Category Archives: Caribbean

Brain drain. It is a phrase we, in the Caribbean region, are familiar with because every so often a big hullabaloo is made about the rate at which skilled persons are leaving the region to take advantage of better opportunities elsewhere.

The impetus for the most recent uproar was the release of the 2022 human flight and brain drain index by TheGlobalEconomy.com, in which Jamaica was ranked second among the 177 countries surveyed. In addition to Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana were ranked at 9th and 10th respectively.

The latest index has been receiving considerable visibility and is being widely discussed in many quarters. Policymakers have cited the findings and have been lamenting the impact of the brain drain and the need for Caribbean countries to aggressively address this issue. Areas such as education and nursing have been feeling the heat for several years, as thousands of teachers and nurses have been emigrating to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, which have been aggressively recruiting such expertise throughout the region to meet the demand in their respective home countries.

The brain drain is also being acutely felt in the tech space, as organizations are finding it difficult to find and keep skilled personnel. However, as challenging as it is to secure good talent at the organizational level, it could be argued that the brain drain offers some benefits to a country.

To that end, let me outline five reasons why Caribbean countries should not be embarrassed by the rate at which skilled persons are leaving their shores.

Human flight in Caribbean countries is not new. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, skilled and semi-skilled talent left British colonies to try to create a better life in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser degree, in the United States and Canada. We can go further back to the building of the Panama Canal in the early 1900s, when skilled workers from across the Caribbean relocated to take advantage of the available opportunities.

We must also acknowledge the internal migration that continues to occur in Caribbean countries, from rural to urban areas, that strains the infrastructure and resources in the main towns and cities.

Human flight in Caribbean countries is not new

To a considerable degree, this internal migration is driven by education. Students from the countryside graduate with skills and qualifications from which there are few or no jobs in the areas of expertise in their hometowns. Thus, they need to relocate to major towns and cities to access work opportunities and eventually become established and permanent residents there.

In striving to give our students a first-world education, we have ended up in a situation where, depending on the field, our countries have skilled persons who are overqualified for the local job market. For example, if a handful of people from a particular Caribbean country studied advanced robotics, neural networks or artificial intelligence research, that country may have only a few openings each year (if at all), which is insufficient to absorb all of those who may want jobs in these fields.

At the heart of this challenge is the uneasy tension that exists between the following: an individual being able to fulfill their purpose through their choice of profession; the opportunity to train and develop the requisite expertise either at home or abroad; and whether they will be able to find work at home that utilizes their expertise and allows them to make a decent living.

Coupled with the previous point is the fact that, although a country may need certain skills, the potential supply may exceed the demand and once again result in people being unemployed or under-employed.

In the tech space, we have people graduating with degrees in software engineering, electronic engineering or with advanced programming skills, but there are only a few vacancies in those areas relative to the size of the labor pool. There are considerably more vacancies for computer technicians or to work in the Management Information Systems (MIS) Department to main office computers and networks.

In striving to give our students a first-world education, we have ended up in a situation where our countries have skilled persons who are overqualified for the local job market

Although working as tech support in a MIS Department is a job, little or none of the skills an individual developed are being used in the position. Moreover, the compensation is likely to be modest, commensurate with the corporate view of such roles, which can affect a persons sense of professional fulfillment and self-worth.

Every year, high schools, colleges and universities churn out thousands of graduates who enter the labor pool without enough jobs available to satisfy the annual demand. If a country has 200 computer science graduates every year, for all of those graduates to be gainfully employed, either new openings for such skills need to be occurring or vacancies need to be created. Otherwise, people will leave.

In many instances, the latter attrition in the industry is the primary means by which talent is being absorbed from the labor pool. In other words, when people emigrate for work or to find better opportunities, it reduces some of the pressure on the country to create or find suitable jobs for all of its workers.

The Caribbean region has become an exporter of skilled labor

Creating a job is not easy. In order for certain types of jobs to exist over the long term, they have to be supported by an ecosystem and/or a growing industry for the business to remain viable. Creating new industries or growing new ones does not happen overnight, which means that skilled talent for such industries would need to wait for several years until the industry is sufficiently established to require their skills.

It is thus good that individuals are being proactive to find available opportunities from which they can benefit right away.

As much as we would like to avoid admitting to the fact, the Caribbean region has become an exporter of skilled labor. Our students and professionals are well-educated and hold their own among the best in the world, evidenced by the aggressive recruitment that has been happening in the region to fill positions in developed countries.

Although this phenomenon has been occurring for decades, it could be argued that Caribbean countries and the region as a whole have not sought to fully leverage it. Without a doubt, there are opportunities to be had by formalizing existing arrangements and practices with countries with a high demand for skilled labor, in order to have our countries benefit from the investment we have made in educating and building the capacity of our people and even from the resulting loss when they emigrate to those countries for the opportunities being offered there.

The above are just a few of the benefits of brain drain to the Caribbean region. Yes, we are losing talent that could build our countries, but we cannot properly and consistently absorb the volume of talent we are producing.

We also have a lot of work to do in developing cogent frameworks and plans to help guide the development of our countries, and create a broader range of options and opportunities to encourage more people to stay.

Read more here:

Five Reasons Why Brain Drain in the Caribbean Isnt Entirely Bad - Nearshore Americas

Taking a cruise offers passengers a chance at escape for a few days as they spend time at the pool, partake of a wide variety of foods, use exercise facilities or simply stare out across the ocean breathing the sea air.

But in a world where people are accustomed to being in constant and instant communication, the pleasure of being away has increasingly become a source of stress for many.

On land, theres a comfort in knowing that you can be in touch with whoever you need to be, whether its relatives, your dogs kennel, or important business connections.

But it's different when you're at sea.

More than 100 years ago, the newly launched Titanic offered its passengers wireless communication services. It is said that they proved so popular that important ice warnings were lost in the stacks of messages with ultimately tragic consequences.

Of course, ice isnt a problem for the vast majority of modern cruise ships, as they tend to stick close to warm and sunny areas of the globe.

But human beings being what they are, the demand for communications services at sea has only grown over the years.

Cruise lines have responded with various attempts to provide internet services.

Notably Royal Caribbean (RCL) has offered its Voom service as the "fastest internet at sea." As TheStreet.coms Managing Editor Daniel Kline noted earlier this year, that may be true, but it's a bit like saying this is the best middle school cafeteria pizza.

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Royal Caribbean has been offering two packages Voom Surf, for around $18 per day (it varies by ship and by voyage), basic email checking and text messaging and Voom Surf & Stream, for around $24 per day, which promises 24-hour access to emails, internet, and messaging apps as well as video streaming, and real-time social media and video calls.

But while those offerings promise a lot, they are hit or miss depending on factors like the location of the ship and how many passengers are using the service.

Earlier this year, however, Royal Caribbean launched a test on itsFreedom of the Seas ship of a new service that uses Elon Musks Starlink system of low-earth orbit satellites. At the time, Brandon from the Weekend Cruiser, said the service offered the promise of a six-fold increase in speeds, and virtually no dead zones.

It now appears that Royal Caribbean has completed its testing and has decided to move ahead rapidly with a full rollout of the service on all of its ships. This comes after the company won approval from the Federal Communications Commission last month to install the receivers on its ships.

In a press release Tuesday, the company said SapceXs broadband internet service will be installed on all Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises ships, along with all new vessels for each of the brands.

The company said it plans to begin deployment immediately, leveraging the insights obtained from the trial onboard Freedom of the Seas, which has received tremendous positive feedback from guests and crew.

Royal Caribbean said the installation is slated to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

In a statement, Jason Liberty, president and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Group, said"This technology will provide game-changing internet connectivity onboard our ships, enhancing the cruise experience for guests and crew alike. It will improve and enable more high-bandwidth activities like video streaming as well as activities like video calls. Liberty said the move is the biggest public deployment of Starlink's high-speed internet in the travel industry so far.

The company has yet to release any details on pricing and packages it plans to offer.

Read more:

Royal Caribbean Is Adding Something Really Big to Every Ship - TheStreet

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REGIONAL: 2022 ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) projects 2.7 per cent average economic growth in the region for 2022, a considerable setback from the regions robust economic recovery in 2021.

While growth projections for the region remain gloomy for 2022, ECLACs latest report presents a brighter economic outlook compared to early projections in April 2022, when regional growth was expected to be just 1.8 per cent after a rebound of nearly 7 per cent in 2021.

ECLAC forecasts that South America will grow by 2.6 per cent compared to 6.9 per cent in 2021, while Central America and Mexico will expand by 2.5 per cent in 2022 after growing 5.7 per cent last year. Meanwhile, ECLAC projects that the Caribbean the only subregion expected to grow at a faster rate compared to 2021 will experience a 4.7 per cent expansion in 2022 when excluding Guyana, whose economy is expected to grow by a whopping 52 per cent on the back of oil exploration. Haiti is the only country in the region projected to experience negative growth this year, with the island nation's gross domestic product expected to shrink by 0.2 per cent.

These modest growth projections place Latin America and the Caribbean among the lowest in the world, as limited dynamism in job creation, falling investment and growing social demands continue to stifle its postCOVID-19 economic recovery. The war in Ukraine is only compounding inflationary pressures already set in motion by the pandemic, generating a cost-of-living crisis that is driving up food and energy prices across the region, dealing yet another devastating blow to livelihoods and food security.

KEY FIGURES

2.7% AVERAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH EXPECTED FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN IN 2022

Source:

ECLAC

COLOMBIA: CONFINEMENT, DISPLACEMENT AND DISASTERS

In 2022, the humanitarian situation in Colombia continues to worsen as forced displacement and confinement continue to grow in areas where there is a presence, interference or measure of control being exercised by non-state armed groups (NSAGs), a situation aggravated by intensified climatic shocks across the country in recent months.

From January to July 2022, at least 220 emergencies triggered by displacement, confinement and disasters affected around 456,400 people, who required increased humanitarian assistance from partners of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). Although HCT partners have scaled-up multi-sectoral response activities, Local Coordination Teams in areas affected by multiple overlapping emergencies report that increasing humanitarian needs continue to outstrip response capacities, while the presence of NSAGs continues to create severe humanitarian access constraints.

Between January and July 2022, the number of families affected by massive displacement events increased by 25 per cent compared to the same period last year, with the south-eastern department of Nario accounting for nearly 40 per cent all victims of forced displacement in the country. Since 2021, more than 249,000 people have been forcibly displaced across Colombia, a figure that continues to rise unabated.

UN agencies and humanitarian partners are particularly concerned about some 59,800 people displaced since 2021, who have been unable to return to their places of origin due to persistent insecurity in areas with a permanent presence of NSAGs. So far in 2022, at least 6,400 children have been forcibly displaced, exposing them to protection risks, including genderbased and sexual violence, school dropout and deprivations of basic needs in food, health and shelter.

Alongside the rise in forced displacement between January and July, the number of people affected by forced confinement has also risen by a staggering 74 per cent compared to the same period in 2021, with around 77 per cent of the people affected by forced confinement located in the north-eastern department of Choc.More than 70 per cent of victims of forced confinement belong to ethnic communities, with indigenous and afro-descendent communities suffering from restrictions on traditional livelihood activities and intimidation of unaccompanied women and girls.

Since June, the La Nia-driven rainy season has significantly intensified, triggering large-scale flooding and landslides across the countrys 32 departments, further complicating an already-complex humanitarian situation. As of August 2022, at least 343,800 people have been affected by natural hazard-related disasters, with higher levels of impact and needs projected in the coming weeks and months as intense rains are likely to persist in certain areas. The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies warns that there is a 64 per cent chance that La Nia will continue through September, particularly affecting the Andean and Caribbean regions of the country.

KEY FIGURES

456.4K AFFECTED BY CONFINEMENT, DISPLACEMENT AND DISASTERS BETWEEN JANUARY AND JULY 2022

249.1K+ PEOPLE FORCIBLY DISPLACED IN COLOMBIA SINCE 2021

74% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY FORCED CONFINEMENT (JANUARY-JULY 2022) COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 2021

Sources:

Colombia Humanitarian Country Team Monitor-OCHA Colombia Special Administrative Unit of Attention and Reparation for Victims (UARIV, for its acronym in Spanish)

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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (22-28 August 2022) as of 29 August 2022 - World - ReliefWeb

The long awaited full-fledged Boston Caribbean Festival including the Jouvert and Carnival Parade returned Saturday after a two year hiatus. Celebrating its 49th anniversary, the festivities did not disappoint with thousands gathering to celebrate starting around 02:00 hours Saturday morning and lasting late into the following night. But the darker side of the Caribbean Festival also returned with numerous shootings, stabbings and other incidents occurring throughout the celebration. Boston Police confirmed that there were at least four separate incidents of people shot during the celebration as well as at least two people stabbed and numerous calls for large fights.

The Caribbean Festival has long been associated not only with brightly colored costumes, soca music, entertainers, vendors, dancing, but also with bloodshed and loss of life. Last year, 17-year-old Javare Sommerville was stabbed to death during the Jouvert at the intersection of Blue Hill Ave and Columbia Road. The year prior in 2020 during an unsanctioned and unofficial Caribbean festival, which the city had canceled due to Covid, a man was shot multiple times in the same area of Blue Hill Ave and Columbia Road.

On Aug. 24, 2019, two men exchanged gunfire in plain view of officers at Bostons Jouvert Parade. Police arrested Michael Warner, 34, of Hyde Park and Atunbi Bryan, 27, of Brockton in Dorchester in connection with the shooting. In 2017, two men were shot one in the foot, the other in the leg at the Cambridge Caribbean Carnival. On Aug. 23, 2014, Dawnn Jaffier, 26, was shot in the head when she was caught in the crossfire of two rivals with gang ties at the Jouvert Parade in Boston. In December 2017, Keith Williams, 21, and Wesson Colas, 25, were convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the youth mentors killing.

In 2010, three parade watchers were shot, one of them fatally, in connection with the Boston Caribbean Carnival. In 2008, a man police believed to be attending the carnival was found stabbed to death in a Dorchester park. In 2007, four people were stabbed as they attended festival-related events. On Aug. 25, 2001, Darryl Green, 28, and Branden Morris, 24, were accused of fatally shooting Terrell Gethers at Bostons annual Caribbean Carnival. They were indicted on first-degree murder charges by a Suffolk County grand jury in June 2006. In 1993, seven people were shot during the carnival. Police blamed feuding gangs. This pattern of violence did not end this year either. Below is the full breakdown of the bloody days events

Right as the Jouvert began to move off Talbot Ave towards Blue Hill Ave Officers in the midst of the chaos reported hearing multiple shots ring out as the crowd quickly began to scatter in all directions. Officers attempted to ID who the shooter was but in the thick, drunken and chaotic crowd, they were unable to do so. Soon officers were told that a person had actually been shot in the crowd. As they searched for a victim, officers were informed that someone was driving the victim to the hospital in their own car, a dangerously dumb and risky move.

Officers followed the vehicle from the festival location through Dorchester, into Roxbury and eventually to Methadone Mile where the woman driving then finally stopped the car in the driveway of Boston EMS, less than a minute away from the hospital. Boston EMTs transported the man who was shot in the left arm/shoulder to Boston Medical Center and he is expected to make a full recovery.

It is unclear why the woman did not yield to police, pull over, or stop when officers caught up to her; however, she is lucky to not have caused a serious accident with her reckless and troubling behavior. On her race to the hospital she almost caused multiple accidents, one of which was when she almost hit our own photographers parked car. The mans injuries were described as non-life-threatening, it is unknown at this time if the woman will face charges for her negligent and reckless operation of a vehicle. At this time, no arrests have been made.

Just as the Jouvert came to a close at the top of Blue Hill near the Franklin Park Zoo, Boston Police Officers and Boston EMS responded to the area of 10 Monponsett Street in Hyde Park for the reported person stabbed. The victim was found by officers stabbed at least once with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Boston EMS transported the man to a local area hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Detectives investigating the incident confirmed that the stabbing actually had occurred during a fight at Jouvert in the area of Blue Hill Ave and American Legion Highway. The victim had been attacked by a group of people who were also attending the celebration and eventually the man was stabbed before he was able to flee the area on foot. No arrests have been made at this time.

Right as the Carnival Parade began to prepare to step off, Boston Police Operations received a call from the Carney Hospital that a patient had just self presented with injuries consistent with a stabbing. Emergency Department Staff worked quickly to stabilize the victim who is now expected to make a full recovery. The victim told officers who responded to the hospital that the incident had taken place while participating in the celebratory festivities in the area of Talbot Ave. At this time, no arrests have been made.

A little more than an hour later, another person self presented to the Carney Hospital, this time with injuries consistent with a shooting. Yet again, the doctors and nurses quickly stabilized the gunshot victim, who is now expected to survive. Detectives and officers responded to the hospital and the victim told them the same as the victim an hour earlier, that they were shot while participating in the Caribbean Festival activities in the area of Franklin Field and Talbot Ave. Again, no arrests have been made in relation to this incident.

Shortly after 15:00 hours, Boston Police Officers from District B-2 and E-13 responded to the area of Columbus Ave and Academy Road for reports of shots fired near where a Carnival block party was occuring. On arrival, officers were directed to the area of Weaver Court inside of the Academy Housing Project to help an adult male who had been shot at least once. Officers immediately rendered aid to the man who appeared to have been shot in the abdomen.

Boston EMS quickly arrived on scene and stabilized the man before transporting him to a local area hospital. Detectives were called to the scene and began investigating the incident. According to sources close to the investigation, the shooting appears to be gang related. Additionally, the incident was captured on camera with the footage clearly showing the suspect commit the act and then flee, possibly onto an MBTA bus which also has a security camera. No arrests have been made at this time; however, we expect an arrest will be made sooner rather than later. No further information is available on this incident.

Boston Police said the shooting happened at about 17:40 hours Saturday in the area of 970 Blue Hill Ave at the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Westview and Stratton streets next to the Franklin Field Housing Projects. The victim, a 31-year-old man, was found in a car which was parked in the Las Americas Market. According to law enforcement sources, the man and a group of others had been celebrating since the early morning in the same lot.

When officers arrived, they found the man critically injured and immediately began to render aid. Boston EMTs and Paramedics then tried to save the mans life while transporting him to a local area trauma center; however, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said an officer was in the area when the shooting happened and was able to get a suspect and vehicle description however he was unable to stop the suspect before they fled. A crashed car was found nearby on Hansborough Street; however, police have not confirmed that it was involved. In addition to the officers observations, sources close to the investigation tell us that the entire murder was caught on police and store surveillance cameras in the area. At this time no further information is available and no arrests have been made.

Community members wishing to assist in any of these investigations are strongly urged to contact the Boston Police Department. It can be done anonymously by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to assist this investigation in an anonymous manner.

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One Dead, Multiple Injured Annual Caribbean Festival Yet Again Brings Violence and Bloodshed to Boston - Live Boston

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) August 29, 2022

26th August 2022: Island Wave is a platform dedicated to bringing music of the Caribbean to the forefront of the international music scene and it did just that with its sensational recent showcase at this years SXSW.

Watch The Show Here

Now The Official Stage of Caribbean Music at SXSW, this year for the first time ever Island Wave successfully transported 31 Caribbean nationals to Austin Texas.

On Friday 18th March industry professionals attending SXSW flocked to The Flamingo Cantina as Master of Ceremony Ras Kwame (Reggae Recipe / CapitalXtra Radio) took to the stage to introduce and champion the most talked about names across the Caribbean. Performances by Kalpee, Nailah Blackman, Tessellated, Jimmy October, Freetown Collective and Jaz Elise, saw the venues doors open to its biggest crowd yet, as the energy levels flowed and overspilled out of its doors.

I was truly honoured to host Island Wave this year, with my passion for Caribbean & UK music, arts and culture, this is a platform inspired by the dedicated fans of the music worldwide and for the artists that I support. - Ras Kwame

The post event buzz being received is overwhelmingly positive with SXSW and Island Wave proudly announcing the continuation of Island Wave @ SXSW 2023 March 17th and beyond.

This was the busiest night of the festival that the Flamingo Cantina has seen in a long while. What a fun and important event to have, we are proud to have hosted the very first official Caribbean stage. - Flamingo Cantina Angela Tharp

Island Wave endeavor to create opportunities for Caribbean heritage music to belong and be performed globally at established internationally events. It makes way for Caribbean participation at events that would not usually cater for Caribbean music by being able to fill sections or entire shows and through its travels also looks to educate and start to address current problems such as lack ofservices and support within the West Indies.

Having just opened submissions for next years 2023 stage line up, Island Wave are working hard to spread the word that these opportunities now exist for Caribbean artist too. Sadly, last year due to lack of exposure and funding for Caribbean artist to travel internationally, only 3 artists from across the Islands applied to perform directly through SXSW.

The platform has 3 pillars of activation:Commercial Events, Creative Industries and Community Outreach.

It provides the opportunity for artist to participate at both commercial festivals, where artists are paid to perform, and creative industry festivals such as SXSW and Music Matters Singapore which are unpaid, but which offer artists the opportunity to be seen by industry professionals and network for further opportunities.

Additionally, Community-led Island Wave also has other development initiatives that include a tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) tour in the USA which touches upon the Heritage and Culture of Caribbean music, the impact of positive music on mental health and Mental Health Awareness especially mens Mental Health within the Caribbean communities.

Island Wave has grown so much in the past 18 months, garnering major press and support from international publications including Notion Magazine and Clash.

The recent Mens Mental Health Campaign was supported by Grammy Award Winning Artist and Producers Walshy Fire and IzyBeats, (Koffee) Oritse Williams Founding member of UK group JLS, Popeye Caution, Freetown Collective, Colombian Afro-Latin group High Connection, Haitian singer J- Perry and Jamaican dancehall artists king Bling-Dawg and Vyzadon.

Pioneered by rising artist Kalpee who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, first of its kind Island Wave is now not only the official home to Caribbean music at SXSW, but also the first home of New Calypso a genre being pushed by Trinbagonian musicians as a way to identify their musical heritage, which they proudly carry forward.

Tanya Lawson, Director of Caribbean and Gospel at Audiomack says, Audiomack is about moving music forward and were excited to be a part of Island Waves showcase to assist with the new and excited talent coming out of the Islands.

Kalpee says, I am so very appreciative of all the experiences I have been blessed with, in being able to travel internationally as part of my musical career. Through my travels I came to understand that what is lacking in the West Indies, is structure and resources into the creative arts for us to compete with the rest of the world. This is how 'Island Wave' came to be, as I realised that by coming together to represent Caribbean music with my peers, we can showcase our heritage, musical genres and individuality. In recognising the importance of having a venue and stage which represents music from the West Indies, SXSW has given Caribbean Music an international platform to showcase on and we are beyond grateful for their support and continued support in committing to Island Wave 2022,23,24 and beyond.

Supported by Music TT and the Jamaican Tourist Board to help bring Island Wave to SXSW and with their commitment to continue pushing the stage forward, Island Wave will be looking to work with other government entities across the Caribbean so that 2023 can bring more colour and musical culture to the stage.

The Island Wave vibe is clearly the energy, colour and movement of the Caribbean Music. The experience was one that felt the eclectic vibes of fusion that covers several genres and influences, but all assembling and 'salad bowling' at the junction of unity, the one Caribbean theme. Definitely a mark date for 2023 for everyone. - John Arnold, Chairman Trinidad and Tobago Music Company Ltd. (MusicTT)

The Jamaica Tourist Board was pleased to support our Jamaican talent showcasing at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1987, SXSW has emerged as the premier destination for creatives across the globe and to have Jamaica represented with our colors flying high was an honor. We commend Island Wave for affording our Jamaican talent the opportunity to showcase at SXSW and look forward to supporting our artists at next years festival. - Donnie Dawson, Deputy Director of the Americas, Jamaica Tourist Board

Submissions to join Island Wave 2023 and play at events such as SXSW Texas, Music Matters Singapore and more are now open.

Please email submissions@izaislandwave.com if interested with the following information:

Application close 30th Oct.

Make sure yuh come vibe with us, Cuz yuh kno it gwan be ah Island Wave!

ISLAND WAVE BACKGROUND Still in its infancy, the Island Wave mission is to secure performance opportunities and funding to power the stage to help bridge the gap between the international music markets and the Caribbean Diaspora.

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GIRLS I RATE / GIRLS I RATE CARIBBEAN In support of gender equality Island Wave are proudly affiliated with Girls I Rate and continuously endeavour to have equal opportunities for under-represented genders in their programming and staffing where possible. Founder of Girls I Rate, Carla Marie Willams says: "Being of Jamaican heritage, it's important for me to push for increased visibility and equality for women across the Caribbean islands - bridging the gap between the UK and Caribbean diaspora, while increasing cultural experiences and opportunities within music for black women globally"

ABOUT MUSICTT: The Trinidad and Tobago Music Company Limited (MusicTT) was established in 2014 with the mandate to stimulate and facilitate the business development and export activity of the music industry in Trinidad and Tobago to generate national wealth. As a subsidiary of Trinidad and Tobago Creative Industries Company Limited (CreativeTT), MusicTT provides industry-wide strategic direction and action plans toward the development of the music industry as well as guidance and access to music education and capacity development, especially in the business and monetization of local music and protection of the same.

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PRESS: jess@dstnct.spaceALL OTHER ENQUIRIES: MissV@izaislandwave.com

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Island Wave "The Official SXSW Caribbean Stage" Open Submissions for Caribbean Artist to Join the 2023 Line up - PR Web

In a first for Royal Caribbean International as the Rhapsody of the Seas recently started homeport operations in Israel.

As part of its summer program in the Mediterranean, the Vision-Class vessel is now offering a series of cruises from the Port of Haifa.

Extending through late October, the schedule includes three- to eight-night itineraries visiting the Greek Islands, Israel and Cyprus.

The cruises are highlighted by late departures from Piraeus and Santorini.

Other ports of call being visited by the 2,000-guest ship during the season include Mykonos, Rhodes, Limassol and Ashdod.

Before returning to the Caribbean in November, the Rhapsody also offers an eight-night repositioning cruise departing from Haifa. Sailing to Barcelona, the voyage includes visits to five ports of call in Greece, Italy, France and Spain.

The 1997-built vessel is set to return for a second season in the region in 2023.

With two- to eight-night cruises, the program will extend from late August to early November and also includes itineraries to Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

Before arriving in Haifa for its homeporting season, the Rhapsody is visiting Israel on transit calls as well.

Based in Limassol from May to July, the vessel will visit both Haifa and Ashdod on a regular basis. The arrivals are part of itineraries that also include stops in Egypt, Turkey and Greece.

Royal Caribbean originally planned to launch homeport operations in Israel in 2021. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced plans to base the new Odyssey of the Seas in Haifa for the summer season.

A few weeks before the start of the operation, however, the entire season ended up cancelled.

Citing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Royal Caribbean redeployed the ship to Florida where it launched service in July 2021.

More here:

Royal Caribbean Starts Homeport Operations in Israel - Cruise Industry News

In an interview with Collider, the director claimed that Zimmer's reaction to his pitch was a by-product of the admittedly crazy nature of the project:

"I would say that Pirates 1 had an energy to it, which was essentially, 'you're crazy'. I remember pitching it to [Hans] Zimmer and he said, 'You're mad! You're making a pirate movie? Nobody's going to see a pirate movie.' It was resoundingly, 'that's the worst idea ever.'"

Naturally, Zimmer went on to compose the next three films of the franchise. No matter how doubtful he was, even Zimmer sensed something special was in the works. It's true pirate movies were not all the rage and it was a safe bet that "Pirates of the Caribbean" would crash and burn. But the risk was a part of the attraction. Verbinski continued: "And there was something exciting about that. It was so doomed to fail ... there's so much historical proof that it will not work." Even if they had failed, "Pirates of the Caribbean" would have at least tried something different in a genre that was declining in popularity.

Of course, Verbinski's plan to subvert expectations and spend (a lot) of Disney's money for a zany pirate adventure paid off in spades. That uneasy feeling of treading new ground allowed the first film to be unconventional, even if it meant the sequels would have to follow that blueprint.

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Why Hans Zimmer Thought Pirates Of The Caribbean Was The 'Worst Idea Ever' - /Film

Ahoy, mateys! Last month we spied this detailed Pirates of the Caribbean Loungefly mini-backpack was spotted at the Disneyland Resort, and now it finally has made shore at Walt Disney World! And if you wish to add this to your buried treasure, make sail for the World of Disney Store at Disney Springs!

This Loungefly depicts a scene famous to the films and attractions alike. The jail dog is positioned outside the cell with the key in his mouth, unperturbed by the men trying to lure the dog their way.

The key is gold and dangles from the dogs mouth, while a bone hangs from a pirates hand, trying to trade. The gold key matches the top of the Pirates of the Caribbean logo and the skull and crossbones plaque on top of the backpack.

The cream colored backpack has two red-lined side pockets. The zipper is gold to match the details of the Loungefly.

There is a Disney Parks x Loungefly metal tag on one of the side pockets.

The back and the straps are red with gold buckles, sticking to the nautical theme.

The interior lining features a skull with a pirate hat and crossed swords as well as a key.

Let us know what you think of this backpack in the comments below!

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today onTwitter,Facebook, andInstagram.

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New Pirates of the Caribbean Loungefly Mini-Backpack Sails Into Walt Disney World - WDW News Today

Pirates of the Caribbean has become such a successful movie franchise, so much so that even those who have not watched the movies are familiar with its lead character, Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp). Based on the theme park ride, the first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, was released in 2003, with sequels released in 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2017. Now, fans are wondering when the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie will be released in theaters, and if it will ever arrive on Disney Plus.

Disney originally announced Pirates of the Caribbean 6 in 2018. However, the team behind the highly-anticipated sequel hasn't shared much details about the movie. Based on rumors of the cast, Disney seems to be creating a female-led Pirates film. Fans are also wondering if Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Jack Sparrow. Despite the actor saying that it will take "a million alpacas" to get him to play the swashbuckling pirate, fans seem to want him to return to the movie franchise anyway.

You can check out the latest release date updates for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 below.

Since Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is not scheduled to release in theaters in 2022, it will not be released on Disney+ this year. Disney hasn't officially announced if the sixth installment will arrive on its streaming platform, but since it's produced by them, there's a good chance that it will be available to stream months after its theatrical release.

Epicstream will update you here once Disney officially confirms its Disney+ arrival. For now, you can check the list of movies and TV shows coming to Disney+ in September 2022.

Now that we know Pirates of the Caribbean Season 6 is coming, one of the biggest questions about the film is: "When is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 coming?" While Disney hasn't provided an official release date for the sixth installment, we can make a prediction.

Since there are no recent production updates about Pirates of the Caribbean 6, it's likely that it will be released sometime in 2024, at the earliest.

Follow our Disney Rocks My World page on Facebook to get notified with the latest updates for Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

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Is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Coming to Disney Plus in 2022? - EpicStream

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring two areas, one is a disturbance poised to enter the Caribbean.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, its odds of developing further held steady at 20% over the next five days. Though, according to the National Hurricane Center, conditions could become more favorable for development this weekend or early next week as it moves through the central and western Caribbean.

It is producing disorganized thunderstorms as it moves at 15 mph early Thursday.

Currently, it is expected to stay well south of South Florida as it moves west.

A second area of interest has emerged off the African coast and is expected to move west at 10 to 15 mph. As of early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center had given it a 10% chance of developing in the next 48 hours and a 20% chance in the next five days.

It my also slowly develop this week or over the weekend.

This could end up being just the third August since 1961 there hasnt been a tropical storm in the Atlantic, according to AccuWeather.

There have only been three named storms so far this season Alex, Bonnie and Colin with the last one, Colin, dissipating on July 3, meaning this more than 50-day streak is the third-longest time in Atlantic hurricane history without a named storm since 1995.

The next named storm will be Danielle.

The longest dry spell since 1995 has been 61 days, from June 18 through Aug. 18 in 1999. However, that two-month run of inactivity was followed by a frenetic conclusion of the hurricane season that featured five Category 4 storms (Bret, Cindy, Floyd, Gert and Lenny) and the drenching Category 2 Irene, which achieved a rarity, with its eye passing over Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in mid-October.

Forecasters say dry air, Saharan dust and wind shear have been among the reasons there havent been more storms this year.

The most active part of hurricane season is from now, mid-August, until the end of October, with Sept. 10 the statistical peak of the season.

The last Atlantic hurricane was Sam, which became a hurricane Sept. 24 and maintained that status until Oct. 5 as it cut a path between the United States and Bermuda.

Of the three named storms so far this season, only Alex made its presence known in South Florida by dumping as much as 12 inches of rain in some areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its updated hurricane season predictions earlier this month.

NOAA predicts 14 to 20 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes with three to five being major, meaning Category 3 or higher.

Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.

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A disturbance entering the Caribbean has potential to develop this weekend, forecasters say - The Spokesman Review