It’s all about to-gather-ness

Over de last few months or so, negative publicity dominated de print and electronic media to such an extent dat full publicity, coverage and recognition of de coming on stream of SVG Publishers (Printery) was placed on de back burner. Dis is ah first foh SVG, first time in de His-story ah de Newspaper business, dat all three papers are being printed right here at Camden Park by a concern owned by a group of locals. If dat is not an accomplishment worthy of praise tell me what is. Interestingly dis venture is de culmination of years of dreaming, thoughtful planning and finally, de realization.{{more}}

Believe it or not, this venture is de brainchild of Norma Keizer, Editor Emeritus ah de Searchlight. Very early in de life of Searchlight, it was painful to listen and watch Norma cry Alice in One-day-land tears when as Managing Editor, she had to sign de cheques to pay our printers in B’dos, moneys dat amounted to millions over the thirteen years dat Searchlight has been around. It was Norma who summoned a meeting of all stakeholders in 2004, got de meeting to set up ah wuking committee and had de ball rolling. Today ah Printery is here to stay.

And dat is why on Monday night de Searchlight family thought it was fitting dat on de eve of de official opening of de Printery, dat we should honour de good lady for her contribution to Journalism in general, and de development ah Searchlight in particular. Widout being ungrateful or unmindful of de sterling contributions to de paper made by others, Norma Keizer would have made de greatest contribution in de moulding, shaping, fashioning and I hasten to say financing of Searchlight. Today Searchlight is here to stay also.

De lesson learned from all ah dis, is dat establishments like de News, Vincentian, Searchlight, de SVG Publishers are living testimony of what we as ah people can do if we would come to-gather, knock heads to-gather and wuk to-gather as one. We cannot fight de multi-national concerns out dey waiting to come in, but if we could unite as one, come to-gather and occupy de spaces, leave no room foh dem, we will mek it. Alone we done lose already, to-get-her is de way forward.

ALL YUH DON’T EXPLOIT BLAKIE

De 2008 Kaisoes start to break down de Radio stations. Some very nice songs ah hearing foh dis year. Fire Man Hooper sending out his message bright and early wid his Raga Soca whatever; and what more can I say about Gideon James, he’s SVG’s first Rolls Royce of de 21st century. While in his songs he seems not to be doing so well wid his woman, he scoring big on de music charts when he airs his problems. Ah have no sympathy foh Gideon though, last year, when his woman hurt him so bad he sang say he “Gave her his Love”; but like he still didn’t learn from his mistakes, dis year he giving her “Too Much Love”! Dat “Too Much Love” song will climb even higher on de charts dis year. And Cheerman Lennox Bowman think he smart say he giving coverage ah what does go down in T’n’T when de boys go down to fete, ah listen to his Volume 3 of de escapades, ah cents ah double-entendre in his coverage he also covering dey tracks, well, he thinks so. All ah dat is Mas!

Lie-Za went to ah Show on Sat-dey night and she can’t done talk bout Blakie, how he was de baddest ting foh de night. Ah had to ask her if is de same Blakie who foh de last twenty years was in and out ah de Mental Health and Prisons, left alone out dey to fight ah battle wid alcohol, drugs and hunger, ignored by all ah we, left to turn vagrant. Were it not foh Father Jim de Catholic Priest, God bless his soul; Blakie and de other twenty plus vagrants dat have taken up full residence at de R.C Church Compound would ah done dead. Dey go dey foh dey breakfast but de seats in de Court Yard, Rectory and Garage so comfortable, after breakfast, dey just loiter around till it’s lunch time. Now all of ah sudden Blakie’s song breaking down de Radio, and everybody calling foh Blakie, good foh Blakie. May I appeal to those producers, not to exploit Blakie’s talent, kindly see dat he gets his medication and ah place to sleep, Fr Jim will continue to feed him.

On de brighter side, Minister Baptiste came up wid ah good incentive foh de Junior Kasionians by offering de winners scholarship at tertiary level. Ah only wish she would go ah lickle further and give ah lickle something to the teachers who write de songs foh de youngsters and secondly, ah wish foh dis year she would give incentives to those Kaisonians who don’t necessarily win de big prize, but whose Kaisoes have good positive lyrics, how about an Awe-ward foh Most Humorous Kaiso, Most Inspiring Kaiso, Most Patriotic and so on. Year after year ah feel so badly foh fellars like Brother Ebony, Patches and others who always got good songs, but could never mek it to de top. So sister Rainy let de incentives Rain down on de Kaisonians dis year. Dat Lie-Za say Pappa I-Stan should get something foh Hip Hip Who Rape!

Oh, before ah go, ah promised to big up me friend John Punnett de chef at Mount William foh his cooking, man he cooked up ah storm last Sunday, yuh ever heard bout Sue-flet and Cassa-roll-over, dat’s John’s version of Souffle and Casserole, ah think John either watches de wrong food channel or he bracing for de Food Cry-sis.

And wid dat ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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