CARIBBEAN TODAY


 DAWN A. DAVIS
The mention of Port Royal
 conjures up images of
 swashbuckling pirates,
hidden treasures, lewd and las-
civious
lifestyles, and
murderous
debauchery.
 But in its
heyday in the
17th and 18th
centuries Port
Royal was an
important
commercial Assamba
center colo-
nized by the English. It was the
center of the slave trade, import-
ed goods and naval power.
 But its "wicked" past lives
on in folk tales as many believe
that the massive earthquake
that swallowed up the city on
June 7, 1692 was punishment for
its evil history.
 An exhibition at Miami's
Historical Museum of Southern
Florida, opened recently in col-
laboration with the Institute of
Jamaica's Museums of History
and Ethnography, showcases this
infamous city. The display of
over 150 unique artifacts, some
discovered by historians and
underwater archeologists, repre-
senting life in the port city then
and now, will be on display until
through June 3, 2007. The ele-
gant pewter tableware, dishes,
hair combs and chamber pots
("chimmey") tell of people
going about their daily lives.

NOT 'DIBBY DIBBY'
 In declaring the exhibition offi-


cially opened, Jamaica's Minister of
Tourism, Entertainment and
Culture Aloun Assamb, reminded
the audience: "Our findings reaf-
firms that tourism to our shores is
much more than beaches. More
and more tourists come for our
culture and to learn about our
way of life."
 "Port Royal is no dibby
dibby place," she added.
 The audience, including
Jamaicans, Americans, and
other Caribbean islanders, were
drawn to a series of old Spanish
coins with unique symbols
and numbers still intact. A
large map of Port Royal
depicted the shoreline as it
was before and after the
earthquake. A 19th century
picture of Port Royal shows
a city strikingly similar to
the Port Royal of today.
Pictures taken by Jamaica's
noted photographer Maria
LaYocona, show a vibrant
city teeming with life amidst
buildings still standing from
the pirates' days.
 This port city that has
rebounded from disaster, once
again rose from the ashes after
Hurricane Charley destroyed
it in 1951. Today it comes alive
for people who come to sam-
ple the famous fish and
bammy, the old fort with its
grand canons, and the giddy
house, a structure half sunken
in the earth after the great
earthquake.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


C U tT U R


I www.caibeatoa.comI


Caribbean trade negotiators push


 culture as new creative sector


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC Regional trade nego-
tiators have identified the cul-
tural industry as a sector
which could give Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
countries clear comparative
advantages in a global trading
environment.
 With this in mind, Dr.
Richard Bernal, director gener-
al of the Caribbean Regional
Negotiation Network (CRNM),
said the region's ability to lever-
age benefits for the sector


would be boosted greatly by a
new study on the cultural indus-
tries, which would be presented
to all CARICOM governments
and cultural stakeholders.
 "The creative sectors hold
tremendous potential for pro-
moting the development and
economic diversification of
this region. This study is
therefore critical as it will
assist the region in formulat-
ing the policies that address
the key issues and challenges
currently affecting this


region," Bernal said recently.
 According a CRNM
release, the study, titled "The
Cultural Industries in CARI-
COM: Trade and Development
Clill ng1,", concluded that
investing in the cultural indus-
tries would be beneficial to
Caribbean countries as it would
generate new, high valued-
added and indigenous forms of
employment, production and
exports".
0


FUN AND FROLIC


One of the Caribbean's biggest cultural attractions, the Trinidad and Tobago
carnival, was staged last month. The streets of Port of Spain were filled with
revelers dressed in colorful costumes and sequins like these ladies. The
2007 carnival drew an estimated 45,000 visitors, most of whom participated
in the festivities, enjoying music, sunshine and the chance to play mas.


RETURN


ENJOY YOUR RETURN FLIGHTS FOR LESS
From Miami to Port of Spain and Georgetown.
To book now call 800 920 4CAL toll-free and quote Caribbean Today,
visit www.caribbean-airlines.com or call your local travel agent.


the warmth of the islands


Taxm and suzrdiaqpswill mt emmed $111. No n adorsbfLMmr. o eundahkL


Port Royal exhibit offers


more than 'wicked' past


PORT OF SPAIN FROM $360
GEORGETOWN FROM $478


March 2007