Santiwah

From Babash to 10 Cane Rum | Down Memory Lane

Many moons ago (please don’t ask, smile) I was employed with the Ministry of Works in Arima. The main office was located in a small building opposite the Arima Municipal stadium (“The Velodrome”). My first assignment was on the Blanchieusse road where one of the bridges collapsed. Not long after that assignment I was sent to work on the construction of the Bridge across the Arima River located on the Arima Old Road. This Bridge leads to the Arima Senior Comprehensive School and was an important link for the buses to get to the school. OK, so I was the “Checker” who kept the records at the site and our foreman’s name was Mr. Julian Reid – a wonderful man. This is where I learned the ins and outs of Babash.

Harrilal Singh, a resident of Central Trinidad would bring the “coffee” as we called it because the guys working in the river area needed “something to warm up the insides”. We had this triangular piece of half inch steel that Clyde, our in-house steel bender, designed that would act as our cow bell to call the guys in. The sound of the bell did not indicate that it was break time, it was a call to the senses that something special had arrived. The sounding bell was not like that of the primary schools where one would cringe because it was time to get to classes - this was different. It was used to let the guys know that it was time to leave the the rive and come up for some “coffee”. The only thing is that this “coffee”, if poured on a piece of lumbar and lighted would easily behave like gasoline – and it felt like fire rushing down your throat, not because it was hot like a traditional coffee drink, but because of the alcohol content. To be honest and in retrospect, that was literally fire-water. The concoction also had a unique scent that is typical of this home brew. Yes it was an illegal brew but those were the good ole days – say whatever you want but that is how I feel about that period of my life.

These memories and the need for a new name for one of my earlier blogs led me to select Babash as the new name for the previously named site Trini2DMarrow.vox.com. Vox was a free site owned by Six Apart - the Typepad people. Babash the blog does not exist anymore but the brew that lit up our senses back then now has a regal name to it. A refined and remix of the original recipe has been given the midas touch by Moët Hennessy and is being sold to the International community under the name 10 Cane Rum. 

This legal brew is only available for purchase,in Trinidad, at the duty free section at Piarco Airport but is easily available in the United States and other major cities around the World. The procuct is produced in St. Madeline in South Trinidad and is made from the first press of the sugar cane and not brewed from molasses. The first press of the sugar cane is then sent to Angostura limited where it is now blended with aged Angostura rum to produce the latest iteration of the brew. "Hey,what a t'ing indeed." Bush Rum that is; Babash has grown up and it took a French Company to see the light.

Indeed, the drink has a kick and lit up many lives back in the day. Now it has a regal price of US $31.00 a bottle. However, the changes to the brew have kept the original babash drink unique and can still stand alone as the original fire-water. Some have likened the 10 Cane Rum drink to the Brazilian Cachaça rum. The Hennessey site states that it takes 10 stalks of sugar cane to produce one bottle of the rum, hense the name 10 Cane Rum. So when you think of Babash the drink, think about the regal nature of 10 Cane rum, a product of Trinidad recreated and reblended by Moët Hennessy and all the stars will be aligned just right.

Cut Arse For Hog Mango - That was just wrong!

That is just wrong… nobody should get licks for mango – especially Hog Mango (the other Rose Mango). “That was ah cut arse boi”. Now those were different times and licks was a given for anykind of behavior that was deemed to be inappropiate. It should also be noted that if our neighbors caught us in nonsense they had the right to give us a 'tap" and it we complained then it was more licks at home (because we should know better).

Well as I reflect about that memorable day, It was early one Saturday morning that Cheezy and I decided that we were going to the Bacra Johnny (local whites) Sawmill to get some wood to build a Pigeon Coob (coup). Now Cheezy was my next door neighbor and childhood friend who always seem to get me in trouble - I never learned and feel in with his nonsense everytime. We made our way past those pothounds that continuously made a nuisance of themselves and ended up at the sawmill. I could hear the band saw singing as it ripped apart the logs to create sheets of wood to be sold at the hardware stores. We searched through the discarded pieces of lumber and came up with just the right pieces for our project. 

We tied up the wood and were on our way home when the heavens opened and the rain poured to the earth. I remember saying to Cheezy: “I eh going through dat rain, If I get wet meh modder go cut meh arse.” So we decided to shelter from the rain in a yard that had a “Hog mango” tree that was ‘laden’ with ripe mangoes. Well we thought we were lucky because with the wind and rain mango started falling from the tree. Man we had ah time; We ate mangoes like they were 'going outa style oui'.

After the rain eased we headed home and took the wood to Cheezy’s back yard with plans to build the coup. Everything was fine and we went about our business (being lazy and hanging around the house).

Later that day while hanging out at the pig pen at Cheezy's home I heard my mother calling me. Boys will be boys so I jumped the chicken wire fence and went to see why my mother was calling. Oh gosh this is hell I remember thinking because right there she was with her hands on her hips looking pretty upset. Yes it was the owner of the mango tree where we sheltered the rain.

When my mother started to talk about the mango I was adamant and did not respond to her questions regarding the 'the mango skins' that littered the yard next to the entrance of the lady's home. Eventually I blurted out,"Me eh thief no mango and  iz hog mango too".

Lordy who told me to say that! The licks started right there and I could hear the lady saying 'that is enough, that is enough'. As it turned out the lady was not upset that we ate the mango but we ate so many that we forget to clean up the mess we made in her yard. To be honest we never had any intention to clean up anything and that cut arse was well deserved. 

Photo Source:http://www.search.co.tt/trinidad/food/mango.html

Bridge to the Past

Come go... Arima tonight, Sangre Grande tomorrow night. Did you know that this classic was sung by Houdini way back in 1931 (Cote ci Cote la - Trinidad Dictionary). It is considered a classic 'lavway' or ole-time calypso.

Growing up in Arima was a wonderful experience for me and this song was one that just about every Arimian knows - I can't vouch for the now generation whom are caught up in Hip Hop, Rap and Jamaican Dub.

We always say bring back dem ole time days but as we are aware time waits on no man. Let us cherish our memories but we can hold on to a piece of the past by purchasing these classic recordings and playing them back for our children to learn about our past music.

I have been perusing web pages for music and video about motherland Trinidad and have found a few 'memorable ones' that I have already purchased. You can go to Film Baby at this address: http://www.filmbaby.com/. Just put Trinidad in the search area and you will get a few items about the homeland that you will absolutely want to purchase.

I recommend that you purchase this special DVD entitled Calypso Dreams that is also available at http://www.calypsodreams.com/. This film is a winner and one that you will cherish and play for your friends over and over again.

If you find a site with some good information on the homeland or some place where we can obtain some of the classic music just respond to this post and I will highlight it in the Blog.