Below is a list of this month’s online discussion guests ….For the lasted information on times please see our Announcements/Feedback forum.
Week One July 4 – 10
Forum: Book Club
Guest: Myrna Loy, Author The Other Side of Tourism
Myrna Loy, born in Britain of Jamaican descent, has written and published her first book based on the impact of being born in a dual cultured environment under a project called 0,1 Space & Identity. The concept behind 0, 1 Space & Identity is to examine the effect of migration (0), and any subsequent experiences of reintegration, displacement, alienation and/or disillusionment, and how those experiences impacted on the next generation (1) and beyond. ‘0’, equates to the generation of our parents (i.e. those born outside Great Britain) and ‘1″ equates to 1st Generation (those born in Great Britain). ‘O’ symbolises space, and ‘1’ symbolises Identity – “Out of Many 1 People”, an aspiration acquired from the ethnographic fieldwork in Jamaica. Myrna says: “Spending most of my adolescent and adult life trying to cultivate myself into being a Jamaican, I arrived in Jamaica to find that I was totally different from Jamaicans both in identity and culture. I decided to share my strong reactions to this discovery with others.”
Week Two July 11 – 17 – Sunday 11th 9 pm (8 Jamaica time)
Forum: Pon di Verandah
Guest: Joan Andrea Hutchinson
Well respected writer, motivational speaker, actress, tv/ radio producer; training in radio and television production and news (Jamaica, Holland, South Korea, Japan , the US and Benin); Has produced three CDs : Wild About Jamaica and Jamaica Ridim & Ryme (all original stories and poems) and Anancy and Auntie Joan ( a collection of Anancy stories); Producer of Lawd Di Ri dim Sweet – Miss Lou’s latest CD; As a stand up comedienne /stoyteller, has performedin the US, Canada, the Caribbean and extensively in Jamaica; Has taught adult literacy (volunteer) in Trench Town; Has taught English to speakers of Dutch, Spanish and French; As a motivational speaker – Very big on self esteem building and personal responsibility; Currently works with Jamaica National Building Society in the Creative Unit.
Week Three July 18 – 24
Forum: Music
Guest: Mushiya – http://www.mushiya.com
She’s provoking, she’s wild, she’s daring… yet subtle in the manner in which she delivers. She’s poised, she’s confidant…yet humble. She is Mushiya. Born in Kinshasa, Congo and raised in Zimbabwe by the voice of her choir mistress mother and the words of her songwriting father, this African lioness roars a different, yet hypnotizing tune. With a medley of R&B and rock, her unique sound captures you even before the beat responds. That is.your heart beat. She is Mushiya.
**Week Four July 25 – 31
Forum: Music
Guest Artist – Rankin’ Scroo – www.rankinscroo.com
** NOTE: CD giveaway Contest (1 only)
Rankin’ Scroo was born and raised in Jamaica. Music has always been the focus of his life. From his earliest days singing in church to his teenage years as a “DJ-Toaster” (reggae rapper) he achieved recognition all over Jamaica as a talented musician. New York City became Rankin’s first home abroad where he performed with numerous sound systems and live bands. His vitality and intensity of expression carried his artistry from the Atlantic to the Pacific pioneering reggae music in the Hawaiian Islands where he formed “Crucial Youth Productions” (recording studio and band). In Hawaii Rankin’ met Ginger and the two began to write and perform together. Their unique blend of musical backgrounds and vocals created the highly acclaimed reggae duo “Rankin’ Scroo & Ginger” and pioneered the sound now recognized worldwide as Jawaiian music.
