A real crime take place in de Caribbean community last Saturday. I was dere and see it wid my own two eye. I was even involve wid de ting so ah cah say it wasn’t we. Ah was only too glad de pohlice chief wasn’t dere to see we commit dis lollessness.

All yuh hear ‘bout it? It was at de Leah Poslum tearta up on Bathurst by Sheppard. It had over 600 of we involve. We take over de people place and mash it up wid music. We raise up de roof! We planase people rear wid culture. It was crucial boy! People break away and was clapping and dancing. It had so much sweet pan dat I feel it had to be illegal.

It was de SnowFlakes of Steel concert. We had Panatics, we had Afro Pan, we had Pan Fantasy and we had Silhouettes. Den inbetween we had een soloists who show we how we could put we hand to any kine’ah music. We teef udda people ting, sweeten it and make it we own! We even had a girl name Amanda Jones, looking very sprooksy, come and do a medley of Disney chunes accompany by Panatics. We take we own calypso and bus’ some more flavour in it. Take dat eh papa! It had meh bazodee.

During intermission yuh could go and buy books from A Different Booklist becaw Miss Itah had she little table dere promoting we literature. Ian Jones had some nice drawings and paintings yuh could order one fuh yuh drawing room or buy a nice T-shirt to wear. He tell me he have one of de drawing already plan to sen’ by de Prime Minister for Black Hist’ry Mont’.

Man it have talented people for spite in we community eh? Oh gooode! One of de soloists, Al foster have a music school call Treble Clef dat could teach yuh how to play de pan. Even my girl, de Nuts Lady was dere again dis year. She come and give meh a big hug up. Dey serve bake and shark and pelau in de parlour. Dey had everyting do up nice.

In de second half dey give out award. For de Male Pioneers in Pan it had Danny Mosca, de leader for Silhouettes and Carl James daughter come to accept one for Carl. Dey give ah nex’ award to a special lady name Deborah Gaskin-Tyrell as top Female Pioneer in Pan. Deborah really do good tings wid we pan.

All night de MC making jokes wid we and we heckling back. Dey give away door prizes and ting. De evening make meh proud.

Big Saturday night, my community bade and powder up, put on dey nice dan dan and come out in de cole to support we culture. De place pack. Ah reach late becaw ah spend nearly de whole day in de meeting Caribana had – but ah going and save dat taylaylay for all yuh next time. Dat deserve ah whole epistle by itself. Make sure yuh pick up a SHARE every week because I could talk about Caribana from now until dey make ah profit.

Ah barely had time to run quick and change meh clothes to come in de concert. Ah was tired eh, but when de first pan knock, meh eye get bright and ah was rigglin’ up in meh seat. By de time Pan Fantasy lash meh wid dat chune ‘Free Up’, it was all I could do not to fly up on de people stage and play flag woman.

All de bands and artistes look nice and song nice. My boy Hamid Shaqq was wearing on a tuxedo papa! And he give we a little Michael Jackson foot movement while he playing. Pappy Frederick was dey too and Gareth Burgess.

Doh mine dem jumbie who only crying we dong. It have de majority of we who keeping good. Dat is what we mus’ always keep in mine. Doh let dem make we lorse pride in weself. We have too much to offer de worl’ fuh dem to keep we dong.

Before ah go, let me wish my Haitian people congrats on de latest milestone in dey history. Ah doing my bes’ to learn more and understand tings dong dere. Keep yuh head up and strive eh? Papa Gawd doh sleep. Tings will ease up and history will mark yuh down as strong, proud people!

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