Holed up with my wife: Does music have ethnicity?

Apr 26, 2020 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I have been married for 41 years now and I don’t think I have ever spent one full week with my wife, being together for the entire week, either in our home or on holiday or in whatever circumstances .
There was one exception and it cannot be a pure exception. When the American invasion of Grenada came in October 1983, we did not go out for more than a week, but I was not alone with her. Donald, Walter Rodney’s brother, was our guest at the time, so he spent the entire curfew period with us.
For the first time in 41 years of marriage, a week has passed (in fact more than two weeks now) and I have been in the house all the time with my wife. I guess all the world knows the saying – what does not happen in years happens in a minute. So here I am spending time with my better half, in shape and form that I have never done before.
It may come as a huge surprise to people that I am married to a woman who never liked politics, does not like politics, never dabbled in politics, and cares not about the world of politics. She has a Canadian university degree in chemical engineering, and has spent all her life immersed in science topics and everything else except politics.
I couldn’t believe that Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP lunatics could be so vindictive when they victimized her out of her job as an investment officer at GO-Invest. Equally, I couldn’t believe the clowns that we elected in 2015 never asked her if she would like to resume her position at GO-Invest.
Maybe both Jagdeo and Granger may one day apologize to her. As for me not returning to teach at UG after 2015, I love journalism, so I was happy to stay at Kaieteur News. No one can accuse me of favouring the PPP over APNU+AFC. I did not vote for either. I gave my ballot to Lenox Shuman. I don’t support PPP or APNU+AFC running Guyana all by themselves. They should not be allowed to.
Back to my wife. It has been quality time spent the past two weeks holed up in my home in Turkeyen, overlooking the mighty Atlantic Ocean. We have our lunch looking at the ocean and gazing at the CARICOM Secretariat and MovieTowne complex, which is very close to our home.
I always wanted to live by the Atlantic Ocean, because it reminds me of my father. He worked as the groundsman at Saint Stanislaus ground. At that time, there was no National Park and no Carifesta Avenue. I left primary school countless days and would be with him. While he worked, in the unbearable sun, I roamed the entire Camp Street seawall from Kingston to what is now named Clive Lloyd Drive.
I learnt much more about my wife’s relatives during these past three weeks than in 41 years. She has her roots in Wakenaam, and she told me about relatives I didn’t know about. Locked down with her, with no end in sight, I am looking forward to more days and weeks.
I am dedicating a song to my wife sung by a singer I loved when I was growing up in Wortmanville, and composed by an artist I think is a genius.
I grew up on D’Urban Street, Wortmanville (was born at the junction of Hardina and Hadfield Streets) with the music of ska; rock-steady; reggae; Trinidad calypso; rhythm and blues, American soul; and similar genres. But from small days, I liked soft rock, Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, and orchestral strings; what my friends on D’Urban Street would call, “white people music”.
Is there such a thing as Black people music and White people music? I don’t believe so. Here are the words of “I’m A Better Man” sung by Humperdinck, composed by Burt Bacharach.

If I could catch a star before it touched the ground
I’d place it in a box, tie ribbons all around
And then I’d offer it to you
A token of my love and deep devotion

The world’s a better place
With you to turn to
I’m a better man
For having loved you

And now, at last, I face the future unafraid
With you here by my side, how fast the shadows fade
And there is hope inside my heart
‘Cause I have something wonderful to live for

The world’s a better place
With you to turn to
I’m a better man
For having loved you

And as I am today
That’s how I’ll always stay
A better man for having loved you
A better man for having loved you

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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Holed up with my wife: Does music have ethnicity?

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