Table of contents for Issue 16 in Cacique

Q How did you come up with the idea for the Caribbean Cook-out Show? We wanted to create a platform that would elevate and celebrate Caribbean cuisine and culture. As Caribbean-Americans, we wanted the narrative to be told by us for us. Often, people think about only beaches and rum when they refer to the Caribbean. We wanted to showcase and honour the rich traditions, diverse culture and succulent dishes of the region. We also wanted to educate our viewers; for example, we wanted them to appreciate that there is more to Jamaica than jerk and to Haiti than griot. Q Where are your chefs from? For season 1, we had chefs from Haiti, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Bahamas, Jamaica and Guyana. Plus, the show’s producers, although based in Miami, Florida,…

60 seconds with… KATHY MACLEAN Meet Kathy MacLean, author of Black Man Listen, a biography of her grandfather, poet and panAfricanist JR Ralph Casimir Your grandfather was a fascinating figure. Tell us about the man that you knew. Joseph Raphael Ralph Casimir was an affectionate grandfather who made important contributions to the political history of the Caribbean and the literature of Dominica, his birthplace. He had many passions. He loved reading and shared that love with his grandchildren. He was a whistler and is reputed to have whistled the Ave Maria at a variety concert. He was a devout Roman Catholic. Finally, he was a poet, publishing nine books of poetry and Dominica’s first four poetry anthologies. Among many other things, my grandfather was a founding member of the Dominica…

MUJERES EN ASCENSO Conozca a las increíbles y prometedoras líderes femeninas que están haciendo una diferencia en las iniciativas comerciales y comunitarias en el Caribe. SUZANNE WATTS CERTIFIED PROSTHETIST, STRIDE PROSTHETICS “go forth in stride, knowing that we can restore every passion for living.” ‘These are the empowering words of Suzanne Watts, owner of Stride Prosthetics and founder of the ‘Walk Proud Again’ charity, registered in Barbados. A truly kindred and inspiring soul, Suzanne’s relentless passion and altruism clearly shows she is living in the ‘fullness of her purpose’. Her mission is to restore the lives of individuals living with amputations throughout the Caribbean diaspora, through accessibility to prosthetic limbs. The havoc being wreaked by non-communicable diseases like diabetes and peripheral arterial disease, cancers and trauma has heavily impacted the…

La Habana una vez centelleó con neón tecnicolor cuando la ciudad estaba a la vanguardia del cine y las almas cultas de la capital cubana acudían a la gran pantalla. Pero después de la Revolución de 1959, cerraron los lujosos lugares de entretenimiento frecuentados por celebridades de Hollywood, jugadores y la mafia. Las letras iluminadas de la ciudad comenzaron a desvanecerse de sus brillantes cines, teatros, bares y tiendas. Avisos que colgaban precariamente de las bisagras, se cayeron o se quitaron. Pero más de medio siglo después, un artista cubano está restaurando los letreros de la ciudad, recargando La Habana con un hermoso resplandor nocturno después de décadas en la oscuridad. Los letreros recién iluminados también destacan la riqueza de hermosos edificios art déco, barrocos y coloniales que se encuentran…

Blavor Solar Power Bank Planning a trip to a remote island? This portable 10,000mAh wireless charger makes it easier to stay in touch with friends and family when you’re ‘off the grid’. It’s IPX4 splashproof, dustproof and shockproof, and doubles as a flashlight and compass. US$45 | BLAVORPOWERBANK.COM BenQ GV30 BenQ’s stylish portable digital projector offers instant wire-free streaming for home movie enthusiasts and comes complete with built-in 2.1 speakers for extra bass. The battery is rated at around 2.5 hours and you can take it to the pool thanks to its IPX2 splash water resistance. US$600 | BENQ.COM DOXA Sub 300 Professional DOXA has been making diver’s watches since 1967. This model is water resistant to a depth of 300m and features a patented unidirectional bezel that can be…

Who is Selreen Gibson? She is a 31-year-old personal trainer from St Vincent & the Grenadines; a very passionate person; a very artistic individual, by heart and by mind; a giver. What is your background? I was a lover of the arts and theatre – it stemmed from being a painter. I was very passionate about dancing and I was also part of the drama club at school. If I am to tell you what my background really is, it would simply just be that – art. How did you handle the challenges that the pandemic threw at you? It had got to a point where, after being laid off from my previous job, I was not earning a steady income, other than the personal training I did on the…

Bienvenidos a la última edición de Cacique. Mientras seguimos aienvenidos a la más reciente edición de Cacique. A medida que continuamos expandiendo nuestra red, llevando a las personas a más lugares que nunca, lanzamos un nuevo vuelo a Ocho Ríos en Jamaica, hogar de Ian Fleming, el ex oficial de inteligencia y autor que nos dio a James Bond. Además de brindar a los entusiastas de Bond una vista del mundo del agente secreto, Ocho Ríos ofrece una gran cantidad de atracciones, incluida la famosa cascada del río Dunn. Esperamos darle la bienvenida pronto a bordo de uno de nuestros vuelos a este destino turístico. Como parte de nuestro compromiso de mejorar las economías locales, recientemente agregamos cinco asistentes de vuelo guyaneses a nuestro equipo. Esto se suma al lanzamiento…

Promoted as ‘The Hottest Carnival in the Caribbean’, Vincy Mas was back after three years away, culminating in the colourful, vibrant Mardi Gras on 5 July. This year’s event was perhaps more celebratory than most, following the paradeless years of the pandemic. “While it has been exciting to be back, we cannot deny that we have been anxious, because we are still somewhat living in the coronavirus pandemic,” says Rebecca Gonsalves of Mirage Productions. “We have been operating with much caution to ensure the physical safety of not only our masqueraders, but our staff as well.” Preparing for Carnival, at the best of times, is no easy task. “Mas production is a lot of moving parts assembled into full motion to create one cohesive entity,” says Gonsalves. “There is a…

1 The Mystic Masseur’s Wife by J Vijay Maharaj (Peepal Tree Press) In the hidden spaces of VS Naipaul’s novel The Mystic Masseur, J Vijay Maharaj creates a quite different kind of story for Leela, the wife of Naipaul’s protagonist, who decides that when her husband abandons Trinidad for England, she is too attached to her life on the island to follow him. Maharaj creates an inventive and often richly humorous counter-narrative within that novel’s plotlines, as well as a dynamic afterlife for Leela after Naipaul’s novel ends. 2 A Scream in the Shadows by Mac Donald Dixon (Papillote Press) Set in a Caribbean landscape far from the tourists’ gaze, this is a compelling crime story where traditional allegiances and a flawed criminal justice system provide a backdrop to the…

01 FIND YOUR PERFECT BEACH Head to the west coast for the calm, shallow waters of the Caribbean, or east for the more rugged and feisty Atlantic coast. Pink-hued Crane Beach is a favourite spot for sun worshippers, while sheltered Rockley Beach is ideal for families. If you want more of a castaway feel, however, get away from it all at palm-fringed Bottom Bay. Buy a coconut, freshly topped, from a local vendor, then walk over to tiny Shark Hole where a rocky ridge just offshore creates a sheltered swimming spot. 02 CELEBRATE CROP OVER With its origins way back in the 1780s when Barbados was a major sugar producer, Crop Over is still a big celebration on the island. Marking the end of sugar season, it kicks off with an opening…

HEALTH AND COVID-19 For the latest advice relating to flying safely, along with entry requirements for all countries on the interCaribbean route network, see the Covid-19 Information Center on our website. BAGGAGE Every customer travelling on an interCaribbean flight is entitled to one piece of cabin baggage which must comply with the dimensions 14in x 16in x 9in and must weigh no more than 10lb. Free checked baggage is also available, but is determined by the fare class purchased. If free checked baggage is not included in your fare, it can be purchased separately. For checked baggage, the maximum dimensions are 62 linear inches (158cm) and 701b. Any baggage larger than this may incur extra charges and might not be guaranteed on your flight. Any luggage heavier than 70lb will…

Tell us about yourself. I work in TV journalism and have two journalism degrees, so writing is kind of my thing. I was born and raised in the UK, but both my parents are from Dominica. I have always loved Dominica, but I also love the Caribbean in general and have visited most islands. We are all so similar, yet so different… It’s like having all these cousins you’ve never met. What gave you the idea of writing a children’s book? I wanted to do something to help perpetuate the Kwéyòl language. I read an alarming statistic that said it takes just three generations before a language is lost completely – and we are seeing that in the UK, where people came over in the 1950s. I only had a…

Q Tell us about yourself. I was born in the UK to an English mother and a Grenadian father. Although I have dual nationality, I see Grenada as my home – it is where I am happiest. Q What do you love about what you do? I love that it’s about being creative and finding ways that your audience can connect with you. We live in a society where our camera eats first! Where we as humans want to showcase what we’re doing minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. So, it’s very important that businesses reflect the same thing. Q Which is your favourite platform? It fluctuates. I love Instagram because it gives me ambience and a place of aesthetic. TikTok I love for the talent that…

DISCOVER SAN JUAN’S LUXURIOUS, OCEANFRONT NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH OUR INSIDER GUIDE TO THE STYLISH HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS OF CONDADO GET YOUR BEARINGS As well as strolling the stunning beaches or paddleboarding in the lagoon, there’s much to explore in Condado’s side streets. Here, you will come across the frequent contrast of traditional Hispanic colonial style homes sitting shoulder to shoulder with chic new apartments, and somehow it works wonderfully together. The district is quite walkable on a morning’s walk headed north to south. For more commercial upscale shopping expeditions, Condado is home to some leading names in couture and accessories, such as Cartier, Ferragamo, Gucci and Louis Vuitton – many boutiques line the main commercial artery of Avenida Ashford. Be sure to stop by the boutiques of Stella Nolasco and Nono…