What, ah ask mih pardnah, he tink about de reaction ah some Trinis tuh she latest video? De one where she singin Raze in ah snow settin. De discussion did come arong tuh Fay Ann.

Ah didn’t want tuh stop de man when he start answerin.

Why?

Ah agree wid he every word, dat is why.

I well know de place dem Trinis who vex wid de video comin from. I used tuh be dey. De place dark an delusional. Yuh does only see ting cokey eye.

I used tuh be ah fierce defender ah pan buh fuh all de rong reasons.

Ah pan competition where, Motuo, China? Hold orn, doh start it yet, ah Trini side comin.

Why?

What kind ah dotish question is dat? Tuh win of course. Who yuh tink invent pan? Trinis. Is Trinis have tuh control it. Trinis decide who could pick up ah pan stick. Trinis an pan fuh ever an ever. Amen.

It used tuh make perfect sense tuh me.

Den ah birdie whisper een mih ear. No, not Sparrow.

It ask mih what would ah happen in de world ah music fuh starters eef de inventor of ah new instrument did take de position I was takin.

De voice went orn tuh say dat de mark of broad-minded people in ah maturin country is dat once dey invent someting, dey know dey have tuh give it wings. Let de rest ah de world experience it, play wid it, even tweak it an make it better. Nuttin cyar take away from who an where de ting originate. Nobody could uninvent an den reinvent it fuh deyself or dey country.

Dat is not ah easy concept tuh understand or embrace as long as yuh tink where yuh from is de center ah de universe. Dem blinders have tuh come orf else what Fresh Water Yankees used tuh represent go always be arong, albeit in different forms.

De ones I did know growin up—Trinis who would go tuh NY or Miami fuh ah week an come back Triniland spittin out perfect Yankee speech— tried tuh show dat it had someplace bigger out dey an it influential. So influential dat in ah week it done change dem. Is ah place dat does expand yuh mind freein yuh tuh know when yuh being petty. Ironic given how Fresh Water Yankees used tuh try an show dat. Nonetheless, dat place is more dan ah physical location.

Trini artistes know about dat place. Like artiste anyplace else, dey goal is tuh take dey craft tuh de next level. Den de next an de next one after dat. No stoppin until de top shelf reach.

Eef dat Raze video did come out when ah couldn’t see straight, I too would ah say it eh had no aspect ah Triniland culture in it. De birdie would ah den steups an ask mih eef ah know how dotish I really is.

So, when mih pardnah say some Trinis could be narrow-minded sometimes, as in dis case wid Fay Ann, ah eh had no choice but tuh offer ah faint sad smile an ah weak nod.

As he put it, de world eh care ah rat’s behind about Rowley, Kamla, Warner an who ever else Trinis want tuh sing about. It eh care eef Trinis tink it have tuh have people winin when Fay Ann sing. All it care is eef it could identify wid de music.

Fay Ann lookin beyond music trucks. She doin what she have tuh do tuh be successful year rong. Dat is she right as ah artiste. It so obvious ah move it eh funny. Eef she didn’t know before, she learn from what she husband Bunji Garlin achieve.

Authentic always good an should be promoted. But eef yuh not big enough tuh make what authentic fuh you de standard fuh udders, den yuh run de risk ah being nuttin but cute. People go stop, watch, listen or taste den pat yuh orn yuh head an move orn.

Is dat what dem lookin for—a pat on dey head? Fetch boy! Or, How Cute!

Fetch?

Cute?

Steups.

Ah hearin de naysayers: Why she eh doin it like Machel Montano? He eh sellin he soul doin it. How ah explain dat, some who vex wid Fay Ann might ask.

First of all, what soul she sellin, she exposin Trini culture. How Machel makin out? Me eh know. Non West Indian does go tuh he shows outside T&T? I would argue he market limited tuh young people who have energy fuh days. I does need oxygen just watchin he perform. Regardless, I for whatever go make T&T world class in everyting, so I hope he succeedin.

Fay Ann say she eh listenin tuh people who world not bigger dan ah pot orn de stove. When somebody else in dat pot start climbin out de udders does pull dem back dong.

As mih pardnah point out, she preparin fuh ah international event. Well it goin orn all now, endin tomorrow June 28th. Let who want tuh shackle she tuh T&T tink dat is what dey doin when is dey own mind dey keepin shackled.

Ah glad she eh need no approval tuh make she way out dat pot. Yes, prepare fuh dat Glastonbury Music Festival. Ah hear it is de biggest musical event in de UK. Imagine, she go be representin Triniland an is Trinis who vex wid she. Imagine ah next ting: She get she name in lights as ah result ah dis music festival where she an she husband singin. Which one ah dem Trinis who eh like Raze video because it eh have no snow in Triniland, go admit dey didn’t want she tuh climb out dat pot?

Like ah say de place dem people in dark an delusional. Buh like ah also admit, gettin tuh de point where dat picture is clear eh easy. Yet we have tuh reach dat place eef we want tuh be taken seriously.

Is ah whole set ah truth tuh de sayin dat when yuh love someting, or in dis case really really proud of it, yuh have tuh let it go. Ask people who does only show orf how tuh do dat. Most ah de time is shit dey does be showin orf anyway buh dat does ever stop dem?

Up till now ah eh watch de video. Ah just watch it buh only tuh make sure ah know what ah linkin tuh here, someting ah does always do. I didn’t need tuh see it tuh get de bigger picture. All it would ah confirm is what ah done know: It have some ah de most amazin talent in Triniland.

Just like wid pan, de questions simple: Does dat talent belong tuh Trinidad an Tobago? Or, did it only germinate in de nation’s fertile soil? Doesn’t Triniland not need tuh showcase it tuh de whole world since dat is where it belong?

Doh ask Fay Ann, she done show she know de answers long time. She also know dat true fans ah Trini culture does always root fuh she.

Ent?