MASSA A LA CHUTNEY…

Aug 31, 2008 Features / Columnists

Bill always feels funny in the Jumbie Stadium; he used to play on the ‘Dutchman’ graves when he was a little boy. Tonight it is jump up time for the Chutney Masala Concert. Bill is your man on that beat.

*When is Walter Willis’ Wonderland – the mudbath disguised as a car park – going to be fixed? It is a disgrace that a modern stadium has this Tropical Passchendale beside it. Bring Walter back to finish this job…whilst there, fix the leaking toilets under the red stand too Wally.

*Bill only mixes with the best. After the PNC (Corbin Tendency) in Water Chris, Bill was specially invited by Mr Water Chris ‘Peppers’ to his wonderful box in the stadium. This time he was entertaining the PPP and friends – spreading it around.

Minister Anthony, family, Mr BK, Mr CGX (he gets everywhere than man-like Marmite), Bobby Vieira (he gets everywhere too) and Henry Greene.

Bill felt almost, only just, humble in such exalted company. My lips are of course sealed about what went on. Chatham House rules Old Boy

*What Bill can tell you is that Bobby V is planning a big, big spectacular for the Closing Ceremony tonight. Plenty of things happening and plenty you can both see and hear. That will make a change in the Jumbie Stadium
(A quick Bill Question – did all the lights arrive?)

*Peppers had spirited Bill away from the DDL box where the hospitality was as always great (As a senior legal eagle said to me ‘Clement Rohee say you can only drink two beers.

He didn’t say anything about how many rums…’). There, Bill’s old mucker Sam Hinds greeted him like a long lost friend. That man sure got stamina and lasting power

*Whilst sipping five-year-old El Dorado (Ok a word from my sponsor…) Bill got into a fascinating discussion with a very serious and senior PPP figure.

Was he really hearing right – the party set up on the principles of Old Karlo Marx was now eyeing up the religious vote having seen the 30,000 pack the stadium for Gospel the night before? ‘Opium of the people’ anybody?

*Bill was down with the real people too. Briefly. But you had to negotiate a path between drunks and the bottles they had discarded. A free idea for Sunday, Bobby – revolutionary – litter bins on the field .If they ain’t got them, they cannot use them.

*The Chutney crowd was very well behaved. Bill hopes the same held true for Akon yesterday. That might have been a ‘zoo’. But Bill is detecting ‘super concert fatigue’ after five of them. Like buses, they need to be spaced out to be appreciated

*Bill gets into the most secret places. He just smiles. At Chutney massa-la, it was the Outside Broadcast control room for NCN.

Interesting, but some tips from an old BBC Studio warhorse – switch off the lights so you concentrate on the screen, use all the cameras not just two, keep changing their shots – variety is the spice of life, put them in exciting places – why not the top of the lighting pylons as a remote – and never but never allow superfluous people in the box, especially if they are sporting. Work is work, pleasure is pleasure. Never the twain meet.

*Oh and the music…That was quite good. This Massa like Masala…
On to the last Super Concert and Bobby’s finale…
Pip! Pip!