Che Lovelace is known for artwork that takes on Caribbean spaces, forms and expressions-especially Carnival. Now, he's entered the world of publishing as his paintings bring to life a Trini retelling of the classic children's tale, Little Red Riding Hood.
The new interpretation, in which the heroine is a little girl in a village in Trinidad and the Big Bad Wolf takes the form of a jab molassie, was written by UK musician Adam Walters. The book, published by Infinity Publishing, is accompanied by a CD, featuring music by the Ibis Ensemble.
Walters, who studied music at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music and now lives in Port-of-Spain, spoke about the musical aspect of the project at a launch at The Reader's Book Shop in St James on October 19. He said he had incorporated elements of T&T culture in creating the soundscape.
The disc starts out with the sound of a pitch-oil tin being beaten, and winds, strings and percussion lend drama to the narration. The Ibis Ensemble is led by Caitlyn Kamminga, who is originally from New Orleans, USA, and is also the founder of the Caribbean Network for Arts and Education Foundation (CANOAE) String Ensemble. CANOAE is an NGO that offers scholarships to financially challenged, talented young musicians for private and group instruction.
Kamminga said 50 per cent of the revenue from sales of the new book will go to CANOAE. She said it had been a privilege to work with such a "fantastic artist" as Lovelace, and to be part of a project "encouraging music, art and literature in the Caribbean." The launch was a lively affair, as many guests brought their children along.
Lovelace said he had enjoyed the collaborative nature of the book project. He felt it was important for artists to look outward as well as within. His colourful paintings adorn every page of the book, the layout for which was done by Karina Jeffrey.
Judy Raymond, Guardian editor-in-chief, is quoted on the jacket: "The illustrations and the specially composed music bring freshness and depth to this tropical retelling of a children's classic."
On the CD, the narration is done by Aiden Chamberlain, associate professor of Trombone at the Academy for the Performing Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago; and Debora Sunya Moore, also of the US, who is an associate professor of percussion and serves
as an arts education and community engagement specialist at the institution.
Moore called the children together and performed a charming but brief reading, urging her listeners to buy the book to find out how the story ends.