I've always felt that the story of the steelband flag woman was more a creation of our beloved calypso legend, the late Lord Kitchener, than reality.
True, there were flag women in the early days of the steelband, but these women were in the minority, since the majority of flag bearers were men.
As a matter of fact I recall the flag bearer had a special role in the band as standard bearer for the band, and , much like the "fireman" dance , the flag bearer had a distinctive flag waving, dance style.
The flag waver was also someone who helped to clear a path for the oncoming band with varying levels of aggression, depending on the band.
So sometimes the flagman would be a known "Badjohn".
For example, once I saw one of the notorious Poolool brothers aggressively waving the flag for San Juan All Stars.
He cleared a path for the band, all right.
A great example of the dancing flagman from the old days was the Solo Harmonites flagman of the 1960s.
A modern throwback to the old days was the Exodus flagman, whose dance and flag-waving style was reminiscent of the old days.
Like I've said, Kitch's lyrics "You have no band without a beautiful flag woman" has become a reality today, but truth be told, back in the days the Kitchener was referencing the beautiful flag woman was not all that common.
Today, the beautiful flag woman has become a fixture in the modern steelband at Panorama or on the road much to our appreciation, and for the most part we owe it to Lord Kitchener's 1976 hit calypso, "Flag Woman"
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On the subject of flag women , this is a post from a few ywars ago
Hi Glen am looking for LULU (I think thats the actual name) by SPARROW. It disappeared from my collection. Hope you can help. paddy
You talking bout "Bang bang lulu?"
I hate to disagree with you Glenroy but I think the Legendary Bubalups of Trinidad All Stars was the essence and epitomy of what we know today as the FLAGWOMAN. She was with the band from mid 40's..She created the post for all the other women to follow and she was LARGE and IMPOSING. Before that I guess the MEN played a very prominent role even as far back as the Bamboo Tamboo bands. Bubalups did All Stars proud and inspired other women to take up the FLAG. I think (not sure) Kim Johnson wrote a bio piece about her when she died a few years ago. paddy corea
I hear you , Paddy. But I didn't say that there weren't any flagwomen. I am just saying that the "beautiful flag woman" wasn't as common as implied by the Kitchener calypso, since most of the steel band flag bearers in the era referenced by Kitch were, according to my recollection, mostly male.
Glenroy the only noted flag woman I got to read about is the late Yvonne "Bobulops" Smith from Kim Johnson's book, "If Yuh Iron Good Yuh Is King"
The greatest flagman of all was Arthur "Tramcar" from Belmont "Rising sun".
Some ole timers will remember 'Jitterbug'. I think he was Casablanca
Glenroy, Back in the day when two bands clash the flag man was the first one to get cut-ass. lol