Grenada launches Golden Jubilee commemorative magazine 

by Curlan Campbell

• Commemorative magazine is 126 pages, featuring stories and voices from influential Grenadians of past decades
• Magazine launched on Tuesday, 5 March at Parliament building, Mt Wheldale
• Jubilee Secretariat considering making magazine available for purchase online on Amazon

The Golden Jubilee Commemorative Magazine of Grenada, commissioned by The National Organising Committee, provides an intriguing glimpse into the nation’s history.

It chronicles the political and cultural changes from the time of Independence to the political turmoil during the revolution, as well as the ongoing modern developments that are shaping various aspects of Grenadian life.

On Tuesday, 5 March 2024, a new magazine was launched at the Parliament building, Mt Wheldale. The magazine, which is 126 pages, features a collection of stories and voices from some of the most influential Grenadian politicians, cultural and sporting icons, writers, personalities and activists of the past decades. In addition to the written content, the publication also includes some of the best Grenadian photography.

The front cover features an image of a hand holding Grenada’s black gold, the nutmeg, with the jubilee logo designed by Ordell De Riggs and the inscription of the 50th-anniversary theme “One People, One Journey, One Future” underneath. The image is printed on a black glossy reflective surface that brings out the richness and detail of the picture, making it look like it is popping off the page. Throughout the magazine, contemporary writers offer their reflections on some of the most prominent figures in Grenada’s political history. In the section titled “Leadership and National Symbols”, the historian and archivist Dr John Angus Martin recounted the life story of Sir Eric Matthew Gairy, who is widely regarded as the Father of Independence in Grenada. The magazine also included information about key political figures who have held the positions of Governor-General and Prime Minister in the state.

This is then followed by a section titled “Independence Gifts and Parliament” written by visual artist Suelin Low Chew Tung which gives readers a glimpse of what took place during the morning of independence at York House by highlighting the significance of some of Grenada’s national treasures. This section provides an informative breakdown of the history of how Grenada acquired some of its national treasures, like the mace and the presiding officer’s chair and also explains various legislative branches of parliament and parliamentary procedures.

In the section “From Leaper’s Hill to Skyred: Grenada’s early March through History”, Dr Martin overviews the lives of the indigenous people who first settled on the island, to their extermination by foreign invaders, then on to the transatlantic slave trade, to emancipation, all the way up to labour strikes known as Skyred led by Eric Gairy in 1951. The magazine contains several noteworthy sections, including contributions from Dr Oliver Benoit in a section titled “Marryshow and Others Who Laid the Foundation of Representative Government and Gairy’s Push for Independence.” Another section is titled “Stand in the Present, Reflect on the Past Lessons and Imagine Possibilities for the Future” by Dr Wendy Grenade. Lastly, there is a section called “The Gift of Our Foremothers” by Dr Nicole Phillip Dowe, which focuses on the contribution of Grenadian women to the fabric of Grenadian society in the areas of politics, education, and culture.

The magazine prominently featured the various contributions of Grenadians residing on the sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, highlighting the rich cultural diversity of the island and its contribution to national development. Their contributions to preserving the islands’ cultural identity ranged from Big Drum Dancing to the Maroon Festival, Shakespeare Mas, traditional dancing of the flags and cakes and wooden boat building.

Dr Martin overviewed the magazine’s inception and expressed a hope that it would help Grenadians relive Grenada’s journey to independence.

“We wanted to make sure that all were represented within these pages, that would become a special memory for those who witnessed it, or those who kept a copy of this golden jubilee celebration,” he said. “But it soon dawned on us that we were not writing the history of the past 50 years, as this magazine was not the place for that. But we could use this magazine to tell some of the stories that have inspired us or made us cry, or shake our heads in disbelief or made us laugh or made us want to change our world.”

Dr Martin believes this magazine will be the blueprint that will lay the foundation for the production of the next commemorative magazine. “Despite our digital age, we still like the feel of a book in our hands…It is ultimately a record that can be used to compare how far we will have travelled in the next 50 years with the first 50 years, so share it with your children and grandchildren who will be creating the next commemorative magazine from this one.”

At the event, Rolf Hoschtialek, the editor of the magazine, acknowledged the numerous individuals who contributed to the completion of the magazine. In the publisher’s remarks, he paid special recognition to photographer Jim Rudin’s collection of photographs featuring notable figures and historical events covering the 1960s to late 2000s. Sherron Roberts-Wiltshire of Petite Martinique was also acknowledged for providing images and stories documenting the island’s history.

Telfor Bedeau, known as Grenada’s Indiana Jones and the country’s greatest hiker, stole the spotlight at the launch as Hoschtialek extolled his significant contribution to eco-tourism. “Grenada reflects on the past 50 years. Telfor’s impact on the tourism industry is nothing short of visionary,” Hoschtialek said. “He championed eco-tourism decades before the concept became the accelerated trend it is now, and as he retires, many who cut their teeth with him in recreation are now successful trekking tour operators. He can also be considered the forefather of modern recreational exercise, as there are many exercise fitness and fun-loving hate groups that are their popularity to Telfar’s early initiatives, even national organisation from national organisations promoting outdoor health owe much to his early endeavours,” he continued.

The magazine also featured various sections delving into the world of creative and performing arts, showcasing the work of playwrights in theatre arts like Ricardo Keens Douglas, Christopher De Riggs, and Francis Urias Peters. In the soca arena, “The Sound of Grenada: Calypso and Soca,” written by Dexter Mitchell, explored the evolution of calypso and soca music. On the cultural front, Colin Dowe’s article titled “Rooted in Tradition: Forecasting the Future of Spicemas” paid tribute to Grenada’s rich traditional masquerades, while Anne Peters wrote on the “Performing Arts: Community Heritage Practices.” Ray Roberts, a veteran journalist and sports enthusiast, contributed “Grenada’s Golden Journey: From Regional Strengths to Olympic Glory,” offering an insightful look into the island’s sporting icons. Additionally, Mitchell recorded the story behind Grenada’s Olympic gold medallist, Kirani James.

According to the Director of the Jubilee Secretariat, Gail Purcell, the magazine will be printed in limited copies and distributed to key institutions such as schools, statutory bodies, diplomatic missions and government agencies. She indicated that the secretariat is also considering making the magazine available for purchase online on Amazon.