Goat Curry Gallery

While exploring Constant Spring Arcade in Halfway Tree, I stumbled across Gabrielle at her workshop. A born entrepreneur, a self-taught fashion designer with a mission, ambitious, hardworking, business savvy with a contagious smile. The following day I came back with my camera. We spoke about life, work, family expectations and the importance of positive African consciousness within Jamaica.

Thank you Gabrielle for your pure light and positive energy, you’re truly inspiring!

Check out Quaint by GSC to get your hands on some of Gabrielle’s work.

Searching for Old Spanish Bridge one day I ended up getting very very lost, taking an hour detour as google maps led me to a random bridge in the heart of St Mary, way off course!

Along the way I met Bobo and his son at their bike shop. Bobo invited me in and showed me around this shop. I asked if I could record a story on him and he smiled broadly, ‘yes!’ At the time I didn’t have my sound recorder so I told him I’d be back. It took 7 months before I was able to return but Bobo remembered me and was happy to share his story.

Bobo remembers a time when his business was flourishing and he had lots of customers. Now, people get gifted new bikes from family in America and they’ve stopped using small businesses like his own. Regardless, Bobo continues his work as a mechanic and does his farming. This is a family business and Bobo is proud to have trained up his children with valuable skills.

Lottery scamming is an ugly business which happens in Jamaica. This is an illegal practice which bleeds innocent victims bank accounts while simultaneously causing gang wars and way too many violent deaths. In 2018 lottery scamming brought a state of emergency on different locations across the country.

There is a strong and powerful energy which pulsates through the rivers of Jamaica. A calming, healing and nurturing energy. An energy that can be harnessed. An energy that is believed to bring protection, guidance and good luck. This is an energy which needs to be approached with care. It requires the wisdom and guidances of our elders and ancestors. However this is also an energy which has interestingly been channeled into the fraudulent practice of lottery scamming. Misused, manipulated and abused.

I recently visited the spot where I first heard about Jamaica’s fresh water mermaid, in 2016. I’d just arrived in Roaring River, Westmorland, and was planning to base myself there for a couple of months. Bobo and his best friend Dexter had taken me to see the different natural springs and it was here that they introduced me to the folklore of the River Maid.

The three of us sat at this river on my first day in Jamaica staring into the water. Bobo and Dexter silently crushed weed into their palms. Then Dexter turned to me, ‘you believe in mermaids?’ He asked. An image of Ariel popped into my head and a silent chuckle began to build up inside me. Without shifting my gaze I nodded enthusiastically, waiting for the punchline of the joke. ‘Good’ he said. I lifted my eyes, trying hard to keep a straight face, and looked him in the eye. His face was dead serious. I stopped and quickly swallowed my smirk. Hoping he’d go on and tell me more…. he did.

Dexter isn’t with us anymore, (which is a story for another time). So now when I return to Roaring River it’s just Bobo and I who sit by the river. On this visit we talked a lot about Dexter. I told him ever memory I had of him. We laughed hard remember how ridiculous he was and then we cried. I told him that one day I’ll make a film about that time, to really honour Dexter, ‘like a proper film.’ Bobo grinned at me. ‘Yesss, you have to!’

I will.

At the back of Constant Spring Arcade in Halfway Tree, there is a little record shop run by Morton. His main customers are Japanese tourists looking for Jamaican 60's records. He used to sell crafts but now has gone into the record business. Vinyls are stacked ceiling high in boxes and crates which fill his shopfront. Morton told me he doesn't organise or categories the records as it wouldn't be fair. One person might want to buy all of them and leave nothing for someone else.

I love this concept. It's such a different logic. Perhaps Morton genuinely wants his customers to all have a fair go at finding a hidden treasure or maybe he thinks the longer they have to stay and search the more they might buy… Or it could be that he just can't be bothered sorting them… Whatever the reason, this idea made me stop and smile. It’s so different from the usual ‘buy, buy, buy, sell, sell, sell’ of conventional capitalism that I’m used to.

As I was leaving Morton gifted me a record and thanked ME for my time. Again this made me stop. I was the one asking him for the favour and for his time. I thanked him and told him I didn't have a record player but he insisted I take it anyway. I his this Morton with a new perspective and warm feeling of gratitude.

Just off Parade, in Downtown Kingston, you’ll find Shabba the barber doing what he does best. An artist when it comes to the shears he knows his craft like the back of his hand.

The confidence, respect and pride that people take in their craft is a Jamaican characteristic which I have fallen in love with. There is such a beautiful sense of dignity and self-worth when it comes to talking about your skill-base and profession. In other societies this might be seen as being egotistic or conceited… But to me it’s refreshing and also very important. If you don’t believe in yourself, value your own work, then who else will? Confidence inspires confidence and the more you appreciate your achievements and skills, the more

If you’re in the neighbourhood and looking for a trim give Shabba a shout!