Entertainment
47th Annual BASRA Swim race & Beach Party w/ Uppercut 242 - Aug 19, 2017 - 9:34:16 AM

The 47th Annual Bernie Butler/BASRA Swim race is scheduled to take place August 19 at Coral Beach from 9:00 a.m. the much anticipated annual event is the largest Swim race and beach party of the year.

Directly after the competition is the beach party from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, the U. S. Coast Guard returns with their dramatic demonstrations which includes a chase and a rescue scene.

BASRA Chairman Eddie Whan explained that this year they plan even more activities than before including; Tug-O-War, egg toss and more. Wahn expressed his enthusiasm to confirm the return of  Grand Bahama's ever popular Uppercut 242...

Entertainment
Uppercut Rain or Shine Waterside Dinner & Free Concert - Jun 23, 2017 - 3:53:54 AM

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - RAIN or SHINE on Saturday June 24th, 2017 the UPPERCUT Band will be be performing a free waterside concert. If it rains the band will perform at Taino By The Sea Restaurant at the Taino Beach Resort, if it shines Uppercut will perform at The Dive In at Unexso. Regardless of which of these two awesome waterfront locations the band ends up at, patrons will receive the same friendly courteous service, succulent dinner selection and refreshing drinks. However, the Uppercut Band will be even better as they introduce two new members; Syd Collie and Massawe Dean. Two sisters that sing really well and an additional keyboard player for the band in Syd.
 
The monthly Dinner and Free Waterfront Concerts under the stars with Uppercut are all about providing unique musical experiences for those bored of the same old sh...

Entertainment
Jazz In Bloom and Father's Day this Sunday - Jun 18, 2017 - 12:35:57 AM

Anuschka Wright's Jazz In Bloom Concert is fast becoming the premiere event to look forward to each and every Father's Day. After a big crab & rice feast, fathers and their families have added an evening at the Hilton Hotel to experience Anuschka and her eclectic Jazz In Bloom band as a welcomed part of their Father's Day traditions.



Before Jazz In Bloom, some folks said it was difficult to find something for adult sons and daughters to share with their dads or for wives to treat their husbands to.

Jazz In Bloom now stands to fill that void and presents a classy and adult atmosphere with world class entertainment in beautiful surroundings that has helped to establish it as a striking Father's Day gift alternative...

Entertainment
Uppercut Band ascends with 2 more singers & keyboards - Jun 3, 2017 - 7:59:01 PM

Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - The Uppercut journey continues as the band moves up several notches with the addition of two new members, Syd Collie and Massawe Dean. “Two sisters that sing really well and an additional keyboard player for the band in Syd” says David Mackey bandleader and  former lead guitarist for Grammy nominated T-Connection Band.  He went on to say that the band’s biggest weakness was the lack of a full complement of backing vocals. “Initially we sought a single singer but when we invited Syd and Massawe to rehearsal, the sound was so sweet that the consensus was that we had to have them both.”
 
Acknowledging that it is difficult to get work for a large band, Mackey says,  “It’s all about the music. There are more than enough one-man bands and Karaoke people out there. People crave  real LIVE music...

Entertainment
Beres Hammond & DMAC to perform at Grand Bahama Homecoming - Jun 2, 2017 - 2:30:21 PM


Day 1 Friday June 2nd: Grand Bahama Homecoming Committee Presents DMAC Performing Live Labour Day Holiday.  Music By DJ FREEZE, TIKO-T, KING DANO, MONEY LIKE DIRT. Come and see The Bahamian Cultural Show, Platinum Knights Junkanoo Rushout. Gates Open at 3pm Admission: $2; Pirates Cove, Freeport ,Bahamas...

Day 2 Saturday June 3rd: Beres Hammond performing Live with Harmony House Band Also Featuring Jah Hem. Music By: KING DANO, TIKO-T, GANGALEE MOVMENTS, MR. MONO. Doors Open at 9pm; Tickets:$50 VIP| $100 Platinum|$200 Double Platinum; GB Sports Complex...

Day 3 Whit Monday June 5th: Celebrity Beach Bash Signing Party; Special Guest Rocnations Own Jim Jones & Special Guest Celebrities from New York Miami & Atlanta; Music By: (Special Guest DJ) Alongside TIKO-T, KING DANO...Gates Open at 3pm| Admission: $10 in advance; FREE ADMISSION TO ALL BOATERS Pirates Cove, Freeport, Bahamas...

Entertainment
Father’s Day: Jazz in Bloom returns on June 18th - May 31, 2017 - 7:32:17 AM

Anuschka Wright’s Jazz in Bloom concert is fast becoming the musical event to look forward to each and every Father’s Day. So after a big crab & rice feast, fathers and their families have added making their way downtown to the British Colonial Hilton to experience Jazz vocalist Anuschka Wright and her exceptional group of both local and international artists a welcomed part of their Father's day traditions.

Before Jazz in Bloom, it was difficult to find something for adult kids and wives to share with their dads and husbands. Jazz in Bloom fills that void and presents a classy and adult atmosphere with quality entertainment as a unique Father’s Day gift—a great evening of love, laughter, and Jazz...

Entertainment
The State of Caribbean Film: The Bahamas - May 30, 2017 - 11:33:33 PM

And that's a wrap for Cannes’ 70th! Walking away, this wasn’t the best Cannes Film Festival I've attended; at least not as it relates to ‘content’ in the competition. No. Cannes 70th was mostly about ‘form.’  I think it wanted to send a message about the shifting world of cinema: that, and the shifting word of the word “cinema.”

Cannes 2017 aimed to redefine cinema as it relates in infrastructure. We saw that with streaming giants like Netflix ( Okja) and Amazon ( Wonderstruck). We saw that with TV-as-cinema with work by Jane Campion’s “Top of the Lake” miniseries ( Top Of The Lake got better reviews at the festival than traditional films).

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An Interview with the Film Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago - May 28, 2017 - 1:06:43 AM

The 70th annual Cannes Film Festival (Le Festival International du Film de Cannes) is underway in France, and The Bahamas' very own, Travolta Cooper is again covering the prestigious event. On his quest to seek out Caribbean film, here is his interview with Nneka Luke, Film Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago, and General Manager of FilmTT:

1. What brings you to Cannes?
       
A: As the General Manager of FilmTT and Film Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago, I am in Cannes with three objectives: to promote Trinidad and Tobago as an attractive location for productions in the Caribbean (an idea made even more attractive by our competitive cash-back rebate), to find opportunities for T&T and, by extension, Caribbean film producers, and to continue to broaden and deepen Trinidad and Tobago’s critical network of international contacts and relationships...

Entertainment
Blurred Lines: What Exactly is “Cinema” in 2017? - May 26, 2017 - 4:38:37 PM

If you haven’t been following our articles and posts, here’s a quick recap: the world of the cinema is changing. It has changed. The future is right now. This has been the predominant theme of the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

We have talked about streaming cinema (via Netflix and Amazon Studios) here in the competition with films. But what in the world is the American cable network “Showtime” doing here on the pure and holy grounds of the Palais? Showtime is here at Cannes with David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” and Jane Campion’s “Top Of The Lake”. This ‘cinema-as-TV’, as some call it, is not in competition, but rather is being described as part of Cannes’ “anniversary event...”

Entertainment
Avvy’ to Launch Third Carnival in Inagua - May 26, 2017 - 10:23:38 AM

Bahamian singing sensation “Avvy” plans to launch his third Carnival in Inagua with the help of The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC).

The company serves as the event’s primary sponsor this year. The entertainer credits BTC for making this event possible. He said, “BTC has been able to help me take something that we’ve been doing and broadcast it. This gives us the opportunity to reach more people from and outside the island to come and be a part of this experience. BTC has allowed us to market this event more effectively...

Entertainment
The State of Caribbean Film: Trinidad and Tobago - May 25, 2017 - 2:42:37 PM

It is safe to say that Trinidad and Tobago is leading the charge for the development of a lucrative film industry in the Caribbean Region. Trinidad and Tobago, a twin island Republic, lead for mainly two reasons: One? The best and most imaginative films have come from under T&T over the last five years. Two? As a nation, they have done more to unite the Region under one Caribbean Film banner. We have talked about this idea of a “Cariwood” on our television show The Cinemas. 



#Cariwood then became a bit catchphrase that Tempo Networks (a regional television network televising our show) also adopted. Cariwood is this idea of a Caribbean Film Industry. And though it mostly exists it in theory at this point (as the Region still has a ways to go), if the race to Cariwood is on, it is looking like Trinidad and Tobago will cross the finish line to her first.

...

Entertainment
Breaking Barriers: Chrissy Love, Live & Raw! - May 25, 2017 - 2:03:51 PM

On Election Day 2017 as we watched politicians of all affiliations wage war on the political battlefield, nearly a million eyes were transfixed by interactive text commentary, courtesy of the Social Media Queen, Chrissy Love and her Facebook stage, ‘Chrissy Love Live & Raw!’ As she held court and kept us transfixed with her mercurial acerbic wit, observations and interpretations of Election Day happenings, and a no-holds-barred point of view, she broke Social Media records for the most watched, shared and viewed Facebook page in our history.

When she moved her show onto Facebook last year Christina ‘Chrissy Love’ Thompson was already a household name with legions of faithful followers built up over a 25-year career in radio. Her new Facebook outlet gave her an unbridled freedom of voice and view so often curtailed by her nervous radio show bosses in the past...

Entertainment
Netflix didn’t come to Play, They came to Slay - May 21, 2017 - 11:05:15 AM

So “streaming cinema” (as I call it) has no doubt been the talk of the Festival. It has been the subject of three (including this one) of our daily reports. This is an important development in the cinema around the world. It is particularly true of the Caribbean Region where streaming services like “Studio Anansi” and “Caribbean Tales” lead as being a provider for Caribbean Films and content. Content. When all is said and done, cinema boils down to a great story and character. Content. Which is why, even at day five at Cannes, I have personally been waiting for a great film.

Is it streaming cinema or theatrical cinema? Who cares? Where is that “Cannes movie” so many of us travelled thousands of miles to see. This was definitely not the case with the opening night film Ismael’s Ghost...

Entertainment
The State of Caribbean Cinema: The Dominican Republic - May 20, 2017 - 3:59:35 PM

How do I compare and describe the Cannes Film Festival to someone else that has never been here? The best comparison I can give would be the Olympics. This is the Olympics of the Cinema because Filmmakers representing various nations around the world come here to contend (in the competition segment) for the Palm d’Or. Nations from around the world come here to compete in the Marche Du Cinema (which is the market segment of Cannes).

This is my fourth time at Cannes Film Festival and the Dominican Republic, as a nation, has been a constant presence here. It is the only nation from the Caribbean Region with a booth and full staff on the world famous Cannes Pavilion (Village International). To walk the Pavilion is to see countries from all over earth with their flags waving proudly in the air...

Entertainment
Travolta Cooper at Cannes: Okja and The “New Hollywood” - May 19, 2017 - 3:44:47 PM

Okja (pronounced Oke Cha) is one of two Netflix films competing for the Palm d’Or prize at the 70th Cannes Film Festival (the other film is The Meyerowitz Stories). With its big, clunky, and clumsy debut this morning, Okja has something boisterous to say about the future of the movie business around the world. Yes, that means Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and every other kind of Wood. That might even mean Cariwood (which is a term coined for the Caribbean Film Industry).

As expected on this third day of the festival, when the Netflix Logo appeared on the screen at the world famous Lumiere (named after the Lumiere Brothers - the inventors of the cinema no less) Theater this morning, there was a collective jeering “boooo.”

Entertainment
Travolta Cooper at Cannes: What is Amazon Studios doing here? - May 18, 2017 - 5:53:35 PM

It is day two at Cannes, the mother of film festivals, and the debate amongst cinema lovers continues on the presence of streaming giants like Amazon Studios at the festival. Which side you find yourself on the debate could determine, to some Cinephiles, whether you should keep your true cinema card or not. Cinema purist in press conferences and screenings are acting like the festival has been infected with a virus. They feel like something foreign and toxic is threatening to destroy at core the true essence of the cinema (there was a collective “booo” when the logo for Amazon Studios appeared on the screen at this morning’s screening).

But, is it really that serious? Hasn’t cinema always evolved technologically? Hearing the debates remind me of what cinema audiences might have experienced when silent film became sound film. Or when black white film became color...

Entertainment
Travolta Cooper at Cannes: Why is Netflix here? - May 17, 2017 - 8:52:16 PM

While Hollywood is the biggest promoter of movies around the world, it was the French that invented the cinema. Perhaps this is why they directly and indirectly act as its priests and guardians. The four corners of the world flock to Cannes each year for the glamour and market of it all, but I believe it is the reverence for the cinema that is the true heart and allure of Cannes to the nations.

So with all that said what in the world is streaming giant ‘Netflix’ doing at the 70th Cannes?

Entertainment
Jazz in Bloom with Anuschka Wright set for Father's Day - May 12, 2017 - 2:56:15 PM

Having just released her first studio album, the EP “Jazz for Sale”, in Montreal, Canada, Anuschka Wright now has her focus on producing another amazing show at her highly anticipated annual concert event, “Jazz In Bloom”, scheduled for Father’s Day, June 18th at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel on June 18th starting at 7pm sharp.

Since graduating from Concordia University last June, Anuschka has embraced several great performance opportunities both here in The Bahamas and in Montreal. Her most recent event was as a featured performer at this year’s Eleuthera: All That Jazz Festival in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera.

Entertainment
Caribbean Pop Star Tebby Released ALL WRONG music video in anticipation of Love & Heartbreak debut album - May 7, 2017 - 11:04:48 AM

Miami Beach, FL. International Caribbean Pop Star Tebby, Singer/Songwriter released ‘All Wrong’ a heartfelt ballad music video in anticipation of her Love & Heartbreak debut album.

Since her last release Tebby has kept on making waves with her music and performance skills. Among many accomplishments, she was the Master of Ceremonies for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas’s Official Draw, which aired live around the world. Performed in Miami, New York, and hosted a Tempo Cross Caribbean Count Down TV show. She is currently a semi-finalist for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and won best New Artist of the Year award at The Elevation Awards....

Entertainment
Calypso Rose: From Grant to Grammy - May 2, 2017 - 1:06:29 PM

Known as the Calypso Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean sensation Calypso Rose, with over 30 albums under her belt, set out in 2007 to become the Calypso Queen of the world with the launch of her first internationally-released self-titled album “Calypso Rose”. Since then, Rose has intensely toured Europe and the rest of the globe with agent Azimuth Productions, which is based in Paris. Already being compared to Cesaria Evora and Miriam Makeba, her new status on the international scene is unprecedented for a Caribbean calypsonian.

Calypso Rose was born McArtha Linda Sandy-Lewis on the Caribbean island of Tobago in 1940. At age nine, she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle on the neighbouring island of Trinidad to ease the strain on the family budget...