Yet [Dennis Morris]'s `funny' speech not only attracted [Bob Marley] but helped to open a door into the exciting world of photography that would soon spiral him towards success. Now people will be able to get an eyeful of Morris's talent in Growing up Black, an exhibition in London depicting his life as a '70s teenager. "My black friends couldn't understand why I wanted to associate with a white punk band," Morris says.
I don't believe this is because cricket is an inferior game. But, in the eyes of the punters, football rules. This is true, not only in Britain but also in the Caribbean. I was therefore surprised that Channel 4 felt it could cash in on the enthusiasm shown for the Reggae Boyz by putting on a concert at Lords. West Indies tours to Britain in the '60s, '70s and '80s served a much wider purpose that went beyond hearing leather on willow. For those of us oppressed in the context of slavery and colonialism, the black body was something to be despised. It was particularly important for the Windrush generation and during the '50s and '60s, when the factory and the street were open season for racists.
Davis' recipe of curried lamb and rice and peas proved to whet the most appetites and now supermarket giant Sainsbury's is preparing to sell it as a ready-made meal in its stores nationwide. "I don't know what will happen next, if something comes out of this it will be great and if it nothing does, then that will be my 15 minutes of fame. But I would love to be a full-time TV chef - I'm in a different world when I am there," he grinned. Check out the follow-up programme which sees Garfield's TV Dinner being created for Sainsbury's supermarket on BBC1 on June 3.
"`Faith in the Future' is a clarion call to these churches to look at the shape of faith in UK society - and the role they will play in it." A total of 60 speakers will appear in more than 50 sessions. Speakers will include Rev Arlington Trotman, Bishop Joe Aldred, Bev Thomas, Bishop Paul Jinado, Bishop John Sentamu, Les Isaacs and Bishop John Francis. "Over the last 50 years, the black majority churches have transformed the shape of churchmanship in the UK," he said, "as black churches represent many of the most vibrant and fastest growing congregations in the country.
"Back then," says [Glean], "Irie! was probably the first black dance theatre company to actually work to reggae music on stage, and to use traditional Caribbean folk dances as part of a performance piece. And everybody was really excited by it." "Our rehearsal period was like a training session, and so by the time you got to present the work on stage, the poor dancers were still trying to get to grips with the different styles and how they could fuse that with their contemporary training," recalls Glean. "So sometimes the essence of the artistic content could easily get lost." "You have to know about the culture and you have to have some kind of understanding and experience in order to execute the dance forms, because it really it about style," she explains. "And if you're talking about the traditional forms as well, it's about the traditional forms as well, it's about religion, it's about the rituals - you need to know all of that because that's the only way you'll be able to represent it fully and truthfully on stage. Everything is integral."
Curiously about the origins of the game has compelled the Anglo-Caribbean committee to begin research into one of the most enthralling pastimes. "We are looking to find out just where the game began," adds [Linton Blake]. "We are also trying to establish who the oldest player is so we can find out about the game's roots." "Most of the women are more passionate than the men," [Winston Bennett] admits. "They just want to be seen as another player and treated as such. It can be embarrassing for some of the chaps when they play against women and lose. It's wonderful to see!" Winston says: "There are some young fellows out there playing at the moment but unfortunately they don't take it seriously like the middle-aged or the older generation. We need good sponsorship to give them the interest. Without the money we can't really go into the fields we would like to."
Occasionally, a rare talent emerges, such as Lauryn Hill or Maxwell, whereas previously the talent came in hordes. Look at the way Lauryn Hill has gone back to Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder for inspiration and technique. She's still a rap artist but here is a woman who has learnt her trade. It's a question of feeling basically unsafe around a generation that has no respect for its elders.
CARL Campbell Dance Company 7's forthcoming dance showcase will celebrate more than two decades in the business and in British creative dance work. Carl Campbell 7 is a contemporary Caribbean dance theatre company with a deep commitment to educational development as well as the appreciation and promotion of Caribbean dance and culture as a performing art. Using the medium of contemporary Caribbean dance, the youngsters will perform an exhilarating piece as part of Carl Campbell Dance Company 7's eighth dance education showcase.
It ran for more than six years and playing one of [Desmond]'s barbershop cronies was a highlight of [Ram John Holder]'s long career. "It only had half of the audience of Desmond's, but it had much bigger audiences than the shows they replaced it with." In it, the colourful and exuberant traditions of Trinidad's Carnival provide the setting for a stage event which transforms Handel's Messiah into an musical combining song, dance and spectacle with the spirit of Caribbean storytelling.
"I wanted to write a play that celebrated the journey of our parents," explains [Kwame Kwei-Armah]. "A lot of the previous plays tell us the old, grey story about `No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish,' but that isn't very entertaining. "Growing up, I had a big nose but when Afrocentricty came in the '80s suddenly I had an African nose," recalls Kwame. "[Chris Monks] is White and together we have a play that is accessible to all communities," says Kwame. "It's not just about Black issues, it deals with universal themes like love, feeling inadequate and beauty."
