12th Annual DC Caribbean Film Festival Kicks Off June 1!
Tickets Still Available 
The event promises to be eclectic, encompassing a variety of movies that highlight and commemorate Caribbean American Heritage month. The film festival takes place over the three days, displaying a variety of movies, with multiple themes and genres ranging from Documentaries to Caribbean Mythology.
To view the complete list of movies, click HERE.
The Film Festival kicks off June 1 with a dessert reception to celebrate the 50th independence anniversary of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Festival is presented by Caribbean Association of World Bank and IMF Staff (CAWI), Caribbean Professional Network (CPN), Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), TransAfrica, and AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.
It promises to be entertaining and educational for adults and children. It also provides a perfect start for a month of activities slated for Caribbean American Heritage Month.
 | | Fire In Babylon Trailer |
 | | Calypso Rose Trailer |
 | | Ghett'A Life Trailer |
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 | | Me, Erica Lorraine, and Tiara Laniece at WOP induction on May 3, 2012 |
Greetings,
Today is the last day in May and the end of Older Americans Month. Because I was out of commission for a little over two weeks this month, I did not get the chance to visit with seniors and bask in their wisdom. Better late than never, right? That means that I will be playing catch up this coming month because seniors are very dear to me. Look out for the big 'Connecting Cultures - an Inter-generational Event for Seniors' planned and hosted by me and Elise Nicholls of the Washington Seniors Wellness Center. We are seeking Caribbean volunteers to assist with food service and hosting seniors at this event on Friday, June 29. Email me to do YOUR part.
Tomorrow is June 1 and the month will be all about Caribbean American Heritage Month (CAHM). June is the month in which Caribbean people who live in America get 30 days to show their true colors and their island pride. I am so looking forward to all the festivities and hope you are too. By the way, just in case YOU did not get the memo, there will be NO Carnival Parade on Georgia Avenue this June. Instead, there will be a combined Carnival in July in Baltimore. Stay tuned for my exclusive PEP Talk interview with Loughton Sargeant, Executive Director of DC Caribbean Carnival.
The weather is very nice these days. I no longer am suffering from the spring allergies and it feels much more like Summer in my neck of the woods. What that all means to ME is that the time is ripe for outdoor exercising. If you cannot afford the gym or a personal trainer, you can still go outside and do something physical to get in better shape. Click HERE to read my blog on why I am passionate about fitness and the work I am doing with many others to get Ward 7 residents fitter and healthier.
Also, tune in tonight from 9pm to 10pm on PEP Talk Radio at www.harambeeradio.com to hear me rap with the Virgin Island's reggae artist, Niyorah and Mwiza Munthali of TransAfrica Forum.
Happy birthday to Yusuf and my friend for life, Racquel Jones. Welcome to June (tomorrow).
Peace, love and light,
Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke
Creative Director
Peppy Entertainment & Promotions
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GUESS WHO? NIYORAH
Niyorah Olivacce cultivated an interest in music at a young age. While listening to his father and uncle's roots reggae collection he developed a thirst for righteousness. By age 16, he was performing in the streets of Savan (a ghetto in downtown St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) lamenting the daily struggles of ghetto life.
Pursuing a professional career in reggae music at age 18, Niyorah explains "Reggae was one of the greatest influences on my life. I cling to the music for some mystical reason." Music was a natural career choice for this young star. His grandfather was an award-winning vocalist who sang gospel and Negro spirituals, while his aunt, Ophelia Olivacce Marie, continues to be heralded as "Dominica's Songbird" for her vocal prowess.
Since the start of his professional career, Niyorah has performed at events and festivals throughout the USA, Caribbean, Hawaii, Venezuela and Guam. Performing at events such as Reggae Rising, the Baltimore African American Heritage Music festival and the Sierra Nevada World Music festival, Niyorah has shared the stage with such artists as Bunny Wailer, Marcia Griffiths, Erika Badu, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Capleton, Junior Reid, Junior Kelly, Eve, Glen Washington and Midnite Band.
Niyorah's relentless approach to the stage continually gains him the respect of industry stalwarts as well as the adoration of old fan and new ones alike. He is a star on the rise. The best of Niyorah is yet to come...
 | | Niyorah No Guts No Glory Official Music Video Full HD |
Discography:
A Different Age (May 2005) - I Grade Records
Purification Session (June 2006) - I Grade Records
Stolen scrolls (June 2008) - I Grade Records
Feel Your Presence (June 2010) - Denkenesh Records
Niyorah will be featured on PEP Talk Radio Tonight between 9 and 10pm EST on www.harambeeradio.com. He will also be LIVE at the Crossroads on Thursday, June 7.
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