Renwick is SVG’s Robin Hood

Renwick “Renzie” Rose was real Vintage Carnival wid his piece “Carnival Reminiscences” in de Searchlight Midweek. Of course it took Dr Fraser’s Hysterical Notes last week to shake-up Renwick who, back in 1950, had to be a toddler when he appeared on de Carnival Stage and placed second in ah Robin Hood costume.{{more}}

Ah don’t know why Granny Rose didn’t let Renzie play King Richard instead, he would ah bin prime minister all now. Till today Renwick still playing Robin Hood, running hey dey and every-wey, fighting foh de “poor” Banana Farmers cause. Ah will leave Mr Rose and his memory lane series alone, which ah hope will run till Carnival, and will get me high from “Carnival Today.”

De Pan and de Kaiso is more my ting; Mas ain’t like what Mas uses to be, but it remains de Colour ah de Festival.

PANORAMA COULD BE MORE INTERESTING

De rivalry in de Pan is big! De war of de Arrangers. Sion Hill Euphonium wid Rodney Small back wid his Music Bachelors Degree is champ. South-East has suddenly come alive under de skillful hands of Marla Nanton, ah tink she got ah Music Masters, shouldn’t dat be Mistress? De PS behind de Pan ‘gainst Crime, Panermint Secretary Godfrey Pompey, my church brother tell me to watch out foh South-East.

But since last year, when ah heard de lickle band from Questelles wid Jomo as Arranger, ah tell me-self, “dat is de band to watch!” And of course dey’s always Starlift who is still de Grand Masters, but Starlift is always at best wid Ashley Kirby, SVG’s Panovirtuoso as Arranger. Potential will have an edge wid dey own Kaisonan GC’s Pan tune dis year, ah good song foh Pan. Potential and Elite got players wid de skills to win, but dey don’t have de numbers.

Dis brings to mind de non-cents dat teks place every year in both Junior and senior Panorama; grouping de big bands wid de small bands together in one class. Dat alone is frustrating de whole I-dare of competition. In T’n’T not only do dey have big, small and medium size bands cat-ah-carry, dey still encourage de Pan ‘round de Neck class as well. Please CDC, it’s not to late to change yuh method in madness. Ah tink ah said nuff to set de Panmen and dem at War!

CATCH 22

To be fair, ah didn’t Catch all 22 Kaisnians who made de Semi Finals. But ah hearing Lots ah come-plain. Now hearing de recordings and hearing dem in frount de Grudges is not always de same. Tah-Joe foh example would ah bin in my 22, he has ah very nice double entendre Kaiso, but maybe is how he performed on de night ah grudging. Dem Kaiso dat ah heard ain’t sound too bad. Finally Dennis Bowman has someting. Last year he was “In de middle ah Someting!”

Dis year his “Way he (Chatoyer) Dey” dey right dey! Ipa got ah good song, ah hint foh Ipa is if he “Under his Liquor” den behave like ah man under his Lick-her, Tom drunk but Tom nah Fool. Come on Ipa, shoot from de hips, is nuff ting to sing bout. Some people mellow wid “Age” and de Man Age back down from singing his master-piece foh dis year “Dutty Character” and he paid de price, Out! I-Mad continues to be crazy, following up on last year’s “St Vincent Mash-up!” dis year he found de reason why: “Ah big fat Jumbie” mashing up de country! De Goliath of Kaiso, Ron B “Trying to mek ends Meet,” not in SVG, never de Twain shall meet! Joy C will go thru, but got to come harder on Finals Night. Brother Ebony’s “Cat-O-Nine” is not as big as last year’s “Nothing at All” but he should go thru.

Nah tek yuh eye off dem ladies, Queen B, Shonelle and Diya; Joy C is ah ole veteran. Hero, Rejector and GC all did justice to de history and development ah Pan, good music foh de bands to arrange foh Panorama. Another Panman, Azara should get ah wuk wid Solid Waste or an incentive foh “If” ah song on “Littering.”

As ah said ah didn’t hear all ah de 22, but ah happy to see new and not so new faces in de line-up: D Truth, Man Zangi, Ninja, Homie; time we get ah “dark horse” as de Monarch. Sorry foh saying “dark horse ah forget is ah Car at stake.

AH BONE FOH DE SHADOW

Ah read way de stage manager cut de power on de Mighty Shadow’s act in de Black Rave Show. Dat was an unfortunate double whammy, ‘dis’ de patrons and dis ah Great Artiste. Organizers must time dey show and start it on time and avoid embarrassment. My humble apology to Shadow, ah man rated thru-out de world way Kaiso is concerned!

BECKET STILL SOUND GOOD

So good to hear Becket back in contention foh Road March, reminding us in Kaiso dat dis year is de 50th Anniversary ah new Mas, Band ah de Year.

Becket who uses to “Wind-down Kingstown Bad” bin dey, done dat is contributing with positive lyrics and good music to play Mas. Teach dem dey “ABC” Becket.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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