Pan - Cricket
The Caribbean Connection in Africa

 

 
Some two decades ago Calypsonian Black Stalin in his ditty "The Caribbean Man" alluded to the failure of Caribbean politicians to unite the peoples of the region vis a vis the rapid strides made by the Rastafarian movement in creating a homogeneous Caribbean Family.  For the period November 2003 to February 2004 people who consider their navel string buried in the Caribbean are converging on the continent of Africa in the name of cricket - the only team sport that sees our Caribbean brethren pulling together.

Firstly, it was West Indies versus Zimbabwe, now it's West Indies versus South Africa for the test series and currently the one day matches.

Most of the supporters, domiciled in various parts of the universe, jumped at the opportunity to touch the soil of "Mother Africa".  Some came from The Big Apple, some from London, others from Florida and Manchester.  Many of them were capitalizing on the opportunity to get away from the harsh winter climate in the Northern Hemisphere.  Some of course came straight from the West Indies while others came from South Africa and other parts of Africa.

Some came for one or two tests and returned to base.  But it was Lester Armoogam (Trinidadian) fondly called 'Uncle Les' who stole the cake.  Lester was enduring his one hundred and twenty ninth (129th) test match.  Sink or swim he is the West Indies cricket team numero uno (#1) supporter, and is yet to miss a tour.  This kind of fanaticism goes "beyond the boundary" à la CLR James.

The centre of attraction, however, has been the steelpan and the rhythm section led by the Botswana-based 'The Cliftons Family' from Trinidad and Tobago.  Pan as a musical art form continues to appeal to the heard instincts of man.  From day one its [pan's] magnetic force has been causing Caribbean people from all around the stadium to draw nearer to each other.  This on a daily basis results in the formation of an ongoing "Windies Posse in Africa".  The resultant collective, apart from serving as a home-coming base for Caribbean people, also functions as a morale booster for the West Indian  Cricketers.

The steelpan as a musical instrument remains a novelty to the masses on the continent of Africa.  The sound that emanates from this percussion instrument continues to mesmerize onlookers.  Some listeners are so perplexed that they go as low as bending under the instrument to look for hidden electronic gadgets which they think might be responsible for the strange sound.

A nine-year old paraplegic boy at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg told his parents 'he needed to see what was making that melodic sound' so they wheeled him one hundred and eighty degrees around the stadium to satisfy his fancy!

Some reactions to the sound included:-  Stupendous! Fabulous! Incredible! a Pantastic innovation! - to name a few superlatives.

 

Hollis J. Clifton
Africa Correspondent

 

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