Caribbean News
“Sandals Made Me The Man I Am Today”
Bahamian playmaker shares his journey and growth in entertainment
#TheBahamas, March 21, 2022 – “Peter was great. He is friendly, very professional and very talented. His show was great and exciting. I have never seen anything like that. It was great and he has lots of energy.” That was what one guest wrote about Peter Hanna from the entertainment department, during their recent stay at Sandals Royal Bahamian.
Hanna is one of the most popular names at the Luxury-Included® resort, not only because he is undeniably talented but also because the vivacious entertainment coordinator continues to dominate guest feedback platforms like the Sandals Blaze Loop and the globally referred Trip Advisor. He is undoubtedly the guests’ favourite person.
During the closure of Sandals Royal Bahamian, Hanna worked in other resorts but like the Prodigal Son, he quickly packed up and headed back home to Sandals Royal Bahamian once the resort reopened. “This is like home and my colleagues are like my family. This is the place that trained and groomed me. It is the place that made me into somewhat of a superstar in my field,” he said between chuckles.
Indeed, he is a superstar and has been for years. This has seen him copping the coveted title of Legendary Team Member of The Year in 2018 and 2019. In fact, he believes that the pandemic robbed him of what could have been his third consecutive win. The recipient of that award is the person who gets the most guest mentions and commendations on the resort.
Today Hanna forms part of the fabric of the resort’s entertainment team, tasked with engaging guests and in doing so highlighting the Bahamian culture daily. The resort’s wide range of entertainment offerings present opportunities for both permanent team members as well as other locally contracted performers who daily display their expansive creative talents by way of the steel pan, saxophone, vocals, Junkanoo rush and rake n’ scrape. This occurs daily through a mix that occurs from arrival and extends throughout the guest’s stay and Hanna works alongside fellow team members and local acts to ensure a world-class experience to meet the diverse expectation of all our guests.
Hanna, a native of Nassau, started working in the hospitality industry at age 18 as a part of a dance group performing Michael Jackson numbers. At the time, Hanna was fresh out of high school and had no idea what it was like to work in a structured environment. All he knew was dancing. “We never got shows every night so whenever I wasn’t dancing, I would just be home, waiting for a call about a gig,” he shared.
It was the call for his group to perform at Sandals Royal Bahamian that changed the scope of young Hanna’s life and vision. “A manager from Sandals saw us perform at an event and liked us. They started inviting us to dance in their show weekly and overtime they had us in more shows until they eventually introduced us to other forms of dancing,” recalled Hanna.
This was the moment Hanna knew that his introduction to Sandals would change his life for better.
“It was here at Sandals Royal Bahamian that I was introduced to things other than hip-hop. I migrated into things like Conga and Broadway types of dancing. I was evolving and growing in my gift,” he said.
Hanna’s growth quickly became apparent and everyone knew he would add tremendous value to the team and the entertainment product at large. He was offered the opportunity to work for the resort and he quickly accepted.
“I said yes and from there my whole life changed. I did not know that there were jobs in the world like this where I am paid to play every single day. I was having fun; I was playing games and was hosting various events. I was interacting with people and cultures from all over the world. It was my first full time job. Sandals made me the man I am today,” he stated emphatically.
Today, Hanna is arguably the most diverse and multifaceted entertainment coordinator at Sandals Royal Bahamian. From limbo and juggling to stilt walking and fire dancing, he does it all. “Working here made me realize the endless possibilities that exist in the entertainment arena. I’ve met guests who do these things for a living and have excelled beyond what I was able to imagine so that pushed me to advance my entertainment craft,” he shared.
Aside from his on the job training, the ambitious young man has used YouTube videos to assist with his development and Sandals has provided him with a platform to showcase every new trick that he has managed to master.
“When I learned my juggling, I was allowed to do it on Thursdays at the talent show, when I learned my fire dancing, I got the chance to be part of the Junkanoo show and now I am in the new fire show we have on resort on Monday nights,” he said.
His manager and fellow Nassau native, Leslie Lightbourne shared that he is excited about Hanna’s prospects in Sandals. “He is extremely talented, he is obviously loved and he is passionate about growth. He is on the right path and with his work ethic and drive, I cannot help being excited about all the future has in store for him especially in this company that is so big on developing talent,” he said.
In addition to his growth and development, Hanna lauds Sandals for allowing him to travel expansively. “I’ve traveled to several Caribbean countries at no cost to me. I have gone to Barbados, Saint Lucia and Jamaica and have stayed at our other resorts in fine style,” a smiling Hanna expressed.
He continued, “I am grateful to Sandals for taking a chance on me. I was only a young man with no knowledge of this industry, no experience and today I am an expert in this field, very marketable and in demand.”
Press Release: Sandals Resorts
Caribbean News
CHTA Presents Caribbean Travel Forum 2024: Visioning A New Tourism Landscape for the Region
KINGSTON, May 9 (JIS):
The Government continues to reinvest earnings from the bauxite industry into communities impacted by mining, says Director of Bauxite Lands at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Kemoy Lindsay.
He said that through the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), established in 1996, funding and technical support are being provided for the development of sustainable initiatives in mining areas.
“Infrastructure, healthcare, road repairs, skills training and all facets of social development are taken care of. Since 1996, the JBI, through the BCDP has implemented over 350 projects totalling close to one billion dollars, representing bauxite money being directly rechannelled into the communities. And, over the 28 years, we have impacted more than half a million residents in bauxite communities,” Mr. Lindsay informed.
He was addressing a National Minerals Week Mining/Minerals Sector Conference at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville on May 6.
Agriculture, which is the mainstay in most of the communities, has received the largest portion of the support.
Since the BCDP’s inception, the funding injected into farming has increased by seven to 10 per cent.
In Manchester, the projects undertaken include the construction of two classrooms at Kendal All-Age, expansion of the New Green Basic School, building of a computer lab and art block at Winston Jones High School, electricity expansion in 10 communities, while 1,500 poultry farmers and 5,000 small farmers have received assistance.
“We funded the renovation and reopening of the Broadleaf Health Centre, construction of 60 greenhouses and in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), the JBI will be one of the largest facilitators of greenhouse technology, not just in Jamaica but in the English-speaking Caribbean,” Mr. Lindsay said.
He further cited support for skills training programmes, construction of post offices at Kendal and Harmons and the provision of millions of dollars in scholarships for students.
Mr. Lindsay said there is close collaboration with residents to ensure that projects being undertaken will provide them with tangible long-term social and economic benefits.
He noted that there is also direct and constant trilateral dialogue involving the mining companies, the communities and the relevant government agencies.
“Gone are the days when… community members felt that their concerns were not being heard. We have successfully created bauxite community councils to bridge that gap and provide a forum for the dissemination and discussion of issues,” he said.
“This ensures that business continues in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the community,” he added, noting that there are 14 active councils across the five bauxite mining parishes of Manchester, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, and St. Catherine.
The aim is to ensure that every community impacted by bauxite mining has a forum to have their concerns heard and needs discussed in a structured way.
CONTACT: BARBARA ELLINGTON
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