Bizot Bar's celebrity opening

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

The iconic Chris Blackwell is the man with the golden touch! When the history of post-colonial Jamaica shall have been contextualised, the records should reflect that integral role Blackwell played in the development of the post-independence popular culture. He did so through his intervention and facilitation in bringing to national and international fore, the music now celebrated globally and which is intrinsic to Jamaica's cultural and musical identity.

It was Blackwell who took the sounds of Kingston's urban ghettos and mounted them on the world stage where today they continue to be celebrated as a rallying cry against oppression and serve as a unique unifying force for peoples of the world in their struggles against bigotry, corruption and the continued dehumanisation of classes and races of people!

And so while Bob Marley and the Wailers are celebrated, rightly so, as the forerunners of conscious reggae, it was the foresight and ingenuity of Blackwell, who with his shrewd understanding of the prevailing forces of the time that bequeathed Marley and his music to the world. He did the same with with Millie Small and Grace Jones.

As he has done in the field of music, Blackwell has clearly demonstrated a penchant for the counter-culture, curiously however, whatever he does has become the mainstream. And as it was with his venturing into the field of Jamaican music, so it is proving with Island Outpost.

Preferred hideaways

Now Island Outpost is Blackwell's latest 'golden child', as he has fashioned a number of boutique resorts and spas across Jamaica that are fast becoming the preferred hideaways for the rich and famous.

One such is the simply fabulous chic, GoldenEye Resort, located along the St Mary coastline, in the picturesque town of Oracabessa.

This resort is a nothing short of being a gem and one of the holy grails of the literary world, as the original cottage is the Caribbean hideaway of famed British naval officer-journalist-author Ian Fleming, known internationally for his novels about fictional secret agent James Bond.

The novels have sold over one hundred million copies so no surprises that Fleming was named/ranked number 14th on the Times of London, top 50 greatest British writers since 1945 in 2008. A number of those novels were actually penned at GoldenEye!

Today, the resort boasts some 17 new villas plus Fleming's own original villa, his guest house, and two additional villas, making it a grand total of 21 villas.

The property boasts its own fabulous milky-white sand beach, freshwater river with crystal clear waters emptying into the welcoming Caribbean Sea, and a rather fab footbridge, connecting the old GoldenEye with the new addition.

New addition

Well my dears, it cannot said that Blackwell does not have a sense of history and appeal to the upper-end of the tourism market. And it is this understanding that acts as fuel for his latest tourism exploits through Island Outpost.

And to burnish the fabulous 21-villa resort enclave, Blackwell has now added the very chic and Bizot Beach Bar and Restaurant to augment GoldenEye's appeal and allure and dears, marvellously so!

Named for multi-repeat guest, famed Frenchman Jean-François Bizot, founder of Radio Nova, one of France's critically acclaimed radio stations, breaking new acts and playing world music, the Bizot Bar and Restaurant, is a little piece of beachside heaven!

Dears, talk about having a front-row seat to the good life! Well my darlings, so it is at the opening. To to officially launch the new bar and restaurant, on Saturday, February 12, Blackwell and his staff threw a party that was a study in high-end leisure. Guests were treated to nothing but a taste of the fab life as the party that got under way at midday with Radio Nova streaming live right into the night!

Dears, the party began on a high and ended on that very note as from the get-go, it was nothing but premium libations, as champagne, mimosas, golden eye (a potent cocktail mix with the Blackwell rum as its base); Johnnie Walker Black and Blue were on offer and liberally so as the battery of staff made light of the task of keeping guests refreshed and refilled.

And as for the fare, the best of island offerings included: lobster, shrimp, fish, lamb, pork, and beef, with salads aplenty and pasta, festival, traditional rice and peas in abundance!

Dears, there were a number of live performances in a day of unvarnished fun and entertainment.

And talk about celebrity sightings! doves, it was like that and then some as the internationally acclaimed singer and mega-rich Jimmy Buffett not only jetted in on his private jet for the occasion, but landed at the nearby Ian Fleming International Airport. On his departure, he flew in low over GoldenEye to bid adieu to those still partying at the Bizot Bar!

Also spotted were international actress, singer, model and diva Grace Jones; Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Olivia 'Babsy' Grange; French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry; Mexican Ambassador, Leonora Rueda and companion Nigel Pagon; Senegalese Ambassador Dr Nafissatou Diagne; artist Judy-Ann MacMillan, her son Alexei Russell and his lovely wife Sabrina; the Henzel family of mom Sally, son Jason of Jakes, in Treasure Beach, his sibling the lovely Justine and her daughter the simply fab Dru Brennan; Paul Issa and his fabulous wife Oriente; businessman and Chair of the Airports Authority Mark Hart and his stunning wife Candace; Montego Bay power couple Mark and Paula Kerr-Jarret; Carrole Guntley; George and Debbie Cumming; Barbara Blake-Hanna, her son Makonnen Blake-Hanna.

We spotted Dr Carolyn Cooper; banker Minna Israel and son Chris A. Turner; the lovely Elizabeth Ewart; the affable Glen Caisse; the lovely Barbara Hume; the International Development Bank's Brian McNish and the lovely Lisa Gomes; their colleague Stefan Wright; Clifton 'Specialist' Dillon; acclaimed singer-entertainer Toots Hibbert; singer Bob Andy; legendary actor Carl Bradshaw; Bunny Rugs and Cat Coore, fresh from their triumph, the night before at the Palmyra, Foundation fund-raiser in Montego Bay; Tinga Stewart and family; Italian reggae singer, Alberosie; Oliver Magnus; the lovely Enid Harrow; Donahue Jarrett; the lovely Kerry-Ann Clarke and Carlo Less.

Out were: film-maker Storm Saulter and companion Sarah Silvera; Joey Issa, the charming Odessa Chambers; Kamal Powell of Red Stripe; Jason Garbut; Kaili McDonnough-Scott; the affable Delroy Morgan; Suzie Berry; Candice Newman; Michael Allen and the lovely Daydrie Burke; Egbert Von Frankenberg and his wife the fab Melissa.

Kudos and then some to General Manager Jenny Wood; Cathy Snipper of Island Outpost; and food and beverage manager, Ossie Osnan; and all the other members of staff for making the occasion truly spectacular!