PRODUCER OF FIRST PBS CARIBBEAN COOKING SHOW SHARES ISLAND CULTURE—03/28/15
The Public Broadcasting system (PBS) is featuring its first Caribbean cooking show. Calibe Thompson, the program’s executive producer, started out getting a degree in architecture before turning to art and music. She has embraced her Caribbean heritage and made a commitment to sharing it with her audiences. A former singer who performed with artistes including Beenie Man, Thompson also has her own her own online program “The Caribbean Diaspora,” which is broadcasted every week on the CW Network.

CHALLENGE FROM SAMUEL L. JACKSON TAKEN UP BY QUEEN IFRICA—03/30/15
Queen Ifrica, the well known reggae singer, has decided to take up a challenge issued by American actor Samuel L. Jackson on social media. Jackson challenged artistes around the globe to sing a song about black people “not being killed and abused anymore.” The singer saw the challenge on YouTube and will write a song in response. She plans to send the song to Jackson once it is finished.

RANKIN WINS NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD—04/01/15
Claudia Rankine, a Jamaican-American poet, has been named the winnter of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Rankin was given the prize for her book “Citizen: An American Lyric.” She was also named a finalist in the criticism award category, making her book the first in the history of the award to be a double nominee.

ANANCY, CHILDREN’S THEATER BIG WINNERS AT ACTOR BOY AWARDS—04/02/15
“Anancy Chaptaz: Monkey Bizniz,” which was presented by the Independent Actors Movement (IAM) received the largest number of awards at the 2015 Actor Boy Awards event in St. Andrew. IAM received six statuettes out of the possible 20 awarded. The production by Damion Radcliffe and Savrena McDonald won for best choreography, best original song, best original score, best musical, best children’s theater and best ensemble case.