Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

(c) stthomassource

On March 4, Wednesday, Grammy Award-winning drummer, Dion Parson’s with the newly formed VI Youth Ensemble will offer performances at the debut of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

The show entitled, “An Evening with the Masters of Jazz” will begin at 8 p.m. at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Reichhold Center for the Arts in support of Parson’s United Jazz Foundation (UJF) and Mentoring Through the Arts of Music education program.

(c) nydailynews

Jazz at Lincoln Center and Marsalis and UJF and Parson are working together for 3 years to improve the music education, awareness and quality of USVI. They have organized several free jazz concerts such as the West Indian Company Limited’s concert series, “Jazz on the Docks” and at International Capital and Management Company’s (ICMC) “Jazz in the Park” concert series.

(c) media.npr.org

“Our orchestra plays music from every stylistic period of jazz and features a soloist in every chair and 10 arrangers,” said Marsalis, who also is the managing and art director of the upcoming Jazz at Lincoln Center. “As always, we incorporate education into everything we do. In most every city, we open our sound checks to students and we also host education initiatives, which may include master classes, workshops and lectures.”

(c) jazz.org

“Having the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on the Virgin Islands is truly an exciting moment for us,” said UJF executive director and CEO, Nicole Parson. “This event will serve to help raise awareness for Mentoring Through the Arts of Music and music education on the Virgin Islands and to solidify our partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, one of the most renowned music education and performance centers in the world. With the orchestra coming here, people will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy the same high-quality cultural entertainment and music that other communities around the globe enjoy regularly.”

The afternoon before the concert, a free master class beginning at 4 p.m. will be held at the Reichhold Center. The concert will also include preconcert and intermission performance by VI Youth Ensemble, and exclusive after party concert where only VIP and invited guests are permitted in a cocktail reception hosted by ICMC.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Arts Alive Features The Grammy-Nominated Songwriter, Yvette Landry

Yvette Landry, a Grammy-nominated songwriter will be featured by Arts Alive on March 20, Friday. Landry is a great sudden bloomer of the country music scene who has been reputed in her skills of creating the most enticing songs.

(Photo: Enjoypt.com)

Landry’s career boomed like a fast approaching rocket that just recently made a blast in the world of music. As a multi-instrumentalist, she toured with several known artist such as alfa Toujours, Red Stick Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys, Walter Mouton, Steve Riley, Dirk Powell, Donna the Buffalo, Bill Kirchen, Cindy Cashdollar, Carol McComb, John Lilly, Geraldine Gay and Darrell Scott. She is also the founder of the all-female group, Cajun super-group BonSoir Catin.

“When Yvette Landry makes music, the smile on her face is as wide as her Cajun roots are deep…you won’t be able to resist the urge to dance.” said Mary Flower admiring Landry’s astounding talent.

(Photo: Flickr.com)

With the of help Joel Savoy and members of the Red Stick Ramblers, Landry co-written and produced 16 songs of her first solo album in 2009 including the single, “Should Have Known”.

Dan Willging of Offbeat Magazine described Landry’s 2014 CD, “Me & T-Coe’s Country” as “an amazingly deep album full of layered listens and focuses”.

While Bill Kirchen left the words to describe the songwriter as, “rooted in country music, drawing on Cajun, blues and rock n roll…telling stories that sound like it actually happened, songs where you can still hear a heart breaking…”

“Country music should know it needs Yvette Landry,” said Jim Beal Jr., San Antonio Express-News who seemed to fall in love with Landry’s works.

The amazing The Red Stick Ramblers, River Road, The Wilders and other staggering artists will back up Landry’s show on center stage this coming March 20.

(Photo: lafayetterhythmdevils.com)

Tickets are on sale online at the Arts Alive Web site: www.tillettfoundation.org or at one of many ticket outlets around St. Thomas: Arts Alive office in Tillett Gardens, Natural Food Grocery & Deli in Mandela Circle, Fish Face in Palm Passage and Rhiannon’s in American Yacht Harbor.

Attendees should call for reservation at 776-8566 for the dinner that will be served at Lucky Tree Restaurant in Tillett Gardens, prepared by Chef Jean-Phillippe Galli.

For more information about Yvette Landry and to hear her music, visit www.yvettelandry.com.

 

Arts Alive Features The Grammy-Nominated Songwriter, Yvette Landry

Barefoot Cowboy Lounge of St. John Has New Owners

Just last year of September, the famous bar at St. John known as Barefoot Cowboy Lounge declared that the business was for sale. Now, just a couple of months ago, the great pub has been sold to a well-renown local family of the island.

Barley Family (Photo: St.johnnews)

Last week, the family Barley, Eric and Kellie Jo bought Barefoot Cowboy Lounge whom very excitedly announced their future plans for the bar. They are also the very same couple that bought the Sail Safaris in 2013.

Kellie Jo delightedly shared their plans and new marketing strategies for the famous bar and grill. She said that they will be maintaining the production of the greatest barbeques but will add more food selection at the menu. Additional new choices of frozen cocktails are to be expected and drink all you can teas just for $5 (sweet tea) and $3 (hard tea). They will also be marketing eat-all-you can rib nights, which customers would surely have to be excited about. New house specialties are also to be added such as mac and cheese, chicken-pot pies, homemade salsa and much more! There will also be daily specials like desserts and specialty soups.

(Photo: tripadvisor.com)

The new Barefoot Cowboy Lounge will be open from lunchtime to late nights, and the most-awaited feature will be the Wednesday Night Line Dance, which is planned to be set every week starting 6:30 pm!

Barley family came from the meadow part of Florida where they farmed cows and grew crops such as peanuts and grass seeds. They moved to St. John in 2013 when they bought Sail Safaris.

(Photo: stjohnusvi.com)

“We decided to make a life change towards a more simplistic lifestyle and embrace our dream of sailing and water sports when we came across Sail Safaris. We moved here at the end of June this year and took over Sail Safairs, making it our own,” this was what Kelly Jo have said when asked in 2013 when they first purchased a business in St. John.

Now they are looking forward to sharing their dreams to St. John customers to provide a quality service, warm assistance and evenings of fun!

Barefoot Cowboy Lounge of St. John Has New Owners

6th Annual Virgin Islands Parade Was Astounding and Vibrant As Ever

Sunday, March 1 was the 6^th Annual Virgin Islands parade as a celebration of the territory’s 172th anniversary of independence. Traditional dances and music with Dominican Republic roots were seen at the day of annual revelry.

One of the highlights of the event were the free Presidente beers distributed on Sunday afternoon at the parade in King Street in Christiansted.

Though the parade ended at D.C. Canegata Park grandstand, the thousands of people who followed continued the revelry. The park was filled with different kinds of foods and beverages, stalls and merchandises.

This year’s event has a noticeable fewer attendees compared to last time, but the enthusiasm and energy did not decline. Every reveler, young or old, had Santo Domingo flags waving in the air, bursting the atmosphere with hues of red, blue and white. Even the outfits and costumes of the people matched the color theme of the flags.

“Ballet Folklorico Dominicano” dance troupe offered magnificent performances that added life and vibrant to the event. Suited in red, white and blue shining sequence floral outfits, the costumes added glow and a full entertainment feel.

While the The St. Croix Jeep Club helped the 16 jeeps decorate their vehicles with shiny and colorful embellishments with added flags waving beneath the wind. More than a dozen partakers with their vehicles and motorcycles honked their horns to keep the parade alive and energetic.

Many bars and restaurants also joined the event by giving away free Presidente beers, the major sponsor of the event and an iconic Dominican beer brewed in several breweries in the country.

Juan Carlos, one of the young attendees of the event wore a Kelly green Presidente T-shirt, said was delighted at the parade, “it was a great parade,” Carlos said “Yea mahn we’re having fun celebrating Independence Day.”

While Ronald Person, a former resident now living in San Francisco said, “and it was nice to see the people enjoying themselves. I enjoyed myself,” with glee obviously plastered in his wide smile.

The party lasted for hours, with people laughing and sharing smiles, dancing and singing with free beers in hand, until the very late peaks of the night.

6th Annual Virgin Islands Parade Was Astounding and Vibrant As Ever

BVI Pays Homage To Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt

Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt

March 2, will be the 20^th annual commemoration day of the Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt. The government in coordination with H. Lavity Stoutt Commemorative Committee organizes the yearly celebration of honoring the first chief minister of British Virgin Islands.

Annualy, the first Monday of March is a public holiday for the celebration of the late Minister’s birthday, which is March 7, 1929. Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt died on May 14, 1995.

The commemoration will begin at 9:00 am from the House of Assembly to Central Administration Complex where the main ceremony begins. It will be followed by the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Cappoon’s Bay Burial Grounds.

This year’s celebration has a theme named, “Honourabe H. Lavity Stoutt”, which will begin with a march of the uniformed officials lead by the Nation Builder.

Minister for Education and Culture, the Leader of the Opposition and First District Representative, Honourable Andrew Fahie is expected to offer a speech to honor the first chief minister at the official ceremony that will be held at Cappon’s Bay Burial Grounds.

Several government officials and influential individuals will be seen at the ceremony, including Premier of the Virgin Islands, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE, Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn, and Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE, who are also the featured speakers of the event.

The great and honourable H. Lavity Stoutt has been the chief minister of the territory for 16 years. He pursued BVI’s Social Security Scheme, helped in the progress and construction of the Cruise Pier and the Central Administration Building, and prioritized the education of the citizens by establishing and developing the local H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.

The life of the late Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt is celebrated as a significant mark in history. The Government of the Virgin Islands through the Ministry of Education and Culture makes the event possible every year and invites the public to join and pay homage to one of the greatest men in history.

BVI Pays Homage To Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt

Award-Winning CRU Film, Received Positive Feedbacks From The Audience

The award-winning film entitled, “CRU” has been screened last Saturday, February 28 and three more on Sunday at Prior-Jollek Hall at Antilles School.

Cowriter Ottley

The film CRU, directed by Alton Glass and co-written by Oliver W. Ottley III, is a story about four high-school friends who reunited after 20 years where they experienced a serious car crash that laid challenges to their friendship.

Co-writer of the film, Ottley was born and raised in Georgia but has Virgin Islands heritage has been screening the film at different parts of USVI since January. CRU won several awards at American Black Film Festival 2014 for its moving lessons, artistry and new breath of creativeness. The film has been nominated for 23 awards and won 11 of them, including best film, best director, best screenplay and best actor.

Dir Alton Glass

A lot of audience at last Saturday’s screening complimented the film’s intimate script and story about the depiction of friendship between African American men that they said is infrequently portrayed and budgeted in bigger Hollywood films.

A fan asked Ottley on Saturday’s press release about the film where he said, “a lot of African-American males are dying at an unprecedented rate all over the country, pockets like Chicago, here, New Orleans. So we definitely wanted to relay that message [of love] to do something different.”

On the same day, Ottley also shared his experiences at California when he was just starting to pursue his career in screenwriting. He said, he was formerly aiming to be a hip-hop artist at California when his passion for writing is initiated by his friend in Los Angeles who introduced him in the world of filmmaking. Due to his interest in screenwriting, he even partook at several writing boot camps before making the CRU film.

He said that he even became a homeless for 2 months while transitioning from music industry to film making world.

 

“I wasn’t going to go home beaten. I just believed in what I believed in. I was on Skid Row. I did the car thing, I did sheds, I did parks. But I was always centered on what it is I had to do. ‘Do I follow my vision or do I go back home and lick my wounds?’ I just chose to walk out on blind faith and just get to it,” he said.

 

Ottley also added that he already considered making a new film in the territory, and he actually began talking to people that would help him make it possible. The audience responded excitedly about his upcoming plans.

 

 

 

Award-Winning CRU Film, Received Positive Feedbacks From The Audience

Bitter End Yacht Club and Resort Celebrates Its Vibrant 40th Year

Friday, February 27, Bitter End Yacht Club and Resort, one of the most well-known and leading resorts of BVI, celebrated its 40^th Anniversary of fruitful years.

The luminous Friday night was filled with laughter and smiles, overflowing champagne, stunning fireworks and dance numbers as Lashing Dogs offered their best performance in celebration and revelry of the gained years of prosperity.

The respected Ralph T. O’Neal OBE, who has attained the reputation of being one of the territory’s father and longest chaired politician, shared his thoughts and insights as he witnessed how the land of Bitter End Yacht Club and Resort was passed down from farmers to investors who utilized the land that eventually became successful and beneficial to all.

Several influential and powerful entities were also seen at the celebration such as Governor John S. Duncan OBE, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, and one of the owners of the resort Mr Richard Hokins who extended their best wishes of more prosperous years to come for the resort.

Governor Duncan gave a speech on that Friday night saying, “I was particularly interested to come and see what is going on at Bitter End and see the heritage and the vision of the people who founded this resort. [It was] environmentally friendly before it was [fashionable to be] environmentally friendly and green and continuing that vision, the way the family continued, that is really remarkable and I commend you very much for doing that.”

While Natural Resources and Labour Dr the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering also shared his past experiences at the resort when he visited it for multiple times, “I was hanging out with a fellow and we spent the day here (back in late 1970s) and where we were sitting on the dock there waiting for the boat and I looked down and I saw the sun beginning to go down, I said, now I understand it, I hate to leave this place and that is why they call it the Bitter End, because you really don’t want to leave.”

“The Premier has outlined a vision for this country which I share and Governor, the people of this country are not lucky, they are tremendously blessed and a blessing is not something that you do something to inherit; it is given unto you. The critical component is what you do with that blessing,” Hon Pickering added.

The night ended with glee for everyone including the old and new staff, visitors from different places, the most influential individuals and owners of Bitter End. Everyone wished and hoped for more years of outstanding service, remarkable experience and prosperity.

Bitter End Yacht Club and Resort Celebrates Its Vibrant 40th Year