Matterhorn celebrates in style

Tourists from Canada and the United States of America came to Jamaica to celebrate renowned disc jockey and dancehall artiste Tony Matterhorn's birthday party at Pier One in Montego Bay over the weekend.

According to male fan from the US, "I love his work and his ability to entertain and it is only fitting to come down and celebrate his birthday".

DJ Jigga tried to inject life into the audience in the early segment of the event with a mixture of old and new dancehall songs that had the crowd rocking momentarily but such support dwindled as he concluded his near 30 minute musical stint.

Montego Bay’s ‘Crazy Chris’ and DJ Jigsy were however able to revive the crowd a bit through the heavy thud of hip hop beats as DJ Jigsy paused at regular intervals to talk to the patrons and solicit an active response to music being played.

Razz and Biggy had their high and low points during their juggling but were still able to capture a few dance moves by the ladies who were more eager to hear what Tony Matterhorn had to offer.

Matterhorn, whose real name is Dufton Taylor showed partygoers why he has managed to remain relevant not only as a music selector but as a dancehall artiste. As soon as he touched the turntables he made his presence felt and showed that music is timeless despite the era it was produced. From pop music that was done in the 70s and the 80s, Matterhorn schooled disc jockeys on the importance of musical diversity.

“Some a di deejays these days a pure Gully and Gaza alone unnuh a play, it a get monotonous mek mi show y’all how fi select music” Matterhorn said right before playing Michael Jackson’s 70s hit Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and Madonna’s 1984 hit Like a Virgin.

The birthday boy never failed in his bid to entertain his fans. The selector turned dancehall artiste, interjected as he played his international hit Dutty Wine saying “mi couldn’t come a MoBay and nuh play this” as he deejayed apart of his song but Matterhorn kept patrons partying non-stop until about 5:15 a.m.

UK reconnected with Jamaica

The United Kingdom reconnected with Jamaica through entertainment with the inaugural staging of BritJam in Jamaica’s tourism capital, Montego Bay.

Dubbed the ‘Ultimate Spring Break Party’, BritJam was successful in its efforts to marry entertainment with tourism as the organizers encouraged over 300 British nationals to come, eat, and party in Montego Bay for an entire week .

Brit Jam 2010 kicked off on Monday March 8^th with a Welcome Party at Twisted Kilt which then followed an entire week of theme parties along the Hip Strip (Gloucester Avenue) including Catamaran Cruise parties. However, BritJam climaxed on March 14^th when Vybz Kartel, Ding Dong and Bugle invaded Aqua Sol Theme Park in the second city at the BritJam Fantasy Island (Grand Escape) party. 

The eight days worth of non-stop partying in Montego Bay was intentionally done according to one of the organizer Gay Loi of the United Kingdom to boast arrivals from the UK and to reposition Montego Bay as a party city for locals and tourist alike.

“In Negril during the summer you have the ATI and RTI parties but there is nothing in MoBay during the spring break period so we thought it was necessary for the tourism capital to be restored to the its former glory when the town was abuzz with spring break activities and that what we are trying to do with Brit Jam” Loi explained.

She added that through the success of this year’s staging, BritJam will become an annual event with the intention of pulling even more tourist from the UK to the island. Loi concluded that “when there are more tourists it is good for the economy so we are satisfied with the first staging, there were a few glitches here and there but that’s all apart of the process in developing this into a solid annual event”.

Seahorse Grill making it happen

 

Whether it was assorted garden greens with red wine Dijon vinaigrette or Indian style vegetable curry the Seahorse Grill’s international buffet tantalized taste buds under the beautiful splendor of the Montego Bay Yacht Club every Friday. 

Owner and executive chef of the Seahorse Grill Robert Joseph explained that “the concept behind hosting an international buffet each Friday is to expose individuals to the different cultural backgrounds through food. Besides a lot of the times persons are tired of the same food that they are eating throughout the course of the week so we decided to expose them to something different”.

This difference he noted is articulated through the delicious Asian barbecue roast pork and the penne pasta with shrimp, roasted fennel, artichoke and tomatoes. With the tomato and fresh mozzarella with basil and extra virgin olive oil one can cleanse their palate to prepare themselves for the grilled rosemary marinated lamb chops. 

He added that by infusing beet and apple in the form of a salad with blue cheese dressing, individuals can experiment with this combination and develop a great appreciation for apple and beet root. However, it was not difficult to arose the sensory cells of the nostrils when one walked by the grill that had the roasted chicken with balsamic barbecue sauce. Roasted in foil paper, the chicken was immersed with seasonings which melted in the mouth on each bite.

The black-eye pea salad with bacon and herbs coupled with the fried ripe plantain in maple ginger syrup inspired food lovers to experiment a bit and enjoy the succulent provisions of this international buffet.  

Seahorse Grill has continued its trend of dishing out delicious meals to its new and repeat guest. One of their signature dine out night is their two for one Lobster Nights on Wednesday which according to Joseph has continued to received overwhelming responses as customers get two lobster meals  when they purchase one meal.

 

The 'Whizz' came to town

Dancehall sensation G-Whizz reaped havoc at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School in Montego Bay on Friday during The Gleaner’s Champs 100 School Tour in preparation for the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls' Championships this year.


Previous performances by upcoming act Raine Seville, Duane Stephenson and Ginjah provided an entertaining appetizer but the hungry appetite of the Herbert Morrison students were satisfied when G-Whizz stepped on stage.
Decked in an orange and silver striped shirt, denim with shoes and belt match his orange coloured shirt a stylist G-Whizz told the students that is was okay to Make Money as he engaged them in a sing-a-long. 

As if that was not enough he showcased his versatility when he did a rendition of Chris Brown’s hit song With You song. In a bid to interact more with the crowd he tried walking the corridors of the school but he did not get far as group of zealous female students bombarded him with flashing cameras and rushing hugs from this musical star.

His song Forward Mi Ago prepared his audience of screening females for his international ballad Life which speaks of poverty and the need to elevate despite adversities while maintaining strong values. He shared the stage with one of his colleagues who go by the name Brain Damage.
Dance group Shady Squad was also entertaining.


Under the musical influence of selector Cutty from Coppershot sound system, Champs 100 tour sponsors Grace Kennedy, Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) and LIME made sure that students and teachers left the celebrations smiling with gifts they received.


One of the highlights of the celebration came when a female and male teacher engaged in a dance-off competition to the popular hit song Jerk by US-based rappers New Boyz. Both teachers ‘jerked’ their way to winning prizes from telecommunications company LIME.


This was the fifth stop on the tour previous stops included Calabar, Holmwood Technical, St Jago High and St Elizabeth Technical High School.

One female student concurred that the celebrations lived up to its expectations as “from Monday everyone was talking about how Friday is going to be so nice and fun. Today all people who never normally come a school on Fridays was here. I loved it”.

110 year-old strong

Reading her Daily Bread devotional flawlessly without the assistance of eyewear, 110-year-old Violet Mosses Brown has discovered the secret to living a long and happy life without some of the ills associated with old age.

"Honour your mother and father so your days may be long," the affable centenarian said, referring to the Ten Commandments, as she credited her respect for family, life and people in general, as well as a lot of hard work when she was younger, for helping her lead a fruitful life.

"Really and truly, when people ask what me eat and drink to live so long, I say to them that I eat everything, except pork and chicken, and I don't drink rum and dem tings. You know, sometimes I ask myself, 'Am I really 110 years old?' because I don't feel like 110," she added, smiling.

Though less active nowadays, Brown boasts she is able to make her bed in the mornings, but her 89-year-old son and grandson who live with her do not allow her to do much. She has no major illness, and her inability to hear well doesn't affect her much.

Born March 4, 1900, Brown vividly remembers the days when she had to walk three miles barefooted to fetch water and be home in time to go to school by 9 a.m.

"I tell you, these young people these days have it easy - piped water, taxis and buses to bring them where they want to go, everything to their convenience. When I was younger, and even as an adult, I had to work so hard that sometimes when I look back, I cry at how hard I had to work to make a living for my family," Brown, a one-time dressmaker, domestic helper and farmer, reminisced.

Resident in the western Jamaica town of Duanvale, Trelawny, Brown enjoys reading and is still able to effortlessly recite a poem she learnt while attending elementary school a century ago. Listening to music, practising shorthand and typing are among her hobbies, she said, but pride of place goes to her unwavering contribution to the Church, which is her greatest joy.

"I love the Church," Brown told The Gleaner . "I have been baptised since I was 13 years old and I have over 50 years of staunch contribution to the Church," she said animatedly, showing off a plaque she received from the Trelawny Baptist Association when she was 107 years old.

Keeping the Strip alive

Jamaicans are the ones keeping jerk vendors like Victor ‘Brown Man’ Grigg’s afloat along the Hip Strip in Montego Bay in the absence of visitors who are few in numbers since the closure of several resorts along the area.

Busily preparing his chicken and festivals for his nightly customers Brown Man as his customers call him, took an opportunity to explain how he has had to marshal the support of Jamaicans in order to remain economically viable during this period.

“Our thing is done at nights we use to start at 7p.m. and run right back until when the parties are over in the mornings but now start at 10 p.m. so as not to compete with some of the restaurants. We as jerk vendors now cater to our own local partygoers because the tourist support is hardly there anymore. So right now we affi mek sure that our ting well seasoned and spicy to suite our Jamaicans” he revealed.

For this jerk vendor who has been catering to the appetites of local and international customers for the past five years, has watched tourist support declined gradually over that period. This Brown Man calculated as “90 percent or more of the business now comes from locals, if we are lucky the next 10 percent of less is what we get from tourist who may just walk by or drive by the Hip Strip. Di ting is not what it used to be like but our own his helping us to remain in business”.

Meanwhile, after 25 years of selling crafts along the Hip Strip in Montego Bay, Raymond Smith has never seen such dismal outlook that now seems define the area which is lack of a vibrant atmosphere and few tourists.

“Back in the days when the hotels were open and the area was buzzing you didn’t even have to call a visitor over to buy your stuff, they would just see and buy, all stores along the strip were more unified, everyone looked out for each other” he smiled. But no so these days, it is every man for his or herself in the tourism business he affirmed.

Smith alluded to the fact that had it not been for the renowned Doctor’s Cave Beach and Aqua Sol Theme Park along the Hip Strip that continues to attract tourist, things may have been ever worse “probably we wouldn’t even have any tourist a walk by now given the fact that these hotels lock shop. Thank God fi di few that remain open” he stated. “The hip gone outta di Hip Strip, right now a so so foot” he joked.

Dancing on a whole new level

From unusual costume designs to high flying dance moves, groups who participated in the elimination show of the Red Label Wine’s Dancin Dynamites in St. Elizabeth on Saturday will need to improve their dance techniques if they are to compete with international dancers.

Dancin Dynamites which is in its fifth staging, saw 10 dance groups showcasing their skills at the Junction Guest House in Junction, St. Elizabeth in a bid to secure one of two positions that are available to move on to the next round.

Host Jenny Jenny injected life in the less than capacity filled audience in Junction with her usual onstage antics as she continued the entertainment package during intermissions.

The highlight of the evening came when St. Elizabeth’s own, the Sunshine Brothers gave a superb performance as they fused Michael Jackson dance moves with dancehall. Target and Garrison Youths represented themselves well which earned them resounding applause from the audience who were hungry for great entertainment. Among the dance groups who performed creditably were G-Squad, Escalade, Mad Flex, T-Squad, G1 Dancers and C-Squad.

However, it was dance groups Target, Garrison Youths and Sunshine Brothers who stood out more for one of the judges Kerry-Ann Henry.

As to whether or not the western leg of the competition lived up to expectations, Henry noted that “Red Label Wine’s Dancin Dynamites is in its fifth year and this is the year when our dancers will be going up against international dancers from the Caribbean and the United States and dancers will have to make sure that every move counts and is precise while entertaining and of the 10 that I saw tonight only three stood out to me because of their execution”.

She added that dancing has always been a Jamaican thing and locals dancers cannot allow dancers from other countries to come and beat them at something Jamaicans are good at. Henry therefore recommends “dancers should tape themselves to see where they are going wrong and how they can improve and tighten their routine”.

The after show session saw upcoming dancehall acts Gramazone and Danger Flex engaging the audience with the original songs  that scored high with crowd.

Yam Packaging facility for Trelawny

The yam-producing parish of Trelawny can now boast a J$16 million yam packaging facility which the Ministry of Agriculture refurbished in a bid to boost employment and agriculture within the parish.

According to the Minister of Agriculture Christopher Tufton, the facility comes at a time when Jamaica has increased its production in yam since 2008 and continues to service international markets with this food item.

"In 2009 we exported J$1.5 billion worth of yams which underscores the need to provide infrastructure and support to yam farmers across the island. In that same year 124,000 tonnes of yams was produce which is a 20 percent increase when compared to 2008" Min. Tufton revealed at the official launch of the Wait-A-Yam
House in Wait-A-Bit, Trelawny recently.

In keeping with the government' thrust to enter into partnerships with private sector investors, the Yam Packaging Facility was leased to Sure Jamaica Export Limited (an exporting company which trades in Jamaican fresh produce and processed foods to the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom).

He further added of all the yam producing parishes in Jamaica, Trelawny ranks the highest "and this facility was appropriately placed as it will service farmers in Manchester, Clarendon and Trelawny". 

Chief executive officer for the Rural Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) Al Powell encouraged the gathering of yam farmers that more attention has to be paid to the production and marketing of the product as the competition is not only local but international.

"The landscape is such that we are now competing with farmers in South and Central America so it is timely for us to boost our agriculture production and that's why RADA is here to offer you year round technical support" Powell noted.

The facility will serve as a collection point for yam produced for local and export markets in Trelawny and surrounding area. Sure Jamaica Exports Limited intends to ship approximately 29,000 boxes of yellow yam from this new facility in the first year with the intention of 18,000 boxes within five years