Island in The Sun

This is my island in the sun
Where my people have toiled since time begun
I may sail on many a sea
Her shores will always be home to me

{Chorus}
Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father’s hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand

I remember as a child growing up in the Caribbean, there were many songs that told us of our heritage. They were folk songs like the snippet above written and performed by the incomparable Harry Belafonte that we learned in school and sang in assemblies, music classes, church… EVERYWHERE! I loved those times, we were able to express our history in song and dance and take a break from our demanding studies. This particular song comes to mind because of my recent trip back HOME to St.Kitts. As a youth growing up, I thought I understood what the lyrics meant, (I knew them backwards after all) but it wasn’t until I was on a ferry going for the short ride from St.Kitts to our sister island Nevis that I felt what they meant. I’ve always known of the beauty and uniqueness of our Island in the Sun, its culture, its people, but I didn’t realize how much the air smelled of these things, the breeze spoke of these things, the earth was the foundation for these things. This trip was an emotional one for me, I travelled there with my daughter to celebrate the 50th anniversary of my parents along with my other siblings.  While there, in my old house, in my old room (which by the way, my mother has kept exactly the same as when I was there), watching my school books… teddy bears… pictures, I looked over at my sleeping daughter and thought WOW, this is BEAUTIFUL!

Words can’t express the joy of my life growing up there, I mean I could seriously go on and on and onnnn. Today though, I won’t, I’ll just leave you with these lyrics from Harry Belafonte’s ‘Island in the Sun’ with a promise to share more of my memorable stories in the near future.

What is it like to take a saturday afternoon, drive onto a boat (no that’s not a typo) and spend the most wonderful weekend at a beach-side Plantation Inn? Ooo, oo… wait, what about what it feels like to take an afternoon drive to a beautiful secluded beach, take a dip in the warmest water, relax on a sunbed with a mango coldada and swordfish sandwich served at your side… all on a MONDAY! Bet you can’t top that! Well, take a dive into the shots below and maybe you will have a taste (minus the drink and the sandwich because I murdered it without even THINKING of taking a picture lol).

….

I pray the day will never come
When I can’t awake to the sound of drum
Never let me miss carnival
With calypso songs philosophical

{Chorus}
Oh, island in the sun
Willed to me by my father’s hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest, waters, your shining sand

Never heard of Harry Belafonte’s ‘Island in the Sun’? Click here to see a live performance of this iconic song! Want to find out more about Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, click here. Want to know where there’s a secluded beach where they serve you swordfish sandwiches and mango coladas at a whim? Click here and here.

One Love!