Nelson George

Kingston: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 5 comments BLACKATLAS.COM – KINGSTON, JAMAICA Kingston, Jamaica has a tough reputation that dates back to the bloody political turmoil of the ‘70s and the crack wars of the ‘80s. Even dancehall, the hot music that has replaced traditional reggae as the island’s chief musical export, has a deservedly edgy vibe. Before I headed down to Jamaica’s capitol I had all kinds of [...]
Montego Bay: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 6 comments BLACKATLAS.COM – MONTEGO BAY It is near Midnight as I sit on the roof of a floating restaurant called the Houseboat Grill. The air is warm and soft, and moonlight bounces off the lagoon’s placid surface. The menu is filled with tasty Jamaican approaches to seafood. Standing on the deck below you can look into the lagoon and see frisky fish [...]
Toronto: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 2 comments BLACKATLAS.COM - TORONTO Where is the biggest Caribbean street fair in North America? Brooklyn? Maybe District of Columbia or Miami? Nope. It’s up across the Canadian border in the cosmopolitan city on Lake Ontario called Toronto. While you first thought when you hear the name Toronto is probably hockey, Canuck accents and cold weather, the reality of this city is much [...]
London: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| Post a comment BLACKATLAS.COM – LONDON I’ve been going to London since the mid-80s and have always enjoyed its vitality, culture and people. Its food – not so much. But within the last decade the food in this great metropolis has gotten better prepared and more diverse, making a trip to Londontown more rewarding than ever. This city, once the home base for [...]
Bay Area / San Francisco: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 1 comment BLACKATLAS.COM – BAY AREA When you talk about African-American history in Northern California, you have to talk about Willie Brown. He was the first black person to serve as speaker of the California legislature. In that role, Brown was one of the most powerful people in the nation's biggest state for 15 years. After leaving that post he served as the [...]
Miami: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| Post a comment BLACKATLAS.COM - MIAMI As I write these words I am stretched out on a beach chair overlooking the Miami Bay. The sun hovers over me but, in the distance I can see dark clouds slowly rolling my way. Despite being a busy, well traveled metropolitan area, the skies over Miami are quite clear and you can spend lazy vacations afternoons watching [...]
Philadelphia: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| Post a comment BLACKATLAS.COM – PHILADELPHIA Few cities in the United States have as rich, and still vital, African-American musical tradition as Philadelphia. Powerful, inspiring music emerged from the city of brotherly love (and sisterly affection) for decades, from the days of Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes to Jill Scott’s soulful expressions. A key figure in this legacy is Kenny Gamble, one of half of the [...]
Memphis: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 1 comment BLACKATLAS.COM - MEMPHIS On the night of April 4, 1968 I walked into the kitchen of my family’s Brooklyn apartment and joined my mother as she sat in front of a black & white TV with tears in her eyes. Together we watched the a news broadcast about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lorraine Motel [...]
Los Angeles: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| Post a comment BLACKATLAS.COM - LOS ANGELES For me there is Hollywood and there is Los Angeles, two closely linked but distinctly different places. When I fly to LA to do business a spend a lot of my time in Hollywood, not the geographic area, but an entertainment business state of mind, which encompasses a lot of buildings, restaurants, clubs and sound stages. So the [...]
Barcelona: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 8 comments BLACKATLAS.COM - BARCELONA Barcelona – City of Contrast By Nelson George I’d seen Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona.’ I’d seen Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Limits of Control.’ I talked to several friends who’d either lived in or visited Barcelona. So I was prepared to be disappointed because the city had been hyped in movies, media and via word of mouth. Could it really be that beautiful [...]
Milan: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| Post a comment BLACKATLAS.COM – MILAN DANCING IN MILAN By Nelson George All of Southern Europe goes on vacation in August, a very practical thing to do since air conditioning isn’t nearly as universal as in the States. Milan, one of the world’s fashion capitals, is particularly hard hit, as designers, craftspeople and models all head for the beach or the mountains. So my time in [...]
Rome: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 2 comments BLACKATLAS.COM - ROME The Eternal City has a split personality, one that can work to your advantage when traveling there if you are adventurous and willing to stay up late. On a summer day Rome is a city of lines, if you want to tour the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Pantheon or any of the many magnificent architectural marvels of [...]
Madrid: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 2 comments BLACKATLAS.COM – MADRID Before landing in Madrid my head was filled with visions of bullfights, flamenco and the writer Ernest Hemingway and, to a great degree, the city did not disappoint. Plaza del Toros, Madrid’s massive bullfighting ring, is a beautiful structure that host battles between man and bull Sundays from March to October. Passionate flamenco performances can be seen nightly [...]
Chicago: BlackAtlas.com Blog By Nelson \| november 2, 2009 \| 7 comments BLACK ATLAS.COM – CHICAGO My first trip to Chicago was in February back in 1985 and it totally fulfilled every stereotype if the city. It was icy cold with wintery blasts that cut through my coat like a hot knife through butter. Parts of Lake Michigan were frozen solid and I swear I saw a wild dog scamper across [...]