So de fetin' season in full swing, de Johnnie Black depletin' at a rate an' I still ent know how it is people could manage to attend so many of
dem all-inclusive an' could still buy not only costume, but food too.

It ent all dat long ago when all-inclusives was $125, but over de years (jes like everybody who did faithfully patronise dem) de ticket prices
develop a bit of girth...but dis year is like dey develop some kinda eatin' disorder de way dey suddenly inflate. Yuh lucky to get into
anywhere fuh 'only' $350 or $375 - $400 is de popular number it would appear, an' I even hear talk dat one also chargin' a U$'blue' fuh access
to dey all-inclusive exclusive Champagne Bar...now I really ent have no problem wid any school or hospital or in fact any worthwhile cause (an'
dat include Lions an' Rotary an' dem) havin' a nice fete wid no more than could comforably fit de venue an' chargin' loud dullahs fuh de
tickets...at least yuh know whey it is yuh money goin' - is someting dat yuh believe in odderwise yuh money woulda stay in yuh purse an'
somebody else woulda get de chance to play demselves in dey new dan-dan an' ting.

De problem I have is when yuh start to segregrate de event an' have 'class' difference - us up here wid de bubbly & Johnnie Blue lookin'
dong on allyuh plebs wid mere Johnnie Black...someting bong to mus' be not right wid dat posture in a Carnival fete. As I did arredy say, I
ent know how it is people could afford de $3-400 tickets times 3 or 4 or even 5 fetes an' costume as well...I mean to say is only so much doubles
yuh could eat in one year! De point is, yuh havin' fundraisin' event fuh yuh school or whatever, make it attractive enough dat 1200 or 1500
people will say dey givin' you $500 or $600 fuh de cause...yuh ole bwoys an' gyuls go find de funds somehow even if dey really cyant afford it,
so doh go an' jam up de place wid people like is a $20 bram in Soca Village. Is jes how much of de ticket price does actually endup goin'
to de cause anyway?

What is de point of hiring a setta big name/price band an' singers who go endup wid most of de ticket price? Why we cyant have a nice fete wid
a couple small panside an' nice live music dat doh cost de earth? Yes, de musicians have to live too, but why it is dey want to make all de
money in one grap at Carnival? Is why yuh have to look hard to find any kinda live music in de place after de Carnival over? I mus' be gettin' ole real quick, because I find it hard to deal wid de noise dat passin' fuh music dese days...long time when yuh had Mano Marcelin, Frankie
Francis an' Joey Lewis Orchestras in a fete is music dat yuh was lissenin' to, not some hyperactive youth givin' aerobic exercise
instructions to a beat dat de fittest army would have trouble keepin' up wid. An' yuh know what de de worse part is? Is dat de selfsame
aerobics beat actually have some nice music...if yuh slow it dong plenty an' throw way de verse & chorus of 6 lines an' 3 words dat want
to be passin' deyself off as lyrics.

We still ent learn yet. All de music dat really popular (dat we playin' fuh de rest of de year) an' is de defacto Road March every year comin'
from de rest of de Caribbean...but we head hard an' we like it so. If it continue on like dis, jes now I go endup like all dem odder Trini who
does buss it to de Bahamas or Curacao fuh Carnival...because when yuh think 'bout it, it go cost de same more or less, yuh woulda had belly
full of food an' drink an' yuh comin' back home relax an' refresh an' yuh ears an' legs go be forever grateful.

 

BACKCHAT: Issue 03

Tants, I have to agree with the other two persons who replied in your Backchat to say Toronto's Christmas is great. I hung out with some folks
up here who belong to La Petite Musicale (TO) for the first time. Their marac lady was the best I've seen for a long time and I am an Arimian by
birth. The limes could only equal what I experienced there long ago. Up here we try our best to keep up all the traditions except painting
cause it usually cold no arse.
We seem to be doing a better job at preserving the Christmas heritage. Today I read murders reach 18. Things bad here too in terms of what we've
been experiencing recently but at least they solve more here than they do back in my sweet T&T.
Take care
//Canada


Thank you for all the good news and the not so good news. You have a real source of info during the past an trust you will continue. I again thank
you and say God Bless and continue to bring us the news and the funnies etc etc.
Have a real Happy Happy New Year 2006.
//Canada


Ah glad yuh make de point dat we have tuh change "we" in order to realize V20/20, because, Tants, plenty people feel dat dis is a government
programme an' dat dey go wake up on Jan. 1 - 14 years from now - an' expect tuh see de great change (or not....in which case dey go blame de
government).
You sewing yuh grand chile Kiddies Carnival costume?!?!?! Is Kiddies Carnival yuh say, yuh know! You too efficient! You mus' be lookin' towards Vision 2030
//Trinidad