Helen Drayton
Dorothy visited last night. She said, ah want you to write a tribute to de Mighty Black Stalin. I tell she I not writing about him until the Government does the right thing. I said, listen, Dorothy, the Government shut down the little people scrap iron business, saying cable tiefing is a threat to national security. I understand that, but Dorothy, how come they haven’t shut down de big people’s fireworks business that poses dangers to electrical power supplies and telephone and cable infrastructures? It destroys buildings, kills animals, blinds people, and causes other physical injuries. It traumatises elderly people, the sick, and others who can’t take the mega noises that criminals use as cover for gunshots. Dorothy, how many people must suffer trauma? How many animals must die? How many fires must happen before they do something?
And Dorothy, it’s not only that. What about the children? You see, people up to 18 years are children, but education is compulsory for up to 16 years, so what do they expect the thousands of children who leave school between 16 and 18 years to do? Like those in the scrap iron and other businesses who can’t pursue higher education and are forced to work illegally, idle, or become fodder for exploiters and gang leaders? Dorothy, why can’t the Government lawfully protect them as apprentices? Or get realistic about who is a child? Dorothy, “Sufferers want to know where the next meal coming from.” So, wait, Dorothy. I’ll do the tribute to the great bard, the legend, the humble, compassionate intellectual who cared about the children and little people when the Government bans fireworks and addresses the children’s problem.
Dorothy, Dr Leroy Calliste, was a messenger for everybody, everywhere, so he made sure to tell Peter at the pearly gates to “Bun Dem” violators of social justice, the hypocrites, liars, and warmongers.
Dorothy, why yuh like boof so. Eh? Stalin boof you up when you wanted him to write a song about jam up, wine up, back back, roll back while people suffering. Stalin told you he not doing dat, so I not writing anything about the people’s champion until they stop traumatising his people.
Dorothy, Back in 1988, the folksy hero had painted a vivid picture of the country’s depressed economic state, the ethos, and dissatisfaction with governance, but when the money was pouring from the Treasury, the people in places he called “ghetto” hadn’t fared better. He sang, “When the Treasury was full/and happy times some was enjoying/Is in Morvant, and Laventille poor people was living/ Now the Treasury flat/ and the country come back to square one/poor people remain in the same old ghetto in John John….”
Dorothy, more than three decades later, the authorities continue to let the smoke from a garbage landfill harm the same people. Gunshots still traumatise children there. So, we cannot surrender the children's rights because of Black Stalin’s messages of truth that urged social equity, Caribbean unity, love, and respect.
Dorothy, I understand why you want a tribute to the beloved calypsonian; his work was gloriously emotive and sheer poetry, never risqué and offensive, always exquisitely honest and thought-provoking with pure pleasantness. He played out his aversion to injustice and racism without bitterness, delivering entertaining performances against the colourful tapestry that was us. The passion and ingenuity of his lyrics compelled attention. But Dorothy, you must wait until dem tone-deaf people listen.
In 1994, the Black Stalin laid bare the world people’s feelings about governments when he sang, “It’s Revolution time.” Still, instead of bloodshed, he advocated to “revolute your mind.” And he was the quintessential optimist who believed whatever the hardships, “if ever we feel to surrender, always remember we could make it if we try just a little harder. If we just give one more try, life will be much sweeter.”
His profound messages of peace, harmony and hope lend his work to the secondary schools’ literature and social studies curricula. Dorothy, when they do that, fix the education system, and genuinely honour the people’s heroes, then I’ll write the tribute about de Black Stalin’s Caribbean love; how his music jam we soul, mesmerise we, make we wine up, back back and roll up we body to the tempo of love.
Dorothy, look on the brighter side and hope that his dream of social equity comes true. Wait, Dorothy, wait.