Caribbean art presents a unique image of the history and cultural values of the region. It highlights the heavenly beauty, religious harmony, and prevailing sense of brotherhood among various Caribbean nations. In addition to that, it is almost difficult to imagine local art without the fusion of many colors. Frederick A. Morton, Jr., founder of TEMPO Networks, believes that the numerous colors in the regional creations represent the strong bond each of the island nations in the region enjoys.
“Since childhood, I have felt the Caribbean islands are more alike than different, and even those differences i.e., various dialects, cuisine, etc., are bonding factors between nations,” shares Frederick.
However, there was a huge void in creatively presenting those differences and uniting all islands on one platform. Not only that, but the local art also remained deprived of the representation it deserved. The Caribbean people are filled with enthusiasm about living their life to the fullest and they don’t hesitate to express that relentless energy in their dance, music, and in other forms of art.
If you have been lucky enough to visit this heavenly piece on earth, you’ll fathom the point being made here. There’s truly no match to the appetite of Caribbean people when it comes to entertainment. But at the same time, these people had been meted out unfair treatment by the international media that didn’t bother presenting the real image of the region. Frederick saw this void only widening as he grew up and took it upon himself to fill it.
“There was so much about the Caribbean that was amiss from the mainstream media,” he says. He agrees that the rampant wildlife, along with island-ish beauty, was occasionally covered by a few specific channels. But as an artist, he was more of the view that the social aspects of Caribbean life must be given an equal opportunity.
Going down the road, the absence of social and artistic expressions of the region in media became the underlying reason for the foundation of TEMPO Networks. Frederick Morton, a boy born and raised in the small island of St. Croix, laid the foundation of the network and revolutionized the way this part of the earth has been perceived.
With the advent of TEMPO, the domestic art and talent that had remained undiscovered were brought to the fore and the typical Caribbean lifestyle got the attention it yearned for decades. Moreover, the mouth-watering traditional foods also occupied the temptation of foodies and unexplored sights attracted swarms of local tourists as well as those from the USA.
TEMPO achieved all from a series of entertaining and informative shows. The network not only promoted the region’s concealed artistic and cultural potential but also helped propelled many artists into the limelight. Rihanna is one of them.
Frederick is now moving toward launching a streaming application for the network. We don’t know as of yet how much time it will take, but what we know at present is that with impressive stats so far and far-sighted plans ahead, TEMPO Networks is nothing less than a revolution.
