For Posterity is back and I'm happy to begin this new season with acclaimed Jamaican author and environmental advocate Diana McCaulay. She is with me to discuss her newest novel, A House for Miss Pauline (2025), published by Dialogue Books UK and Algonquin Books USA. McCaulay's newest work of fiction provides fertile ground for discussing the very real subjects of Caribbean history, women's voices, hurricane vulnerability, colonialism, race in the region, reparations, and of course, land. What memory and what knowledge does Jamaica's land hold? What memories and what knowledge will the land not let us forget? To get answers, you'll have to read the novel and listen in. The new episode is ready: Story Come to Bump!
For this episode, I talk with David Katz -- music writer, film producer, dj, vinylist and Lee "Scratch" Perry biographer -- about his multi-decades long relationship with dub music. Tune in to this very special (very trippy) episode of For Posterity.
My guest for the Season 10-opener is Neil Fraser AKA Mad Professor. This Guyanese-born, British dub producer and engineer makes music that is a reflection of how he sees the world, which is to say, he sees people and places as deeply connected, deeply mixed, and he sees that who we are now carries reverberations of our ancestral roots. Press play to learn more!
This episode features my reading of Guyanese poet John Agard's "Pan Recipe" (Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse, ed. Brown & McWatt, 2005), a brief sample of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires' “Jamaica Ska” (Kentone Records label, 1964), and a deep listen to Mad Professor & Jah Shaka’s “Beyond the Realms of Dub” (Ariwa Sound Studio, 1982).
It is with a heavy heart that I dedicate this episode to Jah Shaka. Rest in Power.
This amazing episode spotlights the life, loss, and art of Katrina Coombs. She is a Jamaican woman and superbly talented textile and fiber artist. For our talk, we sat inside the rich, comfort of soft yellow carpet and suspended red fiber art in an un-doored room on the ground level of the National Gallery of Jamaica. Katrina Coombs’s 2022 Kingston Biennial art installation is titled “Apocalypse: Lifting of the Veil" and it is a full-sensory experience featuring acrylic yarn, paper, metal, music, video projections, testimony, and an olfactory infusion. If you're in Jamaica, please make your way to the National Gallery of Jamaica to see her installation before the exhibit closes on December 31, 2022.
Heads up: This episode comes with a trigger warning. This episode will discuss child loss (abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth).
Follow Katrina Coombs via her website: https://katrinacoombs.wordpress.com or on Instagram at @duchesskcfibres.
*Statistics shared on this episode are sourced from the WHO https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
**Visit the National Gallery of Jamaica's website for more information on the 2022 Kingston Biennial: https://nationalgalleryofjamaica.wordpress.com
In this episode I speak with Professor Opal Palmer Adisa. She is an acclaimed poet, writer, educator, feminist, mother, and cultural activist. We discuss the power of words -- in particular the words of Louise Bennett-Coverley -- to inspire voice, critique culture, and uplift the Jamaican people. Opal is building the inaugural Miss Lou Festival in Gordon Town, Jamaica on October 15, 2022. If you or your oganization is keen to contribute talent or financial support, please write to louisebennettcoverleyfestival@gmail.com. Much love. This is For Posterity.
In this episode of FOR POSTERITY, I talk with singer/songwriter Navy about her upbringing in Dominica and the weight of being a little Black girl from the Caribbean. Of course we talk too about her love of music, love of country, love of tarot cards, and her commitment to soul healing work. Dubbed the high priestess of hip hop soul, Navy is signed to the Barbados based Pretty Boy Worldwide label. Check her out on this music platform or on YouTube to get a sense of her sound and style. Click here for Navy's IG and here for her FB. I'm sure you'll love Navy as much as I do. And big shout out to Dominican poet Tamara Lowe and RIP to writer Jean Rhys. I'm the Riddim Writer and this is For Posterity.
I've got three bits to share with you in this Quick Note FOR POSTERITY and Beverley Manley is the thread that connects them all. Tune in then check out the Joelle Simone Powe directed four-part documentary on former First Lady Beverley Manley's life here. Rush over to 10A West Kings House Road in Kingston, Jamaica to see the 50th anniversary of The Harder They Come exhibit before it closes on Aug 28, 2022. And last, you must make sure you check back soon-soon for the full FOR POSTERITY conversation with Opal Palmer Adisa. She's a poet, educator, cultural activist, and champion Miss Lou! Good things to come.
Singer, songwriter Naomi Cowan is back for a solo conversation about her current project and so much more. She joined me back in 2020 with her fellow Rock & Groove Riddim singers — Sevana, Lila Iké, and Jaz Elise — and today she talks with me about the bright star energy she has brought to Star Girl, the first installment of what will be a succession of mixtapes.
On this episode you will hear “Gun Shot”, “The Voice”, and “Naked” by Naomi Cowan, as well as “Ism Schism” by Naomi’s mother Carlene Davis. Stream Naomi Cowan's entire catalog on Apple or Spotify and follow her on socials @naomicowan.
Jamaican artist Inansi proves that art can humbly extend and collage our memories. In this 2-part episode Inansi previews her upcoming memoir with amazing sketches of her colorful life. Get to know this artist as she talks to me about her family's history in Jamaica, the sisterhood of fierce Jaguars, one dangerous night at Bob Marley's residence in 1976, and all kinds of fashion accessories that she designed while living in New York City. If you're in Jamaica, find Inansi's multimodal work across the island and in various spaces. And if you're online with a crypto wallet, you can find Inansi on the OpenSea. Here is a link to her work on The INDIGO TRIBE NFT project, where pieces titled “Fashionfruit Femme” and “Ms. Coffeebean Queen” are still available, for a limited time. Enjoy part one!
This is part-two of my conversation with Jamaican artist Inansi. We walk-through her amazing life of love, art, and activism as we preview her upcoming memoir. This June 2022, Inansi’s work will also be a part of the 50th anniversary of the Perry Henzell film The Harder They Come. You can get in touch with Inansi on Facebook. If you're in Jamaica, find Inansi's multimodal work across the island and in various spaces. And if you're online with a crypto wallet, you can find Inansi on the OpenSea. Here is a link to her work on The INDIGO TRIBE NFT project, where pieces titled “Fashionfruit Femme” and “Ms. Coffeebean Queen” are still available, for a limited time. Enjoy part one!
Barbadian spoken word poet Cyndi Celeste is a beacon of inspiration (hence, there's no wonder they were invited by the government of Barbados to perform “We Ain’ Done” at the Pride of Nationhood celebration on November 30, 2021, the day Barbados officially became a republic). This conversation advocates for the power of voice and a brave new future of inclusivity. Our chat is particularly important because too many Caribbean folks still think of poetry as "just a hobby" and not a profession. Take a good listen to this episode and check out Cyndi Celeste's full performance of "We Ain' Done" by clicking here. Big up to the awesome individuals who helped Cyndi Celeste to prepare the poem "We Ain' Done": Alex Downes, Roshanna Trimm, Java Sealy, and Daniel Boxill. And big up to Celeste's inspirations: Bajan spoken word poet Adrian Green, the Poetry Lime open-mic at Barbados Community College, and the Rhythm Poets of Barbados — Winston Farrell, Adisa Andwele (AJA). Rest in power to Kamau Brathwaite.
From photography to filmmaking to music, Storm Saulter is unbound and has enough talent and imagination to power all ah we into the future. We discuss his vision for "Neo" Kingston, Jamaica in the year 2062 via his musical short for Sean Paul and Sia's "Dynamite." And we talk about what's next re his own lyricism following his 2021 link-up with the forward-thinking Jamaican music collective Equiknoxx. Of course, we do dip into history and politics in our conversation, but all in service of powering into the future. Listen and imagine. This is Jamaican futurism.
This episode features music from Equiknoxx's 2021 album Basic Tools Mixtape. Support Equiknoxx by streaming or buying their music. I also encourage listeners to visit Vevo / YouTube to stream Storm Saulter's musical short for "Dynamite" by Sean Paul featuring Sia. And check out Saulter's feature-length films Better Mus' Come (2011) and Sprinter (2018). And also check out the album short film for Shabazz Palaces' "Black Up" by Kahlil Joseph.
This is a conversation* with the Jamaican lover's rock singer Susan Cadogan. For many, her voice was made famous during the early 1970s by producer Lee Scratch Perry; but as you tune into the richness of this conversation she shares with me, you'll be able to hear another side of the record. In this episode and the next, I explore the depths of Susan Cadogan's memory so that listeners can really start to understand how this woman’s music career really has "Hurt So Good". I give thanks for the music heard in this episode: "On Ma Journey Now" by Lola Veronica Cadogan and "Do It Baby, AKA Nice and Easy" by Susan Cadogan/ Lee Scratch Perry.
*Note: This conversation with Susan Cadogan was recorded before the passing of my guest's father Rev. Dr. Claude Langton Cadogan on August 20, 2021 and before the passing of Lee 'Scratch' Perry on August 29, 2021.
I took a little hiatus to process and recharge. But now I'm baaaaaack! For Posterity is back with a new season that will, as always, tease your memory and pique your curiosity. Press play because it's time to begin again.
Voice Notes to Self (part 2): Just as the previous episode did, this episode is in response to the many news articles written about women during the pandemic and it is inspired by Jah9's song "Note to Self." This episode is here to intentionally record and amplify women's uncensored experiences over the last year. Women have been doing an unequal share of the work of caring for family members, schooling children, keeping house, and nursing patients back to health, all while appearing composed and full of grace. What a difficult facade to keep up all of the time. Recognizing this as a woman myself, I offer this episode as a space for women to be heard, for you to listen, and a space that will hopefully encourage you to check in on yourself and the women and girls that you love. This episode listens to women who have been navigating, coping, and surviving a global pandemic. As you listen to S3/ Ep5 and S3/ Ep4, please hear their voices with an open heart and find yourself amongst their stories.
Thank you to the women who shared their voice notes to self so publicly: Nicole Fields, Karen Thaxter-Nesbeth, Patricia V., Moji A., and Lizzy Brown. And thank you to the music makers whose songs have been my salve. Enjoy their songs on Spotify or wherever you stream music: Jah9 feat Chronixx "Note to Self", Alanna Stuart "Black Voices Matter", Jaz Elise "Good over Evil", Gavsborg "Domestic Termites Love Rock Music", and Sevana "Phone a Friend". All of the music featured on this episode was released between March 2020 and March 2021, year one of the coronavirus global pandemic. Listen deeply.
Please click here for more information about the collaborative partnerships made possible by Level Fields.
This episode celebrates the 1 year anniversary of Jah9’s third studio album Note to Self (March 2020). We discuss how Jah9 has grown from living in Tanzania for a year, we deconstruct race identity, she shares how she has continued to work on herself and how you can surrender to yourself via a Note to Self reboot that will be a Feel Good retreat hosted in Zanzibar this year (details at Jah9.com). We wrap-up with a chat about how the music of both East and West Africa are influencing the future of her musical sound. Don't miss this conversation. Join me #ForPosterity. You may stream Jah9’s music on all music platforms and watch her live performance at the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, virtual edition, on March 5, 2021. Details are available at jamaicajazzandblues.com and on their social media accounts. Music notes: "Hey You" from Jah9's Note to Self (2020). Reading notes: Vincent Carretta's Unchained Voices: An Anthology of Black Authors in the English-Speaking World of the Eighteenth Century (2003 is the updated edition).