Jaryd Niles-Morris is a Barbadian photographer whose work spans several genres; from editorial to portrait to still life. Regardless of the subject on which he’s trained his lens, his photographs are always evocative and captivating. It’s clear, looking at his work, that there is a meticulous deliberateness to every piece he creates.
He has hosted his own art shows – like Chop Suey in 2018 – and been featured in exhibitions like Typically Tropical, in 2017, and the neXus 2020 art exchange, both in the U.K.
In 2013 he appeared in season nine of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model, photographing the final four contestants during a challenge at the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.
He’s won a few ADDY Awards and been nominated for Photographer of the Year at the Gine On?! People’s Choice Awards twice, as well as for Visual Artist of the Year and Short Film/Documentary of the Year.
Photo provided by Jaryd Niles-Morris. Photography by Joel Brooks.
What sparked your interest in photography?
I have always been interested in creating. I used to draw and create stories. I draw very little these days; more stick men and quick sketches. I wrote some fantasy and lots of action hero type stuff with my friend [Barbadian comic creator] Delvin Howell. I still live in the fantasy/sci-fi genre since many of my [photoshoots] kind of reflect those kinds of ideas.
I was introduced to photography at [the Barbados Community College] and it was a medium that was a lot faster at bringing ideas to life, so I leaned into it. I do sometimes make up stories for characters and ideas. I am a fan of creating a good back story so the talent [in front of the camera] can use it to build a character and lend something extra to their “performance”. I don’t do it for every shoot, but sometimes it’s useful.
An image doesn’t need to have a story in my opinion. It could be a feeling and the viewer uses that to create their own story.
What has been your proudest moment as a photographer thus far?
Pride is so fleeting for me. I am always looking [toward] the next project. I am definitely always on to the next one, probably to a fault. I don’t really dwell [on past projects] because there is so much to explore.
Who is the one creative, alive or dead, that you would love to work with?
Only one? That is a hard one.
Maybe Fabian Baron. He used to be my favourite Art Director but there is a long list. Ye is in there too.
Baron’s work was next level. [He] was really great at putting image and design together and just his creative choices were very unique. Not too long ago amazing work was not so easy to find so I ate him up.
Ye is a genius.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your career thus far?
The greatest lesson is to manage your money. It’s a lot easier to create when you have a budget and you can do better work. Life is also a real drag when you are broke.
What other careers did you consider, if any? Why did you ultimately choose not to pursue them?
I wanted to be a biologist. I like science and animals. That may have been the direction I would have pursued, but since I got into art school I just decided to try my hand at that.
[I found photography] very serendipitously. I have no idea what I would have been doing [if I hadn’t gotten into art school]. That is a very far cry from the reality of this universe.
Be honest. How many Barbadian novels and/or novelists can you name off the top of your head? I’d venture to guess that for a lot of Bajans – maybe even most – that number is one; likely either In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming or The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke.
Perhaps like me, the first time you encountered a Barbadian novel and novelist was when you studied English Literature at the Barbados Community College. As a result, your conception of Barbadian Literature as a whole, not just novels, is that it is largely confined to the 50s, 60s and 70s, because those were the only decades the course pulled from. But that’s not true.
Barbados doesn’t have a prolific output of novels, but several Barbadian novels have been published since around the 1950s until the present day. In fact, there are more that were published since the turn of the millennium than I think most Bajans would imagine. And it’s that particular period that I’m looking at in this list.
I’m focusing specifically on fiction novels, so you won’t find non-fiction books like biographies, memories, true crime, and the like. Further, there won’t be any collections of short stories, poems, or anything of the sort.
To keep the list short and sweet, I’m going with one novel from each author, which means that in most cases it will be the first novel they released in or after the year 2000.
Too Beautiful to Die (2003) by Glenville Lovell
The cover of Too Beautiful to Die.
Too Beautiful to Die is Lovell’s first novel in the mystery and crime genres. He’d previously written the novels Fire in the Canes and Song of Night, which were published in 1995 and 1998, respectively. Both are categorised as literary fiction. While Lovell’s first two novels were set in the Caribbean – Song of Night took place in Barbados – Too Beautiful to Die is set in Brooklyn, New York.
The novel follows Black ex-cop Blades Overstreet. He resigned from – and is suing – the NYPD after being shot and nearly killed by a white office. During an investigation into the disappearance of an actress’ father, he finds the body of a murdered FBI agent and is framed. Now on the the run from the FBI and his former employer, Overstreet must solve the murder and clear his name.
Two sequels followed Too Beautiful To Die: Love and Death in Brooklyn in 2004 and The Darkest Street in 2016. Like their predecessor, each novel sees Overstreet investigating a murder. In Love in Death in Brooklyn it’s the murder of an African-American politician, whereas in The Darkest Street, it’s that of the father of a wealthy friend.
More (2008) by Austin Clarke
The cover of More.
Austin Clarke’s most famous work is, perhaps undoubtedly, The Polished Hoe. For that reason it will not be included in this list. Instead, his following novel, More, is.
Idora Morrison is a Barbadian living in Toronto. For all of the 25 years that she’s lived in the city, she’s struggled to make ends meet. Her husband abandoned her years ago, leaving her to raise their son, BJ, alone. Now, she’s learned that BJ has become involved in gang crime. The news is too much for her to bear. Unable to get out of bed, she spends four days and nights in her basement apartment. She retreats into her memories and re-examines her life as black immigrant in Toronto, revisiting the pain and disappointment that she’s faced.
More won the Toronto Book Award in 2009. Unfortunately, it was Clarke’s last novel, though not his last published work. Austin Clarke died on June 26th, 2016.
Redemption in Indigo (2010) by Karen Lord
The cover of Redemption in Indigo.
A fantastical story inspired by Senegalese folklore, Redemption in Indigo is Karen Lord’s debut novel.
Paama has left her foolish and gluttonous husband, Ansige, after ten years of marriage. Unfortunately for her, Ansige hires a tracker, Kwame, and follows her there. Ansige disgraces himself by murdering livestock and stealing corn, so Paama leaves him for good. Paama attracts the attention of the djombi Patience, who gives her the Chaos Stick. The stick, however, belongs to another djombi, Chance – the titular Indigo Lord. And he wants it back.
Like with Glenville Lovell and Austin Clarke, this is not the first published work by Anthony Kellman. He had long been an established author by the time that Tracing Jaja was released, having already published five books of poetry and two novels.
In fact, Tracing Jaja isn’t even the first novel that he published in the 21st century. That would be the 2004 novel Houses of Alphonso, but Tracing Jaja is a bit more interesting.
The name alone should clue you into what inspired the novel and who its protagonist is. Set during the last four months of his life, Tracing Jaja is about the titular King Jubo Jubogha of Opobo (aka King Jaja)’s exile in Barbados and his romance with his Barbadian servant, Becka.
When the body of a woman is found in a well in the middle of a cane field in St. Lucy, the Northern division of the Royal Barbados Police Force embarks on an investigation to find out who she is and solve the crime. Rather than serve your standard crime story in this novel, Williams instead uses the murder mystery at the centre of it as a vehicle to explore Barbados’ socio-political history and landscape.
The Girl With the Hazel Eyes (2019) by Callie Browning
The cover of The Girl With the Hazel Eyes.
Callie Browning’s first novel, The Girl With the Hazel Eyes tells the story of Lia Davis; a young writer hand-picked by exiled Barbadian writer Susan Taylor to write her biography. Susan was banished from Barbados fifty years prior because of her whistle-blowing novel The Unspeakable Truth. It becomes clear to Lia that Susan is hiding something and she makes it her mission to find out what that is.
My Fishy Stepmom (aka Josephine Against the Sea) (2019) by Shakirah Bourne
My Fishy Stepmom Blue Banyan Books cover. Josephine Against the Sea Scholastic cover.
Shakirah Bourne’s writing credits are varied and extensive. Not only is she a novelist, but a writer of short fiction, a screenwriter, and a playwright as well. She’s also a film director. My Fishy Stepmom, however, is her first foray into children’s fiction.
Eleven year old Josephine Cadogan loves two things: her daddy and cricket. By joining her school’s cricket team she will not only get to play her favourite sport, but keep her daddy busy with matches so he has no time to date. Sadly, she gets neither. Because she’s a girl she can’t try out for the team and, worse yet, her daddy has a mysterious new girlfriend, Mariss. Josephine resorts to her usual tricks, but nothing drives Mariss away. There’s something fishy about this Mariss and Josephine is going to get to the bottom of it.
Scholastic changed the title of the novel from My Fish Stepmom to Josephine Against the Sea when they published it in 2021. Blue Banyan Books originally published it in 2019.
How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House (2021) by Cherie Jones
The cover of How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House.
A lot of Barbadians likely heard of this novel when it was included on Good Morning America’s monthly book club in February 2021. At the time, clips of Jones’s appearances on the programme circulated on social media.
How The One Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is set in 1980s Barbados on the fictional Baxter’s Beach. That is where Lala grew up with her grandmother, Wilma, who is overprotective of Lala for reasons she does not divulge to her. Now 18 year old, Lala lives in a shack on the beach with her husband, Adan; a charismatic petty criminal who abuses her.
Mira Whalen, a biracial Barbadian woman who passes for white, is staying at a nearby beach mansion. She is visiting the island with her rich, white, British husband Peter and his children from a previous marriage. When Adan’s attempt to burgle the mansion goes horribly awry, resulting in Peter’s death, it sets off a chain of events with terrible consequences.
The closing moments of Sundown Fest were full of of pure energy, electrifying rock ‘n’ roll passion and a mob of bodies hopping in unison. Headlining act Sundown Superhero ended the night with their single “Don’t Turn Out The Lights“. They were the last of four acts that marked the return of Sundown Fest; an open door fundraising concert featuring a number of the marquee rock ‘n’ roll acts on the island.
Sundown Fest began in 2019. The festival is an outlet for the variety of music genres on the island, as well as its fans. All plans for a 2020 and 2021 festival were shelved due to the pandemic. This year’s event marked the return of the festival and its mission to create a platform for the rock/alt artists on the local scene.
Emile Sagba, one of the event’s organisers and a member of the local pop-punk band Sundown Superhero, spoke to the necessity of showcasing this diversity in sound:
“I think that the local music scene is much more diverse than people think that it is. There’s an entire scene that exists in the underground and we belong to that scene. There was never really a platform to share this music…with the public. We started this band and we did it out of pure passion. but what we wanted to do was really show locals what it…meant to be Bajan. you don’t have to play soca, dancehall, or reggae to be Bajan.
We truly are able to show to, not only Barbadians, but to the world, what it means to be grateful to be [a] part of this culture and [to] grow this grassroots movement. It’s straight from the heart and we’re so excited to be a part of it.”
Bellevue Plantation. Photography by Josué Nelson.
The concert was held at Bellevue Plantation. As far as venues go, it had all the key conditions that any music festival needs: lots of open air, a serene environment and plenty of space. A number of local businesses and entrepreneurs, including sponsors, set up under tents. Exhibitors showcased their crafts and goods and there was also a bar for food and drinks.
Doors opened at 5:00 pm, though the show didn’t start until closer to 7pm. By that time, the venue was reaching full capacity and the crowd was buzzing. During the wait, teases of the bands warming up and an impressive selection of rock songs ranging from the 70s classics like Pink Floyd, to the alt-rock icons of the early 00s and the indie hits of the mid 2010’s, strategically set the atmosphere.
Admission was free. However, upon entry, you had the option of making a donation which made you eligible to win prizes via a raffle. These donations, Emile said, were all for the growth and development of Sundown Fest:
“[W]e understand [that] in order to grow a DIY grassroots movement…people have to come together to make it happen. We were able to collaborate with local businesses to provide services and giveaways [for] raffles and, using the funds from those raffles…pay for this event; putting 100% of the money into Sundown Fest. This is not for us to pads our pockets whatsoever. It’s for us to grow a community.”
The show began with a set by solo act Jacob Layson. With his brand of acoustic, soft-rock originals like “Vis ta Vie”, “Castaway” and “Chase the Devil”, his style is one he self-describes as “The Beatles meets Jack Johnson”. Vengeance Falls followed with with their signature metal edge. They performed the very well-received “Metallypso” – their rendition of a “metal calypso” song – and ended with a blood rushing cover of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey”. Fighting Traffic later took the stage and thrilled the audience with their single “You’re No Good”; a reinterpretation of the Jackie Opel song.
Vengeance Falls performing at Sundown Fest. Photography by Josué Nelson.
Layson’s performance started a trend of audience requests for encores. Requests that each performer graciously delivered on.
With each performance the atmosphere in the audience was spirited and fully of energy. The line up of quality performances that left the audience buzzing didn’t just include the featured bands, however. As the audience waited for Sundown Superhero to take the stage, they were treated to a performance by two fire breathers. Both danced in routine and spit plumes of fire into the air. There was a unique variety of talents to see at Sundown Fest.
As Sundown Superhero took the stage, they thanked all of the bands that joined in for the concert. When they began performing, a jumbo sized beach ball appeared on the stage. It was sizeable, soft, bouncy and sensitive enough to rise about 12 feet high with a swift kick. It was the right blend of organized chaos and jubilation and added to the natural high of an already amazing concert.
Sundown Superhero played a full set of original songs, as well as a cover of the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” in tribute to the band’s deceased drummer Taylor Hawkins. Their last song, “Don’t Turn Out The Lights”, was a majestic send off. Saying goodbye seemed to hurt the band as much as it did the audience.
It was a great end to a night of rock ‘n’ roll. Something that is so rarely experienced in this capacity on our island. Speaking with Emile after the show, he was touched and grateful for the reception they received:
“This was more than what we expected. We didn’t really have a marketing budget; it was tell a friend, to tell a friend, to tell a friend. So when I see so many faces I recognise, but also faces I don’t recognise, that makes it worth it to see people show up to come and see you. It means were doing something right.”
Emile also expressed his gratitude for the positive response from the bands that signed up to play the show. “I think that was enough fuel to understand that we were on to something. It was the fact that there were other bands just like us, or slightly adjacent, that thought this was a great platform to showcase and [that] it was a matter of showing up, plugging up and making it happen.”
As for the future of Sundown Fest, the plan is to return for 2023. “Seeing how many people came up and supported this, it really shows that it’s not about us. It’s not even about the other bands. It’s about the people that come together for rock ‘n’ roll.”
Amanda Reifer has made her first appearance on the Billboard charts. Thanks to her feature on the Kendrick Lamar song “Die Hard“, she sits at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and scored her first number one song on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs Chart. “Die Hard” is from Lamar’s latest album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. Not only is Reifer credited as a featured vocalist on the track, but as a lyricist and composer as well.
This is also the first number one song on the Hot R&B Song charts for Lamar and Blxst, Reifer’s fellow featured artist on the song. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is currently number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart. All 18 songs from the album are on the Billboard Top 100, with 13 in the top 40.
Both Lamar and Reifer are signed to Universal Music Group labels. Lamar is at Interscope Records while Reifer joined Republic Records in January of this year.
Although this is Reifer’s first time on Billboard, she’s no stranger to making it onto music charts. Her first foray into music was as the front-woman of the Barbadian band Cover Drive. Their first album,Bajan Style, reached number 14 on the U.K. Official Albums Chart Top 100 and each of its four singles – “Lick Ya Down“, “Twilight“, “Sparks” and “Explode” – made it into the top 40 of the U.K. Official Singles Chart Top 100. “Twilight” was their first and only number one song on said chart.
Reifer began her journey as a solo artist in 2018, when Cover Drive disbanded. She has consistently released music since then and frequently collaborates with her Cover Drive band mate, Jamar Harding. Her latest single, “Crazy“, was recently featured on Apple Music’s The Ebro Show.
Shana “PullDTriggaBoom” Hinds is a Barbadian songwriter whose work you no doubt recognise. She’s written for Grateful Co, Fiyah B, Freshie, Alicia Yarde-Collins, and Faith Callender, among others. Her recent work includes “Pop Kite”, “Tease”, and “Tipsy”.
Last year she won the Writer of the Year award at the Gine On?! People’s Choice Awards.
Although this interview is about Hinds’ career as a songwriter, she has other talents as well. She has done stage management for the Bacchanal Time Tent, artist management and development, marketing (in which she has a Master’s degree), and is the co-host of the late night television show IDGAR with DJ Ras.
Photo provided by Shana Hinds. Photography by Izzy Gibson.
Which of your creative works are you the most proud of and why?
All of my songs are my babies, so this is like asking me to choose a favourite child.
I would say I’m most proud of how we managed the process of “Pop Kite”. I’m very cautious of energy in-studio and I had already decided [that] I was about to write a signature song for Faith that night. When I decide, it’s done.
I needed everybody to be on the same vibe so, before we started the recording, I made everyone listen to a guided meditation on embracing your “Authentic Voice” and [afterward] we all set personal intentions for the studio session.
This may seem dramatic – and I am – but ultimately that was one of the best writing sessions I’ve ever experienced. Everything went smoothly, there was no hesitation or over thinking of lyrics or melodies, and we made a beautiful song. Couldn’t ask for much more than that.
What is your favourite work by another artist or creative?
Wow. Zeitgeist, you know this is impossible to answer! I’m influenced by so many creatives, but for me, the ultimate songwriting trifecta is Bob Marley, Prince and Vybz Kartel. Anything they’ve done is golden, but if I [have] to choose: Bob Marley – “Waiting In Vain”, Prince – “I Would Die 4 U”, and Vybz Kartel – “Watch Over Us”.
Who is the one creative, alive or dead, that you would love to work with?
Rihanna. It doesn’t even need to be music. She has always been an inspiration along my journey and I can’t wait to do any project with her and just soak in her energy and knowledge. Then we’ll have drinks.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Don’t take anything [personally].
Research suggests that creatives tend to suffer with anxiety disorders because our minds are always churning. This is true for me. [A]nd I used to worry a lot about how others perceive me especially. Because I was holding outside opinions in high regard (even if I didn’t like to admit it), criticism of my art and/or me would get me so riled up! It was exhausting.
Then I read The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Luiz and my mindset updated. The second agreement, “Don’t take anything personally”, explains that people see the world through their own lens – a projection of their personal reality. Nothing people do is directly or solely because of you, so you shouldn’t be surprised or angry if someone believes something different in their reality to what you believe in yours. My mind has been more at peace than ever.
Why have you chosen a career as an artist/creative? What is your “raison d’être”?
There’s nothing that makes me feel as alive as when I’m creating art. I am a nurturer by heart and writing professionally is my personal way of making as many people as possible feel good.
Writing is the way I feel most comfortable expressing my feelings. I don’t have to be afraid of judgment or rejection; I just say whatever I want and, apparently, people relate to what I have to say. Music helps me to heal and discover and elevate my soul. Music is everything to me, take it away and you could best take me long one time too!
The cover of Josephine Against the Sea. Scholastic edition.
Shakirah Bourne’s Josephine Against The Sea is in the finals of FIYAH Literary Magazine’s Ignyte Awards. Josephine Against the Sea is Bourne’s first middle-grade book and is in the Best In Middle Grade category. Blue Banyan Books originally published the novel under the title My Fishy Stepmom in 2019. When Scholastic published it in 2021, however, they changed the name and cover.
FIYAH Literary Magazine is an American publication dedicated to Black speculative fiction. They established the Ignyte Awards in 2020, as well as FIYAHCON; a convention focused on Black, indigenous, and people-of-colour perspectives in speculative fiction. The winners of the Ignyte Awards are determined via online voting and awarded at the convention.
This isn’t the first time that Jospehine Against the Sea has been nominated for an award.
Josephine Against the Heartman, a sequel to the novel, is scheduled for 2023. Bourne also has another novel, Duppy Island, scheduled for release this year.
Although Josephine Against the Sea is her first children’s book, it is not the first book that Bourne has published. Her other books include In Time of Need: A Collection of Short Stories, which she wrote, as well as Senseisha and Allies, both of which she edited. She is also a writer of short fiction, a playwright, a screenwriter, and a film director.
As we’ve documented in our lists of films and of music videos shot in Barbados,the island has seen its fair share of international motion picture productions. In this list, as the title suggests, we’re focusing on the television series that were filmed here.
This list includes both fiction and non-fiction series; a soap opera, two travel documentaries, two motoring series, and a teen drama. You won’t see any reality series here. That’s a list for another day. There are quite a few.
Like with our previous two lists, this isn’t a definitive list of every single television series that was filmed in Barbados.
Without further ado, here are some TV series that were filmed in Barbados.
The Bold and the Beautiful
Bathsheba, Sam Lord’s Castle and Animal Flower Cave.
It’s well known in Barbados that The Bold and the Beautiful was filmed at the pink hut on the rock in Bathsheba. But did you know that that storyline was actually set in Barbados? Ridge and Lauren are on the island looking for Brooke, who is experiencing a psychotic break. Though Bathsheba is the location seen most often, other locations are used in the iconic soap.
Perhaps most notable is Sam Lord’s Castle. It’s mentioned by name and is where Ridge and Lauren are staying. As they arrive to check in they’re greeted at the steps of the hotel by none other than Wendell Smith, who’s playing a concierge.
According to Brooke Comer in her book The Secret Caribbean: Hideaways of the Rich and Famous, 15 episodes were filmed near Sam Lord’s Castle. On IMDb the summaries for episodes 2272-2276, 2278-2281, 2283-2288, and 2290 all detail events that took place while Brooke, Ridge, and Lauren were in Barbados. These episodes aired from April 18th to May 14th, 1996.
Also mentioned by name is Speightstown, where Ridge and Lauren go in search of Brooke. While there, they watch a parade that includes the Barbados Police Service band – playing Red Plastic Bag’s “Ragga Ragga” – a tuk band, and dancers dressed in grass outfits. They also stop and admire chattel houses. Lauren calls them “interesting looking”. Ridge says they’re “like tiny doll houses”.
Other filming locations were Welchman Hall Gully and the Animal Flower Cave, but neither are named.
Cherry Tree Hill is named in the series, but the area identified as Cherry Tree Hill was clearly filmed at Bathsheba and Welchman Hall Gully. However, there are two or three shots in the scene that could have been filmed there.
Wendell Smith isn’t the only local entertainer to appear in the series. John Walcott, aka Tubby De Guard, plays a man at a restaurant that Brooke stole food from. Andrew Pilgrim plays a police officer investigating the string of food robberies perpetuated by Brooke and whose daughter spends time with her at the hut in Bathsheba.
Wendell Smith, Andrew Pilgrim, and John Walcott in The Bold and the Beautiful.
Finally, another piece of Barbados that made it into the series is The Merrymen’s song “Beautiful Barbados”.
Mount Gay Rum Distillery, The Cliff, and Angry Annies.
Three Sheets was a travel documentary series in which host Zane Lamprey travelled from country to country exploring the local drinking culture. The series took its title from the phrase “three sheets to the wind”; when one is very, very drunk. In the Barbados episode, Lamprey was accompanied by Olympic windsurfer Brian Talma on some of his adventures around the island.
There are quick shots of several locations around Barbados in the episode: Kiddies Bar in Checker Hall, Red Man Bar, the Barbados Port, the East Coast, and Kensington Oval.
Lamprey visited and filmed segments in Mount Gay Rum Distillery, The Cliff restaurant, Bridgetown, Bottom Bay, Browne’s Beach, George’s Fishnet and Grill and Lexie’s Rum Shop in Oistins, Angry Annies Restaurant in Holetown, and Silver Rock Beach. He also went sailing with Talma on the Ocean Racing Challenge.
Throughout the episode he takes a few moments to educate viewers about the drinks he’s trying. He does this for Mount Gay rum, Foursqaure Distilleries’ velvet falernum, Banks Beer, and Klayton’s Kola Tonic.
Watch the full episode here:
Top Gear
Barbados in Top Gear.
Top Gear is a British motoring television series. The hosts review vehicles, do challenges, and compete in races. At the time that it was filmed in Barbados, it was hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. The island is featured, very briefly, in episode seven of series 14.
In said episode, Jeremy Clarkson travels to Australia, Spain, France, and Hong Kong to “test the abilities” of the BMW X6. There is a running joke that Clarkson and his fellow hosts are spending the show’s budget frivolously, hence his unnecessarily travelling to see how the car performs.
Clarkson determines that he would rather spend the money needed to run the vehicle annually on a Caribbean holiday. He travels to Barbados and jet skis and sips a piña colada on the beach.
Watch the short “Barbados section” of the segment here:
The Grand Tour
Bridgetown Port, Port St. Charles, and Heywoods Beach.
After leaving Top Gear, Clarkson, May, and Hammond started The Grand Tour. It was essentially the same as Top Gear until the format was changed for its fourth season. In episode 10 of The Grand Tour, Clarkson, May, and Hammond plan to sink five car bodies off the coast of Barbados to develop new coral reefs.
Unfortunately, they lose two of them by accidentally dropping them in the Bridgetown Port and sink the small boat that they’d bought for the venture in the process. They lose two other car bodies at what looks to be Heywoods Beach after failed attempts to retrieve them from the shore. The boats were sunk the previous day, but drifted to shore because they had not been secured. In the end, they manage to sink only one of the cars.
Other locations in the episode include the East Coast/East Coast Road, Cherry Tree Hill, and Port St. Charles.
The Grand Tour is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Outer Banks
Bridgetown, Fairmont Royal Pavilion, and Speightstown.
Outer Banks is an American teen drama produced by and streamed on Netflix. Set in the titular coastal area of Outer Banks, North Carolina, the show follows John B and his friends as he tries to find out what happened to his missing father. Much of the second season takes place in the Bahamas, for which Barbados was used as a stand-in.
Filming took place in March of 2021. Local production company Crucial Productions, led by Phil Archer, worked on the series.
Season two of Outer Banks was filmed in Bridgetown, Cove Spring House, Cherry Tree Hill, Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Speightstown, Holetown, the Grantley Adams International Airport, and outside of Royal Westmoreland.
Local actors like Levi King, Justin King, and Marcus Myers appear in the season.
The production returned to Barbados in February of 2022 to film parts of season three.
This complication video shows the locations around Barbados seen in the second season of Outer Banks:
The Caribbean With Andi and Miquita
Browne’s Beach, Pebbles Beach, and Shark Hole.
The Caribbean With Andi and Miquita is a two-part BBC Two television special hosted by mother and daughter duo Andi and Miquita Oliver. Curious about their Caribbean heritage, the two travel to Antigua and Barbuda (Andi’s mother is Antiguan) and Barbados to explore their roots. They travel to Barbados in the second episode.
During the episode you see glimpses of the Grantley Adams International Airport, the Garrison Savannah, Hastings Police Station, St. John Parish Church, Morgan Lewis, St. Peter, Bridgetown, Walkers Beach, Sandy Layne, Holetown, and other areas around Barbados.
They filmed segments at Browne’s Beach, Pebbles Beach, Mount Friendship, Wkd beAch Lofts, Lancaster Plantation House, the East Coast, Shark Hole, and Ngozi Farm and Cultural Sanctuary.
Krosfyah’s “Pump Me Up” and Peter Ram’s “Good Morning” make appearances in the episode.
Sonny Meraki’s Resilience – the artist’s first EP – was released on YouTube on May 10th. The 24-minute EP has five tracks; four original songs and a cover of John King’s “How Many More”. Meraki wrote and arranged all of the original songs -“That Place”, “Head Up High”, “Keep Going On”, and “Standing Tall”.
Although this is Meraki’s first EP, it’s not the first time he released music to the public. He released the singles “Fall On Me“, in 2020, and “Need Each Other” with T-Ray Armstrong (ImReallyATRex), in 2021.
Also in 2021, Meraki performed a virtual concert called Taste of Meraki. It included performances of “That Place”, “Standing Tall”, and “How Many More”.
Meraki is set to appear on the Wuh Gine On Radio Show on 94.7 FM tomorrow afternoon.
Kendrick Lamar released his latest album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, today and with it came a pleasant surprise. Barbadian singer Amanda Reifer is featured on its fourth track, “Die Hard”. Reifer isn’t just featured on the song, however; she’s also credited as a composer and lyricist.
Reifer shared the news with her fans on socialmedia this morning. She thanked Lamar, fellow featured vocalist Blxst, her management TITLE 9 Inc., and her label Republic Records.
“Thank you for the incredible honor [Kendrick Lamar] of including me in this masterpiece… I’m speechless. Working with you has been the greatest creative experience of my life. Shout out to [Blxst] from loving your music to now being on the same song. Still in awe of the way that God orchestrates such beautiful serendipities and experiences. Thank you to [Republic Records] and [TITLE 9 Inc.] and everyone who was a part of the journey. I’m going to go cry again now.”
In January Reifer announced that she signed to Republic Records. The label is owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG is one of the three largest labels in the world. UMG also owns Interscope Records; the label to which Lamar is signed.
Cover of Amanda Reifer single, “Crazy”.
Last week, Reifer dropped her latest single “Crazy“. On May 11th, she released a performance video for the song.
Reifer has been in the music business for over ten years. In 2011 she signed to Polydor Records as the front woman of the Barbadian band Cover Drive. The band’s first album, Bajan Style, turned ten on May 7th. Cover Drive released Limin’ in Limbo in 2013 and Fall Forward in 2017. The following year, in 2018, they disbanded. Since then, Reifer has steadily released many singles.
The Barbados Film and Video Association (BFVA) announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). BFVA president Rivelino Simmons and CBC CEO Sanka Price signed the MOU in March. The agreement is in effect until March 31st, 2023. It will be reviewed on an annual basis.
In a press release, the association identified a “disconnect” between the CBC and “the growing community of independent producers”. The Barbados Film and Video Association is the main advocating body for the audio-visual sector. As such, the release explains, it is their responsibility to “foster a partnership” between those in the sector and the CBC.
As stated in the release:
“The MoU coverage is focused on revenue generation opportunities, identifying opportunities for grant funding, distribution to regional television stations, collaborative workshops under the theme of “Producing Content for the Local Market and Beyond”, among other key incentives and opportunities.”
The full MOU is available on the BFVA website. However, you have to register to view it.
At 7:30 PM on Thursday April 21st, the association is hosting a workshop to discuss the MOU with its members.
Sonny Meraki’s Resilience – the artist’s first EP – was released on 
