{"id":1295,"date":"2003-11-30T12:34:44","date_gmt":"2003-11-30T12:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/?p=1295"},"modified":"2015-05-17T12:35:06","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T12:35:06","slug":"made-in-st-martin-holiday-gifts-for-2003-by-lasana-m-sekou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houseofnehesipublish.com\/sxm\/2003\/11\/30\/made-in-st-martin-holiday-gifts-for-2003-by-lasana-m-sekou\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d holiday gifts for 2003 by Lasana M. Sekou"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. MARTIN <\/strong>(2003) \u2014 <\/strong>The \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gifts for the 2003 holiday season are books, music, art, dessert and the suggested novel gift this year is the serenade.<\/p>\n

This gifts list was started about 10 years ago with only House of Nehesi books to present to family, lovers, friends and colleagues for Christmas, Kwanza and the New Year\u2019s feasting, but it has been \u201cfree-up\u201d over the years into other areas for folks to select gifts from.<\/p>\n

Books still crown the annual \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d selections and the 2003 titles are first offerings. For the student of history and the family historian in every family the gift books are\u00a01963 \u2013 A Landmark Year in St. Martin\/1963 Ann\u00e9e Charni\u00e8re \u00e0 St. Martin<\/em> by Daniella Jeffry, for the general reading public\u00a0The House That Jack Built and Other Plays<\/em> by Louie Laveist and the reprint of\u00a0An Introduction to Government<\/em> by Louis Duzanson.<\/p>\n

To encourage our children and the young people around us to read and learn about early Caribbean nation builders\u2014and to become leaders and builders themselves\u2014check out the booklet\u00a0Lambee & The Road That Couldn\u2019t be Built<\/em> by Gerard van Veen.<\/p>\n

For the very serious, mature readers,\u00a0The Essence of Reparations<\/em> and\u00a0Somebody Blew Up America & Other Poems<\/em> by famous American author Amiri Baraka will do fine thank you. Those interested in writing and one day publishing their own book will want a hands-on with\u00a0Salted Tongues \u2013 Modern Literature in St.Martin<\/em> by Fabian Adekunle Badejo.<\/p>\n

The above titles were published in St. Martin and not only their content, but also their attractive cover designs could make some of them collectors\u2019 books.<\/p>\n

These \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gift books are available at Arnia\u2019s Bookstore, Van Dorp, Shipwreck, World of Learning Ent., Paper Garden and amazon.com along with continuing favorites like\u00a0National Symbols of St. Martin<\/em> and\u00a0St. Martin Massive! A Snapshot of Popular Artists<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If it is so that those who read will lead and that \u201creading in fundamental,\u201d don\u2019t forget the earlier well-critiqued House of Nehesi books like\u00a0Conversation II \u2013 Western Education and the Caribbean Intellectual<\/em> by George Lamming (selected in 2003 for CXC teachers\u2019 reading),\u00a0Words Need Love Too<\/em> by Kamau Brathwaite, and\u00a0Brotherhood of the Spurs<\/em> by Lasana M. Sekou.<\/p>\n

MUSIC<\/strong><\/p>\n

Topping the list for the 2003 \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gift of music is\u00a0Corn Poke<\/em> (2003) by Soualouiga Jump Up Brass Band. The title song, an ingenious piece of cultural-grounds-claiming, is no simple tale and pan knocking (but that analysis is for another kind of article).<\/p>\n

Another must on the holiday gift list is T-Mo\u2019s most crossover music CD to date,\u00a0My woman deserve the best <\/em>(2003). I was truly disappointed, as only a follower of T-Mo\u2019s musical development could be when \u201cHoliday\u201d did not culminate with his signature mastery, though its thesis is patently original (but that too is for a more in-depth music review).<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the T-Mo CD is a sound achievement with the thoroughly uplifting title song\u2014especially for women\u2014followed by \u201cNobody,\u201d the truly beautiful tune called \u201cHumbleness,\u201d and \u201cJah Jah Coming,\u201d a classic m\u00e9lange true to St. Martin music.<\/p>\n

ART<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year, the \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gifts favor is toward \u201cmodern art.\u201d And the artwork to seek out is the photo and abstract art by Deborah Drisana Jack, especially her saltpond influenced abstracts. Jack\u2019s work and the frightfully cutting edge digital art of Angelo Rombley is demanding for \u201csomebody\u201d to write an art review book about some of the creators of \u201cmodern art\u201d in St. Martin (See Rombley\u2019s latest art in both of the Amiri Baraka books).<\/p>\n

Contact the Bearden Gallery on Frontstreet to find out more about acquiring Jack\u2019s art. As for the growing set of art collectors on the island, visit Bearden\u2019s and Roland Richardson Gallery in Marigot for the latest paintings by the standard bearers of the national art scene, Roland Richardson, Ruby Bute, Ras Mosera and Cynric Griffith.<\/p>\n

CUISINE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2003 \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gift cuisine category is going light on dessert this year, seeing how folks are dieting and all that. And the winner is the coconut tart.<\/p>\n

Go out of your way\u2014with all this issue of national pride, nation building and autonomy, no matter how seminal the meaning\u2014and order a coconut tart for loved ones or for yourself from trusted home-bakers\u2014or confectioners like Candy\u2019s\u2014who still make the traditional pie by tested and true St. Martin recipes. No dry dry coconut. No little bit of flaky supermarket coconut. No crumbling, pale or thin crust.<\/p>\n

Only a nice fat brown pie with a generous amount of sweet moist coconut will do. The real St. Martin culture way. The cost may vary, but the\u00a0joie de vivre<\/em> of a fine holiday dessert, with a little guavaberry on the side, is worth any of our weights in gold.\u00a0p.s.<\/em> Back to the diet on January 2, 2004.<\/p>\n

SERENADE<\/strong><\/p>\n

To round off the variety of gifts from the cultural basket of Sweet St. Martin Land, here is possibly a novel one that can be presented to loved ones, friends and colleagues at home or on the job before December 25, or to the folks in the senior citizens homes in St. John\u2019s Ranch and Galis Bay, Safe Haven, the home for children, the Sister Basilia Center, and to the prisoners at the House of Detention on Christmas morning. A serenade of holiday tunes.<\/p>\n

How? Well, I\u2019m talking top-of-the-line serenading for company or home parties, or for those into some heavy courting who may want to have their special someone serenaded with holiday tunes in front of their door. Community-minded companies, foundations, families or individuals can also present this serenade feature for those who can\u2019t do it for themselves. It may be costly. And as such I am only trusting this article to a select few: The Hilliman Sisters led by Zahira, in divine acappella; Tanny & The Boys, doing absolutely whatever they well please; either Mighty Dow or Neville York on pure solo pan (no band, no trap-set drum in the background); and her diva-ness LaVaune Henry in operatic solo.<\/p>\n

Any of these artistes would be definitive class acts, if they would agree to perform, and well worth whatever they would charge. Remember that Tanny & The Boys stringband is usually contracted from early for a punishingly busy performance schedule during the holidays.<\/p>\n

By the way, this prime choice list of \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d serenaders for 2003 should not limit anyone from seeking out other performers or from contacting their favorite performer who may have time or can be employed during the season to serenade as \u201ca gift.\u201d Thus seals the 2003 \u201cMade in St. Martin\u201d gifts list. Beautiful gifts from St. Martin self, and for a range of tastes, pocketbooks and wallets.<\/p>\n

So, let us be of good cheer as we share joyfully the holy meaning and faith affirming celebrations of the year-end holiday season.<\/p>\n

And then let us put into practice all this talk of national pride, nation building and the benefits of the tourism economy by investing our belief in, knowledge of, and our well-earned money\u2014not only as lip service\u2014in the creative expressions and quality products of the nation\u2019s arts and culture.<\/p>\n

Compliments to the season, people of St. Martin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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