De One Man Shaker Band

Ah truly N-joy’d looking at last Wednesday’s live television coverage of de Spiritual Baptist’s “ First Nah-shun-all hollow-Day” concert at Victoria Park. Madam Lie-Za did her research and she is both Ah-mused and ah-maized, how so many people know so lickle bout Spiritual Baptist, dey jumping all-over so-shell me-dey-yah commenting wid-in and wid-out bout dis organ-I-say-shun.
No disrespect is intended, but way Religion is concerned, Spiritual Baptist is like de neglected or dis-own bastard child in ah village way poor people pickney raise-up.
In terms of pop-yuh-lay-shun it was Anglican, Met-dis, Cat-lick, Shakers- not Spiritual Baptist- Salvation
Army; wid Brethren, SDA at de bottom. Dey was no Evangelical or Pentecostal. Just foh de
records SDA is #1.
Most Spiritual Baptists worshipped in ah Wattle and Daub house. Foh de younger ones dat’s de original estate slave hut, one bedroom apartments. One Finnish Architect proudly described det Wattle’n’Daub as de original West Indian house. Walls made from mud plastered both sides, woven lattice, strips or sticks; de roof was grass. De walls plastered wid mud, reinforced wid de roof was grass, mud floor. In de 1940/1950’s my beloved Murray Village, still had quite ah number of Wattle and Daub huts. Spiritual Baptist Leader, Pointer Louis lived in ah small Wattle’n’Daub hut, an in de same yard ah large hut, “de Praise House” wid ah Spiritual
Chamber in which lots ah Pilgrims came from de near-bring villages to Mourn.
And den dey was Miss Williams, ah “ Spiritual Mother”. She lived one house above me in ah big board house in which she held Meetings/Praise. She uses to go to Trinidad to Mourn. When she returned, dey was ah home coming feast wid Praise, lots ah fry-fish and roast breadfruit,
bakes wid chocolate-tea. De head table was brightly lit wid candles decorated wid Spiritual
Paraphernalia: beads, flowers, several glasses of water, dried rice, dried corn, pop corn, etc. But
at some point in de Meeting she would share in minute details, experiences on her spiritual
journey on de Mourning Ground. On one of her journeys she was promoted to ah Spiritual Messenger, and given ah Spiritual gift of ah bell. She was loud and firm when she said: “ Not any and everybody allowed to ring Spiritual Baptist bell, only de Pointer will touch dis.” Just before the Feast, an invitation was opened to anyone who wanted to “kneel and say de Lord’s Prayer!” Same time Granny Forbes pushed Elma, her grand-daughter towards de Holy Table. Elma was given ah candle, and on her knees she started to pray. De singing started and Elma
jumped till she passed-out, (slain in de spirit) Somebody said “ Oh lard Elma dead-way!” Was like Pande-mourn-um broke loose. De Pilgrims went to wuk, de singing got louder, and de
rhythmic jumping intensified, Elma awoke and was in full spirit. I did not wait foh food, ah ran home! In our child-like ignorance we went to mock, but after Elma’s Spiritual Encounter, ah kept my distance, ah doh mess around at Spiritual Baptist Meetings.

By Thursday morning, my ole buddy Joe, from Rose Bank now living in Canada called to tell me how he thoroughly enjoyed watching de Baptist Celebration at Victoria Park. He’s comical eh.
He said he never knew our Pry-mini-star was so musically talented, how he saw him playing Drum, Ringing Bell, Dancing like ah Pilgrim between de ladies, and singing: “Ah never Get
Weary Yet!” Joe got me still laughing. He wants to be around when de PM goes fooling around and gets “slain in de Spirit.” Den he suggested foh diss year Vincy Mas, to play Ole Mas: “ stuff me guts wid two pillows, put on ah Shaker gown, band-up me head, ah drum hanging round me neck, ah bell in one hand and in de other hand ah Placard marked: “ 5:00 p.m. De One Man Shaker Band! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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