Magical
Travel piece December 2002
|
|
||
|
Magical December 2002 Visiting For seven years the volcano has steadily grown andesite
lava domes: their partial collapse in pyroclastic flows of rock, ash and hot gas,
and mud flows during wet weather have led to the abandonment of the Southern
two-thirds of the island, which has become an exclusion zone. Former busy
capital I was there for two weeks in December, coinciding with
the 40th annual Christmas Festival and the Calypso competition.
Music is everywhere in the The island must have the most talented people ever
congregating in three square miles, for everywhere I went I was introduced to
musicians, writers, poets and performers eager to discuss their work and
mine. As a composer I was taking notes (no pun) the whole time. Mein hosts were Shirley and Lou Spycalla of Erindell Villa; we
became friends a couple of years ago when someone said I should read
Shirley’s “Lions of Paradise and other childrens’ stories”, the modern
Just-So Tales of The Spycallas greeted my arrival with lobster salad and
breadfruit followed with Lou’s rum punch, regaled by a mix of opera and
calypso music (which go surprisingly well together) Food was excellent: I ate goatwater and fishwater stews ;
roti: a rectangular pastry parcel of curried meat or veg; and at Mariet’s
Gourmet Gardens great home-made veggie burger ( could the secret ingredient
be sauerkraut?) with banana ketchup. At Danny and Margaret’s we grilled wahoo fish around
their pool: they have been granted permission to trade temporarily from home,
as their beach bar is now in the exclusion zone. One memorable moonlit evening we went for shrimp dinner
at Moose’s and danced under the stars with the Masqueraders to fife and drum.
Irish music, accent and traditions, such as St Patrick’s Day holiday
celebrations, are intrinsic to the culture. Irish settlers were once
plantation owners and slave overseers who lived lavish lives amid the
suffering and exploitation. Masquerades were the slaves’ way of parodying the
entertainments: the costumes are strips of cloth, lace, bits of mirror, a
Bishop’s Miter hat and a whip. The National Trust at Olveston has a model of a sugar
mill, and artifacts detailing the history and geology of Today the island is a British overseas territory, with an
old-style colonial Governor and his entourage who administrate alongside
Montserratian members of Government. The political life is very colourful and
currently dominated by various interpretations of the volcanic activity. The volcano is certainly active. Viewed from the new
Montserrat Volcano Observatory or from Jackboy Hill, beyond Lookout, close to
the ruined airport, it is particularly beautiful at night when glowing
rockfalls light up the night. During my visit Prof. Steve Sparks from I returned with a glowing winter tan, superlative
knowledge of volcanoes and a new-found love of brass band thanks to New
Beginnings music group directed by Herman ‘Cupid’ Francis. A remarkable man:
he’s the Director of Culture, teaches himself to play instruments so he can
then teach the children, and he came third in the Calypso competition with a
song he wrote in his spare time... I met so many people like him, with boundless energy,
devoted to |
||
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright Tracy Pace 2002 |
||
|
|
||