Heavenly Father:

As I prepare another article for this newspaper, I ask that you guide my trembling hand and pen, my thoughts and my writing so that in the exercise of my rights of freedom of thought and expression, I do not libel anyone. Father, I am particularly nervous at this time, and I need to be extra careful, because Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming, at a Press Conference on Tuesday 24th July, warned that anybody who libels him will be taken to court.

Heavenly Father:

It was an irate Osbourne who, in responding to criticisms of his Government, told the Press that: People who have been dispensing this kind of information [about alleged corruption in government] will pay the price for it. He stressed that these people cannot get away! They cannot get away! Cannot get away with it . . . . They will pay the price for these things!

Heavenly Father:

Osbourne sounded as though he would take the matter all the way to the Privy Council in London because he was prepared to sell his house in the process. Hear him: I am going all de way! All de way! If I have to sell my house, I am going to clear my name . . . All the persons involved will pay the price!

Most merciful and forgiving Father:

We are indeed very thankful that our Chief Minister is a born again Christian and I therefore ask, as regards the matter under reference, that you remind him of Hebrew 10:30 which says: Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.

Most merciful and forgiving Father:

I also pray that you remind our CM of Matthew 18:21 – 22 where Peter asked, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times seven? And Jesus said unto him, not until seven times; but, until seventy times seven. And Lord, teach him how to turn the other cheek. Amen.

I was about to say that with the Opposition in disarray – widely split in two – the only grouping capable of holding the Government accountable is the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM). I also was about to say that, judging from the impressive show of support for its march on Friday 20th July, the CCM is emerging as a potent pressure group. However, I ain’t goin no further. I keepin outa politics, and talkin bout this year’s carnival calypsos.

Yes, it’s carnival time. But first a word on Byron Lee & the Dragonnaires’ show on Friday night 27th July. Byron Lee and his band had Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre shaking as though an earthquake had struck it. The band certainly lived up to its international reputation and pumped out some powerful music which had the audience dancing on its feet non-stop. Hardly anybody sat down, except Alison. She wined on her seat all night. I would not be surprised if she developed sores of some kind. And I could still see Mavis throwing herself all over the place and moving like a jelly fish – boneless.

Until the Byron Lee show, I used to think that the only thing that could raise the dead was the resurrection. Therefore when I saw Celestine on her feet, rolling it and wining to Tiny Winy, every strand of hair on my head stood up. I immediately started searching for my glasses to make sure I was seeing right, only to discover that I already had them on. It was at that point that it struck me that Byron Lee’s music could raise the dead. Indeed, it raised Celestine.

Incidentally, our own Springer and Queen B made guest appearances at the show. Their performances were first class. So too was the performance of the Better Band. It was the first time I sat down and listened intently to its music and I was extremely impressed. Better Band is a better band than I thought. It is dynamic and has much to be proud about.

I mentioned earlier that, for this article I was keeping out of political commentary but, on second thought, how could I when the calypsos for carnival 2007, on which I said I would write, are starkly political? The calypsonians are doing precisely what Jah Fire is advising in his song Say Something:

So many things to talk about
Rise up, open up your mouth . . .
Freedom of speech is your common right
Come out of the dark and into de light . . .

The chorus says in part:

If you think that the Ministers are rude
And coping an attitude
Say something . . .

Now if you think that the country over-run
With too much aliens
Say something . . .

And if you think that for the next election
All seven should stay at home
Say something, say something.

Indeed, all of the calypsonians are saying something, speaking out, and expressing much displeasure with the state of Anguilla’s socio-economic and political health.

There is no doubt – no denying – that Anguilla is experiencing unprecedented economic growth. The economy is bursting at its seams. But despite the rapid economic growth there is much bitterness among Anguillian people. The opening lines of Daddy Fresh Cold’s What Will It Take make reference to that situation:

[There is]prosperity like we never seen in dis country.
We all agree we have a booming economy
Yet, unfortunately, so many are unhappy.

It is in light of that scenario that I appeal to our political leaders to listen to the calypsonians with an open mind in order to get a better appreciation of the reasons why, in the midst of an economic boom, many people are angry and unhappy.

A major concern of theirs is land alienation. The Mighty Splinter, in Modern Day Economic Slavery, sings about the speed with which Anguilla’s lands are being sold off. He abhors the haste. For this reason he is warning, with good reason:

Don’t sell this land
It’s all we have
Hold on to some
For generations to come.
Please don’t sell your land
It’s all we have
Hold on to some
For generations to come.

Daddy Fresh Cold in What Will It Take shares a similar view:

All this land we are alienating
[It] is our own grave we digging
Our present land policy
Is just plain silly.

Queen B, in After Forty Years, sings lustily from the same hymn book:

We promised our ancestors
Our land is our legacy
But we sell to the highest bidder
Our children’s property...We sell out to de Yankee dollar
Now bow your head in shame.

A further cause of much bitterness is what our calypsonians consider as foreign domination of our economy. Some of them describe the situation as “modern day slavery.” On this matter Splinter’s Modern Day Economic Slavery says:

Modern day economic slavery
We’re working harder and seeing less.
Struggling to stay afloat
In this leaky boat that they call progress.
It’s high time that we stake a better claim
For a bigger piece of the pie
For the generations to come
Secure their freedom before we die . . .
Show these modern day slave masters
We’re determined and won’t be abused.

Like Splinter, Hot Shot too advocates taking a stand against what he considers to be economic slavery and foreign domination. He advises:

Anguillians we need to take a stand
Modern day slavery should not be in our land
. . . Say no to slavery in Anguilla!

Also highly condemnatory of foreign domination of our economy is Queen B (in After Forty Years):

We invited dem investors,
But dey plundering my country.
We still toil for de slave master
We still live on de plantation
For we are their bellboys and their waiters
In this island in the sun.

Chorus

After forty years,
After forty years,
We still cannot enjoy our blood, sweat and tears.
Like we still need dem foreign massa
To comfort all our fears
We still can’t run our own affairs
After forty years.

Our calypsonians are convinced that the rapid economic growth which our island is experiencing carries a big price. One of them who holds that view is Dynamite who is back from retirement. He sings in I Want To Know that:

...A fact you can’t deny...
The price of progress in Anguilla way too high.

He sings further that even though:

We’ve been working hard, struggling long
To give this land a fresh start,
After forty years, everything still falling apart.

Splinter shares Dynamite’s view that the price of progress in Anguilla is way too high. In Modern Day Economic Slavery he sings:

Here at home sweet innocence is gone
It disappeared without a trace;
Big, big money is being invested
At a breath taking pace.
With little regard for our culture
A way of life that is dear to us,
Establishing control with their dollars
When will these plunderers have enough?

It is that kind of thinking that led Bossman’s conclusion that Anguilla is no more – that Anguilla Gone:

They sell out this blessed country
Tell me why after fighting hard to be free . . .
Foreign man taking over
While the natives push in a corner
With no hope . . . for a brighter future
Anguilla gone, she gone, she gone, she gone,
Oh Lord, my paradise gone!

Another major political issue with which our calypsonians are concerned is the quality of our political leadership. Some of them are raising the issue of lack of credibility. Eye Spy, in Judas, is referring to some of our ministers of government as Judases because they refused, some weeks ago, to support Eddy Baird’s motion in the House of Assembly for a national holiday in honour of Ronald Webster. Hear him:

. . . Judas, Judas
Victor, you making me feel nervous,
I keep thinking you could be Judas.
...Judas, Judas Bunton, you making me feel nervous,
I keep thinking you could be Judas.

Kenneth and Belto are also Judases, he said. And Minister McNeil Rogers? Eye Spy likened him to Peter who denied Christ:

. . . Peter, Peter,
MacNeil, you giving me the jitters,
I keep thinking you could be Peter.

Lack of creditability in our political leadership was also raised by Splinter in Modern Day Economic Slavery when he asked:

Are we being betrayed by our leaders,
Who seem totally blinded by greed,
In their quest to acquire millions
To satisfy their personal needs?

Then there was Repeater who, in trying to learn more about how political leaders, in general, think, took a hypothetical world tour on Air Calypso to meet with some of them. His experiences caused him to ask, Why politicians tell so much lies? Here in Anguilla he had a meeting (hypothetical) with Chief Minister Fleming which went in part like this:

I said, ‘Osboune there has growing concerns
About the Treasury financial situation.’
He say, ‘If money missing, boy don’t come to me
Only Victor has a key for we Treasury.’

Repeater also asked him about the Viceroy project:

Could you please tell how much de Treasury get,
For the favours granted on Viceroy project?
He said, ‘Boy that is a real top secret
And Mathematics is not my favourite subject.
Before I make a mistake quoting a figure
Go and check de head banks in Anguilla.’

Repeater concluded that all politicians are liars.

Dynamite (in I Want To Know) is calling on our leaders to take the business of running this country seriously because, in his words:

It’s a serious thing, it ain’t no joke,
Some people done give up hope.
Stop running this land
Like some dope heads who high on coke.

He sang further that there is no proper planning:

A shotgun approach
Is how you running this land
A shotgun approach
That is crippling our nation.

There is no denying that this year’s calypsos are highly charged politically, and I say to our political leaders that their messages are expressive of the views and mood of the people whom you were elected to serve. While you, the politicians, see things from top down, calypsonians see them from bottom up. Therefore, to the extent that they are the voices of the people – that they are the people’s messengers – you should stop, listen and learn and take corrective action as necessary. Further, the fact that the calypsonians are all young people, and are tomorrow’s leaders, is all the more reason why all Anguilla and its leaders must heed their concerns.
It is in view of our habit of crucifying our people who speak out, and who exercise their right of freedom of speech and expression, that I say to the powers that be, do not shoot the calypsonians. Do not shoot the messengers. Instead, learn from their messages. They contain plenty of food for thought.
Also, as we celebrate another carnival, there is plenty of food for thought in Exodus’ song, Sweet, Sweet, for our young men. It is my hope that they heed its advice (2005):

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

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