Concerning Love: A Trinidadian Enlightening [Spoken word]


Uploaded by TriniBerry

CONCERNING LOVE
By Daniella Candice Brown

"Come join me and let's take one step away from the unemotional, the stoic, the passive. And let's connect with that proverbial leg sticking out to trip our sleepwalking feet.

"We can always do better. Being truly contented is overrated. Conflict, whether internal or external, is what drives us. We wither without it. So don't accept your flaws. Actively work to fix them. If they can't be fixed, then it's not a flaw, it's a handicap. Just as the blind man is handicapped, not flawed. So still improve everything else, just as the blind man amplifies his four other senses. It is incumbent upon us to be conflicted but we must make sure that the duration of the process, and not just the swift resolution of these conflicts, will make us better people and make our environments better.

"And what better conflict than love? The most intriguing thing about love, whether it be a seed, a sapling or a great oak tree, is how brittle it can be. Look at the toxic substances that can kill love: boredom, distance, misplaced curiosity, one-too-many forgotten dates, a petty reciprocation that never occurs, an unspoken word, a misspoken word. But love isn't the answer. Instead, love is the brilliant light bulb that appears over your head when the solution, in that unpronounceable form, comes into your mind and makes you jubilant before you can word it into a proper essay to score full marks in your examination.

"And love isn't a tree. The tree is what the love sprouts into, for love is simply the wind-borne seeds from a fruit, from a flower of that tree swooping over hills and valleys that alight on your soils and only a few of those seeds would sprout. Don't make yourself out to be a wasteland, or none of the seeds will. It does not start with love. It starts with you. You are the foundation. And when you nurture your seed into a sapling and eventually into a great tall oak tree, you will need not only platoons, but armies upon armies of termites to help tear it down.

"I wish we could love each other until it hurts. I wish we could unlock hidden chambers in our hearts and let it gush golden blood like manna from heaven. Heaven; in the ashes scattered from an alabaster vase over the ocean in some seaside village; or where the cross-breezes ruffle the feathery Poui trees in Port of Spain; or in a dilapidated, deserted church of which bells are still activated by phantom night breezes.

"My personal heaven used to be a pond that is so at peace with itself, you can hear the fish nipping at the crest. But I do not grow from that and I would sooner opt for rivers that run so turbulent and so deep that it converts you from atheist to believer to atheist to believer to atheist. I'd prefer one that is not a closed-off escape from everything else. Which is what we all opt for a lot of the time when it comes to romantic love, isn't it? Behind the shut doors of a silky bedroom of a private palace or an isolated beach or on a magic carpet. or at the top of a Ferris Wheel, where nobody can reach you and where you can pick the stars like glowing flowers.

"Safe from all the bad things. Fear is in this love without confidence in the other and confidence in yourself. And then you begin fearing each other. and you begin asking those questions: Will she leave me? Will he be a good father? What will our biggest fight be like? Will we still be having sex in thirty years? A festering, perpetual mind-stroll that leads down the lane inhabited by copies of yourself that are only able to say one thing, "I wonder if  I am good enough?" You ARE good enough!

"The only gauges or measuring units there are for comparing human characteristics is the one embedded in your head. Except for perhaps the absolute zeros, there is no objective unit for intellect, kindness and talent. Whether or not you think showing everything that you are might not be enough, that's all you have. That's ALL YOU HAVE. And it's yours, so love it deeply.

"And no matter what, don't celebrate it too much, don't feel too happy with anything unless you feel like you have earned it. Never give up. The face of adversity is an ugly one and it's simply jealous of your pretty face. Keep rolling the dice and you will eventually pass "Go" and collect your two hundred dollars. There is no honest ball, no matter how fast or how curved, anyone can pitch to you that you can't knock out of the stadium with the meat of your bat. If it's a foul ball and the referee refuses to acknowledge this, this is where you take a stand and you get the crowd to rally and jeer with you, "I won't let my team be cheated!"

"All in all, don't forget to listen. Be fair to yourself, help people up when they fall, say "Thank you." to clerks, they have a hard job. Step over banana peels, be aware of drunk drivers, please  and remember that there are men and women out there, across the gaps of geography and translation, that breathe a sigh for you in some foreign language before they fall asleep.

"And most of all there are always seeds out there zipping past the Parthenon, the Pampas and the Pacific just for you... that will never even soar anywhere close to you. But you should be glad that they even exist, that they're out there and knowing that you and some other people are both gazing at the same sea of stars with the same yearning, not feeling like little people, but realizing how vast the universe is and knowing at least that they exist. And if they were to meet you, they would think you are fabulous just the way you are. They have hurt themselves being in love with you and loving you to pieces without  ever having met you.

"And most of all, don't forget your seed needs four things to grow: good soil, fresh air, sunny days and rainy days.

Because the world needs more big, healthy trees."
Source: Concerning love. with edits to match the video version. ..............................................................................................................................  

 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you very much, Daniella Candice Brown.  I will be thinking about this.

"We can always do better. 
Being truly contented is overrated. 
Conflict, whether internal or external, is what drives us. 
We wither without it."

 "My personal heaven used to be a pond that is so at peace with itself, 
you can hear the fish nipping at the crest. 
But I do not grow from that and I would sooner opt for rivers 
that run so turbulent and so deep that it converts you 
from atheist to believer to atheist to believer to atheist. 
I'd prefer one that is not a closed-off escape from everything else."

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Time Will Tell...

On 19th March 2013 I posted the YouTube video of the inaugural address of our President Anthony Carmona and also supplied the text of his speech. Those of us who listened to it know just from audience response that it was well received, that his words struck a chord with Trinbagonians hungry for righteousness.

I have been monitoring the visitor statistics on that post and I think that it very significant that since 19th March 2013, a steady daily stream amounting to 1,092 viewers have visited that page. What does this mean?

Sometimes, I can make obvious conclusions about spikes in visits to particular posts. For example, when Christmas comes around, the visits to Christmas songs always increase significantly. But what am I to conclude about the persons who are returning to the President's speech? I am left only with my assumptions:

- That Trinbagonians are very proud of their President.

- That Trinbagonians are in need of comfort and reassurance.

- That Trinbagonians are drawn to revisit the record of a rare occasion when someone in a leadership position in this country convinced them that he would be on the side of right.

DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I have become a cynic. That is why I must pursue hope like I am chasing the dragon. Although I instinctively try to avoid allowing myself to be broken by hopes dashed, I understand that I will be broken anyway if I have no hope at all.

I also listened attentively to our President's speech and I also allowed myself to feel the elation that the audience expressed with cheers and applause but through it all, a small voice whispered urgently, "Please be true because we are an infinitely bitten people and infinitely shy in the face of promises of better to come."

DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

Doing the right thing is not only the right thing to do. It seems it is also the impossible thing to do when people find themselves in positions of power. Only the true ascetic can find the stamina to withstand the saint-seducing perks that accompany it. Only the true ascetic can turn his back on it and walk away. Is our President an ascetic? Can he remain untouched by the world of power and privilege in which he now finds himself? Is he aware that he announced himself as a beacon on a very rocky and treacherous promontory? Do people in power realise what happens when a beacon fails but the ships at sea have already placed their confidence in the saving guidance of its presence?

Although I felt energised by our President's speech, I admit that I deliberately tempered my elation in my comment. I protected my heart by saying that time would tell. Well, that could be said about anything or anyone. Even those that we, the morally superior, label lagahoos today could surprise us tomorrow by rising above the odds and regaining the victory, as Richie Spice sings below.

Tempus ostendet....Time, and time alone will tell. This world is a cycle.


Uploaded by Larrybwoy

THE WORLD IS A CYCLE
By Richie Spice

The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
Everything wey happen, yes, it come `round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
Yes, everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round.]

Got to check the step you take and every breath you make
[I`m talking to you]
Because the little things you do is coming back at you
[I'm talking to you]
The ditch you dig, it might just be your destiny
[I'm talking to you]
I might just rise above the odds, regain my victory.

Do right, do right, do right, do right!

The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
And everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
And everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle.
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round.]

Earth ah come, earth ah come, earth ah forward
As it was in this iration, so shall it be in --------- one
Jah is the key, still Him ah go Master
Whatever you does, just so you shall prosper.

Do good, do good, do good, do good, DO GOOD!

In everything you do, remember to pray
A prayer a day turns the devil away
In everything you do, remember to pray
A little prayer a day turns the devil away
In everything you do, remember to pray
A prayer a day turns the devil away
In everything you do, remember to pray
A little prayer a day turns the devil away.

So if I see you stumble, I'll catch before you fall
[I`m talking to you]
They say the world is 'round and it's spinning like a ball
[I`m talking to you]
Who have eyes to see, let them see
[I`m talking to you]
What drop off a head, drop 'pon shoulder
[I`m talking to you]
Spit inna the sky, it ah go fall inna your eye, sah.

Because the world is a cycle
[Going round and 'round, 'round and 'round
Everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, round and round
The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round,
Everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round.

The world is a cycle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round
Everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round
The world is a cycle
Going round and 'round, 'round and 'round,
And everything wey happen, yes, it come 'round in a circle
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round.]

Who have eyes to see, let them see
[Going round and round, 'round and round]
What drop off a head, drop 'pon shoulder
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round
Think about the youths, think about their future
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
Babylon dem can`t stop the youths from get wiser
[Going 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round]
Spit inna the sky, it ah go fall inna your eye, sah.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................  

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare
 

Ponto De Nanã [Song]


Uploaded by MarieneDeCastroVEVO

PONTO DE NANÃ
By Mariene de Castro

Oxumarê me deu dois barajás pra festa de Nanã | Òsùmàrè gave me two barajas for the festival of Nanã
A velha deusa das águas quer mugunzá. | The old goddess of the waters wants sweet corn cake.
Seu ibiri enfeitado com fitas e búzios | Her ibiri adorned with ribbons and shells
O ponto pra assentar | The place to sit
Mandou cantar, Ê, Salubá! | I am ordered to sing, "Ay, Saluba!"

Ela vem no som da chuva | She comes in the sound of the rain
Dançando devagar seu ijexá | Slowly dancing her ijexa
Senhora da Candelária, abá | Lady of Light, abá
Pra toda a sua nação iorubá | For her entire Yoruba nation.

GLOSSARY AND TRANSLATION PROVIDED BY ROSALIENE BACCHUS.
Oxumarê: God of the rain and rainbow that transports water between the sky and earth.
Barajás: Meaning not found.
Nanã: Goddess of mud and riverbeds, associated with fertility, sickness and death. Pictured as a very old woman, she is the most respected diety.
Mugunzá: Sweet corn cake cooked with milk or coconut milk used in religious rituals.
Ibiri: Straw scepter with shells.
Salubá: Meaning not found. Seems to be a form of salutation.
Ijexá: Rhythm from the Jexa nation.
Lady of Light: Christian Mother of God.
Abá: Meaning not found. Could be another form of salutation.
..............................................................................................................................

 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Mariene De Castro, for this beauty.

I found this song recently and I am sharing it with you, hoping that you will find it as soothing as I did. It brings to me my homeland, the benediction of nature and the comforting embrace of the heritage bequeathed to and shared by those of the African diaspora.

At the end of a life, just before I close my eyes for the last time, I know that I will not want to remember the time I wasted being bitter and angry and selfish. I know that I will be thinking about my Mama, in fact, it is very likely that I will die whispering her name. But what will I think about what I made of my life?

We will be comforted if our lives were full of love. If our lives have not been not full of love, I hope that we will die in the arms of people who can show us love, who will reassure us that all is forgiven and that all's well that ends well.  Because I think it would be the worst death of all, to leave this life knowing that there was no more time, that time just ran out and that the precious time that we were given was wasted causing and harbouring hurt.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Cantando Gloria [Song]


Uploaded by ilavid90
CANTANDO GLORIA
Performed by Los Alumnos de San Juan

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Vamos a cantar, vamos a cantar la divina historia | We are going to sing, we are going to sing the divine story
Sobre el nacimiento, sobre nacimiento el niño y su gloria | About the birth, about the birth of The Child and His glory
Sobre el nacimiento, sobre nacimiento el niño y su gloria. | About the birth, about the birth of The Child and His glory.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

En establo humilde, en establo humilde nació el poderoso | In a humble stable, in a humble stable the powerful one was born
De Jose y Maria, Jose y Maria, y el niño glorioso | Of Joseph and Mary, Joseph and Mary, and the glorious Child
De Jose y Maria, Jose y Maria, y el niño glorioso. | Of Joseph and Mary, Joseph and Mary, and the glorious Child.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Los pastores vieron, los pastores vieron la brilla de estrella | The shepherds saw, the shepherds saw the star shining
Guiando hacia a Belen, hacia a Belen la separada tierra | Leading to Bethlehem, to Bethlehem, a separate land
Guiando hacia a Belen, hacia a Belen la separada tierra. | Leading to Bethlehem, to Bethlehem, a separate land.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Los tres reyes magos, los tres reyes magos salieron tambien | The three wise men, the three wise men also came
Adorar al niño, adorar al niño nacido en Belen | To worship The Child, to worship The Child born in Bethlehem
Adorar al niño, adorar al niño nacido en Belen. | To worship The Child, to worship The Child born in Bethlehem.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Y todo Israel, todo Israel, canto de alegria | And all Israel, all Israel, sang with joy
Habia nacido, habia nacido el dios y el mesia | He was born, he was born, the God and Messiah
Habia nacido, habia nacido el dios y el mesia. | He was born, he was born, the God and Messiah.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
Cantando gloria, gloria, gloria en el cielo | Singing glory, glory, glory in heaven
En un establo nació el dios verdadero | The True God was born in a stable.
En un establo nació el dios verdadero. | The True God was born in a stable.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare
 

El Nacimiento [Song]


Uploaded by TrinidadAndTobago101

EL NACIMIENTO
By Daisy Voisin

Y el nacimiento de Cristo así fue | And the birth of the Christ Child happened so
Según la escritura se lo explicare | According to the Scripture I will explain.
Según la escritura se lo explicare. | According to the Scripture I will explain.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

La virgen Maria, su madre así fue | The Virgin Mary was his mother
Su padre adoptado era San José | His adopted father was St. Joseph
Su padre adoptado era San José. | His adopted father was St. Joseph.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

Salve a su creador llamado Emmanuel Hail your creator, called Emmanuel
Que apacentara al pueblo de Israel | Who will save the people of Israel
Que apacentara al pueblo de Israel. | Who will save the people of Israel.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

Oh Jesús bendito, nuestro redentor | Oh Blessed Jesus, Our Redeemer
Y por tus deseos de paz y amor | And through your wishes bring peace and love
Y por tus deseos de paz y amor | And through your wishes bring peace and love.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

El que no se alegra en estes momentos | He who is not happy at this time
No cree en Jesús Cristo ni en su mandamientos | Believes neither in Jesus Christ nor in His commandments
No cree en Jesús Cristo ni en su mandamientos | Believes neither in Jesus Christ nor in His commandments.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born.

Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya | The King of heaven is born
Que vengan, que vengan, que vengan adorar | Let them come, let them come, let them come to worship
El rey de los cielos que ha nacido ya. | The King of heaven is born!

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................




A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Daisy Voisin and band!

This song is another example of a nacimiento - a parang song that tells the story of the birth of Christ.

Maybe this Christmas when you are dancing to the music of a favourite parang band, and if you know some Spanish, you may take a while to stop and really listen to try to understand what you are hearing. 

Our parang songs are not all about drinking and eating and spreeing to excess. In this music of the season, you are hearing the lingering echoes of our Spanish ancestors, you are witnessing the continued handing down of time honoured traditions, including religious ones which share in song the good news of the events surrounding the birth and life of the Christ.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Vote Dem Out [Song]

 
Uploaded by Clynton Mann
VOTE DEM OUT
Sung by Déplé [1986]

Your vote will decide our destiny
Your vote will decide what you are to be
Your vote can foretell our country's fate
Go and use it well before it's too late.

If it is that who you vote in fail beyond a doubt
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is they proving to be only full ah mouth
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is the time is now that change should come about
Just as how you vote dem in, vote dem out.

Register and [Vote dem out!]
If dey duncey [Vote dem out!]
Stain your finger and [Vote dem out!]
Show dem no mercy [Vote dem out!]
Vote dem out with total scorn and utter disdain
Let's put our country together again
Vote dem out of power, terminate their reign
Let's put our country together again.

If for thirty years you voting dem in
And is only tears as soon as they win
They give you big words and enslave your souls
Promising you roads and giving potholes.

If they are the reason why the economy won't sprout
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is dey passing laws that dem alone can flout
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is dey building eyesores, east, west, north and south
The same way you vote dem in, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]

Register and [Vote dem out!]
Totally [Vote dem out!]
Stain your finger and [Vote dem out!]
Rescue the country [Vote dem out!]
Vote dem out with tempo, dey have we in pain
Let's put our country together again
Vote dem out with calypso and joyous refrain
Let's put our country together again.

If their policy is a fallacy
Their bureaucracy, a catastrophe
If they cannot cope and you see it so
Then your only hope is for them to go.
If it is fabrication, these statements that they spout
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is that frustration does make you want to shout
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
Before they misuse out, thief out, sell out and digs out
If is you who vote dem in, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]

Register and [Vote dem out!]
All ah dem [Vote dem out!]
Stain yuh finger and [Vote dem out!]
Dem and dey system [Vote dem out!]
Vote dem out in Scarborough and in Port of Spain
Let's put our country together again
Vote dem out in Cumuto and in La Romain
Let's put our country together again.

People must come first, citizens by right
None ah we are worse - yellow, black or white
Food, shelter and clothes, free movement and speech
A garden that grows and one love for each.

If it is that injustice is what they always show
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is that avarice is all they seem to know
When you voting, vote dem out [Vote dem out!]
If it is their politics is just a pappy show
When elections day come, all bandits must go.

Register and [Vote dem out!]
If dey duncey [Vote dem out!]
Stain yuh finger and [Vote dem out!]
Show dem no mercy [Vote dem out!]
Vote dem out with total scorn and utter disdain
Let's put our country together again
Vote dem out of power, terminate their reign
Let's put our country together again.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................  




A Note From The Gull

I have said on this blog that I do not support any political party in my homeland and that remains the truth. But there was one time, and one alone, when I allowed my very young heart to be swept along on a tide of unfettered optimism, the likes of which I have never again experienced...not even after May 24 2010, when we felt that we had no choice but to cut off our noses to spite a political face that, to put it kindly, had become as impassive and as dumb as a bag of rocks.

That night back in December of 1986, a group of us sailed on a natural high towards party headquarters. We shared the Churchill–Roosevelt Highway with other celebrants exuberantly exchanging horn blasts and streaming the party's flags in the night air above our cars. "One Love!" and the halcyon days of youth.

But we know how that ended. So there is a reason, apart from increasing wariness, lessening vigour and distance from my homeland, why I do not expect to ever experience such optimism. I am just happy tonight for those who are happy and who feel that this outcome is best for their constituency and by extension, the country. There are still many doubts but it will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold.

We vote parties out to teach them lessons that they will never learn because we ourselves do not learn. It is from us that our political parties and politicians spring.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

No Love [Song]


Uploaded by edward spencer
NO LOVE
By Mighty Sparrow

It's easy to remember the bad things people do
The good things never show up because they are so few
And so this world is filled with hatred for it is man's desire
To conquer, seek revenge and plunder and become wealthier.

We forget that there is a Lord above
We only think of Him when push comes to shove
And that is the glory of, the complete story of
A whole world without peace or love
No equality, racial unity
Only slavery and complete misery
That is what I'm speaking of - NO LOVE.

Rich man hates the wise man, wise man hates the rich
White man hates the black man, he calls him a son of  a bitch
Black man butchers his own black brother and hopes he'll never prosper
And so this world holds a gloomy future from what I see so far.

We forget that there is a Lord above
We only think of Him when push comes to shove
And that is the glory of, the complete story of...Aha
A whole world without peace or love
No equality, racial unity
Only slavery and complete misery
That is what I'm speaking of - NO LOVE

The people of tomorrow are the problems of today
The old resent the young folks trying to steal their say
The women seek new liberation to overthrow their husband
While the Yankees, Chinese and the Russian - our lives are in their hand

We forget that there is a Lord above
We only think of Him when push comes to shove
And that is the glory of, the complete story of...Aha
A whole world without peace or love
No equality, racial unity
Only slavery and complete misery
That is what I'm speaking of - NO LOVE.

So now this world is frightened as any world can be
For out on the horizon this is what I see
Pollution, overpopulation, sedition, drug addiction
Universal discrimination and inevitable self-destruction.

We forget that there is a Lord above
We only think of Him when push comes to shove
And that is the glory of, the complete story of
A whole world without peace or love
No equality, racial unity
Only slavery and complete misery
That is what I'm speaking of - NO LOVE.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................
 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Mighty Sparrow.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Guarap/Warap [Song]


Rebuscar-Parang Band (Guarap)
Uploaded by mikelgarcia2500

GUARAP'
Performed by Rebuscar

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Este guarapo de caña | This Guarapo from cane
Que no puede comprender | Cannot be understood
Le metió la cabeza | Put it to the head
Y se baja pa los pies | And it goes down to the feet.

Este guarapo de caña | This Guarapo from cane
Que no puede comprender | Cannot be understood
Le metió la cabeza | Put it to the head
Y se baja pa los pies | And it goes down to the feet.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Este guarapo de caña | This cane guarapo
Se puso muy baboso | Has turned very bitter
Porque le metió la mano | Because the Indian from Calabozo
El indo de Calabozo | he put his hand in it.

Este guarapo de caña | This cane guarapo
Se puso muy baboso | Has turned very bitter
Porque le metió la mano | Because the Indian from Calabozo
El indo de Calabozo | he put his hand in it.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Ay ay ay oy oy oy | Ay ay ay oy oy oy
Como no voy a llorar | I am not going to cry
Una sola vida tengo | I have one life
Y me la quieren quitar | And they want to take it.

Ay ay ay oy oy oy | Ay ay ay oy oy oy
Como no voy a llorar | I am not going to cry
Una sola vida tengo | I have one life
Y me la quieren quitar | And they want to take it.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Este guarapo de caña | This guarapo from cane
Que no puede comprender | Cannot be understood
Le metió la cabeza | Put it to the head
Y se baja pa los pies | And it goes down to the feet.

Este guarapo de caña | This guarapo from cane
Que no puede comprender | Cannot be understood
Le metió la cabeza | Put it to the head
Y se baja pa los pies | And it goes down to the feet.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Este guarapo de caña | This cane guarapo
Se puso muy baboso | Has turned very bitter
Porque le metió la mano | Because that miserable one from Calabozo
El desgraciao de Calabozo | He put his hand in it.

Este guarapo de caña | This cane guarapo
Se puso muy baboso | Has turned very bitter
Porque le metió la mano | Because that miserable one from Calabozo
El desgraciao de Calabozo | He put his hand in it.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Ay ay ay oy oy oy | Ay ay ay oy oy oy
Como no voy a llorar | I am not going to cry
Una sola vida tengo | I have one life
Y me la quieren quitar | And they want to take it.

Ay ay ay oy oy oy | Ay ay ay oy oy oy
Como no voy a llorar | I am not going to cry
Una sola vida tengo | I have one life
Y me la quieren quitar | And they want to take it.

Aye!
Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Guarapo por la mañana, guarapo a mediodía | Guarapo in the morning, guarapo at noon
Guarapo a todas horas como si fuera comida.  | Guarapo at any hour as if it were food.

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
..............................................................................................................................

 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Rebuscar! Warap!

One of the highlights of the video is the joy of catching glimpses of Mr. Holly Betaudier, one of the most faithful supporters and promoters of parang music and our culture in general, on stage dancing and enjoying the music with the band.

Even if you have not had the opportunity to taste guarapo, you may have heard parang songs associated with the drink. guarap is a contraction of the word "guarapo", which is commonly pronounced "warapo" and shortened to "warap", just like the G's in Guanaguanare are pronounced like W's - Wannawanare.

The Guarapo/Warap is a type of parang song. Since the word is associated with the fermented drink made from cane juice, some say that the songs traditionally celebrate the drinking or making of the drink but waraps can be about any topic really. If a parang group is about to sing a warap, you can expect something as exhilirating or dizzying as the effects of warap must be. Since I have never had warap, I am making assumptions about its potency.

To stray a little from the parang, I am learning that plain, unfermented cane juice is popular in many countries and not only in Latin America which is what I had assumed previously. 

Wikipedia tells me that:
"Garapa (var. Guarapa) or Caldo de cana is the Brazilian Portuguese term for the juice of raw sugar cane. Sugar cane juice is consumed as a beverage worldwide, and especially in regions where sugarcane is commercially grown such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. Sugar cane juice is also known as "guarapo", "guarapo de caña", or "jugo de guarapo" in various dialects of Spanish; "ganne ka ras" or "roh" on the Indian subcontinent; "aseer asab" in Egypt; "air tebu" in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore; and "nước mía" in Vietnam. The drink is obtained by crushing peeled sugar cane in a small hand- or electric mill. It is then is often served cold with other ingredients added to the fresh juice, such as a squeeze of lemon or lime (in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, India), pineapple (Brazil), passionfruit, ginger (India, Zanzibar) or ice. In India it can also be served with black salt or mint....

Sugar cane juice is especially popular among the Cuban expatriate community in Miami, where it is found in abundance at many locations in Little Havana. It is the national drink of Pakistan, where it is called "roh" and sold fresh by roadside vendors only. It is also one of the most widely consumed drink in India, especially in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pardesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pardesh. In Egypt, sugar cane juice is an incredibly popular drink served by almost all fruit juice vendors, who can be found abundantly in most cities. In both Indonesia and Malaysia, sugar cane juice is sold nationwide especially among street vendors. It is also bottled for local distribution in some regions and sold at food courts daily. In Singapore it is sold in food courts only. Due to its high sugar content it is rich in calories. Garapa juice is the primary source of sugar cane derivatives such as raw sugar (obtained by evaporation and refining), cachaça or "caninha" and ethanol."
According to Wikipedia,

"The origin of the word is unclear. There are two hypotheses:
1. African origin, it means "fermented drink" in West Africa, and was brought into Brazil and the rest of Latin America by slaves from Cabo Verde islands, then to the Madeira islands.

2. Tupi origin, from guarab, meaning a fermented drink laced with honey." SOURCE
Some interesting ideas for the local beverage industry, if it hasn't been done already, that is.

I looked around YouTube and found it interesting to view the different technologies employed to extract the juice from the cane stalks. Here are a few from around the region:


Making Cane Juice - Colombia
Uploaded by LUFECOR



Making Cane Juice - Cuba
Uploaded by JunkyDotCom


Cane Juice - Ecuador
Uploaded by TheHealthRanger


Extracting Cane Juice - Honduras
Uploaded by csbonita


Cane Juice - Panama 
Uploaded by elenaher


Cane Juice - Venezuela
Uploaded by MARAISA90

WARAP IN THE PARANG

The following are some Trinidadian parang bands singing waraps:


Daisy Voisin - El Guarapo
Uploaded by TrinidadAndTobago101


Los Alumnos de San Juan - Warapo Medley
Uploaded by ilavid90


G.B.T.V. CultureShare Archives 1994: San Jose Serenaders
Uploaded by Gentle Benjamin


Los Guachoros Parang Group Practice Session in Arima, Trinidad
Uploaded by curtisg20081

..............................................................................................................................
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare
 


Nosotros Tenemos [Song]


Uploaded by TrinidadAndTobago101

NOSOTROS TENEMOS
By Daisy Voisin and band.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Por primera vez en su casa venimos | We are coming to your house for the first time
Por primera vez en su casa venimos | We are coming to your house for the first time
Ábreme la puerta y venga a recibirnos | Open the door for me and come to let us in
Ábreme la puerta y venga a recibirnos. | Open the door for me and come to let us in.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Si no te despiertas no van a dormir | If you don't wake up, you are not going to sleep
Si no te despiertas no van a dormir | If you don't wake up, you are not going to sleep
Porque de tu casa no me voy a ir | Because I am not going to leave your house
Porque de tu casa no me voy a ir. | Because I am not going to leave your house.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Si quiere que me canta en su lindo hogar | If you want me to sing in your beautiful home
Si quiere que me canta en su lindo hogar | If you want me to sing in your beautiful home
Un paso adelante mándame a pasar | Allow me to step forward and enter
Un paso adelante mándame a pasar. | Allow me to step forward and enter.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Con gusto y contento y grande alegria | We are going to sing with pleasure and happiness and great joy
Con gusto y contento y grande alegria | We are going to sing with pleasure and happiness and great joy
Esta parrandita es de Siparia | This little parang side comes from Siparia
Esta parrandita es de Siparia. | This little parang side comes from Siparia.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Ya yo vi de uno, ya yo vi de dos | I saw one person already, already I saw two
Ya yo vi de uno, ya yo vi de dos | I saw one person already, already I saw two
Y el amo de la casa ya se levantó | And the master of the house is already up
Y el amo de la casa ya se levantó. | And the master of the house is already up.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Este es la casa que yo les decia | This is the house I told them
Este es la casa que yo les decia | This is the house I told them
Que al dentro en ella la puerta se abrirá | That upon reaching it the door will be opened
Que al dentro en ella la puerta se abrirá. | That upon reaching it the door will be opened.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Yo no vine anoche porque estaba oscuro | I did not come last night because it was dark
Yo no vine anoche porque estaba oscuro | I did not come last night because it was dark
Pero mi aguinaldo debe estar seguro | But my aguinaldo must be assured
Pero mi aguinaldo debe estar seguro. | But my aguinaldo must be assured.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.

Nosotros nos vamos por donde vinimos | We are going the same way we came
Nosotros nos vamos por donde vinimos | We are going the same way we came
La estrella del norte nos alumbra el camino | The North star lights the way for us
La estrella del norte nos alumbra el camino. | The North star lights the way for us.

Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Nosotros tenemos un coro especial | We have a special chorus
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar | And in this house we are going to sing it to you
Y en esta casa le vamos a cantar. | And in this house we are going to sing it to you.


Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
..............................................................................................................................  

 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Daisy and parrandita.

This parang song is an Aguinaldo or Serenal. It is an example of the songs that the traditional parang bands usually sing as they approach your home.  Parang songs in this category are the "Open Sesame" songs, essentially asking to be admitted to the home. Think about old favourites like "Sereno, sereno" or "La Pascualidad" with its opening words "Open the door" - "Ábreme la puerta" or "puelta" if you are a true, try payol.

If the band is following tradition, they should not be demanding at this point that you "Bring out de ham" or "Bring drinks." Their song will be respectful, complimentary, joyous and may be about the Christmas story, their travels as parranderos, and the good cheer that their visit will bring to your beautiful home. The Spanish word "aguinaldo" means "gift" so maybe this sums up what the parranderos are hoping to bring to the home - the gift of song. It could also be related to the Spanish custom of "pidiendo aguinaldos" where especially children go house to house singing villancicos or Christmas songs in return for small gifts of money or sweets. Maybe the parranderos have the expectation that in exchange for their music, the occupants of the home will offer them refreshments.

Some say that the homeowner may decide whether to admit or ignore the band based on the quality of the aguinaldo or serenal. What do you do when you are in a band that is told in no uncertain terms that there is no welcome forthcoming? For example, imagine you are playing your hearts out and witnessing the previously lit house suddenly being plunged into darkness...or even worse, approaching a sleeping household where the lights are never switched because even though they have been awakened, the  occupants are lying low, waiting for you to get the message and go away. Hopefully these rejections are rare.

I'd give anything to hear a parang band here in the cold outside my front door this Christmas...hearing the car doors slamming, mutterings, the box bass dragging up the path, the hiss of maracs, the accidental twanging of string instruments and that initial glorious burst of music followed by human voices singing. Spoiler would say, "Ah wanna fall." well.... "Ah wanna cry."

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

¡Viva! [Song]


Uploaded by Gregory Pantin

¡VIVA!
Performed by Los Vikingos de San Jose

Lai, lai, lai.....

¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, cantemos al Señor | Viva!, always Viva!, let us sing to the Lord
Porque es el nacimiento de nuestro Salvador | Because it is the birth of our Saviour
¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, por toda la eternidad | Viva!, always Viva!, for all eternity
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad. | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world.

En Bélen de Judea a la medianoche llegó | In Bethlehem of Judea he arrived at midnight
En Bélen de Judea a la medianoche llegó | In Bethlehem of Judea he arrived at midnight
Ese Rey de Israel que nace en un pesebre | This King of Israel who was born in a manger
Es el Niño mas celebre, ¿Que nombra le pondrá? | He is the most celebrated Child, what name will He be given?
Emanuel se llamó, Emanuel se llamó | He was called Emmanuel, He was called Emmanuel
Emanuel se llamó, Emanuel se llamó. | He was called Emmanuel, He was called Emmanuel.

Lai, lai, lai.....

¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, cantemos al Señor | Viva!, always Viva!, let us sing to the Lord
Porque es el nacimiento de nuestro Salvador | Because it is the birth of our Saviour
¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, por toda la eternidad | Viva!, always Viva!, for all eternity
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad. | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world.

Contento con María, y tambien el casto José | Content with Mary, and also the chaste Joseph
Contento con María, y tambien el casto José | Content with Mary, and also the chaste Joseph
El Niño duerme tranquilo y en las alturas del cielo | The Child sleeps peacefully and in the heights of heaven
Se oye un canto bendito para mi Redentor | A blessed song for my Redeemer is heard
Para mi Redentor, para mi Redentor | For my Redeemer, for my Redeemer
Para mi Redentor, para mi Redentor. | For my Redeemer, for my Redeemer.

Lai, lai, lai.....

¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, cantemos al Señor | Viva!, always Viva!, let us sing to the Lord
Porque es el nacimiento de nuestro Salvador | Because it is the birth of our Saviour
¡Viva!, siempre ¡Viva!, por toda la eternidad | Viva!, always Viva!, for all eternity
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world
Hay gloria en las alturas y en el mundo piedad. | There is glory in the highest and piety/mercy in the world.

En lo alto de firmamento se ilumina una estrella | In the highest heaven a star shines
En lo alto de firmamento se ilumina una estrella | In the highest heaven a star shines
Conduciendo a los magos a Jerusalem | Guiding the wise men to Jerusalem
Juntos con los pastores, vamos a Belen. | Together with the shepherds, we are going to Bethlehem
¡Vamos a Belen, vamos a Belen | We are going to Bethlehem, we are going to Bethlehem!
Vamos a Belen, vamos a Belen! | We are going to Bethlehem, we are going to Bethlehem!

Vamonos, vamonos, vamonos, vamonos | Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go
¡Vamos a Belen! | We are going to Belen!

¡Viva!


Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................  

 
A Note From The Gull


Thank you, Los Vikingos! 

This parang song is a "Nacimiento". The Spanish word, "nacimiento" means "birth" and in our parang, nacimientos are songs that recount the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and various events and scenes related thereto. When a parang band is singing a nacimiento you should not expect to hear mention of "chicharrón" or "tragos de ron" or "cuche, cuche, cuche-la-la". Those songs have their time and place in the festivities and this year I will tell you more about the other categories into which they fall.

I am beginning early this year with the parang because for about a week now the site has been queried with increasing frequency for these songs. Maybe parranderos are blowing the dust off their instruments and looking for old and new material for the approaching Christmas season. Whoever you are, thank you for visiting the site and inspiring me to continue the happy task of collecting more music and providing lyrics.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

 Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

Lesson of the Forest [Song]


Uploaded by niherst

LESSON OF THE FOREST
Performed by Richard Solis
Directed and edited by Oliver Milne

"This video was submitted by Oliver Milne and Richard Solis for the Science Music Video Competition launched by NIHERST in March 2013 which challenged youths between the ages of 14 and 28 to create music videos that would show the central role of science, technology and innovation (STI) in development. Published on YouTube Jul 15, 2013." SOURCE

I sat beneath this canopy observing all the forest in harmony
So much life was all I could see, so many animals and so much trees
And it occurred to me, so many mouths to feed 'cause every being needs food to eat
They never plant, never toil, never sow, never reap but they never go hungry.

How can this be? What does the forest have to teach?
While humanity, see how we sweat and we toil in the field?
See how we battle with the pests and the weeds?
And then we suffer with pollution and disease,
Tell me please, how can this be while the forest in balance and harmony?
How can this be? Oh, what does she have to teach?

And then the forest began to speak and this is the lesson she taught to me
She said only she knows how to achieve true food security
The forest lives by these principles to maintain the balance
She said all these things are so critical for you to understand
She talked about biodiversity, the millions of different living species
Plant, animal, fungal, bacterial all together now they play their part
'Cause every life has a job to complete and every being is needed to keep
The stability in an ecosystem that provides all the food we need.

She said some help to build soil fertility
Some help to pollinate the plants and the trees
Some help to protect from pests and disease, some give us food to eat.
So many living different organisms
The web of life just so intricate
Stability and support that this brings for every living thing.

They're all connected, she said, they're all connected
They work together, every living thing, diversity but the balance they bring
See the connections, she said to see the connections
Diversty and abundance, abundance of food production.

Every being has a part to play, she said
The trees feed on the nutrients deep in the soil like nitrogen
Grow leaves, grow shoots and the flowers bloom, giving nectar too
The insects feed from the flowers and they pollinate
The flowers turn to the fruits that the animals take
They eat, digest and they defecate but nothing goes to waste.

She said all the waste on the forest floor feed bacteria and fungal spores
As they grow and they feed, nutrients are released which are the food for the trees.
See the cycles, she said to see the cycles.

Every being has a part to play, no pollution, nothing goes to waste
With balance and diversity, ecosystem stability
Abundance of species of food to eat
That is food security, she said, true food security, oh yeah
Balance and diversity, she said, true food security, oh yeah ....

Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! ..............................................................................................................................  

 

A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Oliver Milne and Richard Solis, for this thoughtful and earth-friendly composition.

If President Carmona's recommendation is approved, I'd be happy to see young people like these being allowed the opportunity to become independent senators. I also think that Trinidad and Tobago is ready for its first Green party, that is, "a formally organised political party based on the principles of Green politics, such as social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence and environmentalism." SOURCE  Our rapacious slash, kill, excavate, flood, burn approach to our environment and its creatures can become a thing of the past.

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare

La La La [Song]


Uploaded by NaughtyBoyVEVO

LA LA LA
By Naughty Boy ft. Sam Smith

La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na
La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na.

Hush, don't speak
When you spit your venom, keep it shut, I hate it
When you hiss and preach about your new messiah
'Cause your theories catch fire.

I can't find your silver lining
I don't mean to judge
But when you read your speech, it's tiring
Enough is enough!

I'm covering my ears like a kid
When your words mean nothing, I go, "La la la!"
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
'Cause if my heart can't stop it,
I find a way to block it, I go...

La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na
I find a way to block it, I go...
La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na

Yes, our love is running out of time
I won't count the hours, rather be a coward
When our worlds collide
I'm gonna drown you out before I lose my mind.

I can't find your silver lining
I don't mean to judge
But when you read your speech, it's tiring
Enough is enough!

I'm covering my ears like a kid
When your words mean nothing, I go, "La la la!"
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
'Cause if my heart can't stop it,
I find a way to block it, I go...

La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na
I find a way to block it, I go...
La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na
I find a way to block it, oh
La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na
I found a way to block it, I go...
La la la na la la la na na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na na

I'm covering my ears like a kid
When your words mean nothing, I go, "La la la!"
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
'Cause if my heart can't stop it,
I find a way to block it, I go...

I'm covering my ears like a kid
When your words mean nothing, I go, "La la la!"
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
'Cause if my heart can't stop it,
I find a way to block it, I go...
La la la na la la la na na na na
La la la la la la la na na na na
La la la na la la la na na na na
La la, la la la la la na na na na ....


"La La La" is a single released by British producer Naughty Boy, featuring vocals from English singer/songwriter Sam Smith. It was released on 17 May 2013 as the second single from Naughty Boy's debut album, Hotel Cabana (2013). The track reached #1 on the UK Charts (at its time of release it was the fastest selling single of 2013 in the UK) and the Italian Charts...

Music video
A music video to accompany the release of "La La La" was first released onto YouTube on 18 April 2013 at a total length of four minutes and five seconds.[1] The video is directed by Ian Pons Jewell and shot in 4 days[2] in La Paz, Salar de Uyuni and Potosí (Cerro Rico), Bolivia.

According to Ian Pons Jewell [3], the music video is based on "The Wizard of Oz", with the story adapted to an oral Bolivian legend, dating to the early 20th century, which concerns a deaf boy who fled from his abusive home and found a stray dog that accompanied him since then. After living on the streets for undefined amount of time he discovers that he has special talent of perceiving people's troubles, which he can heal by screaming, which is said to be as loud as an earthquake and a tornado. One day, he finds an old man who is being stoned by villagers while being taunted and ridiculed. By screaming, the boy resolves the situation and revives the old man's heart (in the video, by buying him a new heart). Together, they meet a disfigured man who was abused, considered a leper by society. The disfigured man reveals that he is a prophet who was cursed by a demon(El Tio) because he didn't worship him, and abandoned the society where the demon resided. El Tio is considered as the lord of the underworld, to whom mortal people offer gifts to him in order to be protected by him or to ease his anger.[4] The prophet said anybody who could hear the demon would fall under his control. He told them the demon could be found in desert, where there once was a town in which people worshipped the demon and he cursed them to kill themselves. Together they go to the place where the demon should reside. They arrive at a mine where the demon is supposed to be but everybody could be cursed who is able to hear the demonic curses, thus the boy alone only could go to the demon and overvoice him with his scream to stop him from cursing others.

The video ends with an open end, considering that El Tio is the lord of the underworld who rules in the mines, which were of use for people for a prolong period of time, whom miners sacrifice a llama from time to time to avoid from being cursed, the boy could be seen as a big sacrifice to redeem the miners from El Tio's undesirable influence.[5] On the other hand it can be interpreted that only the boy is able to stand up to El Tio as the people couldn't have freed themselves.

The music video deliberately alludes to the story of the Wizard of Oz in an effort to make the legend accessible to those unfamiliar with it.

The mask which the deformed man wears is one of the variants of "Kusillo" which is associated with a ritual dance and references also to the devil, the horns which are usually worn on the head represent demons which inhabit Manqha Pacha (underworld). Because the man isn't anymore associated with them, he has no horns on kusillo.[6]

Caps which the boy and the "shaman" with the dog are wearing are indigenous to Andean cultural origin. They are similar to the headware of Yatiri, who are traditional healer and also to the headware of Ekeko who is a fortune bearer. This implies that the boy has the ability to heal and to sense other people's problems. To become a Yatiri healer, one important factor is that a young Yatiri will begin a journey to find an elder Yatiri (ch'amakani), this is the reason why the boy meets a Yatiri at the beginning."  SOURCE: Wikipedia
Source: The lyrics posted on this blog are often transcribed directly from performances. Although it is my intention to faithfully transcribe I do not get all the words and I have a knack for hearing the wrong thing. Please feel free to correct me or to fill in the words that I miss by dropping me a message via e-mail. I'd be forever grateful. Thanks in advance!
..............................................................................................................................  

 

 A Note From The Gull

Thank you, Naughty Boy.

The reporting on the Chaguanas West by-election campaigning in T&T provides many opportunities to test my blocking skills. I don't actually say, "La la la la la la la na na na na na!" but I focus instead on the persistent beauty of our homeland and the achievements great and small of many of our people. It is clear though that Duttiness has ascended the throne with lies, innuendos, bacchanal and confusion as  its energetic handmaidens. Faced with this avalanche of caca, what can Decency do but block her children's ears and back away briskly?

Is there cause for alarm? Is this just rum and box drain politics as usual? Is it that things never really change, not anywhere?

Life does the only thing it can, it goes on, and I see that next year will definitely be coming because Tribe 2014 was launched. That tells the rest of us that God is in His heaven and all's right with the world. The sorely disappointed will just have to continue taking it in dey waist, kyaow or puefn.

"Hush, don't speak
When you spit your venom, keep it shut, I hate it
When you hiss and preach bout your new messiah
'Cause your theories catch fire.

I can't find your silver lining
I don't mean to judge
But when you read your speech, it's tiring
Enough is enough!

I'm covering my ears like a kid
When your words mean nothing, I go, "La la la!"
I'm turning up the volume when you speak
'Cause if my heart can't stop it,
I find a way to block it, I go...

La la la la la la la na na na na na..."

"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare