Our carnival comes in the middle of the hurricane season. Perhaps that is why carnival has most of the characteristics of a hurricane. This year, it began as a tropical disturbance involving a dispute between the calypso sub-committee and the Musical Brothers musical band. Then, before we realised it, we had a tropical depression on our hands.

Colville Petty

The musical winds of the Free Show Calypso Tent, organised by Drak New York and his boys, with the witty Numsi as MC, took the place by storm. The cyclical winds moved anticlockwise from Grillers in Stoney Ground to the Herbert’s Commercial Complex in the Valley and to Green House in The Forest. It was a unique experience for many people who struggled to stay on their feet against the howling winds of sweet calypso music. In the words of the Exodus band:

Sweet, sweet, sweet
Knock me off mi feet.

And just recently we experienced some tropical storm force winds whipped up by the release of the Better Band’s album The Wetter The Better. An instant hit. Its members seemed to have enjoyed the drenching rains which accompanied the storm. The rains went a long way in cooling those bodies set on fire by jam and wine music. Thus the reason for Panther singing:

Throw de water
On de fire . . .
The wetter de better.

And the situation got worse on Thursday 21st July when The Mussington Brothers released their 2005 album over Heart Beat Radio (HBR) station. The gale force winds produced by their music threatened to blow down the station – to flatten it. It threw their many fans, who had gone there for its release, in a human garbage heap. Total confusion. Sheriff found shelter between Hugger and Zo. In Hugger’s own words: “Me and Zonelle nearly kill Sheriff!” I believe her because Hugger an dem ain’t easy. And oh, nothing, or nobody, could have held down Debbie, the lady in red, who went mortal crazy. The music turned her into a raging tigress.

As the barometric pressure continues to fall, and the island braces itself for the onslaught of the hurricane, Iwandai, Hammer, Sheriff and Mello Sello on Heart Beat Radio, Farah Banks on Radio Anguilla and Prince and Witty on 103.3 FM, continue to give us updates and to issue hurricane watch advisories. Also, they continue to stress the importance of preparedness.

During hurricanes some people, especially the young among us, take the opportunity to exploit the atmosphere of confusion. And because of the hurricane in our carnival, we need to issue tips which could minimise injury or loss of life. Here are a few tips for our young people in particular:

Stock your vocabulary with words or phrases such as “sorry”, “pardon me”, “excuse me”, “do not worry about that” and “let’s shake hands.” You should not leave home without them. They will come in handy when you accidentally push someone or step on somebody’s toes.

By the same token, remove from your vocabulary all “f words” and words or phrases such as “don’t touch me”, “don’t mash me”, “don’t push me”, and “move yer stupid –s”. Having removed them, flush them down the toilet before leaving home.

Put away all guns. And heed the advice of the Exodus band in their song, Sweet. They are pleading for a crime free carnival. Listen:

Throw away your big gun
Don’t be a bad man.
Don’t shoot your brother down
Remember we are all one.

Also, put away all knives, pepper spray, mace and big sticks. They too have no place in our carnival. But you will need a handkerchief, wash rag or towel with which to wipe the sweat off your face. To be quite frank, the best weapons with which to arm yourself are a heart full of love and kindness, a forgiving spirit, plenty patience and a lot of understanding.

Protect yourself against HIV/AIDS. As one of our calypsonians sang some years ago, “The AIDS is worse than a hand grenade.” Also, take note of the advice of the National AIDS Committee: “Be wise. Condomise.” And please do not forget that, “What sweeten goat mouth does sour he --s.” By the way, the older folk, particularly those mentioned in Quicksilver’s Packing Company, and people like Iwandai and Hammer mentioned in Repeater’s Tickler, should heed the advice of the Pink Panther as regards the use of Viagra. He warned, long ago, that it ain’t good because, “When you think you coming, it’s going yer going.”

Cut down on your intake of alcohol which could seriously impair your reasoning power and cause you to do stupid things. Hold yer balance. If yer find you cannot stand on one leg that means you are way over your limit. Ask someone to drop you home. Don’t drive when drunk and, when yer sober, drive with utmost care.

Avoid eating sugar cakes. According to a release from the Primary Health Care Department, they are filled with marijuana or ganga. Symptoms of illness which they cause include headache, heart palpitation, dizziness, raised blood pressure and general weakness. Unfortunately, a few persons have already ended up in the Princess Alexandra Hospital for unknowingly eating marijuana/ganga sugar cakes.

One last thing. There is a lot of sense in Mello Sello’s advice: “No violence! Only waistline!”

As we finalise our preparations, Anguilla is being buffeted by tropical storm force winds of pulsating music. Make no mistake about it, hurricane a come and a wicked one at that with plenty pressure. According to The Mussington Brothers:

We goin give you pressure pon de left side
We goin give you pressure pon de right side.
We goin give you pressure pon de front side
We goin give you pressure in the back side.

The weather forecasts got it right. The hurricane is here. Its forward winds began affecting us late last week. The calypso semi-finals on Friday 22nd July was an earth-shaker. All thirteen calypsonians performed well, rocking Landsome Bowl with powerful lyrics and sweet music nuff to give yer diabetes. The Platinum Band played beautifully. When the calypsonians had finished singing Sunbeam, in the judges’ view, was the best performer. He really had the village in uproar with his rendition Singing For Fun.

Incidentally, one of the calypsonians who surprised me was LS. He has come a long way since his years early in the business. His song, Guilty, was lyrically strong – a good message.

Despite the absence of some of the big names like Splinter, Lord Anything, Eye Spy and Thunder, the show was great. But wait here! What really happened to Thunder? He was supposed to sing but did not show up. And I recall him doing a similar thing in the 2001 Finals when he appeared in the first round and not the second. Yes, in 2001, when the MC Dizzy Brooks called Thunder on stage the Thunder could not roll. Instead, he was backstage coiled up like fish pot rope and fast asleep. And drunk as a bat, they said.

Perhaps for that same reason, there was no Thunder at last week’s semi-finals. But there was severe lightning, the following night, at the Miss Ecstasy Show when several beauties from across the Caribbean blinded the audience with their radiance and charm.

There was a lull in the lightning. But not in the frequent releases of hurricane warnings. Why? The hurricane is upon us. The heaviest winds, to date, were felt on Wednesday night 27th July. I thought the walls of Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre would have collapsed against the fury of the winds unleashed by vintage calypsos from Trinidad Rio, the Mighty Bomber, Pink Panther, Rootsman and Funny. Luckily they did not because a lot of souls would have gone straight to hell, judging from the way the crowd was dancing and prancing. The calypsonians, all masters of the calypso art form, ravaged Landsome Bowl with the cream of calypsos.

The forward bands of the eye wall of the hurricane made landfall in the early evening of Thursday 28th July with a bout of lightning, giving one the impression that the world had come to an end. The sky over Landsome Bowl was lit up, as though the heavens had opened. Thank God it was not the second coming because the devil’s hotel would not have been able to accommodate the crowd unless, of course, he had put some tents on the outside. That evening, all eyes looked skywards. Everybody was awe-struck wondering what’s next.

What’s next? The forecasters have advised that conditions will get real rough when the winds from the inner eye wall begin hitting us on or about Friday 29th July, International Soca Night. Because the hurricane is slow moving, like Lenny in 1999, and because no decrease in wind speed is expected during that 24-hour period , all hell will broke loose on International Reggae Night (30th July).

The eye will be right over us, the forecasters say, on Sunday 31st July. As it passes, there will be lull – a period of calm – which would give us sufficient time to prepare for the second half when the winds, as in all hurricanes, will blow from the opposite direction. They will come in from the west early Monday morning 1st August (J’ouvert). It is predicted that Sandy Ground will be badly affected. Its roads are likely to be inundated, not by water but, by people. Some drunk. Some hot, sticky and tired after jamming to the hurricane force sounds and rhythm of our musical bands like The Better Band singing:

Raise yer hand in de air
Jump up like yer don’t care.

Another concern at Sandy Ground is the fear of severe ground swells of people and precautionary measures are in place to deal with the many bodies washing up, or that may wash up, on its sandy beach. We got to watch for storm surge, the forecasters say, as well as severe sand storms brought on by the whipping winds of a few tornadoes caused by Atlantick, Surface, Ice Water Steel Ensemble and others.

Gossip sings about turbulence and for sure more turbulent weather is expected, on the night of 3rd August, as the winds and rain of the second half of the eye wall pelt us by way of the Calypso Monarch Finals. The forecasts speak of severe winds to the north of the eye and also from the south-west (the Blowing Point area). In such conditions Repeater, the reigning King, goin have hell holding the crown on his head. Sunbeam, Springer, Gossip, Marshman, Queen B, Bossman, Controller and LS, the forecasters say, are coming with Category 4 (Saffir-Simpson Scale) winds so it goin be hell to tell the priest. Some people are saying that Repeater goin have to come up with a lot more than A Mother’s Love and Tickler if he is to hold on to his crown.

It is expected that we will continue to experience Category 4 winds on 4th August during the Miss Anguilla Beauty Pageant, and on the following day (5th August) when the howling, whirling and whistling winds accompanying the Parade of Troupes litter The Valley with colour, splendour and music. Little change in intensity is expected during last lap on Saturday morning August 6th with the roads crowded with people jamming and wining. Tiny winy Shirone Hughes, of The Mussington Brothers, has predicted that the people “goin mash up de place with a whole lot of wining.” More damage is expected during the night with a hammering from a dread line-up of first class calypso singing and music from the Leeward Island Calypso Monarch Competition. After that the hurricane is predicted to move away rapidly.

Then comes clean up time, including the highway and byways. Time too for those visitors who got stuck here to leave, taking with them many fond memories.

Although there is a hurricane in our carnival, carnival is not a destructive force. Rather, it is a constructive and productive one. Firstly, it is a cultural showpiece – the premier event on our social calendar. Secondly, it is an important sector of our economy that kicks in when tourism kicks out. Thirdly, it is an escape valve for social discontent.

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