“Ward”, a separate room in a hospital is a very interesting root Word. Add de letter “A” to Ward yuh get “Award” which is ah mark for high quality service. “Ward”, a separate room in a hospital is a very interesting root Word. Add de letter “A” to Ward yuh get “Award” which is ah mark for high quality service. Award becomes Ah-Ward when it is undeserving; on de other hand if one’s contribution is Awesome den Ah-Ward becomes Awe-Ward. So off de bat, people like Dr Cecil Cyrus would have earned an Awe-Ward!

Dey’s de super-prestigious world fear-most “Alfred Nobel Award” wid two Sin Loose-Ann gracing de platform in Derick Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis. We in SVG will get dey soon. In de meantime dey’s “ANSA”, the Anthony N Sabga (ANSA) Caribbean Awards for Excellence, a prestigious Organization dat seeks out and rewards outstanding nominees in Arts & Letters, Public & Civic Contributions, Science & Technology and Entrepreneurship. Vin-sin-shun Recipients of dis Awe-Ward include de very humblest of persons: “Professor Leonard O’Garro, Dr Richard Robertson, Herbert ‘Haz’ Samuel and among de 2021 list of six ANSA Awe-Wardees is our own Sean Sutherland.

Lie-Za con-fest dat de first time she ever saw or heard of Sean Sutherland, was on Friday at his Piano Recital at de Met-dis Church. She describes him as dis ‘unassuming and humble’ looking young-man, up-dey caressing de Piano playing Choppin’s music as if dey were both classmates. She had to ask de person sitting next to her, who was dat Maestro and where in de USA is he from? Happily to be told he is Sean Sutherland born and bred in SVG. “ But isn’t he Awe-Some” she said, den she asked me why isn’t he named ah Cultural Am-bass-adore. Ah told her, Sean would not be seen in ah Red-T-shirt, pon de back of any ULP truck, depreciating his God given talent singing or playing Labour Love music, during dem vicious and dog-eat-dog “Pull-it-to-kill Calm-Pain!”

Ah gave her ah lickle run-down on de lickle ah knew of Sean, who at age fourteen along wid another youth, Panist Lance Clouden, were already touring de USA wid de Kingstown Choral mashing up de place. Sean actually won an Island Schol, went to Massachusett’s Institute of Technology (MIT), holds multiple degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science alongside a degree in Music. He received the prestigious Weisner Prize from the Institute for his significant service to the arts there. And most recently he won de 2021 Chopin Amateur Competition, in Warsaw. He has been performing worldwide, including just about every Carry-Beyond country.

So last Friday it was indeed an honour, my Big 80th Birthday Gift, to have been entertained by SVG’s first to be proclaimed Maestro. It was ah Free Concert and Met-dis Church was packed, ah PT dat COVID-19 restrictions had to be enforced. De crowd lapped up every note, wid repeat Standing Ovation. Thank you Sean.

Now when ah was leaving, former Nah-shun-all Athlete and Athletics Coach Killy Williams asked me: “ Bassy, what else does Sean have to do to become ah Cultural Ambassador?” Ah tell him: “Ask Ralph!”

AND FOUR SCORE IS EIGHTY

Thank God foh Jesus, at age 70, just when ah was completing my three score and ten years. ah was die-ah-knows wid Pass-Straight Cancer and had to get Raid-he-heir-shun treatment. Dat was ten years ago. Give God de Praise. Now in all humility ah submitting an application to de Big Man Upstairs foh an extension, nothing big just “ One day at ah time sweet Jesus!” Was I ever overwhelmed wid all de Birthday Greetings posted on Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp. Ah want to thank one and all, those who heckled, joked and even flattered me wid love. And wid dat is gone Awe-gone Awe-gain.

One Love Bassy

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