One Road- Ariann Mieka

Under the night sky I danced excitedly to a soca set that the DJ was playing. Sand was under my feet and the ocean breeze blew softly passed me. While it sounds like I was partying on one of my favorite beaches in Tobago I was far from the island and from the way the day started I would have never thought I would have felt like I was right at home by the end of the night! That morning, a white sheet blanketed the sky as we explored the town. We were back in Belgium in a town called Oostende . This town, with its North Sea coastline, is popular for those looking to get away for even just a day trip and reap the benefits of resting at the seaside, soaking up the rays and enjoying a respite from city life. Verse was going to be performing at a festival called “Kingston Beach” and as I stuffed my scarf into my handbag I figured it wasn’t going to be the kind of beach party this Caribbean lady was used to. As we headed to the gig the weather was still very overcast and a chill hung i...

As I bit into the vegetable roti , I knew it was going to be an amazing weekend! This Roti tasted authentic and as L informed us, it kinda was the real deal as this particular roti shop, Roopram Roti Restaurant, had a branch in Trinidad! There was even a branch where we lived in Den Haag, which I pondered happily as I chomped down on the flavourful treat! Verse iTal and I were currently in Amsterdam as he had two gigs there that weekend. L & D graciously offered to let us stay at their home and the roti’s L bought for us was just the beginning of their amazing hospitality. We ate quickly and headed down to “ Debalie ” where Yard Vibes was hosting a screening of a Jamaican film followed by an after party where Verse was set to perform. The event went well and we really enjoyed the documentary “ Journey to Jah ”, featuring reggae stars Gentleman and Alborosie .   Verse performed six tunes, which included his new song “ Want No Part .” The crowd enjoyed the songs ...

I shot this video for Trinidadian reggae singer Verse iTal for his new song "Want No Part". The video was edited by Culture Rock Records. The tune will be available for download on June 6th 2014, from iTunes. Enjoy!

Reggae and Sushi may not be a popular combo but as it turns out it makes for an amazing Sunday afternoon! When Verse told me about this event during the week I was extremely curious. All I knew was that he was performing and there was going to be a Japanese chef whipping up some sushi goodness. As we got off the train in Amsterdam that Sunday afternoon, the adventure began right away as we had to find the ferry that would carry us across the river to the location in Amsterdam Noord (North). I guess in all my trips to Amsterdam, I had never exited the train station through this side as I didn’t even realize there was a river behind the station, let alone more land to travel by ferry to! When the ferry arrived a mass of passengers in a huge clump walked and rode off on their bikes and motorcycles. Everyone seemed to be in a big hurry. An equally sized mass of passengers walked and rode on in a similar fashion. I moved along, among the clump, giggling to myself, as I had no id...

I couldn’t ask for a better way to bring in my 30 th birthday than a trip to Cyprus. I always try to celebrate another year of life by doing something special and since 30 is a landmark birthday I wanted to do something big to commemorate the milestone! I didn’t know anything about this island but I fell in love and got excited about the different landscapes, a new favorite local wine called Commandaria and the ever-present reminder of their multifaceted history. Most of the people we encountered were friendly except for the few older rude ladies who gave Verse discerning looks. (Had they never seen a Rastafarian before and more importantly did they miss the day in school when they spoke about not staring at people?) All in all it was a wonderful trip and the next time I visit I have to go over to the Turkish side of the island. I must say a huge thank you to Verse for accompanying me and making the trip extra special! Here are a few images that I took around Cy...