Tribute to Black Stalin and Bob Marley

Ah dreamt ah was ah Pastor and was sent country-side last Sunday to preach to ah congregation wid only ah handful ah predominantly senior citizens. Nice ole folks, Poor, Polite and Humble who greeted me foh de New Year. Ah reminded dem dat de Christ-Mas was over, dat one ah we most loved Carol “O Holy Night”, how initially it was struck off de church list of songs because it was written by an atheist, man who didn’t believe in God.

Den sadly, ah reminded dem dat another of our soldiers had fallen; de Great, Conscious Black Bredda, Leroy Calliste wid de sobriquet, Black Stalin, gone to de great beyond, to be wid other spiritually conscious Breddas, including Bob Marley who left us 42 years ago. Yuh should hear de big: “Amen, Hallelujah!” ah got for me opening sentence.

Continuing, ah told dem dat long ago we had many Great,Humble and Fearless Men, fully Inspired to deliver de Master’s message. But dey uses to get “shut down and shut up” by de so-called righteous ones. Men in charge of de land, de Church, de Boards, de Progressives! Development-all-list! Nah-shun-all, pull-it-tek-all, Can-have-all. But however, today is speci-all, and as ah mark of respect and appreciation for their numerous, spiritually inspiring and motivating songs, we would be dedicating de entire Service to de two Breddas, Stalin and Marley!

Who tell me to say dat! De lickle congregation of poor Black believers froze, dey went numb, motionless; den one after de other, dey grabbed dey hand bags wid de offering, Bible, Hymn
Book, lickle grand-children, den looked towards de pulpit, gave me ah wicked “bad-eye” and slowly headed foh de door.

But Alas! luckily ah had appraised de Praise ‘N’ Worship team of what to expect. Dis is ah small hand-full ah young, committed musicians and singers, powerful and always ready. Dey immediately struck up one ah Stalin’s liveliest hit, ‘Bun-Dem’ “Judgement morning, ah by de gate and ah waiting because ah begging de Mastah, give me ah wuk wid Peter; it have some sinners coming, is dem I will be dealing, wid de things dat dey do me, ah will be fixing dem personally Peter wait! Peter wait! Ah 5 Star General by de gate!”

Watch nah, was like de La Suffrey erupt. De young, ole and in between, made ah 180 degrees about turn, and started to dance inside and outside de church. Den de Praise ‘N’ Worship team change de tune, dis time to “Sufferers” another Starlin’s hit, joyfully dey sang :

“Ah Racist is someone who living happy And all dey family doing well

So Racist talk is not foh people in de Ghetto catching Hell!

Sufferers doh care but colour, Sufferers doh care bout face.”

More eruption! De heavy sounds had travelled across de street over to ah Hard Court wid about two dozen youth-men playing ‘small goal football’. Dey immediately abandoned play and came over to join de Sunday Morning Praise ‘N’ Worship.

By den church full and running over. Ah stylish lickle Ole sister wid ah green and black wig, waived her hand signalling to de musicians dat she had something to say: “Pastah,” she said, “ ah want to sing ah Bab Marley.” So ah gave her de OK wink and said “Certainly!” And wid ah voice as strong as ah trumpet, like throwing words, she belched out: “Man to man is so unjust,” De youngsters loudly in response: “We doh kno’ who to trust…,who de cap fit ley dem wear it.”

De Spirit was moving, young Bryan said he wanted to share his problems. He spoke about his love life, he was TRY-in to get his common-law wife and kids to come back home, same time somebody started to sing:

“You can make it if you TRY, just ah lickle bit harder!”

Ah signal de band it was time foh my message, but Bro Jim insisted dat we sing just one more fee de road by Bredda Bab.

He said: “ One Love! One Heart!… Let’s get together and everything will be all right!”

Ah woke up. Is also time foh de Church to wake up! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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