WHEN Dr Aba Mortley opened her first Cher-Mère Day Spa in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, she was continuing her family's beauty business legacy from Trinidad. And last month she continued to make that legacy proud when she won her category in the Rise Up Pitch Competition, an online black Canadian business competition, and secured a covid19 innovation grant.
According to the Rise Up website, the competition "is an opportunity for Black women entrepreneurs, at any stage of business, to shine and pitch for the chance to win thousands of dollars in financial awards and resources."
The site added: "This program has been designed to help Black women entrepreneurs develop key skills, build their networks, and receive the support they need to succeed."
All about community
Mortley, speaking to Newsday in a telephone interview, said she received the information about the competition from multiple sources. She explained she is very active in Kingston as a member of different community agencies including WE-CAN Women Entrepreneurs organisation out of Queen's University (her alma mater) and, more recently, the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA). She is also chair of Tourism Kingston and co-chair of the Queen's University council.
"One of the pillars of Cher-Mère's business in TT and Canada is community. In order to be successful, you need a greater network structure and giving back is important. We do so many community things and people send info to help us. It flows both ways."
She recalled last year following the George Floyd killing in Minnesota she was involved with the community group Let's Talk Kingston and hosted panels with the mayor, police chief, black and indigenous platforms.
"It was a safe space to ask questions and challenge beliefs and thoughts."
She said the city is aware of the activities of the business and is very supportive of small businesses.
Asked why she entered the competition, Mortley said covid has been very difficult on her two spa locations in Kingston.
"We employ more than 15 people and we worked hard to minimise that loss. There were several periods where we just shut down."
She said however, they did a good job in switching gears and promoting the product via online sales through Cher-Mère in a box, and she was able to retain staff.
She described the Rise Up competition as a good opportunity to showcase how they could maximise the grants and support the business.
"(The grant) and winning the competition would continue to keep the momentum up and keep the trajectory upwards."
Mortley explained the competition had several components, starting with a first round where they asked generally about the mission and vision, an overview of what the business did, and what the funds from the grant would be used for.
For the second round, they asked for more details, a succinct business plan, measurable targets, and tangible things the business did to substantiate the claim there was successful recovery from the impact of covid.
The pitch
Mortley made it to the finals, the live pitch competition on February 26 where she would go up against two other finalists in her category.
"It was a great opportunity. Even if I didn't win it was just a learning opportunity and it would open a few more doors."
She recalled the competition provided her and the other participants with a lot of seminars on marketing and other topics, and she was given a one-on-one pitch coach. She also received help with her pitch from her fellow BBPA members.
The time limit for the pitch was six minutes and it was before about five or six judges and then two minutes for judges' suggestions or questions. Of the three finalists, Mortley was up first. And how was the experience of the pitch?
"It was quite funny. My family has been making Cher-Mère products for a very long time. I grew up in the business. I know it like the back of my hand. I just had to say my family history."
She compared the experience to when she had a project in school and though you thought it was really good there was still a lot of nerves about whether it was the winning project.
"I calmed myself. I thought regardless of what happens the experience is a good one. Win or lose it will not be the end-all or be-all. And I prepared the best I could and gave it my best shot. No matter what I'm still winning."
Mortley's mother Cheryl Bowles was watching the pitch live and said her daughter "nailed it."
"She was fluent, energised, knowledgable, to such an extent that all the judges praised her and her energy. She was asked questions by all the judges."
She recalled Mortley started with the story of Cher-Mère being a four-generation journey from her great grandmother using natural ingredients like cucumber to soothe and tone skin, egg whites and magnesia for facial masks, then to her grandmother an esthetician and hairdresser, to her mother a biochemist (Bowles), who left her job to pursue Cher-Mère on the advice of her own mother.
Mortley also shared how she was part of Cher-Mère in TT and upon reaching Canada saw limited options for skin and hair care products for black people.
"She described Cher-Mère natural products and its sustainability for 35 years in a very multiethnic market, innovation in Canadian online sales with Cher-Mère in a box, the box was environmentally friendly (one judge says she liked the eco-friendly environmental approach); the use of social media to increase her online sales by 1660 per cent with this innovation, tracking return on investment, and Prizm (digital marketing agency) tracking. In the end, she also grew her return customers from 18 per cent to 42 per cent within the one year of covid. Her next step is to take Cher-Mère globally."
Bowles said her daughter was "beyond and above her game."
Surprise win
Mortley said after the pitch the winners would be notified via e-mail. When she did not receive one she thought someone else had won. But she tuned in for the prize-giving ceremony to support the other women there and to see who won.
"When they called my name I was like 'what is happening?' It was a slightly out-of-body experience. I was shocked."
At the time she was speaking with her mother via WhatsApp and when the announcement was made her mother cheered and her husband also came into the room and congratulated her.
"It made me so emotional I almost broke down."
Bowles noted the win opens many doors for her daughter in Canada and globally.
"If she did not know it before, Aba has re-cemented and established her mark as Cher-Mère brand persona, next generation. The baton passing over the years has been a wonderful success culminating in this exciting event."


Mortley said the winners will be receiving compensation and it will be used towards continuing advertising and the programme they have set out. She also said it opened up doors to sell the products on other platforms.
She recalled she always grew up with plans to have Cher-Mère globally.
"The product is really good and people use it. It is how to get from now and to where people start echoing 'I know Cher-Mère.'"
She viewed the business as a relay race and family legacy that she was continuing. She added she was grateful to the business community in Kingston for their support.
"I couldn't be where I am without that whole village."
About Dr Aba Mortley
Aba Mortley moved to Kingston, Ontario from TT to do an undergraduate degree in engineering at Queen’s University, followed by a Masters and PhD in Materials and Chemical Engineering at the Royal Military College. In 2013, Mortley opened the first Cher-Mere day spa, using the family’s name brand Cher-Mere products, in downtown Kingston and expanded to open a second location in 2018. She is currently the chair of the Tourism Kingston board, co-chair of Queens University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity, member of the downtown business association board, member of the Kingston Economic Recovery Team (KERT) and chair of the subcommittee for underrepresented groups in the Workplace for KERT.
For over 20 years Mortley has actively volunteered at Youth Diversion. Along with her partner Ted, they enjoy raising four young children, Wyatt, Ryder, Meredith and Otto. More recently, Mortley has been organising panel discussions through the Kingston Let’s talk platform to share and normalise the dialogue about the lived experiences for racialised members of the Kingston community and how we can all work together to make a more equitable and anti-racist future.
Source: Newsday March 16, 2021

THE second season of the US reality show Below Deck Sailing Yacht premiered on the Bravo network on March 1 and featured a local among its cast – Trini chef Natasha de Bourg.
De Bourg is among the crew of the Parsifal III helmed by captain Glenn Shephard.
"(He) puts his trust in an all-new crew as they sail along the sparkling coast of Croatia to provide an unforgettable, luxurious experience for the guests and their over-the-top requests," Bravo's parent company NBCUniversal said in a release.
The release reported that season one of Below Deck Sailing Yacht has averaged 2.7 million total viewers across all linear and digital platforms, to date, and ranked as the number-three new series on cable last year among the ages 18-49 and 25-54.
"Additionally, the inaugural season was the network’s highest-rated new reality series in three years among all key demos."
In the new season, Shephard is joined by de Bourg, chief stew Daisy Kelliher, chief engineer Colin Macrae, first mate Gary King, second stew Dani Soares, third stew Alli Dore and deckhands Sydney Zaruba and Jean-Luc Cerza Lanaux.

"When the chief stew and chef discover they're on different pages, mistrust and miscommunication makes for an extremely volatile working relationship that impacts everyone on board. As department heads undermine each other’s authority, arguments trickle down the chains of command as tension reaches an all-time high between the interior and exterior teams. With new safety protocols in place, the crew must stay on the yacht in between charters, blurring the lines professionally and personally, leading to a boat-load of nauti-yachties."
The release said de Bourg escaped a difficult childhood and a troubled marriage to take a leap of faith and attend culinary school in Europe. After finishing school, she focused on working at top Michelin-star restaurants.


"Her skills are sharp as a knife and (she) eventually became an executive chef in France before getting (into) yachting. Natasha’s headstrong nature often puts her at odds with other crew members – especially her counterpart, Daisy, the chief stew."
Newsday posed ten questions to de Bourg about the experience of the show.
Q: Your profession is a chef, not a television personality. How did you feel about entering this world?
A: I was fairly optimistic, never afraid to embrace new challenges. I am a person who is always up for a new challenge. I guess Below Deck was that for me.
You had to hide the news of your part on the show for months. How was that? And how did you feel when you could finally tell people?
It was particularly hard to hide it from my friends and family. No one understood why I was leaving home during a tumultuous time, especially during a pandemic. It was a relief to finally explain why I had been away.
How would you describe chef Natasha on the show?
Chef Natasha is quite feisty and silly – like in reality for those who know me.
I saw there was some friction between you and the chief stew Daisy. Without spoilers tell me a bit about that.
Drama! That's all I can say! You'd have to tune in to the show to see the rest.
I also saw because of the new safety protocols the crew had to remain on the yacht in between charters. How was that experience?
It was a bit difficult staying in a contained space with so many people, it was a little overwhelming at times. Working, living and breathing the same air 24/7 isn't that easy (but) it's the perfect recipe for drama.


What aspect of being on the show did you enjoy the most?
Certainly, it was the fact that it was a new experience: meeting the guests and crew; building friendships that I now have, experiencing the film industry and challenging myself in challenging situations.
What aspect did you find the most challenging? And how did you overcome that challenge?
The challenging aspect was being away from the people I love and also having little or no privacy; cameras were always in your face. You eat, sleep and wake with cameras and mics.
If you were to describe Below Deck Sailing Yacht to someone who has never seen it what would you say?
It's a reality TV series that features the yachting industry and shows everyday life and the challenges aboard a yacht. It always seems fancy, but letting people see the authentic reality of living in a confined space is great.
Is there anyone you would like to thank and/or recognise?
In the words of Snoop Dog: "I wanna thank me for believing in me." (lol). On a serious note, I would like to thank my close family and friends for supporting me, and also, the people of TT for their continued love and support. What I did was not only for myself, but to also represent my country and the Caribbean by extension.
Do you plan on continuing in reality television?
It's not in my plans, but who’s to say that we have the last say in what happens in our lives. You never know!
Source: T&T Newsday, March 4, 2021

If you thought Trinidad and Tobago was a dot on a map, 29-year-old Dr Alexandra Amon knows Earth is just a speck in the cosmos. She is a cosmologist studying the origins and development of the universe. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Amon won the prestigious Michael Penston Prize for the best doctoral thesis in astronomy or astrophysics completed in the United Kingdom during 2018 with her thesis, Cosmology with the Kilo-Degree Lensing Survey.
Now she's a Kavli Research Fellow at Stanford University in California and leading a team of international experts analysing data to determine just what the universe is made of.
Amon spoke with Business Day via e-mail to talk about her experiences as a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and how she's trying to encourage and inspire more young women to join the field.
What inspired your love of science?
I’ve always loved maths, but for me it was space that sold it. It represents the big unknown and the most fundamental questions: How did the universe begin? What’s out there? These questions make us human.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was desperate to be an astronaut, to be out there. That couldn’t work out, but I discovered the wonder of learning about space, from planet Earth.
It’s a pretty fantastic consolation prize to get to speak at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, and even to be offered a job there.
What is it about astronomy that fascinates you the most?
I was first attracted to this field that seemed to constantly be turned upside down, debunking often egotistical theories – like the discovery that Earth wasn’t the centre of the universe, or that our Milky Way galaxy was one of many in the cosmos.
Now, I love the perspective it gives: it’s hard to comprehend the vastness of our cosmos and our place in it. One one hand, it is an incredibly humbling field.
But at the same time, it's hard not to be passionate about how special this is: in the grand story of the universe, our tiny rock grows forests and harbours life – this is all we have and we must protect it.
More than that, we humans, in such a short amount of time compared to the grand story of the universe, design cameras as big as cars, launch them into space and image distant worlds. My job is a privilege and an opportunity that anyone should have – so I get a little fired up about the field’s big issues with diversity.
Tell us (go easy) about your main focus of research/study?
My research focuses on what the universe is made of, and how it evolved to form complex and beautiful galaxies and stars that we observe when we look up.
Most of our universe is dark: 95 per cent of all the stuff is dark matter and dark energy, and we don’t understand what they are.


Right now I play a leading role in a huge international team, the Dark Energy Survey, working through an enormous dataset to understand this grand puzzle (and I have always loved jigsaw puzzles, this really isn’t very different!). With cutting-edge technology, we’ve measured the shapes of and distances to 100 million faraway galaxies, and use that to test models for how our universe works.
Tell us about your journey.
I wouldn’t be where I am without a national scholarship – I’m so grateful for that opportunity to go out into the world and represent our country on a platform that’s new for us. It’s special to see people’s eyes light up to hear about the Caribbean, and to watch them google map our islands. Being the only woman of colour in my undergraduate degree and PhD programme – so different to our sweet melting pot of culture – I think contributed to feeing often behind and not good enough.
There were setbacks along the way too – like everyone has their own challenges – I had a stroke in my master’s year. I think this made me work harder – I wanted to learn more and do something useful. I guess it’s working out – I was the first woman to win that Royal Society prize in over a decade. To be honest, I still pinch myself every time I step onto Stanford campus.
What was it like at home? Were your parents science-minded? How did they encourage your curiosity?
You know the Caribbean saying, it takes a village.... I’m lucky to have a village, including the BeeWee aunties that worked with my mum. But really, I wouldn’t be where I am without all of the people who lent a hand when things were tough.
Tell us about some of your more interesting/exciting assignments.
Well, being an astrophysicist takes you to the most remote areas of the world, literally! The largest telescopes are on mountaintops in the middle of nowhere.
My first “observing run” was at the Australian Anglo-Telescope in the Warrumbugnle National Park in Australia. After our first night of work, we left the telescope dome at sunrise to get some sleep and there were kangaroos outside!
My favourite experience was heading to Cerro Tololo, Chile, to observe for the Dark Energy Survey – it was just incredible. It’s hot and dry and 2,200 metres up, and then the sun sets, and the telescopes open their domes, like guardians of the sky, and the stars come out.
Do you feel like schools in TT were equipped to really develop your love of science, especially as a girl?
I think St Joseph's Convent, Port of Spain played a huge role! That school teaches you to work hard, and I think being all girls in some ways protected us from the sexism of the world. Back then, it was so normal to have mostly female science teachers.
Did you have to face any major challenges, especially because of gender or even race/ethnicity in your STEM journey?
Ha, is the sky blue? It’s a white man’s world and physics is reputably one of the worst on an international platform. The number of minorities drops the higher you go. It’s a leaky pipeline.
I’m grateful that growing up in diverse Caribbean communities cultivates tolerance and acceptance of people with various backgrounds. Now, we just need patience as the rest of the world catches up.
Are you starting to see a pivot in the way women are embracing STEM studies, including more encouragement to join the field and recognition for contributions?
Things are changing, but we have a long road to go in physics: not just to dismantle the outdated idea of a scientist, but to build structures that protect minorities, create opportunities for people from developing countries, and advocate for change in the STEM world. This is an uphill battle but one I’m determined to fight, alongside my research.
Who were your role models/inspiration (male or female)? Were any of them local?
Oh, so many! Dr Camille Alleyne, our only NASA rocket scientist has been a guiding light. As a student, I first saw her give a talk at UWI and was honestly too intimidated to introduce myself, but years later I reached out. Our fields are quite different between academia and industry, but her patient listening, and encouragement to “take up space” has not wavered.
There are others: both my PhD adviser (Prof Catherine Heymans, Edinburgh) and current boss (Prof Risa Wechsler, Stanford) are world-leading experts in our field and unbelievable supporters in navigating this challenging field – and they happen to be women!
I've been lucky enough to feature on a PBS documentary series, and Al Jazeera – I hope that I can light the spark for the next generation, to pay forward what Camille stood as for me.
What would you say to a little girl who wants to do what you do?
There are so many weird and wonderful careers in science – and so much that we as humans still have to understand: be brave and bold in your dreams. The universe is the limit.
There’s no replacement for hard work, but more importantly, we must learn to use our voices – they’re absolutely valuable in these fields, especially those of strong Caribbean women who have so much to offer.
Follow Alexandra on Instagram @astroalexamon, where she regularly shares facts about outer space.  
Source:Newsday, Feb 11, 2021

Enjoy our trini 

HARLEY ROBERTSON was just a teen, dabbling in music and feeling very indifferent toward studying it. Now, he holds a doctoral degree in music performance and is employed with the Department of Education in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the University of the Virgin Islands. Here, Dr. Robertson tells us how indifference changed to passion and why he chose to become a musical arts educator:
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My parents exposed me to various types of music from a very young age. When I was seven years old, I began playing close attention to various styles, especially classical and local music. But, throughout my childhood and early teens, I still went through moments of disinterest and indifference. My teachers, however, kept reminding me that I had “great talent and potential” so I made music a serious part of my life. I completed the practical examinations with the Associated Boards of Royal Schools of Music, while being a part of what was then the St. Augustine Chamber Orchestra (later the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philharmonic). I played Double Bass. The director of this orchestra, Kenneth Listhrop, taught me in primary school. He figured I would be a good fit for what he was trying to build. I started playing with this orchestra late in secondary school and into my years at The UWI, St. Augustine. But for years, I did not have formal music training. A lot of what I learned, I did through trial and error. I also spent a lot of the time learning from method books and DVDs.
The vision for how I saw myself in this field became clearer
Every July and August, I was able to receive some tutoring thanks to a collaboration between the youth orchestra and El Sistema musicians from Venezuela. When the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) was formed, I received consistent and very thorough guidance from my teacher at the Academy for Performing Arts. I was also fortunate to have played with the Aragua Youth Orchestra in Venezuela. With the tutelage, encouragement and renewed love for the study of music, I decided to pursue a Master’s Degree from Florida International University followed by a doctoral degree at the University of Miami.
During my years as a doctoral student, I received a fellowship to play with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, the resident and very progressive orchestra of the University of Miami. At that time, I was performing with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and Sunrise Pops Orchestra. I also taught young people who came from various walks of life. While I have always enjoyed learning and playing my instrument, I always felt it would be better to merge my experience as an educator and a musician to make more valuable contributions and not to limit myself to just one area.
“Being able to make a difference in the lives of young people”
After receiving my doctoral degree, I got a job with the Department of Education in the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as the University of the Virgin Islands. I continued playing, merging my love for music with my desire to impart knowledge and teach others. Most recently, I was part of a collaboration with musicians from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Being able to make a difference in the lives of young people, as well as continuing to play in various settings, have kept me on this path.
"Despite some trepidation, the support that I had, aided in my navigation of this musical arena"
As I look back on my professional and personal journey, I experienced many moments of nervousness as I was entering a field not often explored in Trinidad and Tobago. There were few classical double bass players in the Caribbean and even fewer resources. I also had little experience performing in any orchestra setting. This is why, I will never forget the many interactions that I had with various teachers and mentors along this journey. I am indebted to people like Kenneth Listhrop, Javier Viloria, Caitlyn Kamminga, Luis Gomez-Imbert and Brian Powell for the role they played. These are just a handful of the people whom I encountered and recognized my talent at various points of this journey. They did a lot to guide and nurture my skills and maximize my potential. Despite some trepidation, the support that I had, helped me to navigate this arena. My family has also been extremely supportive throughout this journey and their foresight and individual passion, helped lay the foundation for my musical performance and education career.
“The Caribbean has a lot of upstanding leaders in various arenas”
We need more role models for black men but what must also be implemented are additional initiatives to nurture and encourage those in the creative sector, especially in the orchestral world. In general, the Caribbean is filled with individuals who have proven to be upstanding leaders in various arenas, including music. These individuals, though imperfect, have done quite a lot of good. Black men especially could learn from all aspects of their experiences.
Globally, people are encouraging more black people to join musical arts. Initiatives such as the Sphinx Organization in the USA and Chineke! Orchestra in the UK have surely highlighted the need to have more people of colour in orchestras. Many universities also recognize the importance of exposing people from diverse backgrounds to orchestral music making. As a result, they have created after school programmes which give students the opportunity to learn music with which they may not be as familiar. While there is still a lot more work that needs to be done, I am hopeful that the work that has been geared specifically toward the empowerment of black men, will continue to bear positive results. The onus is on those who have done the work in earlier years, to continue to carve viable paths for the younger ones to follow. I hope that I can continue to play my part.
“Music and performing arts have evolved tremendously over the years”
Young men therefore should be encouraged to explore as many areas as possible. Young men have talents that they may not be aware of. Providing them with as many reasonable options as possible, may allow young men to consider less traditional career paths. Music and the performing arts have evolved tremendously over the years and it is much easier to find specific areas that may be of interest to men. These areas could include performance, education, research, music production, technology, and much more. Regardless of the area, the arts provide opportunities where people can communicate a wide range of ideas, technical approaches and emotional ranges. All involved, stand to greatly benefit.
In addition to his master’s and doctoral degrees in music, Harley also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literatures in English, Linguistics and Communication Studies from
University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad
and an Artist Diploma in Music Performance from
UTT - The University of Trinidad and Tobago
St. George's College, Barataria, Trinidad and Tobago.
University of the Virgin Islands
Source: MENtions-Stories About Us, October 2020

GROWING UP in Arima, Kavita Maharaj liked to draw. She was also a fan of the science-fiction television series Star Trek. Little did she know she would voyage to Canada, engage in an artistic mission for almost 30 years, and boldly paint licensed Star Trek pieces like no one has ever painted before.
The 44-year-old fine artist and yoga teacher spoke with Newsday via Zoom from her home in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where she lives with her husband Daniel and their dog Azul. She recalled her childhood fascination with Star Trek, which was aired on one of two channels available at that time.
“It presented the idea of the possibilities for different worlds. What child wouldn’t be taken with that?”
Her father was not a fan of her Trek love but became more understanding and supportive of her work later in life.
Her appreciation of art started when she was a standard three student at Arima Girls' RC. During a class, she was looking at her hand and sketching it. Her teacher was impressed and encouraged her to keep up her art, calling dibs on the child's first painting when she became famous.
“She was one of the first people to suggest a future for me artistically in some shape or form.”
When she was 13, Maharaj and her family moved to Canada, where she was born but had only lived for seven months.
She continued with her art, sold her first piece at 14, and was able to skip grades in school. She decided to study fine art at university, and on the advice of her father, she incorporated business into her degree. But after four years at Queen's University, Maharaj felt she had not learned a lot about art, and decided to start doing it on her own and then later with a friend in a studio apartment.
“This had a major impact on my growth as an artist. I was able to create art and learn about art as I was doing it.”
The Search for Spock
Eventually, art and her love for Star Trek merged when she decided to do a painting of Mr Spock for her home; the Vulcan science officer has always been Maharaj’s favourite character.
“Nobility really matters to me. And I got to watch him struggle with emotional responses to things but regularly choose the noble path and the greater good for everyone. To do the right thing. That reminds me of me.”
She also shares Spock’s logical trait.

Maharaj frequently incorporates a variety of media such as graphite, watercolour pencils, acrylic inks and markers. She said she would take about 30 hours actually painting on canvas, not counting the time looking at images or sketching.
“Sometimes I paint faster, sometimes I paint longer. The pieces are living entities and I don’t know where I am going when I start. And I prefer it that way. Dead art lacks that genuine creativity and life in it. When I start I will be as interested as you are where I will end.”
First Contact
Through her work Maharaj has had personal interactions with Original Series cast members William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Nichelle Nichols (Lt Uhura). On October 10, 2019, Shatner contacted her via Twitter and asked her to donate one of her Boldly Go prints, featuring him as Kirk, to his charity to be auctioned off. A CBS representative told her Shatner never asks for anything.
“I took that as a compliment.”
Last month, Shatner asked her via CBS for one of her One to Beam Up prints for his personal collection and also asked her to donate to his charity again.
“It is okay to be less emotional.”
But after two years of looking at photos of Spock she found she could not choose one to paint, as there were too many facial expressions to choose from. Her husband suggested she do more than one, and her Spock series was born.
“The Trek series became the moment I stepped into myself as an artist.”
The Undiscovered Country
Eventually, she began sharing pieces on social media. One day she received a cryptic message that said: “Who are you?” The message was from a friend of Spock actor Leonard Nimoy who wanted to buy some of her pieces. She told him what she told many other interested people – she was really sorry, but the paintings were labours of love and not for sale.
But she eventually gave in and decided get an official licence and sell prints when she continued to get numerous requests to buy. She got in contact with Nimoy’s granddaughter Dani, who wanted to carry some of Maharaj's work in her memorabilia store Shop LLAP. A few weeks later she had her licensing contract with CBS.
She has sold pieces to people in Canada, the US, Australia, Finland, Scotland, England, Germany, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and one to her homeland of TT.
Her most popular piece so far is Pure Logic, an image of Spock looking directly at the viewer

She met Nichols in Florida in May 2019 at a speculative fiction convention, Megacon. She attended the convention during a stop-over en route to Georgia.
“I did not eat all day. I had not slept. But I remember not caring at all. I was so excited to meet her.
“She’s a sweetheart. I felt like I was sitting and chatting with my grandmother. She was very easy to talk to and very kind. I can tell she likes being with the fans and it is something she enjoys.”
Maharaj recalled when Nichols saw her Lt Uhura piece her eyes got really wide and she said: “You did this? I want a copy.”
She was then hired by Nichols' agent to do an official piece for Nichols' Farewell Convention which was carded for May but was postponed to next year owing to covid19. One of the three pieces from this collaboration was The Kiss, featuring Lt Uhura and Captain Kirk's seminal smooch in the 1968 episode Plato's Stepchildren, which is often regarded as the first interracial kiss on American television.
"Choosing the right moment to capture in The Kiss was important to me. How close should the characters be to present the importance and tension of the moment while still allowing the viewer to feel part of the moment, intimate but not wholly voyeuristic.

"The scene was controversial for several reasons, not just the interracial aspect back in the 1960s, but the question of consent for both characters, that is as valid even today. That second part meant that there was an even deeper exploration for me regarding a person's ability to hold onto oneself in the face of unwanted life experiences. It also meant that I went into the piece knowing that I would likely not please everyone by my choice to pursue this scene on canvass."
Maharaj has also become friends with Chris Doohan, son of the late Montgomery “Scotty” Scott actor James Doohan, and the younger Doohan has commissioned her to paint his version of his father’s character in the award-winning web series Star Trek Continues.
The Final Frontier
This year Maharaj was scheduled to be a guest at three events, but all were cancelled because of covid19.
Next year she is scheduled to be a guest at the VulcanCon convention which is being held in the official Star Trek town of Vulcan, California.

Maharaj’s current licence with CBS covers The Original Series (her personal favourite), the six Original Series movies and The Next Generation (TNG). It is coming up for renewal and she is hoping to expand it to the TNG films and the other spin-off series like Deep Space Nine and Voyager. If her licence is renewed and expanded, Maharaj said she plans to paint Zefram Cochrane from the TNG movie First Contact.
“He has such interesting features.”
With almost 50 Trek pieces (32 of them of Spock) Maharaj is planning to do a coffee-table book including a lot of work that has not been released to fans. And as the iconic Vulcan would say, that is "fascinating."
For more information and to see more of Maharaj's work you can check out her website www.restrospectstudios.ca, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RetrospectStudios.Art and Twitter via the handle @RetrospectStud1
Source:  Newsday, Nov. 2020

CNN’s rising star Abby Phillip is getting a chance to shine on her own. CNN announced the network’s new Washington-based anchor roles. Within that release came the news that Phillip has been promoted to senior political correspondent and will be taking the reins of Inside Politics Sunday from John King. So, CNN viewers will now be able to tune into Phillip every Sunday morning from 8 to 9 a.m. EST starting January 24th.
Fans of the show will note that Phillip is no stranger to the Inside Politics set, having been a member of the show’s roundtable in 2015 and even filling in for King last month—perhaps as an undisclosed opportunity for Phillip to test drive the anchor role. 
​Phillip, 31, is of Afro-Trinidadian descent. She was born to Trinidadian parents, June C Phillip and Carlos W Phillip.

 PLAYWRIGHT Eric Barry said it’s an honour to have been chosen as the regional winner of the BBC’s International Playwriting Competition 2020. His play, Delisa Brings Home the Rainbow, was selected as the Caribbean winner.
Barry said many people had called him about it when the announcement was made.
“It was interesting that so many people are happy, I can’t believe – some are more happy than I am, in some cases, at the win. It feels good that in these terrible times we have some good news for a change.”
He said this was the first time he had entered the competition, though friends had sent him the ad and urged him to enter for many years. This particular time there was "almost an avalanche" of people suggesting he enter. He said the deadline was midnight on January 31, and he had sent in his entry an hour before the deadline, as he began late.
In Delisa Brings Home the Rainbow, Barry tells the story of a family whose lives are disrupted when their daughter brings home a friend from university.
“It’s a double-header party: the husband and wife...have been married for 25 years, he becomes regional manager of a Caribbean bank, and the wife is a writer whose book is on the school syllabus and she gives herself airs. Their daughter who has been away at university is coming home for the first time after graduation and she brings home a friend. She has changed and this is causing a friction in the home, especially with the mother, as everything the daughter is now, the mother is not, and the friend even worse.
"That’s all I can say right now.”
Barry said he wrote the play many years ago for a friend as part of an inter-bank competition, but wasn’t used.
“I just brought it up and transformed it into a radio play. It was a ten-minute sketch, and I did it on stage when I began staging my own productions.
"The radio play is 45 minutes long, so I expanded the story and changed things here and there and that’s where it sprang from.”
He said there is no prize attached to the award “other than the honour of being the region’s best for the year, and the BBC will only produce the top winning plays I believe.
"If I can, I will produce it myself, because I have the experience. This is the first prize of its kind for me in terms of a radio play, but my work has won seven Cacique awards in the past.”
Barry said friends who read the script before he submitted it were thrilled with it.
“I think it’s something audiences would like to hear, not because I wrote it, but because it’s a good story. I would love to produce it sometime next year and have it on the air.”
He said while he wasn’t sure he would enter the competition again next year, he might enter the Commonwealth Short Story competition.
“I have a story I’ve been writing for the last five years. Prose is not my strength. So I’ve been very slow with that. It is quite a story.
"So (with) the adrenaline I have from this win, I want to go back to that story and finish it and enter the Commonwealth Short Story competition as well.
"I don’t know if I’ll have another radio play for January, but we’ll see what could happen.”
Barry is an award-winning playwright, film-maker, actor and advertising copywriter.
His play Better, Better Village won second place at the 2017 Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy Competition. 
He is the writer of radio plays The Rough Season (2004), a ten-part soap opera on hurricane preparedness for the English-speaking Caribbean territories, and Hush (2009) a six-part radio soap opera on child sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS.
He has written and directed numerous television ad campaigns, including a four-part Women at Risk awareness campaign for the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment of St Vincent and the Grenadines, sponsored by the European Union. Source: Newsday, December 10, 2020

A Trinidadian doctor who was among the historic first round of healthcare workers to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is advising citizens to put their fears aside and get vaccinated when it becomes available.
Mateus Fernandez, 28, an Internal Medicine Resident attached to the New York City hospital network, has witnessed the devastation of COVID-19 over the last seven months first hand. On Thursday, he was among those first in line to receive the Pfizer vaccine which became available to front line workers days ago in the US.
Fernandez said while there remains a level of mistrust and hesitancy when it comes to the vaccine, there was no cause for concern.
“I think in Trinidad, the population is very wary about taking vaccines. A lot of that has to do with a loss of trust with health care system, so what we should do as health care professionals is set the example and show people of Trinidad that we trust the vaccine and taking it ourselves which has worked pretty well for us in the US.”
During a zoom interview with Guardian Media, Fernandez explained that apart from the customary pain associated with being vaccinated he had not experienced any adverse side effects.
“I feel a sense of relief that I have some form of protection, some form of antibody forming inside me as we speak. Honestly, that needle that we use to give a vaccine is literally the same needle, the size of it, the same small one we’d use on newborn babies so it’s really not like a big scary needle.”
Government continues to work with the Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization to determine which vaccine will be most effective.
However, arrangements have been made to receive them when they become available. An order for roughly 400,000 vaccines has been placed.
Meanwhile, the young doctor explained that he will be stationed at the Hospital’s ICU ward on Christmas Day and that while his heart remained heavy from being away from his family over the holidays, he has comfort knowing that he is able to attend to patients with the added safety of being vaccinated.
“There are so many studies on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine, I definitely feel it’s the responsible thing to do especially being exposed to so many sick patients.” Source: CNC3 December 19, 2020

The Caribbean American Heritage Awards is a celebration of excellence.
Now in its 27th year, this event is the brainchild of the Institute of Caribbean and Studies and was conceptualised to pay homage to members of the Caribbean diaspora who have made remarkable strides in their respective fields and enjoy success at a regional and international level.
In a statement posted on the CARAH Awards website, organisers said the ICS started this event in 1994 to highlight to the American society at large, the "calibre of individuals that claimed Caribbean American ancestry and to provide a forum for honouring and recognizing their contributions to America and the world."
Given the rising anti-immigrant rhetoric, ICS said the awards are still relevant and just as important today. One of the 2020 recipients is our own:
​

Andrea McKenzie, Trinidad and Tobago (Vanguard Award)
The talented artist attributes her natural knack for creativity to her family's respected creative legacy. Throughout her young career, she has already exhibited works across the Caribbean, New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Australia. Andrea also had the opportunity to display her work at the BET network Twenties Tv Series showcase for producer Lena Waithe. She has collaborated with various celebrities including Akon & actress Sydney Sweeney from the award-winning HBO series Euphoria. Her work has also been featured at celebrity auctions. Andrea is also the winner of the “Black I AM Power, Art and Creativity Award” 2019 in Atlanta