2013-Aug-29-2355Hrs
Dear Erroll:
In one of the attachments from last week my Haven brother and second year elder Rodney Foster corrected me on the question where was Leroy Cox from. I said he was from Point, because Geezmo from down there, and I associate Cox with the Geez. But now Rodney saying Cox from the coconut in San Juan. Dat is where Rodney from too. So he trying to claim Cox. But the problem there is that in one of the recent general elections dey find that a 1000 people had given a house in San Juan as their address. So it is possible that a man has a San Juan address, but he really from Point. And indeed Solid Seven was from Point, and it is dem who made Cox' tune a hit. And of course Geez used to bring dem to play in fetes. So this is a complicated matter. if Solid Seven playing your tume.....you from point. Otherwise dey would not play your tune. You see the logic?
By the way, with Mausicans my experience is that it is difficult to know where they are from once they get on campus, especially the girls. And in 1968 after observing that many of the girls who came in with me in 67 were experiencing geographic identity issues, I decided to make a calypso about it. Solid did not record it, because the tune was suspect, but the lyrics communicate this problem of misplaced geography. The Calypso, called 'The change", got me third place (Behind Efebo, and Gregory Byrne, from Point).
Kenneth Bobb on piano ( I miss him, a real live wire), Efebo on cuatro, along with Clang (Cuthbert Joseph) and Carl Caton, (who sang this verse for me at the college when we met there recently). Alisford on bass. (who else).
First verse and chorus, as follows:
Mausica Teachers College does change people
Dont doubt me, I am put- tin it to you
When de girls and dem come een here, some ah dem cah even walk in shoe
In less than a month, yuh know dey doh want to talk to you!
Chorus
Well dey come to Mausica, from Talparo and Moruga
As dey reach in here dey from Arima!!
But I see one in shanty town,Picking up rotten ham
She want to tell me, She looking for specimen for Dukhan
Now I want to apologize to all of the Mausica women of 1966-68, and 1967-69 for that song. Harry Joe called me once and said , Scratchy! what happen boy, yuh doh like de girls? And he had this quizzical look. And I laughed and said Mr Joseph I like dem---But some ah dem doh talk to me!!
Scratchy.
PS...I left a photograph of the Joe in the auditorium when we were there , and I am sure the kind person would email me indicating how I could retrieve it.
Theodore Lewis 69
