Islandista cover girls - Naomi and Zoe

Two very different islandistas are covering the latest editions of two very different magazines. 

The amazonian and fiery Jamaican-Brit Naomi Campbell is on the Fall/Winter 09 cover of Flaunt magazine in a vivid, colour-drenched and dramatic shoot by star photog David LaChapelle entitled 'The Rape of Africa'. 

[caption id="attachment_1871" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="photo credit: David LaChapelle/Flaunt Magazine"][/caption]



Some folk are pissy that you can see her nipple ... like we haven't all seen a nipple before. *roll eyes* 

On the flip side, the pixie-like sci-fi heroine Domican Zoe Saldana is featured in a futuristic, stark spread in Complex magazine that features mostly black white and silver as its colour theme. 

Check a few of the pics below. 

[caption id="attachment_1872" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Photo credit: Gavin Bond/Complex Magazine"][/caption]

 

UPDATED: Rihanna to perform in Barbados for Old Year's Night?

Rumours have been buzzing around Barbados for the last 24 hours that local girl Rihanna may be performing in the island for Old Year's Night.

The talk raised eyebrows initially because of the small matter of the US$500, 000 show she is scheduled to do in Abu Dhabi the same night.

However, more details are coming out on the top Ri-ri fan site Rihanna Daily, which reported just a while ago that the big show is set for Harbour Lights and that the "8 hour time difference" is how "it's made possible".

The price tag for the event is reportedly BD$250 (US$125) for a ticket.

We're not quite ready to sign off on this one yet but we'll give you more details as they come to hand...

Word also is that Ri-ri will get to taste her mother's pepperpot after all because she is indeed home for the holidays. Again, more details when we get them...


UPDATE 12/27:  So scrap that... information reaching islandista is that no such event was ever in the works... seems Kedrew was throwing out a sprat... again. But I guess that is the job of official twitterers/tweeters?

Ri-ri did manage to make it to Barbados for the holidays though and has been seen out partying at Models & Bottles and hitting the beach.

Solid gold at 'A Night on Tracks'

[caption id="attachment_1853" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="The triumvirate of track. (All photo credits: trackalerts.com)"][/caption]




It was solid gold night on Sunday night in Kingston when Jamaican track star Asafa Powell hosted his charity event 'A Night on Tracks with Asafa Powell and Friends' at the Indoor Sports Centre.

And those friends? Pure stars.

Alexandra Burke in fabulous new spread

[caption id="attachment_1841" align="alignleft" width="236" caption="Photo credit: Dan Smith/News of the World"][/caption]

One of our favourite British islandistas, singer Alexandra Burke is looking absolutely fabulous in Britain’s News of the World.

The glamourous shoot is surprisingly classy for NOTW, which is your typical brash British celeb tabloid magazine – and we love the look – very Russian princess with dramatic white dresses, diamonds and even wolves!

An extensive interview accompanied the spread, where Alex spoke at length about growing up as the little woman of the house when her mother, Soul II Soul lead singer Melissa Bell was on tour.

All we want for Christmas... is some pepperpot!

Hard-working islandista soul singer Melanie Fiona may be away from home and working on Christmas Day but she's still going to keep her Christmas Caribbean.

[caption id="attachment_1837" align="aligncenter" width="382" caption="A plate of pepperpot would make Christmas right for islandistas Melanie Fiona and Rihanna. (Photo credit: Cynthia Nelson/Tastes Like Home)"][/caption]

 



The Guyanese-Canadian singer, who received her first Grammy nomination earlier this month, told Rap-Up.com about her Christmas plans. Like most West Indians the Toronto-born singer has family all over and is going to spend part of Christmas day with relatives in Miami.

And just like Guyanese-descended Rihanna, who was earlier this month mourning that she may not get pepperpot for Christmas, Melanie Fiona's hoping for some traditional Guyanese Christmas fare too, saying:

"My family is Guyanese, so every Christmas morning we have pepperpot and garlic beef or garlic pork, and my mom makes homemade bread. Anything to do with my heritage is what is my fondest memory… All the crazy stuff that comes with being West Indian, I love it.”

No ... we love it!

It's a boy for Jourdan Dunn!

Our favourite islandista supermodel (well after Naomi) gave birth to her baby boy on Tuesday.

The still unnamed baby weighed in at a healthy just-over-seven pounds, reported Vogue.com.

"Jourdan is really well and super happy," a spokesperson for her agency, Storm, revealed.

Tuesday seems like it was a day for supermodel babies as Brazilian super Gisele Bundchen also gave birth to a baby boy that day as well, with hubby Tom Brady.

Tell us what you want - take the Islandista readership survey!

We already know that islandistas embody and exude the spirit  and tempo of the Caribbean woman... but we'd like to learn more about our readers!

We'd appreciate if you took our survey below so we can get a better idea of who you are, what you like and what we can do to make your islandista reading experience even better!

FYI It's completely anonymous - we only see the results, not the IP addresses, email addresses, nothing else but your answers! So please feel free to answer openly and candidly!

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Naomi Campbell to get modelling reality show?

[caption id="attachment_1825" align="alignleft" width="147" caption="Photo credit: Marcio Madeira/style.com"][/caption]

Why didn't anyone think of this before?!



Vogue UK is reporting that Naomi Campbell is "set to become the UK's answer to Tyra Banks"  as talks are in the works for her to host her own modelling reality show.

According to Vogue:

"The proposed show would see Campbell take on a group of budding young models, offering them advice and criticism and whittling them down to a winner."

We say to this... hell, yeah!

Naomi Campbell + reality show = ratings gold as far as we're concerned. Can you just imagine it?

Think of all the cat fights and bitching you get on Top Model and oh... just about any semi-competitive reality show. Then throw Naomi's legendary temper in the mix. I would love, love to see some of these stroppy, egotistical chicks that are on the reality shows get into it with Naomi - yes please!

Her spokesperson told the Daily Mail:

"Naomi has been approached with an offer, which we are talking about and discussing. An initial approach has been made. We are discussing that offer, but nothing is set in stone yet."

Why not? What are you people waiting for?

Vita Chambers' Young Money vid

Young islandista singer Vita Chambers, the youngest member of the 'Bajan Invasion' of pop (Rihanna, Shontelle, Hal Linton, Livvi Franc, Jaicko) going on right now, is making some major moves of her own lately.

Along with Hal and Shontelle, she was part of the Motown 50th anniversary tribute show at the halftime of the NFL's Detroit Lions v Green Bay Packers game.

Now, her video for Young Money has dropped today. It's very teenaged rock and roll - lots of jumping and moshing and jamming with the band.

Check it out below and tell us what you think.

Rose Cordero channels Grace Jones in Paris Vogue

Many black models (and some wannabe arm candy-turned models) have tried but few have truly managed to carry off the numerous Grace Jones tribute fashion editorials that fashion mags are so fond of.

[caption id="attachment_1812" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Photo credit: Paola Kudacki/Paris Vogue"][/caption]

But Rose Cordero comes pretty close in the latest issue of Paris Vogue.

Jourdan Dunn in i-D spread

She might be getting ready to give birth any day now (her son is due in December) but our girl, islandista supermodel Jourdan Dunn is still staying in the spotlight, thanks to several pre and early-photo shoots she did this year.

The latest one to be unveiled is a spread in the winter issue of i-D magazine, titled Prince Charming.

In it, Jourdan is showcasing the work of Roland Mouret (he of the ubiquitous Galaxy dress) in a black and white feature photographed by Kerry Haillihan and styled by Edward Enninful.

And she looks spectacular. Check some of the pics below.

[caption id="attachment_1803" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Photo credit: Kerry Hallihan/i-D magazine"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1804" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Photo credit: Kerry Hallihan/i-D magazine"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1805" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Photo credit: Kerry Hallihan/i-D magazine"][/caption]

Melanie Fiona speaks on her Grammy nom!

Big t'ings a gwan for islandista -not-actually from an island, the talented Guyanese-descended Melanie Fiona, who received her first ever Grammy nod on Friday when the award nominations were announced.

Just a month after her album The Bridge was released, she has been nominated for Best Female R&B Performance ... and of course, she's thrilled.

"I cried the happiest tears of my life when I heard the news. This is something I have dreamed of my entire life. I am a new artist, and to be recognized by the Grammy committee as a nominee in the company of such talented and established artists is my highest honor. I truly feel like the little engine that could," she said, in a press release issued by her label Universal Motown.

Congrats Melanie! We love to see island folk doing well!

Brit Islandistas run the red carpet

British islandistas were ruling the red carpet at the party Cash Money Records threw recently to celebrate their British signing, Jay Sean, reaching number one in the States, with his hit 'Down'.

Most of our favourite British islandistas were present to support Jay - Alexandra Burke, Jamelia, Keisha Buchanan and Alesha Dixon.

Alexandra Burke dazzled in a royal blue sequinned mini shift dress by French Connection.

Alesha also wore blue - but in velvet, one of the trends of the season. It's difficult to wear velvet without looking old and fusty but she managed it, in a short turquoise-blue velvet dress and sharp white jacket.

Loving it. It's a whole set of disparate looks (velvet dress, sparkly clutch, nude heels) but it all pulls together beautifully.

 Former and original Sugababe Keisha Buchanan also made a rare appearance in what appeared to be a little black dress which was mostly hidden under a white jacket.

Jamelia was also there in a rather blah black jersey dress that looked like something any chick could get in any high street store or strip mall or sidewalk store with her eyes closed. It just ain't saying nutten. The 'LOL' necklace is cute and cheeky though.