Santiwah

Ramajay

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #78 (www.trinizagada.com)

Yuh is ah Trini | "Ramajay"

I had some things to do this evening but I got caught up with the words Ramajay and Congosa and decided that they should become part of the "Yuh is ah Trini" series of posts. I can recall a professor coming into the office where I worked and expressed the opinion that the word Ramajay meant "the dance of a bird fluttering in the air". Immediately I thought of the humming bird but at the same time I knew from my experiences growing up in Trinidad that this is not my understanding of the word Ramajay. So for this post I will not deal with Congosa but focus on the word Ramajay and give you my experiences and understanding of the word and its use. At the same time I will also take a look at the way others use the word and hopefully we can come to a common understanding. If after reading this post you don't agree with my comments or take on this word then don't hesitate to leave a comment. I will post every comment so as to ensure that every voice is heard thereby leading to a better understanding of the word - so let's Ramajay!

 My first experience with the word Ramajay was as a child living with my parents and growing up at Olton Road in Arima. My uncles and their friends had birds. Now we are not simply speaking about semps and bananaquits (sickeyea) but pico plaits and canaries and other whistlers. These birds became a Sunday whistling treat. Every Sunday morning these owners would gather 'on the block' and place their birds close to each other for a whistling competition. One of the meanings found in the Trinidad dictionary Côté ci Côté is the "sustained whistling of a bird". In other words the bird that whistled the most, the longest and with 'melodic embellishments' was considered the best and one would say, "dat bird could ramajay boi". Melodic embellishments would be accomplished by teaching the bird to roll the whistle like a bird of another variety.  This is my first understanding of the word Ramajay!

Some other interesting uses of the word Ramajay also come into play. Once again I will take reference from Côté ci Côté la. We already dealt with the warbling and sustained whistling of birds but there are other uses of the word that comes into play in different circumstances. However, the main theme, in my view, borrows from the bird example. Côté ci Côté makes reference to a musical improvisation and to cuss and carry on at length. Trinidadians would understand the reference made with ease but this may be difficult for someone who has not experienced the Trinidad English vernacular. If you keep in mind the melodious singing theme then it may become palatable even thought foreigners will find it very difficult to understand a conversation spoken by a group of Trinis at home. One may need someone to 'translate' the conversation. That is a fact!

Machel Montano has a song names 'Ramajay' from his 2010 musical library. His rendition gives light to a meaning that most people find more acceptable today. In other words when a Trini or a West Indian 'come to Ramajay' in this scenario it lends to the idea that "we come to party". This is the meaning from the Urban dictionary (www.urbandictioanary.com)- West Indian meaning to party.  From the YouTube music clip that is attached to this post I have added a comment by diversityguy who stated: "The word "ramajay" loosely refers to letting go and breaking away.

Côté ci Côté la refers to "musical improvisation"; "It's mostly used in steel pan circles to reflect improvisation in playing pan with particular skill". In Trinidad the term is called "Pan Ramajay"!  In 1989 Exodus steel orchestra started a competition with the name "Pan Ramajay" to provide an outlet for steel pan music outside of the Panorama and Carnival setting. However, this was special because it was more about highlighting improvisations and skill of the players and not necessarily that of the musical arranger. Pan Ramajay has come a long way thanks to the efforts ofHowever, it's mostly used in steel pan circles to reflect improvisation in playing pan with particular skill".  Amin Mohammed and members of Exodus steel orchestra.

The other term mentioned was 'to cuss and carry on at length'. Well if you have been privy to a neighborhood cussing session then surely you will understand the reference to 'Ramajay'. Some of the ladies in the villages have this down to an art and it can become a very entertaining session indeed. 

So to end, I guess you can understand why I have labored with the 'singing/whistling' theme; I believe that all references stem from the bird analogy. What do you think?

Machel Montano - Ramajay (Soca 2010)

How To Fix Yuh Man|D'Trini Way

Yuh is ah Trini|"If yuh know how to fix yuh man"

Now just before we get into this post I must state that the major reason for "fixing" is a result of the love for "D'Saltfish". Trini men simply love dey saltfish and Trini women know how to fix it just right. It is recommended that saltfish is eaten at a minimum of two times a week to keep the body standing on firm ground and intact - this helps to clear your mind and ensure that you are sane as you face the daily stress that is shoved on your face daily. Now it is your turn to figure out if I was talking about Newfoundland cod or Trini Saltfish. In any case Sparrow said that he is 'its greatest lover'.  So if the priest could play who is me.  By the way, I like my saltfish with cassava eh... Get yuh mind out of the gutter.

The immediate question to ask is what is mean by the term "fix yuh man". This is not a case where something needs to be mended but wait one minute maybe to "fix yuh man" can be regarded as a case of fixing.  We are not talking about "fixing" as in "fixing the race in your favor" but fixing as in to control or to ensure that the man heed the wisdom or wishes of the "other half". This 'other half' who could be a girlfriend or spouse or live in companion likes nothing better that to have control of her lover or loved one. The act of "fixing the man" can be accomplished in very cleaver ways. Now if you are a true Trini or as we like to say "yuh is as Trini" then you are very aware of the ways women "fix men" in Trinidad. 

One common term is "fix de bitch nah" and in this case it simply means to spade the female dog to ensure that she does not get pregnant. As you are aware when a dog is in heat the pot-hounds gather in a pack to take turns at the female who will willingly accommodate the males that she favors. But  in the case of men and women what does a woman do to get control of her man? You got it my friend she fixes him but this is not like the case of the dogs even though she may look at him and consider him "a dog" at times. She fixes him sometimes because she wants to ensure that he does not look at other women (he likes to stray from home - dog syndrome), sometimes for financial reasons, sometimes because she is very selfish and controlling or simply because 'she can or believes she can'. So how does she "fix her man?"

Well I dealt with this subject previously with the posts "Sweat Rice", "Beh Beh Man" and "Goumangala" and for the sake of this post simply post some of the ways this is accomplished. Simply use the search bar above to search for "sweat rice" and the posts can be found in Trinizagada. 

So here is the short list or the "how to" to get control of that pesky lover:

Sweat Rice

The woman removes her panties and stoops over steaming rice and allows the steam to condense and fall back to the rice. That is the case of a sweating vagina and backside 'pardna'. She then give the man the rice to eat - "pardna yuh dogs dead oui".

Wood Slave in the Rice

The zagada or house lizard is taken to the high priestess or obeaman who puts a charm on the creature. The woman then takes it home and cooks it in the rice. The zagada is removed, the rice drained and then give to the man to eat. Same outcome - "yuh officially become ah Beh Beh Man. 

Frozen Cucumber

There is science and art with this method.  First yuh need to get a healthy looking cucumber, cut it open and take out some of the core. Now take some honey and put it inside, spread around well eh (doh worry ah listened well). Now get a piece of parchment paper and write the persons name on it, wrap the paper well and place it in the honey soup inside the cucumber. Now close the cucumber and seal it with hot candle wax. Take the cucumber and place it in the freezer compartment of  your refrigerator. Turn it a few times (yuh might notice that the man is a little restless when yuh turn the cucumber).  After the cucumber is frozen that man is as quiet as an angel - yuh in control!

Ganga Channa

Yek, this is just plain nasty. This might get the man sick rather that control him but all the same here is the trick... Ah know some of the ladies taking note eh. To put it as simple as I can this is simply dried poop that is parched and sprinkled on the persons food. You are now not just a fool but ah dam fool my friend.

Shaved Pubic Hair

People used hair form their head, armpit but the most important hair used is pubic hair it always comes back to the Bermuda Triangle if yuh ask me. The hair is burnt then crushed and sprinkled on the food the man eats. I don't know how this one works since burnt hair gives off such a strong scent. I guess the strength of this method remains in the Bermuda triangle of love between the woman's legs eh.

Spiked Sorrel

Gosh this is just nasty if yuh ask me. I am not going into this one that is dealt with in detail in Beh Beh man. Simply know that it is a touch of blessed menstrual cycle by product that is added to the sorrel drink. I am only drink sorrell that is sold in the parlour with the name cannings on the bottle. Sorrel at home for Christman - "only from meh muddah eh"!

Breast Milk

Bring it on or better yet let meh get it from the sourse just point meh in the right direction. In am not afraid of this one as a matter of fact I might just encourage it if I get to source the milk so to speak. In this case the breast milk is added to the macaroni pie and allyuh know how Trini men love dey macaroni pie. The idea is to have you like a child under their control. I don't mind that as long as I could get the cookie every day.

Channel Eggs

Lordy this one is a classic. This one had me cracking up - this is the best and it is genius if yuh ask me - well yuh did not have to ... this is just brilliant. OK, the channel egg is created by breaking eggs on the back of the woman (bent over just enough for the egg to flow down her back). The egg drains (channels its way) down the indentation of her spinal column flows in-between  her butt cheeks to her pubic area then drains and is collected in a bowl below. the now sauced eggs are seasoned and either scrambled or fried and served. Now remember if you are ever served eggs and it has that very peculiar smell that "ah real man knows" yuh should either smile or run like hell.

Left Hand Dumplings

This method is a Tobago phenomena. I doh mind this one but it will be better done if you are albe to catch the woman in the act. That could turn out to be a very interesting cooking experience. The trick of this "tie" works something like this: The woman undresses and in a naked state goes into the kitchen where she kneads the flour (naked as she born eh) with her left hand (I eh know why eh so doh ask me). The resulting dumpling or bake is then served to the man especially when he wants the cookie eh. Tobago tricks better than Trinidad tricks eh so in this case yuh tie for life.

Goumangala

Watch what yuh eat when yuh visit a casueal acquantance's home. Never accept anything given to you until yuh get a feel of the home. If when you enter the home they are anxious to feed you, run. If for some reason the situation simply does not feel right, run. See Goumangala the article is listed in this blog. 

Papa Neeza (Obeah Man)

This is the tradional method to "fix yuh man" and is done by women who are just 'bold-faced' and don't care who knows that she visited the obeah man to fix her business. In the end I think the obean man gets the best out of this situation. I think being an obeah man is a good thing. Well yuh see he has to give the woman a bath and sometimes if he is good enough "he makes the woman believe that he needs to fix the good to get the man". He gets his and she believes that she will get her desired outcome. Sometimes the fix is so good that she return to the obeah man for regular fixing. 

Spiked Callaloo

I need an assist with this one. If you know how to fix the callaloo leave a comment and I will update the posting. Of course we need to know if it worked for you so don't be shy. We need the 411.

Cut Arse

This is a no-brainer and one that some women can accomplish on their own. The fix comes with a good "cutarse" where the will of the woman is beaten into the man. Yeah I know you are saying that could never happen to you but I am sure that you know someone who regularly cowers to the will of his spouse right? Well what de hell yuh think is going on at home?

"Meh Mudda Taught me..."

"Meh Muddah Taut' Meh"

I came across this list while browsing on the 'WEB" and thought that is was cute and interesting. Take a read and I guarantee you that you have heard them as a child or if you are not that old then you must have heard someone talking about what "Meh Mudda Taut' Meh".   I don't know who originally put the list together and don't make any claims regarding this very wonderful list. These are sure to put a smile on your face... Enjoy!

THINGS Meh Mudda Taught me...

1. My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.

Eg)"Chile, just wait till we get home."

2. My Mother taught me about RECEIVING.

Eg)"Yuh go get ah good cut ass when we get home!"

3. My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE.

Eg)"What di @$$ yuh thinkin bout '? "Answer meh when ah talk to you...Chile....doh talk back to me!"

4. My Mother taught me CONSEQUENCES.

Eg)"If yuh run across de road an' ah car lick yu dong, ah goin' kill yuh wid licks."

5. My Mother taught me THE VALUE OF EDUCATION.

Eg)"If yuh doh go to school, yuh go pick up garbage on de street."

6. My Mother taught me HUMOR.

Eg)"If yuh don' eat food, breeze goin' blow yuh 'way."

7. My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT.

Eg)"Come an' tek yu licks' like ah man."

8. My Mother taught me about SEX.

Eg)"Yu tink yuh come from de sky?"

9. My Mother taught me about GENETICS.

Eg)"Yu dey jus' like yuh fadda."

10. My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE.

Eg)"When yu get to be as ole' as me, yuh go understan'."

11. And my all time favorite... JUSTICE.

Eg)"One day wen yu have children, a hope dey treat yuh de same way." 

Source: http://www.bordeglobal.com/foruminv/index.php?showtopic=5716

Throw Waist

Yuh is ah Trini series: #23 

Yuh is ah Trini|"If yuh know to throw waist" 

"Music sweet eh, come and throw waist nah". Now I hope after talking so much about how good you are that when she calls you to 'throw waist' that you are able to keep up. If you can't then it is a case of dongosorrow and please run and hide. In this case your reputation will take a severe hit that would lead to 'fatigue galore' from your male counterparts or the look of death from the women who know better - lordy poor soul. He will be scorned by the women who would say dat man is of no use - he is ah soft man.

To quote a lady friend of mine, "Oh gawd like he dead or what... Better yuh mudda did plant ah fig tree instead". Yuh see what I meant about the scorn. This is contempt and a situation that a man needs to avoid like the plague. So what happens if you, as a man, throw more waist than the woman, what then? Nothing all they would say is that, "yuh is man" because in the flip side we always have something to lose.

So what does it really mean to "throw waist"? Well it is to dance with gay abandon but specifically to "wine" as only Trini women can. If you and a novice then it is in your best interest to stand on the side line and watch to avoid being embarrassed. These winers are naturally endowed with this talent to throw waist and in many cases it can look like a bull rider who eventually gets thrown while attempting to tame the gyrations of this wild creature. If you think I am joking then go and try your luck.

If this question is asked of any Trini woman the plain and simple truth is that to throw waist is to wine wine on the man or simply to wine and create honey for all 'long eye Trini men'. When I think about it Iwer sang about this wine wine wine wine and we are not talking about red wine for drinking but wine as in throw waist! Take a moment to listen to the track now.

Iwer George feat. Ziggy Rankin - We Like It - 2009 Coconut Tree Riddim

Bag ah Sugar down dey

Yuh is ah Trini|If yuh understand the meaning of "Ah bag ah Sugar down dey"

When yuh sweet yuh sweet eh. So when we are speaking about 'ah bag ah sugar, especially sugar down dey, this is smut at its best but saying it in such a manner that it is not offensive to anyone. This kind of sugar has nothing to do with diabetes or something sweet from a plant or sold in supermarkets but is the subject that makes for classic calypso such as the Mighty Sparrow's " A Bag O'Sugar Down Dey". 

So if it is not something that is sweet to taste, well pardon me because to some this thing is really sweet, in a figurative sense. This reference to 'ah bag ah sugar down dey'is a conversation that comes from the mouths of men and is made in reference to women. In this case it is a reference to the woman's skill in love-making with her vagina as the focal point for all of the sweetness. Indeed it is about the woman's ability to make the man feel good and in many respects have him in a state of stupor aka toutulbay syndrome. This bag ah sugar will cause a man to disown his friends not for love but for the sweetness and fire that causes his groin to twitch with excitement just thinking about the sweetness he experienced. 

For some men using the term "bag ah sugar down dey" may be referenced because of the way the woman walks, a physical attribute like bow legs, the way she sways her hips or even the space that she may have between her front teeth. These men will make every effort to get with such a woman just for the experience. Many lies come from dating women with these attributes because even if they don't get to first base it is because others think that there is something special there that they lie to make their friend believe that they got something that they long to experience. 

Some men believe that every dougla woman "have ah bag ah sugar down dey". The dougla woman is looked at as some sex craved creature that needs to be tamed. She is a little of this and a little of dat and the attributes of both races make her exotic and wanted. She has what it takes to handle it and also has the fire in her loins that many men think of as 'ah bag ah sugar down dey".

Unfortunately these days the men are in for the fight of their lives as they are in direct competition with women for the same 'bag ah sugar'. This is one area where women think they know all about the sugar better than the male counterparts and this has cause great dismay especially when high grade yellow crystal sugar goes to the other side of the equation. 

Now whatever your thoughts are about this subject don't be mislead or get confused when you hear the term "bag ah sugar used" - it is all sexual in nature unless someone really is trying to get some sugar in the supermarket. Just be careful how you answer because if you guess wrong it could lead to trouble or you may miss out on some really good sugar especially 'the one down dey'.

08 - Bag Ah' Sugar

Man for Kim|Lord Shorty

Yuh is ah Trini series: #19 on Trinizagada

Yuh is ah Trini|If you know the song "Man For Kim"

This song created such a stir when it was realised that one had to be very careful singing the song. This is classic Double Entendre which always has some form of sexual connotation attached to it. Just the name of the song when spoken causes one to pause and remark, "What de hell id dat". Kim was sung by just about anyone but one had to be careful not to get in trouble with it like a lot of persons did.

"He want ah man for Kim" really was not said slowly or with proper pronounciation but done in typical Trini fashion. It rolled off the tongue in such a manner that the "for Kim" was blurred into one word with an "uk" sound inserted with a mischievous smile (use your imagination).

This song was very popular with the people but the radio stations were very careful with airplay for this very suggestive song that was sung by Lord Shorty (The man who created the music genre known as Sokah (known as Soca today). The year was 1976 and the LP was "Sweet Soca Music". The name of song is simply "Kim" and is song #3 on the B side.

I have posted a copy of the track for your listening pleasure. If you never heard the song before please understand that he is saying, "He want ah man for Kim".

Kim by Lord Shorty

Bush Medicine|Worm problems in the old days!

Yuh is ah Trini on Trinizagada: If yuh had worms and scratched yuh bottom when nobody was looking!

This one is interesting because I smiled when I decided to do the post. Why? The truth is that in my little world just about anything is considered funny. I can just see someone seeing the subject and saying, "What in heavens name are they talking about?" Well some people may remark that this is simply disgusting... Disgusting you say well it gets better.

Not so long ago in Trini land the government in conjunction with the WHO(World Health Organization) had programs where they would go into the primary (grade) schools and administer drugs to kill worms and to flush them out of the children's system (it was that bad). Oh before I forget, weeks earlier we were given little cans (very small) to put some poop in to bring back to school. I suspect this was to check for worms and other parasites. 

I remember some things but the taste of that oil that I can recall now as chinaponium (of course the spelling is incorrect but it will suffice) was awful. After two drops on your tongue you were sent to another line where you were given a cup of Epsom salts to drink - Yuk. After that you were sent home. Let me tell you if you were foolish and did not immediately go home then you were guaranteed to poop your pants - gravy style.

Well back to the subject of scratching yuh bottom when nobody was looking. In the villages this was common.  A scratch here or there was no big deal but I believe that not all of it was because of worms. People had to deal with latrines not toilets. The main material used for cleaning up after using the latrine was gazette paper. I now have a very silly grin as I write this because this is where you ask, "What is gazette paper?" Well if you are a true Trini you should be smiling now however if you are not then here it is... Gazette paper was the news paper! Yes that hard paper was used to get the job done. Oh yes, black bottoms resulted from the ink used to print the news paper. In other word if you did not pay attention to cleaning up then dirt track could be the end result. A bottom that was not cleaned properly resulted in a good scratch bottom. If someone was caught scratching, people tended to say, "Like yuh have worms in yuh bottom or what?"

Those of us who had the experience (I forgot but my brother reminded me out it) there was a local brew that was used to get rid of the worms - worm grass. Now that did not smell good and the taste was even worse but as Lord Relator said in Kaiso, "D Worm Grass used to show the worm where to pass". This remedy my friends eliminated the scratching episodes. 

I do hope that you read this with a smile and not with a look of disgust on your face. It was a fact of life then... today we can joke about it. So in the end if you recalled any of this then my friend, "you know that you are a true Trini". Now let's take a listen to Relator singing about "Bush Medicine". 

Bush Medicine by Lord Relator

UTC Southeast Center for Education in the Arts | Trinidad & Tobago

Eugene Joseph, director of the Trinidad Dance Theatre and a former Director of Culture for the Ministry of Community Development and Culture, contacted SCEA in 2006 to inquire about professional development in arts integration. Discussions led to the development of a comprehensive plan to establish a Trinidad & Tobago Centre for Arts Education & Integration, which would facilitate ongoing professional development for university arts and education faculty, primary and secondary school administrators and teachers, and practicing artists.

via www.utc.edu

The University of Tennesse Chattanooga's Southeast Center for Education in the Arts has joined with Eugene Joseph to establish a Trinidad & Tobago Centre for Arts Education & Integration, which would facilitate ongoing professional development for university arts and education faculty, primary and secondary school administrators and teachers, and practicing artists. 

Use the link provided above (www.utc.edu) to access the relevant information on the subject. 

Trinidad and Tobago High Commission - Arts and Culture

Trinidad and Tobago boasts a rich and diverse culture.  The arts and customs of the land reflect the cultural footprints left by the African, Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and varying European inhabitants of generations past.

via www.tthighcommission.co.uk

This is the website for the High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, London, United Kingdom The link takes you to the cultural page: http://www.tthighcommission.co.uk/arts.html

Indian Arrival day celebrated in Trinidad and Tobago

On May 30th 1845, the Fath Al Razak docked in the Port of Spain harbour in Trinidad and Tobago with 225 adult passengers on board. The passengers were immigrants from India who had come to the British colony to work in the sugarcane plantations after the abolition of African slavery. They had spent 103 days on sea during the arduous and dangerous journey that spanned 14,000 miles (36,000 km). The immigrants were contracted for five to ten years to work in the sugarcane estates in a system that ended in 1917.

via www.nriol.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfj_4Nj5w6g