Under de Tent

Ah must add-Myth dat while de Baptism of de Mighty Sparrow n.k.a. (now known as) Brother Slinger Francisco, was inspired first and four-most by Divine Inter-vent-shun, it was also rooted in de Calypso Biz-ness as well. And ah strongly believe dat Calypso Biz is de Lord’s Biz-ness waiting foh Calypsonians to tek up dey cross and run. Ah read way Crazy and Calypso Rose will be following in Sparrow’s footsteps. Ah overs dat ah number of Kaisonians are turning Christian and singing Gospelypso. Dey could very well be ah connect between de Kaiso Tent and de Crusade Tent, be it Seven Day or Tele-vandalist.

Yes. Mighty Sparrow sang foh most of his Kaiso Life performing “Under de Tent,” coincidentally the Tent is way every Calypsonian receives his/her Bapt-is-him. Sparrow as we all know, would have sang on just about every conceivable topic, from clean to soiled to smutty, covering religion, eddy-care-shun, polly-tricks, violence, culture/can-ah-va, unity, Race, dishes like salt-fish and meat dat he said he never ate.

Lie-Za’s Sparrow fear-foh-it is: “Ah Man in me Bedroom!” and “Princess and the Cameraman,” way he pee-cong de late Queen Betty and her sister Princess Margaret. She is adamant dat Sparrow was never allowed to sing those two classics on de Royal family in England.

Dubbed “de Maestro”, and “ de Undisputed Calypso King of the World,” Sparrow was honoured by our own University of the West Indies wid ah Doctorate. But when Dr Sparrow ah man of wise-dumb and humility, revisited one ah his songs: “Age is Just a Number,” he realized he had gone past four score and seven, and notwithstanding his worldly fame and glory, he knew he was yet to mek dat great decision about his Soul Salvation. So he arose from his sick bed and hurried back ‘Under de Tent’. Not ah Kaiso Tent, but de Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Tent way dey was ah Crusade at of all places, Queens, New York, ideally suited foh de King himself, to surrender his life to Christ and get baptized.

Waiting for Dr Slinger Francisco at de Crusade site dat morning to administer water baptism, was Vin-sin-shun Pastor, Dr. Morgan, ah big name in SDA Inter-nah-shun-all circles. He is ah leading Eve-angel-ace of de World Church of SDA and has already baptized over 30,000 members plus Sparrow. Interestingly my girl Lie-Za notes two events of Royal significance dat took place dis month. On Sat-dey 3rd. Sept. Sparrow de undisputed King of Calypso became ah “Born Again Christian;” ah “brand new Create-shun,” and five days later on Sept 8th., de late Queen Elizabeth had her “Rein” cut. She asking me if ah think Sparrow had anything to do wid dat!

Right now de Love Vine is flowering over Sparrow’s conversion as well as de spiritual accomplishment of our very own Pastor and Doctor Claudius Morgan. Hopefully we might just hear de born again Sparrow along wid Eve-angel-list Morgan doing ah Gospelypso duet. But mischievous Lie-Za will be inviting Eve-angel-list Morgan to hold ah SDA Crusade Under de Tent in SVG, to baptise another 30,000 members of de “Jesus Party” headed by de PM. She doh want him Bapt-ties in no Bar-tub ah water like de last time. She want to VDO tape de session like Sparrow’s, to hear his open confession and witness de tidal wave if and when dey manage to get him completely submerged. She is trouble eh. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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