Bermuda's well-known cultural icon Ruth Thomas has collected her popular "fireside chats and conversations" in a book published through the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs. Entitled Mosaic, subjects include what Bermuda was like in her grandmother's day, education and Black History Month, slavery and emancipation, and the women who shaped Bermuda's past. The book includes nine scripts from her 73-part theatrical series, which use spoken word and skits to highlight local traditions, history, people and folklore.   Thomas has been performing these stories, taken from oral and written history, for almost 30 years, but this is the first time she has published them. Bermudian artist and art educator Edwin Smith illustrated the book.   Mosaic is on sale at local book...

When friends Georgia Crowe-Benevides and Kathryn Deane were kayaking on the South Shore last summer, they devised a plan to raise money for some of their favourite local charities and create some positive buzz for Bermuda internationally. Their dream has come to fruition in the form of a 220-page coffee-table book, Bermuda, which offers an insider's look into the island and its unique lifestyle. Bermuda features Bermudians at work, at play and in their personal environments. Photographs include portraits of some of the dynamic people who make Bermuda such a vibrant and culturally rich island, including filmmaker Andrew Stevenson, artists Sharon Wilson and Graham Foster and Chewstick founder Gavin Smith. The book also includes pictures of raft-ups, beaches, golf, tennis, croquet, cricket a...

  When you are a “Jack of all Trades” like Lamont Robinson, finding time to relax is difficult but ultra-talented Mr. Robinson’s single piece of business wisdom is to “sleep, sleep, sleep!” As a matter of fact, when he isn’t singing or preparing work for his well-known modelling agency and school, JaKoMa Group, he does just that! Because he lives such a busy life, Lamont reveals that as long as he is still for a long enough period of time, he sleeps and it doesn’t have to be day or night, can even be in the middle of a loud party! To calm himself after a long day or huge fashion show, Lamont unwinds with a movie. He shares, “I find this relaxes and clears my thoughts so I can sleep peacefully without interruptions of my brain contemplating what’s to happen next. It’s ...

Tiffany Paynter fell in love with poetry at the age of 11 reading pieces by Robert Frost and Paul Laurence Dunbar. She began writing her own poetry at age 12 as a way of communicating her emotions and working through problems. In recent years, Tiffany has become a regular performer at Chewstick and recently spoke and performed at the TEDx Bermuda event where she received two standing ovations and brought the audience to tears with her poem Daddy, a heartfelt confrontation between father and daughter. Here Tiffany shares with us her thoughts, opinions and dreams for Bermuda.       What is the hardest decision you have ever made? "To love the woman I was in love with. I recently decided that I wouldn’t let fear prevent me from loving or living from a place of love. So the hardest ...

  Leslie Ann Virgil is an artist, a film documentarian, a songwriter, an event planner, a community activist and a whole host of other things. She's currently working on her first book and continues to contribute to various community programs and inspiring those around her to keep it real! Cha'Von Clarke sat down with Leslie Ann to find out what her inspirations are and what she sees in Bermuda's future.         What qualities do you see as most important for leadership? "One must have integrity, humility, compassion, honesty, being trustworthy, be a listener, a risk taker, be innovative, open to criticism, be open minded, able to delegate effectively, being wise versus just educated, being empathic and able to relate to the needs of the people not just their wants, be non j...

        Steve Easton is a successful music producer at the popular Just Platinum Recording Studio. When The Bermudian magazine asked Mr. Easton to share what drives his success, he replied, “I get my drive from wanting to do something right, not only for myself but for my client as well and to see a satisfied look on their face. That’s what gives me the drive to do it again!” And, what does Steve believe are the characteristics of a good leader? That’s easy! Honesty and diligence in work ethic are top on the list. “That ‘stick to the wicket’ mentality always pays off and trumps in the long run,” he shared. He went on to state that it takes 10,000 hours to master something, so perseverance is key.   If Steve Easton could start his career over, he admits that he ...

  If you appreciate good music but you’re tired of turning to DJs for your live entertainment, you might be interested to learn about Tony Bari - a pianist with jazzy fingers and an excess of talent.  A local favorite for private events and memorable for his past performances at The Reefs Hotel &Club from 1984 until last year.   His CD, “Ciao for Now”, captures his feelings on the subject of his career as a pianist – he hopes continue returning with new songs and performances for everyone to enjoy. He has kept up with his CD’s promise and is currently working on a new project consisting of a few originals of his own as well as covers of other songs with personal style changes.   Tony Bari explained how he is, “jazz and classically orientated but can most certainly ...

Bermudian-born actor, Danya Nearon attended Paget Primary and Warwick Academy. The thirty-five year old graduated from Hampton University with a Liberal Arts degree and eventually left a career in Advertising to pursue acting in Toronto. Mr. Nearon’s theatre credits range from Improv in Scared Scriptless, Musical in Legacy Falls and Straight Play in Old Jock, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and 30 Dates. Film credits include various commercials and television spots. Danya also acted alongside Tom Seizemore in A Broken Life, and he portrayed "Dan Hill" in a made for TV biography of world-renowned entertainer, Celine Dion. Danya Nearon is also a face of George Brown College and can be seen in print ads and on billboards across Toronto.       ...

Bailey Outerbridge is a 16-year-old Bermudian born beauty with one heck of a voice! On the occasion of her just-released debut recording and music video, “Circus”, we ask the singer-songwriter phenom about her talent and what it was like to make a video in Bermuda with her cousin Bayard Outerbridge.       When did you first know you could sing? I have always known that I love singing, but had never thought much of it until my 4th grade talent show, which was the first time I had ever preformed on-stage. I really loved performing and from then on I got much more involved in singing and songwriting.     You also play the piano. When did you start playing? I began taking classical lessons when I was around 7 years old, but I switched to contemporary lessons in middle school...

  Bermuda born reggae artist Clinark has been on the the long road to success. Clinark launched his acclaimed debut his album “Journey to Foreign in 2008, on a beautiful beach (Snorkel Park) in Bermuda with the support of featured artist Gramps Morgan and Peetah Heritage of the world’s top Reggae Band Morgan Heritage serenading the event with the lead collaboration ‘Life in the Ghetto’. Based in the UK, Clinark, (pronounced Klin_Ark) has come a long way in the music industry in a short time. With a new album released in November 2010, entitled a “Tribute to Michael Jackson: A Legend and a Warrior”. Clinark (Clinarke Dill), also sang under the name of Dill-in–Jah and has worked with reggae greats, Richie Spice, Luciano, Maxi Priest, Kofi, Brinsley, Forde (Aswad) and Irie Lov...