The Boston Globe: "Last year on a winter getaway, I too fell in love with Laborie. Unlike the resorts in St. Lucia’s north, the village on the south coast has an old West Indies soul. Although the predominately fishing and farming community sees few tourists, the traditions Gladding celebrates in his mural can now be seen on a community-led heritage tour called “The Laborie Experience” created with the help of another Peace Corps volunteer, Diane Gunvalson.
On my visit, I saw children at the pan school rehearse, watched men weaving strips of bamboo into fish pots, met Mr. Bram who harvests sea moss, and Mr. Ives, a self-taught musician who’s a local cultural icon. (In the mural, Ives and his friends are playing the violin, electric base, shak-shak, banjo, tanbou, and maracas.)
On my visit, I saw children at the pan school rehearse, watched men weaving strips of bamboo into fish pots, met Mr. Bram who harvests sea moss, and Mr. Ives, a self-taught musician who’s a local cultural icon. (In the mural, Ives and his friends are playing the violin, electric base, shak-shak, banjo, tanbou, and maracas.)