Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar

Chose-dey Night, ah was listening to de 3-Owe Bert, Brian and Patches on Nice Radio’s program, as fans and regular listeners to Nice Radio were pledging dey pennies and dey pounds to Save Nice Radio from de Dis-truck-shun of De-muck-we-see. Suddenly ah gentle male voice called to pledge $4, 000 on de behalf of eight prominent Seventh Day Adventist Assemblies. Each branch was pledging $500. Ah was overjoyed and de only words ah could ah find to say was: “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar!”

Dis is ah bold step taken by de SDA Assemblies. It is commendable and indeed ah precedent. Ah was telling Lie-Za how it would be great if de Christian Council, Pentecostal, Evangelical and other Assemblies, could do likewise. She say, never! Dey all backed-up in ah corner playing “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar!”

Trouble is, ah don’t have ah clue what de heck dis “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar is all about, except to say it is ah Sync line in “Brave,” one of dis year’s explosive Soca song, by ah youngster whose Sobriquet is Dynamite!! It playing often in ah Courts Ad, which is suggesting dat foh all yuh shopping needs and problems, it’s “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar … Courts!”

Man ah love it bad, especially when on one hand in SVG we facing ah murder rate of 13 foh de year, of which 12 ah dem is by de bullet; and on de other hand, de PM is looking to close down Nice Radio, foh his quarter million dollars law suit he won against de Stay-shun. De masses must pay de Man his money and ah “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar!”

Lie-Za likes how Dr Friday driving de PM over de edge, pressuring him foh financial statements – audited by de Director of Audit – foh de nation’s monies spent on de Argyle Airport and by PetroCaribe. She say de PM mad like de Monk, how Friday behaving like he got inside info. He got de PM resorting to de-rag-ah-tree language trying to be insultive. She say next par-liar-mint, Dr Friday must ask when will de Go-venom-mint stop playing “Rat-Tah-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar” and present de audited finances.

Is like insults is de pet phrase among present and former Prime Ministers. How deer Mr Bruce Golding, former PM of Jah-mek-her insulting de Prime Ministers of Aunt-Tiga and Sin-Vin-Sin say deh talking “Foolishness” when dey call foh “non interference in de Venezuela Cry-Sis.” Golding could afford to talk, he done pay-back Venezuela all de PetroCaribe loan, but not only does SVG still owe PetroCaribe, at home Friday and dem saying de Go-venom-mint can’t even Ah-count foh PetroCaribe money. By request ah had to check de Encyclopedia foh de real meaning ah “Foolishness” dat Golding calling dem guys. It says “lack of good sense of judgement, stupidity!” It hurts to call anyone foolish. Is better Golding did say Gone-Soft and Browne talking: “Rat-Tah- Rat-Tah, Rat-Tah-Tey-Tan-Tey-Tar!”

Ah ask Lie-Za to explain why de Carnival Diners Club spent thousand ah dollars to fly kaiso judges to New York foh one night, to end up picking one kaisonian foh de semifinals. She tell me to ask Dynamite. Den ah ask her when will de kaisonians demand a judging system that will ensure dat the best kaisos make it to de semis and finals. No problem, she say, just mek sure her boy Dynamite sing on both nights.

Wid de count down foh 40 Years ah Vincy Mas on, Lie-Za arranging foh Blondie Bird to build her ah Queen ah de Bands costume to match her Road March song. Den she slam it on and said: “it’s Rat-Tah-Tah-Tah-Tah-Rat-Tah-Tah-Tay-Tan-Tey Tarrr!” And wid dat is gone ah gone again

One Love Bassy

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