2003Commess UniversityŠ
Cultural Identity
by
Queen Macoomeh
copyright August 2003
Mih heart full up wid pride but hurting mih in de same time. All last week and dis week ah went about to attend we events in de city. Yuh know me, Miss Wednesday, ah was inbetween in everyting. From Pan to Mas' to concerts to displays. Once it name 'Caribbean Culture', yuh girl was dere.
Ah see some skill and art dat had mih ches' push up wid pride at what my people could do. Ah went by where it had we people performing in dance and song and ah bawl 'ray' and ah clap till mih two han' lancing mih and my voice gorn. Ah went in panyard and see mih people playing dat instrument wid a sweetness dat yuh does only fine in de greatest of orchestras. Doh talk about mas'. Pappa yo. Ah see mas till ah get even more schtupid. De King and Queen Extravaganza last Tursday was de hardest hard. Sally had ah king dey dat night. Oh jeezan. Mih skin walk! Jessie Matthews king was Martin Scott-Pascall. He does always wash away everybody when he start to dance he costume. Ah like Errol Achue king too bad. All de Queens look nice. Arnold Hughes had one dey. And Terry Skinner Queen was lovely too. Nobody disappoint mih. Even some of de smaller costumes, yuh could see heart and soul went into it to make it nice. Everybody dance and enjoy deyself. Ah take snap till all mih flim finish out.
One of de hosts dat night was Alicia Sealey. She say dat de sickness call SARS gorn troo, it have a new meaning now. SARS stand for "Shake And Roll Something". Ah laugh boy. Is troot. Toronto nice up again. Tell WHO to take a side.
But what hurting mih heart doh, is when ah see all dis talent, all dis artistry den realize we not respecking it, we not respecking each udda and we not demanding dat outside people respeck it too.
All year ah ponging de CCC. Ah does give dem plenty fatigue. None of dem stand gawdmudder fuh me so I could talk de troot and heng up everyting on de line outside. But de CCC cah move a muscle widdout de support and encouragement of de people. Ent troot? If me and you refuse to put we han' in we pocket and buy a ticket and come inside, Caribana would disappear like Dasheen Bush top lip. Widdout all dem volunteers I see wukking out dey liver string, Caribana would pelt spade. It have some people dere who I know since ah small. Dey always helping out and not getting pay. Some does cook and clean and organize and doh even get a tanks.
Well let Queen Macoomeh talk all yuh up and say "TANK YOU." Ah was watching all yuh. Up and down all night at events, setting up, clearing up and doing de needful. Every year, rain or shine ah does see some of all yuh. Big mout people like me does come and go but all yuh dere faithful as ever, quiet and dependable.
Ah does watch de mas' designers making dere costumes. Two piece'ah clawt and tree beads and all in a sudden de ting come alive on a stage making people mout open and camera flash. Nobody else have anyting like what we have. Ah see some tourises standing up staring. Plenty of dem shock to see all what we can do. I like no better joke dan when ah outside person akse mih question. Ah does hole dem in some long ole talk explaining de origins and calling de names of we people. Two nights aback ah Italian lady akse mih if de steelpan is American. Ah stand up dere on Eglinton for over ah hour giving de lady a hist'ry of my Pan. Leh she go back to Italy and put dem to rights now. Ah doh make joke wid dat.
But some of we own people not respecking de ting. Dat does get me ignorant one time. De volunteers doing what you refuse to do, doh boof dem nuh man. De mas' maker wukking till fur'day morning for weeks, doh pull at de costume nuh man. De pan man practice he chune and doing he bes', come and hear dem play nuh man. Look how many thousands fly up in Downsview to watch four ole men prance up and down on a stage, why you cah come downtown and watch your people play mas? Ah know is de CCC who planning de events and dey have more commess dan is necessary, but is we ting, is we festival, take ah intress nuh man.