DNA identifies 2 more James Brown children

DNA testing on about a dozen people who claim James Brown was their father has found that at least two of them are telling the truth, a longtime adviser to the late soul singer said recently. Several tests have come back negative, while others are pending, said Buddy Dallas. Dallas refused to identify the two people whose DNA showed they were Brown’s children, but The Augusta Chronicle reported that LaRhonda Petitt, a 45-year-old retired flight attendant and teacher in Houston, showed the newspaper a report that says there is a 99.99 percent probability she is Brown’s daughter.
 

Murphy admits fathering Spice baby

Actor-comedian Eddie Murphy has publicly acknowledged having fathered a child out of wedlock with Spice Girls singer Melanie Brown, who brought a paternity suit against him earlier this month. A brief statement issued by Murphy’s publicist said the 46-year-old star of "Dreamgirls" and the "Beverly Hills Cop" movies, "always has, and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father." "Mr. Murphy and Ms. Brown dated very briefly and never made any plans of any sort," the statement said. "He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel, and has paid child support to Ms. Brown as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy."

Mattel Recalls 9 Million More Toys

Toy-making giant Mattel Inc. issued recalls Tuesday for about nine million Chinese-made toys that contain magnets that can be swallowed by children or could have lead paint. The recalls include 7.3 million play sets, including Polly Pocket dolls and Batman action figures, and 253,000 die-cast cars that contain lead paint. The action was announced on the company’s Web site and at a news conference in Washington by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nancy A. Nord, acting CPSC chairman, said no injuries had been reported with any of the products involved in the new recall. Several injuries had been reported in an earlier Polly Pocket recall last November.

Crop Over 2007 "Sweet Fuh Days"

A number of islands in the Caribbean celebrate Carnival. The size and the quality of the celebrations vary by country. Barbados, one of the smallest countries in the Caribbean, has produced one of the largest festivals in the region. The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) are fully committed to the Crop Over Festival and it’s continued growth and development. The Festival dates back to the 1780’s, when the country was at its height of sugar production. The slaves would celebrate the end of the crop season with a huge festival ("Crop Over"). In the 1940’s, when the sugar trade declined and slaves were emancipated, the festival seemed to have lost its significance.

The 10th Annual Kitchrie Festival of Indo Caribbean Arts & Culture

Kitchrie Festival Comes Alive in Forest Park Bandshell — Sunday August, 19, 2007

The Rajkumari Cultural Center celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Kitchrie Festival of Indo-Caribbean Arts and Culture on Sunday, August 19, 2007, from 12 noon to 6 p.m. at the George Seuffert Bandshell, Forest Park Drive, Queens, NY 11385. (Off Woodhaven Blvd & between Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South). Kitchrie 2007 highlights musical legend, Ustad Jameer Hosein, considered the king of classical tan singing and master of melody of Trinidad and Tobago. A huge crowd pleaser, Jameer won the Mastana Bahar in 1972 and the Classical Singing Championship in 1998. The festival presents an exciting 3-Band Tassa Clash, Tan, Chutney and Biraha singing, Nagara, Chutney, Kathak and Rajdhar Dancing, and Spoken Word. The Kitchrie all-star cast of singers, musicians, dancers and actors includes - Denyse Baboolal, Rita Baboolal, Shivana Jorawar, Anuradha Maharj, Aaron Jewan Singh, Bisham Singh, Ramona Singh, Pritha Singh, Devika Tajeshwar, Kavita Tajeshwar, and special guests, Something Positive Dance Company.

A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF KITCHRIE BY FOUNDER/DIRECTOR, PRITHA SINGH:

Pritha Singh gives some insight into the history of festival arts: "Indo-Caribbean music, dance and dramatic art forms were preserved in an agricultural environment, and continue to be celebrated around our life-cycle events, planting (holi/spring), harvesting (diwali/fall), marriage (vivaah/matikor), birthing (9-day/mouran), as well as, its more sublime, austere temple arts, such as, fire offering (aarti), invocation (vandana), "playing" deities (rupena) and dance-drama (leela). As such, many of our cultural gems are not reflected in the national tapestry of our countries. Over time many of these art forms assumed their own distinct Caribbean flavors, as Chutney for instance, which is actually the more sociable, wedding-house (matikor) songs translated into English when we lost our language. Well, its a bit like "Hinglish" - a mix of Hindi and English. Trinidadian artists have seriously professionalized and navigated Chutney to the mainstream, earning both regional and worldwide recognition.
 

Max does it his way

Once again it was that time of the year to celebrate Maximillian Bell’s birthday at his popular bar on Nostrand Avenue, between Midwood Street and Rutland Road. It was another bang-on get-together of the "regulars" and on this occasion Caribbean Impact’s scribe Handel Andrews showed off his culinary skills with a typical Guyanese pot of cook-up rice that earned the highest compliments from the Panamanian host. In picture at left, Max touches fist with Philbert Robertson with Carl Gilliams in the background. Above, a group of the guests, offers cheers to the birthday guy.