Violent elements of the nation’s history are seen in “Blood Money” with references to the Tivoli Incursion of 2010[2] and the long-standing institutionalized nature of corruption through patronage politics[3]. Historically, such political corruption has cost Jamaica approximately US$18 billion[4]. However, although high levels crime and violence are not new, this does not make them acceptable. Furthermore, crime and violence should not be allowed to spiral out of control unchallenged. As Protoje states, “If you build it pon crime then crime will haffi find you, and that’s how it’s been always. That nuh frustrate you like it do to me?”
Policy Researcher • GIS Mapping Specialist • Publishing Professional • Freelance Writer & Photographer
Search This Blog
Saturday 31 March 2018
Protoje’s Powerful New Single - Blood Money
Violent elements of the nation’s history are seen in “Blood Money” with references to the Tivoli Incursion of 2010[2] and the long-standing institutionalized nature of corruption through patronage politics[3]. Historically, such political corruption has cost Jamaica approximately US$18 billion[4]. However, although high levels crime and violence are not new, this does not make them acceptable. Furthermore, crime and violence should not be allowed to spiral out of control unchallenged. As Protoje states, “If you build it pon crime then crime will haffi find you, and that’s how it’s been always. That nuh frustrate you like it do to me?”
A Delight for Both Bibliophiles and Music Lovers: Mitch Albom's The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
Well, Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven) has captured our hearts and imaginations once again! This time with his latest novel, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. The story is narrated by the talent, Music, as it recaps the life one of its favorite prodigies, Frankie Presto. We follow Frankie, orphaned after a tumultuous birth in war-stricken Francoist Spain, as he is mentored by an elderly blind guitar teacher until turmoil and danger force the teacher to send Frankie away to America at nine years old, with nothing but a guitar. Frankie soon learns that when he plays the guitar in dire circumstances, the strings turn blue, and his music can change and even save lives.
Winter Staple | Jobedu Hoodies
Image Source: Mwahaki King Photography |
MEJU: The Captivating Culinary Delight in Davis Square
The Future is Looking Bright: A Review of Protoje's Album, Ancient Future
Ancient Future Album Cover
|
From the outset of Protoje's album, Ancient
Future, with the opening song “Protection”, the album carries with it a raw,
honest quality that immediately invites the listener on an intimate and
exciting journey. This continues to shine through in the reflective, "All
Will Have to Change" and is further expressed through the tales of
love-lost heard in "Love Gone Cold” and “Stylin'."
All Will Have to Change:
Stylin’:
Ancient Future is an aptly named, searing look
into Jamaica's history and what can be surmised about the nation's future,
based on the mistakes of the past. This message comes home starkly in the
track “Criminal” with its reference to the murder of musical and social
icon, Peter Tosh, and is further echoed in the collaborative single
“Sudden Flight” with Jesse Royal and songstress Sevana; a song which highlights
the dangers and hypocrisy of garrison politics [1].
Criminal:
Sudden Flight:
The eleven songs on this album, with references to Walter Rodney and Marcus Garvey, but also to notorious gang leaders like Claude Massop, weave intriguing and insightful stories that expertly analyse the complexity of the nation's strengths and weaknesses; her frailty and beauty. A beauty which is on full display in the video for the smash hit “Who Knows”, performed with Protoje’s compatriot, Chronixx.
Above all, Ancient Future is a
musical exploration between the past and present that pays homage to the
Jamaican musicians that paved the way for Protoje and his colleagues. This
respect, coupled with Protoje's skillful storytelling is seen most obviously in
his infectious contemporary take on Prince Buster's "Girl Answer to
Your Name":
Prince Buster’s original, “Girl Answer to Your Name”:
Protoje’s, “Answer to Your Name”:
Rastafarian culture imbues every song on the album. However, its presence is most prominent in the marijuana-centric, “Bubblin’” and the introspective “The Flame”. “The Flame” provides an intimate window into the soul of the man behind the music. The lyrics demonstrate that his passion and dedication to this art form are paramount:
“I
rather be spiritually attained than critically acclaimed…Whatever that dem
saying, whoever that dem claim coulda never know my pain and never bear my
strain…Application ah within, supplication ah to Him. Then it becomes less
about the tune dem weh ah spin, but the knowing that the work was the best it
could’ve been. Having the team deh pon the road ah tour with me, nuh mean a
thing if the message nuh have the purity. And so, me stay substance over hype.”
Protoje's lyricism and musical
dexterity have made him one of the most dynamic voices in a highly talented new
generation of reggae performers. His Coachella performance this spring was the
product of hard work, diligence and commitment to his craft. It is clear
from Ancient Future that Protoje’s popularity and the power of
his music will only intensify, and to paraphrase the artist himself, there is
certainly no way that Babylon can out this flame.
Wednesday 28 March 2018
Trouble in Paradise: Natural Disaster Preparation in Jamaica: Looking at Flooding, Landslides and Human Vulnerability
The above poster was made by Mwahaki King for the GIS at Tufts University Poster Exhibition 2016 (GIS@Tufts) and has also been published on the GIS@Tufts website here:
https://sites.tufts.edu/gis/files/2016/01/King_Mwahaki_MCM1009_2016.pdf
The purpose of the project was to ascertain high risk areas and thus areas prioritisation in Jamaica during natural disasters; specifically landslides, flooding and hurricanes. High risk areas were determined primarily by weak housing infrastructure, access to hospitals and environmental factors such as the slope of the terrain and proximity to rivers.
The maps were made by Mwahaki King using ArcGIS software and the poster itself was produced using Microsoft Publisher.
- GDAM: http://www.gadm.org/
- DIVA-GIS http://www.diva-gis.org/gdata
- CARISKA (N.B. This website is originally in French) http://ckan.c-read.net/fr/organization/cariska
China Wind Farm Suitability Analysis
The above maps were made by Mwahaki King in May 2016, using raster data in ArcGIS. Mwahaki King performed by an unweighted and a weighted suitability analysis to determine optimal locations for a wind farm facility in China, north of Beijing. In both suitability analyses the suitability of a wind farm facility was dependent on the following criteria:
1. The site needed to be close to high wind areas
2. It must be close to existing power lines
3. It must be far from the The Great Wall of China so as not to disrupt tourism
4. It must be on fairly level land i.e. a low slope is preferable
In the unweighted suitability analysis, these criteria were assessed on a system of 1 - 5, with the lowest score and thus worst location having a score of 4 and the best location having a score of 20.
In the weighted analysis, these criteria were assessed by importance. Distance to high wind areas was deemed to be the most important and weighted at 50%. Second, was distance to power lines, weighted at 25%. Third, was distance from The Great Wall weighted at 12.5%. The final factor was slope, also weighted at 12.5%. This produced a grid of 1 - 5. One being the least ideal location for a wind farm facility and five being the best.
Data Sources:
ESRI
Gfk (Tufts University GIS has a license for this data and these maps were made as a part of Tufts University GIS coursework)
National Renewable Energy Lab
Ozone Concentration, California
The above map was created by Mwahaki King on April 13, 2016, using ArcGIS Interpolation Tools to demonstrate ozone concentration in California and areas of concern. The most recent data available to the cartographer at the time of the map's creation was from the year 2007. The California data was provided by the California State GIS Department. The ozone dataset was provided by the California Air Resources Board and represents the concentration of ozone measured on September 6, 2007 between 3:00PM - 4:00PM in parts per million (ppm).
From the ozone point samples (measurements), Mwahaki King produced a continuous surface predicting the value of ozone concentration for every location in the state of California. Often, it is not the actual values of a certain critical health risk that are of concern, but rather whether the values are above a certain toxic level. If this occurs, immediate action should be taken.
For this project, the critical threshold was determined to be any ozone value above 0.09ppm as this is California State's ambient air quality standard for hourly measurements. Any location with an ozone concentrate above 0.09 should be closely monitored.
Data Sources:
California Air Resources Board
California State GIS Department
ESRI Data Maps
Saturday 24 March 2018
Suitable Farm Land, Groton MA
The above map was created by Mwahaki King in March 2016, using vector analysis in ArcGIS software to determine suitable farmland in Groton, Massachusetts.
The Suitability Criteria were as follows:
Farm Land must:
1. Have a minimum lot size of two acres
2. Not be on wetlands
3. Be land that is suitable for agricultural activities
4. Have prime farm land soil that is good for farming
The most recent data available to the cartographer at the time of the map's creation was from the year 2005.
Data Sources:
MassGIS
ESRI
Households with a Computer, South Africa
Data Sources:
Statistics South Africa
ESRI
US National Park Service
African-American Renters in Suffolk County, MA
The above map was created by Mwahaki King using ArcGIS software on February 23, 2016 to demonstrate the percentage of African-American renters in Suffolk County Massachusetts, in relation to total renter population. The most recent geographic, housing and ethnic data available to the cartographer at the time of the map's creation was from the year 2010.
Data Sources:
Census.gov
ESRI Data Maps
High Income Households, South Africa
Data Sources:
Statistics South Africa
ESRI
US National Park Service
Haiti Livelihood Zones
GIST
USAid