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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: AB.Trini on November 23, 2006, 12:30:23 AM

Title: yuh BEST Christmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 23, 2006, 12:30:23 AM
 
No one Christmas was  like another, in those years  so long ago; 'twas a time of youthful and carefree merriment; a time to laugh ; a time to celebrate; a time to partake in special treats; a time to feel a warmth of family and  a time to cherish our wondrous blessings.

 Sando : High street was littered with vendors selling apples and grapes; mangoes could not be found at this time.Stores overflowed with goods and  jammed with a shopping crowd. Xmas songs  blasted the airwaves back then; All carols which seduced us into thinking that we needed  to dream of a 'white xmas' with snow and eskimos!!

We sang the carols of frosty and he snowmen and jolly saint Nick; we played the old crooners of winter wonderland. Yes I often wonder about that paradoxical and yet intoxicating time of a youthful ignorant fella running around looking at all the Santas on the roofs of stores and thinking how the arse that fat old man in ah red suit getting in we house; we eh have no chimney!!

The  Christmas time played a blissful  array of parang songs leading up to that eventful day. .Youthful anticipation of a Santa arriving in Skinner park in a helicopter or the sight of flipping reindeers in TNT. Singing  of songs and dreaming of 'white xmas' when the soaking heat  is burning down on your head. Looking for jingle bells and a sleigh in the tropical sky at the height of xmas wondering if you were naughty or nice. Leaving a cup of goat's milk and a hop's bread by the ornate tree covered with angel hair to look like snow ; in later years  freshly sprayed in some white  stuff to look like snow, hoping that Santa would feel like home and bring yuh a damn toy.

The days leading up to Christmas was the best.  Mother would be busy putting up new curtains; the freshly painted house reeked of  assorted aromas of xmas cooking: the ham in the pitchoil can; the sponge cakes; black pudding; granddad's  piece of pig he just killed in the kitchen waiting to be cooked;  endless baking. 
 December, was my time to celebrate. Bring out the cydrax, the peardrax; grapes and apples what a treat! Ham on white hops!! chow chow!!!  The hustle and bustle around the house; the anticipation of family arriving.

Christmas eve was nerve racking.... I recalled one time hiding behind the couch  which was located under the open window. Ah know that if Santa come through ah would catch the fat old man. I fell asleep and woke up  to toys the next day. I missed that old man.

Always on Christmas night there was music. It was also a time when distant relatives  came by as if from some far off land, the music of parang late at the door woke the still of the night. Bring out the rum, the cake, the ham the sorrel the pastels... singing men , bantering  with melodious songs  accompanied by the cuatro, the mandolin, the maracas, the base  drum,  coro coro  belted above all. I remained in my youth a fascinated  stranger to all this until I joined in with bottle and spoon.

As I grew older, some  xmas eve was spent attending midnight mas just to see meh gyul friends and to sit in the back of the church in Les Effors Sando and belt out Hosanna in the highest after consuming a shared gallon of Charlie's cast wine with friends. The church bells made a merry tune on xmas day.

Oh a tropical xmas would not be forgotten: no snow; no frosty the snowman; no Rudolph red snotty nose reindeer ever came our way. Just one faked tree adorned with cards and ornaments and faked snow. The center piece of our  humble abode. Xmas meant something back then. It was a special time. There was natural joy to the world!! people were meerier at that time and gifts were cherished. Special food was a treat only savoured at that time.

'Twas a time for family visits; to receive presents to see grand parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins ; all dressed in their best attire. the family clan in their groupings. The kids  are off playing; the ladies busy cooking and the men drinking: rum , whiskey, punche cream; rum punch, anything which breath alcohol was consumed.

Ole St. Nick did not forget we in Trinidad. These were the days my friend I thought they would never end but for me  it's just a memory ah have tuh pass on to the youths today.

so bring on your  BEST memories to let the youths know of a time when yuh could leave the windows open all night long and walk the streets late after midnight mass and did not  fear for yuh life.


An original reflection.....ah waiting to hear from others..come nah leh we talk of something that has meaning for all of us and for our family.


























Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on November 23, 2006, 05:51:50 AM
I feel ya comin wid much more as your post has a large empty space at the bottom of it. :o :o
  ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: socachatter on November 23, 2006, 06:08:13 AM
oh gorm!  christmas = garlic pork!  thank god it's not a memory    :D  and ah see Santa once.  he peek in meh bedroom door and ah ketch him.   :P
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 23, 2006, 07:25:57 AM
Yuh that empty space is fuh part two: xmas with  real snow.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 23, 2006, 07:34:15 AM
what happen people eh have xmas memories tuh post?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on November 23, 2006, 07:51:12 AM
Ham on white hops!! chow chow!!! 
yes man my mout real watering now
ham an hops, chow chow, tomato, lettuce and pepper sauce...oh gaum I hungry
we also had iced coffee   and all de usual suspects  ;)
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on November 23, 2006, 08:58:32 AM
For me, as a child, my favourite memory is painting the tree branch my brother would pick in the hills of La Puerta and decorating it Christmas Eve with my younger sister.  We always decorated our tree Christmas Eve.  Not one day before.  My mom would be in the kitchen baking bread, black cake, sweet bread and those smells is a sure sign of Christmas.  My sister and I always got new pajamas/nightie to wear Christmas Eve night.  It was a "thing" my mother did.  I still like wearing something new to bed on Christmas Eve, although I have to admit I did not pass on that tradition to my own kids.

Ah can't fuhget red apples.  De smell of red apples is definitely a Christmas memory for me.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on November 23, 2006, 11:02:58 AM
oh gorm!  christmas = garlic pork!  thank god it's not a memory    :D  and ah see Santa once.  he peek in meh bedroom door and ah ketch him.   :P
man i wa splanning to bring that to de x mas lime that buss.
i have meh pork ind e garlic for 2 weeks now already..oh well i go make it someothe rtime
lol
my best x mas memories is the smiple things that u take for ganrted now.
hearing parang on the radio, putting away your house painting till x mas morning.
and smelling the house when moms baking de sweet bread, black cake etc..
that is the best memories
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: NYtriniwhiteboy.. on November 23, 2006, 11:58:10 AM
xmas for me is garlic pork and good good pepperpot (since me pops from guyana)....i eh really deal up in de ham and ting cuz i jus hooked on de garlic pork and pepperpot...nuttin better than wakin up to the smell of garlic pork
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: socachatter on November 23, 2006, 12:06:59 PM
oh gorm!  christmas = garlic pork!  thank god it's not a memory    :D  and ah see Santa once.  he peek in meh bedroom door and ah ketch him.   :P
man i wa splanning to bring that to de x mas lime that buss.
i have meh pork ind e garlic for 2 weeks now already..oh well i go make it someothe rtime
lol
my best x mas memories is the smiple things that u take for ganrted now.
hearing parang on the radio, putting away your house painting till x mas morning.
and smelling the house when moms baking de sweet bread, black cake etc..
that is the best memories

the christmas lime buss?  whappen?  Hoe yuh garlic pork soaking for 2 weeks already?  :applause:  i eh make a batch yet!  NAH - ah kyah lie, ah sweating tinking bout that bottle soaking on yuh counter.  :whew:     

triniwhiteboy yuh right!  nothing better than waking up to the smell of garlic pork!
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: truetrini on November 23, 2006, 12:51:51 PM
cutting yuh own christmas tree, painting it and decorating it and den putting it u in ah old KLIM tin.

playing parang, visiting frens and busing bamboo and carbide.

De pasteles and de chow chow and ham (altho i doh eat pork now).

Niceness...Listenting to "I have never seen ah white christmas..all my Christmas's have been green by wild fire.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on November 23, 2006, 12:52:23 PM
oh gorm!  christmas = garlic pork!  thank god it's not a memory    :D  and ah see Santa once.  he peek in meh bedroom door and ah ketch him.   :P
man i wa splanning to bring that to de x mas lime that buss.
i have meh pork ind e garlic for 2 weeks now already..oh well i go make it someothe rtime
lol
my best x mas memories is the smiple things that u take for ganrted now.
hearing parang on the radio, putting away your house painting till x mas morning.
and smelling the house when moms baking de sweet bread, black cake etc..
that is the best memories

the christmas lime buss?  whappen?  Hoe yuh garlic pork soaking for 2 weeks already?  :applause:  i eh make a batch yet!  NAH - ah kyah lie, ah sweating tinking bout that bottle soaking on yuh counter.  :whew:     

triniwhiteboy yuh right!  nothing better than waking up to the smell of garlic pork!
well ah ole cocopanyol gimme ah lil scerect..he tell meh to put the garlic pork to cure either in  a dark cup board or bury.like u use to do preserve sour cherries..
man does doe smake it taste so much better eh
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Grande on November 23, 2006, 02:06:53 PM
Going to church early in de morning

going by friends and family fuh breakfast, lunch and dinner - NUFF food. Garlic pork included. Ham too - although I not a big fan.

SORREL

whole of de main road through Grande used to be lit up with lights crisscrossing de road...real nice

Christmas soca music and parang

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Mr Fix-it on November 23, 2006, 02:08:52 PM
oh gorm!  christmas = garlic pork!  thank god it's not a memory    :D  and ah see Santa once.  he peek in meh bedroom door and ah ketch him.   :P
man i wa splanning to bring that to de x mas lime that buss.
i have meh pork ind e garlic for 2 weeks now already..oh well i go make it someothe rtime
lol
my best x mas memories is the smiple things that u take for ganrted now.
hearing parang on the radio, putting away your house painting till x mas morning.
and smelling the house when moms baking de sweet bread, black cake etc..
that is the best memories


Didn't even know that it was canned!  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(  Anyway, one of my best memories was when I dive in ah pine tree when I was like 9 or so LOL. 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Trini Madness on November 23, 2006, 03:03:13 PM
the family was eating around dinner time and current gone through  ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 24, 2006, 07:39:36 AM
Satying up late and watching the skies  to track Santa!!!!!! then hearing  how he tie a big man in saint james  and the man cyar get away poor fella.  Listening to all the  songs about the drummer boy and the boy who walking the street with his mom and eh have no food to eat. Like carnival, this season has a special set of music and  feelings which just appeals to some in avery different way.

FAMILY...FAMILY...FAMILY...blessings blessings...blessings...
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on November 24, 2006, 08:20:58 AM
"Santa take Morvant and tie him like a big man in St James"  ;D ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 26, 2006, 08:26:36 AM
Ok memories tuh hard to write for some people so leh we change it up a bit: leh we look at some of the best xmas lyrics from xmas songs and ole talk about it.

Who could forget that sorrowful song with the following lyrics:

"One xmas eve naturally I was walking down the street (repeat)

I was  attracted to the voice of a little boy as he hold his mother's hand..
..... what yuh think the conversation would be...

Listen momma ah want yuh to tell santa claus to bring a constantina and a.....fuh me

ah so lonely ah have no .....hear by ma yuh eh know how happy I would be......"

Now when ah listen tuh this song ; yuh does think this man really want tuh help out the young boy but in true Trini fashion is a'shot' the man making to get at the mother yes..... all in the spirit of giving at xmas.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on November 26, 2006, 09:18:22 AM
Ok memories tuh hard to write for some people so leh we change it uo a bit: leh we look at some of the best xmas lyrics from xmas songs and ole talk about it.

Who could forget that sorrowful song with the following lyrics:

"One xmas eve naturally I was walking down the street (repeat)

I was  attracted to the voice of a little boy as he hold his mother's hand..
..... what yuh think the conversation would be...

Listen momma ah want yuh to tell santa claus to bring a constantina and a.....fuh me

ah so lonely ah have no .....hear by ma yuh eh know how happy I would be......"

Now when ah listen tuh this song ; yuh does think this man really want tuh help out the young boy but in true Trini fashion is a'shot' the man making to get at the mother yes..... all in the spirit of giving at xmas.

Alright Alberta...since yuh gorn dong de music memory side...ah have one

Ah used tuh sing in Rosary Church choir when ah was ah teenager and one ah de tings ah remember doing dat was a fond memory was singing at de St. Vincent de Paul Society for the aged in POS and at the de Princess Elizabeth Home in Woodbrook.  Even in meh youth, it used tuh break meh heart tuh see dese old people and de handicapped children hide away in dese homes. 

But anyway...I have fond memories of bringing a lil cheer tuh dese people and ah miss doing dem kinda tings.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 26, 2006, 09:30:19 AM
cocoapanyol : Thanks for sharing this memory

" one ah de tings ah remember doing dat was a fond memory was singing at de St. Vincent de Paul Society for the aged in POS and at the de Princess Elizabeth Home in Woodbrook. Even in meh youth, it used tuh break meh heart tuh see dese old people and de handicapped children hide away in dese homes. "
Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yuh see this resonated well with me as it  allowed me to recall a xmas when my boys were young and I took the entire family back  to Trinidad for xmas. On this eventful xmas day we all woke up and expected to open presents but instead my uncle who was president of the Lion's Club at he time,  and I took two cars packed with family and we joined the other Lion club members at that same home for the aged. We sang and danced  and presented presents; we then drove to a home for single moms and kids in POS and did the same before we  spent time opening our own presents at home. That made for an especially memorable and thoughtful experience.

P.S. gyul yuh sure we eh crossed paths b4? hahahahahahha yuh know it.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 26, 2006, 02:47:35 PM
One has to love the old parang classics......  here are some of the old time groups:

San Jose Seranaders

Rio Claro
Santa Theresa
Valencia National Handicraft
Rancho Quemado
San Juan Serenaders
Old Oak Serenaders
Universal

And the QUEEN: DAISY VOISIN
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 26, 2006, 03:13:20 PM
Ah blasting the oldies today......I eh know what they saying in some ah them songs but oh lawd they bring back memories fuh so: Just being  and hearing them  all over town or Arima in the maxi taxis and  just enjoying a warm fun loving xmas in the sun!!!! dreaming of a white xmas ....never!!!!! lawd when yuh hear these , yuh does just  feel like ...gosh ah getting ah Trini tabanca. 

LAWD AH WANT TO COME HOME NOW If ah cyar do that ah have to stop listening to this record by 
"Las Estrellas":


"Tucusito"

' La Pascualidad'-----This is a bomb classic!!!!! ah remember when this was unleashed in Trinidad. Man ah was litening to Holly Bet. on radio.. gosh this song mash up the house in the sixties!!!!

'Manzanare'

"Feliz Ano"

"La Colga"
later on we go take ah look at the lyrics from the soca parangs... put yuh best soca parang in the mix now nah.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: kandi_tt on November 27, 2006, 02:03:00 PM
homemade bread and ham on christmas eve, eggnog, homemade sorrel...waiting fuh 'santa' to pass in front meh bedroom door, meh cousins from 'town' (tunapuna) coming for holidays, packin everythin on d face ah d earth in meh lil stocking and heading by grandma to see wha under she christmas tree...

ah of course...d tea set and doll i get EVERY YEAR ( i still do )...
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on November 27, 2006, 02:13:15 PM
Ah blasting the oldies today......I eh know what they saying in some ah them songs but oh lawd they bring back memories fuh so: Just being  and hearing them  all over town or Arima in the maxi taxis and  just enjoying a warm fun loving xmas in the sun!!!! dreaming of a white xmas ....never!!!!! lawd when yuh hear these , yuh does just  feel like ...gosh ah getting ah Trini tabanca. 

LAWD AH WANT TO COME HOME NOW If ah cyar do that ah have to stop listening to this record by 
"Las Estrellas":


"Tucusito"

' La Pascualidad'-----This is a bomb classic!!!!! ah remember when this was unleashed in Trinidad. Man ah was litening to Holly Bet. on radio.. gosh this song mash up the house in the sixties!!!!

'Manzanare'

"Feliz Ano"

"La Colga"
later on we go take ah look at the lyrics from the soca parangs... put yuh best soca parang in the mix now nah.


Ah not ah big lover of soca parang yuh know. Ah like meh traditional parang.!!  All dem yuh name dey real sweet....

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 27, 2006, 07:15:03 PM
well gyul ah overdosing on the classics ah listen to soem  moder rendition of  parangs : they were not all that impressive. For example these are garbage:

"Bobullups"

"Chinese Parang"
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 28, 2006, 08:36:15 PM
flipping memories freezing fast. Allyuh ever experience -30? that is what it was today. Look nah ah buy a plastic palm tree with lights tuh put outside in the snow; ah have speakers  attached and parang blasting in the winter wonderland outside. I eh care.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on November 29, 2006, 07:56:35 AM
"Chinese Parang"
dais "sweet and sour parang" or wha ;D where to listen to dis one?
bobulups (http://www.toronto-lime.com/music/parang/bobulups.htm)
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on November 29, 2006, 09:58:45 AM
well gyul ah overdosing on the classics ah listen to soem  moder rendition of  parangs : they were not all that impressive. For example these are garbage:

"Bobullups"

"Chinese Parang"


Yuh still have all dem LPs?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on November 29, 2006, 11:02:00 AM
Ah blasting the oldies today......I eh know what they saying in some ah them songs but oh lawd they bring back memories fuh so: Just being  and hearing them  all over town or Arima in the maxi taxis and  just enjoying a warm fun loving xmas in the sun!!!! dreaming of a white xmas ....never!!!!! lawd when yuh hear these , yuh does just  feel like ...gosh ah getting ah Trini tabanca. 

LAWD AH WANT TO COME HOME NOW If ah cyar do that ah have to stop listening to this record by 
"Las Estrellas":


"Tucusito"

' La Pascualidad'-----This is a bomb classic!!!!! ah remember when this was unleashed in Trinidad. Man ah was litening to Holly Bet. on radio.. gosh this song mash up the house in the sixties!!!!
'Manzanare'

"Feliz Ano"

"La Colga"
later on we go take ah look at the lyrics from the soca parangs... put yuh best soca parang in the mix now nah.
i use to sing parang in high school with ah school group...and in primary shcool for that matter
la pascualidad was one of we favs..
u coulda real alter it and get the crown involved
especially when u go..
que rade que rade la pasqualidad (wooo)
lord dem si day days

somos caminantes tenemos que andar..etc etc
big big tune
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 29, 2006, 10:03:21 PM
Last summer ah had a parang lime with this man in he 80's lawd the man still bealting out the tunes. We had a parang session in July in Valencia.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on November 30, 2006, 09:21:12 AM
Last summer ah had a parang lime with this man in he 80's lawd the man still bealting out the tunes. We had a parang session in July in Valencia.
right now ah jammin to some lara brothers parang.
traditoonal all de way..ah understand every 4th word lol
but real putting meh ind e x mas spirit
arrrrrrrrriba
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ann3boys on November 30, 2006, 03:07:29 PM
well, up to this year, we know christmas coming when the San Jose Serenaders start practising ...usually they start end of september. they are our back yard neighbours, and nothing beats lying down in your bed at night and falling asleep to the sounds of real parang and some latin numbers mixed in between.
Christmas night was spent at granny's in Santa Cruz, and the old timers from the 'country' namely flannigan town (somewhere by brasso) came up and played their cuatros and singing all the older songs and aguinaldos ...picture it, old men some of them no teeth, yes, and all having a really good time. must have the gingerbeer and sorrel, and of course the ponche creme.
ah yes, those days are gone, the old timers are gone, with my granny, but we still have family, and every year we celebrate...family is what christmas is about.. ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 01, 2006, 05:58:54 PM
meh shipment of blackcake and gingerbeer has arrived; ah playing songs tonight.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: UnWiseSage (aka Jahyute) on December 02, 2006, 01:01:39 AM
Gettin tell by mami dat if I go downstairs to take a peak at my presents, sookooyah go come for me. Oh Gord dem was de days.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: fishs on December 02, 2006, 07:30:49 AM
 Getting ah sound cutarse for burning down de christmas tree but still getting mih gun an sack.  ;D ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on December 02, 2006, 02:37:26 PM
Getting ah sound cutarse for burning down de christmas tree but still getting mih gun an sack.  ;D ;D
i hope you took it outside to bun it  :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 03, 2006, 09:32:23 AM
nothing could touch ah house tur house parang session with 14 drunk man and 2 oman with no teeth dey mouth in dey country.

it was in dey 80s boxing day. meh mudda tell we to find allyuh self by allyuh grandmudda in moruga fur christmas.
meh fadda dey shak shak man say we going parang boxing day...so get all dey sleep allyuh could master.
dey start off in meh grandmudda house, which i though coulda only hold 6 people at one time...but dey make meh ah lier
time dey leave dey...3 includin meh fadda drunk and we head up dey road. dis is roun 10am in dey morning.

tur cut dey story short
in dey last house 14 man tur to bout 20 and one seta oman with chile rap roun dey waist, clapping and singin any ole ting dat resemble dey song.
fight break out in dey road cause some oman notice dat ah chile rap roun one ah dey oman waist look like she husband frederick. So figh break out and mash up sey parang session.

Best days yes. :beermug:
and i will be bold tur say country christmas BETTER dan city christmas...well in dey ole days anyways
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 02:13:36 PM
TriniCana,
First welcome back; ask yuh folks from Moruga if they knoew 'Cosin' he was one of the best on the mandolin that neck of the woods.  distant relative.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 05:04:29 PM
Little history less for the  younger generation:

QUEEN OF PARANG

By Louis B. Homer, historian, Trinidad and Tobago

(from the July-December 1991 issue of
 Caricom Perspective
 published by the Caricom Secretariat)
Reproduced on Silvertorch with permission

Daisy Voisin was a deeply religious and devoted person to La Divina Pastora (The Virgin Mary of Siparia). Siparia is a rural district in the south of Trinidad. When she ended her mortal reign on August 7, 1991, she was returned to the same church where she had received a message eighteen years ago. The mes­sage was to spread the Gospel of Parang through the world.

 Born at Carapal, Erin on 23 September 1924, she was the youngest of six daughters born to Juliana and Mathias Voisin. Juliana, her mother, came from Tocopito, Venezuela. Mathias, her father, was of French origin and he came from Arima. 

It was from her humble home at Coora Road, Siparia that Daisy began laying the foundation for her parang throne. Her interest in parang can be traced to her parandero stepfather and later to the Siparia Village Council where she was a chorus singer and musician in the 1960s. 

In 1968 she joined the Siparia Village Council and sang with the Siparia Cho­rale, Fyzabad Choir and the Morne Diablo Group. 

Her claim to fame came in 1971, when she replaced, because of illness, the lead singer of the Siparia Chorale in the Best Village competition. After that perform­ance there was no turning back for Daisy. She proved, in the years that followed, to be the undisputed Queen of Parang. 

As a leading cultural personality she became a household name not only in Trinidad and Tobago but throughout the West Indies where her group, La Divina Pastora Serenaders, performed to large audiences. In 1982 she received the Parang Association’s highest award, a gold medal. This was followed in 1988 with a Na­tional Humming Bird Silver Medal by the Government and one National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago Gold Medal for her contribution to parang. 

To see Daisy on stage was an exciting cultural experience. She was explosive, vivacious and tempestuous. She enjoyed every moment on stage. The fame of Daisy and the La Divina Pastora group took them as cultural ambassadors on missions throughout the Caribbean, Margarita, Venezuela and North America. 

She had created such an impact with her performances that she became the most sought-after parang voice in the nation. Her compositions include Sereno Sereno; Daisy Voisin; Daisy, Daisy, Daisy; El Nacimiento de las Verdad and the very popular Alegria, Alegria. She recalled that her most memorable occa­sion was when she sang “La Historia Trinitaria” for former Venezuelan Am­bassador to Trinidad, José Echevaria. 

Although a talented musician and singer, she never allowed popularity to get to her head. She was simple, yet sophisticated. Her voice had a rich tone which provided auditory excitement. Her tunes were always up-tempo, emotive and dramatic. The peak of excitement was reached with her customary expression “Aiyee”. 

In 1990, she made her last trip to New York. She died on 7 August 1991. 

As a true exponent of the art of parang, she was truly the Queen of Parang. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen! 

Daisy came into the association, she had been a vibrant, authentic parang singer. Her lyrics always reflected something about Christ and religious thoughts. Her melodious voice, her charm when she swung that bouquet three times in the air before she began her performances, held her audience spellbound. She was an ideal parandera. She entered this coun­try’s Hall of Fame and national tribute should be paid to her in some form, whether it be a statue in Siparia or what­ever. 

Parang 

Parang was introduced in Trinidad by the Spaniards during their occupation (1498-1797). Regarded as a classical Christmas music, it comprises Spanish lyrics, Venezuelan music and Trinidadian rhythm. This combination has produced, over the years, a traditional flavour to our Christmas celebrations, without which Christmas in Trinidad will not be the same. 

The word PARANG represents as adulteration of the Spanish word PARRANDA. It depicts music, musical instruments or dances. It also means to wander without a fixed destination. 

Parrandoros are those who participate in the celebrations. They live in the agricultural districts of north and south of Trinidad. But so effective are their presentations that during the parang sea­son (mid-October to January) they penetrate, stimulate and satisfy the cultural hunger of the masses, regardless of race, colour or status. 

Parang is one of the brightest colours in the cultural rainbow of Trinidad. The singing, dancing and other movements which are associated with parang are completed with traditional instruments like the guitar, cuatro, maracas and man­dolin. Within recent years, new instruments were introduced. They include the violin, box base and flute. 

Parang music consists of aquinaldo or serenal. This is sung on arrival at a home. It is followed by the guarapo. The manzanare is sung at Christmas time.

 
   
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 05:09:26 PM
Some interesting facts about Crazy and soca parang;



PARANGSOCA'S SILVER JUBILEE

After just 25 years since first hearing, it already seems difficult to conjure a Trini Christmas scene without parangsoca and for that we must thank calypsonian Crazy who, in 1979, stamped his imprimatur on a formula that has remained largely undisturbed.

Born of a Venezuelan mother, Spanish was Crazy's first language, affording him the option of singing traditional parang in its native tongue but he opted to spike it by infusing soca rhythms, delivering for Christmas 1979 the seminal "Parangsoca", a composition hatched in collaboration with (the late) Clibert Harewood. The song's title was immediately adopted as the hybrid's generic name.

Not that we didn't have locally generated Christmas music before. Traditional parang from legendary groups like the San José Serenaders, Lara Brothers and Daisy Voisin's La Divina Pastora ruled the roost for decades, their style modernised by the likes of Las Estrellas and later, Sharlene Flores with Flores de San Jose (1993). Lennox Gray endured with "Around My Christmas Tree"and Kelwyn Hutcheon still charms with the piano-bar style of seasonal music, much of his indigenous work penned by Everad Leon.

Calypso maintained its fundamental tempo well past the advent of parangsoca.

Before that development there were works by Spoiler "Father Christmas" and Kitchener's "Drink a Rum", then Nap Hepburn's "Listen Mama", Rajah's "Is Christmas Again" and Sparrow's rambunctious "Well-Spoken Moppers", the latter also localising a number of seasonal standards. Even the normally staid Chalkdust pitched in with "Something Salt" but parangsoca, at which somany had scoffed, became the new dominant seasonal soundtrack.

In a recent interview by Calypso Dreams producer Geoffrey Dunn, conducted at Crazy's adopted home in California, USA, the parangsoca creator noted that his original work was fiercely criticised, some of that coming from even close calypso colleagues. "People say I singin' stupidness," Crazy recalled, adding: "Well, it has lasted for 25 years and I predict it would survive for centuries.

Defying detractors, Crazy attracted the attention of a variety of respected calypso composers, including his manager Gary Dore, Rawle Arthur and Brother Marvin, releasing hits like "Indian Parang Chick", "Muchacha" and "Yvonne" (respectively) and would later do cover versions of Reynold Howard's "Hooray, Hoorah" and SuperBlue's "Wave With Santa", scoring successes at every sequence.

Winsford "Joker" Devine jumped into the fray, most notably with "Rosie Balloon" for Mighty Trini and "I Love Christmas" sung by Designer and Merchant's lyrics became the template for what remains the official curtain-raiser: "The Parang Now Start". Bindley B boarded with "Santa Say" and "Santa Looking For a Wife" and Machel Montano released "Soca Santa", establishing continuity by spanning the age gorge and embracing a variety of personal and diverse singing styles under the rhythm and rubric of parangsoca.

Brother Marvin teamed with Baron to deliver some of the best-remembered hits of the genre, including "Come Go", "Its Christmas" and the sequel "Its Christmas Again", betimes releasing an album of cover versions of Christmas carols done in parangsoca tempo. Relator joined too, leaving us among his contributory gems the timeless "Let's Be Friends" and Ashford Joseph hit big-time with his composition "Trini Christmas"

Marcia Miranda gathered about her a gaggle of composers including Preacher, Delamo and Michael Neverson and even more musical arrangers in Pelham Goddard, Carl "Beaver" Henderson, Carlton James, Kenny Phillips, Jason Dasent, Leston Paul, Ming Low Chew Tung and Carlyle "Juiceman" Roberts to release Christmas jollies over 11 successive years from 1990.

Further evidence of parangsoca's pervading influence came in comedic novelties from the likes of Sprangalang ("Papito" et al) and Steve Neaves' "(We Parang the) Wrong House" (sung by Ninja). Even biting political commentary from Cro Cro became part of the parangsoca reference library.

Kenny-J's double-entendre humour ("De Paint Brush", "Cork in Her Hand") attracted some negative comment. Although his songs remain popular, critics arguing such lyrics crossed the line, given the season's underlying religious influence.

But it was Scrunter who best demonstrated the viability of parangsoca. The 1990s started Scrunter's foray into parangsoca with the generic "Xmas Soca Parang", followed in '91 by "Anita" and "(Ah Want a) Piece ah Pork", veering off into straight-ahead calypso for two years, before rejoining the Christmas jam in 1995 with "Parang Jam" and "Chutkaipan", the latter an amalgam of chutney, kaiso, pan and parang.

In 1997, he adapted Merchant's "Party Now Start" to make "Parang Now Start", topping an extraordinary cascade of hits released that year, including "Parranda", "Tribute to Daisy Voisin", "Backyard Jam", "Homemade Wine", "Madame Jeffrey", "Merry Christmas" and "Drinking Anything", swelling his already burgeoning parangsoca catalogue, adding to it a year later "That Ain't Working Here Tonight" and "Leroy". We got "Eat Something (Before You Go)" and "Nikita" in 2000 and last year he came down the chimney with "The Toy"; indeed a bag that makes him the most sought-after performer in the genre.

To top out the 25th year of parangsoca, an all-woman contribution, the CD Christmas With a Feminine Touch showcases the work of Denyse Plummer, Karla Gonsalves, Nicole Greaves, Debra Haynes, Marcia Miranda, Natalie Yorke, Lauren Birot and Lima Calbio adds some new touches to the basic beat as it heralds the silver jubilee.

"I want people to know why this tradition was started," Crazy said. "With the exception of a few bands like Moonlight Seranders and the Lara Brothers, parang music generally did not impact the whole country. The paranderos sang broken Spanish and while Trinidadians could dance to the beat, they didn't know the words. So I put it all together. That is how parangsoca was born."

Crazy noted the spread of parangsoca, saying: "Foreign work for calypsonians used to close after Miami Carnival in October but now Caribbean people in North America are demanding their music at this time instead of singing about chestnuts roastin' on an open fire, so parangsoca has evolved as the original Christmas music of Trinidad."
 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 05:15:05 PM
A little Santa banter
By Terry Joseph
Dec 08, 1999

This week marks 100 years since the New York Sun published its celebrated editorial "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", a piece that became even more famous when the touching prose was later set to music.

The story held well for 50 Christmases, until songwriter Tommy Connor disturbed its well-established morality, with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". Connor's radical treatment of the trusted icon earned him severe public castigation- the agreed reward for even examining the possibility of a philandering Santa.

Mark you, there were those who argued stoutly in his favour, saying that the main reason for Santa's trademark "Ho, ho, ho" is his exclusive right to a list of where all the naughty girls live. That database, they insist, is not limited to information about minors.

Right here at home, Nap Hepburn's timeless endorsement of the noble tradition ("Listen Mama") was later put to the test by calypsonian Bindley B, who is not alone with his tongue-in-cheek speculation that: "Santa Looking for a Wife."

Actually, if you consider Santa's unorthodox method of accessing homes (and at a time when the lady of the house might well have imbibed a few drinks), the argument that The Bearded One has no ulterior motive at least wobbles.

But locals can be excused for challenging the myth, since our architecture and climate include neither chimneys nor snow. Worse, our folklore has not produced a lot of do-gooders, so it would be patently awkward to have Papa Bois and a bunch of douens replace Santa and his elves, or fit La Diablesse or some off-duty soucouyant into the role of Clausian housemother.

But in those countries where all the components conspire to make Santa Claus possible, even the combination of Connor's eyewitness report and Bindley B's circumstantial evidence pales against the latest anti-Santa rally.

This year, the Internet has broadened its assault on an already burdened Santa. The Internet multi-search facility Dogpile, powered by Momma, spends a lot of its space questioning the existence of the portly philanthropist.

The majority of pages support Santa, but those that take the contrary view are fierce in their condemnation. And like the tens of millions who browse the net each day, I saw Momma "dissing" Santa Claus.

One website even attempts to incite Santa's elves to industrial action, by comparing their conditions of work to those of sweatshops in eastern Asia. "Had they landed jobs with UPS or FedEx," the site says, "they would not have been victimised for being unduly short, by being forced to work in degrading uniforms with the pointy little shoes and funny hats."

Arguing that Santa gets the free sleigh ride and all the glory after lolling off and sleeping all year (while the elves work non-stop at making toys), another site invokes the equivalent of an old trade union tenet: "Let those who labour hold the reins!"

Groups pursuing the interests of minorities worry about the imagery which, they say, implies that a white man with blue eyes and flaxen hair is once again being painted as the good guy. That site highlights the absence of Indian, Asian, Black or Hispanic types even at floor level in the Santa scenario, raising questions about equal opportunity and political correctness of the overall picture.
Even though he makes his home at the North Pole, the native Innuits do not enjoy any employment advantages, making Santa look like a farce and out-of-place person.

By far the most unsympathetic approach comes from the site that features the research of Joel Potischman and Bruce Handy, the result of which appears in an article titled The Truth About Santa. The pair takes a dispassionate and mathematical look at the Santa story and comes up with some startling findings.

To service all the good children, it appears that Santa must carry a sleigh payload of some 353,000 tons. And moving at the 650 miles per second speed required to complete the journey in one night, air resistance alone will expose the lead pair of reindeer to 14.3 quintillion joules of energy-more than enough to vaporise them within .00426 of a second.

Potischman and Handy estimate that (excluding children of non-Christian faiths) Santa needs to visit 91.8 million homes. Time zone consideration (assuming he travels east to west) gives Santa 31 hours to do the job, which means roughly .001 of a second to park the sleigh, climb down the chimney, fill the stockings, eat whatever snacks have been left for him and get back to his transportation.

Given that time, if Santa can fit in however brief a kiss or screen "wife-material", I would like to put on record my personal admiration of the man, which will also put me in his good books, in the event that those unbelievers on the Internet are all wrong.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 03, 2006, 05:22:03 PM
thankis Alberts...ah go ask meh fadda bout dat

but not tur buss ya bubble bout Daisy
but to me dey QUEEN ah parang is dat lady from san jose serenders
she died from cancer longgg time ago. ah redness and she was in her late 40s when she died.
gosh ah cyah remember she name...but she was well before daisy

Mister Hoe help meh out nah...she was from Arima but move tur St Joseph and join up with dey older flores and dem. One ah dey Flores (Lenox) she and one ah dey Lara Brothers form San Jose Serenders, but when she died everybody went dey separate ways...

ah gonig and call home tur get she name...ah coming back

edit
Gloria is all meh fadda remember
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 07:54:49 PM
Some more interesting facts about TNT Christmas:

Christmas Dishes -then and now.
SEETA PERSAD Saturday, November 25 2006

Christmas was first celebrated in Trinidad in 1569. This as documented by NALIS says that the innovators of this observance were six priests of the Order of Observantines headed by Fr Miguel Diosdados, (who had arrived from England in TT) on December 21, for the feast of St Thomas the Apostle.

The priest and lay persons visited several villages on the island, and according to their written reports were well treated everywhere.

They identified among the many foods and fruits served sweet canes, batatas (potatoes) of several kinds; maize and cassavas

These foods have remained staples in the region as well as ingredients for celebratory food, although rarely acknowledged in TT of the present time as important indigenous fare. In the early days, Christmas became a highly religious event and most important among the people of the different ethnic backgrounds of this country.

Although some of the religious aspects had been somewhat lost in the celebration, it remains that time of the year when people come together to enjoy food, fashions and music.

Today, Christmas meals consist of imported hams, and turkeys with various dishes such as pork, wild meat, and pastelles, paime, vegetable-rice, mixed vegetables, and pigeon peas. The average householder looks to the shops for prepared products to bring to the kitchen. There are also several catering companies that will take orders for Christmas dishes.

However in many of the rural districts in TT many of the people do not look to the shops for their products. It is made and prepared the old-fashion way. They cure their hams, prepare sorrel drinks, ponche-de-creme, egg nog and ginger beer from scratch.

Patsy Richards of Moruga is one such person who entertains a lot of friends and well-wishers. She starts her preparations in early November when she prepares her ham to be cured. “I normally prepare up to five hams for Christmas. Each one consists of ten pounds of pork and I use a pound of salt, brown sugar, spice and nutmeg. I usually wrap the meat into two layers of greased paper and several layers of newspaper, and tie securely. It must be tied in such a way as to secure the shape of the ham,” she explained. Richards uses the outdoor fire to boil the ham when it is ready. In days gone by, her grandmother baked in a round earthen oven. “The food really had a different taste when it was made in this oven. It was a unique way of baking the most difficult dishes,” she says.

NALIS says that in Trinidad and Tobago of yesteryear, devout persons observed days of fast before Christmas. Christmas Eve was considered a day for partial fasting, in that keepers of the custom accepted they should eat only fruit to stave off hunger.

It was a practical as well as health-benefitting exercise, for a too busy home maker did not feel obliged to prepare a regular meal while trying to have ready for the next day, large quantities of baked meats, bread and baked desserts; ham, pastelles and bottled drinks.

Healthwise, it “left the stomach clear” for the generous and sometimes too rich foods which are accepted as necessary on the Christmas menu. To break the fast at midnight without “dipping into” the festive foods for “the day,” some families prepared a pelau with pigeon peas, assorted meats and coconut milk. This, at a time when many households reared poultry in a backyard run, and it was always possible to get from this source the main ingredient ‘an old fowl.’ The slaughtered bird was rubbed with lime, or lemon, or sour orange before being put to boil in a generous amount of water with a securely tied bundle of mixed herbs, a pound of diced pumpkin and two pounds of green pigeon peas.

To this was added the trimmings and bones from the other meats when these became available, and the skin of the boiled ham cut in serving sized lengths. These boiled for at least one hour, with water being added whenever necessary. Assorted tubers and green bananas, including half ripe plantain cut in slanted pieces, were added when the meat of the fowl was considered “fairly tender,” with coconut milk and salt to taste. A “hot pepper” was usually added then as well, but would be removed before it “burst,” having given its flavour to the soup.

This hearty one-pot dish allowed “fortification” to those who would be busy either at work or at pre-Christmas Day celebration.

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on December 03, 2006, 08:00:15 PM
Cana, is dis one ah demtunes http://toronto-lime.com/music/parang/el_ciaman.htm
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 08:06:46 PM
Cana, is dis one ah demtunes http://toronto-lime.com/music/parang/el_ciaman.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 :beermug: :beermug: :beermug: That is Boss song!!!!! nice too bad....... lawd yes!!!!!! ah listen tuh that five times now ,......that right up dey with La Pascaulidad

Ah went and pull out meh Vinyl/yes meh  San Jose Serenaders record ; the  singer was Gloria Ferreira.. Wait nah when she sings man yuh does feel Trinidad all over..... yes she voice does resssurect all there is about this season fuh meh.
 And listen to the names in that side back then nah:

Anslem Flores
Wayne Flores
John Lezma
Lennox Flores
 Anthony Florres
Michael Lezama
Ronnie Kallicharran
Curtis Leslie

Look nah I start listening to this record ; I have one flipping Homesickness now...lawd why I does do this to mehself? more  :beermug: :beermug: :beermug:
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on December 03, 2006, 08:22:27 PM
AlbertaTrini, do you know how to create an MP3 file from that record?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 08:27:20 PM
AlbertaTrini, do you know how to create an MP3 file from that record?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man if ah knew all them songs going on an Ipod yes. Do you know?
 1. La Pascualidad
2. el Ciaman
3.Manzanare
4.Coro coro
Saiy siay
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on December 03, 2006, 08:42:43 PM
you have to record the album into your computer and then convert them to MP3 files.
try this webpage  http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/recording-songs-from-albums/153231
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 08:51:27 PM
Thanks; I'll get my son unto this.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 03, 2006, 09:08:13 PM
AlbertaTrini, do you know how to create an MP3 file from that record?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man if ah knew all them songs going on an Ipod yes. Do you know?
 1. La Pascualidad
2. el Ciaman
3.Manzanare
4.Coro coro
Saiy siay



Ah know de first 3...ah probably know de odder two if ah hear dem.  Ah miss meh paranging days oui! :'(
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: WestCoast on December 03, 2006, 09:10:03 PM
Thanks; I'll get my son unto this.
ya goin an share ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 03, 2006, 09:21:53 PM
well leh meh get the techonology tuh wuck and then all persons go get a little xmas present oui...
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 04, 2006, 08:25:08 AM
Cana, is dis one ah demtunes http://toronto-lime.com/music/parang/el_ciaman.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 :beermug: :beermug: :beermug: That is Boss song!!!!! nice too bad....... lawd yes!!!!!! ah listen tuh that five times now ,......that right up dey with La Pascaulidad

Ah went and pull out meh Vinyl/yes meh  San Jose Serenaders record ; the  singer was Gloria Ferreira.. Wait nah when she sings man yuh does feel Trinidad all over..... yes she voice does resssurect all there is about this season fuh meh.
 And listen to the names in that side back then nah:

Anslem Flores
Wayne Flores
John Lezma
Lennox Flores
 Anthony Florres
Michael Lezama

Curtis Leslie

Look nah I start listening to this record ; I have one flipping Homesickness now...lawd why I does do this to mehself? more  :beermug: :beermug: :beermug:

Ronnie Kallicharran <----------pecan ya should know dis fella.. if meh directions and maco meter wuking good, den he was ya neighbour at one time....ah talking long time eh...ya shoud know what ah mean

Alberta datz dey ting self - Gloria Ferreira RIP

dey flores from st joseph is on meh mudda side ah family - so ya know is parang from december furst till boxing day
in dem days didn't have paramin and lopinot - only arima and st joseph by dey park.

ah remember when ah was reeeeel young - (ah was now learnin tur pee standing up)  dem sisters from lopinot (goritti) come down in curepe and start tur buss lyrics with lennox and dem...hear nah up to dis day i will never forget dat.
dem girls coulda sing boy....one ah dem useta work in republic bank on independence square
and during christmas she usta sing tur dey customers and dem...Bank full and she line always long.  :rotfl:

forget bass guitar and piano and electric drum
it was chack chack, hand clappping, scratcher, ah tock tock, ah box and string ting, 2 cuatro and ah mandarin and bout 15 voices and ah fella only bawling ' eye yi yaaaaaa' in dey back ground - he was normally drunk  :rotfl:

dem days gone into memories.

ever since how she name come into dey family....and telling people she could sing parang
steal dey people name from under dey foot and take over dey scene dat she is dey 'true' spanish from st joseph - family separate and gone dey way living normal

ya doh hear one note again >:(


Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 04, 2006, 08:28:41 AM
[quote
Ronnie Kallicharran <----------pecan ya should know dis fella.. if meh directions and maco meter wuking good, den he was ya neighbour at one time....ah talking long time eh...ya shoud know what ah mean

Alberta datz dey ting self - Gloria Ferreira RIP

dey flores from st joseph is on meh mudda side ah family - so ya know is parang from december furst till boxing day
in dem days didn't have paramin and lopinot - only arima and st joseph by dey park.

ah remember when ah was reeeeel young - (ah was now learnin tur pee standing up)  dem sisters from lopinot (goritti) come down in curepe and start tur buss lyrics with lennox and dem...hear nah up to dis day i will never forget dat.
dem girls coulda sing boy....one ah dem useta work in republic bank on independence square
and during christmas she usta sing tur dey customers and dem...Bank full and she line always long.  :rotfl:

forget bass guitar and piano and electric drum
it was chack chack, hand clappping, scratcher, ah tock tock, ah box and string ting, 2 cuatro and ah mandarin and bout 15 voices and ah fella only bawling ' eye yi yaaaaaa' in dey back ground - he was normally drunk  :rotfl:

dem days gone into memories.

ever since how she name come into dey family....and telling people she could sing parang
steal dey people name from under dey foot and take over dey scene dat she is dey 'true' spanish from st joseph - family separate and gone dey way living normal

ya doh hear one note again >:(



Quote


Daise de kinda parang ah like.  Not dis so-called modern soca ting.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 04, 2006, 08:31:58 AM
Cana, is dis one ah demtunes http://toronto-lime.com/music/parang/el_ciaman.htm

nah  datz santa rosa - ah talkin bout san jose
santa rosa from arima
san jose from st joseph


doh quote meh, but ah think dis is how tings happen after gloria
gloria was from san jose but when she died:

lara brothers came into play lead by tito i think
san jose  lead by lennox - dat mash up when he get married to sharlene and she form she flores dey san jose
santa rosa came bout by one ah dem in dey orignal band - ah go find out jus now

stay tuned
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ann3boys on December 04, 2006, 11:39:34 AM
right, Gloria's name was actually Gloria Alcala (I think that's the married name) and she was venezuelan by birth, and yes after she died (RIP) the Serenaders were no more. we now have the Flores de San Jose, and the young side is los jovenes de san jose, led by a younger Flores, Mario. the girls you mentioned were the Guerero sisters, and they still sing, but in different groups. Even the guys in that family sing, too. real talent.
you guys have real good memories, digging up all these things from the past. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or what?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Dr. Rat on December 04, 2006, 12:41:37 PM
The year was 1982 and I received my first Scalextric set (2 Track F-1 Racers).
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 04, 2006, 01:21:06 PM
right, Gloria's name was actually Gloria Alcala (I think that's the married name) and she was venezuelan by birth, and yes after she died (RIP) the Serenaders were no more. we now have the Flores de San Jose, and the young side is los jovenes de san jose, led by a younger Flores, Mario. the girls you mentioned were the Guerero sisters, and they still sing, but in different groups. Even the guys in that family sing, too. real talent.
you guys have real good memories, digging up all these things from the past. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or what?


I remember her...she had a very beautiful voice. 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 04, 2006, 01:21:30 PM
right, Gloria's name was actually Gloria Alcala (I think that's the married name) and she was venezuelan by birth, and yes after she died (RIP) the Serenaders were no more. we now have the Flores de San Jose, and the young side is los jovenes de san jose, led by a younger Flores, Mario. the girls you mentioned were the Guerero sisters, and they still sing, but in different groups. Even the guys in that family sing, too. real talent.
you guys have real good memories, digging up all these things from the past. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or what?

well ann thanks for dis, cause i always though Gloria was from Arima....learn something new again
did she have any kids dat ya know of ???

it woulda be nice if all dem old parang groups come together in dey park and put down some vintage parang tur show dem youngas and dem what it really made of.

ah go certainly make ah trip home for dat
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on December 04, 2006, 02:40:38 PM
AlbertaTrini, do you know how to create an MP3 file from that record?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man if ah knew all them songs going on an Ipod yes. Do you know?
 1. La Pascualidad
2. el Ciaman
3.Manzanare
4.Coro coro
Saiy siay
dais ah big big tune man..
ah have all ah dem excpet the fus one on recording..
number one i knwo by heart being ha ole paranderos of sorts.

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on December 04, 2006, 02:42:02 PM
right, Gloria's name was actually Gloria Alcala (I think that's the married name) and she was venezuelan by birth, and yes after she died (RIP) the Serenaders were no more. we now have the Flores de San Jose, and the young side is los jovenes de san jose, led by a younger Flores, Mario. the girls you mentioned were the Guerero sisters, and they still sing, but in different groups. Even the guys in that family sing, too. real talent.
you guys have real good memories, digging up all these things from the past. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or what?

well ann thanks for dis, cause i always though Gloria was from Arima....learn something new again
did she have any kids dat ya know of ???

it woulda be nice if all dem old parang groups come together in dey park and put down some vintage parang tur show dem youngas and dem what it really made of.

ah go certainly make ah trip home for dat
i second that
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ann3boys on December 04, 2006, 02:58:36 PM
well, the good news is that the groups do come together on Jan 6th the Epiphany in the George earl Park in St. Joseph to celebrate the 'Lehwah'
and they do put on a grand show. It's free so do come on by ...
 ;Ddo I sound like the mayor of St. Joseph?  ;D hee, hee
 :rotfl: :rotfl:
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 04, 2006, 03:06:30 PM
well, the good news is that the groups do come together on Jan 6th the Epiphany in the George earl Park in St. Joseph to celebrate the 'Lehwah'
and they do put on a grand show. It's free so do come on by ...
 ;Ddo I sound like the mayor of St. Joseph?  ;D hee, hee
 :rotfl: :rotfl:


Do they still have that big tree lighting in St. Joseph where groups come and sing?  I used to sing at dat.  Good times.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ann3boys on December 04, 2006, 03:11:00 PM
nope, they used to have the big tree and the blessing of the creche. I don't know if they still do that. I'll try to find out.
the park is really nice now, with benches and lights and a good children's playground. the only thing missing is grass. we have trees and bushes, but no savannah grass. only dirt especially where the children play.
the Leywah is really the christmas concert in St. Joseph.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: grskywalker on December 04, 2006, 03:18:05 PM
this is not an xmas memory but meh bro reminded me about it.

There was an add on TV back in the 70's and early 80's for a soap detergent (cartoon) and it showed how the blue dots in the soap used to chomp and eat the dirt.

How many use to look in the washing machine or bucket to see the little blue dot eating???? ;D ;D :rotfl:
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 04, 2006, 03:19:07 PM
gorm dem is dey days yes

wait nah...i must be dey only younga dat know dem ting in here or wha ?
jus tur walk up dat hill to get tur dey park was ah journey by it self...
ya know how much times ah break meh ass on dem swing.

good times yes.

Hoe ya going home still ?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on December 04, 2006, 03:20:23 PM
gorm dem is dey days yes

wait nah...i must be dey only younga dat know dem ting in here or wha ?
jus tur walk up dat hill to get tur dey park was ah journey by it self...
ya know how much times ah break meh ass on dem swing.

good times yes.

Hoe ya going home still ?
eh hem excuse u eh..
i yougn to an di know dat first hand experince..
<<arimian here eh
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Jumbie on December 04, 2006, 03:27:57 PM
Hoe.. ah see you mentioned the Lara bros.. seems you know the culture boy.  :beermug:

BTW.. the BESS parang one could possible hear was semis at Tabaquite Composite... all the good groups had to pass through Tabaquite to reach the finals. Was real, music, beverages, ladies and the occasional fight. was the fuss time ah see sparks when ah man get ah stag bottle in he head oui!

When it comes to door to door parang.. meh pops and his brothers wasn't easy.. the good part was, me and my brother was always included. Buh no grog for we.. was strickly sorrel, ginger beer, peardrax, cake, butter cookies, sweet bread, and real bake meat! or and if we lucky.. stew pork and yam (finger or kush kush) or breadfruit steam with the pork and coconut.

ah remember one xmas me and meh bro tax ah bottle ah rice wine from we aunt.. that ting was nice boy!

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 04, 2006, 03:36:55 PM
this is not an xmas memory but meh bro reminded me about it.

There was an add on TV back in the 70's and early 80's for a soap detergent (cartoon) and it showed how the blue dots in the soap used to chomp and eat the dirt.

How many use to look in the washing machine or bucket to see the little blue dot eating???? ;D ;D :rotfl:


Me, me, me!!  Oh gorm....ah remember dat add good, good yes.  Ah used tuh love dat add.  Yuh know ah really used tuh look tuh see de blue dot eating de dirt!!   :rotfl: :rotfl: 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: cocoapanyol on December 04, 2006, 03:38:35 PM
nope, they used to have the big tree and the blessing of the creche. I don't know if they still do that. I'll try to find out.
the park is really nice now, with benches and lights and a good children's playground. the only thing missing is grass. we have trees and bushes, but no savannah grass. only dirt especially where the children play.
the Leywah is really the christmas concert in St. Joseph.



Too bad...dat was nice but ah suppose dey will create new memories fuh de younger generation
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 04, 2006, 03:39:09 PM
this is not an xmas memory but meh bro reminded me about it.

There was an add on TV back in the 70's and early 80's for a soap detergent (cartoon) and it showed how the blue dots in the soap used to chomp and eat the dirt.

How many use to look in the washing machine or bucket to see the little blue dot eating???? ;D ;D :rotfl:


ummmmm no me cyah member dat
ya saying chomp chomp and ah get ah flash back ah pac man
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Organic on December 04, 2006, 03:50:26 PM
Hoe.. ah see you mentioned the Lara bros.. seems you know the culture boy.  :beermug:

BTW.. the BESS parang one could possible hear was semis at Tabaquite Composite... all the good groups had to pass through Tabaquite to reach the finals. Was real, music, beverages, ladies and the occasional fight. was the fuss time ah see sparks when ah man get ah stag bottle in he head oui!

When it comes to door to door parang.. meh pops and his brothers wasn't easy.. the good part was, me and my brother was always included. Buh no grog for we.. was strickly sorrel, ginger beer, peardrax, cake, butter cookies, sweet bread, and real bake meat! or and if we lucky.. stew pork and yam (finger or kush kush) or breadfruit steam with the pork and coconut.

ah remember one xmas me and meh bro tax ah bottle ah rice wine from we aunt.. that ting was nice boy!


ah jus get an original lara bros xmas  cd st from trin
ah in meh glee man
up unitl i move in 99 u everybodyin my aria use to still do the house to house paraning vibe even if it was bottle and spoon but it often use to have man wiht quatro, marac and mandolin
was real niceness
btw dat lime buss bad bad ah still have some garlic pork curing..
i breaking it out next week it go be nice
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Jumbie on December 04, 2006, 04:01:18 PM
Hoe.. ah see you mentioned the Lara bros.. seems you know the culture boy.  :beermug:

BTW.. the BESS parang one could possible hear was semis at Tabaquite Composite... all the good groups had to pass through Tabaquite to reach the finals. Was real, music, beverages, ladies and the occasional fight. was the fuss time ah see sparks when ah man get ah stag bottle in he head oui!

When it comes to door to door parang.. meh pops and his brothers wasn't easy.. the good part was, me and my brother was always included. Buh no grog for we.. was strickly sorrel, ginger beer, peardrax, cake, butter cookies, sweet bread, and real bake meat! or and if we lucky.. stew pork and yam (finger or kush kush) or breadfruit steam with the pork and coconut.

ah remember one xmas me and meh bro tax ah bottle ah rice wine from we aunt.. that ting was nice boy!


ah jus get an original lara bros xmas  cd st from trin
ah in meh glee man
up unitl i move in 99 u everybodyin my aria use to still do the house to house paraning vibe even if it was bottle and spoon but it often use to have man wiht quatro, marac and mandolin
was real niceness
btw dat lime buss bad bad ah still have some garlic pork curing..
i breaking it out next week it go be nice

wha ah go say.. pass through with the pork .. ah mite even put on my lara bros cd I have  8)
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 07, 2006, 06:13:46 AM
http://www.toronto-lime.com/music/parang/vamos_vamos_vamos.htm

Check out this one
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Mr Fix-it on December 07, 2006, 08:38:35 AM
http://www.toronto-lime.com/music/parang/vamos_vamos_vamos.htm

Check out this one

Playing it now in wuk..... :beermug: :beermug: :beermug:
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Tongue on December 07, 2006, 06:50:46 PM
real memories ah have yes!...but one dat stan'out was de time ah get meh spanking new gun and sack (in dem days it was not seen as politically incorrect tuh buy ah chile ah gun an sack)...and dis is de 7-9 age group eh!... .buh anyways me an meh pardnahs meetup and everybody showing wha dey get and ting....enuff ah we get gun and sack..so we decide tuh play ah game ah shoot-dem-out.....we pick side and we gorn...we running and running and shotting and reloading caps........we all over de place having ah time.....so ah was hiding behind some bush getting ready tuh shoot one ah de fellahs on the oddah side, buh as ah take ah step tuh make meh move.....meh slipper sink and slide lil bit.....so ah start tuh wonder wey is dat boy?....steuuuuupes when ah look down, is some dog shit ah step een oui! and allyuh know rubber slipper and dog shit doh go tugeddah....game dun and ah had tuh limp down by de stanpipe tuh wash orf de flikkin ting......needless tuh say ah get some good tok bout it later de evening..
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 24, 2006, 09:11:46 AM
So as another Christmas rolls into another and as the  songs of the season melodiously trample in one's minds, I sit once more and reminisce of the fond memories of a time captured in time that's filled of laughter, relatives now long gone, singing, and frolicking in the trpoical heat enjoying the moment of the joyous occassion.

To all as you celebrate, have a joyous celebration with friends and family and all the best in the coming year. May the creator bring peace and prosperity to each one and blessing upon our native land. Tomorrow will be a new day like no other and let's hope that the memories it bring will also be cherised and stamped in infinity.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 16, 2008, 08:52:04 PM
Allyuh want tuh know how boring this place is at xmas time?......fa...k

Anyhow anyone know where one could download the classic parang chunes?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: zuluwarrior on November 16, 2008, 09:57:16 PM
My best memories was the smell of cake baking ,ham boiling out side in ah cooking oil pan ,curtains changing boy life in the country iz the best .
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: weary1969 on November 16, 2008, 10:57:11 PM
All yuh know is nov 17th tings real bad wit all yuh. Celebrate all yuh thanksgiving 1st nahhhhhhhh
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: kaliman2006 on November 17, 2008, 11:56:53 AM
Well as ah yute an' ah self-centred only child (read spoilt), ah used to look forward to the presents. However, as I got older, presents became less important for me and Christmas Day itself was okay, but nothing compared to the buildup, i.e. putting up curtains, running to the shop to buy sorrell for Mom and running from ah doberman (long story. suffice it to say, ah was ah bit of ah roly poly as ah yute and that night, ah must be lorse at least ten pounds).

Anywayz, the buildup to Christmas Day was usually more exciting than the day itself for me.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Themanfriday on November 17, 2008, 12:09:36 PM
Walking down high street and herind Daisy music blasing from the radios and record stores. this has left a lasting memory one that I will never forget. I long for my children to feel the censation that is Xmas in trini.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Deeks on November 17, 2008, 05:00:30 PM
The sounds, the sites, the smell of ham, pastel, paymee, sancoche, araypa, paint and linoleum carpet!!!!!!
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: zuluwarrior on November 17, 2008, 05:26:31 PM
 Ah thing ah like the best was going from house to house christmas time ,growin up in princess town was the best .
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Disgruntled_Trini on November 17, 2008, 06:25:11 PM
me eh know bout all yuh nah

How I know it was Christmas was when I see a man on TV named Kelvin Hutchinson singing:

Oh how I wish I weeeeereeeea child agaaaainnnn
where poinsettias keep reminding me
Christmas time is jes around the bend
everybody is merry

the kids anticipate vacation time
all Christmas chores must wait a while


When I hear that, I grabbing ah 4 inch brush and a can ah paint and start painting something.


Other than that, long time my moms use to send us in the bush for fig leaf to make pasrtelle. And when that run out me and my padna in the neighbour yard harassing they fig tree. When we finish, the fig tree look like ah hurricane pass.

Nowadays I usually go by Swima and eat he moms pastelle and fresh bread.


GOOD TIMES
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: trinindian on November 17, 2008, 07:38:37 PM
As I sit hear pondering my earliest distinct memory of Christmas I have is Scrunter bring out the Ham.  The lead up to Christmas was spent preparing the house, apple white for the inside, terra cota for the stairs. Memories of groccery shoping sorting through the calendars for the christian one. Always look forward to the ACE hardware calendar from montrose they had the best.

The estalished yearly routine of family coming by us for Christmas with the knowledge that come new years I would be in Forrest park visiting them. No Christmas was completed with watching the all the Christmas shows on the television ( a trolls christmas, all the rankin bass movies.) Left trini in 98, went home a couple of times for christmas it is never the same.

Time to pull out my Royal Castle Christmas Cd.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Daft Trini on November 18, 2008, 12:25:57 PM
Walking down high street and herind Daisy music blasing from the radios and record stores. this has left a lasting memory one that I will never forget. I long for my children to feel the censation that is Xmas in trini.

True true.... bring back loads of memories.... de after school lime we use to have for christmas party @ Gulf was a good memory. Going to yuh local church Christmas play.... and most of all pastels...... I was a christmas baby so christmas home was real special.... all de family use to be around.... now is just me and de wife... :'(
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Jumbie on November 18, 2008, 07:14:33 PM
The sounds, the sites, the smell of ham, pastel, paymee, sancoche, araypa, paint and linoleum carpet!!!!!!

yes, the smell! To this day I tell my girls that christmas is about the wonderful scent of food etc.

add..

rum cake baking
dad making ginger beer ..that man vex with ginger oui..thing cud peel paint when he done.


 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 06, 2009, 01:00:14 PM
 it's a winter wonderland and I am going through the whole Trini Tabanca scene again!!!!! Look nah xmas time in TNT is like no place else.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: TriniCana on December 06, 2009, 01:29:58 PM
........is counting down the week ;D
Meh mums say sorrel done boil and put down already and black cake soaking.... gorm!!!

On ah sad note, she tun dey house upside down and waiting for help to tun it back up >:(
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Deeks on December 06, 2009, 01:30:27 PM
the smell of linoleum
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: socachynee on December 07, 2009, 10:12:36 AM
vendors in town selling apples n grapes on de road side

Cheesy battery operated toys in window displays on Frederick and Charlotte Street.

Wolworth and Kirpalani full of people

Central market, de ladies shellin pigeon peas and cleaning sorrel

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Daft Trini on December 07, 2009, 10:40:02 AM
Drinkin all night and going to church Christmas morning :)
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 12, 2010, 08:14:31 PM
Just got back after a week in Trinidad. The occasion was not the best; my grandmother after  celebrating her 100th b.d.  about  two months ago passed away.

So ah looking for the xmas vibes  but not much in the air. It had a Parang jam  on Saturday night  on the main rd. Nice to see and experience but did not feel much like xmas fo rsoem reason. The shopping malls had all the xmas trappings for shoppers.

But the  whole atmosphere around did not fell like it use to be  what's up these days? People saying dey eh have the money as before; some people talking about layoffs affecting the economy and some feel that it eh evn Christmas as yet and people focusing on Mas!!! What really going on in TnT?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: just cool on December 12, 2010, 08:52:46 PM
Just got back after a week in Trinidad. The occasion was not the best; my grandmother after  celebrating her 100th b.d.  about  two months ago passed away.

So ah looking for the xmas vibes  but not much in the air. It had a Parang jam  on Saturday night  on the main rd. Nice to see and experience but did not feel much like xmas fo rsoem reason. The shopping malls had all the xmas trappings for shoppers.

But the  whole atmosphere around did not fell like it use to be  what's up these days? People saying dey eh have the money as before; some people talking about layoffs affecting the economy and some feel that it eh evn Christmas as yet and people focusing on Mas!!! What really going on in TnT?
It must feel so! dem lil dutty teefin byoi together wid the greedy politicians and money men fack up ah nice peaceful lil country .

if they was patient and took the right route, they woulda make more money and live to enjoy it in ah safe environment, but instead opted for illicit means of livelihood.

the ppl scared no arse and don't want tuh venture out @ night, especially not in search of ah good time and end up losin their lives.

trinidad gone through!! and it will take a hurculian effort to bring it remotely back to what it used to be 25/ 30 ago.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Deeks on December 12, 2010, 09:52:36 PM
bathing in the river
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Pointman on December 12, 2010, 10:36:32 PM
Seeing the leaves of a certain tree turn white and the weather being a lil cool. Ham and chow chow. Also there was a certain type of Black and silver butterfly that I only saw around that time of year.
Since I left home in '79, I've never been back for Christmas...I really miss the house to house parang, try doing that in de cold. ;D
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Observer on December 13, 2010, 09:16:54 AM
Being around family and  friends dropping in and spreading the spirit.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ProudTrinbagonian on December 13, 2010, 09:33:59 AM
As a child, Christmas Eve was always a good time
All the siblings get new pyjamas.  First Christmas meal was pastelles, pork, ham, bread, chow chow, ketchup, mustard and all the flavours of Solo, of course sorrel and ginger beer was there.  The house was clean, clean after a hard day of house work, and smelling divine from all the freshly cooked food.  Parang was in the air and the whole family limin on the porch making jokes.

Christmas Day was fun too with all the presents, cousins and the big meal, etc but my favourite memories was hands down on Christmas Eve...
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Preacher on December 15, 2010, 07:57:18 PM
Chow chow on the Ham.  Ah miss Chow Chow.   :'(
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 25, 2010, 09:16:32 PM
All the best; hope great memories were created today.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Bakes on December 25, 2010, 09:41:11 PM
Chow chow on the Ham.  Ah miss Chow Chow.   :'(

Yuh come good dey... wid some homemade pepper sauce, wash down wid some Peardrax.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Arimaman on December 27, 2010, 09:48:28 AM
Chow chow on the Ham.  Ah miss Chow Chow.   :'(

Yuh come good dey... wid some homemade pepper sauce, wash down wid some Peardrax.
Come nah man...We getting that here in Atlanta, I sure you could get that where you are.  Matter of fact, had some all weekend long.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Ray Agostini on December 31, 2010, 12:52:09 AM
A pine tree imported from Canada, then dressed with tinsel, threaded globes, with an angel atop, and artificial “snow” from a spray can. The pine aroma filled the house not only during, but many days after Christmas.  Going to meet Santa Claus, and wondering how he could be dressed like that in the heat, and wondering why I never saw his reindeer, and why he sometimes arrived in a helicopter at the savannah. Midnight mass at St. Mary’s, the only time my mother ever attended Church; the smell of incense and Christmas hymns of praise. It was always packed to overflowing, with people standing at the doors, and anticipation that after midnight mass would be the opening of presents, usually sometime before 1am. As a young teenager, my complimentary one Carib beer a year allowed by the old people. Never two. Relatives pouring in from all quarters, including uncles, aunts, and cousins whom you only saw once a year. Having Christmas come and go without shopping hassles. Bamboo busting all around in the lead up to Christmas, and doing some bamboo-busting ourselves. Cutting the bamboo seven rings long; incising a square opening one ring from the back, pouring kerosene in, lighting and waiting for it to warm up, and then bang, bang, bang! The sound of Christmas approaching. At any other time it would be considered a nuisance and noise pollution, but what would any pre-Christmas be without hearing the sound of bamboo-busting? And pudding, spicy-pegged ham-crackling, pastels, and as we got older Fernandes White Star with coke or ponche crema. Then at at 19 I bid goodbye to my "island in the sun", and all the good memories, especially the Christmas memories. 

It has never been the same since. Thirty-six Christmases have come and gone, and not one is so fondly remembered as – Christmas in Trinidad.

Quote
“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” - Elizabeth Lawrence.

May you all have a happy and prosperous New Year 2011.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Bakes on December 31, 2010, 09:47:01 AM
Nice post Ray... definitely brings back some memories here as well.  Happy New Year to you and yours as well.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: ProudTrinbagonian on December 31, 2010, 09:56:15 AM
agree...nice post...meh father used to always give the siblings a lil drink too growing up on Christmas day....

those away from Trinidad will definitely agree....

It's been 18 Christmases away for me, we must keep the traditions alive.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 31, 2010, 01:10:36 PM
39 years abroad but if is one time ah the year , is this season ah  bound to make it home. I just  converting VHS to dvd and the Christmas from years of  taking my family back home with relatives, paranging at the  uncles and grandparents and now watching relatives who have since passed on is priceless to have for future generations.

NOW it's been 39 years now I eh experience ah Carnival. But ah see nuff, Caribana, Orlando, Boston, Edmonton Calgary, etc.... I know none eh come ing close to home but.....

Between the two  ah will take Christmas at home for the memories , and the closeness with family any day.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 08, 2012, 09:21:24 PM
Bring back the old time days  of Christmas in Trinidad
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: just cool on December 08, 2012, 11:54:56 PM
vendors in town selling apples n grapes on de road side

Cheesy battery operated toys in window displays on Frederick and Charlotte Street.

Wolworth and Kirpalani full of people

Central market, de ladies shellin pigeon peas and cleaning sorrel


Ah know this is ah little, but reading this just brings back so mush fond memories, it was really nice growing up in T&T, every thing we did was ah huge festive deal, unlike here in the states where everything is soooo bland.  :puking:

i remember going to juman's corner and kirpalani by the barataria round about with my parents who were shopping for toys and gifts, that evening will live forever in my mind.

BTW, anybody remember GI joe? boy i used to go crazy when the commercials came on TV for that toy, GI joe and scaletric was every young boys dream.

Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 09, 2012, 12:32:18 PM
Heard from a friend who responded to my email regarding  memories of Christmas growing up; here it is with kind permission:


My Christmas memories in sweet T&T are faded now. I remember walking to Holy Cross Catholic church with my mom for midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The sounds of frogs and crickets in the night and me chatting away to my mom about anything and everything!

I remember vague memories of some plastic grapes that sat on a table and my sister and I filled them up with water and froze them...much to my poor mother's annoyance. I remember because I was small, my job was to clean whatever was not breakable on the bottom self of some cabinet.I remember my mom would bake for everyone and anyone and we would walk and take her bread and her sweetbread to older people who talked and talked and would put their hands on my curls. I remember my mom would say we dont have much but what we have to always share.

Memories of garlic pork made by my Uncle Louis, soaked onions and chowchow home made by my mom. Sorrel and ginger beer! My first gift that I remember was a pink iron and ironing board which I believe is the reason why I love ironing so much. I believed in Santa until I was almost 12 years of age as sad as it is to say in today's world.

I remember going to Port of Spain with my mom and the smell of apples, now I now know they are red and delicious. I have lived in Canada most of my life and even from the farm that I have picked my apples I can never find the smell of the apples like the smell of apples as a child in sweet T&T. One Christmas fills my head with vague memories of Uncle Ivan, my father, my sister, my uncle George playing tricks with my nose, and my mom's baking.

Sights that still drive me to love a man that can cook for me....created by seeing my Mom and Dad in the kitchen together. Him sitting on the wooden bench he made for the kitchen and my Mom directing him with the beating of the cake mix, I remember he would wink at me and keep the spoon for me to lick after it was done just before Mom washed everything. My mom made the best sweetbread ever. Oh my gosh, I feel teary eyed just thinking of it.

All of this means so much more for me as I sit here in Trinidad and Tobago only about 30 minutes away from my childhood home. Mom and Dad are both gone, my home is not mine anymore and the memories and my life here were short. Yet I remember hearing my father singing parang, he played in the band Lara Brothers from his village in Cantaro in Santa Cruz. Tonight lime in Maracas St. Joseph hearing original parang music brought all these memories of my father back.

Christmas Day after lunch we would take a drive up to Maracas, oh gosh the drive up over the hills with the cloud dipping the mountains like at Dairy Queen, as a child I would stick my face out just to feel the breeze on my skin and to feel the wind blowing through my curls and the hot sun burning my shoulders. Christmas was about the birth of Jesus, sharing our home with friends, neibbas and family, wonderful memories that I have tried to share with my own children over the years.


Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Peong on December 09, 2012, 08:32:55 PM
Homemade wine ah real miss dat.
Between me and de wife we do our best to recreate the food and drink.  Pastelle, ham, chow-chow, roast pork, ponche a creme, ginger beer and sorrel in abundance.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Mango Chow! on December 13, 2012, 12:15:22 PM
Oh shit boy! Where do I start....Christmas was de absolute BESS growin' up in Trini!!....had meh first taste of alcohol at the age of 5.....and only every Christmas thereafter.....this was the time of year our house (interior) used to get fresh paint....ah could never forget dat "Berger 303" (is dem same paint tins we used to use to buss carbide wit fuh new year's!)....I always used to want to paint like everybody else...but could only be trusted to help with de bathrooms...no way my lil' excited ass could mess dat up....sorrel, ginger beer and fruit soakin' long time now on de top shelf in de kitchen in some huge fish bowl! Everting sortin' out...fig tree in de back yard so plenty wrap fuh plenty pastelles...ah see Preacher mention chow chow on de ham a while back....ah cryin'!  I used to sneak in de kitchen and take all de cucumber out de souse and rub it up on de pepper and eat all...family and friends comin' over and hadda eat dey souse widdout it.  :D  Ah lickin' de cake-mix bowl CLEAN, all de spatchula and all gettin' it! One Christmas ah did SWEAR was a rifle under the tree wit my name on it, it bunnin' meh eye every time ah pass dat tree! (such were the times back then that our tree AND GIFTS spent their days and nights out in the bare, wide-open gallery and never were interfered with by ANYBODY!) Much to my disappointment, when I open de dam ting is a friggin' "zebco" fishin' rod in a case.  :(....... :rotfl:
Once I pass common entrance, I was whukkin' Stephen's & Johnson's every Summer, Christmas and Easter vacation break up until 4th form but ah was one cheap lil' bastard!  All de men in meh family gettin' "Old Spice" gift sets and all de ladies gettin' perfume, includin dat cheap-ass "bien etre" ah always used to get from de pharmacy on Picton street.....but is records, clothes, football equipment and lego set fuh me!  :D
If ah coulda only re-live dem days.  De bess evah!


BTW, anybody remember GI joe? boy i used to go crazy when the commercials came on TV for that toy, GI joe and scaletric was every young boys dream.

Who go fuhget dem ting...G.I. Joe, $6M-man, corgi model cars....got my only Scalextric set in Christmas of '76...mash it up same day! Funny yuh mention it, though...ah jes order one last week fuh meh two godsons.  :D

     
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Football supporter on December 15, 2012, 06:52:48 AM
Bit different from the other posts, but my best Xmas was when I was 9.

Xmas morning, woke up freezing cold to see snow on the ground through the iced up window. We only had one fire so that's where I opened my presents. I would always get an orange or tangerine in my xmas stocking and some special xmas candy packs like double size packs of maltesers or opal fruits. There were no replica jerseys in those days, but there were cheap brands that made jerseys so red with white trim was Man U, red with red was Liverpool, blue with white was Everton, gold with black was Wolves etc. No stripes or hoops available back then. I got the Wolves jersey (which I actually wanted as it was the flashiest one!) Also got a pair of black long football socks! And, joy of joy, I got an Action Man deep sea diver that emitted bubbles underwater when you blew through a tube.

Went to church at 8 a.m. with my Mum. My Dad never went to church, but this year he was ill in bed with Asian flu which had knocked out everybody that winter and was quite nasty with a lot of old people dying from it.

I didn't like church, but xmas morning was special, so I didn't mind going. Walking back with only two inches of snow on the ground, the sun came out so everything was bright and sparkling and fresh looking.

Well, when I reached back home, my Dad was up. He told me to look in the garden at the snowman he built. When I looked out, there was no snowman. Instead there was a brand new goalpost with an orange goalnet!!

That was the coolest thing ever! Looking back, the goalpost was pretty cheap. Just half inch tubing. But I know it was a really expensive gift for my parents to buy. By lunchtime, there were about 10 of us kids playing football in the snow. It was the only goalpost in our housing estate!!

I remember being totally soaked through, freezing and covered with mud. Went indoors and bathed and watched some tv on our black and white set (I remember Thunderbirds, I think, which was the best programme ever).

Then my sisters arrived for xmas dinner and I got more presents.... an airfix model plane kit and a James Bond DB5 with guns and ejector seat.

What a great xmas!!!

The joy I had from those unexpected gifts would surpass the kids nowadays when they get their x boxes and mobile phones. Everything to day is expected, matter of fact, must haves.

The best xmas present that I wish I could give my kids is to let them experience my best xmas. But they wouldn't be impressed!
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: truetrini on December 15, 2012, 05:09:17 PM
5...4...3...2...1....Thunder Birds are Go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNbuMCAsSE
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Bakes on December 15, 2012, 09:09:59 PM
Well I grow up in Valencia, which at the time was a relatively small village.  My extended family was huge, together we comprised about 20-25% of the village.  My great-aunt and her four siblings were the head of the clan, all of them had about 7-8 children, who then each had about three four.  Needless to say I had a lot of cousins and we'd all link up either at church or each others homes.

Valencia also had a very strong 'cocoa panyol' presence and so paranging was a big thing.  Most of Trinidad talk about parang... we lived it.  In typical Trini fashion we had to have major cleaning and thing, yard weeded, house painted thru and thru, 'regular' ham and salt ham bake.  Fresh-made bread... with ham and 'chow-chow' of course.  Peardrax and Cydrax from Whiteway's.  Christmas apple, pears and grapes... black cake, sponge cake... sorrel.  Never got a whole lot of toys... but we gave each other gifts.  "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on the tube... good times.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Mango Chow! on December 16, 2012, 08:20:52 AM
5...4...3...2...1....Thunder Birds are Go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNbuMCAsSE

  Ah have all ah dem on DVD.  ;D





Well I grow up in Valencia, which at the time was a relatively small village.  My extended family was huge, together we comprised about 20-25% of the village.  My great-aunt and her four siblings were the head of the clan, all of them had about 7-8 children, who then each had about three four.  Needless to say I had a lot of cousins and we'd all link up either at church or each others homes.

Valencia also had a very strong 'cocoa panyol' presence and so paranging was a big thing.  Most of Trinidad talk about parang... we lived it.  In typical Trini fashion we had to have major cleaning and thing, yard weeded, house painted thru and thru, 'regular' ham and salt ham bake.  Fresh-made bread... with ham and 'chow-chow' of course.  Peardrax and Cydrax from Whiteway's.  Christmas apple, pears and grapes... black cake, sponge cake... sorrel.  Never got a whole lot of toys... but we gave each other gifts.  "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on the tube... good times.

  for a man that come from such humble but rich cultural beginnings, and has become so well "educated" it's amazing what troll and an asshole you've growed up to become.....IJS. 
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: just cool on December 17, 2012, 04:19:39 AM
5...4...3...2...1....Thunder Birds are Go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNbuMCAsSE

  Ah have all ah dem on DVD.  ;D





Well I grow up in Valencia, which at the time was a relatively small village.  My extended family was huge, together we comprised about 20-25% of the village.  My great-aunt and her four siblings were the head of the clan, all of them had about 7-8 children, who then each had about three four.  Needless to say I had a lot of cousins and we'd all link up either at church or each others homes.

Valencia also had a very strong 'cocoa panyol' presence and so paranging was a big thing.  Most of Trinidad talk about parang... we lived it.  In typical Trini fashion we had to have major cleaning and thing, yard weeded, house painted thru and thru, 'regular' ham and salt ham bake.  Fresh-made bread... with ham and 'chow-chow' of course.  Peardrax and Cydrax from Whiteway's.  Christmas apple, pears and grapes... black cake, sponge cake... sorrel.  Never got a whole lot of toys... but we gave each other gifts.  "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on the tube... good times.

  for a man that come from such humble but rich cultural beginnings, and has become so well "educated" it's amazing what troll and an asshole you've growed up to become.....IJS. 
Weh dah one come from boy mango chow, just sooo dan??

did i miss something? allyuh plssss doh mash up the thread. pllssssss !
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Football supporter on December 17, 2012, 07:28:43 AM
5...4...3...2...1....Thunder Birds are Go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNbuMCAsSE

Damn you TT!! I followed the link over breakfast, and not having time before work to watch it, scanned through the other Thunderbird links. Ended up 30 minutes late for work!! Looking forward to reaching home tonite to watch the movie.

Thunderbird 4 was always my favourite, though TB2 was cool too. F.A.B.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: asylumseeker on December 17, 2012, 11:22:56 AM
JC, dahis you? Fuh ah man that does swing on de regular, wham? yuh had ah reflective interval?
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: D.H.W on December 17, 2012, 02:05:43 PM
Wtf F.A.B mean? Somebody answer meh
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: elan on December 17, 2012, 02:50:07 PM
How de breeze does blow around Christmas time. It was ah special breeze
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Michael-j on December 17, 2012, 03:12:32 PM
Wtf F.A.B mean? Somebody answer meh

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_'FAB'_stand_for_in_the_TV_show_'Thunderbirds' (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_'FAB'_stand_for_in_the_TV_show_'Thunderbirds')
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: truetrini on December 17, 2012, 08:08:18 PM
How de breeze does blow around Christmas time. It was ah special breeze
  true ting..was cooler and more persistent.  Starry skies, carbide and bamboo, sorrel and ginger beer.  pears, grapes and apples.

cutting my own Christmas tree, painting it white, covering a KLIM tin with wrapping paper, snow from a can...best times.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: weary1969 on December 17, 2012, 08:31:08 PM
How de breeze does blow around Christmas time. It was ah special breeze

Dat breeze doh blow again nah.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: Mango Chow! on December 17, 2012, 11:31:09 PM
5...4...3...2...1....Thunder Birds are Go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwNbuMCAsSE

  Ah have all ah dem on DVD.  ;D





Well I grow up in Valencia, which at the time was a relatively small village.  My extended family was huge, together we comprised about 20-25% of the village.  My great-aunt and her four siblings were the head of the clan, all of them had about 7-8 children, who then each had about three four.  Needless to say I had a lot of cousins and we'd all link up either at church or each others homes.

Valencia also had a very strong 'cocoa panyol' presence and so paranging was a big thing.  Most of Trinidad talk about parang... we lived it.  In typical Trini fashion we had to have major cleaning and thing, yard weeded, house painted thru and thru, 'regular' ham and salt ham bake.  Fresh-made bread... with ham and 'chow-chow' of course.  Peardrax and Cydrax from Whiteway's.  Christmas apple, pears and grapes... black cake, sponge cake... sorrel.  Never got a whole lot of toys... but we gave each other gifts.  "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on the tube... good times.

  for a man that come from such humble but rich cultural beginnings, and has become so well "educated" it's amazing what troll and an asshole you've growed up to become.....IJS. 
Weh dah one come from boy mango chow, just sooo dan??

did i miss something? allyuh plssss doh mash up the thread. pllssssss !

Nah, yuh eh miss nutting. horse, I was jes' expressing a observation...and it eh go mash up no tread because is a accurate one. Nutting to argue or debate.
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 17, 2013, 06:58:34 PM
Like people getting 'old timers':) they running out ah best memories
Title: Re: yuh BEST xmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on November 29, 2014, 07:18:03 AM
Allyuh know is that time again- look nah  see it eh Christmas sales anymore is " Black Friday!"

What happened to the classical meaningful parang? Is now one kinda fusion sofa parang Kaiso parang? With kicky lyrics. The essential core and meaning of the season appears to be increasingly lost in a tide of rampant commercialism form the west!!!  We are indeed the best " follow fashioners" not all for the good. IMHO
Title: Re: yuh BEST Christmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 25, 2016, 03:54:43 PM
Homemade wine ah real miss dat.
Between me and de wife we do our best to recreate the food and drink.  Pastelle, ham, chow-chow, roast pork, ponche a creme, ginger beer and sorrel in abundance.
yes sar
Title: Re: yuh BEST Christmas memories growing up at home......
Post by: AB.Trini on December 25, 2016, 03:55:53 PM
Heard from a friend who responded to my email regarding  memories of Christmas growing up; here it is with kind permission:


My Christmas memories in sweet T&T are faded now. I remember walking to Holy Cross Catholic church with my mom for midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The sounds of frogs and crickets in the night and me chatting away to my mom about anything and everything!

I remember vague memories of some plastic grapes that sat on a table and my sister and I filled them up with water and froze them...much to my poor mother's annoyance. I remember because I was small, my job was to clean whatever was not breakable on the bottom self of some cabinet.I remember my mom would bake for everyone and anyone and we would walk and take her bread and her sweetbread to older people who talked and talked and would put their hands on my curls. I remember my mom would say we dont have much but what we have to always share.

Memories of garlic pork made by my Uncle Louis, soaked onions and chowchow home made by my mom. Sorrel and ginger beer! My first gift that I remember was a pink iron and ironing board which I believe is the reason why I love ironing so much. I believed in Santa until I was almost 12 years of age as sad as it is to say in today's world.

I remember going to Port of Spain with my mom and the smell of apples, now I now know they are red and delicious. I have lived in Canada most of my life and even from the farm that I have picked my apples I can never find the smell of the apples like the smell of apples as a child in sweet T&T. One Christmas fills my head with vague memories of Uncle Ivan, my father, my sister, my uncle George playing tricks with my nose, and my mom's baking.

Sights that still drive me to love a man that can cook for me....created by seeing my Mom and Dad in the kitchen together. Him sitting on the wooden bench he made for the kitchen and my Mom directing him with the beating of the cake mix, I remember he would wink at me and keep the spoon for me to lick after it was done just before Mom washed everything. My mom made the best sweetbread ever. Oh my gosh, I feel teary eyed just thinking of it.

All of this means so much more for me as I sit here in Trinidad and Tobago only about 30 minutes away from my childhood home. Mom and Dad are both gone, my home is not mine anymore and the memories and my life here were short. Yet I remember hearing my father singing parang, he played in the band Lara Brothers from his village in Cantaro in Santa Cruz. Tonight lime in Maracas St. Joseph hearing original parang music brought all these memories of my father back.

Christmas Day after lunch we would take a drive up to Maracas, oh gosh the drive up over the hills with the cloud dipping the mountains like at Dairy Queen, as a child I would stick my face out just to feel the breeze on my skin and to feel the wind blowing through my curls and the hot sun burning my shoulders. Christmas was about the birth of Jesus, sharing our home with friends, neibbas and family, wonderful memories that I have tried to share with my own children over the years.



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