We got wuk to do here

Vincy Mas 2008 is over and from all indications de Festival was good. It was free of serious violence. Ah look at all dem young people fete-in in dey costumes, N-joy-N dem-selves in de burning sun, and ah ask me-self, after Carnival how do we convert all ah dis N-ah-G and talent into real labour, towards nation building.{{more}}

De Police continue to mek ah mean-an-full contribution to Vincy Mas on de street and at de Kaiso Finals, way de Police Band backed de Kaisonians and really impressed. On de street, Law and Order prevailed except ah few hitches, one in particular, de unfortunate incident way ah junior police in settling a traffic dispute, roughed-up Marma, Marcia Mc Intosh-Regisford, ah sick woman on de doctor’s list. Ah worry ah lot about de physical abuse wid which ah hear some inexperienced and unprofessional police offices carry out dey duties. We got some serious wuk to do in building dis small country.

Murray’s Village was in de limelights again, our villager Ronique Dellimore, won Miss SVG as well as Miss Carival. Ronique is from Humble House. Her granny, Miss Roslyn pushed Ronique’s Mom, aunts and uncles thru secondary school, financed by selling from ah tray! One is ah doctor, one ah Architect, ah community health Nurse, ah Hair-dresser and so on. And ah not putting bad mouth pon Ronique as to what she will do in de international shows, except to say, Ronique got plenty wuk to do.

De Mas Bands looked good, again de Band from Murray’s Village, Becks’ Mirage did us proud, it was neat and colourful and looked like ah winner if only the band was bigger. Hats off to Ah-drain-ah-lane, de newest band ah youths who have been kept out ah judging because of an ole rule CDC upholding, too much jel-us-see in de MBA. Dat mus stop, it killing de initiative ah de youths who want to be involved in Mas! CDC, all yuh got plenty wuk dey to do!

Ah suggestion came from Jah-mek-yah that de Soca Monarch is too close to de Kaiso Finals, move one ah dem back ah week. And CDC producers will have to tailor de shows from four and five hours down to three. De Mas Gras Sunday night is three shows in one and something got to give way. Shifting Panorama and have one round ah Kaisonians will mek de difference. Thanks to SVG TV foh bringing de shows live. SVG TV doing de wuk de got to do!

Rudeness on de road in sling-shot bikini matched wid lewdness in de songs continue to tek centre stage. We got wuk to do dey. Long gone are de days when advertising bands drove thru town in open trucks wid de ladies dressed in long skirts, dancing and singing wid bottle and spoon. My goodness, I think of my ultra-conservative, Christian grand mother how she would ah get ah heart attack today. As modest as de dress and behave-yu-all code was in de ole days, de Church was just as critical of Carnival den, as it is today. The question is, should the churches here continue to write off Vincy Mas or do like Bo-bathe-us, get involved and fight the unwanted agents from inside starting wid ah Gospalypso Tent. Brothers and Sisters, seems we got wuk to do!

PAN AGINST CRIME WUKING

Ah went to de Junior Pan. Happy to say dat de future ah Pan seems great, thanks to de “Pan against Crime Revolution” in which a number ah schools in de communities have been introduced to Pan. New comer Questelles played exceptionally well after only three short months; thanks to Sonny Banks, ah faithful, committed, unemployed Volunteer who teaches Pan. Layou appeared as first timers too, very promising and de youngsters of Troumaca continue to improve, thanks to de support of people like Louis Providence, ah senior citizen wid ah junior’s heart and soul. Union Island band is still crying out foh de return ah Bumba Charles, de patriot who started it all thirty years ago.

And now to Starlift, in particular, Pressy, de greatest pan man dat SVG has produced to date. “Pan against Crime” will be best served wid people like Pressy and Ashley Kirby at de helm. Dey are others of course but ley me just name two foh now.

Pressy, Tanny Peters’ son as arranger and player has been de secret to Starlift’s winning streak. Dis year he was challenged by de Sion Hill Euphonium who recruited ah strong force from T’n’T comprising ah Tuner, an Arranger and seven players at ah cost of some $ 30,000. Ah one-dah-full I-dare to bring in Trinnies, after all, dey are de best. But are de inexperienced youngsters ready foh dat level ah drilling in de short space ah time? I beg de next question, way is dis thirty thousand dollars coming from to pay de Trinny experts? Sion Hill has already received from National Lottery its thirty thousand dollars sponsorship money to prepare foh dis year’s Panorama. It is good competitive spirit foh any band seeking an advantage in de national competition, to bring ah team ah professionals from T’n’T to help dem, but when dat exercise accumulate ah death of some $30,000, Ah hope de National Lottery is not made to finance dat bill. Dat is like ah Crime against Pan. Moneys of dis magnitude should go towards ah Summer Pan Camp foh all de youngsters. And we have people here, Pressy and Ashley to run dat Camp. Let de playing field be as level as possible.

Mention must be made of Errol “Sardo” Sutherland who puts ah lot ah money into the band Starlift, unlike de big multi-national companies who demand dey full share ah publicity from CDC, Sardo stays quiet… De Panorama results speak foh dem-selves. Starlift now forty years ole, is an institution in Vincy Mas, won de Panorama in both de Juniors and seniors bringing pride to SVG foh having defeated de Trinny Invasion. Nuff respect to Arranger Pressy, but we still got wuk to do here!

ANOTHER ONE SLIPPED AND FELL

All ah have to say bout de Grenada elections is said in Jim Reeves song:

“De chimes of time ring out de news, another day is thru. Someone slipped and fell, was dat someone you? Yuh may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew. Do not be discouraged, for I have news for you. It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. Wid arms wide open, He’ll pardon you. It is no secret what God can do”. And wid dat ah gone again.

One Love Bassy