Is dat foh Paddy after 65 years

Ah heard from Mr. Carnival, Paddy Corea wid his bite-in comments on Vincy Mas 2013. We basically went thru Grammar School together. He broke ah few more School Rules than I did on and off school grounds. De staw dat dat broke his camel’s back, was when he went and played Football wid a local club and not Grammar School. We were both politely asked to leave school in 1959. If Paddy had plans to stick around and terror-eyes his parents, his dad, Dolly Corea had another I-dare. Wid-out asking if or when, Dolly handed Paddy ah one way ticket to de United Kingdom.{{more}} Dat’s when SVG said good-bye to its youngest, (school-boy) Band Leader, to have placed 1st foh Bands, equivalent to today’s ‘Band ah de Year’.

At 15 years of age, he was also de youngest person to win 1st. prize for Individuals, known today as ‘King of the Bands’, Taya Boucher broke dat record 20 years later. Paddy remembers playing in de first Carnival after World War 2, held at de Court (house) Yard and winning ah 1st Prize at Kiddies Carnival. De first Steel Band appeared de following year. Ah guess dat was around 1945.

In de UK, Paddy played ah lot ah music, Pan and Brass, before moving to de USA way de Mas bug surfaced again in 1972. He and Sam De Bique, took Vincy Mas to NY (Labour Day Parade) foh de first time. Two years later de Band won “Queen of de Bands,” ah costume built by Lennox “Scully” Hunte, another great Vincy Mas Man. Scully is presently a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor, conducting Mass foh Jesus.

Foh de last thirty or more years Paddy has been coming home to Vincy Mas, playing Pan foh Starlift in between; in fact he been Mas Hopping all over de region, T’n’T, Antigua and SVG. But dat passion foh Mas Costumes was alive. Every Mardi Gras, we had ah regular Lime on de North River Bridge of “Bridge Boys” fame. He would take his photos and make incisive comments, and I would listen, tek notes foh de Column. He kept complaining, even writing in de local Press at times, about de demise ah Vincy Mas: “No Pan on de roads, no real Costumes (just panty and Bra), no Cowboys, no Africans, no Indians, no War Mas and no Sailors.” Around August last year he sent me drawings of ah Sailor Band he was planning to bring to SVG in 2013. Finally, he made it foh Jouvert dis year, “Sailors Gone Wild” de revival ah home-grown Vincy Sailor Mas! undoubtedly one of de nicest Jouvert band on de road dis year.

But Paddy returned to de USA ah disappointed man. His small band was totally ignored. He lamented dat none of the three News papers gave coverage to de Sailor Band and Starlift Steel Orch combination on Jouvert. ‘Sad foh Vincy Mas’, he said, “dey published lots ah Jouvert pictures of ‘Placard Touters’ and ‘half naked paint and powder masqueraders.” Well de I-sin went on de cake when ah young female Panist reminded Paddy dat “ is only OLE People love to chip behind Steel Band foh Carnival!” Yuh don’t tell dat to ah 70+ Pan Fan-ah-tick whose pass-word is ‘Age is ah Number’. Ah know he was hurt, but all ah dat is Mas! Ah sorry, but if ah bin dey, ah would ah laugh till ah weak, non-stop, Fidel Castro style, when Ralph gave him dat tickle me joke. I began by saying dat ah heard from Paddy, biting comments as usual but ending wid ah ‘sad note’. He is calling it ah day! After 65 years, I’ll bet he can’t stop. He will prove dat female Panist wrong, dat “Age is ah Number!

HEAVEN ONLY NOSE

Lie-Za was begging me not to men-shun de Pry Minister name, neither good nor bad! Because is like he “Nose” swell since he go Cuba and come back! How at his Press Con-frenz ah should ah hear how he treating Reporters wid attitude. When dey try to ask him as Minister ah Law-cup and Ah-rest, who bruk Sen Frederick’s bruk-fuss, he tell dem he “Nose” nothing bout dat. And way hut him is how his teacher, colleague and Frenemy, Dr Care-not John, who”Nose” de PM inside out, spread him out on de Vinny Frederick’s ah-rest! What Lie-Za wants to know is why local Journalists pushing-up dey “Nose” give de Pry-Minister fah. She asking me if de PM did ask one ah de other Journalists to ah-come-pan-he to Cuba, if dey would ah gone? Ah tell she “Heaven only Nose” and way hut de “I” mek “Nose” run water!! Be proud ah yuh colleague fellars. And wid dat, is gone ah gone again!

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.