One Road- Ariann Mieka

Note: I loved the discussion "On Being" had with Pico Iyer from which the above quote comes from.  Find the full interview at this link:  http://www.onbeing.org/program/pico-iyer-the-art-of-stillness/7615/audio?embed=1

Reggae Geel in Belgium is one of the oldest reggae music festivals in Europe, so we were very excited when we found out that Verse was going to be performing there in 2014. “It was my first season of being in festivals in Europe and to be included in the oldest reggae festival that attracted 60,000 people was just kinda surreal.” iTal said.  Travelling for about 2 hours from Antwerp Central to Geel by train we were met by our good friends from Culture Rock Soundsystem at the train station. We had some time before Verse needed to get to the venue so we went to the hotel to put down our bags and relax a bit. The hotel was just lovely. It was a quirky, old but well renovated space in the middle of the woods with very friendly and accommodating staff. Verse fell in love with the place immediately and if it wasn’t for his performance, a love that trumps all, we might have stayed there all day! A ferris wheel was set up in front of Antwerp Centraal Station so we decided to ...

I felt like we drove around the entire island. I was tagging along on a photoshoot for Xhosa the new Crop Over band and as we moved from location to location, I could not help but be enthralled by the beautiful landscape that unfolded around me. In the past, I always thought of Barbados , as the flat island with the crystal clear blue water, but in recent visits my eyes have been opened to the differing landscapes that this small island possesses. Dramatic rocky cliffs that plunge into the sea below, rough tumultuous water on the wide beaches of the East coast and gently rising hills that showcase breathtaking views of the coast in the distance or take you on a bumpy yet peace inducing drive through the country. For this crop over, the new Bajan band premieres with six sections led by LehWeGoSleek , Esquire Entertainment  (‪#‎XhosaCares‬), Punchy Punch , Richard Rollocks, SCORCH Bim and Roasted Entertainment . They are shaking things up as two of the section leaders are base...

In this Relive and Reveal, segment I am sharing a shoot I did in Tobago. Various parts of the Dutch soldier’s uniforms were spread all over the furniture of a family friends living room to air out. We were in Tobago for a shoot for the Citizens for Conservation calendar and we were lucky to have access to these costumes that were used previously for a documentary about Tobago . The Lighthouse on the grounds of Fort King George The shoot had been organized weeks in advance and our helpful liaison K had everything set for us when we arrived. After another shoot for the calendar in the morning, we were to arrive at Fort King George in the afternoon to meet four young school children and four members from the Tobago Cadets who were going to wear the Dutch soldiers outfits. The theme for the calendar was to promote our natural and built heritage sites and each shoot included people utilizing the spaces to highlight the fact that these spaces can be sustainably managed and ser...

The drumming, singing, and dancing were captivating. As I looked on I was totally engrossed in what I was witnessing and I felt like I was on a tour in another country when I was in fact only a stone’s throw away from Port of Spain! We were in Laventille to learn more about the Orisha religion for a project on East Port of Spain and the camera crew was dutifully filming three ladies who belong to the faith.   Several shrines of different colours were laid out in a row in one section within an open yard. They went to each shrine and told us about the deity they were built for, what offerings were usually given and a short sample of what songs might be sung in various ceremonies throughout the year. The singing was mesmerizing as their voices and the Yoruba derived lyrics they belted out pulsated a rhythmic vibration through the air. The ladies explain different aspects of the faith and answer questions The Yard with some of the shrines to the various Deities A tour ...