Maco celebrates a decade in print

However, despite these challenges Maco Caribbean Living magazine has managed to weather the storm and is celebrating its tenth year of publishing with a special anniversary collector’s issue of its flagship publication.

The company’s Managing Director Neysha Soodeen is ecstatic about progress in the past decade, as well as the growth of Caribbean publishers who continue to bring validation to the innovation, dynamism, and creativity of that which is Caribbean.

She said: “Ten years ago, there were no magazines showcasing the way we live — our architecture, diversity, colours and cuisine. With MACO, our aim was primarily to make our Caribbean people proud of who we are. I felt we were emulating everything ‘foreign’ without a real appreciation of our own uniqueness. My wish was to showcase the richness of the Caribbean to the world.”

Soodeen said while living abroad, it became evident how very limited the perception was of the Caribbean region.

“With MACO Caribbean Living, we are able to show the beauty and distinctiveness of our people and the way we live. What has also been pleasing to me is to see other empowered female publishers make their mark within the industry, attracting diverse audiences internationally.” What’s so special about the tenth anniversary edition? For starters, Soodeen said the design is more contemporary, more of a “coffee table book” than the normal MACO presentation. She disclosed that Marie France Aqui, the magazine’s creative director, had changed the look of this issue significantly. The magazine is printed on a matte stock compared with the glossy paper used over the past ten years. Soodeen said this may very well constitute the new look for the next ten years of MACO Caribbean Living.