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To be honest Jamaica doesn't have much of a world renowned football program. We dont have the football heritage of countries like Brazil, Argentina, England etc., and the first (and last) time we managed to qualify for a World cup was nearly a decade ago. Even though it seemed like since then we have produced a fairly high caliber set of footballers individually, we still have not managed to truly field a top class football team. However I would guess that this is truly about to change, as Spanish giants Valencia FC is set to partner with the JFF to use Jamaica as a source of talent in its teams.
For those readers who are not in the know about who this Valencia FC is, its a Spanish Premier League (La Liga) Football club. However just because it is not named Barcelona or Real Madrid doesn't in anyway mean that this club is a lesser club, no instead think of Valencia as one of the biggest football clubs in Spain. So big in fact that they have been consistently placing in the top 10 in La Liga since the year 2000, and has even won the league 6 times, most recently being the 2001-2002, and 2003-2004 seasons, and has also taken up the Copa Del Rey in the 2007-2008 season as well. They have never taken the UEFA champions league trophy but they have gone so far as to reach the finals as recently as 2001. So in essence you can see that this is definitely a major opportunity for Jamaican football.
One may ask what exactly this deal entails, the answer is that Jamaican football, meaning the entire Digicel Premier league and all the super leagues, the manning cup and even the minor leagues will now act as a feeding ground for Valencia FC. Not just in the sense of footballers though, there will also be coaches who will benefit from this move. To quote the article:
"Valencia is developing an academy because of the economic problem in Europe, so Valencia is using Jamaica as a feeding programme," he explained. Burrell chipped in: "We spoke about that in length. Once the talent is found here they would do everything to have that person in Valencia." The youth training camp will begin this Saturday with five Spanish coaches conducting procedures alongside Jamaica's Andre Virtue at Sabina Park. Approximately 100 Jamaican youngsters between the ages of 12 and 18, and 50 local coaches, will get an opportunity at the Next Generation Pro Baller Camp. Once that is finished on Thursday, three players will be identified and will earn the chance to attend a club camp with Valencia from June 27 to July 3.
So in the end, what effects can we expect from this partnership?
1) More Professional level footballers - Jamaica has good footballers but they rarely show the class and dedication that professional footballers have to show. A move like this will expose Jamaicans to the international standards require to become better football players.
2) More Professional level coaches - We have constantly seen the need for coaches who are professionally trained and able to perform in a multitude of situations with a multitude of solutions. This will aid us in getting there
3) More exposure - As Jamaican football continues to rise to higher heights, it would be better for us as a country if we gain an avenue to show off our talent. Our local premier league does not gain the levels of exposure that La Liga gets and this can only mean that more and more people will begin to come to Jamaica in search of talent.
4) World cup 2014? 2018? - Ok this one may not actually work out, but it is a good thought.
The article even quoted the possibility of a Jamaica vs Spain match... which would probably end up with Jamaica getting the beating of a lifetime, but would still help us gain exposure.
All in all though this is an excellent move for Jamaica football and as long as we continue to form partnerships as this, our sports culture will continue to grow with the talent that we have available.
I have for a long time believed that, our community leaders who have made a great impact on the country and the community should be rewarded not when they have left us and can no longer accept the award, but while they are still able to keep helping their community and are able to appreciate the awards they have gotten. This is not to say that everybody who has ever planted a tree deserves an award, but certainly those few people who's contributions have been immeasureable certainly need to be recognized. It is for this reason that I can say that I was very pleased with the decision of Sam Sharpe Teachers' College to have an appreciation ceremony for the woman who has served as principal of the college for the better part of a quarter of a century and as an educator for 41 years, this woman is Dr. Cecile Walden.
**Taken from the Jamaica Gleaner
Starting out as a teacher at the Cornwall College in Montego Bay, she rose through the ranks to become a lecturer at the Sam Sharpe Teachers' College(SSTC) and then became the principal of the College. During this time she always ensured that she kept in tune with the Jamaican culture, and she took up the post as Managing Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission for 4 years. However she left the post at the JCDC to return to being the full time principal of the SSTC, a post which she held until retirement last year. On the way there she attained an Honorary Doctorate of Pedagogy from the Central Connecticut State University in 2004, and also was awarded the Order of Distinction (the 5th highest national award in Jamaica) of the Commander Class. She has also been integral in the formation of the Consortium of Institutions for Teacher Education (CITE) an organization which seeks to monitor the standards that are used by all the Teachers' Colleges in Jamaica, and also seeks to implement a 4 year degree programme in these Colleges.
Her citation described her as the "epitome of determination", and messages from other dignitaries such as our Prime Minister stated that:
Dr Walden embodies the finest tradition of the teaching profession. She is committed, compassionate and resourceful. A mentor to young and old alike; she has consistently upheld the standard of 'service above self' - Andrew Holness Minister of Education
...
She has left a legacy of achievement based on excellence, hard work and commitment and is deserving of commendation - Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen
However throughout this time she has worked tirelessly to help the advancement of the college and its surrounding community of Granville, St. James, always ensuring that the college assisted in community development. One such initiative involved the setting up of a music programme for children in the community to learn to play music and gain a skill which may help them in life.
The awards programme itself was set up according to the wishes of Dr. Walden which meant that it wasn't one which involved lots of talking and praise, but was instead filled with lots of performances from the community band, her former Cornwall College student AJ Brown, Karen Smith, and the SSTC group performing a multitude of cultural songs such as a 'brukings' piece, among many other performances that did manage to really entertain the crowd. The programme culminated in a literally passing of the torch as Dr. Walden passed on the title of Principal to Dr. Pinnock who will have to now step into the fairly large shoes which have been left for him to fill.
**From Jamaica Observer
Dr. Walden's impact will surely be felt for many years to come as she continues even in retirement to help the Jamaican education system in anyway she can. I am also happy to know that Sam Sharpe has seen it fit to praise her for the work that she has done, and am proud to call her my Aunt Cecile.
Melba has already done an epic write up on champs, but I cant let champs go on without me adding in my own two cents, after all I am a member of that group of people who are nothing less than fanatics of champs. Add to this the fact that I went to what is of course the noblest and most wonderful institution in the Western Hemisphere... Yes I was lucky enough to attend Wolmer's Boys High School. However back on the topic of champs, it is important to first note that champs is not just any sporting event, no nothing at all of that nature. Champ's is the largest yearly sporting event in Jamaica, nothing gainst the amount of praise, and coverage as 'champs', and its for good reason too as the majority of Jamaica's track stars begin their careers at the event.
Champs' popularity has in fact grown this year with the help of Jamaica's athletic stalwarts and we have in fact gotten even greater levels of international attention this year. So much so that it has been reported that hotels in the corporate area have gotten a huge boost from people wanting to see the spectacle. The reservations manager of the Hilton stated that:
We have always had great interest in Champs, but more so for this one, particularly in the area of confirmations. Normally, we would have people booking closer to the day, but we are seeing a different kind of interest, both from locals and overseas guests.
And the hotel four seasons has reported that they are also completely booked out as well. I can certainly see the need of course because of course everybody would really like to see the performance Wolmers... and the rest of the athletes will put on.
Tickets were also sold out as soon as they became available, I wouldn't even suggest we attempt to discuss the fact that saturday tickets are definitely out of the question. There has also been major groups coming from various parts of the world to view, the gleaner has caught snapshots of a group arriving from South Africa as well.
**From the Jamaica Gleaner
I can also say that I appreciate the recent move from the Government to start handing out scholarships to deserving athletes from both the boys and girls championships. As a matter of fact more than 50 Athletes (I will assume 25 boys and 25 girls) stand to gain from a piece of the $9 million dollars which have been put aside in scholarship funding. Alot of these scholarships will be to students wishing to attend the GC foster college so they will remain in sports.
Now I will be very frank, I have tried to be very objective so far in this article but I have to state that I have to be excited with regards to this year's Boys and Girls Championships because it is looking like this year might be the first year since 1956 that Wolmers may take the Champs title. As a matter of fact both major newspapers have been saying that Wolmers (both boys and girls schools) are either the Dark Horses, or are Looking Ominously for the title.
**From the Jamaica Gleaner
Yes as a matter of fact people have even been saying that seeing as Wolmers has almost complete control over classes 2 and 3, it is highly likely that we may gain a hold on the title. And we have been highly deserving of this title as we have over the years produced alot of Jamaica's top track athletes, most recent of this batch is Michael Frater. Being that this is the 100th staging of the championships it is would also be quite a treat if we could say that we are the team that won both the 1st and the 100th stagings.
All in all I can say I am quite excited at the prospects of this years champs and I hope that Wolmers will come out on top, and also that champs will continue with its history of being an entertaining competition.
Age Quod Agis!!!!
Well the games have begun and the bets are being made in every quarter. Naturally everyone wants there school, present or past, to win but some of us know that our school don’t stand a chance. So who are the top contenders?
For the boys title some of the main names being called are, Kingston College (KC) last year 2009 champions; rivals, Calabar High; original ‘Champs’ winner, Wolmer’s Boys, Jamaica College (JC) another avid contestant for the ‘Boys Champs’ crown and yes the boys in light blue from North street, St. Georges College. They are still on a high from football and I believe that attitude has a lot to do with winning ways.
The girl’s title promises to heat up this year with last year’s 2009 champions, Holmwood Technical coming under heavy pressure from Edwin Allen High. After winning the recent Central Championships, Edwin Allen High has gained a boost of confidence that might just be enough to spur them to victory here. Vere Technical High is again looking to return to winning ways and should not be over looked.
Well these are some of the ‘likely’ winning schools that I’ve been hearing about. Personally I would love for St. Georges College to win for the boys and Manchester High to win for the girls. Long shots, maybe, but those are who I’ll be cheering for. What about you? Would love to hear your choices.
Nuff Love
In today’s economy more and more of us are finding it extremely difficult to cope. Going to the supermarket is an absolute nightmare. Everything has escalated by over a hundred percent. A bar of soap for instance, that used to be $30.00 dollars on average is now $85.00 dollars, and I’m talking about the local brands. So the bottom line is that we must cut back on what we buy. Some things are a must, like cleaning agents, some are not, like vegetables. However most of us like to have our vegetables along with the meats and starches. After all we need to balance our food groups. Not to mention the ‘health conscious’ amount us.
One way to cut back at the supermarket and still have your vegetables is to grow them yourself. You don’t need a whole heap a land either. Plants can be grown in pots, old tires, in small patches and even on fences depending on the type of plant it is. Luckily for me my husband loves the land. My neighbours’ wife is also a lover of the soil and it’s amazing the produce they produce. In fact on our street there has been a little ‘undeclared’ competition going on over the years of whose produce comes out the best. The good thing is that we all share seedlings, information and end products. So it’s all in good taste.
Today I thought I would share with you some of the garden possibilities that have worked for us. Two of the easiest growers are callaloo and pak choy. Within three to four weeks of planting they are ready. I don’t need to tell you the numerous ways you can enjoy these vegetables, the possibilities are endless. What about the drought you ask? Well one Jamaican saying is ‘if you want good yu nose haffi run’. So you could collect the water from the washing to throw on your plants. In fact the soap in that water is also good for keeping off bugs and other insects and would save you having to buy insecticides.
Escallion, time and pepper are seasonings that most Jamaicans love to cook with. My escallion and time has been continuous since last year’s planting. We have also had Sweet pepper, parsley, rosemary and celery which are also nice to add flavor to your cooking. Lettuce grows without much fuss and adds that finishing touch to any plate. Tomatoes like to be propped up and don’t like too much direct sun light so be careful where you plant them. Cabbage is another plant that don’t like direct sunlight. It’s one of those vegetables that can be cooked in so many different ways and can really help to stretch a meal. Broccoli and cauliflower add class to your table and are very expensive in the shops. They take a little longer but it’s really worth the wait.
Other plants that we have had much success with are red peas; however we only did a small patch so we didn’t reap much. Gungo peas are also pretty easy however you have to know when to plant it. Unfortunately we do not have the space for trees however some of our friends have the small banana trees and have been very successful. The thing is for you to plant the things you like, utilizing the space you have. Read up on the plants you intend to plant, what’s the best time to plant, where to plant it, how often to water and basic information like that before you get started.
Yes times are hard and promise to get harder. We are a nation of survivors and every little helps. So you won’t have your vegetables and seasonings all the time but when you do it’s the best tasting ones you will ever have. Somehow the ones you produce always taste better. If nothing else I hope I have inspired you to try your hand. It’s spring time now so you’re not too late to get started for this year. As further encouragement I took some pictures of some of my garden to show you.
Nuff Love
Having spent the majority of my life in Jamaica and also having been to many different occasions, parties etc., I have come to a realization about Jamaicans and Politics. I will never try to say that what I am saying is the only truth, or that its the cure to our many problems... but its something that we certainly need to pay more attention to and do something about. But essentially Jamaica's foremost political problem is that we are too passive.
If that initially sounds like its not really a problem at all and that its easily solved then please allow me to expand by giving you a little history. We all know that Jamaicans has been through colonization and slavery for most of its written history, and there is one thing that has stayed constant throughout that period and that is that the vast majority of the population has never had a say in the countries political decisions and the steps taken by the government.
Fast forward to independence and the granting of universal adult suffrage and we have a set of people who have been given freedoms that have never before been available and that are not sure what to do with it, and then a set of people who will take advantage of this situation... these are our politicians. In the initial euphoria of independence and the subsequent confusion, Jamaicans were mostly ok (either that or were simply not willing to exercise their new found power) with allowing the first set of leaders to simply run the country as they saw fit, and to an extent this was fine as the leaders of the country made decisions that were for the most part to the benefit of the people. However this lack of action has began to transfer throughout our political history to the point where we don't even see the need to tell our government... “we don't want you to do this”, or “you're doing it wrong”.
Don't believe me? I implore you to research when was the last time Jamaica had a referendum (nationwide vote) on any political matter... To make your lives easier, the answer is 1962, notice that's the same year we gained independence... 48 years have passed since the Jamaican people have had to vote for anything except general elections (Just for your information, the last referendum was to decide whether we would stay in the West Indian Federation). That means that when Hugh Shearer became Prime Minister in the latter part of the 1960s and passed a rule banning people from having or reading pro-black books (yes the same Prime Minister we put on our highest bank note didn't want black people to strive), the people simply sat back and allowed it to happen. In the same breath when Bustamante gave the bauxite companies a 99 year lease on bauxite lands and charged them a bare minimum in royalties per tonne, and all the other horrible choices made by politicians throughout the years, the people simply sat down and allowed it to happen.
This is in stark contrast to the other countries in the world where in general the government is kept in check. Look at how the US citizens are currently behaving with regards to Obama's healthcare bill, or look at how the citizens of the UK and other European countries behaved when they were told that their soldiers were going to enter into the Iraq war with the US. This political activism has never taken part in Jamaica since slavery when we fought for our emancipation, some people will point to the gas riots in 1999, but it is well known that even that move was lead by politicians. So instead of having people who – when we have governments who have disrespected us, and lied to us on numerous occasions, defended gunmen and area leaders – are willing to take the steps necessary to take them out of government, or tell them that we simply will not stand for what they have done, we have a people who are willing to lay down and take what is given to us.
Instead of political activism in Jamaica we are filled with a set of people who do nothing but sit in bars and at other social gatherings and complain. Those who don't do that call radio programs and complain to somebody who will be able to do nothing... or as I experience most sundays, family gatherings of mostly educated and brilliant people who are simply teeming with ideas who are in constant discussion but will not take that first step to actually do something about it.
Jamaicans need to stop yielding to any and everything our government says, and start becoming more active in stopping politicians from having free reign over us. It is our constitutional right to to do so, that is the reason why we have the constitution, the politicians can do nothing to stop us from exercising our rights. Time to start using it.
If its is one thing that Jamaicans can really enjoy its a bit of comedy. Its for this reason that we have so many plays that go on each year, and also the reason why some of the most celebrated names in Jamaica are names of Comedians, names like Oliver Samuels, Glen "Titus" Campbell, Dahlia Harris, Basil Dawkins, Christopher "Johnny" Daley, Christopher McFarlane... the list could really go on and on. However among all these names there are some names who by simply saying the names is enough to get people laughing as they can link back that name to some hilarity they have seen or heard. Chief Among these names is Volier "Maffy" Johnson.
Everybody who has watched Jamaican TV has seen Volier somewhere or another, because he has been everywhere, from TV ads, music videos, and movies, and now Volier celebrates all of 40 years spent entertaining Jamaicans with his keen acting skills and well calculated comedy.
**Volair is on the right
Volier has seemingly always been in the theatre, starring in plays during his high school days and then gaining a role in the Jamaican hit movie The Harder They Come. During his earlier days in the theatre he was in alot of productions such as; Operation P, Boeing Boeing, Love and Marriage, Rose Slip, and Pillars in the mud. Regarding Rose Slip, he recalled in an Gleaner Interview that:
It was more cultural when I started out and me thank God for that. It teach me how to characterise. During that period you had to have character. When you look onstage you see 10 different man in 10 different character
...
You really feel satisfied when you have the people a tear down the place. It is entertainment
And as far as his Curriculum Vitae goes it is obvious that he loves to entertain as the plays named were only those that he did in the 70's. His career continued and he has continued to act the entire time taking part in productions such as; Tantaloo, Trash, Room for Rent, Stepfather, Toy Boy, Pinnochio, Children Children, Breadfruit Kingdom, and Strength of a Woman among many others. And those were only the plays, he has also been a TV star with regular appearances on programmes such as Oliver at Large, Claffy and Sarge in Charge, and Lime Tree Lane gathering nicknames from each program as he goes along. One of the moments of his which I also fondly remember is his role in Lovindeers's music video of Wild Gilbert, where he played a rastaman. It is a wonder how he manages to keep his identity being as he has been in so many productions, but certainly he has been able to do it.
He has even recently branched out to the radio as well being a part of the regular Full House Friday crew every morning on Fame FM where he manages to entertain listeners with his wit, and he shows that he is also able to take the punches as well as give them back.
Volaire is truly one of those great comedians who has gone across many genres of comedy successfully and one simply cannot speak about Jamaican comedy without saying his name. If you attempt to you will surely be missing out an important part of it. Congratulations on 40 years Volaire and I wish you 40 more!
If you like reggae music, if you have listened to reggae music, if you know somebody who loves reggae music, even if you research reggae music, you will come upon the name Jimmy Cliff. He is simply one of the biggest names in both reggae music and in Jamaica ever, as far as fame he can only be compared to names such as Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Third World and Morgan Heritage. He has also managed to touch all levels of the entertainment industry, singing Ska and Reggae and even acting. Jimmy Cliff has surely done it all, and he has been recognized for his contributions as such by his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHF) like all halls of fame, is basically the place where the names of people who have made a great impact on music go. Not only singers, but also producers, writers anyone in the music industry... and of course you do not have to sing rock and roll to be placed on the list. It is home to famous names like Ray Charles, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and of Course Bob Marley, just to give you a scope of how famous you have to be to get your name written there. Jimmy Cliff is slated to be inducted into the hall of fame along with Swedish pop Giants ABBA, along with The Stooges, The Hollies and Genesis.
Cliff certainly deserves his place among these great names as his career has been a showing of nothing less than genius, with songs such as The Harder They Come - A song which has been covered no less than 10 times by the likes of Keith Richards (of the rolling stones), Cher, Willie Nelson, Joe Jackson and Desmond Decker; Reggae Nights - Also been covered by La Toya Jackson; Trapped - Covered by Bruce Springstein; You Can Get it if you Really Want - Which has been covered by Desmon Dekker; and of course his biggest hit ever Many Rivers to Cross I would love to attempt to tell you how many people have covered this song, but I dont have the time, just know that chances are you've heard a cover of this song. Those are just a few of the songs (spread across his more than 20 albums) which are a part of Jimmy Cliffs epic musical Catalogue. He has also won a Grammy award for Best Reggae Album in 1985 for his album Cliff Hanger, so he has more or less done it all musically.
And then there are the movies. Cliff was the star of what was possibly the first and the most memorable truly Jamaican movie named The Harder they Come, yes it was named off his song. If you are Jamaican and you haven't watched this movie, I implore you to go watch it, you are guaranteed to be entertained. In this movie Cliff played a man named Ivanhoe Martin, a man who came from the country to town in a search to become a singing star. However he has a pretty rough time in town and eventually turns to a life of crime, which starts with him become a dealer in marijuana. I wont go any further into the movie because I would hate to ruin it for you if you have yet to watch it. Cliff has also made Cameo's in other movies such as Club Paradise, and Marked for Death.
With a career as illustrious and stunning as Jimmy Cliffs it was no surprise when he was granted the Order of Merit (The 3rd highest award given out in Jamaica), and he has also been drawn into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a fan I would like to congratulate Cliff and hope his career will continue to even greater heights.
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