Ah few weeks ago de price was six mangoes foh five dollars, now it’s six foh ah dollar. When they are plenty-full like dat, ole people uses to say: “Mango knocking Dog!” Mangoes literally go to waste; dey fall from de tree, roll onto de streets and block de gutters; Lie-Za promising every year to get ah machine dat could extract de mango pulp and juice, package and freeze dem in plastic bags so we could get local mango juice all year round. Most importantly de positive impact it could have on de economy.

Interestingly de Kaiso Season dis year can be compared wid Mango, lots ah music, lots ah Kaisos. Soca Music ‘nocking down de place’. Ah rough summary is that we had over 150 Kaisonians in three categories: Ragga Soca, Power Soca and Calypso; that figure was reduced by elimination to 60, wid 20 semi-finalist in each of the categories. And for Finals, 10 from each category will be selected to battle, from which the Monarchs, the Second and Third places in each category will be selected. Therefore just like de Mango Season when de Carnival Season is over, 141 Soca/Calypso Artistes and dey music will literally fall of de tree, roll into de street and block up gutter. Ah hate to say dis but some lovely songs will not even get ah play on Radio.

Ah doh know what does it cost to write and arrange ah song, take it to de studio for recording to be submitted foh judging foh competition; but ah lot ah these Artistes are not working and need some sort of assistance, starting wid CDC, de Ministry of Culture and de Business houses.

What is encouraging however, is de large number of young people, males and females in SVG, who are presently involved in de Soca Art Form today. It is reasonable to assume dat de success of some of our top Soca Artistes on de International scene, in particular Skinny Fabulous’ success in T’N’T Carnival is inspiration foh de youngsters. We have ah lot ah Skinny and Fireman just waiting dey turn.

DE JUNIORS HAVE IT

And dis weekend belongs to de Juniors in Mas and Pan. Not being Buy-us but ah looking forward to see how Blondie Bird and Friends go deal wid dey dey Environment Portrayal. Junior Pan is always ah turn off. Will somebody tell de organizers dey killing de spirit of de youths, when dey put big bands and small bands in de same class. Big Band like Sion Hill, Starlift and East St George could be in one Class; de schools could be in two Classes: small bands and big bands. Ah looking forward to de battle between GHS and foh de first time de girls of St Joseph Convent and boys of St Martin’s will merge in Steel. Ah overs Bishop’s College will be back dis year. Man ah does grind up when dey’s no BGS anymore. And finally foh de umpteenth time ah begging CDC to schedule de Junuior Pan Competition foh a day in de week, any other day but Sunday. Come Tuesday when it’s Junior Calypso and Soca Finals, Victoria Park will be packed as usual wid school children. Any size crowd dat attend on ah Sunday, will be tripled on ah week day. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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