La Virgen Maria

This season as usual our forgotten language has been dusted out, and received a period of exposure before it hibernates once more. The annual Parang festival, brings out groups old and new, some old compositions and some new ones in more standard Spanish; so paeans of La Virgen Maria, La Anunciación, La Navidad etc reverberate around the countryside until January 6. They have been strongly challenged by the newish phenomenon called soca parang/ parang soca which retains the rhythms and some of the melodies but have no religious significance and are sometimes just simple double entendre, like: Ah want mih brekfas in mih bed/ gimme black pudding instead.

They are a whole new genre and liven up the parties of sensualists who could care less whether Xmas falls on Ash Wednesday because it's just an interlude before carnival when the real bacchanal begins. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so dissociated and that I could drink my arse full of rum and fete the whole four months away without thinking of responsibility, bills, family, other people, debt and disease. But I know that if I try, in midst of it all, a little voice will keep asking me: is this your purpose for living.

All the punnanies are destined to pass me by, because I have already answered the call...

© 1998

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