Broadway singer/dancer/actor/director/choreographer Ted Louis Levy, a favourite at the Broadway to Barbados shows, will be performing at the Honey Jazz Gala fundraising concert coming up on Saturday, January 26 at Frank Collymore Hall. This was announced at the recent launch at Corky’s Garage. Mr. Levy has received an Emmy Award and been nominatedfor a Tony as well as an NAACP award. He has worked with Spike Lee, Gregory Hines, Harry Connick Junior among other luminaries and is recognized as one of America’s premier Tap Dance Artists.
Mr. Levy said:“I am looking forward to being a part of your awesome Honey Jazz event. I believe “Art” helps in the elevation of our complete lives, as it is all around us. JAZZ is one of the loves of my life. I hope I can compliment the show and help raise the awareness and funds for the artist development programmes that will help them continue the great work with young artists. I adore Barbados and any opportunity to enjoy its peaceful elegance is one not to be missed. I’ve also always wanted to collaborate with local artists.”
Mr. Levy will be joined by a local cast including Toni McIntosh, Leigh Phillips, Jabari Browne, Jessica Rose, Adrianna Myers, Akeiba Innis, Hashim Durant, Alyx Alanis, Dannyele Leslie and a band led by Mylon Clarke.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Domanique Grant.
Canadian Artist Domanique Grant will also be joining the lineup: “I’m excited to kick off 2019 by travelling to Barbados and performing at Honey Jazz! Aside from taking the stage, this showcase means a lot to me because proceeds will go towards supporting programs for young women in music, a similar program to Honey Jam Canada, which really helped me develop and find my voice as a young artist. With music in Barbados known for being World renown, I’m even more ecstatic to hear the line up of Barbadian artists and to share the stage with them to celebrate a new generation of talent. “
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Photography by Lex Events. Host Caroline Reid
Back again to host will be Caroline Reid: “I am so pleased to be back for another exciting Honey Jazz Gala event. Over the years it has been amazing to see the event grow and the talent continue to wow audiences. I am truly excited for this year and especially because we get to welcome my friend Ted Louis Levy, to add a new element to the show. Also, for the first time we’re going to have a co-host and I’m happy to welcome Kirk Brown to the Honey Jazz family to share the stage with me as we introduce this year’s great lineup.”
Organizers are doing their sponsor a music student drive once again encouraging individuals and corporate Barbados to help young students experience the concert and introduce Jazz to a new generation. Two past beneficiaries of this initiative will take the stage at the concert. Pannist Hashim Durant and vocalist Jessica Rose.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Mylon Clarke announced as the 2019 Bandleader.
Producer Ebonnie Rowe mentioned that Canadian radio station Jazz FM was promoting the event and doing a contest for listeners to win a trip to Barbados to attend. “I’m so excited to add these new elements and for the show to grow and continue to raise it’s profile outside of Barbados. Just yesterday I received an email from someone from the Ukraine who had heard about it online and will be flying in.”
Patrons can look forward to a great night of live entertainment starting with the a pre-show mixer featuring a Maybelline sponsored red carpet, door prizes, entertainment by the jazz band Blue Lagoon and the re-launch of Purity Bakeries Cravings deserts. This will be followed by the concert and after party.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Photography by LEX Events. Click for full size image.
Following their successful debut earlier this year in Barbados, Vujaday Music Festival has returned to announce a stacked phase one lineup in preparation for their second year. The 2019 edition will take place from April 3-7 and will once again take place in different venues all across the stunning Caribbean island. This will give festival-goers the chance to take in a new experience and venue each day.
The phase one lineup for Vujaday 2019 features legendary Welsh DJ and producer Sasha, a DJ set from iconic Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses, Detroit house and techno staple Moodymann, All Day I Dream founder Lee Burridge, a live performance from the Detroit based sibling duo Octave One, Vivrant label founder and renowned Swedish musician Jeremy Olander, Brooklyn house duo Bedouin, Life and Death founder DJ Tennis, Berlin house aficionado YokoO, members of the fan-favorite Desert Hearts collective Mikey Lion and Lee Reynolds, American production duo and Crew Love members Soul Clap, Women on Wax founder DJ Minx, Sheik ‘N’ Beik founder Rechulski, respected Toronto resident Nitin, and fellow Toronto native and current Barcelona resident Jade.
Artwork provided by The Confluence. Click for full size image.
Many more names will be added to the lineup in the near future. Vujaday will also be announcing what venues they will be taking over shortly, and have also announced they will be hosting a new daytime party series for the first time this year. Details regarding this exciting new addition to the already jam-packed Vujaday experience will be announced as the festival nears closer.
Venue highlights from last year included Bellevue Plantation, a 100-acre property built in 1735 that included a pool, polo fields, and lush gardens surrounding the property. Another favorite was Cornwall House, which allowed those in attendance to witness a breathtaking sunrise while overlooking the gorgeous Eastern Coast of Barbados. Other venues were located directly on the beach and gave those in attendance the chance to sink their feet in the sand throughout the event.
Photo by The Confluence. Click for full size image.Photo by The Confluence. Click for full size image.
With its dedication to providing attendees with an experience they’ve never seen or felt before, Vujaday pulls all the stops to create an unforgettable journey for attendees. The event spans over the course of five days, allowing festival-goers to be fully immersed into the culture of Barbados while traveling throughout the island to experience the unique venues that Vujaday takes place at.
Early bird tickets for 2019 are currently on sale and can be purchased here. Super early bird tickets have already sold out. More info about travel and additional details can be found on the Vujaday website, and you can watch their 2018 aftermovie to get a better taste of what the festival has to offer.
A recently improved Walled Garden Theatre of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society is the hub of the upcoming third Barbados Independent Film Festival (BIFF) from 11- 20 January 2018. During the 10 day festival, the tranquil grounds of the museum will be transformed into a haven for film enthusiasts.
The Walled Garden Theatre is an intimate space within the UNESCO World Heritage Property that offers artisans, artistes and performers the opportunity to showcase their talents. The recently upgraded facility features a new tensile ‘Undercover’ tent that will allow performances and events in all weather throughout the year.
Director of the Museum, Alissandra Cummins explained: “In response to repeated requests to host a variety of performances and events in the Walled Garden Theatre, we focused on improving the space. With completion of the staging area and dressing rooms in 2016/7 and now the new tensile tent, this ensures the museum is seen as a world-class performance venue, unaffected by the elements.
She continued: ‘We have been a proud partner of the film festival since its inception and continue to support its growth. The spotlight on the festival exposes the museum and our various exhibits to new visitors and reminds local residents of what we have to offer.”
BIFF is committed to supporting the local film industry and seeks to create an avenue for them to compete on an international level. Local filmmakers are encouraged to enter their films alongside regional and international submissions to also vie for the Collaboration Grant. This grant pairs the winner of the ‘Local Filmmaker’ Award with an international filmmaker to create a short film about a unique aspect of Barbados and premieres at the opening gala of each festival. 2019 will see LIQUID GOLD: THE STORY OF RUM IN BARBADOS, produced by Bajan filmmaker Rommel Hall and American Dan Mirvish.
Film enthusiasts can also look forward to watching a range of over 40 local, regional and international films with a number of post-film discussions with the filmmakers. Additionally, the visiting filmmakers undertake a number of masterclass series on independent filmmaking, screenwriting and directing. This year’s masterclass in residence is Oscar-nominated and winner of the 2018 BIFF Lifetime Achievement Award, Lone Scherfig.
The festival has also introduced a Director’s Circle All Access Pass for those who seek the behind-the scenes-experience, with unrivaled access to all events throughout the festival, priority seating and a host of other benefits. This pass is available only on the festival website (www.barbadosfilmfest.org).
Volunteers are an integral part of the festival and the Committee are seeking their assistance. Anyone wishing to volunteer can register an interest by emailing their name and telephone number to volunteers@barbadosfilmfest.org to 6 January 2018.
Jennifer Smith-Bent/Sir Trevor Carmichael said: “We are excited to have the museum, a venue in a UNESCO World Heritage Property as our hub. It is the perfect setting for our events as the developments allow the stage and seating area to be fully covered. We have a fantastic line-up of films and events for all ages and encourage everyone to come out to both paid and free events.
She added: “We will also be running competitions to win tickets to various film events on our social media, in the run-up to the festival.”
For a complete schedule and more information about BIFF films, events, masterclasses and volunteering, please visit www.barbadosfilmfest.org. Tickets to the free and paid events are available at Ticketpal.com under “BIFF”.
Bitt, Central Bank and FSC on right track with Regulatory Sandbox Framework
November 14th 2019 may not seem like a historic day to most, but for those in the Digital Currency world, it was seen as a watershed moment, as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund stated at a Fintech forum in Singapore “I believe we should consider the possibility to issue digital currency. There may be a role for the state to supply money to the digital economy. This currency could satisfy public policy goals, such as (i) financial inclusion, and (ii) security and consumer protection; and to provide what the private sector cannot: (iii) privacy in payments.”
On its own initiative, and before this recent recommendation on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) from the IMF, the Central Bank of Barbados and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) established a Regulatory Sandbox Framework and the first participant in that Sandbox is Bitt Inc. This follows the Honourable Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s announcement at Bitt’s annual Central Bank Meets Blockchain conference in September 2018, of an mMoney pilot.
In the November 2018 official IMF Staff Discussion Note titled “Casting Light on Central Bank Digital Currency”, Bitt was featured among a short list of financial technology (FinTech) companies that are providing digital payment solutions to boost financial inclusion in their respective jurisdictions. Bitt, the only FinTech company currently servicing the Caribbean, was mentioned in the IMF Staff Discussion Note, as utilising the ‘stored value facilities’ model to create a CBDC.
The IMF Staff Discussion Note also stated that the establishment of a CBDC is a possible and “potentially close to risk-free” starting point for countries interested in exploring Fintech solutions aimed at boosting financial inclusion, greater efficiency, and transparency. Listed among the benefits of developing a CBDC are increased security and greater financial inclusion. However, each Central Bank must consider its country’s cultural factors and conduct SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses to determine the best framework for mass adoption.
Bridegtown, BARBADOS; December 3, 2018 : Shyft the global blockchain-based network that facilitates the secure sharing of attested and compliant data, has announced the signing of a Letter of Understanding with Bitt Inc., a Barbados-based fintech company that facilitates secure peer-to-peer transactions through its mobile payments software, mMoney. As part of this partnership, Bitt will become an active ecosystem participant utilizing the Shyft network for data transaction needs across Caribbean territories.
Shyft’s data transaction network allows participating financial institutions to act as ‘trust anchors’, perform attestations, and share trusted and verified data among customers participating in the pilot. The two leading companies will leverage their respective strengths in a mandate of strengthening corresponding bank connectivity while reducing costs associated with KYC and AML compliance.
“There are strong synergies between our two companies to propel Barbados and the broader emerging markets of the Caribbean and to boost economic growth and competitiveness”, said FredricoNassire, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Shyft Network. “We will focus on creating a highly-secure, transparent and inclusive financial environment for all citizens of all these regions”
“As we continue to make inroads in the Caribbean, Shyft will bring their services to institutions and clients that need it”, said Simon Chantry, Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer(CBDO) of Bitt. “This is particularly relevant in Barbados with the deployment of mMoney, where institutions are seeking to leverage the extensive KYC verification functions of mMoney in combination with Shyft’s secure KYC warehousing network.”
END
About Bitt
Bitt is a fintech company that utilizes blockchain and distributed ledger technology to facilitate secure peer-to-peer transactions with seamless mobile money across a suite of Bitt’s Software and Mobile Applications. They aim to financially empower everyone and provide infrastructure to support a digital financial ecosystem throughout the Caribbean in order to stimulate economic growth and financial access across future generations.
For more information on Bitt please visitwww.Bitt.com
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Shyft is building a blockchain-based ecosystem that allows for the secure and private sharing of data for industries, governments, and consumers. Shyft’s ecosystem helps to streamline and reduce the amount of individual records that need to be collected while allowing for data monetization and the secure transfer of verified, encrypted attested data.
The Joy to Your World Essay Contest winners were announced last Sunday evening at the Searocks Dome Joy! family event.
In this Christmas season of giving, leading up to Sunday’s event, in a campaign to encourage young children to have empathy, to be generous and to help others, there was a Joy To Your World Essay Competition where the children were asked: “How are you bringing Joy to your World? How are you helping your family, neighbour, community? How can we all make Barbados better?”
All of the children were honoured at the event, each receiving prizes and 3 were selected to receive special recognition.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. 2nd place winner Naiyah Wurdeman with her baby sister enjoying a pony ride
12 year old Natanya Weekes won top prize which included a Discovery Kids Prize Pak, $400 Scotiabank account, a Wibisco Gift Basket, Chefette party, a family Atlantis Submarine trip, gift bag from the US Embassy, a free eye examination donated by Eye Q Stylist Opticians, a book of Children’s stories written by Lady Roberta Simpson and more. Natanya thinks we can make Barbados better by encouraging others to stop littering, stop violence and misuse of drugs, stop abusing children and start feeding those who are hungry. She believes we must teach youth to be caring and loving reasoning that if we love our neighbours we will not want to harm them. Joining wholesome activities such as sports, music debating and volunteering are activities she feels can steer youth in a positive direction. In terms of what she personally is doing to help others, Natanya says “My mother calls me a mother hen because I am always concerned about others. At church I am always helping the little ones to complete their work. I help my teacher at school and at home I help with chores and when my mother is sick I help her by making breakfast. In my community there is an after school care for the physically challenged. I donate books and toys for the children and play games and dance with them. I loved the interaction. It made them Happy and it is my greatest joy.”
The other 2 students who placed 2nd and third were 12 year old Naiyah Wurdeman and 10 year old Yohan Foster.
Photo provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Ebonnie Rowe with Read for Life’s Gillian Rowe
Organizer Ebonnie Rowe said “I’m so inspired by the children’s commitment to being good citizens and positively impacting the lives of others. I am touched every year hearing about how much they care about the environment, the elderly, their school and communities and how passionate they are as such a young age about taking the initiative to do what they can to affect change. It’s also a testament to their parents and the good values they are being brought up with. These are the young people who will shape the future of the nation, and if they continue on this path we will be in very good hands.”
Joy! proved to be a fun family afternoon featuring free face painting by Faces of Colour, Animekon booth, Read for Life Children’s Circle, a drum circle, ending with a Sunset Concert hosted by Caroline “Cici” Reid and featuring the Ascending Stars, John Yarde, Alix Cage, Faith Callender, Toni McIntosh, Dannyele Leslie and Taahirah Mohamed. Nicholas Brancker was spotted in the audience to cheer on his neice who was performing with Ascending Stars.
Photo Provided by Ebonnie Rowe. Host Caroline Cici Reid with top 3 essay contest winner 3rd place Johan Foster, 2nd place Naiyah Wurdeman and 1st place Natanya Weekes with producer Ebonnie Rowe
It’s Independence Day here in Barbados and local pop-punk band Sundown Superhero has decided to mark the occasion in their own special, unique way. This morning the band released their take on the Barbados National Anthem; a minute long high-energy, rock infused version of the song.
Speaking to Zeitgeist, bassist and lyricist for the band Craig Haniff said:
“We wanted to pay tribute to our country but in our own style of music. We certainly wanted it to be different from the traditional Independence posts. It was actually a pretty last minute idea. We were brainstorming how we could make an Independence post our own and it just popped in our heads and we arranged and recorded it [in about three days]. Our anthem is a pretty awesome musical piece!”
Listen to it below.
Hit up the band on their social media pages (Facebook & Instagram) to get your limited edition copy of their debut album Wake Up the Neighbourhood.
Joy! will be a fun family afternoon at the Searocks Dome in Maxwell next to the Barbados Beach Club featuring face painting, music, a photo booth, drum circle, Animekon booth, Read for LIfe and more, ending with a Sunset Concert hosted by Cici and featuring the Ascending Stars, John Yarde, Faith Callender, Alix Cage and more!
In this season of giving, leading up to the Joy! event, in a campaign to encourage young children to have empathy, to be generous and to help others, there was a Joy To Your World Essay Competition where they were asked: “How are you bringing Joy to your World? How are you helping your family, neighbour, community? How can we all make Barbados better?” All of the children will be recognized prior to the performances and the three top winners will receive special recognition. Prizes include Scotiabank accounts, Atlantis Family Submarine trip, Free Eye Exam from Eye Q Stylist Opticians, a children’s book authored by Lady Roberta Simpson, a Chefette party and more! There will also be additional giveaways donated by Discovery Kids, Yello, Animekon, Wibisco, and the American Embassy Bridgetown
Last year’s top essay contest winner, Aijah Robinson, was featured on the cover of the latest issue of Parenting Magazine and is expected to be in attendance to cheer on this year’s winner.
The event starts at 3pm with admission for Adults $20, 16 and under $10 and Children 10 and under FREE!
Patrons are also asked to bring non-perishable food items and unwrapped gifts for needy families which will be given to the Variety Club.
November 27 – The finale of Star Strut 2018 is upon us! The Queen’s College Graduating Class of 2019 is hosting this year’s model search entitled ‘The New Era’ and it is not to be missed.
On Saturday, December 08, 2018, three boys and five girls will be competing to become King and Queen of the runway 2018 and from all reports it is a fight to the finish. The strut-off is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Queen’s College School Hall.
The eight contestants have undergone weeks of tiring and demanding preparation which included workshops as well as photo and video shoots. Rehearsals are in high gear for these 15-17 year old model hopefuls.
This year’s model search will be coordinated by the team from New Generation Productions in collaboration with The Look Pageant and Runway Training.
Highnoon Gaming is a Barbadian gaming group, co-founded by Nicholas Roach and Ricardo Knight. We ran into them during one of their Sunday night gatherings at Aeon Bar and Grill and decided to have a little chat with Roach, Knight and one of the group’s members, Mykelti Clarke, about the group and its activities and, of course, gaming.
Zeitgeist: Tell us about the actual group and when it started; give us some background information about it. Nicholas Roach: Before, we were Trident All Stars. That was back in…say like, late 2016 and coming on to 2017. We actually rebranded as Highnoon Gaming. We are, right now, about to rebrand again – can’t disclose that information on the new stuff to come as yet. But, High Noon Gaming basically started as my final year project for community college. I did the Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. So I used Highnoon Gaming as my final year project and me and Ricardo Knight – who is also co-founder with me – he decided that we could take it to the next level.
So that’s when we decided to let the guys know that we were going to rebrand the group. ‘Cause it was just the guys getting together, doing [a] little gaming [at] the arcade every now and then and we decided: “There’s something much bigger than this now and we want to take it to the next level.”
Then we decided: “We’re going to take Highnoon Gaming and we’re just going to rebrand under that.” Then we started to hold events at the arcade – which is System Link Gaming Lounge. It was in Diamond Tower Lounge, Marhill Street in Bridgetown. We started to hold monthly events at first. Kel never won any, of course-
Mykelti Clarke: I actually did, so.
NR: Yea, he probably won one or two. That series was called “Come Scrub Out”; our monthly gathering for our monthly tournament and then we decided to hold one every Wednesday, which was “Wild Wild Wednesdays.” We would have mini tournaments which would allow the guys to get practice coming on to the big tournament at the end of the month.
Z: What exactly about video games caught your interest? What value and importance did you see in it in order to create this group? NR: Oh, I love video games. Coming up, I never had my own video game console and I got my first [one when] I was in secondary school, or something like that, a Game Boy Advance. But I had been playing games with my cousins and stuff like that. They had Nintendo 64, Playstation 1, Playstation 2. So back then I just used to, as any kid would do with bigger family; you sit on the sidelines, you sit on the couch and watch and then you try to sneak a play when they move away to the kitchen or something and when they come back [they’re] like: “You touch my game?” And [you’re] like: “No. Of course not.”
So I would say, just my love for gaming and finding people that also love gaming. Like meeting Mykelti at System Link Gaming Lounge. It was amazing to me because I remember when I first got introduced to Mykelti. We got word of this guy at UWI that was pretty good at video games – at Smash in particular. When he came down – because he actually came to Rick’s house to play some Smash – I was like: “Alright, cool. This [is] the guy. We’ll school this guy now.” He was pretty decent. This was a new iteration of the Smash Bros. genre and he was like: “Wow. I met guys who are actually on my level.”
I mean, as a gamer you don’t know that [there are] people out there who are as good or even better than you. So you want to meet those people and challenge them. I think that’s what really pushed me and Rick to make the gaming group; because then we could just make a hub where everyone that’s into gaming could just come and be social. I mean, there’s this thing about gamers; they just sit at home – especially with online gaming now – and you just talk to your friends online and play games. But having the gaming group and the meet ups on Wednesdays and the end of the month…yea. You get people out that house and just get them to come on down.
Z: Would you say that you have a big community? Because you just spoke about online gaming and how that’s kind of encouraging people to stay at home and just play online. What does coming out and playing among each other offer that that can’t? NR: I’ll let Mykelti handle that, because he did a thesis on this.
MC: You really get…a personal take on it. When it’s online it’s just you, in your room. You’re playing against other people across the world. You don’t get to see them, you don’t get to interact with them outside of the actual game itself. If their systems allow it you can message people, but offline will always be better.
‘Cause if you’re online you have to use an internet connection. If your internet connection is not great then the game won’t run smoothly. Even sometimes the best connections will never run as smoothly as offline.
Offline, again, you get to meet the individuals. Sometimes you might meet somebody online who’s great, but you might not have another opportunity for you to play that person. If you meet somebody in person you can learn from them or you want to teach them. You can have that interaction with them in person; you can sit down with them, come together, talk with them, you can make friends with them.
You can do the same thing online to an extent but, having that very close interpersonal relationship with a person offline is just much better than online ‘cause you can see who you’re playing against. And there’s something about sitting down next to a person and playing with them and playing with them multiple times. You really see who they are as a person; within the game and outside of that game as well, where online you won’t.
Online it’s just; “Oh this is a person online. This is who they play.” But I can sit down next to Nick, for instance, and I know – I can figure out what he’s thinking. He can figure out what I’m thinking and then it’s an unspoken chess battle in our minds, but it gets played out on the game. So that’s what I think offline offers that online just simply can’t.
Highnoon Gaming AKT1 2018 Tournament Posters
Z: Both of you chose video games as a subject for your thesis. Do you think video games – and gaming in general – is a topic that could be chosen as a more academic topic for programmes? MC: Studying, yes.Within my own thesis I tried to look at the business standpoint of it; gaming being a career. But, within my research I found that there are a lot of psychological facets that go into gaming as well. There’s a lot of mathematical processes that we as gamers have to go through.
I think [that] some studying of it should be done because gaming right now is becoming more and more popular. It’s becoming more and more mainstream. Even with talks about it becoming an Olympic sport. As time goes on I do think it’s something that needs to be studied.
I mean, just a quick aside, I actually want to do a documentary talking about the mind of a gamer; how we think. And I think that that’s something that should be studied ‘cause it’s a lot that goes on up [there], but a lot of people don’t understand and they don’t want to see it ‘cause there’s a stigma placed on gaming. I think, if more research is done and more opportunities for research is done, I think people can see it as bigger than what it initially is seen as; instead of just sitting down.
It can be used as a form of therapy. It can be used as a form of teaching – education. Some people think [gaming is] just buying a Playstation. No. [There are] companies that create programmes to teach kids how to [do math, etc]. That is gaming. That is one side of it; the educational side of gaming. So I do think that gaming has a place to be studied and researched within the future.
Z: Do you think that gaming has the potential to offer careers especially in the Caribbean and Barbados? MC: Yes. Because, again, gaming as a career is not just the playing of the game. Somebody has to make the games. When the games come out, somebody has to test the games. If you want to take it to the competitive level, that then offers even more [opportunities]; you have the players, you could decide to be a sponsor, you could be a tournament organiser, you can be an analyst, you can be a commentator. These are all careers that are starting to become actual jobs. People make a living from just calling the shots of what’s happening in games.
NR: It’s gotten so big that commentators get flown out of their country, just to commentate on a game that’s happening in another country.
MC: And then there are other careers that exist. You can have maybe a video game creative director. If you want to design a space you have that mind of; “Okay well I know what the vision of gaming in my head is – because that’s what I’m about.” And then [if] you have an artistic side you can put that in too. I think as time goes on more jobs, more careers, will start to pop up.
Z: You just mentioned that people are flown out of their own country to come and commentate on games. Are there any big names in Barbados at the moment that you know of? NR: Big names in Barbados I would honestly have to say [are] these guys in High Noon Gaming. We have Ricardo Knight, Fabian Hinds, Mykelti Clarke, Vandar Small…those guys.
MC: Damani Sargeant…a whole list of other people. Khiomal Powers.
NR: These guys have flown to and did regionals in the Caribbean.
MC: Trinidad, Martinque, we did St. Lucia recently.
NR: Yea, Michael Shanker, he’s actually the best in Barbados in Smash Bros., but he’s not here right now.
MC: Yea, he actually moved to New York.
NR: And he competes over there right now.
MC: But we don’t have any internationally proclaimed people yet.
NR: We want to get to that level.
Z: We’re at Aeon Bar and Grill and there is a weekly event that High Noon Gaming puts on here. Could you tell me about that? Ricardo Knight: Omar Kennedy [co-owner of Aeon Bar and Grill], he is the proprietor of AnimeKon and this [year] was the first time we held an event at AnimeKon under our name. We were helping with the people that were running tournaments beforehand, since 2010, and this year was the first time we did it by ourselves.
Through that relationship that we built with Omar, he said that if we want to come [to Aeon] on Sundays and just bring our community down here then we could. So that’s basically what you’re seeing in here. We [have] the guys over here playing fighting games and then we [have] the guys over here playing more casual games.
The idea is, I guess, once we get the word out that this is what we do, some people that would be looking for something to do on Sundays would be able to come down and they have the option of; “Hey, I actually know how to play this game.” or “Hey, this is Mario Kart, Mario Party.”, something a little more casual for people that would otherwise be at the bar, but it’s just a little something extra for them to do, if they so please.
Z: Is there an age requirement? RK: No. No, no. Anybody that wants to come out and play we will allow [them] to play. Even children. [With the fighting games] you might not get that sort of hospitality, ‘cause these guys are a little more serious when it comes to like the fighting games, but on the casual side 100%.
Z: What kind of games do you offer? RK: The fighting games, it’s a small selection of games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball Fighters, Super Smash Bros., Injustice 2…
MC: Guilty Gear XRD, Tekken.
RK: It all depends on like which guys come down. They would then put on whichever game. On the casual side we have Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Tennis –
NR: A lot of Mario games.
MC: They tend to be able to hold a larger number of people. Like up to four people could play at a time.
RK: So the kids would be able to do that while mummy and daddy [do] whatever.
MC: Getting a little drink at the bar, you know. We look out for everybody.
Z: Tell us about your gaming personas; why you choose them and what they mean. MC: I actually had another one at first, “Kid_Blank” because I always liked the term “kid” and I couldn’t figure out something else, so I just put “Blank.” But then I really sat and thought about it and I came up with the name “Senshi” because my name is African and my name means “warrior”, but I have a very strong love for Japanese culture and in Japanese “warrior” is “senshi.”
NR: I got my name from a character in Noragami: “Yato.” He’s a god. He’s a very poor god. He doesn’t get [many] offerings and stuff like that. In the anime he’s rated as very low. He’s the protagonist of the anime, so he’s kind of like the underdog. That’s how I feel personally about myself.
I came from someone who has never played Smash Bros. competitively and just being at Rick’s house and stuff like that and just practising, I managed to come up and place top four and top three in tournaments and stuff like that.
RK: Back when I first started competing in the competitive scene, I was travelling under the name of “Baje Knight.” Which is sort of dull because it’s just a shortened “Bajan” and my surname.
But then I stumbled across [the word] “narcopath” and [I read] something about it being a combination of a narcissist and a sociopath [and that] these people have the makings to be psychopaths and killer I.n the gaming community everybody aiming to be a “killer.”
So I’m like; “Okay, let me embody this name so that when I’m playing I always have to remember; “Yo. Channel into the mind of a killer.”” So that way I would always be focused..
Z: What kind of games do you normally play?
RK: I play shooters, FIFA and Smash. The fighting games…I have an extensive knowledge about them, but I don’t actually play them. My fingers don’t cooperate with me the way these guys’ do.
NR: I generally just love video games so I play some of everything; RPGs, shooters. But my love for fighting games is very, very deep.
MC: Similar to Nick. I grew up playing a myriad of different games, but when I really found myself in games I actually started out mainly playing first-person shooter games like Battlefield and Call of Duty. But Smash is what really start[ed] it for me and I realised that I had a knack for all [of] the other games like Tekken and stuff like that. I mainly play fighting games at the moment, but first-person shooters [are] my first love.
Z: Is there anything that you want readers of this article to know about the club or the Sunday evenings that you have? RK: For right now, the word spreading on this event would be helpful to us, but we are actually currently working with an arcade to do a joint venture where we have a set location that we would then say; “Well hey, Monday to Saturday, you could see us there and then Sunday we will be up here.”
NR: Follow High Noon Gaming on Facebook and look out for the very big launch of our rebrand that we plan to do.
MC: Follow us on all social media; YouTube, Instagram. Those three.
NR: I forgot to mention that we also do recordings [of the games we play]. That’s a very big part of our events on Wednesdays at at the end of the month. So we post all of those videos to our YouTube channel and they have live commentary and stuff like that.
