The Rum Posse went back to having its weekly lime at the end of the week and this rounds it was held by Barman, and by special request to boot. For his guests he prepared curried duck; stewed chicken; channa and aloo; pumpkin; mango anchar; dhalpouri; and vegetable rice. For appetizers he had doubles and pholourie as starters, with cucumber chutney, tamarind sauce and enough pepper sauce for the seasoned pepper lovers.
It was Barman, in addition to the usual whisky, brandy, vodka and rum, there was beastly cold beer and drinks like coconut water, sorrel, mauby and ginger beer, all of which he used to concoct some special cocktails.
The entire Posse was present except Anand and Rihanna, who were being kept busy with the baby who the Posse members had not yet met. Big Bottom Beverly and her younger sister, Shirley; Alfred; Balkie; Ramesh; Roshan; and Sunil were all there, eager to engage in stimulating discourse.
Two subjects competed for attention: the passing of Slinger Francisco, the Mighty Sparrow; and the Senate’s consideration of amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act. Some members feared the amendments would leave the OPR a toothless tiger; while others wanted the Government’s arguments heard.
What nobody wanted was to spend the evening arguing about politics. They decided they would try and answer the question – what were Sparrow’s greatest songs? That in itself was a quarrel, albeit different from arguing about politics, but no less contentious.
Barman: Welcome back, my friends. You asked to lime by me and I delivered. We eating, we drinking, we old talking. But anyone ah allyuh who start reading or talking about legislation will have to pay for everything allyuh seeing here.
Big Bottom Beverly: Barman, on behalf of everybody, thank you. De duck smelling excellent and de dhalpuri looking promising. From what I seeing, nothing on this table will require disposal arrangements.
Balkie: Well, at least one procurement exercise working. De food reach, de people satisfied and we know who get de contract.
Roshan: We giving de government and politics a rest for today. I listening to Barman cause I eh paying for nutten.
Shirley: True dat, Roshan. I with you on that one.
Sunil: Today, we remembering a man born in 1935 who give generations thing to sing, laugh, and think about. Slinger Francisco aka de Mighty Sparrow. Who want to start and identify he best calypsos?
Ramesh: “Jean and Dinah”. No hesitation. Every carnival Monday morning, if daddy eh put on dat record, it wasn’t Carnival Monday. He ironing he shirt to hit de streets; mammy looking for she earrings and warning us to try and not get lorse in town. All yuh know that song Jean and Dinah is 70 years old? Sparrow win Calypso King and Road March that year 1956.
Alfred: Correct. And after that he went on to win eight Road March titles. Ah go have to google de exact years.
Balkie: Alfie, what you know ‘bout google? Anyway, for me, it have to be “Rum and Coca-Cola”.
Alfred: Balkie, leave me alone and get yuh facts straight please. “Rum and Coca Cola” belong to Lord Invader, Balkie, and was later immortalised by Harry Belafonte.
Balkie: Okay, okay. Well then, I will say, “Congo Man”. De performance, de voice, de whole business. Dat was class. I had to take it in from outside de tent ‘cause I did done spend de money for de ticket.
Shirley: I wonder if “Congo Man” was composed now with how people politically correct and sensitive if people wouldn’t object and make a big fuss about how it racially and sexually questionable?
Roshan: Shirley, yuh sure right. It was made for that particular time and place.
Shirley: I cyah remember too much, but what I know is dat people accept it for what it was and thoroughly enjoyed de lyrics, de performance, everything. I cyah say if anybody take offence to de song back in de day.
Big Bottom Beverly: My choice is “Obeah Wedding”. It was in 1966. I was a little girl still and I does always remember how when de song play, people start shoo-shooing and one aunt looking at another one and everybody looking at de bride mother. Is only long after I understand de play.
Barman: Dat marriage last?
Big Bottom Beverly: Yeah man. De bride mother dead and gone but she live to see that marriage last and produce children and grandchildren.
Shirley: Mine is “Mr. Walker”. It does remind mih of how people long time used to investigate a prospective husband. Nobody asking if he kind or dependable. Dey want to know what he own. He could be bad like crab, once he have ah upstairs house he was boss.
Roshan: Allyuh could say what allyuh want. For me, Sparrow best tune is, “Dey like it so”. In dat tune he took a serious jab at de PNM after Karl Hudson Phillips and de ONR lorse de general election of 1981 to PNM. Everytime it have elections, I does play that calypso. It relevant today just as it was relevant then.
Shirley: Rosh, I with you on that one. That kaiso melodious and it have a message that could stand de test of time. De Birdie sing over 500 calypsos during his lifetime and I feel not one ah dem could beat back “Dey Like It So”.
Barman: I choosing “Saltfish”. That is because Sparrow could make ah whole audience laugh before he finish. When he singing dat kaiso he face alone does be telling yuh something, while he mouth pretending it innocent.
Big Bottom Beverly: And you pretending your interest is purely culinary.
Ramesh: What about “Mae Mae”? At family parties, that was enough to get people moving. My old uncle would complain about he back whole afternoon, then get up and dance whenever he hear dat calypso. Afterwards he back only hurt when it was time to move back de party chairs.
Alfred: For me is, “Dan Is the Man in the Van”. That commentary on colonial education is world class. Education supposed to help one to understand your own world, not make you feel that it not important.
Balkie: Alfie, I find you well eloquent this round. You could explain that to me.
Alfred: Laugh at me all you want. UWI give Sparrow a Honorary Doctor of Letters in 1987. The Order of de Caribbean Community come in 2001. Sparrow’s contributions deserve serious study.
Roshan: I am going outside the obvious choices and say for me is “The Outcast”. It makes one consider how society could enjoy entertainers while looking down on dem. We want de talent, but sometimes we doh respect de person providing it.
Barman: Rosh, I agree. I always say that people does accuse artistes of singing for dey supper. Well, everybody have to eat. Even intellectuals. Especially de ones who come here empty-handed.
Sunil: Allyuh see dis ole talk, we start off with what we feel is Sparrow best kaisos and end up choosing pieces of we own lives. Tributes coming from Kamla, Beckles, Rowley, Mia Mottley and CARICOM. Sparrow manage to bring people together who would normally quarrel over seating arrangements.
Ramesh: Sparrow carry calypso to audiences across the world, but we finding right here by Barman. In Ramesh father shirt. At Beverly cousin wedding. Outside a tent with Balkie. Sparrow music was Trinidad and Tobago. De laughter, de ambition, de chupidness and de uncomfortable truth. A nation mourning Sparrow is mourning part of itself, including people and places we cyah get back.
Big Bottom Beverly: Play Sparrow calypsos. Let de children ask questions. Explain what need explaining. And Barman, put on whichever calypso yuh like. De Birdie gone, but he leave enough ole talk to keep this country company.
Until next week.
