From "Crown" to "Cabinet": Lisa Hanna 20 year later

It was 1993. The late Michael Manley had recently  demitted office after a legendary tenure as head of the PNP and a former Prime Minister, "Bret" as in Tropical Storm, had roared through the Caribbean, ravaging Venezuela, the former Czechoslovakia became two separate republics, and Lennox Lewis had KO'd Frank Bruno for boxing's heavyweight title.
 A self-described " fairly confident teenager" arrived in Sun City, South Africa, fresh out of high school and the

'A' level exams. "I had been working in local television from the age of 14 and was a black belt Karate instructor. With the encouragement from my friends and others, I entered the local competition to conquer some of my fears. I saw the competition as an opportunity for a platform to speak on critical youth issues to give them a  national spotlight and make a difference. I never saw myself as physically beautiful; neither did I consider myself fashionable."

Obviously, the was a big discrepancy between Lisa Hanna's self-perception and that of the Miss World judges as Hanna became the third Jamaican [behind Carole Crawford (1963) and Cindy Breakspeare (1976)], to take the crown.

Now, two decades on, Hanna has gone on to other milestones, becoming one of the youngest-ever Parliamentarians and currently serving in PM Portia Simpson_Miller's Cabinet as Youth and Culture Minister.

In that capacity, Hanna recently welcomed reigning Miss Jamaica World, and Continental Queen of Beauty, Gina Hargitay (who repped the nation in Bali, Indonesia earlier this year), on a courtesy call. The statuesque Hargitay, herself a "fairly confident teenager" at 18, returns to Jamaica fresh from a whirlwind trip to Washington DC, where she hosted the Caribbean Heritage Foundation awards, honouring the likes of Freddie McGregor and Trinidad jazzman Etienne Charles.

Amid the usual cordial chat, the former beauty queen, now Minister offered an interesting perspective on the current state of the pageant that catapulted her to global fame. "Its too long" she says, " and its lost the spirit of glamour and a pageantry; its little more than a 'infomercial' for the participating countries".

Hanna said dhe intended to convey her sentiments via letter, to pageant owner Julia Morley.

Fela got the Gleaner treatment

may be a little late, but still recognizing the great vibe that attended the recent Fela Kuti birthday tribute at Red Bones in Kingston about a month ago.

Giving thanks to Mel Cooke of the gleaner for the terrific review of the night, and of course to Gordon Wedderburn, conceptualizer and producer, the Red Bones team (Enola, Evan, the staff), and all who turned out and expressed their appreciation.