EDITOR’S DESK

BEN HEINERECREATING THE MOMENT

STEFANO SANTUCCILOOK AT THE CAMERA AND SMILE

EDWARD BAUGHAS WIDE AND OPEN AS A BEACH OF BLACK SAND

ROMA CALDERÓNSPOTLIGHT ON CABARET QUEEN

SAPA: INDIA’S STAGE FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC

#MYCULTURALVOICE PROFILE

SANCHEZ FERNANDEZ A WORK OF ART

CULTURAL CALENDER

CONTENTS

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ISSUE SEVEN | 2014

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Editor’s DeskOver the last few months Cultural Voice has evolved and is in the process of con-tinuing to develop a stronger product for our readers. In January 2014, we launched Cultural Voice LIVE, an online radio series which gives an added dimension to user experience and interaction. Cultural Voice LIVE serves as an extension of the work of the magazine in spreading cultural under-standing and connecting you to interest-ing trends and people who are excelling in various areas of the Creative Industries.

We continue to cover events that we be-lieve can impact significant developments taking place within the Creative Industries and so we were very pleased to be invited to become a part of News Xchange net-work in 2013. News Xchange registration for November 2014 is now underway, and we take the opportunity to share piec-es of our experience in pictures from last year’s News Xchange conference held in Marrakech, Morocco from November 13-15, 2013. The News Xchange conference

focuses on bright ideas, opportunities and challenges for the international news industry and brings together 500 executives, journal-ists, presenters, bloggers and start-up entre-preneurs from all around the world to share, learn and cross-pollinate ideas.

In this issue, we explore creative expression not only through the pen as evidenced by Caribbean poet/author Edward Baugh, but also through the pencil with African-Europe-an illustrator Ben Heine, through the voice with Spanish cabaret singer Roma Calderon, through the camera with Italian Stefano San-tucci and finally, through the strings of a vio-lin as we learn more about the growth of this musical form in India.

CongratulationsWe specially congratulate our Associate Editor Derefe Chevannes who was ac-cepted to pursue a PhD in Political Science, Public Law & Political Theory at the University of Connecticut. He will no doubt add new perspective as Cultural Voice continues to be an expanding global integration portal as we increase intercultural dialogue. We also congratulate Ambassadors’ Circle of Friends for Culture member Her Excellency Maria Guadaloupe Sanchez Salazar for her new posting as Head of Consulate of Mexico in Nebraska, USA.

We thank you, our faithful readers, for the continued support and we encourage you to share culture! We welcome comments and reviews. Email us at culturalvoice@gmail.com, join us for Cultural Voice LIVE www.blogtalkradio.com/culturalvoice and add to our #MyCulturalVoice conversations via our blog www.culturalvoice.blogspot.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @culturalvoice #MyCulturalVoice. Blessings,

Steffi T

Ben Heine

rench, they say, is the language of love. Ben Heine, graphic artist, musician, and photographer dabbles in a different sort of love—the love of art. This

cultural aristocrat, if there ever were one, is a man of diverse culture, a speaker of at least six languages, Heine is the quintessential cosmopolitan, without the

usual air of self-indulgence and smugness which typically attend folks who have achieved as he has. “I like simple things,” he says, “Bread and Cheese is really nice.” Born and raised in the African state of the Ivory Coast, to Belgian parents, Ben grew up in the hodgepodge of French-Dutch sensibilities.

By Derefe Chevannes

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A Gallery Of Talent“It is not the fact that being an artist is something I wanted to be absolutely, it’s just that art came to me,” Ben proclaims poetically. “It’s the only thing I am not bad at. I am not anything else, so I guess, I am an artist.” Heine naturally eschews praise, refusing to rest on his laurels. “Art is not a goal in and of itself, it’s just a description. Every per-son is an artist themself; it’s just that sometimes they don’t know it. We are all able to express things.”

An aspiring musician with an unmolested love for electronic music, Heine plays the piano and the guitar but considers himself the consummate drummer. “Music is more powerful,” he interjects, a startling confession for an artist whose claim to fame is a non-musical endeavour. “I started playing music two years ago secretly,” that is, until he developed the confidence to share his passion with the world. His love for music marries well with his love for graphic art, “It complements my graphic work and it helps me to grow as a graphic artist.” This is readily apparent in Heine’s graphically artful re-cre-ation of Bob Marley, who he says, inspires him because of “his message and values of universality and inclusivity.” It is these “timeless themes that inspire my work, as well as notions of happiness, love and friendship.”

By Derefe Chevannes

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~ Heine

The Birth Of “Pencil Vs. Camera”Heine started putting pencil to paper when he was only eleven years of age. Traditionally trained and schooled in journalism and communications at the prestigious Belgian university, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he began, and later completed his studies at IHECS Journalism High School. Heine tried his hand at political cartoons. This brief encounter was far less charitable to him than he had hoped, “it only brought me trouble.” His political activism, at the cusp of his youth, unleashed a string of criticism and threats. In the end, Heine felt it was perhaps wiser to spend his talent elsewhere and walked away from political cartoons, vowing never to return.

All was not lost, however. It was his training in photography during his studies that wedded his drawing to his camera. “I wasn’t satisfied with only drawing or only photography, so I had to find a way to merge the two and this is how pencil vs. camera was born.” Arguably the most successful artistic collection Heine has created so far, Pencil Vs. Camera, hopes to “bring some imagination and surrealism to the photography,” creating “an interesting combination.” The collection began in 2010 and was the only one of its kind. Today, others have borrowed from Heine’s brilliance, and started to fashion for themselves, some-thing of a replica. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.

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In a raw, reflective moment, Heine reminds artists not to be careless with their work. “I started naively, when I was young, being very generous and providing high resolution pictures to others. If you hand-out high resolution sam-ples of your art, you’re dead as an artist,” he exclaims in a sullen voice. Heine also advises that artists give “150%, so that they don’t regret anything” and finally, “to ignore” naysayers who say “you can’t do it.” When all is said and done, Heine hopes his legacy is one of “innovation” and he is remembered as “a creative artist and a champion of peace and love. I hope young people will be inspired by what I’m doing.”

In a raw, reflec-tive moment, Heine reminds artists not to

be careless with their work.

Social Media Buzz

Heine lit social media ablaze, commanding an impressive 220 thousand “likes” on Facebook. He notes that “Social media helps. It creates a mini-buzz for your art.” But Heine is quick to qualify that its effect on sales re-mains to be seen. Heine receives some, but limit-ed, sponsorship from pri-vate entities. He admits that much of his income is generated from the sale of his art work and via art exhibitions. When opportunity allows, he also partners with other artists to create artistic collaborations.

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Ben’s BabiesMarried, with a new-born son, Heine reveals, “I am very proud of him. It’s one of the things I am most proud of.” And, with a deliberate word of interjection, “And all of my artworks, they are my babies as well.” Many a generation of artists look to the draw-ings of da Vinci, the paintings of Picasso and Rembrandt, they may yet, one day, look with favour upon Heine. I’ll leave it to art historians to decide the legacy of Pencil Vs. Camera, but I can, and will say, it’s sketching its own path to be soulful art to a hun-gry tech-savvy generation.

I’ll leave it to art historians to decide the legacy of Pencil Vs. Camera, but I can, and will say, it’s sketching its own path to

be soulful art to a hungry tech-savvy generation.

~ Heine

“I wasn’t satisfied with only drawing or only

photography, so I had to find a way to merge

the two and this is how pencil vs camera was born”

Featured Photographer: Stefano Santucci

Born in the small “old-age-styled” town of Cremona in the north of Italy, photographer Stefano Santucci, in a nostalgic moment, captures its essence as a “small beautiful town, where it’s really about family and you can get anywhere by walking or riding a

bike.” However, quick to capture a bigger view, he made Florence his home. An award-winning photog-rapher whose clients range from the United Nations to his family and friends, Santucci tells us that his subjects choose him and tend to include non-Italians, especial-ly people he finds “suspicious” and “mysterious.” As we explore scenes from Italy through the photographer’s lens, Santucci gives us insight into how he makes pho-tography a profitable concern.

Featured Photographer: Stefano Santucci

A true romantic and believer in the simple ways of life, Santucci is not a believer in any special techniques to produce quality photos. “The secret is to visualize the truth in the picture you can see. When you see what you want, you take the picture.” Santucci never recreates candid moments, it’s simply “I want a picture of you, look at me, look at the camera, smile.” His interaction with technological manipulation of pictures with software such as Photoshop is in its ability to act as a tool to reveal the layers of truth that a picture reveals in a candid moment.

The secret is simple:

“Look at the camera, smile”

“The secret is to visualize the truth in the picture you

can see.”

The secret is simple:

“Look at the camera, smile”

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Wedding Photography

Often inspired by special details in movies, San-tucci has used ele-ments from those moments in his favourite movies to create scenes for his wedding photography. He has been known to borrow details from movies such as “You’ve Got Mail” with Tom Hanks, setting scenes with candies, caramels, sweets, balloons or old typewriters to rec-reate romantic scenes especially with an element of vintage.

Protecting His RightsSantucci has to contend with protecting his works. Not one to shy away from sharing his works online, he finds it quite impossible to prevent persons from using his pictures and promoting them as their own works. Even so, Santucci refrains from using water-marks or logos and tends to share low pixelated versions of his photographs.

Diversity of Output Santucci divides his time not only to artistic exploration of subjects and pro-ducing obscure works of art, but also explores and sharpens his craft in very practical alternatives. He believes diversity of output is key to his survival and spends up to 50% of his time as a wedding photographer and takes on bigger projects from corporations and international agencies such as the United Nations when called on. He finds that these opportunities expose him to a wide range of new subjects, material and potential clients.

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Santucci finds beauty in diversity and shares a few of his favourite

shots with CV

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If his latest book of poetry is any indication of the depth of emotion that Baugh possesses, his feelings run as wide and are as open as a beach of Black Sand. The collection of poems titled “Black Sand” takes readers through a range of emotions, leaving room for distant contemplation.

In an exclusive interview with the Cultural Voice (CV) team, Baugh opens up about his younger years and the stories that give colour to his words.

By Stefanie Thomas

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ATTRACTED TO WORDS AND POSSI-BILITIES

As if the brain pre-selected the di-rection of his attraction, Baugh felt a very early tug towards discovering the possibilities of words. His under-standing of the world has ever since been inextricably linked. Baugh re-members his days at his hometown Methodist Church in Port Antonio, Jamaica, when he simply felt plea-sure, not so much in the ceremony of the service, but in the words of the King James Version of the Bible, and the words of a few preachers whom he considered “great preachers.”

Baugh has three distinct early adoles-cent memories of his writing career. He remembers writing his first poem at about age 11; winning an award for poetry at a festival in Portland, and, receiving a check for a “guinea,” as a prize for another competition hosted by the national newspaper, The Jamaica “Gleaner.”

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DISTINCTION OF STYLE

The inimitable nature of Baugh’s reading of his own words today stands as a distinction of style. Undoubtedly one of the most respected orators/poets/scholars in the Caribbe-an, Baugh’s selectivity gives only what the senses ask for, leaving a satisfying longing for more. For Baugh, “the world uses words too loosely, too freely, too cheaply.”

With no penchant for the melodramatic, Baugh relishes the subtleties of words. There are poems that have moved Baugh to tears. Baugh says of impactful poetry: “I start to read it and it’s just me in a room sitting with the book, but inevitably, I find myself read-ing it aloud, and then I find I come to a place where I am so choked up that I have to stop.” He mentions one poem “Aubade” By Philip Larkin, which has touched his sensibilities. The poem is an exploration of what it means to fear death. No stranger to topics of death, through his works Baugh shows a willingness to face death man-to-man, not shirking away but acknowledging that we, as conscious beings, can do so graciously, giving thanks for the days we have had. In his poem titled “This Poem,” he deals with the death of a father, “I watched my father dying in bitterness, I held his ankles as the cold crept close. This poem turns frail eyes on emptiness and keeps its peace.” Bringing us into the vulner-able space of acceptance of the passing of a loved one.

A CREATIVE AFTER-LIFE

In another life to come, Baugh thinks he may be a choreographer and likens dance to ab-stract painting. Creativity inspires words, and his poem “Journey” was inspired by a wood carving of the same name done by the late Edna Manley. The lines “The dark hollows of my eye sockets, of my cheeks, the empty well below my ribcage, the cup of my palm accep-tant – these grave concavities. I am the vessel. Fill me, Lord” give new perspective to the in-terpretation of this work and personify the ab-stract.

WHAT’S POETRY FOR?

Baugh chuckles as we make the grand misstep of asking the poet’s dreaded question of wheth-er he thinks poetry makes any difference, and reminds us of the occasion that gave rise to his poem “What’s Poetry For?”

Edna Manley, Journey 1974

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“So, what would you say that poetry is for?”Christ, not that again! I’d read the poemwell; I thought it had struck home.In short, the interview had gone just great,and then the question: what’s poetry for?

I might have quipped, “It’s not for anything;it is itself, the reason for its being.”I might have quoted Milton, “to allay the perturbations of the mind and setthe affections in right tune.” And yetthe power to perturb you can’t gainsay.

I could have said, “For making languagesurprise itself, and pitch you tothe high, tremendous edge of silence.”I should have said, “For saying ‘no,in thunder’; tell me when to stop.”

But, as the poet said, words failed me.I mouthed well-meaning platitudes,and then we slunk away, the poem and I,to nurse our dream of heaven: a placewhere no one asks what’s poetry for.

What’s Poetry For?

*Appears in Black Sand (Peepal Tree Press, 2013)

*

by Edward baugh

He tells the story of listening to an interview with a poet on a 5 minute segment on PBS reserved for poetry: “I was listening to a poet, the interview was wonderful and the poem he read was wonderful. And then the interviewer, as the show was wrapping up, asked “What would you say that poetry is for?” My heart sank, because that is the question that people are always asking, and asking poets.

They never say what is the sunlight for, why is that bird flying out there? But you always get this question, what is the purpose of poetry. I wrote this poem, because the man then tried to give an answer, and that question is never settled, so my poem was trying to half-hu-morously deal with that because I wasn’t going to settle it either. I’m writing the poem as if I am the person in the interview being asked the question, and then eventually I said “I mouthed well-meaning platitudes,”knowing they would make no difference. Anyway, “and then we slunk away, the poem and I, to nurse our dream of heaven, a place where no one asks what’s poetry for.”

Baugh’s powerful legacy of excellence in poetry and scholarship has shaped the “po-et-scape” of the Caribbean for generations to come. His grace, humility and unpredictable wit are aspects of Baugh that we cherish.

WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM/CULTURALVOICE

Carnival Tabanca: Kees from Kes and the Band in studio

The Business of Henna: Interviewwith Pavan, the world’s fastest Henna artist

Music and Candles: Spanish Composer David Gomez in studio

Listen Now: EPISODESON DEMAND

For other episodes click below

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Today the sun almost came up.

I could almost feel it, feel you.

Today it almost rained

And life said, “The rains will come.”

“Don’t worry about mother earth,” you said,

“She has practised giving for a thousand years.”

“Whether we want to, or not

We must give something back.”

So today I planted a tree

In a wide open space, hoping for birds,

Hoping for sunshine, hoping for rain.

Hoping For Birds

Monica Minott

Background Picture By: Stefano Santucci

By Lauren Burn

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At home on stage in a dim but cosy Spanish cafe, a soft halo of light follows cabaret queen Roma Calderón as she playfully walks her audience through songs, stories, and witty anecdotes. Between leading an electronic band “Scud Hero”, rehearsing for a production called “The Emerald Kapurtala”, and performing audience fa-vourites such as ‘Barbara’ and ‘The Lovers’, Calderón is

a woman of exceedingly assorted tastes. Her shows are a homage to “American classics of the 40’s and 50’s, [and] all the musicals [of that pe-riod as well as] the Nouvelle Vague, the Kitsch of the 60’s…[and] music from the 30’s to the 60’s”. As engaging off stage as she is on, chatting with Roma Calderón is as much a treat as seeing her center stage, in front of an audience.

Humble Beginnings

With a friendly air, and a lively, spirited tone, she is happy to describe her first “show” at the age of four. Using her grandmother’s patio as her stage, Roma called all her neighbours, charged them at the door and then proceeded to perform for them. At that young age, she drew her inspiration from her mother. One of the most enduring memories Calderón has of her mother is listening to her sing as she did household chores. From this seemingly humble source, Calderón’s great passion for artistic expression grew. In the twenty-plus years that have passed, Calderón has built a career that stems from her love of music and perfor-mance. In her own words, Calderón does not believe in creative exclusiv-ity. As if to punctuate her point, she reveals that even as she pursued a degree in Interpretation from Centro Andaluz de Teatro (CAT), she used her time there to study ballet, as well as contemporary dance, tap dance, music theory, singing, music composition and perhaps most surprising of all - rock climbing. “I’ve made music and cabaret for over 20 years, I think they are the most complete and complex genres, you must be a multidisciplinary artist with much more training, and more interests and concerns.”

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A Cultural Revolution

Cabaret is a full-bodied, five-senses experience that can include everything from song, dance, storytelling, circus tricks and burlesque. Tucked away and hidden inside the boozy enclaves of 19th century Paris, cabaret first emerged as an artform in the late 1800’s. It began as an underground movement that spread across Europe, and gifted artists, performers, poets and freethinkers had the freedom to use creative expression in a way that at its core, served as a critique and parody of fashionable so-cial and political conventions. Years later, when somber restrictions on art and free expression were lifted after the death of Spain’s last dictator in 1975, a more authen-tic narrative of Spanish culture and art began. And so the cultural revolution that followed in the 1980’s, saw a spirited revival of a slew of Spanish art forms like musical theatre and cabaret, which had lost, under political cen-sure, many of its defining qualities. Now, as global eco-nomic conditions continue to waver and public subsidies continue to fall, cultural administrators and theatre com-panies have had to make some difficult choices. Keeping costs low is essential.

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Fortunately, cabaret, having always been modest in scale, is particularly well-suited to hold its own against the disheartening economic tide. The formula then, has remained largely unchanged. The freedom and in-formality of performing before a small audience, and sharing personal stories, political and social satire and songs still make up some of the key components of the appeal and success of cabaret.

Sumptuous World of Cabaret

Decked out in her retro encasings, with her flame coloured hair and petite form, Calderón is quite eye-catching. And yet, even though she is undeniably alluring to watch, the humour that comes through in her performances, and the way she uses her body

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repeated and her voice, speech and song, to create these whimsical adven-tures—these are what keep her audience entertained.

Calderón clearly understands that cab-aret is part theatrical and part comic escape. To put it simply, Calderón’s on-stage antics are smart and sultry, and her comedic timing is impeccable. Her efforts have even garnered her a spot on the roster of performances during the International Documentary Film Festival of Mexico City in November of this year. ‘The Lovers’, chosen by panelists for the festival, is her most recent production. It is all Roma’s, from production to musical arrangement. For this reason, she calls it her most personal work yet. It proves an entertaining and cheeky discourse on the evolution of our collective views on romantic love. It covers everything from 1950’s Disney stereotypes to this, our highly sexualized, Fifty Shades of Grey era. Her performance is proof that there could not be a more fitting plat-form for a woman of Calderón’s training and versatility. Blogger Alberto Herrera of Mujerhoy.com has called her a beast on stage, a guepardain fact (cheetah) - a woman of beauty, poise, style, and an expert improvisor. Calderón, by all ac-counts, fuses all the formulaic elements of traditional cabaret, but adds to it her own animated and eclectic stylings. En-tertaining in any language, and fusing humour and grace with dedication and skill, Roma Calderón’s onstage candor, her warmth, presence and her infectious energy make her a worthy choice for your first, second, or third foray into the sumptuous world of cabaret.

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SAPA:India’s Stage For Classical Music By Ankit Khandelwal

Though a sacred instrument in musical performances in many parts of the world, particularly since the breath-taking per-

formances of the likes of Antonio Vivaldi, Ital-ian virtuoso violinist of the mid-18th century, the violin had not yet achieved prominence in Indian musical performances. It was the work of V. Lakshminarayana, teaching around the world throughout his lifetime, who brought it to the fore. Following in his father’s footsteps, Dr. L. Subramaniam’s work with the violin set the stage for India’s love affair.

Lakshminarayana always wanted to give back to society, cherishing music for future generations. His dream was fulfilled by his son, the legendary violinist Dr L. Subramaniam, who established the Subramaniam Acade-my of Performing Arts (SAPA) in 2007. Opened with only 2 students, the academy grew to 60 students and made its name in music educa-tion. Cultural Voice (CV) spoke with Mrs. Bindu Subramaniam, daughter of Dr. Subramaniam and current Dean of SAPA. A third generation member from the Subramaniam music family and a renowned musician, she spoke about the academy, teaching methods, as well as the collaborative works of SAPA.

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Can you tell us more about the vision of SAPA?

Music is in the soul of our academy. Our teachers were per-sonally trained and mentored by my father Dr. Subrama-niam. SAPA is a non-profit organization and all the money raised is reinvested into the academy. We are working to make our campus bigger to accommodate more students. Although age is not a barrier to become a student, most of our attention goes to the small children. We have the re-sponsibility to teach Indian classics to the kids and preserve this spirit for generations to come.

So how do you select students? And how do you keep them interested?

We never had problems in getting students and word-of-mouth worked well in recent years. Music is not a typical classroom subject, so we first encourage students to sit-in on one of our classes. If a student is able to enjoy it, then (s)he is welcome to continue with future classes. Because most of our students are children, we have recently intro-duced ‘Sapa Baby’. In this program, we have mixed mu-sic lessons with other fun activities like colouring exercises, playing with musical toys, etc. If children can make music a part of their life, then their learning will be much more enjoyable. Similarly, before teaching Violin, we show differ-ent parts of the Violin to children. They enjoy touching the different parts of it and later it becomes their best friend.

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Why should children learn to play music?

Because children are very sharp, and scientif-ic studies have shown that maximum devel-opment of the brain takes place during ear-ly childhood. Children can grasp concepts quickly even without proper teaching meth-ods. My daughter can learn multiple languag-es at the age of 3, even when she is not getting professional training in those languages. One of the students at SAPA, for example, is able to know all the musical notes at the age of 2. Clearly, the earlier we start to teach music, the better the children will learn.

In India, classical music and spirituality are inseparable. Have you experienced this?

You are right, spirituality forms a huge part of classical music in our country. Whether it is morning prayers, wedding songs or festival celebrations, spirituality is an integral part of Indian music. Most of the music in temples has a lot to do with devotion and divine power. It’s not always religious, but understand-ing Indian classical music means un-derstanding spirituality.

What are some of the different projects you are currently involved in?

We strongly believe in collaboration and actively pursuing musical collaborations and exchange programs with leading musicians and institutions around the world. We have had musicians from Latin America, Japan and from Africa in our academy, encouraging our students to learn different kinds of music. Currently, we are build-ing a digital library, in order to have a globalized music playlist for the reference of future generations. We are asking singers and musicians around the world to send us 10 of their best songs.

What does it take to become a musician?

There is no perfect formula for becoming a musician. In my view, you should be a musician only when you just want to be a musician. You really need to immerse yourself in the music. If you would like to become an engineer and a musician, then practice music on the weekends. Technology has made learning music easier for everyone and we must embrace it as an instructional tool. But, the Soul of Music can-not be created by the instruments.

Thereafter, Bindu Subramaniam gave CV a tour of SAPA. She also showcased the digital library currently under construction, in trying to collate music from all corners of the world.

“There is no perfect formula for becoming a

musician”

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#MyCulturalVoice

Country of Origin:

Ultra excited about this art form:

Loves to travel to:

Trend you love:

Underground artist to watch:

Risk averse, Risk Tolerant or Risk Taker:

Artistic Side:

Life Motto:

Very good at:

Outspoken about:

Inspired by:

Cultural Icon:

Everyone should try this once:

Mexico

Musicals, especially “Phantom of the Opera”

Every corner of the world.

Opera in theatres.

Richard Hall (Jamaican painter)

Risk taker

Singer

Live every day, giving the best of you.

Organizing cultural events.

Justice

My parents

Octavio Paz (Mexican Nobel Prize in Literature)

Sing with a Mariachi band.

Guadalupe Sanchez

Ultra excited about this art form:

Every corner of the world.

Opera in theatres.

Richard Hall (Jamaican painter)

Guadalupe Sanchez

Sanchez FernandezBy Derefe Chevannes

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Cultural Voice (CV) sat down with master conservator-restorer of art, Professor Antonio Sanchez-Barriga Fernandez, who has decades of ex-pertise in mural painting and easel painting on wood and canvas. The

interview took place in the National Gallery surrounded by a heritage of Jamai-can art. Sanchez-Barriga Fernandez was born in Spain in the early 1950s. During that time he was flanked by a richness of culture and history, which gave birth to his passion of cultural preservation. “My father was very well-educated and so I had my exposure to art,” he shared. “Father would always say, ‘we see the horizon very far’.”

Family of HeritageLike his father, Fernandez started a family. He raised three children with his wife. This caretaker of not only art, but lives, cherish-es the value of family. “My youngest child, who gives me a hard time, studies resto-ration.” Heritage is not only what Fernan-dez does, but what he lives; a family of her-itage, along with a passion for the ancient ways, his wife, an archaeologist with Egyp-tian interests, shares his bed of passions. “Also” he adds, “My father would paint and write poetry.” Art, it seemed, was in the blood and in his family tree.

A traveller through and through, Fernan-dez often walks the streets of Kingston “with no problems at all.” He values exploration also in his professional life. He has travelled to Jamaica since 2006 on his own time and funded by his own pocket. Fernandez, an architectural preservationist, shares with CV, lessons of life and trade.

“Heritage is not only what Fernan-dez does, but what he lives.”

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Below: Sanchez visits National Gallery of Jamaica

The restoration process, he describes, is as precise and delicate, as a doc-tor with a scalpel. “There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it,” he stress-es. “You must know the history and the heritage of what you’re working on” and by so doing, Fernandez gives new life to decades-old, dying arte-facts—restoring glory to old treasures of the past. One such treasure was a painting by the late Osmond Watson “De Lawd Is My Shepherd.” Fernan-dez provided his service free of cost. When asked about this, he respond-ed,“I am a person who works without expecting anything in return.”

Fernandez restored more than just historical landmarks. His work, par-ticularly on the Holy Trinity Cathe-dral allowed Jamaican students at the Edna Manley School of Arts to gain invaluable experience in cul-tural and architectural restoration. His advice for young professionals hoping to add their touch to the world’s landmarks is, “educate yourself with good professors of art, and work alongside experienced professionals.”

Celebrated Artist

Left: Sanchez restored Osmond Watson’s, The Lawd is my Shepherd 1961

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Fernandez was conferred with the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD), Honorary Member. Reacting to this award, he confessed, “The medal is a big deal,” and there, a pregnant pause en-sued, his wrinkled face pensive and awed. The award was bestowed for his timeless contribution to the upkeep of Jamaica’s cultural heritage, preserving her historical landmark the Holy Trinity Cathedral, locat-ed in Kingston’s inner-city. The Church tow-ers as a 103 year old relic. He also provided expert advice towards the restoration of the Spanish Town Cathedral.

Jazzing Without BluesFernandez explores many cultural art forms: from creating numerous photo-graphic exhibitions of Opera singers, to writing books and other publica-tions about restoration and conserva-tion. In his youth, he was once a stu-dent of film directing, but later walked away to embrace conservation and restoration. Speaking to his other hid-den interests, he reveals,“I enjoy mu-sic from the 50s and the 60s.” His most cherished genre of music is the soft, soulful rhythms of Jazz and Blues, “I have been listening to Ray Charles for a long time now.” Yet, there are no blues that affects him, only the jazz of living life in the now, and “finishing what I started, that’s my guiding prin-ciple.”

Fernandez reveals to CV that working on one of Toledo’s historic cathe-drals is also a great honour of exceptional importance. Yet, he didn’t place much emphasis on his work but on his team, “I get a rich satisfaction from working in a team. There’s a consolation knowing the workers are em-ployed, even if it’s a few.”

Restorationists, Fernandez informs us, restore more than mere broken in-animate objects, but in their work, they must always strive to animate the human spirit. Art becomes more meaningful when there’s an added hu-man dimension. Though retired from his many years of service to the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Spanish National Archaeological Museum, he continues to serve the people of Jamaica with excellence.

“Art becomes more meaningful when there is an added human dimension”

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Cultural Calender June-AugustWhat: Caribbean Fashion WeekThe region’s largest, most recognized and internationally re-spected fashion event. 10+ shows featuring around 50 de-signers from 25 countries. When: June 11-16Where: Kingston, Jamaica – Spanish Court Hotel.

What:: International Dragon Boat CarnivalHundreds of international teams will race to the beat of the drums in Victoria Harbour, but don’t worry, the fun doesn’t stop on dry land. The San Miguel BeerFest will be offering up live entertainment and ice cold brews. What more could you ask for?When: June 6-8Where: Hong Kong

What: World Bodypainting FestivalArt, music, and fashion collide at this colourful event, fea-turing artists from more than 40 nations. Visitors can try their hand at this unique form of self expression, take in live mu-sical performances, and shop at the festival marketplace. This family-friendly event has something for everyone.When: June 29-July 6Where: Carinthia, Austria.What: Hove Festival This four-day festival, one of the largest rock festivals in Nor-way, takes place on an island just outside Arendal on the southern coast of Norway. It features both little-known Nor-wegian bands and large international acts - Jay-Z, Muse, The Killers, Faith No More, Beck and The Prodigy have all performed here. When: June 28 – July 3Where: Arendal, Norway

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What: Orchestival, Somerset Orchestival is a groundbreaking venture featuring col-laborations between world-class musicians such as Squarepusher and The Unthanks, the Philharmonica and theatre company Kneehigh. Conductor Charles Hazle-wood plans to blur boundaries, defy genres and make symphonic music accessible to all.When: July 19-20Where: Bath and West showground, Shepton Mallet, Unit-ed Kingdom

What: Festival de Danca JoinvilleThe festival consists of a dance competition in which the best dancers from across the globe participate. The con-test is divided into seven separate competitions, each for a particular dance style: classical ballet, classical reper-toire ballet, contemporary dance, tap dance, jazz, street dance and popular dances. With nearly 5,000 participat-ing artists and attracting over 50,000 people, Joinville’s Festival de Danca stands out as one of the most exciting dance competitions in the world.When: July 23- August 2Where: BrazilWhat: 10th Bonaire Heineken Jazz Festival 2014Our main objective is to promote jazz music on our island. This means we try to bring musicians and audience clos-er together by making the art form jazz more accessible to the general public. We also support young musicians with lessons and other facilities. Every year we donate a percentage of our proceeds to music educational proj-ects and social centers on the island. When: August 1-3Where: Bonaire (Caribbean)

What: National Dance Theatre Company’s Season of Dance. The season of dance is very aptly named, as dance has always been the central and unifying theme around which Jamaicans have come together, since In-dependence, and before!When: July 25 - August 17Where: Kingston, Jamaica ( The Little Theatre)

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WritersStefanie Thomas

Derefe Chevannes Lauren Burn

Ankit Khandelwal

GraphicsKayon Curvin

Toni-Ann Owens

Published byArtistic Expressions Ltd.

12 Kingslyn AvenueKingston 10

Jamaica