Support local artists

June 12, 2007

Dear Sir,

It was an over-cast Friday evening, the humidity oppressive, and the end of a shortened workweek as our island had recently acknowledged the passing of one of our most important and beloved public leaders. A glance outside my office window at the darkening skies grimly recalled Shakespeare’s use of the weather to reflect the internal drama of a prose. I slouched my way over to the Botanical Gardens for Happy Hour having avoided the fleeting impulse to compare the mental deterioration of King Lear, to what seemed the dichotomous chasm between the literary idealisms of an English major and the realities of labor force life on a drizzly Friday evening.

However, the flora and fauna of the Botanical Gardens, all the more precious for how close we came to losing it, lifted my spirits upon entry. When I arrived onsite at Masterworks Museum, the level of professionalism displayed by Jon Legere and Matthew Strong immediately struck me, as did all who assisted Volcanic Productions in hosting the Happy Hour at such a gorgeous venue. It could not have been a more smoothly executed event and attendance was high at a venue that was both kid and adult-friendly and comfortably equipped to support large numbers of partygoers.

John and Matthew have won the support and admiration of all who attend their Happy Hour. The band they flew in from the States were sensational, a blistering blue grass group called Langhorne Slim, whom I had never heard of, but whose band members were remarkably talented and very down-to-earth. Volcanic has consistently provided eclectic new infusions of different genres of music into Bermuda for everyone to enjoy.

The next day, I attended the Arboretum for the Heather Nova and Friends Concert. I had no reason to, but somewhat cynically, I went there with only moderate expectations. Perhaps I did not think lightening could strike twice. Well, I did see a lot of familiar faces (thank goodness I like all of them!) and the event did take about an hour longer than I hoped to get started, but when it did, my gracious, it was all about the music. Unfortunately, I was only able to see the first two performers due to a prior commitment later that evening, but what I saw and heard, will hopefully be ingrained on my memory of the Arboretum.

Chewsticks was, as usual, in top form. This group of five members (Najeeb, Gavin, Selange, Riddla and Milton - apologies to anyone I missed out ) put on a fantastic show, their different vocal styles and textures perfectly complimented each other and the music they played. These guys have an authentic, professional look and feel to them and they supplied upbeat and original takes on familiar tunes such as “One Potato” and “Another Day in Paradise”. I always look forward to what this group has to offer and I was not disappointed on this occasion.

Joy Barnum actually opened the concert but I wanted to save her until last because I had never heard her sing. As Joy approached the mike and introduced herself and her band, Culprit, I thought, “Oh look, I recognize her, that’s one of the girls I occasionally buy a latte from at Rock Island Coffee.” Then Joy started to sing. By her second song, I had become vaguely aware that I was sitting on the grass with my arms folded like Simon Cowell, transfixed by the velvet but keenly edged voice of this phenomenal talent, as she pierced every memory in the range of human emotion. From smoky lounge singer, to angry Alannis Morissette, to hard rock Led Zeppelin to full blown soprano, this girl had enormous range and charisma to burn. Yet her playful demeanour, total lack of ego and genuine happiness at having the chance to share her gifts with an audience, made me recall Shakespeare once again and the line, “What is in a name? That which we call a rose.” Joy, indeed.

Earlier this week, we mourned the passing of one of our greatest icons, a woman whose life personified the ongoing struggle for racial and gender equality in Bermuda. I would like to hope that somewhere above, the Dame herself was enjoying the music and welcoming environment provided by these community events. I encourage all those who live here to continue to support and attend them because I believe they are yet another opportunity to foster dialogue and friendship among people across all racial and cultural lines. Congratulations and thank you to Volcanic Productions and Greenrock for contributing to a better Bermuda for all of us.STEPHEN NOTMAN

Paget