Careful what you choose
WSTRN wants to ‘Be My Guest’
Caribbean Life, SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2021 31
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Go left or go right?
It seems that at every point
in life, you need a decision: take
a familiar street, or a route you
rarely travel? A restaurant you
frequent, or something new for
dinner? Sometimes, the choices
won’t matter next week or
in a year, but — as in the
new book “Three Girls from
Bronzeville” by Dawn Turner
– other decisions are more
consequential.
One of her earliest memories
involves her newborn sister.
Dawn Turner was no more
than a toddler herself then,
living in a hotel room with her
mother because her father was
gone again. Turner remembers
the weight of her baby sister,
Kim, and knowing that everything
had changed.
For the rest of their childhoods,
the girls were inseparable
though, like many big
sisters, Turner sometimes
resented Kim’s tag-alonging.
That became more pronounced
when Turner found
her first best friend, who lived
in the apartment directly above
theirs in a new housing project
in Chicago’s Bronzeville.
Turner wanted Debra to
herself, but she had to share
the friendship with Kim and
that was fine. Summer days
and after-school was often
better with three. The girls
made their own fun, hiding
from maintenance men in
the building, hanging out on
fire escapes, and reading in
a secret spot on an accessible
rooftop. In the shadows of
deteriorating apartment complexes
and abandoned buildings,
their childhoods were
almost idyllic.
And things changed again.
As high school loomed,
Turner and Debra slowly started
Book cover of “Three Girls from Bronzeville: A Uniquely
American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood” by Dawn
Turner.
to drift apart, a slide that
was defined by Debra’s family‘s
move to Indianapolis. Turner
began to plan for college, while
Kim struggled in school. Time
passed and as the neighborhood
that nurtured three little
girls fell into a state of disrepair,
so did the girls’ bond and
suddenly, they “were on different
trajectories.” One went
south, one went to college,
boys came around, and so did
trouble.
One took a gin bottle, one
took a baby bottle, and one
took a gun…
Have you ever wondered
what life might’ve been like if
you’d made different choices,
picked a different spouse or
another job? Yep, then “Three
Girls from Bronzeville” is for
you.
And yet, this book isn’t
entirely about choices; it’s also
about taking what life seems to
hand you and molding it to fit.
On that, author Dawn Turner
is irresistibly nostalgic and her
memories will leave you with a
sense of carefree childhood in
the city — but she’s also realistic,
describing her surroundings
with decreasing enthusiasm
that speaks volumes.
Turner points no fingers
here but you’ll see likely culprits
to blame along the way.
Substance abuse plays a large
part in this tale. Opportunities
existed to seize or discard freely,
the latter of which is painful
to watch. Responsibility is
taken for wrong turns.
And readers will be thrilled
to see that angels existed, too.
This is one of those books
that’s warm to the start and
envelopes you like a hug mixed
with gravel. It’s harsh and gracious,
jagged and loving. Yep,
“Three Girls from Bronzeville”
is all right.
“Three Girls from
Bronzeville: A Uniquely
American Memoir of Race,
Fate, and Sisterhood” by
Dawn Turner
c.2021, Simon & Schuster
$26.99 / $35.99 Canada
321 pages
Author of “Three Girls from Bronzeville” Dawn Turner. Dawn Turner
By Nelson A. King
Coming off the heels of
the vibrant hit single, “Mama
Stay,” West London-based band
WSTRN had dropped a new
single, “Be My Guest,” featuring
Nigerian act, FireboyDML.
Formed by two cousins
and a neighborhood friend,
WSTRN has developed a lifetime
of musical camaraderie
into its R&B/pop-centric rap
sound, according to Brooklynbased
Jamaican entertainment
publicist Ronnie Tomlinson,
chief executive officer of Destine
Media.
She said the group was
formed by cousins Akelle
Charles and Haile, and their
longtime friend Louis Rei.
“All three grew up in west
London and were connected
through musical ties early on,
as some of their fathers played
together in a reggae band,”
Tomlinson said. “All three
friends pursued music on their
own, but WSTRN was born out
of the trio’s first collaborative
jam sessions in 2015.”
Tomlinson said the threepiece
act continues its distinctive
streak of smooth releases
with a new rhythmic jam, produced
by PRGRSHN, “which
moves with groove tendencies.
“E ortlessly showcasing their
distinctively unique sound, the
catchy bounce of the strings,
laced with the infectious baseline,
seamlessly matched with
Louis Rei and Akelle’s,” she
said. “Charm alongside Haile’s
melodic vocals on the chorus
gifts us with a captivating
banger, Be My Guest’.
“This hot new single is set
to be a hit,” added Tomlinson,
stating that “Be My Guest”
showcases an appearance from
Lagos’s very own Fireboy DM,
“making the Diasporic connection
with a hot guest verse.”