Issue 62 (July/August 2003)

We listen to revolutionary dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, investigate the Jamaican dancehall crossover transforming MTV, head down to the St James district of Trinidad for a night time photo shoot and offer a tour of Guyana’s unexpected treasures plus all our regular departments and a whole lot more.

Beenie Man

Crossover Rhythms

In music shops, on the radio, and round the clock on MTV, Jamaica’s hottest dancehall artistes have triumphantly broken into mainstream pop music, via energetic collaborations of hip-hop, and rock performers. David Katz considers this thriving trend, and talks to the cross over king himself, Sean Paul
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REID RICKY "LIL RICK" (ENTERTAINER). PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE NATION NEWS

Beat People

Lil’ Rick defends his crown, Nilo Cruz wins a Pulitzer, Nadella Benjamin shines at Notting Hill, Michael Lee-Chin makes a big gesture, Lady Saw breaks lyrical barriers, Shola Lynch captures history on film, and Usain Bolt goes for gold
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Photograph courtesy Tattoo Farm/ Alex Smailes

Pictures Made Flesh

Tattooing has been around for centuries, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the art. Today, more men and women than ever choose to express themselves through these permanent symbols on their flesh. The many cultures of the Caribbean contribute to a rich store of tattoo iconography. O'Leo LoKai explores this bodily art, and gets his own tattoo along the way
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Bill Pilgrim, brother of composer Philip Pilgrim, conducts a performance of The Legend of Kaieteur at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown, Guyana, during the 1972 Caribbean Festival of Culture and Arts, Soloist Barbara Burrows stands at centre-stage. Photograph courtesy Bill Pilgrim

The First Carifesta

The first Carifesta, held in Guyana 31 years ago, celebrated the enthusiasm and energy of the newly independent Caribbean territories. As Suriname prepares to host Carifesta VII in August, Caribbean Beat looks back to the festival's optimistic origins
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Funding provided by the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme Direct Support Grants Programme.
The views expressed on this website are those of the the authors and do not reflect those of the Direct Support Grants Programme.

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