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In our April-March 2011 Origin Magazine issue we addressed the issue of skin bleaching in the Africa and the detrimental affects it can have. Keeping this article in mind, it comes as a surprise that international reggae superstar Vybz Kartel has announced the launching of his new skin care line of products called ‘OH.’ The […]

When asked “what advantage do women have over men?”, recently crowed Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes declared that “women are more powerful than men… they can do everything a man can do and more.” While many men probably brushed off her comments and instead chose to focus on the stunning contestant’s beauty, her comments were […]

Five contestants left. Let us see who will be crowned Miss Universe 2011 after the break: Brazil, Ukraine, China, Angola and Philippines. Within that few minutes of commercial, hearts pounded viciously, tangled thoughts played in minds of knowing the high possibility of a bias call versus the hope and prayers for a genuine call. “Angola, God please […]

For many parents with newborn children in the Caribbean, it is an expected gift. Thus, shopping for a toddler’s christening or first birthday is not a difficult task. While one appreciates the gesture of the copper or silver, the gold is preferred. Each child wears it until his/her wrist outgrows it, however, it is expected […]

September 11 th, 2001 will forever remain entrenched in the minds of most Americans and the rest of the world as it remains a watershed event in modern-day history. It has been exactly three-thousand six-hundred fifty-two days since planes hijacked by the militant group al-Qaeda crashed into America’s most iconic and symbolic buildings – the Twin […]

May 17th 2006 The date remains burnt into my subconscious like a dodgy hairstyle that you thought was cool when you were about 13years, only to realize, as you grew older that you were horribly wrong. Unfortunately for you though, your mother managed to get a picture that she routinely wheels out whenever there are guests […]

As immigrants from “developing” countries, many of us have left our home nations in search for a “better” life in the “developed” west. We predominantly settle in countries in Europe and North America as we have been conditioned to believe that these countries will enable us to attain a better quality of education, superior jobs […]

In the uplifting documentary ‘Slums, Drums and Capoeira’ Maestre Moraes declared that “Capoeira for me is a way of living. Whereby you reach out to your ancestry, and thus your identity.” Copoeira takes on many titles. It’s an art, a dance, a form of martial arts, a powerful medium of communication, a form of combat, rhythm, […]

Col Gaddafi was declared “king of kings” after a meeting this over 200 African Kings and traditional rulers in 2008. This rather grandiose title was bestowed upon the now ousted Libyan leader after his meeting with the respective leaders was filled with calls by Gaddafi for a ‘united Africa;’ one that will be an par […]

‘ Small House: ‘A Zimbabwean expression describing an extramarital affair or a party involved in one. It usually describes girlfriends of a married male, a reflection of the polygamous history of the country.’ – Wikipedia definition Around April of this year my friend gave me a book called ‘The Uncertainty of Hope’ by a Zimbabwean author Valerie Tagwira. […]

The dust rising of the parched earth drifts into my throat, a cloying suffocating feeling pushed into the back ground by the sights before me. From between the legs of my father, I watch gladiators hurl themselves at one another, speaking a language that is an eclectic mix of innuendo, high-pitched noises, sly glances and barely […]

As the news filtered in from Abuja, Nigeria late on Thursday night last week (August 25th,2011), and the speculation that inevitably goes with such tragedy kicked into high gear; the scenes of frantic efforts to retrieve bodies, the disaffected presenters delivering alternate scenarios for who or what could be behind the bombings and the images […]

Psalms 68:31 proclaims that ‘Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.’ This biblical reference to the land of Ethiopia has been one of the main premises upon which Rastafarians have based their desire to go to Zion – a place of unity, peace and freedom; a place […]