshua Thomas; world renown drummer on the Jazz scene, Jason Brown, and New York City-based jazz bassist, composer and teacher, Luke Sellick.

Fans will also be able to meet Dr. Alexander after the last set at a special CD signing of his ‘Love Notes’ album that’s available for sale on Amazon. Songs on the latest album include: ‘These Love Notes,’ ‘Moon River,’ ‘Faith Can Move Mountains,’ ‘As Time Goes By,’ ‘The Nearness of You’ and ‘Island in the Sun,’ among other.

Alexander says the show is also a celebration of his recent award from the Jamaican government and a tribute to his roots. Tickets for each show range from $39.00 – $69.00 and are available for purchase HERE only or on the Kravis Center website.

ABOUT MONTY

Nearly sixty years after he moved to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, his hometown, Alexander remains an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects and delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. A perennial favorite at Jazz festivals and venues worldwide, including at the Montreux Jazz Festival where he has appeared 23 times since 1976, his spirited conception is one informed by the timeless verities: endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, sophisticated voicings, a romantic spirit, and a consistent predisposition. As Alexander accurately states: “to build up the heat and kick up a storm.”

In the course of any given performance, Alexander applies that aesthetics to a repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expressions in what can only be dubbed “the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and reggae.”

Documented on more than 75 recordings and cited as the fifth greatest jazz pianist ever in The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time (Hal Leonard Publishing), the Jamaican government designated Alexander Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2000 and conferred on him the national honor of the Order of Jamaica in 2022 for “Sterling Contributions to the Promotions of Jamaican Music and the Jazz Genre Interpretations Globally.” In further recognition of his accomplishments, the University of The West Indies bestowed him with an honorary doctorate, (DLitt).

Alexander’s latest album, released August 19, 2022, is titled, ‘Love Notes,’ and is his first recording featuring his vocals. Also, in the works is “The Monty Alexander Movie,” a documentary on Alexander’s life and music. Directed by Academy Award© winning cinematographer Jefferson Miller, and veteran filmmaker Arthur Gorson, the project is currently in production in Jamaica, the U.S. and Europe.

For more visit Alexander 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.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An image for use with this article is available HERE

CARIBPR WIRE, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Nov. 21, 2022: Caribbean immigrant entrepreneur and Florida resident, Felicia J. Persaud, is now a quarter finalist in the 2022 FabOver40 competition.

The Guyana-born founder of ICN, which owns the brands, CaribPR Wire, News Americas, Hard Beat Communications and Invest Caribbean, is now in the run for the semi-finals of the contest which focuses on women over 40.

Voting for the semi-final round begins today, Mon. Nov. 21st at 10 AM PST and the semi-finalists will be announced on Dec. 1st.

Vote to keep Felicia in the contest now at https://votefab40.com/2022/felicia-persaud and make her this year’s winner.

The top competitors from each Quarter-finals group will be divided into Semi-finals groups. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine the top Semifinalist from each group who will then advance to the Finals. Finals begin December 9th and end December 15th. Votes will be reset, and public voting will determine which Finalist will be the winner of the 2022 Fab Over 40 Competition and the “Grand Prize Winner” on December 15, 2022.

Persaud says she is incredibly grateful for all those who have voted for her this far and look forward to their support now, which is critical to helping her stay in and win the contest for all of the Caribbean and Guyana.

Asked how she stays FabOver40, Persaud said she “works out, eats clean and is on a path of mindfulness and positivity. Her advice to her younger self? “Focus more on loving you and less on looking for love in all the wrong places.”

The winner of this year’s FabOver40 competition will receive a 2-page feature in NewBeauty Magazine, an unforgettable spa-cation in Scottsdale, Arizona, and $40,000.

Persaud says should she win, she will use some of the winnings to name a scholarship in honor of late friend and colleague, News Americas Now photographer Hayden Roger Celestin, who passed away after a stroke on Dec. 14, 2019.

EDITOR’S NOTE: See image for use with this story HERE

CARIBPR WIRE, NEW YORK, Oct. 04, 2022: The Yutes’ hot streak continues. Amidst their album rollout, they have dropped multiple singles featuring iconic Jamaican artists like Masicka and Govana; now, they return with Tarrus Riley on “Better Days,” the third single from their forthcoming album “Ghetto Yutes.” From the beginning, the Cin-Trax produced reggae-driven track embraces a positive message seeking to inspire people around the globe to create “Better Days.”

Tarrus Riley’s fan base spans across the globe: from the Caribbean to Europe, Africa, and the US, Tarrus has core audiences in almost every continent, evidenced by his highly touted collaborations. With “Better Days,” The Yutes and Tarrus Riley are positioned to reach new audiences and awaken a core reggae audience that hungers for a return to a refreshing positive outlook on life.

“It’s an honor to collaborate with the legendary Tarrus Riley, especially on a track with such a powerful, positive, and socially uplifting message,” The Yutes say of their new single. “There’s so much wrong with the world right now, from extreme poverty to extreme violence to inflation and natural disasters, we really believe that it’s a time for everybody to put humanity first and for the world to come together to get to work on real solutions to global problems. Right now, we have Puerto Rico and Cuba without power, and major damage in Florida as well. We urge everybody to come together and donate time, money, and resources to helping these communities rebuild.” The Yutes suggest organizations like Global Giving to help provide funding for hurricane relief efforts.

STREAM / DOWNLOAD: https://babygrande.fanlink.to/BetterDays

“Riches & Power” music video featuring Govana: https://youtu.be/pdR2UZjepmk

For more information on The Yutes, please visit: https://linktr.ee/TheYutes

About Babygrande Records:
Babygrande is an American independent record label and creative collective comprised of musicians, filmmakers, photographers, painters and writers. Founded in 2001 by Chuck Wilson, former Director of A&R at Priority Records/EMI, it has emerged as one of the premier independent labels operating today. As it heads towards its 25th Anniversary, Babygrande continues to focus on working with artists whose work ethic, craftsmanship, talent and sounds are superior.

For more information on Babygrande Records, please visit: https://linktr.ee/babygrande

Babygrande® is a registered trademark of Babygrande Global, Inc.

The Wonder Years Star is in discussions to play Jamaican-Canadian Community worker Harry Gairey

For Immediate Release

CaribPRWire, Toronto, Canada, Thurs. Nov. 11, 2021: Casting is underway for In the Black and popular American actor Richard Gant has been attached to the project to play the role of Jamaican-born Harry Gairey. Produced by CaribbeanTales Media Group and directed by Caribbean-Canadian Frances-Anne Solomon, the feature film is an adaptation of entrepreneur and activist Jamaican-Canadian Denham Jolly’s memoir of the same name.

In the newly re-imagined The Wonder Years (ABC), Gant guest stars as Granddaddy Clisby – the latest role for the 77-year-old actor who also plays grumpy Walter on CBS’s The Neighborhood. The veteran actor is known for his roles on Greenleaf (Percy Lee), The Mindy Project (Melville Fuller), Men of a Certain Age (Owen Thoreau, Sr.), General Hospital and NYPD Blue.

“I met Richard last year in Los Angeles at the premiere of Hero at the Director’s Guild of America Theater,” recalls Solomon. “So, when I was thinking about who would be the perfect actor to play the role of the legendary Harry Gairey, a Jamaican-born community leader and activist who worked as a railroad porter, Richard’s commanding presence and booming voice instantly came to mind. He will be phenomenal!”

In the Black focuses on Jolly’s journey from Jamaica to Canada, the enormous influence Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey had on his life as well as Jolly’s fight to secure a license for a Black-owned Toronto radio station, Flow 93.5.

The film has received support from the Harold Greenberg Fund and Telefilm Canada. Producer Nicole Brooks has also recently signed onto the project. Brooks’ production work began with Frances-Anne as story editor for Lord Have Mercy (Vision TV/Showcase/APTN/Toronto One) and she has gone on to create and produce several critically acclaimed and groundbreaking television and theatre productions including Echo (SunTV), Divine Restoration (Vision TV/ TVOne), Obeah Opera and executive produced CaribbeanTales’ slate of international pilots through its flagship Incubator Training Program. Also on board are writer Andrew Burrow-Trotman - The Porter (CBC) Frankie Drake Mysteries (CBC) Utopia Falls (CBC/Hulu), Diggstown (CBC) and development executive Jamie Gaetz. Solomon’s recent feature film, Hero: Inspired by the Extraordinary Life and Times of Mr. Ulric Cross is now available on Showtime, Prime Video, Hulu and Cineplex Store.

Media Contact: Fennella Bruce | 647.290.7610 | [email protected]

CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG) is a multi-faceted group of media companies that produces, markets, and sells culturally diverse film and television content from the Caribbean and its wide Diaspora.  Founded by award-winning filmmaker and Academy Member Frances-Anne Solomon, CTMG includes: CaribbeanTales Inc, a registered Canadian Charity, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, a film distribution entity, CaribbeanTales International Film Festival; Caribbeantales-TV, a VOD streaming service; the Creatives of Colour Incubator, a year-round development and production hub, and CaribbeanTalesFlix, our production arm.

PHOTOS:

Actor Richard Gant, l, and CaribbeanTales Media Group founder and director  Caribbean Canadian Frances-Anne Solomon. (Photo courtesy of Caju Creative)

Actor Richard Gant (Courtesy: richardgant.com)

Acclaimed Director Frances-Anne Solomon to spearhead

this historic new project

For Immediate Release

CaribPR Wire, TORONTO, Canada, Mon. Nov. 9, 2020: The pivotal role played by British-Trinidadian journalist and activist Claudia Jones in launching the world’s largest street festival, the Notting Hill Carnival, is the focus of a new Canada-UK co-production.

Leading the production is acclaimed Canadian director Frances-Anne Solomon (Hero: Inspired by the Extraordinary Life and Times of Mr. Ulric Cross). The film will be produced by Solomon’s CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG), in partnership with Nadine Marsh-Edwards’ UK-Based Greenacre Films and Lisa Wickham’s Trinidad and Tobago-based Imagine Media International Limited.

Set in London in 1958 as violent race riots ravaged the country, CLAUDIA tells the story of Jones, a Trinidad-born activist deported to England from McCarthyite USA, who comes up with an ingenious plan to unite Britain’s Black and white working classes.

“Claudia was a modern day superhero rooted in the real world, whose remarkable life and achievements straddled the USA, England and the Caribbean.”  says Solomon. “I could not be more excited to work with this global team of accomplished Black women to tell this inspiring story.”

“Greenacre Films is proud to partner with Frances-Anne and CaribbeanTales to tell the story of a remarkable Black woman whose achievements helped to shape the London we live in today,” says Marsh-Edwards, whose many acclaimed productions include Been So Long, starring Michaela Cole.

Imagine Media’s CEO Lisa Wickham believes that, “Frances-Anne’s film shines a much-deserved light on a Caribbean-born woman whose rich and beautiful legacy amplifies Black voices and experiences as a whole.”

Joining the team as co-creator and co-writer is British actress, writer and director Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Dr. Who, Invictus) and rising British screenwriter Omari McCarthy.

“Claudia’s work promoting women’s rights,  Black rights and the rights of the poor and disenfranchised laid the seeds for so much that followed  – African and Caribbean independence, civil rights, Pan Africanism and inevitably, today’s Black Lives Matter movement,”  adds Adjoa Andoh.

CLAUDIA’s development has been funded by Telefilm Canada. The project is one of thirteen (13) films selected for the Attagurl Program, a unique year-long lab supporting the development and distribution paths of amazing projects by women and non-binary around the world.

Media Contact: Fennella Bruce | 647.290.7610 | [email protected]

CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG) is a multi-faceted group of media companies that produces, markets, and sells culturally diverse film and television content from the Caribbean and its wide Diaspora. It includes: CaribbeanTales Inc a registered Canadian Charity, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution, a film distribution entity, CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, now celebrating 15 years; Caribbeantales-TV, a VOD streaming service; the Creatives of Colour Incubator, a year-round development and production hub, and CaribbeanTalesFlix, its production arm.

In 2014, Frances-Anne Solomon founded CineFAM, to amplify the voices of women of colour creators worldwide – that includes an annual film festival, an incubator and film productions. 2020 sees the launch of the inaugural Windrush Caribbean Film Festival, a UK-based charity that celebrates the impact of the Windrush generation on life on Britain and the world.

Recent award-winning CTMG productions include HERO – Inspired by the Extraordinary Life & Times of Mr. Ulric Cross by Solomon (Trinidad & Tobago/Canada 2019); Caribbean Girl NYC by Mariette Monpierre (Guadeloupe/Canada 2016); Battledream Chronicle – A New Beginning, by Alain Bidard (Martinique/Canada 2016); and Kingston Paradise by Mary Wells (Jamaica/Canada 2014).

Greenacre Films is an independent production company founded by award-winning producers Nadine Marsh-Edwards and Amanda Jenks. They bonded over their desire to create fresh, surprising stories with diverse voices. ​Working with great talent is the key to our success, we are an inclusive space that allows innovative ideas to be realised; where whether you are an award-winning writer or an exciting newcomer you feel able to be bold in your vision and creatively ambitious. Our television and film slate aims to connect with both the UK and global audiences and all, at their heart, are stories that explore the human condition in surprising and entertaining ways.

Imagine Media International Limited is an award-winning, full-service, production company, based in Trinidad and Tobago and South Africa. Founded by award-winning producer-director & media personality Lisa Wickham, the company provides content creation across all media platforms, event management, marketing & PR Services, graphic design and training & consultancy. Imagine Media has developed and coordinated projects in Europe, North America, Africa and several Caribbean countries.

For Immediate Release

CaribPR Wire, TORONTO, Canada, Thurs. March 19, 2020: Toronto-based CaribbeanTales Media Group has announced that it has begun work on a feature film based on the award-winning memoir In the Black by one of Canada’s most respected entrepreneurs, Denham Jolly. The feature development is supported by the Harold Greenberg Fund and the Telefilm Development Program. A short film based on Jolly’s early life is also being produced. His compelling memoir, that won the Toronto Book award in 2017, tells the inspiring story of his journey from Jamaica to Canada in the 1950’s, through his struggles to overcome racism and become an extremely successful businessman, activist, philanthropist, and publisher.

Solomon, the producer and director on this project, will work with screenwriter Andrew Burrows-Trotman and development executive Jamie Gaetz  to recreate the triumphs and trials of  Jolly’s life, the fabric of which is interwoven with Marcus Garvey’s ideals of economic self-empowerment,  music of the time, and the activism of several generations of Black Canadians who are also part of this remarkable story.

“Denham Jolly’s ten-year battle to win a license for Canada’s first black radio station, is the stuff of urban legend. In the Black shows Canada from a unique point of view. It’s the story of Canada herself, through a fresh and important lens. Our audiences are hungry for authentic stories about Canadian life: Real lives of real people who came to this country and made it their home.” says Solomon.

An icon of the Black community in Canada, Jolly is a founding member of the Black Business Professional Association, Harry Jerome Scholarship Fund, Harry Jerome Awards, Black Action Defence Committee and the Harriet Tubman Games, to name just a few organizations his hand has touched. A self-made millionaire, last year he paid off the mortgage for the Jamaican Canadian Centre and continues to be a philanthropist working behind the scenes to support numerous community causes.

“I cannot express how pleased and excited I am to know that my experiences in Canada and the building of the Black community in Toronto will be documented in film. Writing my memoir and receiving tremendous feedback for it has been both gratifying and humbling. Now, future generations will be able to watch my life story on the big screen,” says Jolly. “I trust Frances-Anne Solomon to tell this story with honesty, integrity and the directional creativity she always brings to every project she touches.”

Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, curator and entrepreneur.  A 2019 Director member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, her  third feature film Hero Inspired by the Extraordinary Life and Times of Mr. Ulric Cross has received wide critical acclaim on its worldwide tour, that includes theatrical runs in both Canada and U.K. and the Opening Night sold-out screening at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.  She is the founder and CEO of the multi-facetted CaribbeanTales Media Group. In 2017 she founded CineFam, to support bold original stories by women of colour creators. Prior to returning to Canada in 2000, Solomon had a successful career as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer with the BBC in England.

Andrew Burrows-Trotman is an established Canadian writer. He has been in the writer’s room for Frankie Drake (CBC), Homicide Club (Bell) and Diggstown (CBC).  He is currently working on a dramatic pilot with executive producer and former NBA player Steve Nash called Hardwood, and he is developing a miniseries based on Lawrence Hill’s acclaimed novel The Illegal (Conquering Lion, CBC).

Jamie Gaetz is a story editor and development consultant with extensive experience in the Canadian media industries. As an analyst at Telefilm Canada, she worked with clients across Atlantic Canada and in Quebec., part of  the team that nurtured talent behind many award-winning films, including two shortlisted for Cannes, one Sundance selection, a winner of the Claude Jutra Award, several selected for TIFF and a top download on iTunes.

The CaribbeanTales Media Group produces, markets and sells Caribbean-themed film and television content for global audiences. It includes the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, CaribbeanTales Incubator Program, CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution and CaribbeanTalesFlix.

The Harold Greenberg Fund/Le Fonds Harold Greenberg is a national funding organization that supports the development of Canadian dramatic feature films. Since 1986, it has invested over $85 million in the Canadian film and television industry, which is more than 4, 000 projects.

Peter Williams and Melanie Nicholls-King play Harry Gairey and Violet Williams, respectively, in the short film Violet's Story.

Denham Jolly

Director Frances-Anne Solomon

For more information:

www.caribbeantales.org

https://www.bellmedia.ca/harold-greenberg-fund/

Media Contact: Fennella Bruce|FKB Media Solutions|[email protected]|647.290.7610

More photos and B-roll available upon request.

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]

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].