When I played in Merrytones, we had a Flag Woman that goes by the name "Mama Cita". Mama Cita! lol. (merrytonestodebone could probably share more on her being chosen as the flag woman.) She was a very colorful and animated character. I didn't know her, but as a "front-line" player, she used to give me a lot of positive vibes, especially on the runs on the variations. She was very friendly to me, but I could tell she was not a Sista to mess with (if you know what I mean). So, I would like to say, "Thank you" to Mama Cita, for being a cherished part of my memories playing on the Panorama stage. We really had no band without you...
What the "Eurocentric" mind does not comprehend, is the fact that the steel drum/pan represents MUCH MORE than just the music. The instrument was born out of a culture that embraces nature and "natural expression". It is what the "Western" mind considers "exotic", and certain images become embedded in their consciousness. Images of "natives from the islands" under coconut trees, drinking rum and being sexually loose. (Jean and Dinah?) The "Western" mind is competitive not collective, and in our sharing in this collective spirit, comes the competitive controlling "Western" mind to learn, practice, "perfect", and finally dominate. The approach is neither direct nor telegraphed; that mind comes as "friends" and "observers", however, they are recording your every move and going back to their "labs". They also extract the parts of the culture they choose to exploit, and in their "throw-away culture", discard the parts that have no interest, benefit or reward to them. They also condemn parts of the culture that they cannot grasp, for example, the dance and dancing, especially when the movements are highly syncopated. The "low waist" wine of the Trinbagonian. The gyrating body movements of the Flag Woman. They cannot get that, nor is it important to them. However, this woman, like the "boys in the Engine Room" with their "rustic" percussion, is an INTEGRAL component of the steelband. And it is the MUSIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (calypso, soca, chutney, etc.) that gives her the "vibes" to do her thing. Flag Woman, wave yuh flag do do. The Grandmaster understood this clearly, and somebody either needs to inform Jacob Edgar or beat him with ah dhalpourie until it turns into a parata. lol. Anyway, this is my honoring ALL Flag Women, past, present, and future, who are just as important as "de front-line players up on de rack".
Ghost Who Knows We Know OUR Culture. They don't.
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Tanty Toti was famous in St James boi, her fete on carnival Sunday night for Homosexuals and Transvestites was the only one of it's kind I ever know of in T&T.
Cecil, When you went to Tanti Toti fetes you used to hang out with Buller man Hinds from green corner? Ah hear you all were tight? As Bertel say, we got to keep we eye on you Boi,lol
Bede, Allyuh catch meh, what can I say? Hinds and Clovis was meh boys. The good book say we have to love everybody.LMAO
Hey Cecil, u no ah forget Clovis?
Cecil, you used to make dem Fetes???? Boi ah ha to watch you boi !!!! You really went around???!!! LOL
Bertel, Ah could switch.lol and ah going around again.
The only true flag man still waving today is Exodus flag man
Adlib in NY has a good flagman too, Is it possible that he is the same guy from XO.
Ey Ghost...Mama Cita livin' somewhere in Europe now...she was home last year for a few weeks...still sexy too...lol
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