7 posts tagged “chutney”
December 27, 2K8 1:41 am USA 2:41 am T&T
Just one day after Christmas and the new tracks are already creating a stir on the airwaves. I have had the opportunity to hear new music from Professor Black Stalin and the Baseman from Hell aka Shadow. I am pleased to say that the musical morsels were not just music to my ears but that they left a good feeling because of their lyrical content. The tracks I heard were excellent and none had "ah wine or jam on anybody" - I am sure that will eventually come but let's enjoy classic work for now.
So if you are interested in listening to the new music please note that the best source on the Web for "Total Local Content" is WACK Radio 901FM.com. Hey and if you register and log on you now have a live web cam to see the on air personality do his or her thing. The good thing about the web cam is that it will provide an avenue for viewing the launching of new music and live in studio interviews.
Good job Kenny and the crew at WACK. We look forward to the new music because like it or not it already feels like carnival time on WACK.... Christmas goneeeeeeeeee...... Let the Kaiso, Soca and Chutney play on.
September 02, 2K8 It has been said that
faith can move mountains and for some reason I felt the weight
of "Wackos" around the World weighing heavily on my spirit … it
was a day where I found myself in a sink or swim situation – I chose to swim! Indeed
it can be a challenge to stay afloat with so many nay Sayers waiting for the
moment that you capitulate and admit that you were wrong about something. Then
again you can be someone who simply stands on the sideline and claim ignorance
because you came for the game not to support either team in the field of
play. Well here I am in a position where several persons expect me
to state my position and come clean regarding the WACK radio Independence Day
music marathon. Let me say this, it was a glorious recognition of 46 years of
independence with an abundance of local music to support their claim of being
the champions of our musical culture on air. What do you think? Did
they live up to your expectations? Well here is my take… Culture Krazy: Yes, yes and yes! There
is no competition at home or abroad when it comes to playing the music of
Trinidad and Tobago – no competition in sight or that can be heard at home or
over the internet. Granted there are sites that have lists of local music for
sampling and to be played on demand – indeed there are but there is no station
or media house that plays the variety of music that WACK radio 90.1 fm
broadcasts on a daily basis. Now yesterday was quite
different and to be honest I did not expect such an organized and well
presented programming that was presented as a gift to our now middle aged
nation. It all started with Ebony and Amber and concluded with Dr. the Right
Honorable David Matthews. However, the surprise presenter of the
day, none other than Kenny Phillips the aging captain of the WACK presentation
of chune after chune after chune who came on and hit the mark. So
how did Kenny do this? Well my friend Sharon aka South Trini insisted that I
let everyone know that “Kenny was the man yesterday”. Damion would
say that all that I am doing is sucking up to Kenny. If that is the case I have
to ask, “Why? None of that matters but the fact that Kenny really dug deep and
brought back memories of elementary school says a lot for the job that he
did. The ladies did a great job and the middle of the show
simply kept the championship flag flying high. David (I have to take the word
of others here now) did a great job. I can say he had the toughest assignment
because a song could only be played one time and if he did as good as I am told
he deserves kudos for a job well done. Pet Peeve: Ok my pet peeve with
WACK radio is that they don’t really live up to the Culture Krazy claim that
they boast about. Well I have to admit for one day they came a long way. What
is my complaint? Not enough Chutney selections but then again there are many
other genres that don’t get equal play or fair play when compared to Calypso
and Soca. Indeed Rapso and Folk music aficionados can complain
likewise. I have always said to Kenny Phillips that we play everything and even
though Pan has its segments on the weekend the tracks that Kenny played during
his segment cries out for more steel pan music. So really, what
about my pet peeve? Wikipedia states: “At
the same time, chutney became a massive force in Trinidadian music, arising
from the island's Indian population. It has now become 'mainstream' across the
islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean, and has spawned its own subgenres,
including ragga chutney, chutney-hip hop. Soca-bhangragga and chutney-bhangra.
The article also went on to talk more about Chutney Soca and dhut-kai-pang (ie
chutney, Parang and Calypso mixed with Venezuelan-derived rhythms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago Indeed there was
Pickacharee and Chutney more so than is usually played on the station on any
given day – let’s see how this unfolds in the days ahead. Was it a one day
appeasement or part of change to come – only time will tell! Diversity: Diverse = many and
different. Simple enough… “Celebrating our diversity Wack style” Right back at
you Kenny and that also brings to mind the lack of play of many genres on a
“regular basis” not just when a holiday comes along. Indeed we are as diverse
in our tastes as we are cosmopolitan in our makeup but don’t you dare claim to
be culture crazy and not include the total fabric of the society. Indeed your
financial success may hinge on the demographic that you subscribe to but then
again you may need several knocks on your balding head to understand that some
change is indeed good. Conclusion: So what really in the
verdict? Ok I must admit that the
station did an excellent job yesterday ... kudos to everyone concerned. Do I
need to take a chill pill? Maybe but then again I am not the type of person to
sit idly by on the sidelines and watch the show go on. Am I to be
labeled the devil’s advocate at all times … hell no for Jesus’ sake (father
forgive meh)! Most of the persons who dislike my take on things have
nothing to contribute and continually slap the Fannies of the WACK brass for a
job well done. Ok that’s ok, but one must realize that the product can always
be tweaked and fine tuned to reflect a new vision for the musical culture of
our country. Should we simply sit on our laurels and brag and boast about our
gifts to the World … pay attention to Machel and his approach to the art form -
he collaborates with other artistes and innovates his musical concepts moving
Soca into the mainstream that even Hot 97 in NYC plays his music - so change is
good. The people at Billboard magazine have taken notice and are
beginning to track his efforts. So my friends keep at
the staff at Wack and give credit when credit is due but also give them a sense
of where they are at and where they could and should be heading. You may be
right or dead wrong but no one can blame you for trying. So let me conclude by
saying congratulations to Mr. Kenny Phillips and his staff on a job well done.
Culture Krazy champions with no other station in second or third place. They
are that good at that which they do – promote the music of Trinidad and Tobago
as no one else can. Congratulations to the management and staff!
“Celebrating our diversity WACK style...the widest variety on radio on Independence Day Holiday, Monday September 1, 2008. All genres all day, can you keep up?” http://www.wackradio901fm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=431 Oh boi, oh boi here we go again with the WACK brain trust making promises that they won’t keep or will sprinkle one track here and there throughout the day to gravitate towards the self proclaimed/ubiquitous “Culture Krazy Crown”. Ent yuh know/figure out from past experience that it will be 95% Kaiso and Soca all day! Now one has to consider what are the three major musical genres rocking the Islands of Trinidad and Tobago today? Well I am pleased that you asked and really want to know. This can be answered by listening to the radio stations, checking the record sales (but no top ten sales list is produced or shown on WACK) or simply from the man on the street. Well the three major contenders are Calypso, Soca and Chutney. I guarantee you (please listen to the show folks) that you will hear lots of Calypso, Soca, Steel band music, some Rapso, a sprinkling of Parang, some Folk songs, local Reggae, local Pop some Classical and Ballroom tracks with minimal Chutney/East Indian music. Remember we are talking about diversity and everyone knows about the diversity of the population (yuh think?). Is it WACK radio or is it the call of the DJ's? I think both the station and the DJ's have the same mind set and play to the same demographic but keep in mind where the station is located - what an ironic situation. In any case it does not matter because this show is a WACK radio 90.1FM show and if you are interested you can listen to the feed from one of the following sites: http://islandlinks.50megs.com/streams/trinidad/wackwma.html or http://www.wackradio901fm.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 Just take a look at this line of the advertisement from the WACK homepage: “Folk songs, Calypso, Gospel, Trini pop, Soca, and much more.....only on WACK 90.1 FM, the true defenders of our culture.” Did you notice something missing/or lack of emphasis there of? This is going to be a very interesting show and I plan to listen all day! So let’s showcase the musical diversity of our Island – Keep the musical culture flag flying!
Mar27, 2K8 It is quite apparent that most of the listeners of WACK radio are fervently biased in their views of their beloved Culture Krazy station. A tease in the morning IM chat between two picong prone persons led to a Bassa to remember – “Do you think that WACK radio plays a ‘true blend’ of music that is representative sample of Trinidad and Tobago?" Hey that is easy to answer, WACK radio plays the most local music of all the radio stations broadcasting in Trinidad and Tobago. Correct, well that was not the answer to the question that was asked. Hold on just one minute, the question was not if WACK plays the most local music or if WACK’s content is 100% local, no, no, no, pay attention because we are talking about a ‘true blend’ as claimed by the advertisement that was/is still aired on WACK. Do you understand the difference? Again it is not about simply playing local content but the blend,’ fairplay’ of the varied musical genres that our music is comprised of – ahh now we talking about something different. Ok what types of music do you regularly hear on WACK? I hear Soca and Calypso as the majority of music played. By the way, what are the top 10 most requested songs on WACK or the top 10 songs in T&T, do you know? The WACK website does not address this (so it is a good thing to question things it could lead to positive change). Deso gives you the big band music and the really smooth music from back in the day – no one can fault Deso – he is number one for the niche market that he addresses. During the day it is Calypso and Soca. Now give WACK credit for playing parang out of season – nobody else does it. One thing that we are not privy too is the choice/selection of the music played on the station. Is it the station that provides and puts the selections on rotation or do the DJ's have the ok to bring in and play whatever they deem fit? If it is the second option then it is the musical taste of the DJ's that we have to accept and not that of the station's brain trust. What does that mean? It means that it is the DJ's concept of Culture Krazy (true blend) that we have to contend with and not that (the policy) of the station! People made fun of me for mentioning pichakaree and some of the silly people in the Shout Box advised me to go to Masala radio to hear chutney and pichakaree. The entire topic of discussion was lost and it became a question of listening to “Indian music” – I felt the acid fill my stomach. I was upset because those persons did not listen to that which was being discussed. One last thing for those of you who think that Masala only plays Indian music, you are wrong and one can hear several mixes with reggae/soca/chutney that we don't get an opportunity to hear on WACK. Do you think that the indigenous music of Trinidad and Tobago get an equal share of play on WACK? That is not possible because the market demands certain types of music should be played; if you want to hold on to listeners and get new listeners one has to provide the content that draws them to listen. That means more Soca because Kaiso is for the older listeners (the purists) and during the carnival period – if you control the youth you are in a good position to secure more advertising dollars. Advertisers always target the youth. However, we are talking about the “true blend” and that means that you do play chutney, soca, ragga soca, rapso, parang, pichakaree, calypso that are indigenous to Trinidad but the other genres are also part of the consumer market. What are the other types of musical genres that are representative of Trinidad Society as CEO Kenny Phillips referenced on air? Well now we have to talk about local reggae, big band music, gospel, best village music, African drumming, East Indian drumming and a host of other musical genres ... even local rock! Yes my friends, local rock, local country music, have you heard these? Hold on I believe last year Damion played a local country track … not sure but it is possible. Am I nit picking, of course I am but for those of you who bassacared me on air and in the box take note and reflect on the question that was asked not that which your heart guided you to believe. Victor and Rambo … wow, I am a firm believer that ignorance is bliss so be happy! "Ignorance is bliss because it's easier to support something blindly than exploring all the options. It's also easier to act on instinct and learned behaviors rather than to think about what they're saying/doing. http://allphilosophy.com/topic/show/1658." Listen up people, not because you love something it means that you should not examine it and do some tweaking to make it better. We do it all the time with our relationships so why not WACK. Don’t think of Smartypantz as a villain but as someone who always likes to take another look. I don’t accept things because it is the norm – hell no. For those of you who do not know i'll let you in on a little secret, Kenny and I go at each other all the time – we call a spade a spade , but take note of this, we get along. That is the key to it, we get along. He lets me know when he disagrees with my comments and sometimes I apologize (right Kenny). Just understand that we are all entitled to our opinions right, wrong or indifferent but we still need to learn to get along with each other. Herein lies one of the biggest problems that our country faces. We must learn to disagree about certain things yet still like each other. This is in direct reference to the way I was treated by those who called in to support the station and at the same time take cheap shots at me. How many of you yearn to hear some of the classical pan selections but mostly have to listen to panorama selections played? The Lady on the Hill was listening and she made the point. Triniricky and I don’t always agree on things but he always says hello to me. He jokingly wrote in the box that he wanted to hear more opera. Does anyone remember the classical version of Kitchener's music that was played last year and disappeared from the play list? Wack has to keep an eye on the business end of their product but at the same time be careful with statements like “true blend” even though they only play local content and are the only station that truly promotes the talents and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. I listen to WACK but recently I have taken the opportunity to listen to radio stations throughout the Caribbean region – you would be surprised listening to these stations. However, I always come back to WACK, not simply to listen to the music of my country but because of the wit and intelligence provided by the radio hosts like Damion Melville, Amber and Ebony. We all want the same thing so stop the hating and start understanding. Nuff said.
Jan27, 2K8 "Yuh could bring it in a bottle, yuh could bring it in a flask. You could send it in a cup, you could bring it in a glass. Ah want mih rum in de morning. Ah want mih rum in de evening." These lyrics come from Hunter the Hitman’s monster hit “Bring it” with the remix version being the most popular with an assist from Bunji Garlin. The Rum Chutney phenomenon as the Trinidad Express chooses to call it is a big problem that needs to be addressed. I have said it in the WACK radio 90.1 FM forums and have written about these types of lyrics before. The music is infectious indeed but the lyrics are dangerously alarming. There is no doubt in my mind that many young people think it is cool and even ‘sexy’ to take a drink when the music is playing. The Hitman is not the only one who has glorified rum. Adesh Samaroo, Ravi Bissambhar and a few others choose to take their God given talent and glorify rum instead of singing about positive topics. Rum drinking in the East Indian community is a very big problem and with these Chutney Stars glorifying this purveyor of more hard core drugs it has become a time to tell these singers that they need to stop. “Bring it” is a monster hit for this carnival season, and I must admit that I like the music but couldn’t the lyrics have been about something other than rum for heaven’s sake. If only one person chooses to take a drink of rum and feels that it was cool to do so because of the song then as good as the music is it has to be considered a monumental failure on the part of the composer/singer. We need to rid ourselves of these demons not encourage a generation to follow suit down this narrow road to a black hole at the end of what they believe to be the end of the rainbow.
Jan04. 2K8. Kaiso boi, Kaiso boi now that was Kaiso! Did you feel it? Yes we are back to that same ole great feeling of Carnival, dancing and partying to the rhythms of Kaiso, Soca, Chutney and steel pan but last night was different. Kaiso House opened their doors to the new season with the hope of financial gain for the artistes chosen to perform at the tent. Of significance is the fact that I sat at home in Manhattan, NYC and took in the entire audio segment of the show – what else could one ask for? WACK radio 90.1 FM broadcast the opening with all the performances over the airwaves to the nation and streamed via the Internet to the rest of the World – fabulous! Do what you want, say what you want, trust ah Trini to critique and in this case not be satisfied with something. The WACK Shout box was jumping with action but a few were upset/dissatisfied with Bunji Garlin’s reincarnation of Maestro’s Fiery. I can understand the sentiment since no one to date has matched the style of the Maestro, so to speak. However, the youth movement is in good hands as far as I am concerned – well done Bunji! People need to understand that the performance at the tent is always different to that which one would hear from the recorded material for sale for many reasons. The important thing to note is that the artistes play to the mood of the audience – that is the beauty of attending the show at the tent. That is not translated via the broadcast even though Heshimu and Marlene did an excellent job interacting and bringing color to the ground breaking transmission for WACK. Saying 'thank you' is mandatory at this stage to the management of WACK for delivering true culture to our living rooms around the World. We will now keep looking at your site for a schedule of live broadcasts as we prepare to celebrate the Carnival season with our friends and families in the homeland.
The Slave Trade was abolished 200 years ago - some would say that we are still slaves in some form. However, the act, the stroke of the pen making slavery and the slave trade a thing of the past is only an official seal that has paper value. There is a state of mind that exists today that leads one to believe that 'Black People' are still slaves in some form or fashion. The Corporate structure is rampant with people of color not having the same opportunity as those with the 'light skin complexion'. Police routinely pull over people of color (in the US) for no apparent reason (profiling). It goes on and on, but what about racism within the ranks of colored people. To get to the point - Indian and African descendants living in Trinidad and Tobago along with the 'caught in the middle bunch' known as 'Douglas' seem to revel in distrust. There is much condescending and animosity towards each other that is hidden behind false smiles (not all skin teeth is a smile). My memory goes back to the DLP (Democratic Labor Party) and the PNM (Peoples National Movement) divided by race lines. The more things change the more they remain the same - UNC, COP (same DLP) and the PNM are still fighting each other in the political arena. Indians against Africans - there is hatred and envy on both sides. So what makes us any different from the Slave Traders from the past - well we are not selling people but the seed planted by those devious people making one race (Indian indentured servants) believe that they are better than the previously freed slaves (Africans) has surely impacted negatively to this day. I am not laying the blame on the East Indians only here because both sides can be held accountable for many of the wrong things that are part of our recorded history. So now that two hundred years have gone by how long do we have to wait for true friendship and love for one another to permeate throughout the society? Let us not forget the 'Dougla' population - some people believe in true integration and have 'corked their ears' from the words and taunts of the 'doubting Thomases' and have forged ahead into the brave new world of love and harmony within the races. We can go on and on talking about this subject but I ask you, do you think that we are free from the Slavery mentality and, what can be done to free Indians and Africans from pointing fingers and assigning blame to each other for the ills of the society? Just think about this, our music is one of the sweetest sounds on God’s precious earth – Calypso, Soca and Chutney and the many musical off shoot that force people ‘to shake they behind’ (I will explain some of these Trini terms later on). Our Indian and African rhythms have fused to create something that has the rest of the World 'marveling in wonderment'. Can we learn to love and care for each other and stop the hating? Who Knows! So as my favorite 90.1 radio host (Damion Melville) would say, "Good efternoon" and keep hope alive.
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