The Multinational Identities & Impact of Caribbean Icons

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Have you ever considered how the people we associate with one Caribbean island might actually hail from another, and how these stories of migration shape identities? Join me as we uncover the intriguing tales of Caribbean icons and their unexpected island origins. This episode of Strictly Facts takes you on a journey through the intertwined histories of the Caribbean, starting with Grenadian leaders Sir Eric Gairy and Maurice Bishop, whose roots stretch to Aruba, and extending to cultural figures like Rita Marley and the Mighty Sparrow, who have left indelible marks across multiple islands.

Immerse yourself in narratives that reveal the profound interconnectedness of the Caribbean region. Discover how Jamaican theater stalwart Randolph Williams began his life in Panama, and learn about Trinidadian model Sintra Bronte's surprising rise to become the face of Jamaican tourism. These stories highlight the fluidity of Caribbean identity and the vibrant cultural tapestry woven from movements across the islands. Tune in for a riveting exploration that reshapes our understanding of heritage, migration, and cultural influence throughout the Caribbean.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean
history and culture hosted by me, alexandria Miller.
Strictly Facts teaches thehistory, politics and activism
of the Caribbean and connectsthese themes to contemporary
music and popular culture.
Hello, hello everyone.

(00:29):
I'm Alexandria, your host ofStrictly Facts, a guide to
Caribbean history and culture.
Back again to celebrate moreCaribbean history with you on
this fabulous Strictly FactsWednesday.
Our most recent episode on Arubadid a great job of bridging and
connecting our boundaries andour movements and how they
impact our histories things likeour names to how we identify or
even how people identify us,especially when we spoke about

(00:53):
political leaders like PrimeMinister of Grenada, sir Eric
Gehry, who was born in Grenadaand moved to Aruba for several
years to work in an oil refinery, moved to Aruba for several
years to work in an oil refinery, as well as his successor, new
Jewel Movement leader andstaunch Marxist, maurice Bishop,

(01:14):
who was actually born in Arubaafter his Grenadian parents
moved there to work in Aruba'soil refinery and returned to
Grenada when he was six yearsold.
It led me to thinking about howmuch circumstances play a role
in identity and the myriad otherways we could talk about
migrations and movement from theperspective of solely being in

(01:35):
the region, and, of course, thisled me down the rabbit hole of
thinking about what other famousCaribbean people were born on
the islands different from theones we traditionally connect
them to, and, of course, on theislands different from the ones
we traditionally connect them to, and, of course, how the close
proximity between the islandsallows for these movements.
So, without further ado, addingto this list in addition to

(01:57):
Bishop and Gary, first I willtalk about Rita Marley,
noteworthy singer, songwriter,staunch businesswoman and
philanthropist, and the widow ofBob Marley, who was actually
born in Santiago de Cuba, inCuba, in 1946.
Briefly talks about theexperiences, saying that her

(02:26):
mother was Cuban and that shewas raised briefly by her Cuban
maternal grandmother until herfather decided all his children
should live together with him,thus relocating Rita and her
brother to Jamaica's musiccapital, trenchtown, to live
with him and her aunt.
Second on the list may surprisesome of our Calypso lovers on
the show.
The Calypso king of the worldhimself, slinger Francisco,

(02:49):
otherwise known as MightySparrow, was actually born in
Grenada in 1935.
He moved a year later with hismother to Trinidad and it would
be shortly thereafter, at age 14, that he would go on to join a
steel pen band until he got hisbig break five years later,
performing as a carnival singerfor the very first time in 1954.

(03:12):
And, as we know it, the rest ishistory.
Next, for any of ourkingstonians tuning into the
show who may have attendedevents at the ronnie williams
entertainmentono, randolphWilliams, otherwise known as
Masran, was an infamous comedian, dramatist and truly a titan of

(03:32):
Jamaican theater.
Among some of hisaccomplishments include being
selected by fellow Jamaicanactivist, marcus Garvey, to be
part of an entertainment group,writing and starring in national
pantomime productions andhosting the Lou and Ronnie show
with one of my personalfavorites, louise Miss Lou

(03:52):
Bennett Coverley, on theJamaican Broadcasting
Corporation's radio show.
Williams was actually born inCologne, panama, in 1912, to
Jamaican parents who returned toJamaica with him when he was
six years old, and while muchisn't known about his parents
necessarily, I did wonder if hisparents moved to Panama to help

(04:13):
build the canal which, as wedefinitely know from earlier
episodes, was very popular atthe time.
Next, for anybody who might befamiliar with 70s Jamaican
tourist board posters and thingsof that sort, I know there were
certainly versions of thisposter in my family members'
houses growing up.
Still Trinidadian model andentrepreneur Citra Bronte, who

(04:37):
in 1972, just happened to be atthe right place at the right
time, when the Jamaican touristboard was hosting a model
casting call for their upcomingmarketing campaign at the
Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, whereBronte happened to be staying
at the time.
Ironically, you know, given hertrinity roots, bronte is the
woman behind the iconic touristboard poster that year, emerging

(05:01):
out of the water in a veryclingy and close-fitting red
t-shirt that says Jamaica acrossher chest.
And so, again, I think that'sone that definitely surprises
people because is an iconicposter, symbolic of Jamaica,
jamaican travel, especially atthe time.
But it's actually a Trinidadianwoman behind the poster, and so

(05:23):
so you know.
Of course our list couldcontinue from here.
I will turn it over to you,lovely members of the Strictly
Facts family, to let me know whoare some of your favorite folks
, born in one part of the regionbut highly recognized for their
achievements and contributionson another island or nation.
Do let me know in DMs or sendus a text message in that link

(05:45):
in the show notes.
I hope this conversation bringsabout new considerations and
the complexities of migrationand diaspora and, as always you
know, look forward to yourthoughts, so be sure to drop
them to us on social media.
I hope you are doing welltaking care of yourselves,
especially at the end of thisyear.

(06:06):
As the year winds down, we havesome great features lined up
for the end of the year, some ofwhich are definitely in line
with our conversation today.
So till then, we hope youenjoyed Little More is Strictly
Facts.
Visit strictlyfactspodcastcomfor more information from each
episode.
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(06:30):
at Strictly Facts PD on Twitter.