Thursday, August 15, 2024
We, Creoles, are always mourning the passing of that time when we were still in charge – let me rephrase that, when we thought that we were in charge of our destiny, of our country. A time not too long ago, when we ruled every section of Belize’s administrative and social system. A time when Kriol culture dominated Belize in every aspect, every avenue of life, a time when Belize was an anomaly, as the only black country in Central America! I’m not trying to minimize the relevance of any other culture, but Kriol culture reigned supreme. We could never have foreseen the dramatic and profound changes that were coming!
The reason I’m bringing this up for the 100th time, is because I was watching the news, and saw that Belize was celebrating 100 years of music. I salute Ivan Duran for his hard work in producing and promoting Belize’s most famous artists. I thank him for his pioneering efforts over all these years. Those efforts should be acknowledged and rewarded with some special title, since we don’t have Grammys in Belize. Maybe Shyne could give him one of his.
The genesis of Belizean music began in the mahogany camps, in Ebo town, during slavery! The same way that negro spirituals were born in America, which later developed into rhythm and blues, then jazz, then rock and roll, then soul music and eventually into hip hop.
I’m not talking about playing music; I’m talking about music composition. All that folk music, which later turned into brukdown, is quintessential Kriol music. Samuel Haynes and Selwyn Young, “Land of the Gods”. “Freetown Gial”, “Pingwing juk mi”, “Good mawnin, Ms lady”, “Coming down fran fort”, “Mengo di drop”, “Malanti”, “Jericho weh u muma deh”, and so many others, composers unknown. Miss Floss Cassasola, Colville Young, Jesus Acosta, Lord Rhaburn, Mr. Peters, Sam Myvett, Herman Bennett, all who contributed to the development of a Belizean identity through their compositions, their music!
I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not familiar with the younger composers, of which there are many, but I’m going back to the beginning. I’m not forgetting Andy Palacio, or Chico Ramos, Paul Nabor, or Bertie Martinez, and all the others who have given us great music, but I’m sticking to Kriol music. You might say, well, Jesus “Chichin” Acosta dah no Kriol, but like the greats, he transcends race, so he’s an honorary Kriol, in my opinion.
Lord Rhaburn, Roy Straughan, Glenn Bood, The Messengers, the original Messengers with Chuck and Bill Belisle and Pete Matthews and U Lloyd Henderson — in my opinion Messengers was the greatest Belize band ever, Harmonettes and Bamiki Bandula, all the boom and shine groups, those little bands in villages in the Belize River Valley. Singers like Zoila Clark, Nelson Diamond, Rita Bradley, Ms. Leela, Anthony Richards, Bunny Craig, Sam Hamilton, Ben McCoy, Harry Shaw, Cubano, Louis Pere! Great bands and great music from this Kriol point of view!
Los Belicenos, Gilharry 7, Lucio, the Original Celestials from Peini, the Professionals, the Brotherhood, the Santino’s Messengers, the Bumblebees, were great bands, especially, in my opinion, Los Belicenos, my favorite dance band. But again, this is about Kriol music, the OGs!
Belize is now in the 21st Century, when the past isn’t as revered, or celebrated, as the present is. It was so good to see that the Belize Music Project delved into a past that is awash in jewels and gems and in the glories of musical inspirations. If only we had been technologically savvy enough back then, to have recorded and saved all those artists and their gifts, Wow! Imagine how fulfilling that would have been! What a ting.
These days, we have to fight for the survival of a culture and a people that made Belize what it is, and are now disappearing, either through intermarriage or death or exodus. We have no one to blame but ourselves for abandoning our God-given home for foreign lands that could never fully accept us, even when we thrive! We did not have the foresight, nor the will, to see what we would be missing, what could have been, until after it was too late!
Yah dah no fu we, anymore, and that is so sad!
“Far, far away, the children leave the land.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay:
Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade;”
— “The Deserted Village”, by Oliver Goldsmith
Glen