Breakdown leads to Colourful Fantasies - Multiracial, multicultural event for Hedonism 11

 Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Intending to expose people to different cultures and encourage multiracial interaction, Todd and Elena Claxton will be staging Colourful Fantasies at Hedonism II in Negril next month.

Todd Claxon, who grew up in Washington DC, said he fell in love with Jamaica on a visit to Jamaica with his Bulgarian wife, who is a web developer.

"The second we got on the bus from Montego Bay to Hedonism III (in St Ann), we instantly started to fall in love with Jamaica. "Me and my wife were like, 'Wow, this is an awesome experience'. We also like getting off the resort and getting to know other places. Whenever we get to a town or county we want to see what the culture is like," he told The Gleaner.

Over the years, the Claxtons have made several visits to Jamaica and have even brought other persons with them. It was after one of their many trips that he got the idea for Colourful Fantasies.

Todd said he took a trip to Jamaica with a group of people mainly from the United States (US), like Iowa and Kansas, where there is not much presence of non-Caucasioan races. While on their journey, he said, the bus broke down. Hot and frustrated, he said he decided to take a walk to a nearby local bar but the other visitors were scared to follow him.

Despite their fears, the bar visit turned out much different from what they expected.

"It was awesome. We were dancing, smoking and having a good time," Todd said.

He said both the Jamaicans and the persons he was travelling with had misconceptions about the other group.

Out of that experience the idea for Colourful Fantasies, which will be held at Hedonism II between August 13 and 20, was born.

Claxton said the event will include visits to other parishes, a pool party, cocktail party, free massages and a cruise, as well as other activities.

"We want to take people out and experience the local cultures and traditions. Given the opportunity, people like to meet people with different backgrounds from themselves," he said, noting that there will be guests from the US, Canada, Latin America and Tahiti.

"I am lucky I grew up in this area where you can meet all these types of people from so many different backgrounds, but not everybody is that fortunate," he said.

During the week, Claxton hopes to help couples and singles from different nationalities and racial backgrounds meet, understand, and party with each other and, ultimately, create a more harmonious world through mutual and multiracial understanding and partnerships.

"We are all kind of the same, inside we are just people. What starts as a fantasy kind of ends up with us realising that we are all kind of the same. There is the matter of preference, but the idea is to have as many people from as many backgrounds there. We hope that all these people will come and have a harmonious experience," said Claxton.

With expectations high that Colourful Fantasies will become an annual event, Claxton said he plans to include different aspects of other cultures in the future.

"We would like to get more local entertainment. If it goes well and it's possible, we would bring in entertainment from different areas all over the world. We would like to expand into a more multicultural event," he said.