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Practicing phonics with your child is essential, consistency is the key.

Enjoy the Barbados Museum after hours on our special Torchlight Tour on Friday, 21st August 2015.

The event will feature guided gallery tours, live re-enactments, food court and entertainment.

Don't forget your torchlight!

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact The Barbados Museum at (246) 427-0201 or E-mail: [email protected].

An interesting excerpt about Barbados' history.

[This Day in History – May 11, 1891]

“King Ja Ja won’ leh Beka lone…”

As Barbadians, many of us have heard this folk song and wondered who these two people were. Although the identity of Beka remains shrouded in mystery, King Ja Ja was a real historical figure.

On this day, May 11th, one hundred and twenty-four years ago, King Ja Ja of Opobo departed Barbados on his return trip to Africa after spending approximately three months in Barbados as part of his Caribbean exile.

Ja Ja was born around 1821 in Igboland now Nigeria. At an early age, he was sold into slavery to an Aro trader called Odiari who was a member of the Opubo House of Anna or Annie Pebble. Even before he attained his freedom, Ja Ja entered the palm oil trade with great success, eventually becoming the chief of Bonny Rehouse. Following the outbreak of war in Bonny in 1869, Ja Ja relocated to the Adoni country where he founded the new Kingdom of Opobo, of which he became king. Opobo emerged as a leader in the palm oil trade and Ja Ja gained the reputation as one of the “ablest of the coast middlemen.” The palm oil trade emerged as central to the “legitimate” trade which replaced the Atlantic slave trade following its abolition by the British in 1807. As a consequence, and to a large extent, this trade shaped the relationship between Britain and West Africa during the nineteenth century.

His reputation notwithstanding, Ja Ja and the British traders maintained a strained relationship which culminated in Ja Ja being kidnapped in 1887 after agreeing to attend a meeting with the Consul-General Henry (Harry) Johnston, later Sir Henry. Ja Ja was charged with “barring trade with the inland districts beyond his jurisdiction, blocking the river and thus preventing British access to the interior and failing to carry out the terms of the 1884 Protectorate Treaty.”

Placed on trial in Accra, Ja Ja was found guilty and was sentenced to five years in exile, which could be spent in Cape Colony, Ascension Island, St. Helena or in one of the British West Indian islands. However, due to his influence in the Niger Delta States, the decision was made to banish Ja Ja to the Caribbean. Ja Ja and his entourage departed Accra on May 8, 1888 aboard the “Icarus” and arrived in Grenada on June 8, 1888. His arrival sparked high public excitement and many boats and people converged on the harbour “to see what sort of person the king was….” The next day, June 9th, he arrived in St. Vincent where he spent approximately three years in exile. While in St. Vincent, Ja Ja petitioned the Colonial Office to have his sentence overturned. He even requested permission to travel to London to present his case in person. Although his appeals were unsuccessful, the Colonial Office, fearing the political fallout if Ja Ja was to die in captivity, made a decision to relocate him to the more salubrious climate in Barbados until his repatriation to Opobo. He arrived in Barbados on March 1st, 1891.

During his short sojourn in Barbados, Ja Ja lived at Walmer Cottage, Two Mile Hill. As in Grenada and St. Vincent, Ja Ja’s presence in Barbados created quite a stir among the black population. On his visits to such places as the House of Assembly and the Merchant’s Exchange, his carriage was surrounded by persons “eager to look at a live King.” Ja Ja’s health was however deteriorating and a medical report just two weeks after his arrival in Barbados offered a grim prognosis, which the doctors felt had been worsened by his detention so far from home. Believing that he was finally going home, a sick Ja Ja left Barbados on May 11, 1891, sadly he died on July 7th at Tenerife.

Learning of his death, the Chiefs in Opobo successfully petitioned for the return of his body for a ceremonial funeral.

More details about King Ja Ja’s extraordinary life can be found in "Rekindling the Ancestral Memory: King Ja Ja of Opobo in St. Vincent and Barbados, 1888-1891" by Edward L. Cox, a pamphlet in the BMHS’ published Rewriting History series.

Interested in your child having assistance in improving Comprehension and Composition skills in preparation for the Common Entrance Exam during the Easter break? Inbox, call 252-2094 or email [email protected]

In the Caribbean, PHAGWA, a Hindu religious festival filled with colours, songs, music and dance is celebrated at this time of the year.

Have a great week!

An important part of Caribbean history and culture is our festivals and rituals. In some Caribbean countries, Carnival is a festive season which occurs before the season of Lent with the main events usually taking place during February. Festivals continue to be a tool for self-expression and exploration. One such place where this is evident is Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad Carnival clip from the 1950s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVoF78eX3CE&index=5&list=PL2F8B3ECCBB3AF878

Ole Time Carnival 1959 Part 3 Part three of ole time carnival in Trinidad and Tobago in 1959

Ainsley Eats the Streets - Barbados This is "Ainsley Eats the Streets - Barbados" by TCB Media Rights on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

The month of February is known as Black History Month. Its purpose concerns the remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African Diaspora. However, there are criticisms to black history being delegated to just one month.