MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 IS
THIS WEEKEND
PEP is a soft sponsor of Ms. Jacqueline Hall pictured below.
As she gets ready to compete with many other young ladies this weekend, we wish her all the best and encourage you to go out and support her and the other young ladies who are vying for the title of Miss Maryland USA. | 
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Jacqueline Hall, 26, of Silver Spring Maryland will compete for the title of MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 on October 29th, 30th & 31st at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Miss Jacqueline Hall is currently the Programming Coordinator at SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio in Washington, D.C. where she books celebrity guests to interview & perform on-air, and is also the liaison for artists visiting the SIRIUS XM studios. She attended the University of Maryland at College Park and in her free time enjoys working on creative projects and event planning for friends and family and hopefully one day a grander scale.
The MISS MARYLAND USA pageant is the Official Preliminaries to the MISS USA Pageant and is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal Inc. joint venture. The young woman chosen as MISS MARYLAND USA 2011 will go on to represent the state of Maryland in the 2011 MISS USA pageant seen LIVE on NBC television, one of the most anticipated events of the year. For more information on the competition, click HERE
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| RITA MARLEY TO RECEIVE CARAH AWARD | 
Legendary reggae matriarch, Rita Marley is among the honorees at the 17th Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards (CARAH) which will be held on Friday, November 12.
CARAH is hosted by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and will be held at the JW Marriott in Washington DC.
The widow of reggae icon, Bob Marley and an artist in her own right, Rita Marley has an extensive career of advocacy and talent that spans the globe.
At the CARAH Gala, Rita Marley will receive the Marcus Garvey award which recognizes those who unselfishly advocate to empower and to uplift people of the Caribbean and Africa.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON CARAH |
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Friends,
This week the Caribbean massive was dealt a double whammy in the passing of Barbados' Prime Minister, David Thompson and Jamaica's reggae icon, Gregory Isaacs. The former was 48; the latter 59 -- both young enough to have lived for many more years, but they were also both battling with illnesses which got the better of them.  Prime Minister David Thompson had been in office for almost three years and in Parliament since 1987. He has left behind a wife, three children, a country in mourning, and so much more. According to Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton "Barbados has lost a leader and the nations of the Americas have lost a friend and valued partner. Prime Minister Thompson was a champion for democracy and justice in the Caribbean and an advocate for wider prosperity and opportunity throughout the region." Our condolences go out to Prime Minister Thompson's family, friends, and the people of Barbados.
The entire island of Jamaica and fans worldwide were rattled this past Monday when news of Gregory Isaacs' death began circulating on the internet. Having recently seen him perform at Zanzibar, it hit me like a ton of bricks and was totally unexpected. How can Gregory Isaacs be dead when I just saw him on stage performing (not quite like a well oiled machine, but still satisfactorily?). How can Gregory Isaacs be just 59 years old when I have been jamming to his music from mi yeye deh a mi knee? With a discography of over 500 albums, it just seems like he should be older...Then again, like most musical giants, The Cool Ruler started performing from when he was a youngster. 
Jamaica has truly lost a unique legend in the passing of Gregory Isaacs who has been described as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae." The more I think about it, many of Jamaica's reggae legends died at relatively early ages: Bob Marley at 36; Jacob Killer Miller at 27; Dennis Brown at 42; and Garnett Silk at 28. The consolation is that they left behind the BEST music in the world for us to enjoy. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and fans of the late Gregory "The Cool Ruler" Isaacs.
As the autumn leaves continue to fall and the temperature is still nice, I hope you will enjoy the upcoming weekend. Happy birthday to all who are celebrating soon including Seaon Gayle and Nadean Rawlins. Welcome to November which will be here on Monday!
Peace and blessings,
Rosie "Peppy" Parke
Creative Director
PEPPY ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONS, LLC.
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OUT AND ABOUT with PEP!
 | | From Left: Jennifer Asher of JNA, Yanique Campbell, Shamir Saddler, Camille Smith, and JNA's president, Claudette Henry. |
This past Saturday, the Jamaican Nationals Association (JNA) hosted their annual Student Reception and Book Scholarship event, and like previous years, four book scholarships were awarded. This year, the Association opened up eligibility to students in colleges in Jamaica. Prystal Miller who attends Browns Town Community College (in Jamaica) was a recipient. Though Ms. Miller was unable to attend the event, the other three recipients: Yanique Campbell (American University), Shamir Saddler (Howard University); and Camille Smith (Morgan State University) were present to receive their awards. The event was hosted by the funny and eloquent, Michael Campbell. Guest speaker was Dr. Milton Bernard. Sharon Miller represented for the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington DC, and a number of JNA's Executive officers and members, many students, and well wishers were in attendance. The JNA is inviting persons to their General Meeting this Sunday, October 31. The meeting will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building in downtown Silver Spring from 4pm to 6pm.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON THE STUDENT RECEPTION COURTESY OF DERRICK SCOTT
 | | Flemo TV, Peppy, and the cast and crew of Puppy Love |
This past Sunday, Oliver Samuels, Dahlia Harris, Earle Brown, and Natalee Cole made "Puppy Love" a very memorable play. It was refreshing to visit another University (UDC) even though many patrons assumed the event would have been held at Cramton Auditorium and went there instead (next time, READ the flier people). There was a very nice crowd; spirits were high; and the event started in a timely manner (as Caribbean events go). PEP and FlemoTV covered the event and we had loads of fun with patrons before and after the show. Naturally, we had the most fun backstage with the cast and crew of the play. The play was very enjoyable; very nice storyline, superb acting, great musical arrangement, excellent set, and balanced audience participation. Even though we are accustomed to seeing Oliver primarily playing comedic roles; it was great to see the different dimensions of the character he played. Newcomer Natalee Cole -- a teacher by profession, is a true star and she was amazing both on and off stage. It is still hard to believe that she has no formal acting training and got the part after being 'forced" to audition. Earl Brown is extremely modest but a very talented actor in his own right. He admitted that he was thrilled to be sharing the stage with Oliver again many, many years and stated that the other talented actors made his job easier. It was refreshing to see someone else apart from Glen Campbell or Volier Johnson (who are great actors) in such a role, and Mr. Brown was perfect for the part. Dahlia Harris, who has been called the best actress in Jamaica is good at whatever she does. She was quick to point out that "even though I play the very naive wife, Denise; I am FAR from that in real life." Dahlia is a former festival queen and for years has been a host on a Jamaican TV program. Look out for Dahlia in her one-woman show which will address issues such as love, friendship, domestic violence, and the challenges of being a woman. The man of the night, Mr. Oliver Samuels was extremely charming backstage and credited his director for making him look so good on stage. When I asked Oliver about his preparation for his role, he was honest and remarked "Bway, Rosie, mi used to go rehearsal and neva did a put much into it, and mi director juss mek mi know seh mi lazy...so mi juss step up mi game." That he did, because he was pretty awesome playing the object of a young girl's affection; the business partner of someone who felt he was a class above the rest; and the husband in a marriage that was going downhill after thirty years.
If "Puppy Love" comes to a stage near you -- GO SEE IT! Big ups to Mike and Herman of Everybody's Magazine and everyone who attended the event on Sunday.
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