The birthday girl (left), is delighted to have fellow Miss World alumni Lisa Hanna at her party.
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
DEARS, THERE are those who have come and walked this earth without making nary a ripple in their wake. Others have not only made more than ripples, but their very presence and actions have influenced world culture, politics, fashion and attitude, much to the chagrin of those who would wish them away, as theirs were not the actions of conformists, but were individuals, dancing to the beat of their own drums!
Fascinatingly enough, these individuals whilst eschewed at first, become revered over time as history. My Dears, such will be the sentiments to be found in the biography of celebrated former Miss World Cindy Breakspeare, when it shall have been written, as sweet-things, hers has been a colourful life that has not only impacted on the Jamaican social and cultural landscape, but also on the international stage.
Dears, its been awhile since the shy and beautiful Cindy Breakspeare went to London and took the coveted Miss World crown back to Kingston. Back in the day, it was not politically correct to be beautiful (as frowsy was in), and it was even more infra dig to enter beauty contests.
APPREHENSIVE
And so it was, that fearing a social and political backlash, and coupled with the fact that at the time that the 'nice girl' was dating a relatively unknown Rastaman, (a bad word at the time), it was an apprehensive Cindy Breakspeare who returned to Jamaica, with her crown, and quietly so, via Montego Bay, to avoid confrontation.
My dears, that was then, and how!
Today, Cindy Breakspeare is a celebrated world beauty, greeted warmly by an admiring public whenever she jets in and out of Kingston, as she juggles her careers as cabaret singer and interior designer; the Rastaman she was dating, now deceased, is the internationally acclaimed king of reggae, Robert Nesta Marley, no longer a bad word, but Jamaica's most recognised name and face, the world over.
In a word, my dears, Cindy Breakspeare is ' in'!
Little wonder though, as at 50, she is as beautiful as ever, and regally so. Her style and élan set her apart from mere beauty to a world class status.
And so, last Sunday, to mark the milestone, Cindy Breakspeare-Bent, threw a birthday party at the Stony Hill home of long-time friend, Kenny Benjamin, that was as fine as ever, and in the mode of haute fabulissimo that will long be remembered and then some!
Children, it was the party of parties and flawlessly so!
Oh, my word, what a night! Indeed, what a party! Oh, what a celebration!
My dears, it was a roll call of the fabulous, out to celebrate the special of a birthday of a fabulous persona and they came from far and wide and partied like house no, make that like a mansion on fire!
Honeychiles, aam-a-tellin-yuh, as parties go, they do not get any hotter or better than this! We are talking a faultless social sizzler here. You know, the kind that began at 8:00 p.m. Saturday night, and Sunday morning at 4:00 a.m., guests were still partying with no intentions of letting up!
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
And to crown it all, not only were there beautiful people everywhere, but the fare of a buffet served up by two of St. Andrew's hottest songbird Susanne Couch and Julius Chin-Yee, was pretty nigh unto heavenly. Andrew Henry's Renegade Disco was at the controls, played music that made dancing easy; and Ibo Cooper on keyboard and Cindy's hubby, Captain Rupert Bent on guitar, the Ibo Cooper Aggregation, made for a flaw-free evening/night/morning of unequalled entertainment foot-loose dancing and feasting!
It was interrupted only by a brief ceremony at midnight, to actually signal the date, when singer Ritchie Stephens in flawless style serenaded the birthday girl with a memorable rendition of She's A Lady; followed by the inimitable Susanne Couch who on keyboard,d gave a fabulous rendition of her hit LifeLine and an encore with All Would Envy (a Sting original), that got everybody feeling mushy.
That was followed by toasts from Cindy's sons Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley and Christian Tavares-Finson who both jetted in for the celebrations the young Marley, at the urging of the guests, and with the backing of his musical 'sibling' Shia Coore, on keyboard, her hubby on guitar, guests were treated to a command performance, with his mom, singing backing vocals on his hit song, It Was Written but it was when he dedicated his new song You've Always Been There For Me, So I'Will Always Be There For You, to his mom, that emotions went into overdrive and brought the house down with applause. (The hanky dears).
Those out celebrating, included: Cindy's mom Marguerite Spence and Allan Hughs; brother Mark Breakspeare and his fiancee Kim Vedder, who flew in from Canada; also jetting in were: Warrick Lyn and his wife Patsy Yuen, from Florida for the occasion and a flawless looking Lisa Hanna, in from Atlanta. Security Conglomateur Kenny Benjamin and his Cuban companion Aloima Suarez; Canadian multi-millionaire Ray Chang and his companion Donette ChinLoy, Joe Matalon and companion Bernadette McKinley-Morin, Belgian Ambassador Designate Herman Portocarero, the wife of the Canadian High Commissioner Louise Valle and her mom Edith Jarbeau, Herbert Hall, Suzie Benjamin, Lois Lake-Sherwood, Kingsley Cooper, Hillary Phillips Q.C., Dr. Fred Hanley and wife Diana McCauley, Charles and Brunetta Matthews, Gordon and Janette Robinson, their daughter, model Janelle Robinson and son Justin Robinson, Mickey Haughton-James, Shirley Bub Clarke, Al Niazi, William Tavares-Finson and his elegant wife Sandy, Ian Garbutt, Frank and Ann Ventura, Harold Brady, who partied up a storm; Richard Lake, his former wife Sharon Lake, Peter and Susanne Couch, the elegant Carole MacMillan, Patrick Wong and his companion Peta-Gaye MacMillan, James Samuels, David Lowe and the lovely Sophia MaxBrown, Julius and Donna Chin-Yee, Rajiv Bakshi and companion Dorothea Gordon-Smith, Janet Farrow, Dr. Bernard and Andrea Benjamin.
Also out were: Ken Ramsey, the oh-so lovely Maxine Walters; Freddy Dumetz and companion Sonja Sutherland, Joy Cooper, Evan and Betsy Williams, Carole Jean-Haslam, Saphire Longmore, Marina Gill, Napoleon Ochoa, Kathy-Ann Pyke, Donna Feltis-Coore, daughter Kanna Coore, Ronnie and Susie Burke, R. Christene King, Derrick de Mercado and Debbie Seacom, Enola Williams, Louise Finnegan, Robert Haughton and companion Heather Blanco, Michael Bernard and Johanna Thwaites, Jacquelyne Pearson, Laurie and Hope Stewart, Alfred 'Franno' Francis and his companion Diane Ellis, Sonja Griffiths, Patrick Brady and companion Suzette ChinLoy, Carolyn Wright, Allan Milbourne and Tobi Phillips, Raymond and Yvonne McIntyre, Michelle Haynes with siblings I-Nancy and Virginia Burke, Kevin and Dee Harris, Melissa Gordon, Joshua Thomas and Paulette Harris, David and Donna Vernon as well as siblings Taquice and Luciana Gordon-Smith and Byron Lee Jr., and several others.
