Santiwah

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Well I guess most of you surfing the internet for calypso music must have come across some very interesting sites. Recently I was looking up information about calypso during the formative years. One name that kept showing up was the Smithsonian. The link provided below takes you to the Smithsonian Folkways Recording site.  At that site you can look up information about Lord Melody, Lord Invader and many of the other Griots of that period and listen to the recordings of these musical heros. Even better is the fact that you can purchase copies of the recordings and start a collection with music from some of the greatest ambassadors of the art form. Santimanitay!

http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html

Trini Queens Go Forth

The Tourism Development Company (TDC) sponsored Miss Trinidad and Tobago contest to pick representatives for the Miss Universe and Miss World competitions came to a grand end last night at Club Zen. 

The beauties selected should do well and make us proude not just because of their good looks but also because of their charm and education.

GABRIELLE WALCOTT, 24, of Petit Valley will represent this country at the 2008 Miss World pageant in Vietnam while Anya Ayoung-Chee, 26, of Maraval will represent TT at the Miss Universe pageant in the Ukraine.

Good luck ladies, make us proud!

Say Hello To Salmon Cupid's E Pan

Salmon Cupid bravely entered the frontier of the electronic world and came up with a mixture of technology that looks like and mimics the sound of the steel pan. Salmon, born and raised in Trinidad now lives in Canada where he teaches music. It was a natural progression, as a pannist himself, to be curious to the extent that he now owns the patent for his invention the E Pan. Play the video and marvel at the genius of this Trinidadian inventor.

Trini Sociology

Tonight while surfing the internet at 2:53 am I came across this article entitled Trini Sociology. It is very good and an interesting read that will surely put a smile on your face. Please use the link above (highlighted text) or URL link below to read this very interesting article. The beauty of the article is the fact that you know everything that was stated and if you reside outside of Trinidad and Tobago it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

http://nikki10412.tripod.com/dict.html

Say what, Goat Races? Well let’s add Crab races to that also … Only in Tobago!

Every Easter weekend in the village of Buccoo in Tobago a very unique and rib tickling festival takes place. In this festival the people get together and pretend to be owners of pedigree goats and crabs and participate in one of the Wackiest sporting event that you will remember for years to come – the famous Tobago Goat and Crab races.

The Easter holiday weekend that comprises of Good Friday, Glorious Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday fattens the pockets of the entrepreneurs in easy going Tobago with many Trinidadians travelling to the sister island to enjoy the beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters of Tobago. Some crab and dumplings are a must for everyone visiting the island but on this weekend maybe you can have the opportunity to race your crab then enjoy ‘your horse’ with some glorious dumplings.  The Easter weekend tradition of Goat and crab racing started more than seventy five years ago and has imitated the pageantry of the horse racing that is so popular in Trinidad. The jockeys for these goats run behind the goats that are dressed in colors that stand out. The Goats are also given names that are simply an extension of the jockey’s ego.  If you are a betting person then make sure your jockey is healthy and can run with the goat because a fast goat with a slow jockey will not result in success. 

The Crab races are comedy in action with the crabs running in all directions. Most of the time the crabs are lifted with the strings attached and coaxed with a tug to go in the direction of the finish line. It is total chaos when the races start with people on the sideline crouching and whipping their behinds as if they are riding a horse. Others are screaming and running down the lines put to keep the visitors out of the ‘race track’ all the way to the finish line. It is total fun, a belly hurt, a rib tickler that one should be prepared to experience. The highlight is Easter Tuesday when Buccoo comes alive with the Goats and Crabs the main focus for the curious onlookers. Food and drinks will be on sale and everyone does well. I love my goat roti and crab and dumplings but watching the races is just as much fun.

What is Extempo?

Source for Article: Wikipedia

Extempo

Extempo (also extempo calypso) is a lyrically improvised form of calypso and is most notably practiced in Trinidad and Tobago. It consists of a performer improvising in song or in rhythmic speech on a given theme before an audience who themselves take turns to perform. It is inherently competitive and success is judged by the wit and ingenuity of the performance.

It is similar in form to what has been defined as traditional African song: "a recitative or chants with a short chorus. The soloist gives the melody while a chorus sings a refrain. As the melody is given out, they turn to one another, each improvising in turn. Extempo tends to comprise topics from current events treated with mockery, ridicule and sarcasm, or with flattery or praise.”

The Art of Extempo

It is characterized either by the “single tone”, consisting of four-line stanzas or the “double tone”, which has eight line stanzas. There are four basic melodies common to extempo; “Santimanitay”, “Matilda”, “Miss Mary Ann” and “Big Bamboo.” The most widely used is Santimanitay. Another characteristic of extempo is that the performer must be able to think quickly on his feet since the subjects are handed out on the spot and the lyrics are improvised.

Extempo War

The competitive nature of extempo is reflected in the annual Trinidad Carnival with a formal extempo competition for the title of National Extempo Monarch. Extempo War, or warring, is the practice of competitors attacking each others efforts at extempo in the course of their own performance. It is not an essential part of competition, but is a regular feature, and an entertaining one.

Extempo war may also be called simply Calypso War.

Not all extempo performance is competitive. Away from competition formal roles for extempo performers are typically as MCs or hosts at private functions.

Related oral/musical traditions

It is similar to the United States tradition of 'yo mama' or the dozens in its competitive aspect but may be distinguished in that the aim is not to improvise humorous abuse to an opponent incorporating a given form of words, but to entertain an audience of ones competitors while extemporizing on a given theme. The abuse or sarcasm may be directed either at ones competitors or at subjects relevant to that theme, ideally both.

It is also similar to the United States tradition of freestyle rap.

Notable Extempo Artists

  Big B

  Black Sage

  Gypsy

  Lady Africa

  Lord Relator (Willard C. Harris)

Shortpants (Llewllyn Macintosh

Rum Chutney or the making of a Rum Culture?

Carnival 2K8 is moving along like a well oiled machine. As with everything else there is always something to complain about. However, in this case I believe that it is warranted. I initially posted this article on my Vox blog but decided that it was worthy to be included as an installment in this forum.  I have said it before that the East Indian community in Trinidad has a sickness call rum drinking that it needs to have addressed. The recent crop of Chutney songs tends to support this sickness by glorifying the drinking of rum. Surely the rum manufacturers are happy that they don’t even need to pay to advertise their products with so much free advertising being aired on the air waves. I must take this opportunity to compliment one radio personality in particular, Mr. Damion Melville; he is the flagship of WACK radio and chooses not to play anything that sends the wrong message. We need more people like Mr. Melville to send the message out to these artistes that they need to do the right thing otherwise their music won’t be heard on the radio. I must mention that the other radio personalities on WACK radio do play some of the songs that Mr. Melville refuses to play on his show. Just reflect on the lyrics that follow:

"Yuh could bring it in a bottle,

yuh could bring it in a flask.

You could send it in a cup,

you could bring it in a glass.

Ah want mih rum in de morning.

Ah want mih rum in de evening."

These lyrics come from Hunter the Hitman’s monster hit “Bring it” with the remix version being the most popular with an assist from Bunji Garlin.  The Rum Chutney phenomenon as the Trinidad Express chooses to call it is a big problem that needs to be addressed. I have said it in the WACK radio 90.1 FM forums and have written about these types of lyrics before.  The music is infectious indeed but the lyrics are dangerously alarming.  There is no doubt in my mind that many young people think it is cool and even ‘sexy’ to take a drink when the music is playing. The Hitman is not the only one who has glorified rum. Adesh Samaroo, Ravi Bissambhar and a few others choose to take their God given talent and glorify rum instead of singing about positive topics.  Rum drinking in the East Indian community is a very big problem and with these Chutney Stars glorifying this purveyor of more hard core drugs it has become a time to tell these singers that they need to stop.

“Bring it” is a monster hit for this carnival season, and I must admit that I like the music but couldn’t the lyrics have been about something other than rum for heaven’s sake.  If only one person chooses to take a drink of rum and feels that it was cool to do so because of the song then as good as the music is it has to be considered a monumental failure on the part of the composer/singer. We need to rid ourselves of these demons not encourage a generation to follow suit down this narrow road to a black hole at the end of what they believe to be the end of the rainbow. The video that follows is a live performance that is available for download from Youtube.

The Culture of Trinidad and Tobago

The islands of Trinidad and Tobago are the most southerly in the chain of islands that make up the Caribbean region.  The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago comprises of two major islands and several groups of smaller islands that number approximately 28, but the official number of major islands number about 23. The others are merely rocks that barely show on the surface.  It is a very cosmopolitan society that comprises of African, East Indian, Syrian, Lebanese, Portuguese, Jewish and European decedents. It is this mix of races that have created a virtual potpourri of cultural delights that is second to none in the region.

The islands are famous for their pre Lenten Carnival celebrations that bathes the landscape with a myriad of carnival bands that blend costumes of various sizes washed in the colors of the rainbow.  It is a fantastic experience with people of all races and cultural background dancing and frolicking on the roadways of the major towns for two glorious days of revelry.  The music that fuels this insane dancing, wining and bacchanal is unique to the islands but has spread like a wild fire up and down the chain of islands. Calypso, Soca, Rapso and Chutney music with the various mixes of all this hip crunching music sweeten the music that emanates from the steel orchestras (our gift to the World and the only acoustic musical instrument that was invented during the 20^th century) are only part of the story.  Parang music is widely played during the Christmas season with the many various forms of East Indian music including pichakaree sweeten the pot of musical madness. Best Village performances bring back the traditional African and French Creole dances and the World famous Limbo dances.  It is truly a melting pot of people and musical rhythms that make the Oil rich islands a desirable destination.

The cultural expressions of the people are vibrant and the nation swings into a joyous symphony of joy and 'bacchanalish' mentality during the Carnival season. Everyone should experience Carnival the way Trinis (citizens of Trinidad and Tobago) do … come and wine with us!