"Nah Let Go" | Gyptian featuring Alison Hinds

I really like this version done by Gyptian with Alison Hinds (Bajan Super diva!). I have also posted the original version beneath for comparison. The music of the Caribbean is boss!

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Extempo

What is Extempo?  Extempo is an artform practiced in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a calypso competition where two or more singers improvise lyrics to deride (in most cases) the opposing singer. This can be a lot of fun and and is done in a very slow and deliberate style. In the early period the singing developed in the stick fighting (Calinda or Kalinda) arena accompanied by drumming rhythms.

This form of calypso may have started during the formative years of the artform. One must remember that the Africans whom were enslaved and put to labor in the islands of the Caribbearn were not permitted to communicate with each other. As a result they sang as a form of communicating they thoughts about the abuse of the slave masters and to lament their cause. This was done in the call and response style of the West African Griots; and this essentially  replaced personal conversations that were banned by the slave masters in an effort to control the enslaved people. 

One has to take into account the act of the Cedula of Population in 1783 that allowed migration to Trinidad with the offer of free land. Most of the new immigrants were fleeing unrest from some of the French populated islands (Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Grenada etc). It is reported in the history of Trinidad that in 1784 a slave named Gros Jean was brought to Trinidad from the island of Martinique by his master Bergorrat. Gros Jean was given the title of 'Mait Caiso' (Master of Caiso) in 1790 because of his singing abilities.This is the first instance of the word 'Caiso' that I have seen and could be the forerunner of the term Kaiso or even Calypso (we really don't know and there is so much speculation).

The songs that were sang during this period were not calypso, as we know it today, but they were the beginning of the art form and were sung in patios. Gros Jean was a griot and led the singing with the traditional African call and response style. This could be referenced as the beginning of the extempore style of calypso singing. Of course the slave owners probably enjoyed the listening to the singers trading insults at each other during that period. The calypso art form really blossomed when English started replacing patios as the major spoken language.

To expand the conversation we must also take into consideration the impact of the Panyols who came from Venezuela. Their music impacted the calypso art form as did the French Carnival and music.

The following was sourced from Wikipedia:
Extempo (also extempo calypso) is a lyrically improvised form of calypso and is most notably practiced in Trinidad and Tobago. It consists of a performer improvising in song or in rhythmic speech on a given theme before an audience who themselves take turns to perform. It is inherently competitive and success is judged by the wit and ingenuity of the performance.

It is similar in form to what has been defined as traditional African song: "a recitative or chants with a short chorus. The soloist gives the melody while a chorus sings a refrain. As the melody is given out, they turn to one another, each improvising in turn. Extempo tends to comprise topics from current events treated with mockery, ridicule and sarcasm, or with flattery or praise.”

The Art of Extempo
It is characterized either by the “single tone”, consisting of four-line stanzas or the “double tone”, which has eight line stanzas. There are four basic melodies common to extempo; “Santimanitay”, “Matilda”, “Miss Mary Ann” and “Big Bamboo.” The most widely used is Santimanitay. Another characteristic of extempo is that the performer must be able to think quickly on his feet since the subjects are handed out on the spot and the lyrics are improvised.

Extempo War
The competitive nature of extempo is reflected in the annual Trinidad Carnival with a formal extempo competition for the title of National Extempo Monarch. Extempo War, or warring, is the practice of competitors attacking each others efforts at extempo in the course of their own performance. It is not an essential part of competition, but is a regular feature, and an entertaining one.

Extempo war may also be called simply Calypso War.
Not all extempo performance is competitive. Away from competition formal roles for extempo performers are typically as MCs or hosts at private functions.

Related oral/musical traditions
It is similar to the United States tradition of 'yo mama' or the dozens in its competitive aspect but may be distinguished in that the aim is not to improvise humorous abuse to an opponent incorporating a given form of words, but to entertain an audience of ones competitors while extemporizing on a given theme. The abuse or sarcasm may be directed either at ones competitors or at subjects relevant to that theme, ideally both.
It is also similar to the United States tradition of freestyle rap.

Notable Extempo Artists
Big B
Black Sage
Gypsy
Lady Africa
Lord Relator (Willard C. Harris)
Shortpants (Llewllyn Macintosh

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Moko Jumbie

This Youtube video clip of the Lord Kitchener's Moko Jumbies uses a photo taken from the published book "The Dancing Spirtis of Trinidad" that is available from Amazon.com at this link: Dancing Spirits of Trinidad.

You can also check the website website: www.stefanfalke.com

The art of stilt walking came from Africa... However, the moko jumbie is a West Indian character that flourished in the early years of carnival celebrations especially in the island of Trinidad. Now whenever someone says that Trinidad had something to do with something that is a part of the West Indian folklore then once again we have upheavel and talk about "Trini wants to claim everything as their own".

If I tell you that the Moko Jumbie came to life as part of the Trinidad Carnival and that "Trinidad Style Carnival" was copied and taken to the rest of the Caribbean, North America and even Africa then you will say that I am a mad man. However, remember I said Trinidad Style... pay attention my friend!

Walking on stilts came from Africa and can be found all over the Caribbean region. However, the very imaginative people of African decent living in Trinidad used their creativity to sprinkle style into the Moko (divine) Jumbie (ghost). The spirit of carnival, the joy of celebration in dance and the color and creativity of an opressed people gave birth to a divine spirit that watched over the villages from a higher vantage point than the mortal humans could.

The moko jumbie told the story of the divine spirit protecting the villages and in typical Trinidad style danced to the beat of the people. This music was that of drums and other traditional musical instruments. The Moke Jumbie is a very colorful character with bright satin colors used to ensure that he is seen from afar. Most Moko Jumbies are dressed in pants but there are also some who continue to wear long flowing skirts. In Trinidad most of the characters wear pants. During the Carnival celebration the Moko Jumbie would dance to any music played and long ago it was customary for the Moko Jumbie to collect monies for their efforts.

This Noggin video is one of my favorites and shows the influence and stamp of the people of Trinidad and Tobago on the Moko Jumbie.

There was a period in the history of Trinidad's carnival when the Moko Jumbie was seen throughout the island. Then there was a period when not only the Moko Jumbie but several aspects of the Trinidad Carnival 'disappeared'. This happened when the "Ole Mas" Competitions began to disappear from the 'Carnival Landscape'. Today there is a rebirth taking place with schools teaching the art of walking on stilts and dancing the jig once again. The book, 'MOKO JUMBIES: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad'. is the work of one Stefan Falke when he came to Trinidad and followed the Keylemanjahro School of Arts and Culture founded by Glen "Dragon" de Souza who wanted to ensure that the art of the Moko Jumbie lived on. Today we also have Mr. Junior Bisnath and his southern Moko Jumbies coloring the cultural landscape with Moko Jumbies appearing in many culture pot events.

It does not matter what part of the Caribbean region you come from or if you believe that the Trinidadians got it wrong. The fact remains that the Moko (divine) Jumbie (ghost) is wataching over you and will protect you from evil. One of the problems I have noted is a lack of documentation in the various communities about the folklore. Many stories are told but then again fingers are always pointed at Trinidadians because we can boast of a historical record. It is important that we protect our heritage with documentation to avoid being put in a position to prove ourselves to anyone!

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Blue Soap, Brown Soap, Sunlight Soap,Tide, Breeze and Cheer! | Yuh is ah Trini

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #91

Yuh is ah Trini | "Blue Soap, Brown Soap, Sunlight Soap,Tide, Breeze and Cheer! "

There was a time when every Trinidadian had ah juking board! Hold on now this post should have been titled "juking board"... "Steups or Choops or even chut man". Our language is so colorful that sometimes it is even a pain to simply title a post. Well we will remain with the one that we originally started with for post number 91: "Blue Soap, Brown Soap, Sunlight Soap, Tide, Breeze and Cheer! Let's see what the juking board had to say about these slippery when wet clothes brighteners!

Well to be honest if you really wanted your whites to look really white then you needed to put some "blue" in the final rinse. You know what blue is right... that little square blue block that you wrapped in a piece of cloth and simply dropped in the final rinse... not too much eh! Well let's talk about blue soap and brown soap or as I like to call it 'dog soap'. Blue soap was used for just about anything especially with a scrubbing brush to get every stinky sneakers clean. Some people even used blue soap for bathing. Now that I have learned a thing or two about soap I now understand that all beauty bars are not really soap at all. So using Blue soap was not such a bad idea after all. Brown soap was an unusual one. I know that it was used for washing clothes on the juking board... A little extra brown soap and a few more juks on the board and voila you have a clean pair of dungarees. Brown soap was used on dogs and was good at putting many a flea to rest forever... No I am not talking about carbolic soap but that was the ideal one for using on yuh ringworm circles that we sometimes got as children 'running jockeys' in the dirty canal water. 

Sunlight soap was my favorite. I can still smell that soap. For some reason I think of bright sunny days and clothes on the lines flapping when the breeze picked up. The smell of that yellow soap was really nice but it melted too quickly if left in the water. A bucket of water standing next to the standpipe and the smell of sunlight soap was not an unusual sight and smell 'back in the day'. 

Finally, we come to the classic final three powder soaps... Tide, Breeze and Cheer. I think Tide came in an orange box, breeze was in a red box and cheer came in a blue box. However, as a child, I was interested in the box of cheer because there was always a toy car or some other toy that intrigued me as a child. The sound of my mother pushing clothes against the juking board or the swishing of the clothing in the water was of no interest to me. In those days just washing one pair of dungarees was a chore. However, the power of those detergents made the job easy. First, as I can recall, washing of clothes was done in the river and one could hear clothing being rapped against rocks to get the dirt out. Later on the standpipes were the place to be and the lime continued as clothing was slapped against the concrete stand pipes. Finally as we got pipe borne water into our homes just about everyone had a concreted area where clothes washing was done. Then came the washing machine and a wonderful opportunity to hang out died as we forged ahead into the future. 

The need for blue soap, brown soap and sunlight soap also diminished but the talk was all about the stain fighting power of powdered soap... change is good but some changes took away a wonderful part of our social life as it was back in the day. So now you can see that not all soap could bring about such good memories... Can your block of soap that you use today make you this nostalgic?
Photos were sourced from: http://www.silhouettes1979.com/photos610.htm

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GYAL WUK | Machel Montano | Crop Over Barbados

Ent yuh proud to be ah Trini! Damn right Skippy and with Machel Montano ruling Soca one has to be satisfied that the music originally created and named "Sokah" (Soca) by Lord Shorty is vibrant and ruling Trinidad Style (West Indian)  Carnival wherever it is copied on the planet.

This one was released in time for the Crop Over festival and will no doubt rule the Caribana carnival in Toronto, Canada. It is called Gyal Wuk (Whistle 'Riddim') and was produced by Kevin "Bubbles" Marshall and Darian Bailey @ Studio B out of Barbados for the  2011 Barbados Crop Over Festival...

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"Ah Telling Yuh" | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #90

Yuh is ah Trini | "Ah Telling Yuh"

This is a classic Triniday conversation piece. In this scenario two persons would be talking about something that happened. The person telling the story about and event would get in return from the person listening... "Ah Telling Yuh!" I know what you're thinking and yes that is exactly what I am saying: you will respond with "ah telling yuh...even if someone else is the one who's telling you what happened!"

This discussion could go several ways with responses such as, 'fuh truth!?, 'yuh don't say', 'well boi', 'mama', 'yuh don't say!',  'mama yo', 'papa yo', 'buh a a" and the classic "Ah Telling Yuh". Of course the choice would be determined by the time and place and relationship of the persons having the conversation. Then again you may recall other terms used and those will be welcomed here. Please leave a comment!

Yes, I know this is laughable but it is done so innocently that it is an accepted practice and one that does not beg for the response, "I am the one doing the telling, what de hell yuh telling meh?" Some of you reading this may say, "oh gosh I can remember saying dat or simply smile after reading it. However, there may be others who would simply steups and say not me I never did that - I say that you are a bold faced liar. Look I just got a sample post here - "Bol' face".

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Carry yuh own bag ah cocoa | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #89
Yuh is ah Trini | Carry yuh own bag ah cocoa 

Who or what is ah Trini? Well the simple answer would be a person born in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Simple right... Well not exactly. 

Here is the thing I realized recently and this may offend some people but it is intended to help us think about our situation and place in the society. Someone who has an East Indian name, who looks Indian is looked upon as "Indian" and is referred to as an Indian not Trinidadian. Someone who has a Chinese name or looks Chinese is referred to as 'Chiney'. It goes that way until we come to persons of African decent. Have you given it any thought? Emancipation day is coming soon (08/01) and everyone of African ancestry is feeling that 'Africanness'. However, if you ask any Trinidadian how do they refer to persons of African decent living in Trinidad you may be very surprised. There may be a pause, and then some thought... Try it! If the person questioned is honest you will most likely not come up with the answer that should be so natural... they are African!

As I said before, in Trinidad a person of East Indian ancestry is looked upon as an Indian, Chinese ancestry is called 'Chiney' but then we have black and negro when referring to people of African ancestry. The truth is most people of African ancestry are so entrenched in European culture that they don't like to be addressed as Africans... They are more comfortable being called Trinis. There is an awareness of this 'Africaness' now that the holiday is fast approaching but it goes away just as quickly as the holiday passes.

Some people conclude that regardless of where a person of African ancestry is born he or she is first African then you can affix the nationality of a country to the individual...What do you think?

This could be a troublesome discussion and one that could even cause anger. As a result it is up to each individual to deal with the topic as they see fit. As we say in Trinidad "carry yuh own bag ah cocoa". This Trinididiom simply means "Carry your own burdens/ troubles" - trust me it is indeed a burden for many.

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Crapo-Foot Writin' | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #88

Yuh is ah Trini | "Crapo-foot writin'"

Penmanship has never been a skill that I can boast about - not then and certainly not now. Now that does not mean to say that I don't or can't write legibly - that I can certainly do! However, when I recall my days of writing on the slate given to us in elementary school I can only come to one conclusion... Dat was real crapo-foot handwritin' boi!

Look, when someone says that your hand writing is real 'crap-foot' they really mean that it is illegible writing or simply very poor penmanship.

I remember a friend in high school who had the neatest and certainly a classic style of cursive handwriting - damn I was jealous of his skill. Indeed it was a skill but it came naturally for this guy. Some people go on to become masters of calligraphy but in my case I was always forcing the point (and breaking too many pencil point on the way). My work was not neat and the constant 'rubbing off' i.e. erasing sometimes left holes in the copy book pages. I was a master of untidy presentations in elementary school accompanied by a classic skill of crapo-foot handwriting. 

It took me some time (and very tired fingers too) before I could write legibly. Today I know that anyone can read my handwriting but it is not 'beautiful' as is the case with many who still put a pen on paper to write. Today we don't use fountain pens with that pot of ink on the desk to refill the pen. Most of us use ball point pens and most of the time it is simply used to write a check or to sign our names. I guess it could be argued that with the advent of computers and smart-phones for 'texting' that the art of handwriting is on the way out. In that case one can say that a majority of people today don't write enough to write well on paper! That means that there is a lot of crapo-foot handwritin' out there! I feel good knowing that now... LOL!

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Lahay | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #87

Yuh is ah Trini | "Lahay"

When it is time to Lahay I head directly to the WACK Radio shout-box (www.wackradio.chatango.com). The first person who I can recall using the word Lahay in the shoutbox is Paramin Gail aka Gailos. Now to tell you the truth the shout-box is the ideal place to lahay and boi we do it in (and with) style!

According to the website www.amazing-trinidad.com the word 'lahay' could mean one of the following: To idle; To take one's sweet time to do something; To goof off; worthless (wotlis) or lazy. 

Well most of the time the conversations in the box fall under the 'goof off' label but the conversations can be quite stimulating at times especially when the salt of the earth, Gumbo Lai Lai, enters the conversation regarding the rebuilding of the nation. However, sometimes the conversations are simply 'idle talk' and to tell you the truth it is idling in true Trini style. What do I mean? Well most of the people using the shout box during the day are at work and use that time to come into the box and 'lahay'. Talk about being productive on the job!

Toby on the other hand likes to goof off and I certainly enjoy joining in when he is at his best selling his patented 'donkey milk brew'. I would advise the ladies to partake. The men should run from Toby if he ever offers donkey milk for sampling!

Now the word 'wotlis' is an interesting one when used by Trinis. To say something or someone is worthless (wotlis) means that there is no value attached to the thing or person.  However, when a Trin uses the term 'wotlis' they could mean a person who is a 'no good' or good for nothing or a person who is up to mischievous deeds.

Are you a Trini or do you have Trini friends? Do you think that Trinis are lazy? Nah... To say that Trinis are lazy is just not right! The truth is, we are simply too laid back for you to understand! Yes, we created the Caribbean 'Lime'. 

So if you like to "lahay" then come and join us in the Wack shout-box (www.wackradio901fm.com) and check the menu bar for the shout-box. Oh and yes we interact with the DJ's while we take our sweet time doing our jobs. Things constantly change and in recent times the word 'Wotlis' has taken on special meaning in song just like the word Ramajay. Musically one can also get an understanding of the word 'wotlis' (WOTLESS) by listening to Kes in the music video below. As a Trini would say 'jump high or jump low' lahay is lahay! The music and lyrics tell another story!

Press the Play button below to listen to Kes The Band sing their Groovy Soca hit "Wotless".

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"Hot ice cold eh boi!" | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #86

Yuh is ah Trini | "Hot ice cold eh boi!"

There was a time when the palette man (vendor) was king in the villages of Trinidad and Tobago. On a very hot and sultry day the sound of the ting ah ling bell of the Palette man's cart was a joyous sound indeed. This was the time before the snow cone trucks came and ruled for a period of time (tiger snow cone).

As I can recall the palettes were round and the flavors included peanut and the classic coconut tastes. Well there was no refrigeration and the fun for the kids (like me) was not just paying ten cents for a palette but the hope that the palette man would give us a piece of 'hot ice'. What in heaven's name is hot ice? Ha! Well as silly as it sounds children in Trinidad used the term to describe the 'ice' that kept the palettes frozen in the push cart. So what is 'hot ice'?

Well the rest of the World knows 'hot ice' by its rightful name of 'Dry Ice'. This ice is extremely cold and if not handled properly (with gloves or a piece of cloth) could result in the freezing of the cells of the skin thereby causing injury that is quite similar to a burn. 

As you may know, dry ice does not melt like regular ice but simply evaporates over a period of time. However, as a child, we would beg the palette man to give us a piece of the ice for fun and also for devious reasons. Firstly the fun part was breaking off a piece and dropping it in water. The result was a bubbling mass with what one could compare to smoke rising from the water. That was the fun thing to do with the dry ice.

Then again children are always mischievous at times and this is the part where the ice gets the reputation of being 'hot'. A little piece of ice would be broken off and an unsuspecting victim would be asked to hold the ice in their bare hands. First it would feel very cold (deceptive for what comes next) then suddenly the sensation changes to that of fire! The ice would stick to the skin and burn as if one had placed his or her hands in fire. Well this ended up in fights or someone running away and laughing. That is just the way it was  during that period.

Well if you were not a victim of 'hot ice' then one would hope that you thoroughly enjoyed hearing the sound of the palette man's cart in the neighborhood. On a very hot day the delicious taste of those palettes wrapped in white semi waxed paper were absolutely delightful. If on the other hand you were a victim of a 'hot ice' burn certainly it was not a good day for you. However,if you were the one causing the burn then you went away laughing mischievously. 

Just think about it for a moment... Those were the good ole days. We love to hate them but wished we were living those glorious times all over again!

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Corbeau doh eat sponge cake! | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #85
Yuh is ah Trini | Corbeau doh eat sponge cake!

In Trinidad that black vulture circling in the sky is known as a corbeau. The word corbeau is French and must have been part French creole language known as Patois that is still spoken on the coastal areas of the main island. Well if you have lived in Trinidad then you will know that corbeaus swoop down on any dead carcass and feast on it. Now to say that 'corbeau doh eat sponge cake' should have you scratching your head and wondering 'what de hell do they mean?' On one hand we have a rotting carcas while on the other hand we have a delicious cake and just about everyone loves to eat cake. So why not the corbeau?

Looks like a metaphor in the loop here. The nouns are corbeau and cake and Trini and only Trini could put a vulture, a carcass and confectionery to tell the public that "people with no class cannot appreciate the finer things in life". In other words yuh eh have no class... Oh gosh man yuh doh know that they are saying that you have no broughtupsy (no manners)... Gosh your place in society, class structure and basic education are needed to make you a more understanding  person and surely help you to accept the finer things in life. 

Class is class and sometimes we say some people are low class or have no class at all. The use of the word class also pertains to 'belonging to no particular social class. However, when a Trinbagonian tell you that 'corbeau doh eat sponge cake' they are really telling you that it does not matter how well intentioned the act is you as an individual cannot appreciate it for that which it is. This could be a kind gesture or gift given with good intentions but spurned by the receiver because they were not taught civility as a child. As a matter of fact it seems that civics on the whole has been left on the side of the road waiting for that circling corbeau to swoop down and clean up what is left of our decadent society. 

So pay attention and learn to appreciate a kind gesture or gift for that which it is... Learn to be appreciative and return kindness with more of the same. Class is class but if you don't take note you will be one carrying the banner of 'corbeau doh eat sponge cake'!

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Haul Yuh Mudda Ass! | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #84

Yuh is ah Trini | "Haul Yuh Mudda Ass!"

Look nah, get away from me! In other words and not so kindly said, "Haul yuh mudda ass"!

This is a case of pure anger and frustration coming from a very annoyed person who just cannot tolerate the behavior of another person. Plain and simply put if you don't get away from me, if you don't stop harassing me or if you don't adjust your idiotic behaviour I will 'hurt you'. So to avoid all of the above just 'haul yuh mudda ass' - get away from me!

There is one thing to keep in mind regarding the trinidiom above. The use of the word "mother" is very significant. "Say what yuh want about me but meh muddah... Now yuh looking for trouble." Indeed there were many brawls that took place 'back in the day' because of insults hurled that included the word 'mother'. Insulting a persons mother is the ultimate insult and one that could cause friends to become instant enemies. 

Indeed the use of the word 'Mudda' (mother) not only shows that one person has total disrespect for the other but in this case they are so upset that they use a broad brush to paint their anger for the other person. By using the mother theme to tell someone "to hell with you" puts the anger and resentment in another category (a higher degree of annoyance).

However, one must take into consideration the time and place and the environment that one uses this trinididiom. The society today is not as tolerant as we used to be. 'Back in the day' one may have been able to get away with a fist fight but today too many youths are in possession of guns - so be aware. 

Just in case you don't like this post then... "Haul yuh mudda ass" from here... Just kidding!

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"Moon does run till daylight does catch up with him..." | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #83

Yuh is ah Trini | "Moon does run till daylight does catch up with him..."

I asked Lady Fabulousss from Maple Leaf land to come up with an explanation for this classic Trini saying; she was on point when she said,"meaning u cud run but u kah hide, u go get it". Did you get it? 

To say in differently then it would be something like this, "if yuh do wrong yuh will eventually pay the price for so doing". Yes, "people who do wrong will eventually meet justice". 

In Trinidad we have had many situations where politicans have been accused of stealing from the public purse. However, to date I can't remember any high profile member of any past government paying the piper for their dastardly deeds. Conniving and cheating is a way of life for many and one would hope  that in their case that "moon does run till daylight catch up with him". Today we have so many reports of wrong doing but we cannon seem to have the Hart (sorry I meant to say guts) to do anything about it. 

Well it looks like the moon is preoccupied with the soucouyant in the hills of Lopinot rather than catching up with the scamps who robbed our country of it's natural resources. 

I hope and prayer for the day that the "moon does run till daylight does catch up with these thieving scamps"!

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Car-Park | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #82

Yuh is ah Trini | "Car-Park"

Do you know of or have you ever used a Car Park. No, I am not talking about your ability to park a car in a tight spot or even parallel park. Now don't tell meh you don't know of any Car-Park or even parked your vehicle in one of those classic Trini parking areas?

OK, don't fret in Trinidad and Tobago a Car-Park is nothing but your typical parking lot. Creative or simple stupidity could apply here but this is one classic Trini twisting of a term that is common knowledge World wide. We like to be different or just difficult. 

Can you just imagine a typical American tourist looking for a place to leave his or her vehicle and with ease the words flow through lips of Mr.and or Mrs. Trini: "Just leave it in the Car-Park nah!" That is one precious moment and one that should be captured on film (yes I said film and not flim). However, don't be ah hater I know that everthing is captured on "smart phones" today (I have to save face here now). The look of bewilderment, utter confusion and the typical, huh should follow those instructions to leave the car in the Car-Park!

One must agree that we are masters of creating confusion because we truly tried to be helpful. Tourists beware... When you come to Trinidad and Tobago get someone to help you with the translation of Trini vernacular english... Good luck!

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Yuh put salt on every citrus fruit yuh eat to make it sweeter! | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #81

Yuh is ah Trini | "Yuh like to put salt on every citrus fruit yuh eat to make it sweeter"

I saw the topic somewhere on the web (sorry can't remember the weblink to give the author credit) but I do have something to say about it because, you guessed it, I love to put salt on meh orange, grapefruit, mango, plums whatever to make it sweeter. Yes I said make it 'sweeter'!

Are we unique or is this typical of all people in the Caribbean? I don't know but I do know that Trinis like to put salt on oranges and grapefruit to make it 'sweeter' to eat. Look, when I say sweeter or use the term sweet I don't mean sweet like sugar but make a sour or acidic fruit palatable. Trinis have an affection for eating fruit with salt or as in the case of pommecythre (yes I spelt it correctly) we love to pickle it with plenty pepper.

I don't know why but on Sundays it seems like more oranges and grapefruit are eaten in Trinidad. Maybe it is because it is considered 'market day'. Now if you live along the Eastern Main Road you probably go to Sah-Wah (San Juan if you have to be proper), Tunapuna Market or on the greens in Arima where the main market is located.

Typically one would not see people sucking oranges and grapefruit at the market that session is for coconut water and doubles. However, when Trini returns home and unpacks the market haul he will peel his orange and sprinkle some salt on the fruit, rub the halves together then suck it in glorious fashion. After that one may hear his wife quarrelling with him because he forgot to buy the dasheen leaves for the callaloo or he purchased some real old and hard leaves for the callaloo.

In any case after sucking that orange he will have another then another until the roof of his mouth is scarred and then he will bitch and complain then repeat the ritual next Sunday. Trini eh!

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Baccadey | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #80

Yuh is ah Trini | "Baccadey"

"Dat boi living quito quito oui - he living behin' Gawd back..." In other words he lives baccadey (back-ah-dey). Now don't get back-ah-dey confused with Embacadere, that is a settlement (village or town today) on the coast of the Gulf of Paria (that is the sea on the West coast of Trinidad) and the banks of the Cipero River (both  areas areas refer to a  location in the southern region of Trinidad).

Trini good eh! The word 'baccadey,' as used by most Trinis, is used as an adjective to describe a person living in a very distant or remote area. Some people like to say he/she is living 'behin' Gawd back' and they both mean the same thing... yuh living real far boi!

Now this may all sound very silly indeed but if you are living in Trinidad then any point south of the Churchill Roosevelt Highway that is heading south via the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway or goes through Valencia to Toco or Rio Claro is considered 'too far'. Just imagine having to travel to the deep south to La Brea? I believe the road conditions may tend to leave one disenchanted and make the trip feel longer thereby causing the person to exclaim that you are definitely living "back-ah-dey!"

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Take yuh time and do fast | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #79

Yuh is ah Trini | "Take yuh time and do fast"

"Lord have mercy on Trinis!" I guess one can understand the statement, 'take yuh time and do fast' as it applies to the lazy attitude of most Trinidadians. Did I say that Trinis are lazy? Well I do apologize because I really meant to say Trinis are a very 'laid back' society of limers!

Take yuh time and do fast... Well, make haste nah! Simply put one is being told to hurry up and get the job done but in this case it is expected that the job will be well done and not incomplete.

Now can you recall leaving for work early in the morning and on the way you met someone who was returning home after doing 'task work’? Do you think that they 'took their time or simply got the job done and done well? Most of these workers doing task work are employed with local government ministries, Ministry of Works or the current '10 days work program' known as URP. Most of these employees do some work but are never given the mandated union agreed task work. To add insult to injury they even complain and want to leave early without cleaning up the site. The foremen in charge don't measure the work done and the supervisors in charge seldom check that the government gets value for the money spent. Talk about laissez fairre attitude (as per answers.com, a more colloquial translation might be 'let them get on with it. They do and they 'do fast' but forget about the 'take yuh time' and most of all it surely does not mean that you get value for money.

Only in Trinidad my friends... So don't complain when things don't get done. However in Trinidad the people know what needs to be done when it is politically correct to comment. Simply listen to the talk shows on the radio stations and you will get a better understanding of the conversation.

So next time that you are in Trinidad remember that most people will "take their time and do fast" but don't expect the job to be that which was expected.

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Calling Meh (I love steelpan) | Destra

"Sung by Destra Garcia - composed by Mark Loquan, Ken “Professor” Philmore  and  Destra Garcia"
This chune is wicked! I just don't understand how this one 'passed over meh head'. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure I heard this on pan but I never paid attention to the lyrics and the musical sweetness that bewilders my senses with pure musical madness.

Sensational Destra (I am not talking about her outfits eh) is seriously mashing up the the lyrics with a sweetness that is just calling meh to another festival of 'pantastic' celebration. Now, as you can surmise, this is all in my head because (at this time) I have on my headphones blasting the vibrations! So let's go and play the music... Trust me with this one. Just jam the track and play it again and again and again. I guarantee you that you, or someone who knows better, will enjoy playing this track over and over again!

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Ramajay | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #78

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!  The losers on this day usually commented that the owner of the winning bird was simply 'showing off' on that day!

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?

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"Leh meh give yuh ah Crapo" | Yuh is ah Trini!

Triniglish|Trinididioms spoken and explained #77

Yuh is ah Trini | "Leh meh give yuh ah Crapo"

Can you recall your childhood days? Well many of us can but so many of us do our best not to recall our youthful experiences because we consider many of the things we did silly or downright embarrassing. However, there are many things that we did that, in retrospect, were downright silly or one can even say devilish on the part of the person coaxing or inducing the other party to tryout something new.

I can recall one experience that today I can do because it is a very silly thing but as a child (depending on your age) was considered painful, silly at times or downright devilish on the part of the person doing the deed. Do you remember someone saying to you: "Come here let me show you how to make the Crapo jump!" Some kids would simply say, "Leh meh give yuh ah Crapo". The latter was the more common term that ended up with an "ouch" and or laughter or a downrigh fight to resolve the 'joke' or perceived problem. 

The Crapo would not jump but the muscle bump would hurt and travel a bit giving the impression that the crapo did jump. So what are we talking about here? OK, simply put someone would use a pinching (thumb and pointing finger) to grasp the bicep muscle and pull up and out thereby causing the muscle to contract involuntarily and create a bump that travelled down the arm. It caused pain for the recipient but some kids would do it to themselves for fun. I guess it was like, "Gosh that hurt so good - who knows!? Other cases  ended up in a brawl - now that was fun to see especially if the person you did not like was on the ground getting his pwefen kicked!

The things we did as kids, "back in the day", may seem silly now but we considered them fun back then; today this would not have been possible. I am sure there are many things we did that you can recall. If you do remember a silly one leave a comment and we will highlight your experience(s) here.

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