Clivia Writes: David Rudder

I miss David Rudder - Mad Man Chant

David Rudder is a Prophet. An Oracle. Madman Chant was written in 1996. FOURTEEN years ago!
It's as if he took a future snap shot with this song. After I get over the "Prophecy" of the lyrics I can pay attention to the obvious mastery of subtlety that is Charlie's Roots playing this song.

They do not over power the Instrument that is David's Voice but supplement it so well, so brilliantly.

I love Rudder because although his message is of the world....he speaks ALWAYS in the vernacular of Trinidad - always creating a a visual thats distinctly ours - so we KNOW he's speaking to us...OF us.

Who else would understand "A bullet start to wine and put an end to they joy??"

I want to take out a newspaper ad in Trinidad with just the lyrics of this song.

I miss him. I feel like we've disappointed him. His own people....have disappointed him by not giving him more...by not making him greater...and he's left us so we don't have to face that shame when we see him.

We didn't deserve him.

Vote for we and we will set you free!
Anywhere you turn somebody chanting to we
Somebody promising jobs for all
Some renting gun to make other people bawl
But somebody promising more police car
Somebody going to take de country far
Somebody putting all de bandits away
We say, "If dey do the crime, dey going to damn well pay!"
But somebody promising human rights
While somebody threatening to put out yuh lights
The mortuary full with little Trinidad boys
A bullet start to wine and put an end to their joy
Now dey lying tall fuh dey Mama to mourn
Dey Nike gone, dey gold teeth gone
You see dey, dey want dey pocket full with blue, blue silk
Dey want dey statue drinking full cream milk
The little red silk is not dey true friend
De blue one had two extra nought on de end
So ah tag on dey toe is now dey ticket to hell
But look where we reach, well, well, well, well, well, well.

Ah hear a madman bawl as he spread out on a wall
He say, "Dis is it, dis is it, dis is it, I’ve been hit!
No time to give up brother, no time to quit!"
Was the chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of de madman. It’s the only salvation
Ah say de chant of a madman, in this tale from a strange land
Give me the chant of the madman, Lord, is de only salvation.

Anywhere yuh turn somebody chanting to we
Vote for we and we go set you free
Somebody promising natural law
Die like a yogi, end all de war
Seek inner peace, end all de pain
De same woman promising to go down again
Somebody promising to run all de bread
Somebody pushing a world class head
Somebody clean out de weed well fast
But somebody letting de cocaine pass
Somebody promise to abolish de tax
Somebody promise to gih we de facts
Somebody promise to clean up de land
But in this clean land, rat still killin man
We bright little youths going to waste
Somebody dinge the smile on dey face
Somebody take “One Love” off de shelf
Den de One Love boys start to sell out dey self
Somebody going to end all dis talk about race
But dey cyah tell me dat with a straight, straight face
Big, big men dying, de crime cyah solve
A madman rant is mih only resolve
Ah hear de madman bawl
As he lie on a wall.
He say, "Dis is it, dis is it, dis is it, I’ve been hit!
But no time to give up, brother, no time to quit!"

A chant of a madman in this tale from a strange land
It was a chant of a madman, in dis tale from a strange land
Give me de chant of de madman. Is de only salvation.

1Comments

, by clivia

In Blog, David Rudder

Repost!! Because I'm Back Here Today! Cure for Home Sickness - David Rudder - Song For a Lonely Soul

Press Play

I get Homesick..often

In spite of the horror stories I read and hear about in Trinidad..

because as always Being home is a colored memory for me that may not always tie into the REALITY

I rely on my bloggers living in Trinidad to reconcile the Rose Colored Memory with the TRUTH of life at home..

But still i know in part that I live in illusion...

But some days I almost cry,

There is vice and evil everywhere..

Why not be in a place that requires no explanation of my needs and loves,

Of what is innate to me..?

That i can find joy in Just hearing a voice speak in a tone or say a phrase that can make my spirit warm ...?

Still some days I cry...

I miss the sounds of rain...

Somehow its different at home

I miss the smell of a temporarily clean world after the rain..

I love to hear men call out to each other in passing..

and unlike the sisters that Live there now..

I miss the little hail up from a random man in the street...

In our trini cadence...

"Ey Sweetness...."

[they might not be saying that now]

But Rudder Helps...in particular today

Song for a Lonely Soul...[how apropos]

Song For a Lonely Soul
Soca music take me back to my island [x 4]
Oh how I long for island breezes and to see..
My woman roll like a steel drum solo ringing through a calypso night
Don’t get me wrong, this big city really made a man of me
But a concrete jungle drum can’t play no calypso
No no no
Soca music take me back to my island.

A mind excursion it can take me
To a far off country road
Sticky mango juice, running down my naked chest
And sturdy people who can still smile a mile into their pain
Put their shoulders to the wheel
And their Gods will do the rest
And in the end, they will pass the test
Soca music take me back to my island.

Trinity mountains, Trinity mountains calling me home
Making me high, calling me home, making me high
Sing a soca melody, you can sing it and be free
Sing a happy soca melody my friend, sing a soca melody
You can sing it and be free
And in this freedom, there will be no end
Soca music take me back to my island.

In particular for me...

growing up in Tobago, Signal Hill Alumni Choir was a pride and joy

To hear them sing , all genres, was a pore raising, awe inspiring , pride inducing thing.

My Mom worked with them when I was growing up...so I got to see the inner workings of the choir. Rehearsal was a treat..I would sit on the floor of the stage while they surrounded the piano..and John Arnold the director then would piece together the Complex melodies..and then the MOVES! Perfect!

I was lucky to perform with them , either in joint productions with my steelband, or with the dance company [Children's Academy of Dance...now TAPA and the now defunct NDTC] or representing Tobago in the Inter Island Cultural Shows..[haha..i remember dancing in a number, changing to play pan, and then changing back to go dance again..anyways ah Rambling..lol...follow the ramble]

The chorus behind Rudder is ALWAYS the Alumni Choir...regardless of who it really is..i think I heard them do this song once...it brought me to Tears..[I cry too damn much .maybe cause I'm Pisces..hahaha]. I see faces I know..and know me..And the music just seems Elevated here..

Anyways...Rudder
Ever Rudder..
More than Music and Melody..
Its like a Psalm..
Cooling to the senses..
He refers DIRECTLY to me..
Reverence to all the things that make MY Existence important and beautiful, My TRIN-BAGONIAN existence..
Thank you Rudder..
You restore me..

----------------
Now playing: David Rudder - Song for a Lonely Soul
via FoxyTunes

0Comments

, by clivia

In Caribbean Events, David Rudder

Throw out your Sorrow Children - Oil And Music

Repost in honor of the BOy

So...I was lucky enough to go see JESUS [for the uninitiated Machel JESUS Montano] in Madison Square Garden earlier this year. Much to the amusement of the people around me, I had a RELIGIOUS experience during the show. Outside of my shoe issues [4 inch NEW heels in NY when you have to take the subway and run - things i DON'T do in Miami is NOT a Good idea] Much thanks for the BANGING Mojitos at TGIF before. I couldn't feel my toes much lest my hands after those , so it was all good.

Anyways...Everybody knows about my love affair with JESUS and David Rudder is no joke either. But I Happened across this on Guanaguanare this morning...and again I was transported. Moved to Tears. I'm such a PUNK and I guess a quiet patriot.

This was SO a MOMENT for me. My cousin who was with me probably thought I was in a coma, or having a breakdown or something. I mean people were screaming and jumping and wining around me. And i could not MOVE. I had my hand up in the air like i was in church--trying to touch them, tough the moment, Hold on to it forever. I think that i did. I didn't need to scream and to wine would be to not respect the moment that was going on .

It was like..Like HOPE for me. Like we Trinidadians could deal with everything and anything if we could still have THIS. THIS moment. Like a cleansing. We could surmount anything as a people..if we could just hold on to THIS.

The Bele dancers in their white were like Trinidadian angels. The white skirts sweeping away all the dirt, all the politics all the grime all the evil. Yes its a pain, but it's a sweet pain with love and hurt and anger and happiness and pride and hope wrapped up in it.

David Rudder was like a Baptist priest: "Throw out your sorrow children , throw out your sorrow children." He was talking to ME. I DOH CARE WHO ELSE WAS THERE!!! he was telling me...he left where ever the ass he was to come
sing these words to me...Throw out your sorrow children. I know it was a concert...I know everybody else paid there ticket to come see BOY...but That performance, that song gave me a MOMENT.

Gave me hope, put some pride in my soul straightened my back so in spite of everything I can say. Yes Trinidadian - from the land of Oil and Music

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