Friday, 17th September 2010, was initially a normal Friday for me. I put in some hours at work into the late evening and then called Lee Mark’s Chon Saan to order the usual large curry shrimp and white rice, with other food accoutrements. This was about 7:30 p.m. Then I remembered – Wasn’t Diane Haylock and her group having “Panyaad” tonight ? Indeed!
So, thinking it was at the Bliss, I went to the Bliss. There were only four cars there and I thought – “Wow: this one flopped!” But I went inside nonetheless and of course I was told: “Right event! Wrong place! Panyaad is at House of Culture”.
So I drove around and onto Albert Street heading towards Anglican Cathedral. Cars were parked on both sides on Albert Street, Albert Street West, Regent Street, and even down Yarborough towards Wesley College. This wasn’t a flop. It was “flippin” [courtesy Melvin Hulse] crowded.
Anyway, I found parking and walked towards House of Culture from the Yarborough side. It was a cool and breezy evening and the blended harmony of the pan music hit me as I walked around the curve by the Cathedral. On reaching inside the yard and moving to just in front of the House of Culture I noticed that the steel bands were up on the elevated stage in bright white light with full black outfits and silver hats.
After talking with Lynn Young and Ian Courtenay [both musicians] for a little while I moved up onto the verandah of the House of Culture. All this while the steel bands were playing. First the Pantempters from Belize City and then the Panarefix from Belmopan. Steel band music is in itself very unique, very rhythmic and with a short [except for the bass] but distinct echo. It was a perfect setting – with the shimmering sea in the background. The bands first played beautiful slow tempo sounds, like La Isla Bonita. They played some foreign songs, like Kung Fu Fighting, and then Panarefix played a foreign song that I did not recognize. Greg Vernon told me that it was “Lady Gaga” and Lynn told me that it was “a young people song”. He said: “See how the young people love it ?” [as if I myself was not young!]. Panarefix played a tribute to Lord Rhaburn with pulsating gems like “Pump It Up” [Later a song was played in tribute to the late Mr. Peters].
After this first session there was intermission. By that time a small group of relatively aged Belizeans had gathered up on the left verandah of House of Culture. They included Diane Haylock, Lynn Young, Brendi Armstrong [no misspelling], Joy Ysaguirre, Dawn Adderley, Rose Williams, Angus Vernon and his wife Marie and [most youthful amongst us] myself. After the brief intermission the two bands – Pantempores and Panarefix – came together on stage and Part 2 of the show started.
By that time also I [and I don’t know how many others on the left verandah] had drank at least one glass of red wine. The two steel bands struck up. The combined power of the two bands hit like a musical sonic boom. And it was clear that this was going to be up tempo. Those who were sitting in chairs on the left verandah began to get up and wind! First Diane, then Lynn, then Joy, then Brendi, then Dawn, then Rose and I [being a dutiful follower] also got up and began to jump and wind. Only Mr. Angus Vernon and his wife continued to sit primly and properly. The jumping and winding was not only from the left verandah. It was also from the sea of people all about the premises being enchanted and energized by the steel bands. I remember seeing people like Ronald Stuart and Nyasha Laing moving and grooving. The aged group on the left verandah had now gone from jumping and winding to gyrating. Some of us looked at Lynn Young [jumping up and down] with concern and Lynn, understandingly, said – “You know, my father [Sir Colville] always tells me: ‘Remember , you are an old man named Young!’ “
The combined Pantempores and Panarefix played some good fast paced Juve Trinidadian calypso songs and those already had the crowd in the aerobic zone. But then came [for me] what was the climax – the “I Am Belize” song. The song starts with a first part [like a preamble] that is like the classic Belizean personality – “Deceptively Cool”. And then it reaches a point where the cool bursts away and the music “Bruk Weh!”. Well, that created absolute pandemonium with the crowd – everybody was jumping up and down with the music. This extended to the left verandah. Angus Vernon couldn’t take it any more – he had been sitting at the end of the left verandah. He held onto the rail to the left, pulled himself up, and started to jump and wind [at all times holding onto the rail with one hand- imagine that for a former star football player!]. I thought that did it, until I saw his wife Marie jump up from her seat [without holding onto any rail] and begin moving and grooving and that did it: the ultimate breakout of the Belizean spirit! Angus, being properly embarrassed at his wife’s comparative agility, eventually began to jump and wind without holding the rail!
As for me, having limited anatomical dexterity brought on by age, genes and deterioration, my own jumping and winding took its toll. By the time the Bands had finished their fantastic rendition of “I am Belize,” for me it was “I was Belize” [finished!]. Therefore, after respectfully saying goodbye to my aged friends on the left verandah, and suffering from an aggravated hamstring, audibly grinding knees [with a torn meniscus], and a sore Achilles heel, I hobbled down the steps in quiet pain and ambled all the way back to my car parked by Stanley & Jack Longsworth’s office.
So, in a word, Panyaad was absolutely PANTASTIC! ‘Nuff respect to Diane & crew.