THE GLEANER, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS A5 George Ruddock/ Gleaner Writer LONDON: AMID THE blanket television news coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, among the most riveting has been Clive Myrie’s live reports from the capital Kyiv on the BBC News at Ten. Each night, Myrie brings the harsh reality of the war zone into sharp focus as he dons flak jacket and reports on the day’s developments while explosions frommissile strikes or the crack of gunfire echo in the background. But this is nothing new for the senior BBC news reporter, as he has travelled tomore than 80 countries as a foreign correspondent since 1996 covering conflicts in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq and now Ukraine. In a recent interview with the Big Issue magazine, Myrie, who was born in Bolton to Jamaican parents, said there will always be an adrenalin rush reporting from dangerous places, but for him it was not about the danger but about “telling stories from incredible places”. YOU COULD BE THE ONE He said: “It’s interesting talking to soldiers and to those who do go into battle. You never ever think, really consciously, that you’re going to be the one who gets shot or blown up or killed. Something has to present itself to you that make it clear that you could be the one. “So, for instance, when I was embedded with the Royal Marines going into Iraq in 2003, we all had to write goodbye letters to our families, a sort of last will and testament I suppose. Just in case we didn’t come back. “That process, saying goodbye in letter form, does remind you that you might not get back.” Many BBC viewers have praised the way Myrie has delivered his reports on the Russian invasion last week. In one of his reports, he talks about the fact that he has to sleep in the underground shelter at nights with hundreds of people as the threat of aerial bombardment looms. One person tweeted: “Clive Myrie is one of my heroes. He sees what is really happening and shares it with the rest of us in an honest and compassionate way.” Another said: Clive Myrie has really solidified his status as a national treasure with his reporting from Kyiv. He’s one of best broadcasters.” Myrie was born in Bolton, Lancashire, to Jamaican parents Norris and Lynne Myrie, who came to England in the 1960s. He was educated at Hayward Grammar School in Bolton before he graduated from the University of Sussex with a bachelor of law degree in 1985. He first joined the BBC in 1987 as a trainee local radio reporter on the corporation’s graduate journalism programme, where his first assignment was a reporter for Radio Bristol. He moved to other stations within the corporation before he became a foreign correspondent in 1996. Between the years 1997 to 1999, he was posted in Tokyo and then Los Angeles, before he eventually became BBC Asia correspondent in 2002. He went on to become Paris correspondent from 2006 to 2007 and his major assignments since include coverage of the impeachment of US President Bill Clinton and wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. In April 2009, Myrie was appointed a presenter on BBC News Channel, which brought him alongside some of the bigname presenters, including Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce. In 2019, he began presenting BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten on the national network. More recently in August 2021, he replaced John Humphry as the new host of the flagship BBC Two quiz show, Mastermind, the first black presenter to do so in its 49-year history. Last week, however, he swapped the quiz chair and the news studio to present News at Ten from a high-rise building in the centre of Kyiv, the Ukraine capital. In one of his reports, he told viewers: ”We heard the air raid sirens and we have put on our flak jackets. “One wonders what the people of this city and, indeed, right across this country are now thinking. They prayed for peace and with all the diplomacy over the last few weeks and months, they hoped that would be the case. “Now, we are in a major conflict.” TORONTO: J AMAICA-BORN BLACK entertainment trailblazer Denise Jones will be posthumously awarded the 2022 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award as part of this year’s annual JUNO Awards festivities. The announcement was made by The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). Jones, who passed away in December 2020 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, spent a lifetime championing Afro-Caribbean culture in Canada and around the world through her company, Jones & Jones Productions. She also established the internationally renowned JAMBANA One World Festival, and was the founding chair of the reggae category for the JUNO Awards. The Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award recognises individuals whose wo r k h a s significantly impacted the growth and development of the Canadian music industry. Named after legendary Canadian publisher and co-founder of the JUNO Awards, this year’s award will be handed over at the JUNO Opening Night Awards, presented by Ontario Creates on Saturday, May 14, and streamed live on CBC Gem, and globally at cbcmusic. ca/junos. Throughout her career, Jones received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban Music Association of Canada, the Bob Marley Memorial Award for her work in entertainment, a Government of Ontar i o Community Service Award, a Ministry of Citizenship Ontario Government Awa r d , an African Canadian Achievement Award, and a Ha r r y J e rome Award for Excellence in Entertainment. She was also named one of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women in 2018. “Growing up around my mother’s presence made me believe that things are possible. I saw her achieving and realising, every single day. I am forever grateful for that, because I think that’s the most important thing you can give somebody, hope and belief in themselves. Mom did this for us at home and as she passed away, I also came to realise she was doing that for a lot of other people, too. She created a pathway for myself and many others in this country to follow, and we’re committed to keeping that energy, that fire and legacy alive for generations to come,” said Jesse Jones. “Denise Jones will forever be an important and respected figure in the Canadian entertainment industry,” said Allan Reid, president & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards. “She leaves behind an inspiring legacy, and we are honoured to recognise her devotion to championing black culture and artistes throughout her career.” Jones emigrated to Canada from Portland, Jamaica, in the 1980s and earned her BA in communications and theatre from the University of Windsor. She went on to serve as a theatre critic/arts reporter for CBC Radio in Sudbury, then as an executive director for the Peel Multicultural Council, where she later resided. Jones’ roots in entertainment, along with her passion for championing underrepresented art forms and artists, inspired her to create Jones & Jones Productions with her husband Allan Jones in 1987. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Among her many accomplishments, Jones established the second-largest Afrocentric cultural event in Canada, JAMBANA OneWorld Festival, which, at its height, drew over 45,000 attendees. It was named one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals in 2015. Denise Jones’ renowned accomplishments have been recognised far and wide, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling her “an incredible advocate for Caribbean arts and culture [who] contributed so much to our country”. The 51st Annual JUNO Awards and JUNO Week will be hosted in Toronto from Monday, May 9, through to Sunday, May 15, culminating in The JUNO Awards Broadcast, produced by Insight Productions, at Budweiser Stage, live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBCMusic, CBC Listen, and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos. Glen Munro/ Gleaner Writer SOCIAL MEDIA sensations Craig and Shaun McAnuff are sharing their treasured Jamaican recipes with fans, during a whistle-stop tour across the United Kingdom. The brothers’ journey across the middle and northern cities of the UK, including Birmingham and Leeds, coincides with the recent launch of their new book, Natural Flava. The chefs from South London, whose Jamaican grandmother taught them how to cook Caribbean cuisine, have 163,000 followers on Instagram. Their latest entry into publishing contains over one hundred delicious vegan recipes, many of them inspired by Jamaica’s Rastafarians. Shaun reveals the motive for publishing a second book. He said: “Most of the African Caribbean community are meat eaters. “We’re not trying to tell people to be vegans. We’re not militant and I don’t think that’s the best way to introduce things to people. We are encouraging the introduction of vegans dishes two or three times a week.” Natural Flava showcases dishes such as Rasta pumpkin pasta, aubergines stuffed with spicy gungo peas, green banana curry and sweet potato and chickpea peanut stew, with jollof rice. Discussing the rich variety of vegan recipes found in the book, Craig said: “We wanted to show our community and the world how you can use different Caribbeanbased vegetables, and everyday vegetables as well, with added flavour. “We wanted to show there is more to Caribbean cooking than just jerk chicken.” Shaun has noticed that his mother is enjoying the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle. He said: “She had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, but managed to control it and eradicate it as well. “She lost so much weight, her skin’s glowing and she’s happy. She’s loving it.” Natural Flava follows the release of Craig and Shaun’s first cookbook, Original Flava, in 2019. It contains traditional and new recipes from the Caribbean, from street food chefs and members of the McAnuff family. LIFE CHANGING EXPIERENCE Before the publication of Craig and Shaun’s first book in 2019, the brothers made a pilgrimage to Jamaica, where they discovered an array of fruits and vegetables which became the basis for Natural Flava. Reminiscing on the experience Craig said: “Our trip to Jamaica was a life-changing experience and it opened our eyes to cooking in a different way. On our trip we visited vegan cafés in Negril and were amazed by howmuch natural food was so flavourful and delicious. “We remember stopping at the café on Seven Mile Beach and ordering a meal which consisted of stew peas, curry tofu, rice and peas and cabbage and it tasted amazing. “It was one of the best meals we had. We realised that Jamaica was filled with delicious plant-based recipes.” Gang violence could easily have marred the success of the young brothers. Craig recalls: “Growing up in south London, you’re faced with that challenge,” he said, speaking of gang culture. “You get caught up in that sort of life, and then you’re affiliated with people outside of your circle, and then you’re known as a gang, and then you have to build up that credibility, and not show your weakness.” The younger McAnuff brother remembers being on a bus with a group of friends when a gang member accosted them with a gun. He said: “I started to laugh at him, because I thought it was a fake gun. At the time I was a fearless young man.” Craig believes the incident was a turning point in his life. Both Shaun and Craig now visit schools, where some kids face the lure of becoming gang members. They talk about their experiences and run cooking workshops. “We understand the struggles that young people face when it comes to this sort of thing,” says Craig. “We try to teach young people how to have the no-fear attitude, but in a positive place.” Much of the brothers’positivity and drive come from the support of their grandmother. Shaun says: “Our nan [Lurline] is our inspiration; she’s an amazing lady. She’s actually more popular than us now! She literally gets stopped on the street.” Shaun and Craig spent their summer holidays being trained by their grandmother tomake staple Jamaican dishes like ackee and salt fish, and mackerel rundown. Their YouTube careers in their later years were possible because their nan allowed filming in her home. Brothers taking Natural Flava recipes across UK BBC’s Clive Myrie in the heart of the war zone BBC News at Ten presenter Clive Myrie as he reports from the Ukraine capital. CONTRIBUTED Late Denise Jones named for 2022Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award Natural Flava - by authors, Shaun (left) and Craig McAnuff showcases Jamaican food recipes. CONTRIBUTED
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