The Producer's Perspective: History and Heritage in Caribbean Podcasting with Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown

From the cobblestone streets of Montego Bay to the airwaves of your favorite podcasting platform, Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown, founder of Breadfruit Media and producer of Strictly Facts, joins us as we reflect on the evolution of Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History & Culture and discuss her passion for Caribbean American narratives. 

Wading through the complex currents of Caribbean heritage, this episode serves as an audio compass guiding us through the shared experiences that unite the diaspora. Through the medium of podcasting, we unearth the common cultural threads—from migration patterns to the very words we speak—that bind us together, ensuring that our stories continue to thrive and reach new shores. We harmonize over the show's vision, the historical narratives infused with cultural revelations in segments like Strictly Facts Sounds, and share some of our favorite moments and episodes, revealing the profound impact of memorializing events like the Kendal Railway Tragedy for future generations. So tune in, as we celebrate Strictly Facts on the eve of Caribbean American Heritage Month and our love for Caribbean storytelling through podcasting. 

Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown is the founder of Carry On Friends, a digital platform. She is also the host, Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience, a show with authentically energetic Caribbean vibes, and thoughtful dialogue around culture, heritage, career, and everyday life that make up the Caribbean American experience. Through Breadfruit Media, Reid-Brown produces content, specifically podcasts with a priority and emphasis on stories by Caribbean Americans on a variety of topics reflecting the diversity of experiences of the Caribbean’s global diaspora. 

When she is not producing or recording episodes, she is fostering a community with the Caribbean Podcast Directory which is a growing list of podcasts created by people of Caribbe

Caribbean Legal Solutions is the easiest way to find an attorney in the Caribbean. Contact them today at 1-877-418-2723 or via WhatsApp (718) 887-6141 or caribbeanlegalsolutions.com 

Disclaimer: This podcast ad contains general information about Caribbean Legal Solutions and is not intended as legal advice.  Always consult with a qualified attorney for legal advice specific to your situation.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

Welcome to Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean history and culture hosted by me, alexandria Miller. Strictly Facts teaches the history, politics and activism of the Caribbean and connects these themes to contemporary music and popular culture. Hello, hello, strictly Facts family. Welcome back to another episode of Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean history and culture. I am so glad to be joining you for what I believe is really an outstanding discussion today, one that offers a little bit of a different perspective than where we usually go with some of these episodes.

Speaker 1: 0:52

Whether you've been listening to Strictly Facts since its inception or your recent addition to the family, as much as I love sharing episodes on Caribbean history and culture with you all, I don't as often share the background and what goes into the actual production of the show, and so I'm really just honored and thankful to be joined by my big bad producer, the one, the only Carrie Ann Reid Brown. Today, she is a Caribbean podcast extraordinaire. Amongst many things, she wears many hats, a few of them being founder and host, and even co-host, of shows like Carry On Friends, the Caribbean American podcast, as well as Reels and Rhythms. She is also the founder of the premier Caribbean podcast production company, breadfruit Media, and so much more. You know I'm just running down the list a little bit, but there is so much more to say.

Speaker 1: 1:47

So, auntie, carrie, what a joy and pleasure it is to have you on this side of the mic, especially having been on your shows before. So thank you for joining me. For mine, I have you know again, it's really an honor to have you. But, as always, please let everybody know all the things. That is, carrie, ann Reed Brown, where you come from, what brought you into podcasting and all of that good stuff.

Speaker 2: 2:12

Alexandria, thank you for having me on Strictly Facts. I am excited to be on the show Well, well excited. It's a pleasure to produce the show and for everyone who's listening and who's always supported the show, whether from day one or you just come in you know this is important work that Strictly Facts is doing, you know this is important work that Strictly Facts is doing, being led by the very, very talented, smart, soon to be doctor.

Speaker 1: 2:50

Yes, manifested master.

Speaker 2: 2:50

So but anyways, yes. So a little bit about me. So thank you for sharing that about all that I've done in podcasts. But how I've come to this work? I guess I love chat, you know, and so podcasting I started that technically in 2014, preparing and I launched in January 2015. But specifically, I only work on projects that I really love. You know that. And so how did I have an interest in history? And I knew this was the question you'd ask? Naturally, because I produced a show and it was such an easy answer for me. So I love history because I grew up in history. Every day.

Speaker 2: 3:29

I was born and raised in Montego Bay, jamaica, and Montego Bay, jamaica. Every day. When I was growing up until I left Jamaica in 93, I was walking in history. Sam Sharp Square, where everyone who'd be from Montego Bay had to pass through that place at least once a day, is history itself. It is where Jamaica's national hero, samuel Sharp, was hanged. You still have a replica of the cage, which is where the slaves were held. You have the bronze statue that mimics Sam Sharp in the square.

Speaker 2: 4:05

Also, for all my life, I would walk past the courthouse, which was burnt out. It was destroyed by fire and it wasn't restored until in the 2000s. So for all my life this gutted out building was in the middle of the square. But also I went to Birchell Baptist Church, also known as Birchell Memorial Church, and Sam Sharp was the deacon at that church. And when we were younger, you know, one of the deacons would tell me that Sam Sharp bones was under the pulpit and I thought he was trying to get us not to run up and down in church. But later I did some history and there was some truth to that. Maybe not under the pulpit, but his bones were buried at some point on the grounds there. And when I mean that I grew up in that church. I've seen that church through its transformation. Not much can be done because it's since been designated like a heritage site. But I just grew up in history.

Speaker 2: 5:06

The funny thing about growing up in Jamaica around that level of history no one really teaches you history, it's just a way of life. And it wasn't until I went to high school my first history teacher, ms Beckford. She was a terror, she was somebody who you feared. But I love her because she had listen no ramp in our history class. And, fun fact, ms Beckford was actually my mom's history teacher when my mom was in high school, so that's to show you whole long she teaching and so the way that she made history come alive and I just loved the detail. I just really, really enjoyed history. And, to be honest, alexandra, for a very long time I felt like a fraud.

Speaker 2: 5:49

Because not ask about? Not one of them did. If it's not Jamaica independence, they're not asking me nothing. I don't know, I'm not going to remember, but the details give me the story about what happened. I can tell you, yeah, man, this one, that and that happened, and so I've kind of released the burden of having to remember all these dates. I know enough to say, okay, this happened in a some 19 something, 18 something, 17 something, and I'm good with that. Um, the the story is is just as important as the date.

Speaker 1: 6:23

So that's how I came to this work and why I love history and all these good stuff thank you, and I think you know, first and foremost, dates are just a part of the story, right?

Speaker 1: 6:34

There's so much more to it than that, as you definitely well know in your own work and as producer of strictly facts.

Speaker 1: 6:41

So we were just going to talk the things, talk the things about strictly facts and, um, what you have loved about it so far, and so I really again appreciate your support throughout this journey, because you have been there even really before. Strictly Facts was Strictly Facts before the Abba name, before when I was just like hello, my name is, and you know building out what this idea of the podcast would be, and, of course, you know it were more than three years in, so watching it also evolve and mature into what we now know as strictly facts, right, and so, all that being said, um, in your view, when I came to you with this idea and was like you know, some of this little caribbean history podcast idea thing, I don't know what to go, I don't know what it will look like. I've never done a podcast. Me, listen to podcasts and me just want enough of myself and make podcasts too. Uh, what, what for you made you say, yeah, man, this is a good idea and something that you definitely rally behind listen.

Speaker 2: 7:58

When you came to me, I was like, yes, I was jumping out of my chair because from where I sat then and where I sit now, I felt like podcast presents a really unique, interesting and um, unique, interesting and power-shifting opportunity for the narratives of Caribbean people, people who are underrepresented, and I thought that Caribbean podcasters should occupy every category that Apple has. There's no reason that it should. But what I was seeing at the time is everybody want pop culture, hot topics type thing, and I was just like the minute you release an episode on hot topics and pop culture, it's stale, it's no longer relevant, right? Whereas I believe that we should be creating, 80% of our content should be evergreen. That means that we're creating a new historical archive with our recorded content. And so when you said it, I was like yes, yes, yes, yes, because my love of history didn't stop in high school in Jamaica when I came here.

Speaker 2: 9:07

I still continue to study history, political science. I've always been aligned in that subject, so it really isn't just like oh yeah, alexandra says she wants to do it Like. I love history, I live it. You know, I recall different things, and people are like how you remember that? I'm like oh, you know, remember that, that type of thing. And so when you said it, I was like yes, because at the time there was no other content created by a Caribbean person about Caribbean history, and it is still my mission to create content that reflects the diversity of what I know Caribbean people can do and can talk about and can enjoy, and we're not really tapping into that yet. So that's why I was excited.

Speaker 1: 9:55

When you you said, hey, I need help, I'm like yes, I remember that first link up we had in person, which was it's so funny to think back to, that was like 2020, I believe 2019. Yeah, you're right for true. Yes, 2020 was covid. Okay, so let me just give everybody the backstory.

Speaker 1: 10:16

Um, I come up with this podcast idea and I'm a person that was listening to podcast before. I, you know, jump up on semewast that podcast, and so naturally, as the researcher or whatever in me, I go look for help or, you know, reach out to smadia and see who can try a thing. Try, you know, not necessarily boss me, but give me a little pro tips or whatever. Right, and I always listened to Kerion friends prior to this moment we're talking about now. And so I cold emailed Kerion and was like hello, you know, my little nice, polite email introduction.

Speaker 1: 10:52

And it just so happens that not too much longer after our initial back and forth, there was a book festival that was happening in New York.

Speaker 1: 11:02

So I was leaving Rhode Island um for the weekend to attend this festival and we both, you know, figured out that we were going to be there and I was like, yes, perfect. So in the midst of this festival, me and Kerri-Ann are still kind of like off on the side at chit-chat and I say, yeah, man, this will go work, this will go nice vibes and all of that. And I mean again, I think it has truly been an amazing ride since then, and one that I again cannot thank you enough for helping me really step into my voice and my power as a podcaster. I'm somebody who naturally is a writer and I put my thoughts to paper very well. That has always been my thing, and you know I've definitely had to adapt not only skillset wise to and you know understanding what podcasting is and how to evolve in this space, but to really, you know, help me hone my voice and be able to really embrace the fact that I am a podcaster as well, amidst all the other things. So again, brief backstory to that.

Speaker 2: 12:06

I want to. I want to say something not only are you a podcaster, you're a historian, and I say this because that's who you are and your medium. While you may not be invited to the History Channel yet, or to these other documentaries where they are featuring someone of Caribbean heritage and they have all these other experts who aren't of Caribbean heritage, it is my vision that you and the guest you have on the show can begin to take up those spaces. And so, in the meantime, Strictly, Facts is our Caribbean history channel, where all the experts are there, and so you know, like you know the saying, go out here on these internet streets you know, while we have baked for seat at your table, we go make our own table, and you already know how we go, as Jamaica.

Speaker 2: 12:55

Oh. So you have nice mahogany wood table. It's table. We're going to make our own table, and you already know how we go, as Jamaica. Oh. So you have nice mahogany wood table. It's okay, we're going to do a little thing and it's still a table. It's still going to work. It may not look pretty as yours.

Speaker 1: 13:05

It might be pimento wood Exactly Instead of the mahogany, but it's going to work the same way.

Speaker 2: 13:18

It's going, you know. So that's always been the vision that I have for you, the guests that you bring on the podcast, and you know the nuance in their recollection, their telling of a part in history that no one else is able to do in a way that resonates with the Caribbean audience or even non-Caribbean audience. Right, People like to hear stories and there's in a way that resonates with the Caribbean audience or even non-Caribbean audience right, People like to hear stories and there's a different way that people tell story when they have a connection to the history or the story that they're telling. So that's another reason why I'm excited about Strictly Facts.

Speaker 1: 13:51

You brought up Caribbean heritage, which I think again is very central to the show, and not just to Strictly Facts but to your show and many of the other shows you produce as well. As somebody for me born in the US, of Caribbean heritage and for you, somebody who migrated a little bit early in life, how have you seen this importance, especially of knowing our history, really just central to the diaspora at large right, whether I mean that from the sense of Caribbean people would migrate, go far in quote, unquote, or you know, as you know as a fellow historian, the way that we move throughout the region, whether, that's, you know, we got Panama go build the canal and now there's a whole sect of us over there and all of those things.

Speaker 2: 14:36

So it's twofold, right? Some of these would say, like why you want to create a museum? But what is our historical archive? Each Caribbean country might have their own books with historical stuff, but when you have Jamaicans, trinities, guyanese, st Vincent, all of these people in a bowl, now living in one place, how is that history captured? How is it recorded? How is it told? You know, there's one thing to tell it, from a nationalist standpoint, based on the Caribbean country. But what happens when we're all mixed in the same place, inhabiting the same space?

Speaker 2: 15:20

And while I was living in Jamaica, I don't know what's going on in Trinidad, other than when Carnival Kamana? You see all of these things on TV, but it's so abstract, right. You don't really know what's going on in any other Caribbean country, because I'm on my rock. It wasn't until I came to the US where I started interacting with other people from different Caribbean countries, and that's when you start to learn that, oh, okay, there are some similarities there, but you don't really get to learn that until you're here. You may get some ideas of it in school, but it's not until you interact with your neighbor, who's most often going to be someone else of Caribbean heritage, that you really see the connections that we all have, whether it's through food we think about slave revolts, right? You know, you think about so many things, about migration, how we move, why we choose to move, like there's a common thread in all of that, but you don't see it until like someone puts it together from all these different standpoints.

Speaker 2: 16:34

I think telling the history is important because the kids here need to understand, yes, the history of their parents' home country, but, like putting it all together, what this bigger picture is and what it means for our culture and the evolution of our culture and our cultural artifacts. Right, because, as you know, that's a big thing. Like what does our culture look like for the next generation, right? So a few months ago there was a video of my son learning to play the steel pan. You know, I don't know how to play a steel pan. Like I honestly don't remember seeing a steel plant until I came to America because I'm in Jamaica.

Speaker 2: 17:15

Just little things like that, I think, reflect how we need to approach our history and the preservation of our history and how we tell our stories from a Caribbean perspective. I personally feel like the UK does a better job of that and, for obvious reasons. It's the seat of empire right and they asked their, their commonwealth folks to come and stay there. So it is a natural part of their history, but in the US it's not, and I feel like there's so much more work to do, even though Caribbean people have been migrating to the US as long as they've been going to to the UK, if not longer. But that history is not, it's not as tangible and very documented the way that it is in the UK.

Speaker 1: 19:33

Yeah, and I think to your point, right, as generations are continuing, even looking forward to, like my future children and grandchildren, I want them to still understand that connection, that background of where my parents came from and my parents' parents came from, and I think mediums like podcasts are really great in helping us shape that right.

Speaker 1: 19:57

They are living as far as the interwebs go and I think you know, a little bit differently from maybe like a museum, for instance, right, they are widely accessible. You don't necessarily have to travel to the museum or whatever. The archive is right there on your phone, on your computer, on your laptop. And so I again, you know, can't speak enough about how much I love podcasting, especially how I see as really integral for us as a people who are all over the world. Truly, one thing I know for sure this is shifting a little bit away from that point is, besides myself, there's very few people who I know have listened to every single Strictly Facts episode, but I know very well that you are one of them. As my producer, you listened once, twice, three times, if we were through some editing and integrity. What have been a few of your favorite episodes or who have been a few of your favorite guests on the show thus far.

Speaker 2: 21:01

All right. So I like all the episodes, but you know there are some that you just remember more. I think the biggest guest that we've had on the show was Chief Curry, and he came on the show at a time where things are going to Jamaica and he was in the spotlight and so I think it was a great opportunity for him to tell his history. And also, I think a lot of people were more like gushing over his appearance.

Speaker 2: 21:31

For me it was the youth of his position, right, like when you think of a chief, well, caribbean countries don't have a lot of chiefs, but if you, if we look to Africa as an adjacent culture, right, those chiefs are usually older men. So for him to be fairly youngish, right, and have this position of power was also good to see and in line with what I think of strictly facts represent, right, a new generation and how they are taking control or, you know, holding a very firm position in history and their role in it. So the audio, you know, cause he was up in the hills or wherever he was, you know we're not going to take no sense to the slander.

Speaker 1: 22:22

you know, Mrs, I just saw it go sometimes.

Speaker 2: 22:25

It's a fact If you are recording in certain places in the caribbean yes, it's true expect that there will be some technical difficulties and we really appreciate the audience for kind of, you know, giving grace for that.

Speaker 2: 22:39

Um, one of the earlier episodes that I liked was the fashion episode. Her name is Lauren Backus, right? I really love that episode because not so much the traditional wear I think there's a lot of history and content on that but as she went into the evolution of that into dancehall style and dancehall fashion, that was the part I was like, yes, and I hope that we get to. You know like, go a little deeper on that. Like the other day I was watching something on tv and somebody said this story has more holes than a Jamaican shirt and I fell out laughing because I know that they're talking the wife beaters, but you and I know that those wife beaters didn't originate in Jamaica, according to Loren. She said that it was in the war and they need to be kept cool. So again, these items or culture, whether it's Jamaica or Trinidad, and we've popularized them that they are no longer associated with where they came from. It's just so interesting. So I loved that episode.

Speaker 2: 23:53

The language episode will always be my favorite because I remember when I first moved to this country, I had an uncle that has been living here since he was nine or 10. And my uncle ain in talk so bad. Quote unquote, I'm using air quotes his accent just racha, like he just come from Jamaica, and I was like why in talk so? And now, being on the opposite side, where I've lived here for so long and my cousins would say, man, you talk worse than when you did live here, I now understand that language is at anchor and we hold on to it so tight, you know, especially when you you don't live in the country anymore. So this whole episode on our language, the history, and, you know, I would love us to do another episode that really makes the connection between, you know, ghana and some of the words that we've used there. Like you know, I was telling Chris the other day you know I don't want to take with Tufenke and he was like what? Why, come on on, I haven't heard that word in a long time. Right, and so to fanky, and you know like comes from, or habits of doubling up words fanky, fanky. So fanky, fanky. When we said us in jamaica, something is weak, it's, it's not, it's flimsy, and so if somebody is too fenke, the idea is that you're too weak, you're too flimsy or something like that. So it's just these different things and just the idea of thinking like, wow, I'm using language that really comes from what's now present day Ghana. Or a word that we love to use pikni. You know in Africa, pikinini, all of these you know? Sierra Leone and Nigeria use a very similar variation of that term, and we all know what that means it's references to kids, right? So I really love language because if I'm walking down the street with another Black woman, what separates me from her is my ability to speak like this and then going. I'm a Jamaican, right, that is a core part of my identity. So I love that episode.

Speaker 2: 26:17

I love the Reset Museum episode because it was such a great episode. He was such an amazing guest. Like, you can't tell the storytellers, you know, they just they just talk. You just let them talk, right, those, those are really great episodes when they're just like on a roll Museums in the Caribbean, and I don't know why I never thought of it Because, like I said earlier, growing up I lived in history, so there was no need to go to a museum.

Speaker 2: 26:50

You know, just taking a taxi to go home or on my way from school. History is right there. So this idea of there's a museum, this is great. We should go, you know. So that was an episode I liked. I did love the Gally Wasp episode, and you know this, right, she said a lot of things that just pulling a thread for other things that I want to explore. But I thought that was a very interesting episode Because, if you pay attention, audience, she mentioned the whole reason why mongoose were introduced in Jamaica, right, because they're not necessarily native to Jamaica, right, and so, like little things that we now take for granted, they weren't always part of our culture. The Canada episode was very interesting because, again, the UK has a really solid grasp on its history and it's so tangible, whereas the US and Canada not so much. So it was kind of good to hear this Canadian aspect of history. And then I guess the turtle soup was good, I liked trade and the trade law.

Speaker 2: 28:03

The spice mass was good and the Kendall Railway one was a good one definitely because, again, growing up, there's always, you know, like and you hear this in dancehall song, right, she a blow like 51 stop, right, like the storm of 1951. You know you hear songs that talk about the kindle, like in mentioning like the railways, and so to hear that retelling from someone who's related to someone who was part of that tragic accident was not only informative but her description, you know, she lived it because she's been doing this work, so it was just such a heartbreaking but it was so captivating in the way she told it. So I think I list a bunch of them, but those are the ones I liked. I like the trade and the trade law because you know there's so many complexities in our region and I think that kind of helped put certain things into perspective why, you know, certain things now go on and certain things can go on. So, yeah, those are some of my favorite episodes.

Speaker 1: 29:20

We definitely have very similar favorites. I now know that. I know well. I think I had an idea of some of them because obviously you know we always go back and forth. I mean I say yo just record and this one the shot to do. But yeah, I think I think especially to your point right, the Kendall Railway episode with Miss East was, I mean, again such a touching way, I think, to bring it back, especially, I think, coming from a different generation. For me, right, not as present in my upbringing, being how many ever decades removed from it, but one that I think still to an extent, lives on right, like if you drive around Jamaica, you see the train tracks still and the train now run. So, and there's obviously a reason for that. And so to ensure that we're not only keeping these stories alive but also the awareness, maybe even sparking change for future generations as well, and again with the Kendall Railway.

Speaker 2: 30:25

The reason why I remember it is because they were coming from Montego Bay.

Speaker 1: 30:29

Like the railway.

Speaker 2: 30:30

Those are places that you go and so the stories are still there, you know. So, depending on where you're in Jamaica, you are living and walking through history and time capsule. Like the guest in the Galiwas episode said, that we don't do a good job of urban tourism or understanding the historical aspects of our living. You know, when she said it was a great opportunity for Jamaica and the National Heritage Trust whoever it is in charge of it to consider how we maintain our buildings and how we leverage that as part of, you know, tourism.

Speaker 1: 31:13

Bridging a little bit off that point. You mentioned Abiniman's song a second ago, and so I'd be remiss if I had you on the show and not mentioned the Strictly Facts Sounds segment that we aim to do in almost all of our episodes. We try at least. Um, I remember coming up with the idea for this segment and you and I being very excited to what you said earlier. Right, there are so many songs where you can pick up and say when jose, where, ago, did he reference whatever historical event or person? And if you know, it's one of those things like, if you know, you know type of deal, right, and if you don't know, you kind of miss the intricacy of the reference.

Speaker 1: 31:59

And, um, I mean, I think those things show up a lot in not just our culture, in all cultures. I even recently was going back and forth listening to all of the Kendrick and Drake beefs and things of that nature and being very well educated by my partner helping me understand some of those references too. So there are several ways that I think that the storytelling that we have in music shows up. But you know, of course, for the sake of Strictly Facts, our focus is on the Caribbean and diaspora, and so, of course, to you I guess this is a bit of a two part, so I'm changing the question a little bit. What do you hope listeners walk away from with, like a greater awareness of from the segment, from the Strictly Facts Sound segment itself? And what are some of your favorite? You know, as always, references of Caribbean history in our popular culture.

Speaker 2: 33:01

I love the Strictly Facts Sounds. I absolutely love it, and when you thought of it as a segment and I was like, yes, we should do it, the song that came to me is a very old song, like it's on YouTube Baga Brown, daddy Marcus, and I loved it because I felt like it was a cheat sheet for me as a kid, you know, like it's telling you one God, one aim, one destiny. Like you heard all of these different things. Music, I think, is a great way for recall, right? If you can't remember anything, you sing it in a song and you remember them and you appreciate it a little differently. And so the Strictly Facts Sounds is another way to interact and appreciate history through our creative work. So, whether it's just it's music, whether it's a movie, whether it's a book, a poem, you mentioned, miss Lou, colonization in reverse. I had my mom's old poetry book from high school. We went to the same high school. They learned colonization in reverse because they had to write it out before. Miss Lou had a compilation book with all her poems. It wasn't available like that. The teacher would probably write it on the board and the kids would have to copy it. And so you know, my mom and I sharing that history of having to know the same poem. You know and this is another backstory I'm going to tell them I love chat.

Speaker 2: 34:26

So in the early days of the internet, when bobmarleycom or marleycom I don't know what they called it maybe in 2000 or so, you know, everyone was still kind of figuring out this internet thing and at the time the Marley site gave a lot of historical context behind his songs. You would go on the site, there would be the lyrics for the songs and the history, and sometimes I even second guess. I'm like, did I not recall that? Right? Like one of the songs that Lee Scratch Perry wrote about, mr Brown, it was a story about some town in Jamaica and a ghost was haunting the town, and so Bob Marley sings this song. You know, this idea of real life events are being captured in the song, right? Or even the museum episode when he mentioned that Bob Marley took words from what was it again? Um, it was Haile Selassie's speech, right, and those words are the lyrics to. Was it Zimbabwe, our war? I can't remember.

Speaker 1: 35:45

I don't remember either, but one of them, yes.

Speaker 2: 35:48

There's just so much you know, like in songs. When when Chronix called out Walter Rodney in a song, I was just like, ok, there's just so many references. And it also shows that the artists, they know some aspects of their history but they throw it into these songs that if you don't catch it it's like their little Easter eggs. If you don't know it and catch it, you won't even realize that this is what they're doing.

Speaker 1: 36:17

And I think, especially as somebody who enjoys catching those Easter eggs right for my little, maybe historical brain, it's something that I want to. Yes, for sure, I want to ensure that you know we're all aware of the like, and it's again a way for our history to continue getting passed down in the same way that our own familial stories get passed down right, and so that's for me why I definitely wanted to create it. I think it's in my mind when I came up with the idea, it was really based off the fact that, like I have those conversations with my friends where I'm like yo you catch, say such monday, say what, whatever, what? So have you in this song? Um, and us being able to compare and contrast notes right, and wanting those stories to live on but even in a another way, right.

Speaker 2: 37:09

so if you go back to like the dancehall songs and in my big up brooklyn 90s, 50s, 40s, right, that's a historical reference because of what was happening in those neighborhoods around that time you still big them up but they, you know it may not be the same level of activity that was going on, but you still shout them out because you, you know what those neighborhoods represented and you know Jamaicans are Caribbean people. Like, one of my songs that I liked was I still like it it's Queen Africa, for obvious reasons. Welcome to Montego Bay, right. And it's like Mombe need a public park. We now have a public park, but when she was singing it it didn't right.

Speaker 2: 37:52

To a particular sense. So it's like little things in the songs, big or small. They're just like archival and historical things.

Speaker 1: 38:03

Well before even going there, Mwembe give an obviously shameless plug. There is the Strictly Facts Sounds playlist available on Spotify and Apple Music. It is in the link tree, it's on the website. So if you want to go check out our past Strictly Facts Sounds, especially the music solely all of those are linked in a very cute playlist that I put together. That's linked, of course, in the link tree, and then all of them so books and novels and all of that included are also on the Strictly Facts syllabus. Feel free to search that way for all of our references.

Speaker 1: 38:39

I definitely want to close with one final question. We are always amongst each other right in our little text thread and we're voice note people, which is very funny. Right, there are not many voice note people that I have, but we are both always really excited about new ideas for Strictly Facts, for Caribbean podcasting, on the whole, a lot of very interesting publications and things coming out in the near future, but I'm not gonna tell you too much just yet. That's all I'm going to say about that. Um, but what are some of your hopes for? You know the growth and evolution for strictly facts as I continue, as we continue really together to keep creating new episodes.

Speaker 2: 39:30

I mean all right. The first question is and I'm going to spiral into Virgo mode right?

Speaker 1: 39:38

That is something that we especially have amongst one another people, because our birthdays are like a week apart. Yes, so there we go, sorry.

Speaker 2: 39:45

Carrie. So this is a Virgo spiral. Do I say it and then be held accountable if it don't happen?

Speaker 1: 39:52

or do I say it yeah, yeah, don't stress me out exactly right.

Speaker 2: 39:58

So it's like I have a lot of ideas, um, but I think strictly facts has a long and I'm not just saying that is because I'm seeing so far down the road where it can go. Do not stress All right, strictly Facts, even the name alone. I'm going to tell you it's just like chef's kiss Right, kiss right. But there is a lot of spin-off things that we could see. Our brand extensions is the better thing, but I don't ever want to do it. Audience. I mean, the list is so long and you can't see her face. But Alexandra is freaking out because she knows that I have no chill with the ideas and she's just like how sway, how um, when I stress, it all is just people, I try, check me back 2025, that's all me.

Speaker 1: 40:56

I'm gonna say after may 2025, then we can use me yeah, after graduation, yes, absolutely so.

Speaker 2: 41:03

Um, again, the opportunities are endless and you know, we just will explore which one is the right one for the time, but definitely more episodes, diving deeper into so many things Because, like I say to Alexandra, all the time, we can't run out to ideas, because history is yesterday, was history, so we always have something to tell. So you know, when it comes to history, you can never run out of things to talk about.

Speaker 1: 41:30

Um, so I'm I'm looking forward to everything and this is why you named auntie carrie, you know, because sometimes when me day, I'm I said general, I've this video, you know, but episode, if it come out wednesday, you know me tired, I'm me stress, and it just pulled me back together and say you got it, it's okay, we have this episode, everything will be fine. And so again, I know I've said this probably three times already, uh, within this episode alone, but cannot thank you enough for your support, your, your guidance and mentorship along this journey and I look forward to us continuing to ride this Caribbean American podcast wave together.

Speaker 2: 42:17

And thank you for trusting me and being a partner. You know we talk about this is not host producer, it's a partnership and you know it works with the exchange of ideas and disagreements in some areas about not sure, but you know it's my honor and pleasure to be in partnership with you with strictly facts and you know they're right shotgun always, always.

Speaker 1: 42:43

There are so many things on the horizon, people, so many new additions that I also want to make sure you all are aware of. I know I mentioned the strictly facts syllabus and the playlist a while ago, but you can also send us a little message now, um, and so be sure to. You should see in our show notes it'll say send us a message, um, and you can let us know your thoughts. You can still send a vice note if you'd like I know it's on the website if you'd like. I know some people may not want to do that, but you can always send us your thoughts, whether you want them included in the episode or not. It really means a lot for the work that we're doing. And if you know you want to share your thoughts on an episode and even be featured on an episode, of course make sure to let me know I am. You know you want to share your thoughts on an episode and even be featured on an episode, of course make sure to let me know I am. You know, as you know at strictly facts pod on Facebook and Instagram and at strictly facts PD on X, and so, all that being said, of course, auntie Carrie, thank you so much for joining me for this episode.

Speaker 1: 43:46

I know it was a bit of a change from what we usually do, but one that I think was definitely necessary and timely given the summer, and just a point of reflection for both of us and where we are in this podcast journey and to my listeners. As always, it's a pleasure having you join me, and we'll be back again very soon. I have some very interesting summer episodes lined up, and so they will be a little bit of fun and a little bit just. You know, I won't give away too much. I try not to give away too much, so just stay tuned. Always follow us on social media, of course, and we look forward to you joining us again soon. As always, little more. Thanks for tuning in to Strictly Facts. Visit strictlyfactspodcastcom for more information from each episode. Follow us at Strictly Facts Pod on Instagram and Facebook and at Strictly Facts PD on Twitter.