I thought of writing this column a few years ago to reflect on Lord Christo's seriously humorous marking of the modern grocery-shopping era which came with Hi-Lo.
My objective then, as it is now, is to highlight the importance of the calypso and the calypsonian to capture, relate, sometimes through the medium of serious humour, with a touch of bacchanalia, social history, especially that which will not be captured by academic historians.
Christopher Laidlow, he of slick hair, always nattily attired with gun-mouth pants and slim good looks, crystal clear lyrics, a frequent limer at the Honeycomb watering hole, instituted in calypso, Hi-Lo’s new “Cash and Carry Plan”.
It was the method of shopping that surpassed, even if not completely replaced, the era of the corner shop where customers, list in hand, shouted and banged on the counter to get the attention of the Chinese and Portuguese shopkeepers. “Chin” and his wife “Mary” were the established names of the Chinese shopkeepers and so-called without any thought of negative stereotyping.
With the coming of Hi-Lo and the likes of United Grocers on Frederick Street, shoppers piled choices “of cold cuts of all variety with prices to suit everybody” into a shopping cart and wheeled it to the cashier. It was a new dispensation: middle-class shopping and no doubt dressing, which went beyond sliding into slippers and home clothes to run down to the shop/parlour on the corner.
“This morning at Hi-Lo, Christo went to buy beans and potato, (repeat) ah young woman walk inside of the grocery in front everybody; she take ah whole box of chicken chest and promptly conceal beneath her dress…she choose out de best.”
My limited research found two accounts that claim “Frozen Chicken” more popularly known as “Chicken Chest” was the 1957 Road March. The relevant point though is that Christo’s recounting of what was said to be a “true story,” captured the popular imagination in melody and lyrics. It must surely have contributed to Hi-Lo’s popularity.
When approached by the grocery officials about her converting the “Cash and Carry Plan” into a “Snatch and Carry Plan”, Christo claims the woman attempted to hide behind language limitation: “Me no compran, (comprendo) this cash and carry plan.”
Christo gives contending sources of his information on the incident. He sings in the first person manner of being at the scene of the “Snatch and Carry”. But in another voice, the bard says it was “McGee who print it in the Evening News”–an afternoon publication of the Trinidad Guardian of the era 1950s-1980s. Maybe both accounts are factual: Christo was an eyewitness, and McGee got the story in the manner that reporters/journalists/commentators get information.
To fill in the spaces, McGee, was a highly satirical and at times hilarious column, created and written by 610 Radio and Trinidad Guardian journalist Jerome Rampersad, whom Dennis Pantin as a junior reporter in Rampersad’s newsroom, referred to as a “Hardboiled Newsman”.
One of the interesting things about the account of the bard is his revelation of his own grocery-shopping selections: “This morning at Hi-Lo Christo went to buy beans and potato.” His purchases immediately placed him in a social class not likely to engage in such behaviours as those of the lady shopper.
Very interestingly, and notwithstanding the era of crass commercialisation being introduced, Christo reveals in his account, a manager’s understanding of the newness of the system and the temptation it must have posed for the customer.
“De boss of the grocery wanted to extend some sympathy, but de woman so boldface, she tief but she busing in de ‘people’ (my emphasis) place.” Christo’s effort was to make a clear distinction of social class and ownership rights over those of the social underclass without property rights.
Christo opens a vista on fashion of the day, so subtle–unlike the bland, guileless manner of many of today’s soca hustlers–that if you don’t listen carefully it can pass you by without a notice.
“She take this whole box of chicken chest, she chose out de best, mamayo, this ice cold box of chicken chest was found under she nylon dress.” Nylon was the emerging fabric of the day, and saga boys and girls to be “with it” had to wear nylon.
Christo’s master observation and composition did not just happen. He was one of the leading bards of the day. He was Master of Ceremonies for many years at Syl Taylor and Sparrow’s Original Young Brigade Tent. Christo was a composer/singer of deep social commentary with melody and rhythm. His classics include: “Never Hang Yuh Hat where Yuh hand Cyar Reach”; the “Dumb Boy and de Parrot”–who desperately tried to inform him that he was getting horn, and his classic in double entendre: “Landlord”–
“Shining meh golden sword…when ah big stick register in meh back…under meh pains ah had to run from de Slaughtery to John John.” Work that out.
Hi-Lo, Massy, whatever yuh name, not too late to honour Lord Christo.
