Veteran Gemini Band takes the stage

Look around and listen to recent music releases, can you recognize the so called bands? It is very hard to tell who has staying power or who has worked with blazing artistes. Strumming in the background, making good artist sound great has been a quiet veteran, Gemini Band.  

Founding member Ramdeo Seelochan blazed a trail with Gemini Band for the current crop of bands, performers, and musicians. Gemini was the first Indo Caribbean Band to play at Madison Square Garden. Fusion of Bollywood and Soca beats, with the release of Sally Edwards version of Piya Tu Ab To Aja, first echoed from Gemini speakers. Success came with multiple hits from Anand Yankarran, Sally Edwards, Rajdai Singh, Drupattie Ramgoni, Veena Khetani, Salima Mohammed, Terry Gajraj , Rick Ramdehal, DFlex, Jimmel Fortune, Mr. Lee, and Rasheed Bacchus.Gemini brought the house down with Live performances in Florida, Texas, Schenectady, Toronto, Guyana, Trinidad, Maryland, Boston and New York.They played back up for Sparrow, Calypso Rose, Crazy, and Super Blue.

With the exhausting regurgitation of the same old sounds and constant copying of another’s lyrics, the Band has heightened their focus on writing, creating and recording all new and original pieces. A new collaboration with Stealth Productions will sharpen and refocus. New project releasing next week.


Photo credit: Neil Anthony Bacchus. On left Steve, Middle Ray, Right Michael Seelochan


Founding Member: Ramdeo Seelochan

Band Members
Michael Seelochan
Ray Seelochan
Steve Seelochan
Videsh Seelochan
Mr Lee
Reina Gonzalez
Rick Ramdehal
Rasheed Bacchus
Randy
Engineers: Ruy and Richie

West Indians slow down a bit

The sweltering summer heat is causing a major sweat fest in the Americas. People who were born and raised in the Caribbean heat can’t handle a little mercury rising anymore. My guess is our blood got a little thicker with the white powdery stuff dem fariegna call snow. So why add heat to more heat?

Stealth Productions latest project is slowing things down a bit and offering a mellowed out vibe. Veterans and newbies come together with a fresh new take on an old stalwart. In the music world of ever evolving sounds, our Caribbean community seems stuck on regurgitating the same old same old. Over the years and several projects, Stealth Productions aim to break that stigma.

Photo Credit: Neil Anthony Bacchus. Pictured: Rick Ramdehal

Meet Rick Ramdehal, a veteran in his own right, who teamed up with a fresh new voice and a veteran band to mellow out the sounds of old and new. Rick has been honing his skills since 1982, with performances in the US, Canada, Trinidad and England.

Here is Rick Ramdehal’s full performance bio

1982	Started singing career	Clyfee Madhu Radio Show	W/ Members of the Swar Sangeet Group
		Diwali conert	W/ Members of the Swar Sangeet Group
1984	Swarangeet band founded	W/ Ramdehals	Isardat, Dharmendra, Surendra, Devindra
1986	Happy birthday to you	Bisram Bhagan	Music by Swarangeet
1989	Recorded 3 albums with	Devindra Pooran	Music by Swarangeet
	Shakespeare Competition	New York High School	Top 5 Finalist
1992	Soca Lambada	Terry Gajraj
1997	Musically Yours	Swarangeet	Music by Swarangeet
1999	Simply Chutney	Swarangeet	Music by Swarangeet
2000	Bollywood Movie Awards	As back up singer to Terry Gajraj		Nassau Coliseum
2001	Chutney Soca Monarch	Guest Singer		Trinidad
2002	Chutney Soca Monarch	6th Place		Trinidad
2003	Chutney Soca Monarch
2004	Sexy Dancin’	1st Solo Album
2007	Bollywood Movie Awards	Ecstasy, Sexy Dancin’, In Da Mood	W/ D. Flex, Vani (QCQD), Natraj	Nassau Coliseum
2007	Released songs	In da mood	W/ Dutty Flex
		All I need	W/ Dutty Flex
		Thinkin’ bout you	W/ Dutty Flex
2011		Dard e dil	Music: Surendra, Video: Devindra
2012		Chaand mera dil	Music: Surendra, Video: Devindra
2013	Wait for it!

Where is the rest of the project? Slow down it is hot outside. The rest is coming this week.

Short Story by Vishnu Doerga: Unlimited Potential

This is a guest post by Vishnu Doerga

My first attempt at short story writing! - complete story. Each line goes as deep as you want it to.
Once upon a time, on a beach called 63, a group of friends were enjoying the sandy shores.
One decides to enter the coffee colored waters in order to escape the sweltering heat. Being a non-swimmer, she chooses to carefully venture deeper, still standing on firm ground.
Suddenly....a steep drop, she goes under...soft, fluffy mud is all she feels below her feet.
Her friends, still standing on shore, now become aware of her predicament.
Now this is where it gets interesting...
Would our friend prefer her closest companion, a non-swimmer, such as herself or the best swimmer in the group to come to her rescue?
The choice, on her part, seems logical. However, at this point, logics fly out the door. Human relationships kick in...has she ever hurt the best swimmer? If so, how deep did the hurt go?
Back on shore, her closest companion goes into a frantic panic, knowing he can't swim as well. Going into the water will most likely cost his life as well.
With no other groups nearby, these friends look at each other, looking for one to volunteer.
The best and probably the only swimmer in the lot suddenly starts seeing flashbacks of the hurt inflicted over the years. Very deep hurt indeed. Is this faith?
A second passes.
The swimmer quickly realizes that her skill, her talent, perfected through hard work with the blessings of the divine, may have been hers for this very day.
Into the water she speeds, heading for an outstretched, disappearing hand. She returns dragging a shaken, still conscious soul back to shore.
Our shaken friend looks around and breaks down in tears realizing the fragility of life. Her faith lay in the hands of one she hurt deeply.
She wonders.....would I have been able to do the same?
Established human nature is a female dog.
Persons prefer to follow or befriend those like themselves. This is the easiest and definitely more fun option.
Nothing in this world worth having, comes easy!
Learning to swim, while others partied is definitely a skill worth having. A skill that can not be learned whilst drowning.
This short story plays out everyday with and around us. Realizing what is important and what really needs to be done is the trick to avoiding life/career/financial/family/etc threatening situations.
The story could have gone a different route if our swimmer had looked the other way. This is something we all do, everyday. We look away from those in need. We keep our skills to ourselves and those willing to pay in one form or the other.
This can not be right!!
We are all born with unlimited potential. The time and effort we put into unlocking our potential in any particular area should serve as an inspiration to those searching souls. Our skills should be given where and when needed in as high a volume as required and possible.
Our choices, many times, resemble the results of popularity contests. Popular persons will always feed you what you like to consume. This is how they stay popular. When you need the 'populars' they are more often than not, unavailable.
Respect the skilled ones who tell you what you need to hear instead of what sounds nice. This way you have the data available to make better choices.
The question facing our victim, faces us everyday. Would we choose to place our faith in popular hands or in skilled hands?
Popular and skilled is very rare.
Hope my attempt at a short story makes you think about your choices. And help you make better ones.
Peace.

Vishnu Doerga is the Director of The Best Management Company and Owner of Venu Shopping Centre.
Director Profile
Mr. Vishnu KPV Doerga, DME, MBA. –
Short Bio Data – Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Doerga is a member of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Secretary/Immediate Past President of the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UCCCI). After joining the UCCCI in 2003 he held several executive posts, becoming President in 2010 at the age of 29. He was awarded the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Young Business Executive Award 2011, in recognition of his demonstration of ambition, skill, vision and tangible business success.
Mr. Doerga is qualified in several fields including Engineering and Business Administration and is currently preparing to pursue his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). Mr. Doerga is also a director/business consultant with Doerga Business Enterprises.
Mr. Doerga plays an active role in Private Sector Development making representation in among others, the Education (TVET Council), Health (BRHA board), Energy (ESG), Infrastructure (ISG) and Employment (SKYE EAG) sectors.
Mr. Doerga has represented the private sector as an Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce (ARCC) executive and Private Sector Commission (PSC) council member.

Thanks for sharing this inspirational story with us.

A musical mirage

Do we really know our partners before we make a lifelong commitment? How many of us take our partners at face value? We look at the exterior, a beautiful body, a great family, fancy cars, big houses, lavish lifestyles and popular circles. Do we ever look beyond, into the soul, into the darkest and deepest corners of another’s persona?


Photo courtesy Stealth Productions/Photographer: Sunil Persaud

Donald Andrews and Neil Anthony Bacchus of Stealth Productions, wrapped their creative minds around a very taboo subject in our Caribbean Community. In today’s “feel good” society we often tend to sweep heavy topics and unpopular dialogue out by the grass corner. In music, artists are encouraged to write and produce more of similar material that the public divulge in droves. How many more ways can one thing be said? Or is it, that we are too busy suffocating our own emotions, that we could care less for anything else?

Who are we in this world, if we cannot care for the perils of our fellow human kind? Our time and energies are taken up focusing only on what we see on the surface. Whatever we don’t see or comes to our doorstep is not our concern. But what happens when that concern is on our doorstep. What do we do? Do we turn away and sweep it out to the grass and hope someone else will take out the trash? Or do we open our eyes and deal with the issues?

I had the honor of talking for a few minutes with Donald Andrews, who wrote, sang, and performed this song. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Eric: What was your inspiration for writing this song?
Donald: This song was written two years ago with the intention of entering the Trinidad Chutney Soca Monach Competitions, in collaboration with Big Rich and the Pungalunks Factory. But the promoters decided that the subject was not ready for prime time. I felt that there had to be a more constructive way of approaching the issue.
Eric: Why did you choose to showcase this issue in the manner you did?
Donald: This is a very gender neutral issue. It can happen to anyone. However, given the scores of women issues that get suffocated, I felt that this was my way of bringing light to the subject.
Eric: You’ve been in the business a while, why tackle this issue now?
Donald: When I started out a long time ago, being the front man for Gemini Band, we tore up the New York music scene. We brought it everytime to clubs and shows. As time went on, I gravitated to gospel music and my fate. Now in a subtle nudge I think our community needs to pay attention to some of these social issues that affect us.
Eric: What do you hope to achieve with this song and video?
Donald: I am in no way an activist. Neither do I intend to take a hard stance on the topic. But I wish for our community to recognize that there are two sides to every story and sometimes the untold is the truth. What we hide in our bedrooms and closets are more damaging than what we face everyday. I think we can do better as a society.

Go Download the song for FREE on Donald Andrews SoundCloud HERE.

In dialogue with Tony about his direction for this video, I came to realize the artistic and responsive talent of a young man that is rare in the music industry. Many people would take the negative angle of depicting this issue for it’s big, bold, knock over the head sensationalism. However, Tony was determined to not showcase a derogatory side but let the audience read between the lines. The stage-set for this video is very simple but purposeful. If you look very closely there are subtle signs that tells the story. There is nothing in the scenes that are happenstance, every item and movement carries a line in the narrative. Notice the three candles? What do they mean? How about the artist rendering? Why? Visualize the camera angles that tell a story through smoke scenes.


Photo courtesy Stealth Productions/Photographer: Sunil Persaud

Like most of Stealth Productions projects, this also holds true to carrying a positive meaningful message to our Caribbean Community. As is said in their website Welcome message,  “We take pride in our work and we intend to uphold our reputation on the scruples that the company was built on, integrity.” Those are difficult words to live by in this world of insatiable desire for regurgitating music. The current trend in West Indian music is this butchering of classical music, remixing 5 songs to make one, overlaying words on music that is timeless, singing pieces of Indian music that translates to nothing in particular and blending it all into one. This practice has it’s place if done tactfully and respectfully. Stealth Productions seeks some form of originality, modern, cutting edge music that carries an impactful stamp.


Photo courtesy Stealth Productions/Photographer: Sunil Persaud

Who is the “She” in She’s Ah Drinka video? Former New York catalog model Rachel Persaud signed on to showcase the hush side. An excerpt from our conversation:

Eric: Why did you choose to participate in this project?
Rachel: The subject matter was very attractive. I wanted to be a part of showing how my younger generation is taking the perils of older generations to a more liberal level.
Eric: Why do you think that the younger generation is more liberal?
Rachel: We grow up with more open socializing, hanging out, clubbing, and other activities. This encourages us to indulge in questionable behavior at a young age. While most of this behavior is accepted in males, females are the same participants. But females are never assigned any responsibility.
Eric: Are you taking a hard stance against this issue?
Rachel: I am hoping to raise awareness that there are two sides to this issue and encouraging others to take a look at themselves.
Eric: Why choose to appear in a music video over catalog modeling?
Rachel: The video content is very appealing. I feel that this video carries a message that needs to resonate with my generation.

Often in our Caribbean Community we tend to shy away from social issues even though they consume our daily lives. The people who take on these challenges are brave and sometimes shunned. When we take a stand, whether hard or soft, we are marginalized. Yet there are outcries when major disaster strikes on our doorstep. Are we ever going to stop and think? Are we ever going to take a stand? Are we ever going to acknowledge and recognize the signs? Are we ever going to reach out and extend a hand to our fellow mankind? Tony, Donald, and Rachel did? Are you going to follow? 

Go Check out and Share the Stealth Productions YouTube video for She’s Ah Drinka HERE.

#ShesAhDrinka

 

Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.                        

--Reinhold Niebuhr

A Business Place generates more activity than a Business Page on Facebook

As the internet crawls into the far corners of Guyana, it is time to get on board and embrace the power of social media. Letting people know about your business was, traditionally, done with newspaper and radio advertising. While these media platforms are not extinct, yet. They are increasingly expensive and often times extremely difficult to track. Why not try joining the rest of the world and use social media as a interactive tool to drive your business goals.

There are several social media platforms that go as quickly as they come. On any given day the balloon can burst and a new craze will take center stage. However, with all the hype and dazzle of newer shinier toys, Facebook seems to finally be digging in. As in any marketing plan, there are several medias to convey the message. Many more sophisticated and complex social media marketing strategies will integrate Twitter, Foursquare, Yelp, Urbanspoon, Travelocity, Tripadvisor, Pinterest, Foodspotting, Stumbleupon, Instagram, to name the most popular. However, the simpler more concentrated Facebook platform offers similar engagement and results.

The basic idea of any marketing plan is to tell your customer what you are offering, then engage and keep them coming back for more. This ultimately results in a sale or income generation. Facebook “Page” offers information across the board. Almost any kind of businesses can utilize a “Page” to their utmost advantage. Information pertaining to the location, phone number, services, goods, activity or any thing else can be added to a “Page”. With “Liking” your page, customers can follow the information you are sharing. Your customer can invite their friends to “Like” your page, hence increasing your customer base. Biggest disadvantage, “Page” does not allow a user to “Check in”.

With the increasing availability of mobile phones in Guyana, “Checking in” to Facebook so your friends know where you are and what your are doing is becoming the norm. As a business owner this screams a huge opportunity for you. How do you capture that “Check In” and make it work to spread your message? There is a “Place” for that. Facebook “Places” is everything your “Page” is with the added bonus of utilizing “Geo Location” mapping to interact with customers.

How does this work? When a person “Check in to Facebook” their friends are able to see their activity. Which means, if a person “Check in” to your establishment all of their friends are immediately aware of your establishment, hence the term “Place”. Your business just appeared in front of people who probably never knew you existed by using your customers as your marketers. Typical example, when someone checks into Venu Shopping Center in Skeldon, all of their friends around the world know that this place exist, without the owners lifting a finger.

So how does a business owner create a “Place”? Simple, search Facebook Help for

How do I create a new location?
Or follow the steps below:
You can only create a new location if one doesn't already exist with a similar name. On a mobile device with location services enabled:

1. Tap 
2. Select  Nearby
3. Tap Check In (top-right corner)
4. Start typing the name of the location you'd like to add
5. If there are no existing locations with similar names, tap Add "[New Location]"..."
6. Confirm the name of the the location you want to create and tap Add

You can then continue to post from that location:

1. Write a caption, tag friends or add a photo
2. Tap Post

The default location for any new place you create will be where you are currently located. Also, keep in mind that any location you create is public. This means that other people may see the location while browsing Facebook.

Tips
1. Notice I mentioned “Place” and Facebook Help used the word “Location”? They are the same thing. A “location” is the physical address using Global Positioning Satellite to pin point the exact location. A “place” is the place on Facebook where the location is attached.

2. This process can only be done through a mobile phone with location services enabled. It cannot be done from a laptop or desktop computer.

3. Adding a location does not make you the user in any which way or form attached to the business. Businesses must claim their location as the owner in a separate step.

Which brings me to what happens after the location is added. As a business owner you have to now prove to Facebook that you are indeed the owner of this business. This stops other people to claim your address as their business. Here is how to:

How do I claim a Page that already exists for my business? Can I merge it with my business's official Page?

A Facebook Page may exist for your business even if you or someone else from your business didn't create it. This happens for a variety of reasons. For example, when someone checks into a place that doesn't already have a Page, a new Page gets created to represent the location.
If you're an official representative of an existing Page that someone else is managing, report it. If no one is managing the Page yet, you can request to claim it:

1. From the Page, click the menu.
2. Select Is this your business?.
3. Follow the steps that appear on your screen. Add and verify information about your business, like its address and website, and click Continue.
4. Next, Facebook will ask you to claim your Page to prevent other people from becoming an admin without your permission. Choose to verify your connection to the business by Email or by uploading Documentation:
   • Email: Choose this option if you have an email address associated with your Facebook account that was officially issued to you by your business. Email addresses from generic providers like Yahoo! or Gmail will not be accepted. The email address should correspond to your business's name, ex: jane.doe@acmeproducts.com.
     
   • Documentation: Upload a scan or photo of an official document that shows your business's name and address. Ex: phone bill, business license, business tax file, articles of incorporation, etc.
5. Click Submit.

You're now an admin of the Page and can begin managing it. Please allow up to one week for the Pages team to review your claim request and respond. If your request is accepted, other people won't be able to become an admin of your Page without your permission.

Once you've claimed your Page, you can merge it with duplicate Pages that you may already have set up for your business. The Pages must represent the same thing and have similar names to be eligible for merging. Additionally, if the Pages have physical locations, make sure the addresses are the same.

Is any of this making any sense? Don’t fret follow these steps and you’ll see how easy it actually is. Social media is user friendly and all the information is online. Don’t be afraid to tackle this. Now sit back and watch the world come to you. Well not so fast, you do have to work at making your “Places” engaging and interactive.

Feel free to leave comments or ask me questions. I am by no means an expert, but I have done a few of these. If I can do this so can you. Run off and conquer the world.

Displaced Immigrant: What could have been might have been.

June 30, 1989 – Loaded taxi took off from Line Path A, Skeldon, Guyana carrying my grandfather, grandmother, mom and myself.
June 30, 1989 – Arrived at (then) Timehri International Airport, Georgetown, Guyana.
June 30, 1989 – Flew to Piarco International Airport, Trinidad. Missed the connecting flight because we did not know where to go and what to do. So we spent the night at the airport. Still unsure of what to do. Finally, my 17 year old self grew a pair and walked up to a counter attendant to explain our ply. They are wondering about us. We were sitting right in the lobby. First time on an airplane, first time leaving Guyana, first time my old grandfather was out of his element. It was a very fast maturity for me. Hours to be exact.
July 1, 1989 – Arrived in John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. USA. Spent time reuniting with family and friends.
July 7 1989 – Got on a flight Minneapolis, Minnesota bound, where my step dad lived. This was the final destination of my mom. Her childhood sweet heart had finally got his childhood crush. When they we little kids growing up in #78 Village these two destined souls were giving each other the googly eyes. As time would have it, somehow parents were not in agreement to this. My mom was sent to live with her grandparents in Line Path A. Enter my swankadeen dad, the playboy of Line Path A, man of men amongst Sugar Workers, a friend to anyone who crossed his path. He swept the young girl from #78. They got married, I arrived on earth in 1971. My dad passed, in August 1977, from some would say his reckless behaviour of driving motor cycles without a helmet falling too many times and hitting his head. Others would say it was a hereditary brain disease, guess I would never know the real reason.

Back Yard Jan 18, 2013
My stepdad was divorced from a marriage that resulted in two kids, a boy and a girl. What better thing to do than pursue his childhood sweetheart? He came back to Guyana looking for her. They got married and sometime later off to the States we came.

Front Yard Jan 18, 2013
Having very limited knowledge of the geography and lay out of the US, I really never considered living in Minnesota. It was all about living in New York amongst my cousins. I was given a warm welcoming reception when we arrived at my stepdad. His kids, my now step brother and sister, were very accomodating and treated me kindly. I spent that first summer exploring and getting to know my new family. Never did it cross my mind that this could have been my home, had I choose to.
At the end of Summer 1989, I went back to New York to start my own journey. As faith would have it one day as I was walking around Times Square New York, I literally stumbled into the military recruiting office, a month later I was enlisted and attended United States Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, IL. Being the gunho sailor I was, I volunteered for the first Desert Storm onboard the USS Midway forward deployed from Japan. Which saw me serving out my time of enlistment in Japan. After military service, sailing around in the cold North China Sea, in the Korean, Japanese, and Chinese waters, I could not see myself living in a cold climate. I relocated to sunny Florida, where since 1994, I enjoyed the warm climate similar to my motherland.
During my years in Florida, at one time I gave Minnesota another try. For reasons apart from the weather, I could not find myself staying and living. Is it the way of life, is it the scarcity of West Indians? They are many Guyanese who call Minnesota their home. Many of them are spread out across the state. I never really felt right here. Yes there are many great things about this state, apart from my mom being here. There are magnificent lakes, nature parks, great fishing, great education, great living conditions, the state is always looking for ways to better systems, increased ease of transportation, and many more wonderful things. It was touted as one if not the best state to live in many years running. But I just can’t seem to get behind the eight ball.
They say hindsight is 20/20. Look back to see where one came from, look around to see where one is, and look forward to see where one must go. When I look back, there will always be that unanswered question. Did I make the right choice to not live in Minnesota? Some may continue to argue that it is never too late to make changes, I fully agree. However, I am still not convinced that I can make a life in Minnesota. I am very fortunate to be able to freely choose where I make my home. Who knows what might have been could have been.

An attempt at Guyanese Black Rum Cake

Recently I encountered a Caribbean Black Cake at a restaurant. It immediately brought back memories of my childhood growing up in Guyana. Since my later start at cooking Guyanese food, it dawned on me that I did not know how to make a Guyanese Black Rum Cake. So I set out to research and ask around, in the hopes of having Black cake this Christmas.

Black Cake as any West Indian descent should know, is a heavy dense cake made with fruits and liquor. Every island in the Caribbean have their version of this specialty. Since my interest lies in the Black cake of my childhood, I am focusing on the Guyanese version. If memory serves me right, I recall Guyanese rum and sweet red wine, in our recipe. This specialty of the Caribbean is very popular at weddings and Christmas.

My earliest recollection, being the only boy in a house full of girl cousins was to assist in the cake mixing. During the late 70s throughout the 80s, we did not have the luxury of an electrical powered mixer. I am not sure many households have a mixer even today. We mixed in a big enamel bowl and a wooden spoon. Of course, as any one knows the payment for slaving at the bowl was to lick the spoon and bowl clean. My aunts were gracious in turning a blind eye to my finger dipping or maybe they knew. In any case, I was too young to learn or remember recipes and ratios. Underage labor was tolerated.

During my research for this recipe I consulted with those same aunts. Who would you believe they still don’t have a recipe?  However, an older cousin sought to try and master her mom’s recipe. In as much as there was no fixed standard recipe to pass on, there was enough knowledge of little particulars that can only be learned from years of practice. Just talking to my family about Black Cake brought back memories of childhood, a simpler time, in rural Guyana. I can clearly remember my grandmother reaching for an overhead hung basket with a rod. That’s where she stored our Black Cake and other sweet goodies.

In this day and age of computers and the internet there is a wealth of knowledge to be found. Several websites and personal blogs depicted and offered information, recipes, tips, pictures, and step by step instructions. Some sources were particular to Caribbean Fruit Cake, while others identified individual islands. There are several schools of thought and views. However, since I really wanted to bring back a childhood memory I had no other option but to assemble a recipe taking the best of all sources. My black cake recipe is based loosely on Jehan Can Cook Blog, with some modifications.

Soaking Fruits VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The essence of Black Cake is in the fruits. I remembered growing up people would dry local fruits and then soak them in rum and/or wine. Not having the time to dry local Guyanese fruits I opted for already dehydrated fruits from my local West Indian Supermarket. One such major supermarket in Orlando repackage their fruits in house with very limited information on the labels. One label said “keep refrigerated” and the product was left on a shelf. The American supermarkets carry most of the same dehydrated products, well packaged and stored accordingly. But I found a different West Indian Supermarket, in Clermont, that package in house but stored all of their products refrigerated. So I decided to support this supermarket. One huge West Indian liquor store, in Orlando, was out of stock for El Dorado 5 yr Old Rum, but carried El Dorado Gold Rum. Another Indian owned liquor store, in Clermont, had ample supply.

Fruits
¾ lb pitted prunes
1 lb currants
¾ lb raisins
¾ lb cherries
¾ lb golden raisins
¾ lb mix candied fruits
1 bottle of El Dorado 5 yr Rum
1 bottle Sherry Wine
1 bottle Port Wine

With my little stick food processor, I finely chopped each container of fruit and then put them all in a huge baking pan. This gave me room to hand mix all the fruits together. After they were well incorporated,  I added 1/4 bottle of rum and sherry. The semi liquid mixture was then placed in an airtight container. Periodically, over the next two weeks I checked and topped up the mixture with rum to keep it moist.

Dry Ingredients VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Dry Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp mace

I passed the flour through a sifter to ensure all the grains were loose and the same size. Then used a whisk to gently combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Wet Ingredients VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Wet Ingredients
1 lb or 4 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
8 eggs
5 tbsp burnt sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp mixed essence

I started out by creaming butter and sugar until all sugar grains were dissolved. This is the part that finger licking is allowed. Maybe add a little more sugar and butter. Or be a disciplinarian and stick with the original measurements. Me, I tipped the sugar spoon. Crack and add one egg at a time while continue mixing. If you are using a table mixer, this part is easy for one person. If you are using a hand mixer, like I did, get help. As the mixture gets fluffy, add vanilla and mixed essence. 

I added 3 cups of fruits and continued mixing. Then place a spoon in the middle of the mixture to check for consistency. The mixture was a little loose so I added 1 more cup of fruits. A little more mixing and the spoon fell slowly. Time for Dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients in one cup at a time until the spoon almost stays vertical but still falls. Add burnt sugar to your color preference. I added 5 Tbsp. Be careful this step could turn the whole thing bitter with too much burnt sugar.

		Baking VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I divided the mixture into two pans lined with parchment paper. With a little slamming on the counter and smacking on the sides to ensure all the air was gone, I placed the pans in a pre heated oven at 275 degrees for 2 hrs. I started to check the center with a tooth pick. When the tooth pick came out clean the cake is done! Every oven has it’s own characteristics, so this is a crucial step. Keep checking. Time to let the cake take cake a swim, I poured rum and port wine over the cake until all was absorbed. The next day I brushed on more port wine. This brushing will continue every so often to keep the cake moist. Or until it’s all done!



All of the above was done with a recipe of 3 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of spices, and 10 eggs; baked for 2 hrs. The result: a dry cake with very little flavor. So I adjusted the recipe for 2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 tsp of spices, 8 eggs; baked at 350 degrees. Then dropped to 275 degrees. The result: moist, flavorful, memories of my childhood.

		2nd Try VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL