BASHY Magazine – Sharine Taylor continues to “Tek it to dem!”

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“I am obsessed with Dancehall. I remember being in grade six. I used to think I was the biggest dancer. Dancehall has been in my life forever.”

The journey of starting a business can be daunting, and it is one of the reasons why many people don’t bother attempting it. It is much easier working a 9-5 and knowing that you are guaranteed a paycheck.

Although this may be the case, there are over twice as many African woman-led businesses as there were three years ago (Project Diane, 2018). African women are finding their space in the business world, but they are still playing an exhausting game of catch-up in the entrepreneurial space. It is a good thing that our business feature has taken it upon herself to push through the odds presented to her and establish herself as a force in the creative industry.

As a freelance writer for popular publications including: The Takeout, Vice, NYLON Entertainment, Noisey and Complex UK, Sharine Taylor demonstrates the importance of having a vision, and following that vision through. In 2019, Magazine Canada, announced Sharine as the Magazine’s Canada Fellow, and celebrated her contribution to the creative media space here in Canada. Her love for her cultural heritage, and the beautiful island of Jamaica, has provided her with the opportunity to write about what she loves best: Caribbean music, culture and news. Her by-lines have appeared on Buzzfeed, Dazed, Hazlitt, Pitchfork, The Fader, and Shondaland.

She first had the idea to launch her own magazine in February 2017. Her goal was to provide a means for artists to publish their work. If there was a writer, or photographer who didn’t know where to submit their work, they would have a place that was created with them in mind. She officially launched her magazine BASHY, at a Different Booklist Cultural Centre in 2018, and since then has expanded her business ideas to include her documentary film, “Tallawah Abroad: Remembering Little Jamaica” which premiered at the Montreal Black Film Festival in September, 2019, and Dancehall Annotation. Dancehall Annotation is a digital visual repository of photographs, videos and clips that celebrates the very best of Jamaica’s dance halls, dancehall music, and the culture that surrounds it.

I was introduced to Sharine through Marie Driven, a celebrity publicist and recognized player out of New York who is no stranger to Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. Marie had told me that there was a superstar in my city that I had to meet, and upon meeting Sharine, I could see what all the rave was about. Sharine and I scheduled a chat, so that I could learn about how she had turned herself into a business.

“I was born, and raised in Toronto, but my parents are from Jamaica. When I was younger, my moms allowed me to explore any creative thing I wanted to do. This was both good and bad, because with the freedom I had, I bounced around quite a bit. During the summer, I attended creative camps, and I know that I am older, I really appreciate her parenting style. I was able to find myself.

In grade six, I was enrolled in an art program at a school called Earnscliffe Senior Public School in Brampton. Here I had a really rounded experience, and it was around this time that I blossomed as a creator. I attended Mayfield High School, and during my time there, I experienced the world of drama, television, and film.

I finished high school and pursued my education further. I attended the University of Toronto, and it was here that I was introduced to a wealth of scholars. I took a course, Introduction to Media History, and it changed my life. I learned the theoretical knowledge of the arts. It was the springboard to my life as a creative.

For some reason, I could never escape the experience of being a Jamaican. Throughout my educational, and learning experiences, my culture has remained intact. It was what prompted me to create one of my current projects, and one I am very proud of BASHY Magazine.”

BASHY (Urban Dictionary)

1. A Jamaican slang word for something being of value or looking good.
   2. Something’s looks or aesthetics having the tendency to be awesome.
2. Rhasta word for: nice, down, dank, sweet, cool, etc. A descriptive word of praise.

Sharine has found her place in the world of digital and print publication with her magazine BASHY. It is a quarterly publication that focuses on the: art, style, and culture of the one of the most beautiful islands in the world, Jamaica.

Sharine admits that the magazine was borne out of frustration. What she saw was a lack of Jamaican writers and content creators publishing work on their own cultural, cultural experience, and cultural identity. With an aspiration to speak to the millennial Jamaican, BASHY Magazine presents bold stories that are fearless and unapologetic. The magazine operates on a print-on-demand model that allows readers to purchase directly from its manufacturer, as well as offering e-issues for those who prefer to ingest their content online.

“I wanted to challenge what it meant to be Jamaican. I question, what does it mean to be a Jamaican? There are more Jamaicans outside the diaspora then on the island, and it is important to understand our Jamaican identify. BASHY gives people opportunities to change the narrative.” She stopped speaking for a moment, and it gave me a chance to take in what she had proposed. “Although I was not born on the island, does that make me less Jamaican? I have my Jamaican citizenship, so technically, I am Jamaican.”

To add to her already blossoming portfolio of creativity, Sharine has taken it a step further with Dancehall Annotation. This is a digital visual repository of photographs, and video clips that celebrates Jamaica’s dance halls, dancehall music, and the dancehall culture.

“I noticed during my expository research that when you look at the cannon of work done on dancehall; it is mostly white people who are telling the story. I looked at magazines like Vibe, and Essence to see how they chronicled Dancehall. I saw it as an opening to share a different narrative, a more unique one told by the people of Jamaica.

 There is a wealth of talented photographers in Jamaica. I am inspired by the works of Renata Cherlise (blvck vrchives), Lawrence Burney’s (Laurels History), and Awa Lonaté’s culture arts society. Dancehall Annotation will share known and unknown history of the people behind and in front of the lens. It will capture a moment of dancehall in a way that has never been done before.”

This creative powerhouse is just beginning. I am not quite done with her yet, so look out for a future article talking about her feature film documentary. Until then, you can find Sharine on:

Instagram: @bashymagazine

Facebook: @BASHYmagazine

YouTube: @BASHY Magazine

Twitter: @BASHY Magazine

Website: bashymagazine.com