Brands: Bolt helps Digicel "Bring the Beat' in Kingston

Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive, yesterday teamed up with Digicel to launch its Bring the Beat campaign in front of an inquisitive bunch of little kids from across the Caribbean at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica yesterday. The launch took the form of a lively fireside chat session with Usain, hosted by nine-year old Naleighna-Kae McLean from Jamaica, followed by a 'Kiddie Press Conference'.

The Launch

Facing his toughest audience yet, the 30-strong kiddie press pack aged between six and ten years peppered Usain with questions they have been burning to ask all their lives. Seven-year old Ajani Brown, also from Jamaica, tried not to seem too keen but it was clear that he was eager to meet Usain and took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself asking; "Mr. Usain, can we be friends on Facebook when my mommy gets me one?" With laughter all around, Bolt responded; "Sure. But first let's take a selfie."

The Campaign

Digicel's Bring the Beat campaign represents the culture of the Caribbean and the irrepressible spirit which unites and ignites its people. Through music and the celebration of extraordinary talents, the campaign will connect the world to the Caribbean and its culture and support all of the athletes who are set to represent their countries in Brazil.

Inspired by the campaign, Trinidad and Tobago's soca monarch, Machel Montano released his latest single, 'Bring the Beat', featuring Jamaican songbird and winner of season 5 of NBC's The Voice, Tessanne Chin, as a tribute to the athletes as they take on the world in Brazil. Machel said; "The song represents and embodies everything the Bring the Beat campaign is about – connecting, inspiring and entertaining."

Six-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Usain Bolt, said; "It's really great to have the support of your country and the entire region when we are out there on the track. So I think this is a great campaign. For me I'm just focused on going out there and doing my best and showing the world how we bring the beat."

Digicel Group Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd, said; "Music and sport have the power to bring people and nations together – and that is exactly what we are about. We will use beats, music, rhythm and talent to connect the world to our athletes no matter what flag they compete under."

Through social media, fans will have the opportunity to win tickets to some of their favourite sporting games this summer, like the NBA, CPL and of course, the biggest track and field event this year in Brazil to watch Shelly-Ann and Usain defend their titles.

-from Jean Lowrie-Chin post

Full Speed: the inspiring life & heartbreaking death of a racing legend

Brazil's sporting heroes were primarily drawn from the world of soccer prior to the high -octane arrival of driver Ayrton Senna on the Formula 1 scene in 1984.

In the years that followed, he became champion, hero and legend, not just to his countrymen, but to motor racing enthusiasts worldwide, until a horrendous crash at the 1994 San Marino Gran Prix did him in. (He is in fact the last driver to die in a Formula 1 car).

BAFTA award-winning Indo-British Director Asif Kapadia takes the seemingly disparate strands of Senna's professional and personal life and deftly intercuts interviews with Senna, archival Alain Prost and other drivers and commentators with the obligatory race clips and scenes from the massive funeral and the national mourning that followed his untimely demise.

Love Is For The Birds: Rio Trailer 2011

As the only legitimate major studio contender to Pixar in the animation business, Blue Sky Studios has been wont to expand beyond its proven Ice Age franchise, for  which a new instlament is, in fact,  due next year. Its taken a few creditable steps in the direction, with the Dr Seuss adaptation, "Horton Hears A Hoo" and "Robots"

But this tropical-flavoured comedy-romance is its surest step yet out of the Ice Age mold. Snatched from his amazonian homeland almost at birth, Blu, a rare blue macaw (Jesse Eisenberg) is transported to the frozen north of Minnesota, there to spend his days in comfort and luxury courtesy of bookshop owner Linda (Leslie Mann). The "chance" visit of a Brazilian ornithologist (famed Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro) sets the story in motion and in Brazil Blu, who by virtue of his cushy upbringing has never had to fly, meets his match in the feisty hardscrabble Jewel (Ann Hathaway).

Along their perilous course to love and freedom they encounter a "henpecked" toucan (George Lopez), a rockin' robin and a slick canary(soundtrack contributor will. i. am and Jamie Foxx respectively), a sloshy bulldog (Tracy Morgan), a gang of poachers and a gleefully cruel cockatoo named Nigel (Jermaine Clement) who does the lead poacher's evil bidding. There's lots of music, including the obligatory nod to Sergio Mendes, "Mas Que Nada" and some terrific shots of the city of the title

Rio's packed agenda belies it's short title: culture shock (especially the conventional closed-in Midwestener in the land of samba), environmental protection, social inequality, the centrality of Carnival to Brazilian life and - of course - love and adventure - are all on the narrative slate. Give director (and native Brazilian) Carlos Saldanha credit for juggling them so expertly within the framework of the overall plot.

Of course, the voice acting and  animation are first-rate and - especially in the beach and Carnival scenes - lightly sprinkled with a few adult touches (a bikini bottom here, a suggestive swing there), but nothing that should leave parents feeling their kids can't watch this one with them.

Carnival time may be past in both Rio and Port-of-Spain (Trinidad) but there's no reason why you shouldn't take this cinematic revelling trip.