I have really been brainstorming for an effective way to combine some of the projects I'm working on. Streamlining my efforts will give me more time to be creative. This week I'd like to revisit Gloria's and talk with the proprietor regarding the projected future of Gloria's. There are three locations and all have had a face-lift in recent months.

Gloria's is a food maven in the Caribbean Immigrant community (Brooklyn , NY) known for delicious roti and home-made maubi. Its a Trini owned joint. I was introduced to it in the bottom of the 80's when I met my now husband. Since those days, I frequent the place. There is something in the chick peas I tell you.. the combination of spices I suppose .. makes mi a bit frisky. How do I know its the chick peas. I just know.

Once upon a time I use to be a serious foodie. My eating habits however, have changed dramatically. Lately I've been working really hard at eating a great amount of veggies, fruits and nuts. I never really cared for meat. Red meat in particular takes too much time to chew, chicken dishes can be messy at times and while I like a variety of seafood, after a minute I'm bored. But true to my culture ever so often I get a feeling for a plate of curry goat with white rice as well as oxtail with pigeon peas. I love my rice and peas made with fresh coconut cream, a spring of fresh thyme. eskillion and organic pigeon peas.... and is only since I came to the US and met my husband that I say pigeon peas. I know the same as gungo peas.

Caribbean cuisine is an interesting amalgam. Quite frankly it might be the most exotic culinary fare in the world. Its a meeting of traditions from indigenous to modern cultures that influence Caribbean kitchens.

Criss-crossing Brooklyn to get over to Gloria's via mass transit in this kind of weather is not so easy. It gets down right tedious. However, I am not giving up trying the green way. Walking would be a great idea but from my neibghorhood.. I'd be crazy. Anyway I am heading there on Wednesday with my camera, a note pad and an empty belly.

So I started really blogging but is completely forgetting that it doesn’t maintain itself. I am also on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, I'm working my ass off on becoming a dynamic impresario. Thrilled to be writing….. it is an opportunity to develop my writing skills. I tend to ramble from time to time and there are times that I jot things down in that same fashion. I even babble a bit...when my brain is full to the brim. The discipline of drawing words out of me, placing it on paper to make sense and sound good, is rewarding. Perhaps as rewarding as when I paint but I've not taken the time to contemplate that notion yet.

Anyway as a newbie, sort of, I’ve got alot to learn and that includes designing a custom page. My brain has begun to squeak and wail from all the thoughts that are pacing.across it and ..maybe aging is pushing that agenda. Once in awhile when the winds of change blow by, the panes rattle. Its like driving really fast down a country road thinking the road is yours when out rush an animal.. rahtid! The sudden pressure on the brakes cause the wheels to squeal really loud, the vehicle jerk, you're pitched forward, the heartbeat speed up and a rush of nervous adrenaline full the belly... if you were in a sweet day dream for a moment, sweat good to wash you briefly or so you'll believe.

The social networks are working out for me though. Take today for example, a friend posted a video about a fella name Larry McDonald. Some ideas are better than talent. A man that turns a cave into a recording studio and use stone to make music is genius. Palpable energy that help to full-up the earth. That is nuff vibes.

I’ll be uploading my first video clip shortly…. A few days from now. I’ll be taping a segment with a *Kumina drummer as part of a trailer for a documentary. Incidentally this brethren is from my childhood. Yea so to become better at this, I’m saddling up with ideas, ready to buss my chops to make this blog interesting and informative.

When the steamer days of summer get here, I am venturing out to find more spur of the moment treats. Flatbush Ave. should be ripe and ready for harvesting. Starting at Church Ave., working my way to Parkside and across into Prospect Park, the adventure will be in the details of each trip. So lock this in and remember to follow me. Tell me if like what you read.

*Kumina is an African-derived religious ritual practiced by sects such as the Pukumina. During Kumina, bands of people 'travail' in the spirit. With an intensifying frenzy, they dance in a circle to the sound of drumbeats and chanting. At the climax, the singing stops and dancers seem to be possessed by spirits. In this state, they give messages, warnings and other portent revelations

Pic of my young photographer friend Gregg Richards & the extraodinary Mr. Irving Burgie songwriter and composer.

In the earlier years, Caribbean immigrants faced many obstacles preserving their cultural identity and as result there was quick assimilation into the American way of life. Deep imprints however, were left behind. Caribbean-American Culture, as we know it today, emerged in response to adoption of changed circumstances and the need to preserve an already established identity.

If you have never heard of this man, you definitely know at least one song he’s authored and you are missing out on knowledge of a man with astounding talents. Irving Burgie has led with culture, building the extraordinary at a time when the Caribbean region was scarcely known to Americans. His songs are playful, catchy, internationally recognized and critical to social consciousness.

At a ripe age of eighty-four years, Mr. Burgie “Lord Burgess” is truly a father of Caribbean folk music. His vast collection of songs is unparallel, his unflappable spirit, courage and embrace of Caribbean heritage echoes in his reportage. Burgie’s story as well as contributions is party to an odyssey, one that is culturally rich and overflowing with natural rhythms drawn on ancestral connections. Our off-springs will continue for generations to be proud of his accomplishments

He was born in 1924, Bedford Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, New York to Louis Burgie and Viola Burgie nee Callender. In 1956 he married his late wife, Page Burgie, parenting two sons, Irving Jr. and Andrew. After high school Burgie enrolled in a trade school and apprenticed for a stint then eventually joined the US Army. While on his tour of duty during World II, 1943, he had the fortune of meeting an alto saxophonist in his troop and became interested in music. After his discharge from the military, Burgie studied at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, New York then went out into the world, educated himself some more in addition to pursuing his interest in songwriting, composing and singing.

Over the past half century, Mr. Burgie has authored a ‘treasury’ of timeless Caribbean songs for stage, screen and popular recording. Under the name Lord Burgess he penned, Jamaica Farewell the first song by Burgie and several other songs for the album “Calypso”. It was the first album ever to sell 1 million copies.

“Day O” the signature piece of his magnificent repertoire, was popularized in the mid 1950’s by renowned crooner Harry Belafonte. The iconic ballad was reintroduced to generations in 1978 on the “Muppet Show” television series, and in the soundtrack blockbuster movie “Beetle Juice” in 1988. More recently, the recording has garnered notoriety ‘out of this world’ when in 1997 it was used to wake astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis while it orbited the globe.

Throughout his illustrious career Mr. Burgie has also penned the National Anthem (1966) of his mother’s home, Barbados; the popular ballads Jamaica Farewell, Island in the Sun; Angelina, co-authored the Christmas carol Mary’s Boy Child in addition to the music and lyrics for the 1963 Broadway musical Ballads for Bimshire that starred the late Ossie Davis. In addition to Harry Belafonte, Mr. Burgie’s work has been recorded by international award winning artists as the Kingston Trio, Miriam Makeba, Jimmy Buffet, Nina Simone and Patti Page.

His autobiography Day O!!!, released in 2007, has garnered critical acclaim and heartfelt testimonials from such cultural luminaries as screen legends Sidney Poitier and Whoopi Goldberg, literary ingénue Maya Angelou, and cultural academic Rex Nettleford.

An inductee in the National Songwriters Hall of Fame, Irving Burgie has made an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of the world. With lyrics that transcend barriers and musical idioms that beckon listeners of diverse backgrounds, this unarguably lyrical ambassador, introduced international audiences to savior and appreciate the richness that is the Caribbean.