Good In-d-pen-dance Parade

Full marks foh de Organ-noisers foh ah brilliant I-dare to shift de In-de-pen-dance Anniversary Celebrations from morning to an Evening/night Function. Fresh in dem lickle youths minds should be de Military Parade dat was graced wid de presence of forty (40) visiting Vincy born Sailors from de British Navy. Ah contingent of male and female Officers immaculately dressed in white from crown to ground; dey went thru de drills well, and doh ask bout de overwhelming reception dey got from ah very large Victoria Park crowd. Just about every uniformed organization was well represented at de Parade : “Police, Nurses, Cadets, Rangers, plenty Girl Guides and how well did dey march. Lie-Za say she saw every group except Boy Scouts; ah have to check dat out, hope she mis-saw, she love come-mess and would love to mek mischief say: “ Big ULP In-de-pen-dance Parade and no Scouts in attendance{“ Being ah member of Boy Scouts was one ah de best thing dat happened to me as ah youth growing up). Girl Guides and Boy Scouts would have made ah big difference in de lives of those of us who wore dat uniform, obeyed de Rules/Laws and earned proficiency Badges, Camp Life sleeping under ah canvas tent. We never slept, talk-all-night. Ah still remember de Scout’s Honour or Pledge.

Lie-Za say de Anniversary Ceremony Military Parade was going good until de person who was supposed to address de Nay-Shun, and should ah given ah short In-dip-and-dance Birthday Greetings to de young people, went on foh ah whole hour to calm-pain fee Elect-shun next year.

And den dey was de high-point of de Parade, ah Cultural Presentation. Lie-Za say she read some way dat de ministry promised dat de night parade will be ah breathtaking display of national pride, and cultural heritage. And from de time she saw de opening Act she cry-out: “ Isn’t dis ah Nah-shun-all thing, couldn’t dey spare us and open de show wid de Rose Hall Bum Drum, (spread it out). Someone next to her said doh cry lady, welcome to de Ministry ah Cultural Club show.

Ah answered question all night as if I am Car-loss. “Wasn’t dis supposed to be ah Nah-shun-all In-de-pen-dance Cultural Package covering 45 years of de Nay-shun’s Best?” she asked. At first, she had welcome de Rhythm Section, but when she did not see Starlift Steel Orchestra, de 2024 Junior and Senior Steel Band Panorama Champions, she start getting mad. Sadly since de ravages of Hurry-Came Beryl, earlier dis year, we have had as our In-de-pen-dance guests, almost de whole ah Union Island, students and adults, pon de mainland. Like Lie-Za was going mad wid questions! “Where is de Union Island Big Drum Dance in our Festival? Where is de Garifuna Quadrille Dancers from Sandy Bay? Way Madzart de Nah-shun-all Calypso King 2024 dey, way de Junior Calypso and Soca Monarchs dey?? Where is Vibrating Scakes de Raining In-de-pendant Calypso Monarch wid one ah de most appropriate and relevant Nah-shun-all song: “ Our Nay-shun is born?”. Where is Doctor ABC “Becket Cyrus wid his Calypso masterpiece :” St Vincent I Love You. How dare you have an In-de-pen-dance Cultural Show yuh doh have Becket or Scakes but yuh have one man singing these fellas Calypso. Minister James, we have ah country to build and yuh have yet ah Culture Ministry to build. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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