Latest news with #Patois
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Peter Andre reveals 'challenge' of working on controversial film Jafaican
Peter Andre has spoken about one of the 'challenges' filming controversial film Jafaican. The film has received heavy criticism since the trailer dropped last month, as singer-turned-actor Andre — who was born in England, raised in Australia and is of Greek-Cypriot descent — was shown playing a Jamaican gangster wearing fake dreadlocks and speaking with a dodgy Jamaican accent. But now, Andre, 52, has opened up more about working on the project, which was recently released in cinemas. 'I think that with the Jamaican side of it, the Patois parts were dubbed over by a Jamaican actor but instead of me miming over the Patois, I had to learn all the [words] that were delivered on screen,' he told the Daily Star. 'They dubbed over me, so that was a real challenge but it was one that I absolutely loved doing.' In the film, Andre plays two characters - as he is also Denton 'Kill Man' Powell. 'Playing Denton I found really a great challenge, I absolutely loved that character,' he added. 'I loved the seriousness of him, the tone changes and it was a brilliant part to play.' Recently, Jafaican's director Fredi Nwaka addressed some of the backlash, in a filmed Q&A shown after some screenings of the film. Asked about the criticism of the trailer, including accusations of cultural appropriation, Nwaka said: 'Do you know what, we live in a world that is so serious right now. 'People are getting sick and dying. This is really serious and I feel like I just want people to leave with laughter, leave with love and this feeling they had back in the day that you could live, laugh and almost take the p*ss out of yourself. 'It's a comedy. Comedies are supposed to make you smile, they are supposed to make you laugh, they're supposed to make you feel good and when you go home, it's a bit of relief from everyday stuff.' Suggesting he viewed the project as a love letter to Jamaica — where part of the film was shot — Nwaka, 53, added: 'Also, another thing is, go to Jamaica. It's an amazing country, man. If you haven't been, go to Jamaica — you'll love it.' Jafaican had its official debut at the Gold Coast Film Festival in Queensland, Australia earlier this month. In an interview with Channel 7 ahead of it, Andre - who deleted his original social media post featuring the trailer following the furore - was asked: 'The trailer did see some headlines about an English-born Australian-raised actor playing a Jamaican character, you know about that. Are you surprised there's been some mixed feedback here or were you anticipating that?' Andre replied: 'Well, to be fair, I mean, I think it's good to get all sorts of feedback. I mean, this is not … it's my first lead role but I've done quite a few roles before. And all of them, I've played different characters.' The Mysterious Girl hit-maker continued: 'So for me, it's acting – I get to do something light-hearted, something funny. Something that y'know is the kind of film I'd wanna watch. So it's almost like a little bit self-indulgent in the sense that I get to do something that I've really, really wanted to do.'
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Princess and Junior Andre support dad Peter at screening of problematic movie
Mysterious Girl singer Pete Andre's film role has sparked fierce debate online, with critics accusing it of cultural insensitivity - while he defends it as just 'acting' Peter Andre stepped out with his eldest children, Princess and Junior, at a red carpet screening for his latest film Jafaican on Tuesday evening in London. The family were seen at the Genesis Cinema for the private VIP event, posing for photographs ahead of the much-discussed film's debut. While Andre, 52, dressed in a tailored beige linen suit paired with a crisp white shirt, his daughter Princess, 17, opted for a sleek black jumpsuit, accessorised with knee-high boots and a grey bomber jacket. Junior, 19, chose a more relaxed look, combining a distressed denim outfit with a light-wash jacket. The family appearance follows mounting criticism surrounding Peter's leading role in the film, where he plays a character named Gary Buckle - also known as 'Gazza' - a London scammer who adopts a Jamaican identity to pull off a transatlantic fraud. Critics have accused the production of perpetuating racial stereotypes, citing Peter's dreadlocked wig and imitation Patois accent as problematic and offensive, with some viewers calling the trailer 'mocking' and 'gross.' As one critic wrote: 'This is actually so gross and I don't know why Jamaica is always everybody's punchline. Wishing the worst for everyone involved especially you Peter Andre.' Another added: 'Just saw the trailer for @MrPeterAndre new film disrespecting Rastafari - a religion in Jamaica - and mocking Jamaican culture in general, guess what he plays - a white Jamaican criminal. I want to know why these people don't find stereotypes about their own culture to film.' And a third penned: 'There's a movie coming out with Peter Andre in a dreadlock wig pretending to be Jamaican. Is this really what we're doing in 2025?' Despite the controversy, Peter - who co-parents Junior and Princess with ex-wife Katie Price and has three younger children with wife Dr Emily MacDonagh - addressed the backlash in a recent interview while promoting the film in Australia. Speaking on Channel 7 ahead of Jafaican's launch at the Gold Coast Film Festival, Peter said he was drawn to the script when he first read it three years ago, calling it 'a heist like you've never seen before.' Explaining the plot, he shared: '[Gary] is in a situation where he has to get money to help his [grandmother]. He tries everything and basically comes up with this scheme because apparently Gary looks like this guy in Jamaica who happens to be ready to inherit $3 million. "So he comes up with this planning thinking 'well if I look like him, surely I could just go to Jamaica for a little bit and keep my mouth shut maybe and I'll get the money and help my nan'. And of course, that's not gonna go smoothly at all." When asked directly about the criticism over a non-Jamaican actor playing such a role, Peter replied: 'Well, to be fair, I mean, I think it's good to get all sorts of feedback. I mean, this is not… it's my first lead role but I've done quite a few roles before. And all of them, I've played different characters.' He added: 'So for me, it's acting, I get to do something light-hearted, something funny. Something that y'know is the kind of film I'd wanna watch. So it's almost like a little bit self-indulgent in the sense that I get to do something that I've really, really wanted to do.' Jafaican also stars Wil Johnson, Jamie Lomas and Oliver Samuels, and follows Gazza's comedic attempt to impersonate a Jamaican heir to secure money for his grandmother's care. The storyline has sparked polarised reactions, with some online users entertained by its absurdity while others called it racially insensitive.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hamilton author honours Miss Lou, 'one of the giants of Jamaican culture,' in new book
Hamilton performer, teacher and author Tania Hernandez first came across Miss Lou as a child on her native island of Jamaica, when she used to see the local icon on her black-and-white TV. "Miss Lou was like everybody's mother," Hernandez said. "That's why she's called mother of Jamaican culture." Miss Lou, whose off-stage name was Louise Bennett-Coverley, was a performer, poet and folklorist who helped popularize the Jamaican language worldwide. She also inspired Hernandez, also known as Tania Lou, who "always admired" Miss Lou. She honours the Jamaican icon through her performance and now, through her writing in her new book, Ay Ya Yai! Miss Lou: Voice of the Jamaican People. "I'm like a student of her works, and so I read a lot about her. I read her poems and I perform them and I sing her folk songs," Hernandez said in a recent interview with CBC's Fresh Air. She started the book as a way to occupy herself at a time when she was recovering from an illness that made her unable to walk or speak. Getting to know the 'real' Miss Lou Miss Lou died in 2006 in Toronto, but before that, she educated many around the world with her teachings about the Jamaican language of Patois and the local folklore. "She left a legacy of culture," said Hernandez. Hernandez said she wanted to make sure that, in her book, Miss Lou's work would be well-documented, but also that those who knew her had a say. "There's a section called Remembering Miss Lou, and you will hear from people who knew her," said Hernandez. "She was the same on stage and off. Sweet, humble, loved people."She also did translations of Miss Lou's poems from Patois into English so that everyone could read them. But most of all, she wanted to get to know the "real Miss Lou inside." Hernandez talks about a video she watched of Miss Lou and the struggles of becoming the idol she's remembered as. "Naysayers … were telling her that Patois is not the way to go. That is for uneducated people," she said. "I wanted to say how she challenged the status quo … to empower our Jamaican people to reclaim and celebrate our unique cultural identity." A 'giant' of Jamaican culture Today, Miss Lou's work is preserved in archives at McMaster University and the National Library of Jamaica. Phil Vassell, executive director of the Canada Black Music Archives, said Miss Lou spent a good portion of her life in Canada and had a "lasting influence here amongst not just Jamaicans, but to Caribbean people also." "She's one of the giants of Jamaican culture," he told CBC Hamilton. "When you look at her body of work and her influence, I don't think anybody else comes close." Phil Vassell is the executive director of the Canada Black Music Archives. (Talia Ricci/CBC) Musicians like Bob Marley, the legendary Jamaican reggae artist, were inspired by Miss Lou, said Vassell. Marley's lyrics like "them belly full, but we hungry," were taken "straight from" Miss Lou, according to him. "She had a significant influence on him as well as a number of other people in the music industry, people in theater, people who were writing books," said Vassell. He said Miss Lou talked about Patois as "nation language," and is responsible for making the language "respectable." "I don't think you could find anyone else in the history of Jamaican culture that really pushed that point and made [Patois] a thing that Jamaicans could be proud of," he said. (CBC) For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
CBC
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Hamilton author honours Miss Lou, 'one of the giants of Jamaican culture,' in new book
Hamilton performer, teacher and author Tania Hernandez first came across Miss Lou as a child on her native island of Jamaica, when she used to see the local icon on her black-and-white TV. "Miss Lou was like everybody's mother," Hernandez said. "That's why she's called mother of Jamaican culture." Miss Lou, whose off-stage name was Louise Bennett-Coverley, was a performer, poet and folklorist who helped popularize the Jamaican language worldwide. She also inspired Hernandez, also known as Tania Lou, who "always admired" Miss Lou. She honours the Jamaican icon through her performance and now, through her writing in her new book, Ay Ya Yai! Miss Lou: Voice of the Jamaican People. "I'm like a student of her works, and so I read a lot about her. I read her poems and I perform them and I sing her folk songs," Hernandez said in a recent interview with CBC's Fresh Air. She started the book as a way to occupy herself at a time when she was recovering from an illness that made her unable to walk or speak. Getting to know the 'real' Miss Lou Miss Lou died in 2006 in Toronto, but before that, she educated many around the world with her teachings about the Jamaican language of Patois and the local folklore. "She left a legacy of culture," said Hernandez. Hernandez said she wanted to make sure that, in her book, Miss Lou's work would be well-documented, but also that those who knew her had a say. "There's a section called Remembering Miss Lou, and you will hear from people who knew her," said Hernandez. "She was the same on stage and off. Sweet, humble, loved people." She also did translations of Miss Lou's poems from Patois into English so that everyone could read them. But most of all, she wanted to get to know the "real Miss Lou inside." Hernandez talks about a video she watched of Miss Lou and the struggles of becoming the idol she's remembered as. "Naysayers … were telling her that Patois is not the way to go. That is for uneducated people," she said. "I wanted to say how she challenged the status quo … to empower our Jamaican people to reclaim and celebrate our unique cultural identity." A 'giant' of Jamaican culture Today, Miss Lou's work is preserved in archives at McMaster University and the National Library of Jamaica. Phil Vassell, executive director of the Canada Black Music Archives, said Miss Lou spent a good portion of her life in Canada and had a "lasting influence here amongst not just Jamaicans, but to Caribbean people also." "She's one of the giants of Jamaican culture," he told CBC Hamilton. "When you look at her body of work and her influence, I don't think anybody else comes close." Musicians like Bob Marley, the legendary Jamaican reggae artist, were inspired by Miss Lou, said Vassell. Marley's lyrics like "them belly full, but we hungry," were taken "straight from" Miss Lou, according to him. "She had a significant influence on him as well as a number of other people in the music industry, people in theater, people who were writing books," said Vassell. He said Miss Lou talked about Patois as "nation language," and is responsible for making the language "respectable." "I don't think you could find anyone else in the history of Jamaican culture that really pushed that point and made [Patois] a thing that Jamaicans could be proud of," he said.
