For the last two Christmases I have not danced with the Eagle Squadron Clown Troupe. What is interesting is, youngmen most of whom I do not know would meet me in basseterre and ask what happened to you? How come you did not dance with us? I have had to explain to them that in august 2012 I had a full knee replacement and had to let it fully healed. Thank God it has and right now I jog and walk as long as i want to without much discomfort. As a young boys we are prone to be influenced by our surroundings. In North America young boys early ambitions are to be3 doctors, lawyers, engineers, ball players and so on. From my Newtown roots i wanted to be a clown dancer or a masquerade dancer or a mule train driver. Why a mule trainer driver you may well ask. In the late forties and fifties Ponds Sugar estate had many mules. They were used hooked up inas many as 6 pairs to a yoke and they would pull a fully loaded trailer of sugar cane from the field to the rail line. The mule train driver would stand on the Tee of the yolk balanced only by the reins and what appeared to be a 10 foot long whip in the other hand and he would have these mules at full gallop along Pond Road taking the cane to the train siding. Maan i thought that was the gretest job on earth. I never tried my hand as a mule cart driver or a masquerade dancer. But, I did dance with the Eagle Squadron Clown troupe in my teen age. I really love love clown dancing and the freedom of movement and the imagination and skill that goes into this true and original SKN art form. I did my bit to revive what was a dying art form several years ago with an article on this list headed....Old Lady Ley You Mango Ripe which was a classic dance tune. It moved I have been told many of our youths and old dancers back to dancing under the Eagle Squadron Banner. Over the last many years just before Christmas I repeat the article for former and present afficionadoes of clown dancing. Here it is: Old lady ley you mango ripe By: C. A. Beach I have not fully researched the origin of clowns and clown dancing, St. Kitts/ Nevis style. However, from what I have read and the various discussions that I have had with others, the art form is derived from the minstrels and clowns that were imported into St. Kitts/Nevis to entertain the early English settlers and enslaved owners. Eventually, the imported minstrels and clowns were replaced by the enslaved who were trained in the art form. The art form as performed by enslaved and former enslaved, naturally, evolved from the circus nature of clowns and minstrels, to a period of clowns, millionaires and Japanese girls, and was gradually “Africanised” to what it is today, a tough but nevertheless “balletic” art form. Presently, the only link to a painful past is the shape of the costume. I will not dwell on the period of clowns, millionaires and Japanese girls with their twirling umbrellas, that lingered on in a big way possibly up to the early forties. My recall of that period because of my very tender age then, is at best sketchy. My earliest and only recall of the millionaire “thing” is Bulla Mason of Newtown, St. Kitts who danced in a brilliant white suit and white planter hat. The Japanese girl “thing” barely exists today. Clown dancing, or flying as referred to by some because of the shape of the costume when it is opened out, certainly up to the start of mass emigration to England in the middle fifties, was a “rite of passage for youngmen” for just about all the young men of St. Kitts/Nevis. Its appeal was the creativity of the dance and of course its machismo image with whips flying during what was referred to as “swapping”. It was, and still is, our own ballet with a difference. An art form for real men and tough boys. With respect to the Japanese girls and Millionaires, it was the clowns’ responsibility to protect them from others as they danced. In much earlier times, the Japanese girls and millionaires would dance in the drawing rooms of the rich and famous of St. Kitts. The clowns’ role was to provide an escort between these venues. The clowns, however, were not allowed into the drawing rooms. It is note worthy that eventually, clown dancing during the Christmas/New year festive season was the only social or sporting occasion at which the land owning class, middle class and working class met on equal terms. Some of these gentlemen may have been rich and privileged, but they were also artistic and tough. As a youngster, I was always fascinated by this art form and remain just as fascinated today. My earliest firm recollection which stretches back to the very late forties and early fifties, is that of “Ram George” leading the clowns up George street, New town at the close of New Years Day. I can still see him, more drunk than sober, with his hat off, “gubby face” (mask) on backwards, clown suit opened to the waist, half dancing half strutting, primed for trouble but still in charge. In the middle of things would be Arthur Lake and Arthur “Paups” (both now deceased), two of the taller clowns, elegant and stylish, full of beautiful moves. The clown rhythm as it was played then was distinctive and intoxicating. The instrumentation in those early days was very basic. There was “Daddy Bless” on the large tom-tom. It had a deep and carrying sound and a rim with a distinctive metallic sound. I can still hear “Daddy Bless”’ rhythym - dodum do dum, dodum do dum, pang pang, dodum do dum dodum do dum. His son Ronald (now deceased) was, “baad” dancer. Then there was Mulrain on the fife, who when he had too much of the hard stuff to drink, would play the same tune over and over again until he was shook up with a hunter (cattle skin braided whip) across his back. There was another gentleman on the hand organ and one who played a single maraca made from tin who also kept the rhythm going with a police whistle - tweet tweet twittit t tweet tweet tweet twittit t tweet. The rhythm was catchy, incessant and exciting with such tunes as: Old lady ley you mango ripe; Ring a ring a ring a diamond; Do wha you see me do; Sagga boy go home and mind baby; Come go home you wild and devil; and the war song, Tell them, tell them, we aint fraid nobody. The last song mentioned was usually a catalyst to some wild but beautiful dancing and equally wild “swapping”. Over the years, the traditional instrumentation was replaced by string band music and later by steelbands and still later by electronic music. It is my opinion that the fast calypso/soca rhythms are unsuitable for real clown dancing. The string band tempo comes closest to the real article. In the earlier days, a clown set (as it was referred to then) never passed a rum shop that it did not like. The dancers including the musicians would have a drink at each watering hole as they say. I recall one New Years Day, late in the afternoon , moving through Irish Town just above the market at which time both “Daddy Bless” and Mulrain who, because of their many watering stops were more drunk than sober and who were only playing from memory. Their timing had become ragged and was messing up the dancing. Ram George, the leader, went behind and dropped a hunter on the backs of Dady Bless and Mulrain with a “what the f--- you doing”. It was as if they caught a second wind. I can tell you that their timing was perfect for the remainder of the day. Clown dancing was not only beautiful it was also tough. It was a machismo kind of thing and not a sport for the faint hearted. At various times of the day whips would fly in what was called “swapping”. Those who could not take the heat would dance under the banner to avoid the flaying whips. There were always those who was in the clown set but were only there for the mayhem. Arthur “Lynn – now deceased” was such a character. He was the type of man who never took a backward step from trouble. He danced with what was commonly referred to as a “bull swizzle”, rather than a whip. As an aside, Arthur “Lynn” has a younger brother called Oswald who is a good friend. I am not being unduly critical of him when I describe him as an obstinate youth at that time. Once, he got the worst of a fight in Fiennes Avenue. He then walked around into Thibou Avenue where he ran into his brother “Arthur Lynn” who he told about the beating he received from this man in Fiennes Avenue. “Arthur Lynn” then ran around into Fiennes Avenue and the first man he saw he “dropped two bull swizzles” on him. When Oswald caught up he said “ Arthur, that is not the man who beat me up”. Arthur “Lynn” tapped the man gently on his shoulders and uttered these immortal words. “Sorry see man, but you done get the blows”. ome clown dancers became legends of their time and are referred to in the same way as great ballet dancers. In my view this is correct for clown dancing when it is performed by the greats, is truly an African ballet. Those of us who were fortunate to see Arthur “Paups”, Arthur Lake, the Jeffers brothers, “Tan Tan”, “Long Liner”, Ritchen, Jerry, Greasy (of Irish Town) and the Marsdenborough boys (uncertain spelling), their mother sold vegetables in the market) dance really witnessed a spectacle. Old dancers still speak of the time when “Tan Tan”, leading the troupe, went low at Mr. Fulton shop in the middle of George Street, Newtown and did not come out of his crouch until he reached the Circus. Thigh and calf muscles were at breaking point. What should be understood is that when the lead clown was leading a line and he went down in a crouch, every other dancer had to go down – do what you see me do – or you got whipped. “Long Liner, father to one of our own list contributors” claimed that he had “ball bearings” in his waist. He was a very tall man and a pretty dancer and could cross the road in four or five steps. The story, however, is not the steps, but the imaginative and numerous movements in each step. It was a thing of beauty when he went low, spread out his clown suit and gave you the works. Arthur “Paups”, late of Newtown was my favourite dancer. He had a natural stylish walk and his dance was even more so. He was the most inventive and imaginative dancer I have seen. Every dance movement he made was graceful. Clifford Henry, is the best clown dancer to emerge over the last several years. To be the leader of the clowns was a distinct honour. In the early fifties this honour fell to Ram George and he took it seriously. He was not a great dancer and most of the leading was done by “Tan Tan” who was a much better dancer. Ram George though, was a natural born leader of men. His leadership qualities were exhibited whether it was pulling up the lighters and “pulling boats” which delivered cargo from ship to shore, playing wind-ball cricket, leading the clowns or supporting Mr. Bradshaw. Men followed him willingly. Here, I digress a bit. The working class of St. Kitts, certainly up to the fifties, always had men like Ram George who never realised their true potential because they were limited by their economic situation and education. Others of this ilk that come to mind are Cecil (Moonlight) Roberts (deceased) who in the early fifties could always gather and lead men into many civic situations. Another that come to mind is “Mockey” Thompson (now deceased), a past St. Kitts wicket keeper par excellence, who certainly in Newtown in the late forties and early fifties could do no wrong. A more modern version is Letsom Dublin. When Ram George said “into line”, you moved into line, when he said “form two lines”, you formed two lines and when he said “in and out” you moved in and out. And, when he picked you out to dance with him, you had to follow his every movement or his whip would be across your back. He was a no nonsense leader and a good captain of the Eagle Squadron Clown Troupe. Those of us who love the art form still get excited at Christmas when we hear any of the old clown tunes and rhythms. I know that I do.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 18:48:47 +0000
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