bigdrumnation

Reading Time 11 minsOn hearing of the transitioning of Uncle Winston last December, I began reflecting on the great fortune I had of meeting him in Carriacou and playing parang in his band for four seasons. His presence factored in my celebrating him in “The Parang Diaries” within these pages in “Deep Connection Between People, Land, and Sea”(BDN, December, 2019). Now, I situate him in a wider context with this tribute which jumps off from some tangential Caribbean sightings that have been in my field of vision lately. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ When I stumbled… Read More »Reflections on Uncle Winston: Parang Band Leader, Mas and Carnival Man–Jeff Mc Nish

Reading Time

Reading Time 2 mins  “Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” –Derek Walcott, Nobel Lecture, 1992 “Inspired by our gods… We will survive to see a brighter day… Nothing conquers the will of [wo]man.” –“Survival”, Mighty Sparrow  It is customary for people around the world to wish each other ‘Happy New Year’ at the turn of the calendar. Sometimes, we even make resolutions. But, why does the notion of happiness appeal to our humanity? Writing, in The Art of Happiness, 22 years ago, when… Read More »BDN Editorial — Broken Vase: Reassembling in 2021… 

Reading Time 2 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 October was officially declared “Calypso History Month” by TUCO (Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organization) in 2002. And in 2008, the Government of Jamaica announced that the month of February would be officially declared “Reggae Month”. Institutionalized recognition of these two major genres that straddle the extremities of the Caribbean archipelago, both having roots traced to Africa, are acknowledgements of what the people of the region have long known – the peoples’ music runs through the veins of the region. Harry Belafonte, a figure that exemplified the cross pollination of both streams of these primary… Read More »Celebrating our Noble Institutions…

Reading Time 6 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 Big Dum Nation’s Introduction Calypso has long been associated with carnival for well over 175 years but perhaps it was not until 1933 we saw the introduction of Calypso Drama in the Calypso Tent. One may ask what would have been the cause of such a delay. This may have to do with the individualistic approach to the art form. A calypso is sung by a single singer who is not necessarily willing to give up his personal style and idiosyncrasies in performance for the teamwork effort that is required for a dramatic… Read More »Calypso as Drama and Its Theatricality
 — Rhoma Spencer

Reading Time 12 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 Big Dum Nation’s Introduction Let me please begin by thanking the Executive of the BACA [Barbados Association of Calypsonians and Artistes] for their kind invitation to give this address.  I congratulate you on this historic initiative in establishing your Association.  At a time when the government has promised to give emphasis and prominence to the cultural industries, you have made a very strategic decision informing the Association. I wish you every success.  When I accepted the invitation, little did I know that you wished me to speak about “the importance of the calypso to the… Read More »THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CALYPSO TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CARIBBEAN -Sir David Simmons*

Reading Time 14 mins(II of V) Big Dum Nation’s Introduction   “I was kidnapped by strong Imagination… I tumble down and wind up in a dungeon.” Shadow, “Animal Kingdom” “Boy ah glad Shadow didn’t go He woulda break from dey waist right down to dey toe You know why — dey call him a Comedian.” Julien (The Mighty Unknown) Pierre, ‘Prick For Judges’ quoted in Short Pants,’ Things Going Thru Mih Mind, 1984. “It is therefore important that in the Caribbean we, who are deluged by Euro-centric history and literature, document our true history…” Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool, From The Horse’s… Read More »Dr. Winston ‘Shadow’ Bailey’s ‘Evolution’: ‘Write That Down In History’!* — Winthrop R. Holder

Reading Time 5 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 Big Dum Nation’s Introduction Author, founder of Dub poetry, former Black Panther and presently [2005] art editor of the journal Race Today, Linton Kwesi Johnson became the first Black poet and the second living poet to be included in Penguin Books’ iconic Modern Classics series with the publication of “Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems” in 2002. Born in rural Jamaica and migrating to Britain at age 11, Johnson, now 52, currently resides in South London. In a recent opinion poll he was ranked 22 on a list of the top 100 Black Britons… Read More »Reggae, Art and Politics: The Revolutionary Poetry of Linton Kwesi Johnson–Martin P. Felix

Reading Time 4 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 Big Dum Nation’s Introduction It is Pan-African, Pan-Caribbean, Pan-World. It is Pan-man. It endears Jamaica to the entire world; the essence of the Rastaman Bob Marley’s music and philosophy. It is One Love. The One Love ideal of social relations works well as a cultural and political construct. It is inclusive; a necessary myth for nation building, for positive international relations and for world peace, but it severely limits the goal average of Jamaica’s football team. Let’s get to the point. Jamaicans need to make an important decision on February 6th 2017 about… Read More »Bob Marley 1 : 0 Reggae Boys — Richard Grant*

Reading Time 3 minsWednesday November 25, 2020 Big Dum Nation’s Introduction “Play I some music, (dis ya) reggae music”, so begins Bob Marley’s Roots Rock Reggae. In today’s world, Reggae is universal and Jamaica is synonymous with that Genre. There is not a country that has not adopted Reggae as part of its music. Jamaica, a land built by slave labor, captured by the Spaniards and snatched by the English. The Europeans exterminated the natives and filled the island with Africans, captured and enslaved. They added Indian and Chinese labor to the menu. The Africans brought with them instruments of… Read More »Bob Marley: 75 and Growing – Richard Hoyen*