MY J’OURVERT VIBES– Steve Clarke

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This piece was inspired by the riveting momentum generated by the rapso movement during its ‘toddler years’ – thanks and praises, Bro Resistance, for the opportunity to be!

Today, ‘My J’ourvert Vibes’ (MJV) is being revisited in humble tribute to Bro Tony Hall, the juggernaut keeper of the keys to the celestial trove that is Trinidad & Tobago’s cultural self  – thanks and praises, Bro Tony, for incessantly stoking the teeming bushfires of our collective psyche.

From the onset, MJV sought to encapsulate the emotions, verve and starkness of the transformation, on J’ouvert morning, from an everyday being into a titan, ruling the roost throughout the city streets. This right-to-rule was bequeathed to anyone with the audacity to self-adorn with the basic combined elements of water, earth and heavy-duty motor car oil.

At that time, an individual so endowed, was met with a sense of reverence, respect, and no small measure of trepidation by bewildered onlookers, who would begrudging accept anointing smears of earthy lubrication from denizens, seeming emanating from the womb of a Piparo Volcano.

To me, this J’ouvert appearance heralded the humble beginnings of my carnival day trinity of celebrations, stage two of which, would be to step up a notch on Monday evening, portraying a Burrokeets warrior totally covered with paint on the outside, while internally drenched with copious amounts of libations, emanating from the handy flasks of the band’s sponsors. And Tuesday would represent the final phase of the trilogy as I transcend to the zenith disbursement of my homage to King Carnival, while bedecked in the glamour and glitz also associated with the occasion.

……And all the while personifying the opening line of the Grandmaster’s classic of the sixties, “Mama, dis is mas!”

I have also had the good fortune to perform this piece on stage, including at a fund raiser for Mucurapo Junior Secondary school, as well as the book launch of Bro Resistance’s Rapso Explosion at the T&T Central Bank Auditorium.

Since then, I have gone into ‘retirement’, fully content to pass this viscous torch to succeeding generations.….

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MY J’OUVERT VIBES

It was 4 o’clock on Monday morn
Dat the infant J’ourvert came to be born.
Ah keep-on mey short pants, throw off mey vest 
Convinced dis year go be de best.
Ah check 2 brethren “Big Mike!* Hog-Singh!**”
Because dey had de special thing
For playing homage to dis king
For de merry tidings he does bring…

Mey suit was ah most elaborate ting!
A crocus bag – and ah tie it up wid ah string.
And of course, embraced in mey hand
Ah had a rusty pitch-oil pan_,
And ah piece a stick to keep de beat
When ah tell yuh it songing sweet!
Well ah didn’t sleep since Friday night
So some jort*** and some coffee set mey right…

Yuh know, is since de Saturday
Dat Hog-Singh did dig up 2 buckets of clay.
So when he add water to his toil,
Ah reach out for de diesel oil
And ah bathe myself from head to toe.
Then ah rinse-off in de mud, an ah ready to go.
Pang-palang! Mey soca beat, 
Dancing, prancing thru de street…

De morning fresh and young, but still
We take ah ‘bash to thaw de chill.
And again……and again…….at intervals
Just swapping heads were we 3 pals
While on de pavement people stare –
We playing we mas, so we doh care.
And then at add to de ‘tory
Yuh know we meet a hundred more like we!…

And what ah merry throng we made
While children hid – dey were afraid.
Because just so, de crowd start to run
And bawl “Look mud! Dem vagabond!”
“Oh geed! Look at dat nasty oil!”
“Doh touch me nah! My ‘threads’ go spoil!”
Ah woman watch me and start to shudder
“G-g-get away from me, y-y-u-u-h stinking mudder…….”

Down St. Vincent Street and still more mas.
In front mey wuk, ah make ah pass.
Pang-palang! Ah scale ah car
And land in front of Theresa.
And since ah is a generous man,
When ah done wid she, she join de band…

“Gimme ah drink! Ah cigarette!
Because dis mas cyar finish yet!”
Ah chase-down Willie, ah frighten Trim!
Miss Lily turn white! Fat-boy get slim!
And when de mud run out, annoder pal
Mix dirt wid water from de canal.
Is now crowd scamper – toes fuh so –
Because mud flinging from ah rusty poe….

Mas-in-yuh-mas!!  Mas-of-class!!! Mas-

unsurpassed!!!!  (“Mister haul yuh stinkin arse!”)

‘Bout half past 7, ah had a plan.
Buh den ah realise, “a-a, like ah lorse de band.”
Still, ah ain’t dig nutten, cause in mey hand
Was mey old faithful pitch-oil pan.
So ah simply make mey retreat
And is me alone going up de street,
Pang-palang! Boom! Boom! Bang!
Ah looking for de muddy gang.
Patang palang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Anybody see de muddy gang?”…

“Yes breds! Dey by Henry and Prince!”
“Doh bother wid she, dey reach Charlotte St since!”
But at dat point, it didn’t matter.
Ah didn’t want dey idle chatter.
Mey head erect, ah drink I take
And wiggle like ah coral snake.
Den ah throw meyself toward de crowd
Which cowered on de pavement protesting loud…

By now the sun was very hot
And if yuh see how my skin got.
De mud start cracking – it brittle and dry.
Buh ah made fuh home wid ah sigh
Of satisfaction, mixed wid cheer.
Ah stumble up de backdoor stair.
Crawl in de bathroom and had to cry.
Cause wen ah turn on de tap,
De pipe was dry……….

*Big Mike is Michael Clarke, the author’s brother.

**Hogsingh is Franklyn Harracksingh, a master draughts-player and close breds.

***Jort refers to something to eat.

Tags: #caribbean #soca #carnival #trinidad #caribbeanlife #trinidadandtobago #westindianculture #trinidadcarnival #caribbeanculture #culture #calypsoasteachingtool #caribbeanhistory #calypsohistory #caribbeanpoetry #TonyHall #J’ourvert

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Steve Clarke, a steadfast indulger in pleasurable cultural pursuits, played pan with Amoco Renegades (1991-97), Central Bank of TT Steel Orch. (1988–89), Pan Fantasy (Toronto) (2005–present), was 2-time finalist at Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) (Toronto) Monarch Competition (2011, 2016) under the sobriquet of Mr. Wonderful and 4-time winner Central Bank of TT Kaiso Monarch (1978-79, 1987-88). Steve was also Co-producer of exclusive sections in various Belmont bands (1970-1990) and leader of Backroom Boys – Downtown Jourvert Band of the Year (Small) (1983) and 2nd runner-up (1984). He has also engaged in theatrical performances such as ‘Pinkeye’ in ‘Near Mourning Ground (Sufferer’s Song)’ at UWI Daaga Hall, ‘Troy Maxson’ in “Fences” at Little Carib, and ‘Monsieur Leveson’ in “Legacy Alive” with the La Petite Musicale, Toronto.