Dwight Pinkney delivers ‘Home Grown Jamaican’
The News Review:
- Dwight Pinkney delivers ‘Home Grown Jamaican’
- Slam dunk for home-grown clowns
- Save the act – you might need it soon
- Manchester United’s profits halve
- Shame at the National Stadium
Dwight Pinkney delivers ‘Home Grown Jamaican’
Jamaica Gleaner – Mar 22, 2005
Framed by two female harmony singers behind and above him on the stage at the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) headquarters in New Kingston, Pinkney stood close to the audience, played Book of Rules and smiled contentedly, Keith Francis holding down a steady bass. The guitarist’s general good nature had been mentioned several times before that evening, on a programme hosted by Patrick LaFayette of KOOL FM, as Home Grown Jamaican and Pinkney himself got the blessings of the music fraternity. Of the album’s 21 songs, six are Pinkney’s originals, including Heart Massage, One Thing on My Mind and Bingy Reggae, with Puppet on a String, Waiting In Vain, Rivers of Babylon, My Jamaican Girl and Dance With My Father among the other 15…
Framed by two female harmony singers behind and above him on the stage at the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA) headquarters in New Kingston, Pinkney stood close to the audience, played Book of Rules and smiled contentedly, Keith Francis holding down a steady bass. The guitarist’s general good nature had been mentioned several times before that evening, on a programme hosted by Patrick LaFayette of KOOL FM, as Home Grown Jamaican and Pinkney himself got the blessings of the music fraternity. Of the album’s 21 songs, six are Pinkney’s originals, including Heart Massage, One Thing on My Mind and Bingy Reggae, with Puppet on a String, Waiting In Vain, Rivers of Babylon, My Jamaican Girl and Dance With My Father among the other 15. In introducing Pinkney, Frankie Campbell of the Fab Five Band mentioned his previous projects, including Jamaican Memories By The Score and More Jamaican Memories, and said “these albums will never get stale. They will be here forever”. “This is not disposable music,” Campbell said.
Slam dunk for home-grown clowns
The Age – Mar 22, 2005
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not chastising Australiancomedians. They have their reasons for staying at home, and frankly it’snone of my business. But too many times I’ve been on a stage inLondon, New York or Montreal, felt the show slipping away from thecrowd and thought to myself, “Christ, I know what this line-upneeds right now – an Aussie”. Why? Because the Australian comedian – instantly affable whileoozing bitterness and selfloathing – is the perfect bridge betweenthe American comedian who’s a little too slick and the BritishComedian who’s – well, there’s no other way to put it – way toogay. Also, Australian comedians aren’t afraid to wear a funnyhat. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is just what it saysit is – international.
Save the act – you might need it soon
Guardian Unlimited – Mar 23, 2005
The European convention on human rights, which forms the basis of the act, is frequently presented by its opponents as an example of the creeping encroachment of Brussels. Even now, there is little understanding that its origins are in the United Nations rather than the Common Market. Predicting this confusion, a number of us tried to persuade the then Labour opposition to introduce a “home grown bill of rights”. We failed, but our draft did not look hugely different from the act. The foundation of all modern bills of rights or incorporated treaties is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was partly inspired by the American and French bills of rights. These, in turn, drew from the principles of “natural justice” and “the rule of law” established by our own Magna Carta. To become rooted in the affections of the people the act needs an authoritative champion, which until now it has lacked.
Manchester United’s profits halve
BBC News – Mar 22, 2005
Money spinnersTo improve the club’s finances, the board is in talks with “major global companies” about future sponsorship deals, United said. It hopes to double the number of “platinum” sponsors to eight from August 2006. It is also expanding the Old Trafford stadium and exploring ways to beef up the earnings from MUTV, the club’s home-grown broadcaster. Sales of Manchester United branded credit cards are doing well, with 50,000 new customers, the company said.
Shame at the National Stadium
Jamaica Observer – Mar 22, 2005
We all bask in the glory of the achievement of the athletes and it is often with deep pride that we watch the unfurling of our national flag in the world’s stadia after the performance of one or the other of our athletes. They, to put it bluntly, help to affirm us. Significantly, this athletic process is mostly home-grown. It is nurtured in our schools, often of dusty, uneven tracks, with the hard work and commitment of athletes, their coaches and entire communities. In that sense, these school-aged athletes point us to the fact that it is possible to be internationally competitive when we put our minds to serious effort. Those who stabbed and slashed and punched at, kicked and engaged in other forms of disruptive behaviour sullied these achievements and the nobility of our athletics. They would have diminished all those young people who each year train hard and expend tremendous effort to reach the National Stadium for this competition.