President Chavez might ah sounded like Santa Claws when he first launched his Caribbean Initiative, de ALBA machine. Remember, cheaper fuel was in dat package and free cooking Gas. We got free gas before last elections, none after. Really and truly it was felt dat Mr Chavez’s plans was ah good counter to de US initiatives dat ain’t bearing fruit.{{more}} Well, not foh us. But all of ah sudden Chavez goes into over-drive or high gear; he calling foh ah united region wid armed forces to hit back if and when de US strikes any member of ALBA. SVG’s immediate need is not to have our young people trained in preparation foh war against de USA. What we need is to have dem trained in technical skills e.g. nursing, construction etc and let dem like de Cubans, invade de shores of de USA and Canada and declare war on unemployment, and find jobs. Why doesn’t Chavez invite us to come to Venezuela to wuk? Can yuh imagine my grandsons who are US citizens and in de US military coming out here in tanks to shoot down de NME dey cousins, uncles, aunts and me, Grand-dad?

Ah always had reservations bout Chavez sanity, but Lie-Za brought me ah document, ah don’t know way she got it, and from what ah reading, ah think ah right, Chavez is on ah permanent High. Lie Za paper says dat last weekend in Caracas, at ah meeting of ALBA members branded “Chico Malos” de Bad Boys, dat’s Chavez’s name foh de group, Chavez openly admitted to his buddies, including our PM, dat every morning he chews “Coca Leaf”, de sacred leaf of de Incas, de Aymara Indians, and invited his friends to do de same. Cocaine is made from Coca Leaves and it sounds like dem fellars had ah warm up session delinquent style, chewing Coca Leaf. Before de meeting started, Chavez asked president Evo Morales, ah one time Coca farmer: “Way de Coca Leaves yuh uses to bring me”? Immediately ah Bolivian Indian got up and passed around Coca Leaves. But when our PM was welcomed to de “Club of Bad Boys”, Chavez asked him to try ah leaf, he smartly replied dat he was ah good Catholic Boy who only occasionally associates wid de “Bad Boys”. Ah believe dat our PM wid whatever his faults, is not into intoxicating stuff and he must have felt embarrassed, no doubt wondering if he was in de right place or was it de wrong time; after all, he knows how high level meetings go, Carry Come foh sure and de UN, but never would he have seen substances like ‘Coca Leaf’ Marry Warner or Pot passing round. But dat seems to be how Chavez gets his early kick start, no wonder he so always aggressive, cussing people and upbeat.

Now our PM’s hands are tied. He need de Airport at Argyle, and Chavez promised de funds. Ah feel Chavez will dangle de string until he signs up. Gonsalves explained to de meeting dat while ALBA is ah good ting, de people scared ah de names Chavez, Castro and Ortago, so dey will have to educate de masses and wuk thru de Social Movements, de Unions, NGO’s etc. But Skerrit of Dominica signed up and done surrender Aves Island to Venezuela, in return he will get his Airport, plus wid de many rivers in Dominica he will receive help in hydro energy wid Nicaraguan technology. SVG got fish and who knows dey might be fishing our ocean dry. Ah say already dat at nights de channel does look like Caracas with lights from fishing boats or Coca Leaf boats.

I asked Lie-Za foh de last time if she is ah spy, way she got dat document. She say she is ah member ah de Black Squad and was she who did slip into de Teachers Union meeting and copy notes foh de PM.

GOOD NEWS FOH PAN

Ah welcome Guv-ah-mint’s move to spend some money on de development of de Steel Band here in SVG. Ah hope dat real money and not “ole tark” will be spent on dis very important musical instrument. And ah will disregard all de pull-it-tek-all non-cents about calling de programme “Pan against Crime”! If dat is de case, den ah lot ah we will have to play Pan, and “we” starts from him at de Top, to him at de Butt! Gradually we seem to be shifting de blame foh crime on de youths. Dat’s de problem, when we adults do we fear share ah crime in de dark, we cover-up and suppress it big time and think we get off; but de youths seeing and don’t care anymore, dey do dey ting in de open. So who is worse?

Before we start to tark anything bout developing Pan, we must recognize de efforts initiated in schools and among de youths by Monty Constance and Hero years ago at Bishop’s College supported by principal, Lennox John. Den dey’s Potential led by Grey Baptiste and Pest Llewellyn, recently dey’s Sion Hill and of course ole Starlift led by too many to mention. Ah will like to say dat many years ago “Presley” son of “Tanny de great” had ah vision and ah plan foh Pan starting wid de youths. We need Presley and Ashley Kirby, de man who like his dad was, says de least but knows de most when it comes to knowledge in pan, we shouldn’t start widout Ashley.

Ah mention only ah few names because in SVG, as long as de poly-to-shun have control, ah select few who sweet up wid de party, will be hand-picked and de real wukers will be side-lined. Those names dat ah mentioned are “Pan men to de bone” who know what is required and who will not be sucked into no pull-it-tek-all gimmick. De ting ain’t even start and already we hearing bout two Pan Concerts to mark de 1st Anniversary ah de Rabbacca Bridge.

Dey’s ah demand foh talented musicians including Pan on de Cruise Lines. Teaching Pan and learning to read music scores will equip our lads and lasses foh jobs any-way. De Pan is no ordinary Instrument; it is more delicate, more sensitive and sweeter dan most other musical instruments; yuh may tune ah guitar or violin by turning ah screw and it is done in seconds; but like de Piano, it takes hours, sometimes days to tune a Pan, therefore Pan tuners are in great demand all over. And while I’m at it, we must impress on de youngsters to caress those notes on de Pan, don’t pound and beat up on de Instrument; de heating, beating, hammering and grooving is done while de Instrument is being built. I often wonder why we don’t discard with de sticks and put ah rubber cap on de fingers and play de Pan like ah Piano. Ah could just hear dem Panmen laughing at me, so wid dat, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy..