Get dat Grinch out we Christmas

It was not de very best of Christmases but it was nevertheless good. On de good side ah was able to introduce de family to “house to house” serenading. We formed ah lickle family quartet, “De Four S’s”, practised ah few Carols wid daughter on Pan (Steel), son on Drum (Skin), mother doing vocals (Singer) and dad on Cuatro (Strings). What we did turned out to be satisfying as we revisited “serenading” ah dormant tradition dat was part ah de ole time Christmas Culture. Ah took in ah “Nine Mornings” and was impressed wid de efforts by Michael Peters who functions as chief, cook and bottle-washer, and doing a fantastic job in Kingstown.{{more}} Unfortunately, in de rural areas, except foh a few communities, the interest seems to be fading. Ah need to clear up what is fast becoming ah Myth about Nine Mornings. One newspaper quoted ah statement from Michael Peters implying dat that Nine Mornings activities today, all began in 1999. Dat is so far from being correct dat it borders untruth. Nine Mornings or “street walking” was here long before all ah we, it took on all forms and fashions, Ever-lose-shun dey call it. More recently, around 1988, Patches Knights tried doing some concerts outside Peace Mo’. Den in 1992, El Grupo Amistad, observed dat de culture had deteriorated to ah Dance Hall swet, wid absolutely no activities happening in Kingstown; and so embarked on ah new approach injecting de Christian ingredient into de Nine Morning. Using de title from Crazy’s Kaiso, “Put Jesus in de Christmas”, de Group started wid early morning side-walk concerts outside de Venezuelan Embassy, on Back Street where de Group was founded and funded. De policy was “No Rum! No Lewd and Loud Music! And In only ah few years, wid ah budget of ten thousand dollars local sponsor, de show had outgrown de venue on Back Street, and had to be shifted to Bay Street. By 1996, ah number of Pentecostal Pastors and groups, both church and secular from as far as Biabou, Mespo and Layou gravitated to de stage in Kingstown, de only venue. It was in 1999 dat El Grupo Amistad, decided dat de event was too big foh de group to control, and ah broader committee was necessary. Lennox Bowman, Joel Providence and Michael Peters were invited to serve on dat broader committee. Nobody, no organization or Guv-ah-mint needs to claim credit foh Nine Mornings, it’s ah gift handed to us dat goes as far back as Slavery, any lickle contribution dat we can do during our sojourn, just simply do it wid pride and modesty. May Nine Mornings continue to grow in Christ!

Ah did say it was not de best of Christmases. Firstly de Elections was announced foh December 13 and literally killed de spirit; dey was no room foh our cherished and much prided Vincy Christmas activities, no Community Singing at de Ole Post Office, No Glen Jackson Carolling show! Lie-Za puts it dis way: “de Grinch (Gon-solves elections call) spoiled de Christmas”. Den de wife decided to show our daughter what “ole time Christmas” was like, so dey sat up all night Christmas Eve, fixing curtains, putting-way house and wrapping gifts; by de time dey were finished it was too late to make de five o-clock church service, first time ah missed in fifteen years. Ah did not see any ah those Christmas Family Movies: “Grandma Got rolled over by ah Rain-dear”; De Elf; White Christmas. Ah did however see and experienced dis year, de Grinch dat stole Christmas, and it should be kept out, not de Movie, de pull-ah-tricks!!

DE KNEW CABIN-NET

So much foh de Christmas. De PM named his Cabin-net and no doubt felling like “lickle jack Horner” who push in ah bare thumb and pull out ah Plum singing “wat ah one-day-full boy am I”. He’s still standing wid seven copy books. Cess Mc K would ah bin better placed in sports and culture. Putting him in Hell’t sets him up foh de perfect copy-body. Dr. Care-not, who is ah Mighty Sparrow fan already said “when ah man finish, is foolish to play lickrish”. Sir Louis say he done wid dat, saw him at ah wedding wid de wife and he look rejuvenated ready foh dat tight virgin he met on de Road Block. Walters, done wid dat, he could now do way everybody does, go pon he knee, beg God pardon, put de Bible under his arm and go back to church. Rene, done wid dat! Yuh can’t fault her, she was arguably de most efficient minister in de cabin-net. She is de I-deal professional, she does not tek back her word, Ralph dare not ask her to tek up ah senator pose or minister. She will tek up her once lucrative legal practice and as Lie-Za recommend, start her Famoly! But not Dr. Thompson who was rejected by his constituents at de pole; and Dr. Slater who had declared he re-tyre and did not run, obviously he did ah lousy job as ah representer, why de party could not hold his seat. D’s two doctors are still young, but pride in one and meek loyalty will not permit dem to walk away and back into ah much needed professional medical service. Lie-Za is so disappointed in dem two chaps ah will not write what she say!

De Awe-position is made stronger wid youth and experience. Dey’s two young senators: V-knee, de “Snat-tea Nose girl” and An-easier de “member ah de Cult”. Two very interesting appointments; Sessions in par-liar-mint will be elect-trick-vying as de PM will leave no stone unturned trying to frustrate these two young women. Have ah very calm, collective, peaceful 2011, stay close to de Lord! And wid dat is gone ah gone again. Tri Tri to end de ole year and welcome de new year.

One Love Bassy

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