Culture - Greater Belize Media

Belizean Chef Gains Culinary Diploma Alongside Professionals

In late April, twelve Belizean chefs from across the country completed a diploma in a culinary arts program through the B.T.B., the Ministry of Education and the Florida International University. Over the course of nine sessions, these chefs were trained in various culinary skills with assistance from Belize’s own Chef Sean Kuylen, who blended Belizean culture into the experience. We spoke with a recent graduate today, to hear how they plan to make use of the knowledge and skills imparted on them. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Part of Belize’s reputation as a melting pot of cultures, includes the wide variety of food offered throughout the country. Across various hotels, restaurants and vendors, food tourism is a large contributor to Belize’s economy. Thus, creating opportunities for more people to hone their skills in the kitchen is a necessary part of keeping Belizean chefs in business. Recently, twelve people were able to gain a diploma in a culinary arts program through the BTB, the Ministry of Education and the Florida International University. Mirna Paul Greenidge chose not to become a professional chef but wanted to join in on the experience to gain the skills and knowledge.

Mirna Paul Greenidge, Culinary Arts Program Graduate

“It was a culinary arts class and it was a basic skills learning about different aspects and techniques of cooking and preparation of food and also doing safety, which is very important.”

Britney Gordon

“So how did you get involved in this program?”

Mirna Paul Greenidge

“I got involved because I saw an advertisement from BTB, kudos to the people at BTB, the minister for his vision and his entire team, Mister Enriquez, who is the person that do all the training for the different aspects of hospitality in the country. Miss Tracy, who was very helpful for us, for encourage us and get us to get this training completed.”

The participants mastered a variety of skills, including cold food preparation and menu design.

Britney Gordon

“So I know you’re not a chef by profession. What made you decide that? Okay, I’m going to go and try this.”

Mirna Paul Greenidge

“I have a passion for cooking. I’m really interested in being a barrister. And, of course, you understand that there is a principle of preparation, meeting, opportunity. So, I believe that we always have to learn new skills. That’s how I became also a masseuse. So, in that quest of trying to get self development.That is how I end up in this course. And of course, I plan to use it at home and who knows, maybe sometime doing some catering.”

Paul said that although this was all new to her, she was able to become adept through the guidance of her mentors and fellow classmates.

Mirna Paul Greenidge

“Well, basically you learn techniques and you don’t take for granted especially in food preparation. There is a lot of measures of safety that you have to take, um, the purchasing of the food, how you store your food costing if you’re interested in being a chef, because many of my classmates were chefs, of course, and they’re working already in restaurants or resorts and it’s very important because at the end of the day, we are able to handle food properly and be able to cost it and do everything that we need to do in a good measure.”

She explained that the environment was welcoming to diverse participants, which only made her enthusiasm for the experience grow.

Mirna Paul Greenidge

“It was very inclusive and we had good integration because we were very helpful. Those who had a little bit more experience, we were able to gain from that because we did a lot of group sessions. We also had theory in the few months that we were doing it and We’re at the commissary at Boeing and Boeing. That is where we did the practice. Level four kitchen. That’s the best of the best, the top. So we were able to even be exposed to what is expected in a real scenario of a restaurant. So everybody pitching, we did several things. We had chef Kuylen with us. That was very interesting. Putting the Belizean flavor to the French cuisine because that’s basically what we learn a lot about.”

The program began in June 2023 and concluded in April of this year. The BTB said that they are planning to make the course available again for more Belizeans to participate in. Paul said that she encourages Belizeans to participate so that they can become asset to Belize’s growing hospitality industry.

Mirna Paul Greenidge

“The course is very interesting. It’s a way of enhancing your skills. And of course the better prepared people are for the hospitality and to serve the tourists. I think that is a plus for Belize. And I think that everybody you shouldn’t just be educated or just. You should be very much in tune to what you’re doing and have the skills and the qualifications to back it up.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Is Tren Maya Looking at a Closer Stop to Belize?

During his visit with the President of Mexico, Prime Minister John Briceño also discussed the possibility of the Tren Maya project including a closer stop to Belize. PM Briceño says this would increase the number of tourists coming into Belize, while establishing a more efficient mode to transport goods. Here is what he told us.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“That is what we are working on. That was a part of the meeting yesterday. On Saturday we are going to meet one of the, Tren Maya is not only by the government. The army is a part of it and sections are being built by the private sector. There is a group that is working in this area and the freezone in the Chetumal. The CEO of that company will also be at this meeting. That is one of the meeting we are going to have with them to see how we can get the Tren Maya a little over three miles to be able to connect to our border. Ideally what we want to do is connect it to our border, build the facilities and get the tourist to come to Belize and also products. We no longer have to depend on transporting by ships. WE can transport by train and the Tren Maya goes all the way to Canada. It is a whole new area for transportation of goods and products for Belize, so and then after that the next step is to see if we can get it into Belize City or somewhere in the country.”

Tourists Embracing Culture as Part of Tourism

Belize’s tasty Garifuna dish, the Hudut, has become part of this country’s cultural tourism. The Martinez family of Hopkins Village has craftily woven the making of Hudut into a cultural experience that they offer to tourists in that village. Today, News Five’s Marion Ali and George Tillett took a tour of Palmento Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge. And as their report reveals, Hudut is but one of many components of a tour the family has mapped out for the tourist at heart. We present that story on cultural tourism as this week’s edition of Belize on Reel.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The experience at Palmento Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge begins with a one-minute kayak journey across the Fresh Water Creek Lagoon to Kalipuna Island, where Palmento Grove is located. The island is carefully mapped out for the tour the Martinez family has designed. Wasani Martinez, a certified dive master, guides you safely across to Palmento Grove. A quick walk to the main area affords you the choice of changing into a comfortable cultural dress to begin the tour. Leading off, like any spiritual family, the experience takes one through an interesting lecture on history and spirituality by the patriarch, Eugene Martinez. Martinez then leads the visitors on an educational tour about some of the trees, including the cashew and cocoplum fruit trees and the anato tree, used to make recado. The only visitor on the day-long tour today was this woman who gave her name as only Iesha from the state of Maine, USA.

Iesha, Tourist, Palmento Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge

“I love how immersive it is. It’s not just someone sitting and lecturing. You’re actually in the spaces and seeing the plants and making the foods and the dances and all of that, so I really enjoyed it. Yeah.”

Marion Ali

“You got to climb the tree, take down the coconut.”

Iesha

“I did! I picked my first coconut today, so it was awesome, yeah.”

Marion Ali

“And then you huxed, and then you actually made the Hudut.

Iesha

“All of it, yes, and I do not know my way around the kitchen (laughing) the way I should, but they were very patient and taught me everything, so it was very nice.”

Marion Ali

“And now you’re learning how to dance and to drum.”

Iesha

“Yes, that too.”

It is this kind of educational experience that owner, Uwahnie Martinez says her family wants to share with everyone who signs up for the experience.

Uwahnie Martinez, Owner, Palmetto Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge

“The trip across the lagoon – we managed to give you that kayak experience over because our boat was stolen. So instead of giving up again, we relented once more and we said, you know what, maybe it’s for a cause. Why not just count the blessings, despite the situation And turned it into something good. So, that’s how we started with the kayak ride across and it has been embraced by our guests coming as an extraordinary part of the experience. So, the idea here is to actually immerse yourself, be hands on, learn, and make sure you can appreciate the culture, the people, by the time you leave from here, and have fun at the same time. Doing that, we give you a feel of what our clothing is like. It’s nice and cool, you get the opportunity to participate without feeling extra hot despite the heat. We get a lecture from my dad. My family is that of politicians and activists. It’s well known here in Belize, so a perspective from their eyes, their views, telling their own story. Then we move on into the herbal garden, where we teach you and show you some of the herbs that we use for medicinal purposes and food purposes and holistic health on a whole – all part of Garifuna culture. You get to learn about the cassava baking process, you see the implements, you see the murals on the wall, and moves your senses, and that’s the idea of the experience we offer. We want you to be able to hear, see, taste, touch, smell, and feel. That’s for sure. So it moves your senses, it feeds your soul. And it revives your spirit, and by the time you leave from here, you’re well immersed.”

But the tourism package is a relatively young one that complements cultural tourism. The family purchased the land on the island and started the business in 2018, after a major setback.

Uwahnie Martinez

“When we first started here, it was out of necessity. We had an operation in the village, and that was burnt down. We went into financial foreclosure, so we lost that property, with 30 days to find where to go. My dad had this property, so refusing to give up and making sure that we can live to tell our ancestral story, our story from our perspective, we relented to move over here, cleared the place and fashioned it into a traditional Garifuna community where we can actually live culture with dignity and then share it with guests who want to learn.”

Part of that learning is making Hudut, which includes grating the coconut and extracting the milk, seasoning the fish, which today happened to be a barracuda, and frying it. While that is being done, someone is stirring the coconut milk as it cooks, while another beats the combination of boiled green and ripe plantains to complement the dish. The visitor’s experience ends with a session on drumming and dancing to Garifuna music, led by Rayton Martinez and Tiana Nunez.

Marion Ali

“How do you find the reception from the tourists? Do they like it?

Tiana Nunez, Dancer, Palmento Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge

“Most guests, when they come, they’re pretty receptive. They want to learn, they want to interact, so it’s pretty easy. Sometimes they do it on their own, or they’d ask if I can do it and then they just follow along.”

Marion Ali

“So tell me this: Rayton teaches by showing us: you start with one hand, and then you tap with the next hand twice, and then you go back to one. Is it the same way with the steps?”

Tiana Nunez

“It is, yes, because if you notice, whatever movement I make, the drum reacts. Yeah. And he also has to be pretty attentive to what I do so that he, knows. Yes, exactly.”

Uwahnie Martinez says the tour can be personalized to suit anyone with any time limit from only one session to all day, and even for overnight visitors. And where tourists want additional tours, like horseback riding, Palmento Grove outsources those portions to other tourism tours in communities that offer them. Marion Ali for News Five.

If you would like to book a tour with the Martinez family at Palmento Grove Eco-cultural and Healing Lodge, you can contact Uwahnie Martinez at six, six, one, six, zero, three, nine, or you may log on to their website at www.palmentogrove.com

Making Stretch Mi Guts for The Next Generation

The small company Belizean Sweets and Treats has prided itself in being a source for authentic Belizean confectioneries. However, it has no intention of being the only source of such treats, as the founder and owner, Sharlene Williams, has partnered with the Girl Guides Association to teach a new generation the skills to preserve Belizean culture and possibly become entrepreneurs in the future. In this week’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, we observed as Girl Guides secretary, Marilyn Crawford shows us how to make the candy stretch mi guts. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The Belizean delicacy stretch mi guts is one of many treats being passed on to a new generation of people. Through a collaboration with the Girl Guides Association of Belize and Belizean Sweets and Treats, the skills needed to prepare these classic candies are being taught to young girls and women so that the tradition may continue to be passed on for years to come. Sharlene Williams, owner of Belizean Sweets and Treats told us about the endeavor.

Sharlene Williams, Owner, Belizean Sweets & Treats

“Belizean Sweets and Treats teamed up with Girl Guides Association of Belize to help to promote the Creole culture, to Save our heritage so that our younger people can grow up and know that they’re a part of something Beautiful.”

Britney Gordon

“What exactly are you making here today that you taught them yesterday as well?”

Sharlene Williams

“Yes, one of the most exciting things for them was the stretch mi guts the name. They’re like, what is it because they have never heard about it before So, we took on the initiative where we are teaching the guiders how to make these treats and when they go to their individual packs, they’ll be able to give that information to then teach their little brownies, their guiders, or their rangers how to do this.”

Marilyn Crawford, secretary of the Girls Guides Association of Belize, is one of the women participating in the classes. She recently learned how to make stretch mi guts and explained why initiatives like this are important for young women.

Marilyn Crawford, Secretary, Girl Guides Association

“The purpose of it is teaching the girls life skills. So from an early age, they could learn to maybe fry an egg, boil potatoes and stuff like that. So these skills that we are teaching the girls is to take them through their life. So it depends on how they. How they manage themselves as they get older, because we have to face it that there will be hardship and there will be good times. So when they get in difficulties, they should be allowed to help themselves and know how to get out of that.”

Williams walked us through the process of making stretch mi guts. She said that it only takes three simple ingredients, sugar, lemon or lime, and coconut water.

Sharlene Williams

“With stretch mi guts it’s a combination of sugar, lemon and coconut water. And You pretty much combine them on the stove. These three ingredients on the stove. Make sure you stir it properly. You have a leeway because it doesn’t start to boil until probably twenty minutes in. But after it starts to boil, that is where you need to keep your foot glued in front of the stove. Keep stirring and stirring because you want an even consistency between it. Some people, when it starts to boil, you will notice that it simmers less, and the syrup starts to thicken. This is where the sugar and everything is melting and it’s starting to look like a beautiful combination.”

Williams explained that there are two types of stretch mi guts that she makes available. The traditional, taffy consistency and a hard candy option are made for people who find taffy difficult to eat, such as users of braces or dentures.

Sharlene Williams

“There’s actually two types of stretch mi guts. You have the hard candy, which you can suck as a sweet. And you have, like what the name says, stretch mi guts, where you bite it. And you have a lingering piece, it’s like a taffy. With the association yesterday, we ended up making the hard candy. So in today’s session, we are now making the taffy candy. Here we go. For it to be the hard candy, you need to be to seventy-two, seventy-five degrees. But most people do not have a thermometer. So what we did when we were younger, my grandmother would have a little dish with water. When you see your sugar starts to boil less, you would take a little bit from the spoon for it in the water. And if she’s able to pick it up with her hand and you’re able to stretch it in those, you know that you’re almost there. So when you reach that consistency, you It is where you would pull it out, and that would give you the taffy one. Now, if you would boil it a little bit longer, then it would then transfer into the hard candy version.”

Williams and Crawford finished the batch by showing us how to stretch each piece as its name calls for, cautioning us to not burn ourselves in the process.

Sharlene Williams

“The tedious process is when you go from your pot to the pan. You have to make sure that even before you start the process, that your pan is greased. Because just that little time between transitioning to the stove and you’re trying to grease it, it can turn from taffy to hard candy, and if it’s already at a hard candy, it can go to burnt candy. So you make sure that your pan is greased. You spread it out on your pan. That too in itself takes a little time. But what we have is a spatula, and we would continue to scrape from the sides, scrape on the sides. The idea is to just have an amount in the middle. Because the side starts to cool quicker, and cool, once sugar gets cool, it starts to get hard.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Tableta, A Belizean Coconut Sweet

If you are a coconut lover then you probably have tried this Belizean coconut sweet treat, tableta. Different people approach the recipe in their unique ways. But the primary ingredients of tableta are coconut flakes, ginger, and sugar. It is one of those cultural sweets that Belizeans enjoy as a dessert or simply to satisfy a craving. The preparation process has been passed down from generations and it still lives on. In tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled to Sand Hill Village to learn how to make tableta from one resident who learned the recipe from her mother more than four decades ago. Here is that story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Sharon Louise Leslie splits wood for her fire hearth. This is the first step in the process to make tableta, a Belizean coconut sweet.

Sharon Leslie, Entrepreneur

“Ah the chop the wood now to light the fire so we could start to make the tableta right.”

She sources pine wood from land in Sand Hill Village where she has lived since childhood. Leslie was ten years old when her mother first taught her how to make tableta.

Sharon Leslie

“Because my mom the do and we the help her. I dah mih the oldest gial for my mah.”

Paul Lopez

“And at that time did you see it as a chore or was it fun?”

Sharon Leslie

“As fun, because mommy the do something and we the help out. Like when we use to make cake, we never had mixer. You have your bucket and you stir.”

The wood is lit, and the first step is complete. The fire hearth is Leslie’s preferred method for cooking tableta.

Sharon Leslie

“The stove is too small because sometimes I have to make a big amount. This lady would say, I need sixty dollars’ worth. I can’t put those on the stove and ih wah tek to long.”

Leslie places a huge cast iron pot over the fire and ensures that it is thoroughly clean.

Sharon Leslie

“Yo wah sih this pot when I finish with it, because yo have some people, once the tableta finish there is nothing in this pot.”

Paul Lopez

“And that is how you do yours.”

Sharon Leslie

“Right.”

Paul Lopez

“Now you put yourself to the test, because you give me a promise. Ah have to sih if dah thing real.”

For this recipe, Leslie grates three coconuts. She is very particular about the types of coconuts she uses in her product.

Sharon Leslie

“We nuh use dry coconut, it have to be half green coconut, yo grater it. The main ingredient and the white sugar, nuh brown sugar white. Because, some people do mek it with brown. I don’t know, from I the mek, I the use white not brown. From my mom teach me then.”

After the grating, Leslie pours her white sugar into the heated cast iron pot. This process requires constant stirring to prevent the sugar from burning while it melts over the fire. When she wants to increase the heat, Leslie adds more wood. Similarly, to decrease the temperature, she removes wood from the fire. After ten minutes, the sugar is completely melted.

Sharon Leslie

“Now we are going to add the trash to it…”

Leslie takes a break from stirring to grate a piece of ginger that she adds to the pot closer to the end of the cooking process. She has passed down these skills to her two daughters to keep the tradition alive. But she says that they prefer steering clear of the fire hearth and working their eight-to-five jobs. Her twelve-year-old grandson assists her when he is off from school.

Sharon Leslie

“Yo got some people weh deh gwen dah states today, deh wah call me from eena the week and seh Ms Leslie I need wah forty dollars tableta and a thirty dollars cutup brut fih ker. Deh wah inform me ahead of time to get the coconut prepared to make it.”

Soon after the cooking process is complete, Leslie transfers the tableta onto a flat wooden surface to cool down. She flattens out the finished product with her hands and cup.

Sharon Leslie

“We done smooth it off now we wah leff it fih cool fih bout twenty minutes then we will slice, and you guys can have your taste.”

Paul Lopez

“Watch so the pot just as clean as Ms Louise said it would be, so you could tek ah at it world.”

Now it is time for the taste test, though the tableta required a bit more time to cool down.

Paul Lopez

“Original tableta, straight from the fire hearth the way your granny use to do it. Ms Leslie, mein, yo can’t beat this. I the tell yo that.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

Sharon Leslie can be reached on her Facebook page at Louise Leslie or by phone at six-two-five-two-seven-six.

Everything Creole, Belizean Sweets, Treats And More

The Belize from your childhood is here to stay. It is common knowledge that food always been a major aspect of Belizean culture with various dishes becoming a staple in the average household. This included the wide variety of sweets and pastries many grew up making at home or purchasing from the shops in their neighborhoods. In tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, we stop buy the Belizeans Sweets and Treats shop in Belize City to look at what owner, Sharlene Coooper Williams, is hoping will one day be the one-stop place to find everything creole. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Belizean Sweets and Treats was launched in 2021 by a mother of eight, Sharlene Cooper Williams after she faced challenges in supporting her family during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using knowledge and skills she already possessed, Williams decided to become and entrepreneur to preserve Belizean culture with her children.

Sharlene Williams Cooper, Owner, Belizean Sweets and Treats

“It was herded out of necessity during COVID. I had an existing business that was deemed a non-essential and we had to survive. So my family and I, we were a part of a partnership that didn’t continue and we decided to continue on our own. And my family, my Children, it’s literally a family business. We decided to push it forward. My Children are able to make all of these. So we teamed up and we pushed. We literally only started doing the tamarind and the pepitas and things like that. And slowly our vision expanded so did our product line. One of our main mission is to be the landmark for everything Creole. I represent the Creole culture and Belize is a melting pot. But even though the Creole culture is the majority in Belize, our culture is dying. I really admire the others for promoting their culture. And a lot of our children don’t know the great heritage that we have as Creoles. So one of the other purposes of this food is to promote and preserve that culture through language, through dress, and whatever avenues that are made available to us.”

The selection started small for Williams, with just a few sweets that she and her family knew to make at home, but over time she was able to expand the variety of treats she offered and even got other women involved to sell various Belizeans products, such as herbal tea, seasoning, pepper, and honey, alongside Belizean classics such as wangla, tableta, and kaasham.

Sharlene Williams

“Like what I said, we started out with only the sweets, and then after us we transitioned into the stew items. We went to the t shirts, the souvenirs, and other women started to get interested. We have, we’re a part of a group eleven including myself. We have women in remote villages that sign on to it. They’re not able to sell their items themselves, so they would channel it through us. The handicrafts, the painting the rocks, the t-shirts, the key chains. So it’s a beautiful collaboration and eleven families helps to live because of this. And at the same time, not only live to provide for their family, but live to promote something that’s beautiful.”

We ran into some tourist purchasing from Belizeans Sweets and Treats what they were most excited to try form the stall.

Britney Gordon

“So what made you decide to stop?”

Russ, Tourist

“Well it looked very friendly as we were coming up to it. And it was really the first open thing that we saw along the road today.”

Britney Gordon

“Can you tell me what you guys bought?”

Breck, Tourist

“We bought some pineapple spices for cooking, habanero, and a keychain, because we like to decorate our Christmas tree with decorations from different places and everything.”

Russ

“And don’t forget the big one. Goat shit.”

Breck

“Oh, the goat shit. Yeah, we gotta try some goat shit later.”

Britney Gordon

“Alright, you guys looking forward to trying some of that?”

Jagger, Tourist

“Very much so, yeah. It’s always a huge pleasure and really an honor to try different foods and share in other people’s cultures. So we’re very happy we found this booth today.”

Williams explained that growing up, she would visit her grandparents in Cotton Tree every summer where they would teach her and her family members how to make various delicacies. Now, Williams is using her skills not only to promote Belize to the rest of the world, but preserve it for the next generation. She has partnered with the Girl Guides Association of Belize to pass on these skills to a next generation.

Sharlene Williams

“We decided to come out at Girl Guides Association. They have given us the privilege of using their yard and also, we have collaborated with them because the little guiders and the Brownies now have the opportunity to start doing these things. And apart from learning these sweets, they’re also learning entrepreneurial skills. And so soon they’re actually working and it’s soon their items will be on display to for sale. We were here monday to friday But we have only cut down now to the tour days and on other days we can be found at thirty-seven Fairweather Street”

According to Williams, one of her best sellers is the Belizean classic Wangla. She said that it is a meticulous process, over the years, she has been able to perfect her recipe.

Sharlene Williams

“And for us, it’s important, one of the things that we do we always get our Wang Le Seed fresh. We have partnered with specific suppliers at the market that make sure that we always have certain things in stock. You wouldn’t want to have an order or you wouldn’t want to have your booth without because this is one of our best sellers, the wangla seed. If you see our ingredients package, it’s wang la Sweet, sugar, and spices because we do also add a little dash of Belizean sweets and treats flavor.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Tanisha’s Creations Hot Cross Buns

Preparing and consuming hot cross buns is one of Belize’s long-standing Easter traditions. Wherever Belizeans are in the world, there is no Easter without hot cross buns. Tonight, we show you how Tanisha Burns of Tanisha’s Creation prepares her hot cross buns, the ingredients that she uses and what makes her buns special. News Five’s Paul Lopez brings us that story.

Popular Musician, Kenny G, Still Singing Those Good Old Hits

Sometimes we’re all too caught up in the lyrics of some popular artist or their genre of music, that we don’t pay enough attention to the ones that have been singing the lyrics of those same artists and many others. An artist like Kenneth Gladden, or Kenny G, as he is known to his fans across Belize. He has been singing since the mid-eighties in Corozal, and then he became popular with the now-defunct Santino’s Messengers and the Lord Rhaburn Combo. And while he hasn’t written many hit songs of his own, Kenny G has been performing his own renditions of those of other local and international artists. But because music has transitioned over the years and live bands, made up of several members, have faced fierce competition with cheaper-priced DJ entertainment, musicians like Kenny G have had to turn to other means of livelihood to make ends meet. And News Five’s Marion Ali found him doing just that when she visited him at his clothing outlet on Mahogany Street today. She brings you Kenny G’s journey to popularity and off the stage in this week’s edition of Kolcha Tuesday.

Marion Ali, Reporting

If you’re over fifty, you know this man for his smooth vocals and his remarkable ability to interpret various musical artists hit songs in a way that you absolutely enjoy. Kenneth Gladden, otherwise known widely as Kenny G, has been in the music industry since his early days in Corozal. His initiation into music came in the strangest of ways. He was not discovered by anyone. He told us that he decided to try his voice at home in private and liked what he heard. And that was his starting point.

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden, Musician

“When school was out, I used to go do a part-time job da the U.S. Consul with a lee Maya man, Mr. Uk. I used to goh do part-Time job with him. And I get to buy a lee tape recorder right, weh record yoh voice. And, I used to put on the music, and I record, and I used to sing along with the music, right? And I record the voice, then play it back and listen to it, how ih sound and if ih eena tune. And I say yoh know something that’s sound good. I think I should take it up. And then when people start to hear me, other musicians start to hear me and say, why we don’t want to come sing with the band.”

That was back in Corozal when Gladden’s singing career started. Those early performances took him to Chetumal and surrounding areas in the mid-eighties. From there, he moved to Belize City, where the Santino’s Messengers Baby and the Lord Rhaburn Combo, at another point, were familiar weekend sounds with Kenny G.

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“That was the late eighties, cause that’s when we found Messengers Baby, Santino’s Messengers Baby. That was in the late eighties. I would have said about 88, 89.”

Marion Ali

“When you were the main vocalist.”

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“Yes, I was the main vocalist.”

Marion Ali

“When you had hair.”

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“When I had hair, black hair.”

Gladden says his first inspiration was his father.

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“I was inspired firstly, by my father. Because my father is a great leader. He used to call him Chuck because they say he take off a Chuck Fender. I have never seen my father performing full until later days of his life, when he came back to Belize from New York. But I was inspired by him because everybody tell me, “Boy, how great your father was,” right? Boy, your pa hard. Man like Evan X Hyde just say, “Bwai your pa da a bad man, Bismarck and all these guys who had known my father back then, they tell me how good he was right.”

And while you may have heard his mellow voice performing to one of your favourite artists’s songs, you probably didn’t know that Kenny G is the lyricist behind that popular Guana Tail.

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“Ah hungry, weh yoh want, ah hungry, weh yoh want. Da rice and beans, me nuh want that, Da rice and beans, me nuh want that. Da cowfoot soup, me nuh want that, da cowfoot soup, me nuh want that. Weh yoh want, gimme the guana tail, guana tail guana tail, guana tail. Gimme the guana tail.”

Marion Ali

“You wrote that?”

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“Yes. I make that song. When we gone da Bermudian Landing. I see this gial just di dance fronta we right and she just di fling like she di fling wa tail, right? I said, this place known fi guana and the tail di wap wap round and this gial behind just di goh like guana tail. I say, alright, good.”

But live music entertainment has transitioned since the eighties. Now live bands face challenges getting jobs because people oftentimes opt for the cheaper-priced D-J entertainment. But Gladden, who has his own New Creation Band now, says he will keep the band going, and he is doing what he can through his own music to keep the Belizean music industry alive. And he has the support of the Director of the Institute of Creative Arts, Kim Vasquez.

Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts

“We really have to look at musicians like Kenny Gladden who are musicians that buck a lot of what we call the living legends or the well-known musicians. And so we tend to not remember them as often as we should. He does in fact have his own band, the New Creation Band, and he does a really good job of promoting Belizean music, of covering the music of, other musicians and keeping Belizean culture alive in his own way. And again, as well he was known for the Santino’s Baby, a very popular band making the circuit Bellevue, all of these different venues. And so it’s really, when you think of Kenny Gladden, you think of a good party, musician. One of these persons that if you’re having a wedding or a christening, a birthday party, you associate that type of Belizean music, that party music, really festive with his music.”

Kenneth “Kenny G” Gladden

“By keeping our legends alive it paves the way for youth in a sense that the youth will say okay We never know da Ben McCoy may do that song deh. We hear it but we don’t know da Ben McCoy do it. Or we never know da Lord Rayburn do da song. So by keeping these legends in the forefront, ih pave the way for the youths and they say okay, so we could take one page out of Lord Rhaburn book and we could do a we thing just like Lord Rhaburn.”

If you would like Kenny G and the New Creations Band to play at your special event, you can contact him at 625 -0064. Marion Ali for News Five.