Evening time/Panfest

 It's almost the eve of the Tallawah Mento Band and the Jamaican Folk Review's  historic trip to Ghana to compete in Panafest 2025. 

The taste they gave attendees at the Lauderdale Performing Arts Center was more like a bellyful.

A bellyful of music, laughs, dance,  kumina and happinesses!

Panafest (the Pan African Festival of Arts and Culture), is a biennial event established in Ghana in 1992 to unite Africans in the diaspora and on the continent and celebrate their resilience and African identity. 

Colin Smith, founder of Tallawah Mento Band and a cultural icon in his own right, explains the concept.

Kumina time

The talented cast

Panafest was the brainchild of the late, great Pan Africanist play right/author,  Efua Sutherland.

It has become a landmark festival in Ghana that gives Africans an opportunity to learn from each other wherever they are .

 This years theme is "Ensuring the African Kinship: Our Essence, Our Well-being, Our Prosperity."

Significantly, this is the first time a folkloric Jamaican entry will be involved in this auspicious,  two weeks event. 

 It took the Louise Bennett Coverly Heritage Council to make it happen.

If the taste we in Florida got is anything to go by, our entry will make a huge impact on the minds of Africans at home and abroad. It traces our progress through music and dance, from emancipation to victory.

 The performance also highlighted the contribution of world renowned artists such as Peter Tosh. Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and the foot stomping energy of kumina music and dance, in uplifting the souls of the once downtrodden people. 

We look forward to our particants  returning home with many medals for this creative, entertaining and educational performance.

Although the crowd of attendees was enthusiastic and participated in song and dance, in my book the numbers fell short of expectation for this important fund-raising event, especially in Florida where so many Jamaicans reside.

Ps. Follow the link below for an excellent review of their performance in Ghana.

https://wiredja.com/index.php/categories/newsberg/culture/africa-the-jamaican-folk-revue-and-tallawah-mento-band-performs-at-cape-coast-castle-ghana-the-heritage-preserved

Out of Africa (2)

There are 54 independent nations in Africa, but I have visited just over 10%. This is sad, as each country is unique and has given me the opportunity to understand a lot about my roots.

But I am not crying over spilled milk today, just sharing my initial impressions of Ghana which I visited in 2023.

Kwame Nkrumah memorial 

This was my first trip to West Africa from which most slaves were shipped. 

Interestingly, on that trip, the hotel we stayed at was right on the Atlantic Ocean, across which our ancestors unwillingly traversed. Mine and your ancestors survived that journey but millions of Africans didn't!

Ghanaians tell me that even today when it rains heavily, a number of local people use nets to collect items, even gold, that washes up from the deep where so many sunken trips have ended up over the centuries.

On arriving in Accra, I was immediately struck by how much some sections look like my own capital city, Kingston. 

For like Kingston, the roads are choking with traffic, the sidewalks are overwhelmed by vendors' stalls and hustling pedestrians and in some sections, many buildings and developments appear totally unplanned.

 

Like Kingston too, there is obviously a wide gap between rich and poor as the mansions and slums stand out in contrast to each other.

 

The affluence in Accra is enhanced by wealthy Nigerians who live in the oil-rich state of Benin which is only an hour and twenty minutes away by air and seven hours away by car.

 

 Because the Muslim culture in Benin is strict, things like liquor and wild parties are frowned on there, so they flock to the better sections of Accra to enjoy themselves and their immense wealth which they have no compunction about flaunting.

 

Their parties normally last for days, day and night, I was told.

 

Despite the crowding on the roads in the city, I immediately noticed how disciplined and well-mannered their drivers were in comparison to ours!

 

An interesting experience I had was when we encountered a landslide just outside of Accra, after a heavy shower of rain. This landslide totally blocked our side of the dual carriageway, but in sync, drivers simply turned around and crossed over to the lane on the other side of the carriageway where traffic faced them. That lane of traffic immediately gave up half of their space, no impatience, no honking of horns, no fights, no pulling of weapons, no cursing and swearing at others, and no mishaps

 

It was an amazingly disciplined and seamless operation,  although there were no police present to maintain order or give directions!

 

It is not only on the roads that you see the difference in discipline, but in their everyday life and this is especially marked in the crime statistics, especially violent crime. (According to  Travel and Tour World, "Ghana has recently been recognized as the second safest country in Africa, according to a comprehensive ranking released by global tourism experts. This report, which focuses on recommending top destinations for 2025, highlighted Ghana’s impressively low crime rate, positioning it as a safer destination than countries like Canada, Greece, and Australia. This recognition is expected to influence travel choices significantly, as travelers prioritize safety in their decisions.")

I don't know how accurate the above is. But I felt totally safe on my visit there and far safer than in Jamaica and the USA.  For my poor beleaguered homeland is so notoriously violent! The statistics show that our murder rate per capita, is nine times higher than Ghana’s, which is a very vast country by comparison.

 

Ghanaians on a whole are extremely friendly and welcoming, from political officials and tribal chiefs to the man in the street.

 

This welcoming attitude and peaceful coexistence among the numerous tribes, has led to a marked influx of black people from all over the world, especially the USA.

 

For with the low crime rate all over, the relatively cheap cost of living, (especially noticeable in land prices and construction costs,) plus the strength and stability of the Cedi, the country is very attractive to foreigners.  (The Cedi is the official currency and while it resembles the Jamaican $20 coin, it is worth 10 to US $1.)

 

Another drawing card is the fact that most Ghanaians speak English as well as many tribal languages and many are quite conversant with a few European languages.

 

As a Jamaican, I found Ghanaian food and cooking to be similar to ours but I had to be careful with the meats, as they tend to be extremely spicy. However everywhere you turn there are familiar fruit trees and ground crops.  I couldn’t find a breadfruit tree anywhere though and on describing it to all who would listen, it is clear that it is just was not used or grown there.

 

One marked difference between Ghanaians and us black people in the West that I immediately noticed too, was how short school children keep their hair,

 

Curious as usual, I had to ask and learned that in Ghana, boys and girls attending government schools from kindergarten up to University level must wear their hair trimmed very low.  It is said this is to prevent them from being distracted by vanity!

 

At first, I was appalled to hear this, but if it works for them, who the hell am I to criticize?

 

 Before visiting Ghana, I had traveled to Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.  But to me, Ghana felt very much like home and to tell you the truth, had I visited that huge low-crime,  developed, democratic, country when I was much younger, that would be where I would have chosen for my retirement.

 

More anon.

Zipping away

 I never knew I would ever go zip lining, as I hate heights. So much so that when we were in Ghana and took an excursion which included walking on 7 swinging bridges over the tree canopies, I did only one and turned back. 

My granddaughter did all seven.👏

There were 4 lines. This was the highest and longest.

Anyway, zip lining is fun.

 On 3 we had to run and swing and that was no problem. For the fourth, we had to climb up about fifty feet to the landing and I couldn't start off. It wasn't fear. I just never knew how to step off so I asked this young lady to push me off.

Lost my one of my slippers but a man climbed down and got it for me.

My granddaughter did it upside down!😲

It was really exhilarating.

This was in Kauai, Hawaii.

There was a final one called zip and splash. This is a short one like at our oun YS Falls where you hold on to a rope , slide to the middle of the river and let go. 

I wasn't interested in doing that in Hawaii, as the river looked dirty and cold. Besides the sun had gone in so I would have to contend with cold breeze on my body. 

That's ok. Been there, done that in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, where the river is much nicer and the falls inviting.

Yup. Would do it all again.😊

The thieving British (11)

On the 7^th February, I posted a blog entitled “The Thieving British”. The article was subsequently carried in Public Opinion.

Smelting metal

In the article, I expressed shock at the story on BBC which exposed Britain’s audacity in loaning treasures it had stolen from Ghana, to a museum there. 

The artifacts had been stolen by Britain in 1874!

In April 2023, several media houses in Britain carried reports to the effect that King Charles 111 of England, supports a study into the British royal family’s links to slavery. According to a section of the story, this is 'part of a series of stories on royal wealth and finances, as well as the monarchy's connection to slavery.

Interesting, in his recent memoir "Spare," Pince Harry wrote that; "the monarchy rests upon wealth generated by 'exploited workers and thuggery, annexation, and enslaved people.'"

The new study which Charles has okayed is supposed to be complete by 2026.

While some will consider this a well-intentioned move, does it really go far enough, or should the research into Britain's thuggery, annexation and exploitation cover not only slavery but also colonialism, since it all happened in one fell swoop without any significant break?

(Remember, in 1874 when they were still stealing artifacts from Ghana and others, slavery was supposed to have been already abolished by Britain!)

This  upcoming report on the royal's enrichment, will clearly not cover both atrocious periods therefore. 

I am however hoping that those who are negotiating for reparations on behalf of Africa and the Caribbean, don't take a similarly half-hearted approach!

Take the glorious Industrial Revolution that propelled Britain economically and still allows it to be held in high esteem and keeps it as somewhat of an economic powerhouse today.

The story below published by the British Guardian, newspaper on the 5^th July 2023 exposes the myth about the British technological prowess. 

The headline of this story was; “Industrial Revolution iron method ‘was taken from Jamaica by Briton.” The bi-line was; Wrought iron process that drove UK success was appropriated from black metallurgists, records suggest.”

It said in part; "An innovation that propelled Britain to become the world’s leading iron exporter during the Industrial Revolution was appropriated from an 18th-century Jamaican foundry, historical records suggest. The 'Cort' process, which allowed wrought iron to be mass-produced from scrap iron for the first time, has long been attributed to the British financier turned ironmaster Henry Cort. It helped launch Britain as an economic superpower and transformed the face of the country with “iron palaces”, including Crystal Palace, Kew Gardens’ Temperate House and the arches at St Pancras train station.Now, an analysis of correspondence, shipping records and contemporary newspaper reports reveals the innovation was first developed by 76 black Jamaican metallurgists at an ironworks near Morant Bay, Jamaica. Many of these metalworkers were enslaved people trafficked from west and central Africa, which had thriving iron-working industries at the time.

Dr Jenny Bulstrode, a lecturer in history of science and technology at University College London (UCL) and author of the paper, said: “This innovation kicks off Britain as a major iron producer and … was one of the most important innovations in the making of the modern world.” The technique was patented by Cort in the 1780s and he is widely credited as the inventor, with the Times lauding him as “father of the iron trade” after his death. The latest research presents a different narrative, suggesting Cort shipped his machinery – and the fully fledged innovation – to Portsmouth from a Jamaican foundry that was forcibly shut down.

The Jamaican ironworks was owned by a white enslaver, John Reeder, who in correspondence described himself as “quite ignorant” of iron manufacturing, noting that the 76 black metallurgists who ran the foundry were “perfect in every branch of the iron manufactory”, and, through their skill, could turn scrap and poor-quality metal into valuable wrought iron.”

 Charles can make mealy mouthed apologies for slavery, but will the exploited ever be compensated for how his empire and its descendents have lived and prospered from the brain and brawn of our ancestors from slavery through to the end of colonialism?

Prince Harry of the British Royal tribe is the only one who got it right. But will his brother who is the only one who can determine that the descendents of the exploited receive any form of justice, make it right?

Don't hold your collective breaths!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The thieving British!

A few of the less expensive and exotic items left in Ghana after the British finished plundering.

I did an immediate double take on hearing this news headline on BBC; “ UK to loan back Ghana's looted 'crown jewels'”.

Thinking I had misheard, I made sure not to be distracted when the story itself was being read.

No, the headline was not incorrect.

The entire story was shocking.

Ghana was the 'gold coast'.

 The gist is that although it is well documented and   recognized that Britain was once one of the most thieving empires of old and it acknowledges that most of the treasures in its museums were purloined, “….some national museums in the UK - including the V&A and the British Museum - are banned by law from permanently giving back contested items in their collections, and loan deals such as this are seen as a way to allow objects to return to their countries of origin!”  

The story continued; In receiving the stolen objects which are now being loaned back to the owners, Nana Oforiatta Ayim, special adviser to Ghana's culture minister, told the BBC: "They're not just objects, they have spiritual importance as well. They are part of the soul of the nation. It's pieces of ourselves returning."

These particular items now being ‘loaned to Ghana’ were stolen in 1874 when British troops launched a punitive expedition against the Ashante kingdom, ransacking Kumasi and taking many of the palace treasures.

Spears versus muskets

You know, over the years, one has heard rumours about various British institutions refusing to return sacred stolen property to Africa, but this BBC story aired on January 24, 2024, was still shocking, as these items had been among the crown jewels of the Ashante Kingdom.

The BBC's story also pointed out that the plundering of the crown jewels of Ashante Kingdom by Britain, was by no means an isolated affair, for the habit of stealing crown jewels from Africa was well established. Another example is the Benin Bronzes. 

These are the thousands of sculptures and plaques looted by Britain from the palace of the Kingdom of Benin, in modern-day southern Nigeria.

 Nigeria has been demanding their return for decades but up to now, they haven’t been able to get them back.

I guess Britain may loan them to that nation one day!

The victims of the massive theft that Britain carried out in Africa over the centuries should stop accepting this arrogance as a fait accompli.  This contemptible attitude by the descendants of the exploiters is totally unacceptable. 

All stolen artifacts, especially those of spiritual and cultural importance should be returned forthwith.

Surely the descendants of the nations whose cultural items were looted by the invaders should not be accepting loans (of their own things) from Britain in order that their people can learn the great history of the tribes that were once were supreme in Africa!

What amazes me, is how little feedback there has been to this story both in Britain and among their many victims, for I have been searching the internet extensively and the silence is deafening.

I wonder if the generations to come will be as docile in accepting these indignities?

It is not only in Africa that this happened but also in Australia and New Zealand. Could this maiden speech delivered in parliament in New Zealand in her native Maori language by that country’s youngest parliamentarian, 21-year-old Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, be a sign that the descendants of the victims will be a new less accepting and compliant in the future?

Or is it just entertainment for the over 7 million people who have seen it so far?

Watch it at; https://youtu.be/xPiJftYyovw?feature=shared and tell me what you think.

Maybe I am just grabbing at straws!

YOUTUBE LINK; https://youtu.be/P36aeUDbqXE

We are unwanted 😡

 We Jamaicans tend to hold ourselves in high esteem and based the performance of many of our nationals at home and abroad, we have some reason to feel so.

For on an individual basis, so many Jamaicans tend to be world beaters!

This is s especially so in sports, music, the arts, etc although when it comes to, operating collectively, especially in sports, we tend to bomb out.

I am not at this time thinking about sports though but our reputation as a country.

A paradox is that despite our terrible reputation at home and abroad because of crime, we remain among the most desirable vacation destinations in the Caribbean

 But that’s for another debate.

The latest statistic which gave me a jolt recently, was when at I heard on Radio  Jamaica (RJR) that in the Caribbean, our passport is one of the least desirable. It’s something, I have never really mulled on, although I travel a lot.

This is demonstrated by the extent to which countries are prepared to refuse to take a chance on us, by allowing us into their countries without visas!

According the report, Barbadians, can travel to over 160 countries without needing a visa and Bahamians are next on the high list with over 150 countries not asking them to get visas.  However, Jamaicans can only travel to 90 countries without a visa. (The entire list and ranking are online).

Even other Caribbean countries don’t particularly like those of us trying to travel to their countries with a Jamaican passport, despite us holding something marked a Caricom passport.

I remember the last time I went to Trinidad, how they scrutinized my documents from top to bottom.  I was just attempting to get home next day after leaving Guyana!  This while other Caricom nationals just ‘zoopsed’ through. 

At that time, I had to catch a connection through Trinidad .

 I was just overnighting there to catch my connection!

As I have been mainly been travelling to Africa recently, my esteem was lifted a bit by the fact that quite a few countries on the Continent, welcome us without visas.

These include Botswana, Zambia, Ghana , Kenya, South Africa.

 I must admit though, I was shocked when no such privilege was extended to us by Ethiopia!

 Shocked, because so many Jamaicans hold Ethiopia in such high regard, with some of our nationals even considering their former King a high prophet.

Besides, quite a few Jamaicans have made that country their home.

Could it be because of the actions of the Jamaicans there why they put in the visa restriction?

On the other hand, more Jamaicans have made Ghana their home and they haven’t slapped any visa restrictions on us!

(According to my research, 1000 Jamaicans live in Ethiopia and around 4000 in Ghana).

Our government needs to tell us why we are the personae non gratae in the Caribbean and why they are not negotiating bilateral agreements for us to travel more easily?

Visas are quite expensive documents and considering how we open up our country to the rest of the world, isn’t it time we get a break?

I forgot, politicians travel on diplomatic passports so don’t have the hassle of getting visas.

Anyway, our passports are probably blacklisted because the world knows our governments are so notoriously corrupt with no one ever being held accountable for anything, so they don’t want people who consider corruption the norm, to visit them!

So, I guess we will continue to be the pariah of the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

---

 [jw1]

My name is KORLEKi😊

 Yup that's my African name given to me by the Krobo tribe in Ghana.

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-cultural-awakening.html?m=1

That name is specific to me, as it is based on certain aspects of my birth and personality.

On the other hand, Joan is a relic of colonialism and I can't believe I changed my good name, Marshall to a common name like Williams.

I remember being told by someone who was checking the telephone directory many years ago to try and find me, that he had counted 32 Joan Williams!

And that was in Kingston alone.

See what I mean?

I want you to go find me another KORLEKi Adjado anywhere else in the western hemisphere.

Pity it's such a bureaucratic nightmare to change ones name officially.😡

Ps. Big up my designers Judi and Coretta.❤️. Great job by the seamstress in Duncan's too, Charlene. Not only is she a neat dressmaker but a super pleasant person as well..

Exploring Africa!

I had the opportunity to visit the Motherland twice in 2023, but found it intriguing when quite a few of my fellow countrymen/women, asked incredulously  "how yu go a Africa so often?"

Had I visited Europe or North America twice in a year, it wouldn’t have seemed so strange to anyone.😥.

Snow-capped Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,
as seen from Kenya.

You see, we Jamaicans were brainwashed for decades (even after independence😡!) into believing that the European and North American  continents are the epiphany of civilization, whereas Africa is a dark undeveloped place that no one should visit.

Serious ting.

It may appear strange, but many Jamaicans even think of Africa as a country and not a continent made up of 54 diverse and independent nations!

This is because we have been fed so much negative crap about Africa as a whole, that most have not had the interest to research the facts for themselves.

Anyway, I plead guilty to belonging to the class of travelers who have avoided Africa for far too long!

I actually reached the south-western tip of the continent😊

So, for decades when traveling to faraway lands for pleasure, had chosen some exalted city in Europe, never a country in Africa!

 I was bitten by the travel bug from I was 14 years old, thanks to my parents. For it was at that age that they took me to places as diverse as Cuba (then highly developed and not yet communist), a few small eastern Caribbean islands, Montreal and New York.

So, it was from then that I decided that I wanted to see the natural beauty of the world, interact with every animal I could find, and relive history, but bypass cities and man-made edifices.

Playing with a 40-year-old seal in South Africa

But Africa was never in my plans, because of the negative press with which I had been bombarded for decades.

It was only when my Canadian friends who went to work in Kenya, invited me to stay with them after telling me how wonderful it was there, that I decided to explore.😡.

So, Kenya was the first country in Africa that I visited and it was a wonderful experience.

It was also then I  discovered what a fool I had been all along!

Quite frankly though, I was a bit surprised at how developed Nairobi was, because of the negative images that had been implanted in my brain for decades.(brainwashing is real and has proven to be super-effective for decades!)

Well, that's all behind me now, for it will be Africa every time when going on long-haul trips, for there is so much to see and do and so little time. 

On safari in Kenya with my hosts and friends.

Nairobi is very developed

The reality of Kenya certainly belied the propaganda that I had heard all my life. 

What impressed me immediately too, was how highly they respect their own currency, for that's the only cash they accept.

 Better, yet, they are so technologically advanced, that almost everyone pays with their phone. 

So whether you are buying an orange on the street or a car, just pay with the swipe of your phone.

Since that eye-opening trip, it's been Africa all the way for me.

Hanging out in a lobby in Botswana

My second trip to the Motherland took me to parts of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Robben Island (where Mandela was imprisoned for decades), and Cape Town in South Africa.

With Wendy and family.

This was all thanks to my Jamaican friend Wendy, who lives in Lusaka. She has lived and worked in Africa for more than seven years and knows areas of the Continent extremely well. 

I learned so much just visiting museums on this trip!

She was therefore able to guide me on how to travel, where to go, where to stay etc.

 It was a wonderful trek and I am eternally grateful as I was able to travel to places and experience things I had only heard of, but never thought I could do in this lifetime.

A Mandela memorial on Robben Island

Up to now, I still can't believe I saw and did the things which had only been distant dreams for decades. 

Fact is, the education I received on these brief trips have been more valuable and memorable than I have accumulated in many years.

Sections of Cape Town, South Africa

More recently, I had the opportunity to visit Ghana and even got my new name, KORLEKi.

I felt so at home in Ghana for the foods, flora, city scenes, lifestyle, fauna and even the huge gap between the rich and poor, seemed so much like ours at home.

But boy is their culture deep.

Joan, my views: A cultural powerhouse (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

I now understand why Rita Marley made that county her home for some 20 years!

I understand that the properties above are part of the Marley portfolio I Ghana.

Ghanaians are also super-welcoming but interestingly, while I had been under the impression that most of the slaves that were transported to Jamaica had Ghanaian roots, on my visit there, I learnt that only 23% did. 

Joan, my views: Religion and slavery (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Although i  had long ago been told by my grandmother that our actual roots were in Sierra Leone with the Mandingo tribe, I still felt at home in Ghana and honored to be inducted into the Krobo tribe.😊

These school children reminded me so much of our own💓 

I also discovered that many Ghanaians are outstanding linguists, speaking French, and German due to their close association with Brussels where thousands live and work. 

Most also speak English very well as it is compulsory in school and they all speak many tribal languages as well.

The magnificent Mosi-oa-Tunya which spans sections of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is named among the top 7 natural  wonders of the world.

Because I am crazy about animals, I think the country I need to return to soon is Botswana, although I still have another 48 independent nations in the homeland to sample!

You can easily do both land and river safaris in Botswana 

So much to do, so little time.

Oh well, it was the insightful Lao-tzu who said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," so I should be grateful that I got the opportunity to take that single step a few years ago.

Now its on to the rest of the journey.