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Trinidad gets bligh in Britain
Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2002
By Peter Ray Blood
More Trinis continue to shine on the world stage, the latest being brothers Nigel and Marvin Lewis, and Bunji Garlin. Word out of the UK is that the remake of their "Follow the Leader" was among last week's Top 10 Pepsi chart, shown on British TV at primetime.
My source indicated that the video of the single, also the 1996 Road March, is also quite popular on MTV UK.
He was angry that the show host, while stating that the single was of T&T/Caribbean origin, went on to say that it was not calypso, but "a sound called soca." He added: "The guy sounded as if he didn't want to associate soca with calypso. It's like if Halle Berry says, 'I'm not black; I'm half-black'."
He continued: "The song is on heavy rotation here on the video channels.
It is not the soca version that they are playing, it is a house remix of the tune, similar to what was done to 'Who Let the Dogs Out'."
He further explained that the video features Nigel and Marvin together with a number of children, many of whom are holding T&T flags.
2002 joint Soca Monarch Bunji Garlin.
In other news out of London town, Pulse was told that Bunji Garlin gave his English fans an incredible show on Easter Saturday.
Before a capacity crowd of 1,100 people at the Tudor Rose in Southall, Bunji, Tallpree, Red Plastic Bag, Kerwin Du Bois and Helena B had London on fire for more than two hours.
My homeboy in London said: "I must single out Bunji for special mention.
He not only whipped the crowd in to a Brass Fest-like frenzy but also, throughout his seven-day stay, made himself available to the public and socialised, shaking hands, signing autographs when and where he could.
"Bunji has won the hearts of many people on this journey - some of whom believe that he has the potential and spirit to take soca all the way.
"He has been a true ambassador for T&T and the whole Caribbean."
Mission with a vision
Although it's not directly connected to the subject matter normally contained in this space, I am forced to carve out some room to congratulate former convict Wayne Chance for the outstanding work he has been doing.
The leader of the innovative Vision and Mission organisation, Wayne, with a group of other former inmates, undertaken the responsibility of aiding in the fight against crime.
Without any fancy speeches, pomp and ceremony, or tangible budget, they have been moving across the country, talking to young people about the ills of a life of crime.
When he served as attorney general, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj took Wayne and his group under his wings and had them appearing on platforms in the anti-crime campaign organised by the AG's office.
But with Ramesh out of office, the project has not been continued by the new AG.
Wayne's group has also been given considerable visibility on Hansley Adjoha's T&T This Morning programme on NBN-TTT, a commitment continued by the veteran talk show presenter.
Vision and Mission continues its dedicated work, each day trying to save more and more of the nation's youth, with their graphic and informed experiences of crime and dehumanising prison life.
For this year, I haven't bestowed any Pulse awards, but it is without hesitation that I extend the first to Wayne Chance and Vision and Mission.
Cyan and be at club ambassador
The Good Friday Pulse Carib poster girl Lairfair Celestine certainly set tongues wagging and blood pressures rising, with a number of hot-blooded Trini men contacting me for ways to meet her.
But the part of the article about photographer Ian Yee battling with cancer seemed to have missed them all.
Anyway, I spoke with Ian last weekend and he told me the good news of his return to his Cyan Studio, despite going through a regime of chemo treatment.
Having lost both my parents to cancer, I have a pretty intimate idea of what Ian must be going through physically, as well as financially.
Chemotherapy costs are alarming and only the very rich could afford this treatment without having to rely on the kindness of others.
This week, I learned the incredible news that aside from a radiography machine being down at the Radiotherapy Centre, one of two available doctors was allowed to take vacation leave.
I understand that it requires two doctors to operate the radiotherapy machine so, with just one on duty, cancer patients are going through further hell.
However, to return to my Easter weekend telephone conversation with Ian Yee: sounding upbeat, the man who has photographed almost every beauty pageant entrant and model in over 10 ten years told me: "Sitting down at home watching the grass grow just isn't me. I had to go back to work and this has helped in terms of therapy, and my mental wellbeing."
Meanwhile, friends of Ian are having a fund-raising party at Club Ambassador, on Long Circular Road, on April 13.
This is a worthy cause to support, even if you do not know Ian Yee.
Let's have some fun
After all the foregoing heavy stuff, I've decided to treat you to some light-hearted material to take you through the weekend.
Do you believe that it is easy to identify a Trinidadian, or Tobagonian, by a number of distinctive ways?
For instance, it is like being able to tell a long-time badjohn, or panman, by the manner in which he cocks his hat on his head, or because he still lets his handkerchief hang out his back pocket, or by the way he walks with his hand in one pocket.
The following is supposed to be a fun thing, and no offence is meant to anyone.
Yuh know yuh from North when:
yuh not exactly sure where San Fernando or Pt Lisas Estate are...
anything after Nestle is country...
yuh hobbies is surfing and spearfishing...
yuh cyar handle pepper...
yuh buy yuh driver's licence...
yuh think all babash is good babash...
yuh never get blank from a club.
Yuh know yuh from de East-West Corridor when:
yuh does get yuh car parts from de Bamboo...
yuh know Sharlene Boodram personally...
yuh know all de Punch girls personally...
yuh father own a maxi...
yuh playing all fours since yuh four years old.
Yuh know yuh from Central when:
yuh have a hammock in every room in yuh house...
yuh biggest dream is to join a rock band...
yuh nearest neighbour living three miles away...
yuh have ah autographed Chris Garcia poster...
yuh try drinking rubbing alcohol or bay rum already...
yuh know that yuh suppose to singe a duck after yuh pluck it.
Yuh know yuh from South when:
yuh still waiting fuh cable...
yuh pull bull on ah Friday night already...
yuh have chickens and goats as pets...
yuh does still wear rubber slippers...
yuh believe Gulf City is de most happening place...
yuh prefer babash to Chivas Regal...
yuh still think it have one zoo and it up by de Savannah...
yuh swim to school at least once already after a flood.
Yuh know yuh from Tobago when:
yuh forehead have dat "natural shine"...
yuh have ah aunt name Jean...
yuh does walk with soap and shampoo to de beach...
yuh first choice was Signal Hill...
yuh sister is six foot tall...
yuh think Viagra have nothing on pacro.
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