Pan, Parang & Pork

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 7 Nov 2009 23:53
Pan, Parang and Pork. A Clash of Steel III
 
 
  
 
 
We went off at four thirty with a Jesse arranged trip with two bus loads to Queen's Park Cricket Club, or the Trinidad and Tobago equivalent of The Oval. A very smart building with a high quality ground. The event was held in the vast car park. We arrived knowing we would see Parang for the first time, see some pan bands and be fed and watered.
 
 
 
 
 
The evening started with several numbers in Parang tradition, complete with a box bass similar to the picture on the right, but just as I took the shot a man jumped in front of it.
 
 
HISTORY OF PARANG:
There are a few theories about how Parang music came to be in Trinidad. One is that it all started during the Spanish rule (from 1498 to 1797) and the Spanish and French creoles kept the music alive after the British took over. Another commonly supported view states that Parang came to be in Trinidad from Spain but via Venezuela. Without a doubt, interactions with the people of Venezuela (where Parang music is also played) have helped to keep the tradition alive throughout the years. After Trinidad's independence in 1962, a gradual revival of Parang music (as well as many other local arts) began to take place. Competitions on a national scale started and the National Parang Association was formed in 1971. Parang music also has had it's stars, most notably Daisy Voisin. Though she sadly passed away in 1991, she is still referred to as the queen of Parang by many fans.

WHAT IS PARANG?
Parang as a word is an interpretation of the word "Parranda" - this means basically "the action of merry-making, group of serenaders". In Spanish this word is used in the form "andar de parranda" or "parrandear" (used in Venezuela), meaning basically "to go Paranging". Originally the "Paranderos" - as the singers and players of instruments are called - went carol singing and playing from house to house in the neighbourhood, serenading family and friends spontaneously. These would in return often serve some food and refreshments such as pastels or other snacks and ponche-a-creme to the merrymakers, and the resulting atmosphere would be that of happy togetherness and the joy of a good Christmas lime that could continue to early hours of the morning.

Parang season began in early November and lasted until the sixth of January, the date of the the Feast of the Epiphany (also known in T&T as "Dia de Los Reyes" or "Les Rois") - sometimes until the beginning of February (the feast of Purification on the 2nd). Though Christmas was and especially nowadays is THE season for Parang, other religious and social events could also inspire Paranderos to come and play (Easter, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, weddings).

The usual instruments that were (and are still) used in Parang were mainly string-instruments, such as the Guitar, the Cuatro (a four-stringed small Guitar), the Violin, the Mandolin and the Bandolin, accompanied by some light rhythm-instruments such as the Chac-chac (or Maracas) and possibly some other light rattlers to keep the beat. The rhythm is what can be loosely described as Hispanic or Latin-based, though it is distinctively different from other well-known Latin rhythms such as Montuno, Son, Cumbia or Merengue.

Traditionally the lyrics of Parang were mainly religious and Christian at that - hardly surprising, looking at the cultural background of the people among who the music originated (Hispanic Catholics). Many reminded of and recaptured the true meaning and message of Christmas and were rooted in Hispanic Christmas carols of the Old World. The language was Spanish, and not just any kind of creole or local Spanish, but "Castellano" - old and original Spanish dialect. This differs somewhat from the more "modern" dialects spoken in Venezuela and the Caribbean in it's pronunciations and the particular vocabulary used.

Though nowadays most listeners cannot tell the differences, Parang songs come in many different styles and categories, classifiable by their lyrical contents and the musical measurements. The best known perhaps are the Aguinaldos (also known as Serenales) - Relating the story of the Nativity and characterized by their hexa-syllabic quartets. Other styles worth mentioning are Guarapos and Despendidas. Guarapos are secular in nature, allowing a wider range of topic - the length and content of the song depends on the lead singer's choice and skill of rhyming and composing verses. A Despendida is sang as the last song upon leaving or when the Paranderos prepare to pause for a while - usually the song's last verse even states this, for example "A mi me parace es mucho cantar, parale la voz para reposar".

PARANG TODAY
The traditional Parang is alive in Trinidad & Tobago today, played by both small local groups still going around, delighting family and friends with their performances, and also large, well organized groups that compete in a national Parang competition every year. But Parang has also evolved in the course of time and whole new styles and influences have been added. The more secular society of today shows in topics, as does the more varied ethnic and religious background of the artists involved in different forms of Parang.

Soca and Calypso music have been fused with Parang, and the result is Soca-Parang - With lyrics sang in English, inspired and praising the "Americanised" Christmas with it's Santa Claus and lots of gifts, or sometimes as racy as the carnival time Calypsoes involving wine, women and other things not very related to the Christian views of the holiday season. East Indian instrumentation and Chutney melodies have also been mixed in with Parang. In recent years Parang versions of Latin hit songs have been rather popular. The mixing has been so thorough that these days almost any lively Latin-sounding music is seen as Parang by many of the general public.

In exchange for the entertainment, parranderos are traditionally given food and drink: pastelle, sorrel, rum and ponche crema (a form of alcoholic eggnog with a million calories, we don't buy it very often because we add rum and drink a bottle between us).We thought it was good but not being able to understand, after twenty minutes we had had enough.

 
 
  
 
 
Cocktails in a variety of colours were free from five until seven. Bear got stuck in and discussed flavours with Michelle from Irony
 
 
 
 
 
It was very funny taking pictures of photographers taking pictures of me. The first one did it seriously but the second couldn't help giggling.
 
 
  
 
 
Meanwhile on the stage next to us, the Parang group were joined by some of the members of the local and home steel band, The Invaders. The other stages were being loaded with drums.
 
 
 
 
We were given two 'Cutter' tickets each, one dinner and one sweet. First steel band - NLCB Fonclaire.
 
Cutter meant starter, off we went to investigate. There was a choice of vegetarian, pork which Bear had and chicken which I chose. Cheeky little after-taste that lost me my bottom lip. Mains were oil-down pork, chicken, cold meats and salads. We had score cards in front of us for the public vote. I thought the NCLB Fonclaire were good at riding scales but lacked experience.
 
 
 
 
PCS Silver stars
 
Each band played for forty minutes in front of a panel of judges giving 30-30-30 and 10 points for artistic interpretation, musical skill, variety and stage presence. Along with NLCB Fonclaire, we saw TCL Group Skiffle Bunch, Couva Joylanders, Clico Sforzata Steel Orchestra and our favourites - PCS Silver stars. This picture of them shows a caped conductor for this piece, the theme from Phantom of the Opera. Then came from the back of the drums a little chap who moon walked and shook his bootie to a rendition the band played of Michael Jackson's Bad. The crowd loved it.
 
 
  
 
 
Invaders
 
Second to last was the home band - Caribbean Airlines Invaders. The crowd were up on their feet dancing and singing along. The two girls in the pale blue tee shirts really stole the hearts with some impressive bottom wiggling while the rest of the band danced, swopped places and had a fun time.
 
 
 
 
All too much for Connie.
 
We had to leave at one just before the last band had finished. We were in bed just after two thinking that Sunday morning may have a slow start. We had to wait to see the results in the paper to find that the Invaders had beaten the Silver stars by one point with the Joylanders and the Skiffle Bunch in a tie for third place.
 
 
ALL IN ALL A REALLY GOOD NIGHT OUT. I WAS CAUGHT CATCHING A FEW ZEDS BUT LOVED THE RHYTHM.