Wow, just like everywhere else huh, show the locals doing there thing & everyone jumps pon it … !!!!

Okay, I get ya …..

I’m glad to see that my lil’ vid of “Inity”, has at least managed to divert some of you from you crackberry’s, for a few minutes, to check out some Bajan poetry !!!!!

I wonder though, having been to, “De Big Show”, Calypso Tent event, on Sunday night, where the energetic support for conscious artists is …. in Barbados …. ???

The NCF ….. ???

Hmmmmm … well, they seem to be getting slated by certain artists & I sensed that, certain locals have had enough of their apparent position, to raise cultural awareness, through the arts in Barbados, as if they are full of it … !!!!!

Am I right Bajans, or, is that too much, to actually ask wunnah to speak about publicly, regarding an organisation such as the NCF huh … ???

I guess it is, but, apparently, a couple low blows in an amateur boxing match is enough to have young Bajan fighters embark upon a brawl wid the St. Lucian team that was here to fight, according to the ‘Queensbury Rules ???”.

Hmmm, it would seem that fighting energies are deemed suitable, when it’s against each other, but, the powers that be …. oh …. Hell NO !!!!

Why … well, wunnah know … ???

I’m still trying to get my head round this whole, performers can’t sware on stage here in Barbados vibe …???

Ain’t that some FUCKING SHIT !!!!!

My blog, thankfully, rejects such …. censorship …. !!!!!!

What are we, in f’ing kindergarten or what !!!?!!!

Who tha fook wants to see the Pope perform a calypso sermon …. anyone …. ???

Give me some Mother Fuck & Carry ya Cunt, in amongst, articulated artistry, for crying out loud !!!

No wonder it looked, in no small way, like a gathering of church folks, up in the Plantation, yup, “Plantation”, theatre, as if this indicates a sense of freedom for their shackled souls.

Really … ??? …

When the setting & parameters seem, “so controlled” ………

I wonder, having watched the judges for the first part of the second half of the show, how many are there, to express what they … FEEL … about the music, and, how many are there just to be seen as important, “controllers”, of the art … ???

Answers to a question, that, I may never know, but, in looking at their bodily movements, as well as the mostly, static crowd, where does this, “Crop Over Spirit”, actually takes Bajan people ???

I am a child of the 70′s, so, parties at my the family home in London, were calypso driven, older women grabbing me from my friends’ company, to get me dancing wid dee adults, good times indeed … !!! …

… but, times filled with dancing & enjoyment, rather than what I saw here on Sunday, an attentive, but rather, “hard to please !!!”, audience.

I have always wondered why black audiences are so hard to please, but, having watched the Marley documentary last night, it brought some very harsh realities to light, like the fact that, Bob & his latter career band members, were continually discussing why their audiences were, mostly, if not, entirely white, on the groups rise to worldwide notoriety.

There are a multitude of possible reasons, but, whatever the reasons, the fact is that this was evident, pretty much everywhere, other than in Jamaica, where ofcourse, the fear of shooting, and violence, loomed heavily over any live show that Bob would perform at !!!

Then there was the Chris Blackwell influenced, Reggae/Rock, fusion shows, which drove Bunny & eventually, Peter Tosh, away from Bob, that, to my mind, were, equally as good as anything that has come since, that has fused Reggae with different genres of music.

I have had these discussions with musicians in the past, who have always advised, that, until white people dig it, we black people don’t check for our own artists, who challenge the status quo, in a direct & intelligent manner …..

Do y’all only support the guns, drugs & ho’s artists of black origin ….. ???

Well ….. Is this true black people, do you still need white acceptance of something fresh, and socially uplifting, for you to check for it … well … do you … !?!?!?!

…. because this is what, in my view, has left many a bright, black talent, feeling as though their efforts are wasted, and in some cases, can turn them into, very disturbed individuals !!!

I see & hear so many white artists getting props from black youngsters now, for music that was done by black people first, that it has become almost impossible to talk with some people about music because of the blinkered view, of that, which is now deemed suitable for white folks to do publicly, that black folks couldn’t get a teaspoon of sugar for !!!!!

A neat link back to the Plantation show, I really enjoyed seeing Mac Fingall, as he seems as charismatic & inspirational a figure, as i’ve seen. doing anything mainstream in Bim, which I guess this event/show, has now become ?

His humour & energetic support for the artists, was very pleasing to see, although, by the time food was eaten, it seemed as though the people were only gonna give big applause to those artists who they knew, like Gabby & RPB, unless one of the other performers was literally, out of this world !!!!!

Being a compere is … i’d imagine … a very difficult thing, but, I give him props, as I do, for his song, about white vs blue collar workers.

The Marley doc, in many ways, shows the depth of entertainment, how it can break you, how it can make you, how it can, when challenging or unifying, make you a target, and, I guess, most importantly, energize a weakened individual, to put the pleasures of others, above their own well-being.

I saw a Malcolm X quote today, about freedom, the idea being, that, dying for such a cause, should be part of your ethos, or forget using the word in relation to your endeavours.

Freedom starts with, in my view, “Freedom of Expression”.

Bajans have created this belief that, crop over, instills such freedoms, but, does it really ???

I’m really not sure … ??? …

The island policy on performance guidelines alone, proves that freedom is limited & controlled here, which …….

Confirms …. that there is no freedom of speech here really !!!

It is disturbing to me that we still have a slave related part of our history, as the catalyst for, what is essentially, “controlled”, freedom of expression.

I am NOT …. let me make this clear, NOT, about to jump on a public stage & cuss, because, I know that I have more than enough words of an articulate nature to hurt the system makers, to the point where they may prefer to hear some … Lil’ Jon’ …. Nigga Nigga ish …. but, I have not been brought up to be that way, my own form of colonised enslavement I guess …. but …. I seriously am advocating that, these controls be removed from artistic arenas, art is supposed to be free … TOTALLY FREE !!!!!

I hate to disagree with Mac on this one, but, to claim that Barbados has some of the best songwriters in the world, is indeed, a bold boast, but, a fraudulent one sir, recent times have shown that, particularly in the field of comedy, a few cuss words, well timed & appropriately used, connects with people.

Maybe this is why Bajan artists, barring Rihanna, have not gained the type international notoriety that Bob Marley attained, and look who she moves with …..

Mr Jigga … & his Nigga’s in wherever, posse, who are well renowned for letting go some cuss pon’ record, in amongst, at times, hugely relevant, social commentary !!!!

We all do it, apart from the bible bashing hypocrites dem, who, cos a few …. Hail Mary’s, and a couple of , “Our fathers”, feel that their sins of the week are absolved, so they can get a few more in before their next confession …. !!!!!

Hypocrites …. !!!!!!!!

I saw a few of them in the Plantation Theatre on Sunday, fa sure !!!

I wonder how many of these people would check for spoken word … ??? … particularly as they seemed less than willing to move to the Calypso grooves that were great to hear from a very tight live band !!!

Where wunnah soul gone huh …. ???

Since when was Calypso, a sit down affair, since when … !???!

I really wanna know, because as I mentioned, I could of been in a room far away from the front room rhydems of my parents parties & get drag to dance in many cases, literally !!!?!!!

An ordeal, when I think back, but, daaammmnnnn, they were GOOD TIMES !!!!!

In watching the Marley doc, which I do recommend to people, and watching the MIGHTY …. Lee “Scratch” Perry, twisting up he’self, when preparing to record music, it makes me wonder who the people are who judge these contests … ???

Who are you to judge art ….. !!!?!!!

I merely vent opinions about peoples’ art, before you all start …. MY opinion, an opinion that could never ever reflect those of the mass populous, nor would I ever claim that … !!!!!

The vibrations that good artists create, cannot be measured in some sit down theatre, can they … !?!

… but I guess because of X Crapper, they can now huh … ???

It is a beautiful thing, Calypso, but, as Reggae was, the essence of where it comes from & where it should be going, is as random, and, i’m not sure if, it’s in a good way …..

…. As this post is today ….

A jumbled array of thoughts in mind ….

that I hope … are not too …

“Random” …. !?!

Permalink | July 10th, 2012

Leave a Reply