made in the west indies blog
Studying the meaning of Caribbean Culture and Heritage through a global lens has been the focus of my work for over a decade. Please enjoy the work on my earlier blog “Made in the West Indies”.
The year of the Green Monkey (A case study)
I am claiming the year 2022 as the Year of the Monkey, the Bajan Green Monkey. The Year we start putting our foot down and shouting from the rooftops “This is Wi culture!”.. and we’re not changing it (anymore) to make you happy.
Why “IndeMas” Should Be the Next Big Holiday Season
Before December 1st we hide our love for Christmas trees while tearfully chewing conkies. Why must it be so? I say no more! Here comes the next big West Indian, Caribbean holiday! And I am calling it IndeMas; a fusion of Christmas and Independence, an innovative way to preserve culture and do the holidays our way. Cause no one does Christmas or should I say IndeMas like a West Indian.
“Let Me Entertain You” is A Gift. Not A Promise
We live with regional imposter syndrome that makes many of us give our cultural birthright away, like the sad tale of Barbadian Sea Island cotton. The Folk is gone from our Character. We place the knowledge of our gifts in the wrong places with the wrong people. This has made us question if we are truly worthy. It’s time we learn our culture is our gift and we determine how we share it with the world.
What’s in a Name?
We assign meaning to people, places and things. Sometimes people, places or things ditch a name to create a new meaning or association, essentially a new Brand. Maybe it's time for us to ditch the mythical “Caribbean” brand as seen on tv. Could "The West Indies" be our brand pivot? Read on and find out!
Life of G is here!
Life of G is about more than me. I created it as the home of my visions and creative projects. What I hope for and what I want to build my country and region into. Take the journey with me as I explore the best way to Made in the West Indies.
Culture Doesn’t Equal Kitsch
Someone asked me “how would you find Barbadian Culture” I replied; talk to anyone over the age of 70, they will paint a beautifully nuanced picture of what Barbadian culture is. To my mind, this was a case closed answer BUT it turns out it wasn't! A back and forth ensued where the final question became:
Is culture only history…History is fine but you need more than just history, what about the present, where is the present culture?
My argument is you can’t build a strong house without a firm foundation.