Is me Dulce-me. How yu do? Mi ‘ear say Sean “P Diddy” Coombs prefers his ladies to have a Brazilian wax so it’s easier to please them in the bedroom. Even though I am very well educated, this one was still puzzling, so I asked Gladys why does he need a Brazilian to wax his bedroom floor before he brings the ladies there, why can’t he get a Jamaican, or a Trini?

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Mi ‘ear say, the white rapper Eminem is divorcing his wife and she doesn’t know why. Now wait a minute, based on my education no man leaves you without a reason. Kim wake up, he either has another woman, don’t love you no more or simply don’t find you attractive any more. Pick one!! This is no puzzle?

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Authentic Jamaican roots, pianist Monty Alexander presented a new cd called, CONCRETE JUNGLE, in New York on Monday, April 24. In the summer of 2005, Monty Alexander traveled to Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, with a crew of highly talented U.S. musicians and teamed up with Jamaican top session players to record the brilliant follow up to his 1999 Telarc release Stir It Up - an album that combined acoustic jazz and Jamaican reggae rhythm sections to interpret the music of the great Bob Marley. Concrete Jungle is a set of twelve compositions penned by Bob Marley and reinterpreted via Alexander’s jazz piano-oriented arrangements. The resulting union of musical sensibilities digs even deeper into the Marley legend.  In the past decade alone, Alexander has maintained an especially busy schedule with multiple projects spanning multiple genres and styles. In 1991, he assisted Natalie Cole in crafting a tribute album to her father, Nat “King” Cole (the album, Unforgettable, won seven Grammy awards). In 1993, he had performed at Carnegie Hall in a tribute to the great jazz pianist Erroll Garner; just to name a few of Monty’s projects. CONCRETE JUNGLE is a must for every one. Check it out at Monty’ website www.montyalexander.com

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WHAT A weekend I had!  For all those who read last week’s news, I reported that the Red Hot Flames would be in town Friday night for a free performance.  Unfortunately, the venue wasn’t announced until mid-week.  Well, it appears word gets around, because Miami’s Roman Pub was packed with fans waiting to see Flames.  Ram Jam United had promised to bring the band back given the fact they didn’t get a chance to perform at last month’s event.  Ram Jam didn’t disappoint, and the Red Hot Flames did a good set of past and present tunes.  I was delighted to hear, “Workey Workey,” “Tout Moon Dance,” “All Is Yours,” “Morning Noon & Night,” “Strings,” “Pong & Chant,” and one of my all-time favorites, “Gym Jam.”  There were plenty other big tunes such as, “Swingin’ Engine,” and “I Command You,” which were also performed. 

ACTOR BOY AWARDS honors Jamaica’s first lady of the stage, Leonie Forbes for her lasting legacy to the world of theatre with a special Actor Boy Award at the Little Theatre last week. The Jamaican theatre gala event recognizes the previous year’s outstanding works and individual performances in a number of categories, such as, The Jamaica Musical Theatre Company (JMTC) production, The Wiz, which dominated the awards by winning seven statuettes of its ten nominations, Technical, Best Set Design, Lighting and Special Effects topping the list as Best Production, Musical, Choreography and Costuming. Other multiple nominees included Karl Williams The Black That I Am, garnering four awards including Best Drama and Best New Jamaican Play and Aston Cooke's Jamaica 2 Rahtid which won Best Revue, Best Comedy, Original Song (Jamaica 2 Rahtid) and Original Score. After the Actor Boy Gala, everyone headed to the Barn Theater for ‘One Rahtid Party’, as the cast and production personnel of Jamaica 2 Rahtid celebrated their 150^th performance and success with members of the theatre fraternity. Congratulations “2 Rahtid”!!!
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Celebrated Jamaican actor/comedian Charles Hyatt is slated for two dates of stand up comedy on April 22, and 23.

Hyatt’s storytelling and unmatched ability to entertain have placed him in the homes and hearts of Jamaicans at home and abroad. His comic prowess and penchant for the theatrical is aptly captured in his novel, “When me was a boy” which has won audiences from its first publication in 1989 bringing them back into an era when ‘pickney’ respected their elders and Christmas morning called for new shoes and Sunday best.

Hyatt’s debut film was “A High Wind in Jamaica” in 1965, then appeared in “Club Paradise” in 1986, “The Mighty Quinn” in 1989 and “Cool Runnings” in 1993.