Bruk Out

BRUK OUT
2 0 2 0

c h i e f o f c o n t e n t
R e g e n a g o b e r d h a n
F E A T U R E s E D I T O R S
J a n i c e C a m a c h o
A s h l e y A n t h o n y
c o v e r p h o t o b y
s o p h i a w i l l i a m s
f e a t u r i n g
e v e t o v a h
m e d i a E D I T O R
s a m e e h a k h a n

features
Pieces from contributors across the
Caribbean diaspora touching on identity,
belonging, and our cultural perseverance.
6 All That Glitters
14 Royalty
16 Akwaru
18 No Historia? Somos Historia
20 All of the Above
22 Art of Writing
24 Identity.
56 The Necessary Representation
10
How have we continued to
persevere as Caribbean creatives
in an environment that doesn't
encourage it?
THE
Music & Artists
44 Keep it Moving
50 Grier Munro
52 Michael "The Pannist"
53 Daniel Plays Pan
54 Vikki S.
59 Sol and Soul Creation
64 Rahana Daria
68 Makeup as Art - Jeselle and Saudia Dee
85 Imaan Trinidad
60
Explore the mind of artist
Yermine Richardson
What makes their work pop?

The Caribbean is a real and fictional
paradise. It is a land that holds deep
trauma, perpetrated by colonialism. Yet,
we have worked tirelessly to build worlds
in these havens that serve who we are as a
people.
This building has a far way to go. There are
real pains we must address before we can
move forward. We must pay homage to
the Indigenous peoples that suffer from
erasure and displacement. We must end
anti-blackness instilled within our small
borders - made massive by the pulls of the
white man. We must look to ourselves for
improvement and recognize the power
has been in our hands all along.
I developed Bruk Out Media in the hopes
of holding a mirror up to my people. This
can reveal the bad and the ugly, but it can
also project the bountifulness and sheer
resilience of who we are.
This year, we have launched a few projects
that will be ongoing and representative of
this mission. The first is "Serving Face"
which is an annual competition where
Caribbean creatives battle for the title of
Bruk Out Creative of the Year. Next is
"Own Your Truth" which provides
members of the community with a safe
space to release anything they feels has a
hold on them and to #raisetherug on
important issues we have a hard time
discussing openly. The third of these
projects is live music performances from
emerging artists with a Caribbean
background. There will be many new
projects like this in the new year that I
hope you will all enjoy.
Together we will show the world the
beauty of the Caribbean is not limited to
the constraints of the visuals they have
become accustomed to. We are excited to
bring this first edition of the Bruk Out
Catalog to you that includes raw talent
from all across our borders.
It is time for us to take our place in
mainstream media. For far too long we
have remained an afterthought in
representation, often forsaken for
lookalikes with bad accents.
Here at Bruk Out, it is our goal to
approach production with 20/20 vision. I
look to you all to walk in this same clarity
in regards to your talents, your ambitions,
your dreams, your roots, and most of all in
yourself.
SHARIFA KHAN
Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director
Instagram: @shayshotz // @brukout.media
E-mail: sharifa@brukout.media
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE

We use art to express a yearning of
something unknown yet persistent. Our
ancestors comes from a creativity that
was regarded as survival. And survive
they did, singing the news masked
as songs in sugar cane fields,
hiding grains in their hair so
they could eat in comfort, and
stitching together the seams of
our existence today.
It can be scary for our parents
to see us leaning on art for our
livelihood when they only
know it as the thing that
saved them.
But isn't that the beauty?
Histories far and in
between collide to
meet at this
moment of
creation as
expression.
As something we
can use to say
"we were here."
It's saving us too.

to share tales of small town childhoods
and vastly different experiences of living.
Because we pass around pictures of
relatives and ancestors, picking apart
our shared physical characteristics and
personality traits like puzzle pieces to
take home and pass down to our kids
and grandkids. Because we want to
share some feeling — a missing piece; a
sporadically-activated unnamed fuzzy
one — that pulls at their hearts and
points them to an unfamiliar home.
The art of writing for us, then, is the act
of freeing the practice from the western
colonial structures in which it has
historically been placed. Freeing
involves taking it back to our roots:
ensuring that our stories live on and our
truths stay true by writing our own
canons. We must channel storytelling —
through pen and paper; through
keyboard and Word document; through
social media channels and platforms —
in an effort to connect with each other,
revel in our beautiful existence, and
continue forging on. We will birth more
stories and more writing will ensue from
those who pause: to see the world in its
full colors; to hear the whispers of our
ancestors in the flutter of
hummingbirds and rustle of palm trees;
to notice the messages coded in the
glints of light in our abuelos’ eyes.
Las historias nos llegan a través de la
brisa del malecón; a través de la forma
en que las manos de nuestras mamás
hacen, rompen, y transformen — sus
medios artísticos el cinturón,
ingredientes de sofrito hecho con amor,
y los peinados que solían darnos; a
través de la forma en que nuestros pies
saben qué paso dar en el baile antes
que el cerebro; a través de la forma en
que somos ricos porque lo decimos,
coño — porque somos felices antes que
nada.
Our stories have always been and will
continue forevermore.
Our stories are an art form; writing, its
partner and confidant. We write
because we have to. We write because
we love to. We write because we are.
Because we continue to be.
O i l P a i n t i n g s B y
M i c h e l l e B u e n o V a s q u e z

C r e a t i v e D i r e c t o r & D e s i g n e r
J a n a A l l y
P h o t o g r a p h e r
P i o t r R u l k a
S t y l i s t
R h y s M a r c u s J a y
M U A
Y a s m i n G r a c e
M o d e l s
R a j v i B h o g a i t a & N a s A k t a r

FIVE
CARIBBEAN
CREATIVES
This year, Bruk Out launched it's first inhouse
original Serving Face.
5 Caribbean creatives battled one
another for the title of Bruk Out Creative
of the Year. Each week they received a
them from our Head Judge, Stephanie
Nadia.
The themes also contained a twist that
allowed each contestant to show their
originality.
Our goal is to create a safe space for our
people to thrive in their creativity
while they fulfill their many purposes in
life. For this first season we were
grateful to have an entire team of
activists working hard to support the
BLM movement while giving back to
their community through artistic
performance.
You can view the season on
brukout.media/servingface
ONE BRUK OUT CREATIVE OF THE YEAR

E V E T O V A H
B R U K O U T C R E A T I V E
O F 2 0 2 0

of being seen.
Worthy of being seen.
Worthy of being seen.
Worthy
Our stories are rich
with color, heart,
power, and are
worthy of being heard.

Za
Photo by Sharifa Khan
Dress designed by Ammara Zaman

P h o t o B y D e v o n T r u n k

P h o t o B y L a r s e n S o t e l o

P h o t o B y D w a y n e E v a n s

S U E L Y N C H O O
Suelyn Choo is an emerging Trinidadian
based artist. She is a self-taught painter
who received her BSc in Biochemistry with
a minor in Woman Studies from the
University of Delaware in 2017. She received
an Additional Scholarship from the
Government of Trinidad & Tobago in 2013 in
Art & Design.
When she returned to Trinidad in 2017, she
was a project assistant and facilitator on a
mural, lead by a Trinidadian NGO
(create.future.good), that addressed
Gender-Based Violence. While working in
the Ministry of Health she co-founded
@acutean9le where she creative directed
and styled photoshoots for local designers
such as Meiling Inc. and
IDLEWOODbespoke.
A S T R A L , 2 0 2 0 ( W I P )

Through Acute An9le she began
exploring her Chinese and Indian
heritage by experimenting by blending
the two together through dress and
makeup.
This exploration of the presentation of
oneself in a private or public space
informs most of the work she produces
now whether through painting,
photography, makeup, fashion or dance.
In February 2020, she showcased figure
drawings in a group exhibition in
collaboration with Alice Yard. Currently,
she is beginning to mount a performance
piece that she hopes to perform in Mid
2021 all the while continuing painting,
creative directing & styling.
C A R I B , A M A N ' S B E E R , 2 0 2 0
E N C L A S P , 2 0 2 0

S O C I A L I N D E X
Bruk Out Media
Sophia Williams (Cover Photographer)
Sharifa Khan
Yaya (left, page 6)
Christopher Jones (right, page 8)
Farudh Emiel
Seema
Tori Ann
Dawn-Marie Alexander
Neshelle Rainford
Simone Williams
Romario Hastings
Julia Luz Betancourt
Dee Browne
Matthew Ramlochan
Ayling Zulema Dominguez
Michelle Bueno Vasquez
Jana Ally
Eve Tovah
Elle Athina
KP
Michael Andres
Cilene
Stephanie Nadia
Elizabeth Jaikaran
Seycon Nadia
Ammara Zaman
Khem
Malik Dupree
Grier Munro
Michael "the pannist"
Danielle
Vikki S.
Amara Ramdhanny
Jodenny Smith
Yermine Richardson
Rahana Daria
Jeselle
Saudia Dee
Morgan Lynzi
Tamarind Bred
Alegria Bilingual Magazine
CWPL
Caribbean Millennials
Forgotten Lands
Imaan Trinidad
Rose Cromwell
Albany Andaluz
Semone Rajkumar
Amelia Badri
Sara-Sati
Brittany Rassbeharry
Suelyn Choo
@brukout.media
@williamssophia15
@shayshotz
@_graffitea
@stewiechrisj
@farudhemiel
@seemashakti
@my_inventori
@dawnstruly
@shellaraiphotos
@simonewilliams_photography
@kapohn.romar
@julesluces
@718_vanitysenvy
@matte.ny
@rhymeswithmean
@michellegoodinspanish
@jana
@evetovah
@elle.athina
@kp4equality
@michaelandres
@cilenexo
@stephanienadia
@lizziejkrn
@seyyouloveme
@ammaraza
@khembalram
@malik.dupree
@grierscape
@michael_thepannist
@danielleplayspan
@vixximusic
@amara_davi
@_solysoul_
@popcaribe
@rahanabanana
@jdollas
@saudia.dee
@morganlynzi // @welldamnlifestyle
@tamarindbred
@alegriamagazine
@cwplglobal // @kerradenel
@caribbeanmillennials
@forgottenlands.art
@imaantrinidad
@rorosiemarie
@albanyandaluz
@semone_r
@amelia_beee
@artofsati_
@sincerelytoulouse
@suelynchoo