Guadeloupe: home of the no worries attitude and falling mangoes

“That’s the third time this year her windscreen has been broken by a falling mango.” My host relates this anecdote as we watch the neighbour discover her three-time broken windscreen, shrug and pick up the vandal mango to peel it for a snack. This is Guadeloupe. A Garden of Eden, dripping with fruit and populated with people who can always see the bright side, a mango falls onto your car? Well that’s one more perfectly ripe mango for the fruit bowl. This is the home of the no-worries attitude.

Two butterfly-wing shaped islands make up Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre. Basse-Terre is home to mountains, volcanoes, black sand beaches and mangoes galore. Tropical rainforest cloaks the mountain range from the intense sun hiding waterfalls, rapids and lakes.

Its neighbouring island Grande-Terre is dramatically different, appearing entirely flat and covered with fields of cane sugar. That is until you drive into the centre of the island to find the unique and stunning “Grand Fonds” or ‘Great Depths’. These are valleys without mountains. Driving along a ridge that bridges one end of these depths to the other the land drops away almost vertically on either side, dropping below sea level at some points and entirely covered with a blanket of vegetation. This unique landform creates an unsettling illusion of being at the top of a mountain, at the same level as the pristine beach behind you, a mountain range in reverse and quite spectacular.

Bananas to sweet potatoes, vanilla pods to chilli, everything thrives here. The vast river network, perfect white sand beaches and plantations of coffee, cocoa and cane sugar as far as the eye can see, make you think of paradise, if not for the roads. Unfortunately Guadeloupe is over-run with cars, however this does mean that the roads, cutting through mountain ranges and stunning fields, are the best way to see every inch of this pair of islands. Pull over to take in the view for a few moments or for an impromptu ramble in the forest or along the coastline.

Hiking in the rainforest is a must in Guadeloupe, the paths are cut through the dense forest sweating with humidity, so dense it feels like there is a wall of vegetation on either side of the path – you needn’t worry about losing the way as it is the only route through the forest where there is enough space to fit between the vine covered trees. Bring plenty of sandwiches to sustain a gruelling 2 hour hike to the Chutes du Carbet waterfalls, you will not be disappointed with the magnificent views. Other lighter walks such as to the ‘Etang l’As de Pique’ (Ace of Spades Lake, so named as it takes the shape of a spade from a deck of cards) are incredibly rewarding. Almost every path will lead you to a glorious view whether its across a valley down to the coast, a series of tumbling and churning waterfalls or a glassy lake.

Etang l'As de Pique

There is plenty to see in the National Park of Guadeloupe, with the active Soufriere (meaning sulphurous) volcano to climb and volcanic springs to bathe in on the way back down, but Guadeloupe is not just one huge national park. For those more interested in culture and arts there are museums a plenty to guide you through a fascinating history. Guadeloupe has welcomed a near constant stream of new-comers and settlers since Columbus’ discovery. First came the British, Dutch and French settlers who brought African slaves and then Chinese and Indian workers. For a pair of islands that can be covered in less than 2 hours by car, the demographic of inhabitants is incredibly diverse. With them, each of these newcomers brought something to add to the melting pot of Guadeloupian culture, cuisine, language and architecture. Guadeloupian creole language is generally considered the language of Guadeloupian ancestors and yet it is made up of a melange of French, Dutch and several African dialects. It is still spoken informally today despite the official language of the region being French, as a result there is a sense that Creole is the mother tongue and French the language of daily life. This mixed up cultural identity has inspired many writers to try and find what it really means to be Guadeloupian and a vibrant and successful literary culture has developed as a result.

Visit the museums in Pointe-a-Pitre to discover this unique history in detail. In particular visit the Musée Saint John Perse, a converted colonial house dedicated to the Nobel prize winning writer, and the Musée Schoelcher dedicated to Frenchman Victor Schoelcher partly responsible for the abolition of slavery in the French Caribbean islands. Other than museums and the occasional spice market Guadeloupian towns are primarily residential and functional so have little to offer a tourist. Spend as much time as possible in the beautiful and rich countryside or on the coastline. To learn about and taste the best of Guadeloupian exports, visit the Bologne Rum Factory (January to June) and the coffee plantation (year round). Learn how chocolate is made at the Maison de Cacao and taste the cocoa at all stages of production, from fruit to finished product.

Guadeloupe’s beautiful landscape and relaxed atmosphere will make you think time has stood still. You will be reluctant to leave this bubble of no-worries attitudes and falling mangoes.

(In July I spent three weeks in Guadeloupe, a pair of French-Caribbean islands, staying with a retired french couple and exploring the beautiful scenery, tasting mouth-wateringly exotic fruit and meeting loads of wonderful Guadeloupian people. Having described exactly where and what Guadeloupe is to many of my friends and family I thought I'd share a little guide to gorgeous Guadeloupe here. This doesn't come close to the real experience, so get going to Guadeloupe if you can!)

Rae Morris at the Jericho Tavern, Oxford 9/3/12

Without a word of introduction a petite young girl creeps onto the stage and starts to sing, catching the crowd off guard as her rich voice fills the room and fills the gaps in conversations. Within a minute Rae had drawn the audience away from their chatter and their seats, towards her as if hypnotised by the sound of her stunning voice. There we all stood transfixed, in the palm of her hand. Thus began a  consistently strong performance at Oxford's favourite pub-come-venue the Jericho Tavern.

Tiny as she is, Rae Morris must be filled to the core with voice and she's just got to let it out.

Then she spoke, and once more took the audience a little by surprise as she thanked everyone for coming in a husky, whispery voice. Rae is incredibly timid when she speaks, but her singing voice is royally rich and sumptuous, as if all that confidence and power is saved for the music.

The only word that really seems to fit her pre-amble persona is 'endearing'. Rae Morris is the picture of endearing as she sips on a can of diet coke, adjusts her laid-back cable knit jumper and thanks the audience profusely for their praise. "I am just so full of thanks"

Everything about this girl is real. Her hair curls freely and is big enough to be the source of all her vocal power. Even her anecdotes paint a picture of a girl absolutely absorbed by her music and otherwise she is the epitome of the anti-diva. Speaking about tour-life she says how rather than being 'all rock and roll, we find ourselves just drinking loads of brews and getting early nights'. She tells us of her fussy eating habits and how she's having 'such an amazing time [on tour] but I seem to get less and less confident each time'. This lack of confidence is only noticeable when she is speaking, as soon as her words are set to a melody she finds a power and assurance you'd assume to be impossible of a girl so meek and mild in speech.

Regardless of her timid pre-amble, when Rae sings she has a presence as big as her hair, controlling her voice and shaping it into perfectly formed swells and whispers exuding emotional expression.

In 'Day One' she sings with a bluesy style interspersing warm drawn out notes with quick whispers. The husky edge to her sweet tone gives her a sound akin to a younger, fresher Alanis Morrissette.

'Don't Go' is one of the strongest of her tracks, this track could be a big'un, giving her a great chance to show off her impossibly strong voice and soulful style. The set is strong throughout but perhaps half an hour is as much as can be sustained with this fairly limited style of relaxed, soulful ballad style. Perhaps she'd benefit from a band behind her or even someone jumping in on percussion once in a while. If anything, having someone else on stage might give her that little confidence boost she needs between songs. That being said her voice is exciting and vibrant enough to keep the audience transfixed and every note seems to come from the depth of her soul. It was half an hour of uninterrupted 'wow'-factor.

Rae Morris is a natural, she has very good control of her powerful voice and the potential to go really far as a performer. Every note is a pleasure to hear and she is a charming, if somewhat self-deprecating, character. Saying at the request for an encore "I don't have to do another one if you don't want" and of course, with a voice like that, that's exactly what the audience did want!

Rae Morris is endearing and incredibly talented.

Have a watch of her set on the BBC Introducing stage at Reading 2011;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8A8Z_4l1L0

'Day One' - Rae Morris:

20's Revival: Swing your way into the new year

It was 1930s America. The market had crashed. Alcohol was prohibited and unemployment was at a record high. The Great Depression may have brought our spirits low but a clandestine culture of speakeasies and swing music brought spirits to martini glasses, making this one of the most entertaining periods of the twentieth century.

Oscar de la Renta's homage to the Roaring 20s

What goes around comes around, fashion is cyclical. As trends from decades past come swinging around the corner it should be no surprise that they coincide perfectly with world events and public feeling from that infamous first time around. 

Hence in this time of global recession, 20s and 30s revival is everywhere. Flapper dresses and drop-waists are all over the runways and art deco design is having a comeback. Most exciting of all these renovations is the growth of the electro swing genre. 

Swing music is undeniably the perfect antidote to depression great or small. With a rhythm that leaves you no choice but to dance, recessional blues can be swept off the dance floor making way for those who choose to dance their troubles away like its 1929.

The likes of Caro Emerald and The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (The Asteroids Galaxy Tour – The Golden Age) invite us to indulge in the rich sounds of a big brass band and get you tapping your feet in a matter of seconds. The allure of the Jazz Age is soaked in gin and fun, everything from dresses made to move, to the thrill of a covert club. So why not recapture the exuberance and excess of the swing music from the time. This is more than gangsters, this is about lavish parties and dresses dipped in sequins and bristling with fringe; a little less Bugsy and a little more Gatsby.

You could say this fascination with the jazz age has been brewing for decades, but with the explosion of the electro swing genre, the upcoming release of Baz Luhrmann's film interpretation of The Great Gatsby and the drop-waisted embellished dresses gracing both couture catwalks and high street shops, this is the moment to embrace the fat cat lifestyle for the sake of a little escapism from the brutal reality of this recession.

In the interest of keeping january blues at bay I see no reason not to explore the thrills of electro-swing music, it has certainly brightened up my month already. I suggest you dip your toes into the likes of Caravan Palace and Club des Belugas. Not forgetting my personal favourite duo, The Correspondents. They will blow you away by perfectly colliding swing samples with dub-step and dance beats, there is no end to the variety of their influences and Mr Bruce is possibly one of the best front-men I have ever come across. Get involved, you will not be disappointed.

The Correspondents - Myspace

The Correspondents on Spotify

New Year New You?

Has anyone ever literally turned a leaf over? If its the kind of leaf that we find whilst on the obligatory New Years Day walk then in my experience the other side is either grotty and covered in mud and other unthinkable things, or it is nearly identical to the first side. Is this cliche really what we want to peg our hopes for the coming year on? Does the reality tell us something about the nature of a new leaf?

I am starting to see the pessimism involved in the inevitable desire to re-make ourselves, kick those annoying habits or finally go for that radical haircut. Everyone has had one of those days when we feel like changing everything about ourselves. We see a role model or friend who seems to be 'doing' life better than us and then feel the chill as that sickening feeling of jealousy and dejection grows as we realise this is who we want to be, but aren't.

Appearances are deceiving. Unfortunately this fabulous person sitting across from you is probably battling their own insecurities, possibly rooted in how gracefully you just dealt with an awkward situation or the way you never seem to say stupid things like they do. We look for the good in people, we envy them, we are experts at spotting someones attributes and yet we are terrible at doing the same for ourselves.

Although this feeling, this need for reinvention can spring up on us at any moment, but I can't help noticing that we make life particularly difficult for ourselves in January. I won't go on about all the fabulous indulgence that comes with Christmas and New Year festivities, mostly because you all know exactly what I mean and have probably been talking about it in disbelief for days. "I ate x many mince pies?!"  We might think every year that next year we'll do things differently, or at least that we won't eat enough to feed a village in Somalia, resulting in a food-coma on the living room floor. But we do. Because when it comes to indulgence, things don't change.

So it is inevitable that if I continue on with this sweeping generalisation, condemning everybody in western civilisation of being stuck in their gluttonous festive ways, I will conveniently introduce my contempt for new years resolutions. January comes swinging around with a bad hangover and fluffy memories of an over priced and underwhelming New Years Eve. Self-confidence in tatters as a result of munching more mince pies and mulled wine than we care to remember, apparently this is the moment to focus on our flaws and shortcomings? The timing could not be worse.

The pessimism of new years resolutions, sounds like I'm about to harp on about how nobody ever sticks to their new rules for living so why bother. However, as ever I am waving the flag for optimism and telling you that if you are sure this is a change worth changing then you can achieve anything you want. But are you sure it is a change worth changing? Really, what I am lamenting is the pessimism and self-deprecation involved in picking a resolution or several. Dwelling on the negative is no way to start the gloomiest month of the year. I've established that we are to harsh on ourselves and melancholy January is certainly not the time to focus on our hang-ups.

January is gloomy enough (more on that later...), so in my humble - eternally optimistic - opinion, lay off the resolutions to lay off the chocolates. There are ways and ways of reinventing yourself or giving yourself a new outlook on life. Surely with a resolution to cut out chocolate or snacks or your favourite bad habit you will only set yourself up to fail (because lets face it that habit is a habit for a reason). Yet it would be better to focus on new things to try or explore rather than depriving yourself of your favourite vices. In other words, a new years resolution to learn to cook, learn a language or go somewhere new could change your life (yikes that's cheesy) and maybe give you a fresh perspective.

I have probably contradicted myself here. If you really want to change, then I believe you can do it (this is impossible to say without sounding like a special k advert, sorry) but the likelihood is that you will break a restrictive resolution. So instead of focusing on whatever flaws you think you have, remember you're awesome and then try something new, or be sucked in to the pessimistic jaws of january.

In the meantime maybe my favourite gypsy band Molotov Jukebox can cheer you up on this windy and grey day in January...