VOL. 6, NO. 13 • June 27, 2012 618 Strouds Lane, Pickering, ON L1V 4S9 • Tel: 905.831-4402 • Fax: 416.292.2943 • Email: [email protected] How About A Top Up Mr. President? Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar, stopped by Digicel’s booth during his walkabout at the June 23 Annual Guyana Festival. This year’s Festival, which was staged at a new venue on the grounds of the Markham Civic Centre, attracted thousands of attendees and scores of sponsor com- panies including Western Union, Norman Sue’s Bakery and Caribbean Airlines. The Guyanese President had an enjoyable time during his walkabout, stopping at virtually every booth to pose for photos and chat with the staffers. Digicel’s event staffer Natalie Campbell was one of the many who attracted the President’s atten- tion. Digicel’s participation in this year’s Guyana In- dependence Festival, its first time ever, was geared towards promoting the Canadian availability of its Top Up Service to Guyana. The service allows Guyanese residents in Canada to purchase credits for the cell phones of their loved ones back home. Digicel’s visibly branded booth proved to be one of the most popular of those on display at the June 23 Festival. Thousands of attendees visited the Digicel booth to avail themselves of the com- pany’s attractive giveaways which included cell cards were available at the Festival in denomina- is also now available at hundreds of Caribbean- phone holders, flashlight key chains, backpacks tions of $6, $20 and $25. owned community stores across the GTA, includ- and t-shirts. Many hundreds also made use of the Digicel’s Top Up service from Canada to Guy- ing Brampton’s ASA Meats, Charlie’s West Indian opportunity to purchase Digicel cards to Top Up ana, Jamaica, Haiti and other Caribbean countries and Nicey’s. the cell phones of their loved ones in Guyana. The London Olympics To Feature Caribbean Talent Regional talent will come under the spotlight artistes scheduled to take the stage are: Michele will be performing will represent the diverse na- during the London 2012 Olympics as the Caribbe- Henderson (Dominica), Belo (Haiti), Hezron ture of musical genres across the Caribbean. Not an Export Development Agency Clarke (Jamaica), Claudia Ed- only will the entertainment industry benefit from (Caribbean Export) hosts Carib- ward (St Lucia), Mr. Dale (Bar- the increased demand for the products on offer, bean Soul Fusion on August 9 at bados) and Xiomara Fortuna but also performers will have the opportunity to Grosvenor House in London. Two (Dominican Republic). display the export potential of their craft and its headline acts and six emerging ar- “One of the best identifiers appeal to an international audience,” she added. tistes will be featured at the event, of the Caribbean Brand and Caribbean Soul Fusion will also serve as the which forms part of the Agency’s its uniqueness is our music. Its closing reception for the 2nd CARIFORUM-EU London Engage initiative and will ability to have global appeal is Business Forum, which is scheduled from August highlight a wide range of Carib- unquestionable. What we are 8 to 9. The CARIFORUM-EU Business Forum is bean music genres: reggae, soca, seeking to do with Caribbean supported under the European Union’s (EU) 10th zouk and kompa, Caribbean jazz, Soul Fusion is to showcase that European Development Fund (EDF) Regional folk and Afro-Haitian. authentic Caribbean culture and Private Sector Development Programme (RPS- The concert’s headline acts are widen the market appeal for our DP), and in collaboration with CARIFORUM reggae singer/songwriter Christo- regional music,” said Pamela Directorate, the CARICOM Secretariat, and pher Martin (Jamaica) and jazz/ Coke Hamilton, Executive Di- Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusam- reggae saxophonist Arturo Tap- Arturo Tappin rector, Caribbean Export. menarbeit (GIZ). pin (Barbados). The six emerging “As such, the artistes that PAGE 2 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC June 27, 2012 Community Cricketers Honored At Mercy Hospital Fundraising Gala Over two hundred guests attended the June 22 “Evening With Guyana’s Cricketing Heroes Gala,” that was held at the Markham Hilton Suites Hotel. Unfortunately only two of the five Guyanese and West Indian cricket- ers that were being honored managed to actually make it to the Gala. Basil Butcher and Lance Gibbs were present, but the other award recipients, Stephen Camacho, Clive Lloyd and Joe Solo- man were all unable to attend. A sixth award was presented posthumously to Roy Fredericks, the former Guyanese and West Indies opening batsman. Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar took time from his hectic Canadian tour schedule to attend the Gala and present the Awards to Butcher and Gibbs. The awards were presented as tokens of ap- preciation for the cricketer’s respective outstanding performances, while rep- resenting Guyana and the West Indies. Highlights of the honored cricketer’s respective careers were presented by Ian McDonald (Clive Lloyd), Tony McWatt (Stephen Camacho and Lance Gibbs), Frank Bettencourt, (Roy Fred- ericks) and Kenty Khan (Joe Solo- man). Longstanding Guyanese Dra- matist and storyteller Ken Corsbie had the attendees in constant stitches, with humorous recollections of his boyhood daysgrowing up in Guyana. Canadian- Caribbean Graphic’s Advertisng Manager Lyn Balram is “roseended” by cricketing Award recipients Basil Butcher and Lance Gibbs. based Guyanese-born calypsonian The Proceeds from the $125 plate Gala Crooner also entertained the audience were in aid of the Guyana Mercy Hos- with renditions of his self written ca- pital Rebuilding Fund. The hospital lypsos. Music for dancing was provid- was severely damaged by fire in 2010. ed by the Bing Serrao led Ramblers. Letter from Clive Lloyd June 27, 2012 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC PAGE 3 Jerry Ramlochan Memorial Gold Tournament C On Saturday June 16, 2012 the Ramlo- finest Carnival costumes. The day saw pa- ARIBBEAN chan family in conjunction with the OB trons drinking Carib beer and wining rum Limers Soccer Club held the Third Annual sponsored by Angostura. Other sponsors Jerry Ramlochan Memorial Golf Tourna- of the event included Bianca Aziz - Scotia- ment. The event was a resounding success bank, the Naparima Alumni Association of with fantastic weather and well over 100 Toronto, International Telephone Products, guests who attended the dinner, which fol- Oumarally, Baboolal Legal as well as Ca- lowed golf. ribbean Graphic. Also in attendance was The event was held at the Royal Ontario a representative of the Big Brothers and Golf Course. Owner Mr. Iggy Kanneff was Sisters of Peel, the Charity recipient of the present and full of praise for the event’s event’s part proceeds. Caribbean flavour. The event’s attendees Great fun was had by all. included attractive Xpats models in their J EWEL Melanie: Lovely Melanie is a talented individual who is very much involved in the Carib- bean community. She has been involved in making mas and modeling costumes for Caribana since she was 14. This year marks her debut as a Section Leader with Blues Carnival Fusion. PAGE 4 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC June 27, 2012 Bollywood: Lights, Camera, Action! Bollywood: used to and encour- Lights, Camera, age other people to Action! That is this embrace it as well. year’s theme for I want everybody to the Toronto Revel- Christine participate. It doesn’t lers; a band in the matter what national- Scotiabank Toronto Reid ity or where you’re Caribbean Carnival from. Embrace the led by Toronto Raptors’ Jamaal Ma- Toronto Caribbean Carnival and em- gloire. brace what the Toronto Revellers are Every year the Toronto Revellers trying to do and enjoy an experience depict a different theme and the in- of a lifetime.” explained Magloire. spiration behind this particular one The Toronto Revellers is a cultural came from a friend of Jamaal Ma- non-profit organization that aims to gloire’s during a discussion over contribute to the multicultural land- dinner. “He said Jamaal, why don’t scape of Canada by promoting, cel- you play Bollywood? Once he said ebrating and exploring the rich cul- that, it stuck in my head and I said tural diversities and traditions of the ‘you know what, that’s a great theme Caribbean. From the time when they and I want to do that’ hence the rea- entered the Carabana (now known son why we’re here now. ” said Ma- as Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean gloire. Carnival) competition in 2005, the Historically speaking, the Carib- Toronto Revellers have become the bean Carnival focuses on the unique- premiere masquerade band. For two ness of Caribbean culture; however, consecutive years, 2007 and 2008, having a theme of Bollywood allows they were awarded the “Band of the the festival to highlight other cul- Year” titles. Presently, their band in- tures and showcase the diversity of volvement has surpassed 2000 par- the Toronto community. “I wanted ticipants. to embrace a different culture other Toronto carnival historian and one than our own. Too often than not, of the original founders of Caribana, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival is Tony Ishmael has been supporting only about West Indian/Caribbean the Revellers for years now. Based people and I wanted to embrace the on the quality of the costumes, the Indian culture and let them know that dedication and professionalism of all we can embrace other cultures other the Revellers, tapping into his wealth than our own. I wanted a chance to of experience has definitely paid off. do something different and embrace Look out for Jamaal Magloire and something that we’re not normally the Revellers at Carnival time! Jamaal Magloire June 27, 2012 CARIBBEAN GRAPHIC PAGE 5 Caribbean Perspective URGENT NEED TO RESTORE CREDITIBILITY TO CARICOM Caribbean Community Heads of Govern- oil-rich Republic.