“The first thing that I asked Sada is if she likes flying because she’s gonna have some flying to do for our country”

25-year-old track and field athlete Sada Williams is now a household name in Barbados and the diaspora. But when did this young star really come on the scene? Take a look in this blog which sheds light on some of Williams’ early stunning performances right in Barbados.

Calypso, birthed in Trinidad was formed from the communion of traditional African music, chiefly in its rhythm and the rejection of European society and norms by the bottom class of Trinidadian society. Herein, this social group gathered around stick-fighting (a practice itself steeped in African tradition) wherein the men fought while the women or jammettes sang. These songs were vulgar, violent and accompanied by wukking up and nudity (Noel 2010). These songs would eventually become calypso and soca, yet these genres in the present day are male dominated in the Caribbean, and even more so in Barbados, so much so that it was not until 1988 that Barbados would see its first female Soca Monarch. This blog will therefore explore the importance of female calypsonians and soca artists in the genre and the impact they have on society.

Image: Donaldson, Tara. Foreday Morning Festivities. Photograph. CNN. August 5, 2014. http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/barbados-festival/index.html

Despite the successful franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, it could be argued that piracy is not commonly associated with Caribbean history, especially when weighed against the global recognition of the topic. The sunken Port Royale in Jamaica and Nassau in the Bahamas were hubs of pirate life and pirates such as Henry Morgan terrorised the seas and in the case of Sam Lorde, the land. However, this article will focus on Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate.

Image: Print engraving of Stede Bonnet in Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates. Print Engraving. Wikipedia. Circa 1725. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stede_Bonnet#CITEREFJohnsonDefoeWetmore1724

Part I of the Baby Bim: Pelican Island Series provided some insight into the medical history of the former home of a quarantine centre. This time, we’re venturing into the irreplaceable pleasures of the island which once stood just 100 yards from Barbados. From the picnics to the parties, Pelican Island was most often the Pleasure Island.

Whaling is truly one of the great tragedies of humanity. Though there are multiple groups and societies that have always sustainably hunted whales such as the Inuit, the rise of the commercial whaling industry in the 17th century was anything but. Even in the Caribbean, Trinidad, St Vincent and Grenada were active and competent practitioners, however this article will investigate the often under discussed Barbadian whaling industry.

Image: Brangwyn Frank, A Whale Hunt off Barbados, harpooning a Monster. Lithograph. Look and Learn. October 13, 1900. https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/U191948/A-Whale-Hunt-off-Barbados-harpooning-a-Monster.

While the European sorrel plant is a green leafy vegetable that grows year round, the Caribbean version is technically a species of Hibiscus (hibiscus sabdariffa) that primarily takes around 6 months to mature. Because of this, the plant only bares fruit once a year, usually around December, giving it the title of Christmas flower along with the likes of Poinsettias and Christmas Candles. However, unlike those other flowers, every part of the sorrel plant is edible and packed with nutrients.

Image: NA. Sorrel Drink. Photograph. Caribbean & Co.. December 10, 2014. https://www.caribbeanandco.com/sorrel-drink-a-caribbean-favorite-during-the-christmas-season/

If nothing else could be said about Emma Anius, let it be known that she is charming, energetic and passionate about her craft. A physical trainer by trade, Emma has produced a heart warming book called Penny Explores Barbados. With a cheerful smile and quick answers to our questions she guides us through the story behind the story. Truly we might have finally found the sharpest mind, one sharper than even the dullest pencil in this weeks ‘Love fuh de Locals’

Chef Damian Reid set out years ago with a dream to excel in the field of cuisine and he has far surpassed that goal. The local ‘artist’ of food encompasses the idea of Bajan to de bone as he seeks to curate dishes that are authentic to Barbados but with his own unique spin to them. It is for this reason that we simply could not pass up the opportunity to highlight him in this week’s feature of Love fuh de Locals. Take a look at Damian’s culinary journey and his goals for the future in this delicious new blog!

It’s the month of November and Independence is in full swing. What better way to celebrate our 56th year of Independence than by highlighting some of our local businesses and entrepreneurs? This being said, we are bringing to you a series: Love fuh de Locals. In this first segment, we are heading to the North, Weston, St. james to be exact where we will learn a bit about a community favourite: Thunder Bay Beach Bar.

It can be said that the black Barbadian experience is one of repurposing their rejections from white aristocracy by melding it with their very real and important African traditions. This phenomenon pervades every aspect of Barbadian culture including architecture, practices, art and in this instance sport. While gully cricket is a well-documented and treasured past time of many in the Caribbean, road tennis is Barbados’ very own contribution to the sporting world. Though there were likely multiple individuals who helped originate the sport, this blog will focus not only on the culture of road tennis but also Lance Bynoe, who was not only a pioneer, but also a major contributor to the development of road tennis in Barbados.

Image: A young player at the National Primary School. Photograph. Medium. https://medium.com/airbnbmag/barbados-road-tennis-927662ec4ad0

Spooky season’s almost done 👻

Only one story remains 📜

This one might surprise you 😳

The tale of de man in de canes 🎋

Ol’ boy named Patrick too loved the bar 🥃

He was quite the character but not a star ⭐️

One thing about him, he had murder on his mind 🩸

But who was his victim when his wrath reached height? 🪦

Folk culture and by extension folklore is more of a system of local cultural reworkings that individuals and social groups use to make sense of the circumstances in which they live. This phenomenon can be well understood through the various supernatural beings which are often spoken of in Barbados such as the steel donkey, the Heart Man or the one most prevalent to this blog today, the backoo. Indeed, this blog will explain not only the features of this monster but also the circumstances surrounding its creation by the Barbadian populace.

Image: Backoo. Photograph. The Rumration. September 28, 2020

This month, we promised haunted tales of old 💬

And this one may have you in a chokehold 💀

The water is the oldest of all the secret keepers 🌊

When it came to the ghosts in the mansion at Joe’s River 👻

Despite Barbados being one of the smaller islands in the region sitting at 166 square miles (pure laugh pure smiles), traveling across the country has always been difficult, densely forested areas and deep gullies were, and in some aspects still are barriers to travel in the region. However, despite being one of the smaller islands in the region, by its peak Bridgetown held the largest, longest running horse drawn tram network in the region.

Image: Fontabelle Tram. Postcard. Tramz. n.d. http://www.tramz.com/bb/00.html

In the heart of Speightstown, the foundation was laid,

For the Beacon of the North,

At least that’s what they say.

Take a look at the legacy and the crisis of ‘84,

When the rains came down

And there was flooding galore!

As mentioned before in the article The Importance of Chattel Houses, it is a known fact that Barbados had become the most complete and foremost slave society in the region, bringing wealth to England that even rivalled India. In order to achieve this, even with an territory so small, planters held hostage 81% of the island for plantations in which the enslaved toiled and sweat (Bolden 1982 pg 12). This unfortunate circumstance prevented Barbados from developing a peasant class in free villages as had occurred in Jamaica, Guyana Trinidad and the Leeward islands, however that is not to say that there were no free villages in Barbados. This blog will examine the extraordinary circumstances of the first free village in the island, Rock Hall.

Image: Rock Hall Freedom Village, Photograph, WeGatherinBarbados, March 21, 2020, https://www.wegatherinbarbados.com/calendar/discover-rock-hall/.

Have you ever heard of Pelican Island? Perhaps the name rings a bell but you can’t quite put all the pieces together. Maybe you’re even wondering if it was actually real or merely a tale of fiction passed down by the elders.

Well, we can assure you that its existence was true and in Part 1 of this blog, we’ll explain a bit of its history to you. Read all about the purpose it served and the lives of the population it was expected to preserve.

Where greed goes blood must follow, and the British Army required the machinations to draw blood, to protect their interests and to seize others if necessary. Though their redcoats had gained infamy around the world, they were ultimately useless in the islands. The English needed a boost. Therefore, this article will explore the creation of the West Indian Regiments.

Image: British Army Regiment Uniform Sergeant and Bugler 2nd West India Regiment. Photograph. Alamy. 1890

When we last told the story of Winston Hall, he had been well and truly caught after his second escape from the HMP Glendairy and his secret travel to Trinidad and Tobago. We documented how the harsh environment of prison had changed him from the quiet non-violent man to one that leapt at any chance to enact it. How his new temperament and desire for a family led him to burn down the house of his would be step-daughters. He was alone, falsely accused of murder for a second time and well and truly caught. Yet despite this, Winston Hall does not go quietly.

Image: Adams, Georgina. Winston Hall Guilty or Innocent?: A True Life Story. Barbados: Georgiana Adams, 2006. pg 193