Shaggy Parrot and the Reggae Band

Michael Robinson, Gleaner Writer
published: Wednesday | September 24, 2008

Grammy-award winning dancehall artiste Shaggy has got his feet wet in a brand new genre - children's literature. Shaggy Parrot and the Reggae Band is a book-and-CD set made for kids aged two to six years with a serious message about the environment.

Set in Ocho Rios, St Ann's Laughing Waters, the story follows a team of sea creatures and Shaggy Parrot as they form a reggae band to cheer up a waterfall. It seems the waterfall is upset because people have been polluting it, and Shaggy Parrot and friends come together to clean up and, essentially, whistle while they work.

Colourful illustrations by Trinidadian John Mendes feature local scenery and some of Jamaica's indigenous marine life. The CD, which boasts nine tracks by reggae's only diamond-selling artiste, contains portions of the story, with Shaggy, christened Orville Burrell, also reading for the title role. The music on the CD was created by Sean Paul's musical director, Rupert Bent III, Jana's brother, as well as members of Sean's Pauls' backing band, Badda Banz.

Teaching tool
Shaggy Parrot and the Reggae Band is the brainchild of Jana Bent, who was among the team of writers which included Kellie Magnus, Nicole Hoo Fatt, Rebecca Packer and Veronica Salter. Bent said she came up with the idea after reading a children's book introducing toddlers to jazz music. "My daughter really loved it," she said, and I realised we needed to do this for reggae. Once we were into the production we decided to go all the way with the educational aspect of it." The book covers several themes required by the Ministry of Education's syllabus, making it a valuable teaching tool as well.

Motivation
Magnus, creator of the Little Lion book series, said her motivation was a heartfelt desire to promote literacy at the early childhood level. "It was a great experience working with a team of Jamaican writers and musicians," said Magnus.

With a launch slated for November, the book will benefit two of Shaggy's favourite causes, St Andrew's Bustamante Hospital for Children and the Tatiana McIntosh Scholarship fund, which is based in Florida.

Israel's 60th Birthday: History of Conflict

the vid has some dumbed down info on the Isreal/Palestinian saga... all in all good intentions...



EDUCATE yourself on the HISTORY of this Conflict don't just watch the video... understand what really has happened... not just the last 60 years...

Taking Offence from Nonsense

now why do some people so easily riled up... especially at Homer Simpson... come on its Homer...

the Argentines are a bit peeved at some comments made in a recent Simpson episode and while there are sensitive topics you have to realise that is 'The Simpsons'... an American view... a view that seeks to keep playing on how America views others...

One can easily be offended about many things but even in this GLOBAL Village there are something that arent created for some markets... I am not advocating that we be ignorant about other people's beliefs/customs tho... absolutely not...

I can make arguments FOR and AGAINST this joke... when you read the article you will be see that the views put forward by the characters are inaccurate.. but guess what... they probably are accurate when it comes to the 'Average Joe' in the US' opinion on the topic...

yet again... if you Educate yourself on a topic you will be Informed... you will be able to see it as it is and be like the dasheen bush leaf... just let it slide right off your back...

lemme see if i can post the vid... it isnt the best resolution but its the most complete clip... to understand the totality of the furor...

Red Bull Music Academy

I just heard that Red Bull Music Academy may be having something in Trinbago this week... I know that there is a scheduled Workshop in Jamaica next week featuring Lloyd James, Ibo Cooper, Dean Frazer and Stephen McGregor... mmm... if its true I wonder who will be here in/from Trinbago... mention was made of a King so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I better get my invite...


UPDATE...

Thursday 17th, 8pm, Starlift PanYard, Mucarapo Road, St. James... Open to the Public...

FITNA vs IGNORANCE

I was unsure if to actually post this but I have to give in to my internal struggle... my own Jihad if I dare say so... because the day after I wrote it I was asked by a colleague about my religious persuasion, did my explaining and he totally understood my views as he hold some of the same thoughts on the subject... so the following is the unedited version of thoughts that came to me during and immediately after I watched the material...

as I sit in work today (07APR08) and look at the controversial FITNA... I realize that one can be easily mislead if one doesnt educate oneself.... and sad to say that many of us are indeed uneducated... we look at topics from one one perspective... most of the time... I have never consciously professed to be a Muslim because I always maintain that the word means 'one who submits'... I have never submitted and Time/God alone knows if I ever will... one thing I maintain though is that I try to follow the teachings of Islam... herein lies the problem...

I have no formal education when it comes to Islam... and its my own fault... I dont blame that on anyone else... but from my life experiences I dont need any one religion to teach me how to live... beacause even as Islam maintains that 'we are all born as Muslim' but we have the ability to choose how we want to live... I live as righteous as I can... and I still have faults... will always have...

I posted the Boy Kills Man post and purposely left out and created sensationalised statements... the film FITNA is all about doing that... all of the outrage generated is real and while I dont agree with the film I also dont agree with the protesters... because the problem is two fold...

we allow some of our scholoars/teachers to lead us along a skewed path and we dont question or educate ourselves on topics related to the Quran and the Sunnah (ways and teachings of Muhammed pbuh)... as I watch, I see shots of women being killed, all in the name of Islam?.. most of that comes from the Tribal heritage that the Arab world has never seen fit to leave behind since the revelation of the Quran... they are relics of the past... the SYMBOLS of ISLAM?.. the traditions that however haram they are we hold onto...

read Quran for yourself... research for yourself... question yourself about what you see/hear being said about Islam... is it really Islam they are speaking about? or is it someone who claims/claimed to be Muslim...

the video ends with the statement... "the Islam ideology has to be defeated"... it isnt the Islamic ideology but those of the leaders who seek to twist the words to support their own agenda that need to be defeated... we need to get up and walk out, show our displeasure, however disrespectful it may seem when our Mullah/Imams/Scholars are preaching this violence and hate against the non-muslim... there is a teaching of Muhammed that goes...

If one of you sees something evil he should change it with his hand.

If he cannot, he should speak out against it, and

if he cannot do even that he should at least detest it in his heart,

this being the weakest form of faith.

Why do we continue to keep ourselves IGNORANT... the biggest problem within Islamic diaspora is Illiteracy...

the film only seeks to divide us all... whoever we are... these type of statements only seek to help the creator some more attention.

I found an interesting post that may help some in understanding some of what ISLAM is about here...
Racism and Islam

THE FESTIVAL???

sometimes I really don't think people have a real grasp...

HAVE YOU LOST A LOVED ONE RECENTLY TO AN ACT OF VIOLENCE?
ARE YOU FED UP OF THE BLOODSHED?
ARE YOU FED UP OF THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?
ARE YOU FED UP OF THE VIOLENCE?
DO YOU WANT TO ESCAPE?

THEN COME TO "I CYAH WAIT 3" THE FESTIVAL.

MAY 31ST WE LOOK TO THE EAST.

ARIMA VELADROME

that is an advert for a concert that I got thru Facebook... notice what is starts off with Losing a Loved One to 'An Act of Violence'

Have we become so numb...

What will there be at this festival... More Bloodshed... Death & Destruction... will I be subject to an Act of Violence? Will I be able to Escape...

So who is this ad supposed to appeal to... the Lady who had her Son killed by his Father, the other Lady who was witness to her Daughter getting Shot for no apparent reason (so says the Police)... the list can go on and on...

Judging from this Advert... I know for sure now that I want to Escape... Escape from the stupidity... Escape from (as Jumbie says) Monkey Island...

Also where is the VELADROME... illiterate guys (who incedentally host parties in a 'room' in Arima)...
the word is spelt V-E-L-O-D-R-O-M-E
for those who didn't know a Velodrome is an arena for track cycling... Spell 'friggin' check nah... steups... NUMB

oh yeah one last thing... what was with all of the CAPS... don't you know its impolite to be SHOUTING all the time...