Chutney death wish

Moreso, competition chutney today, as I have been reliably told, is far different from another kind of “chutney.” That is, it is part of “lawa” a night-time event preceding a Hindu wedding and including some provocative dancing by “temporarily liberated” Indian women. Sundar Popo made an early transformation.

Anand Yankarran was iconic; his father, a classical type. Today, given its questionable lyrics and Bollywood mimicry, chutney singing has provoked very divided opinions – even copyright and prize-winning questions.

After all, it is taxpayers’ money too.

Though enjoyable to thousands, much of chutney – by lyrics and exotic dancers – is now moving into calypso-style. The inevitable evolution of a country’s culture – in this case, noisily mercenary, lacking the finesse of tradition.

Anyhow, not being an anthropologist like my colleague, Dr Kumar Mahabir, I stop here and go on to this thing about “death wish” and its connection to “our culture.” Defined as “a desire, usually unconscious, for the death of oneself or another,” it’s an intriguing concept popularized by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

The operative word here is “unconscious.” Further, according to Freud, an important derivative of the death instinct is the aggressive drive, that is, “self-destruction turned outwards against substitute objects.” The “death instinct is the drive to return from where the body came, the inorganic world,” something like “dust to dust.” Murderous gangs, for example, seem to possess a “death wish.” The unrepentant, suicidal drug addict, too.

Acting Police Commissioner, Mr Stephen Williams, devoutly seeking spiritual refuge and protection at last Sunday’s Southern Division inter-faith service, said: “We are in perilous times. I do not know why so many people are angry. It seems Trinidad and Tobago is becoming a very violent place with many angry people.” Sounds like the country is “unconsciously” heading into “self-destruction” mode. Self-destruction to self and others. Look around, listen to talk-shows, scroll Facebook, and watch TV. Is Mr Williams right? This death instinct (thanatos) is always in tension with the life instincts (eros). So when I saw the heated media headlines about “our culture” of the past week, and the boiling, repeated controversies and persistent personal attacks, especially over calypso and chutney, I began to wonder if the artistes, masqueraders, sponsors and even some government “cultural” agencies are really streaming into the slow death of “our culture.” Hear some headlines: “Calypsonians vex with TUCO,” “lawsuits fly in National Calypso Monarch competition,” “calypso comess,” “TUCO calypso bacchanal,” “stiff fines for ‘nasty’ bands,” “legal letter over monarch finals,” “licks for TUCO,” etc, etc. Sounds like a “death wish,” a “bleeding” culture.

Is there more to come? Chutney singers and organizers, from Randy Glasgow to George Singh, have their own fatalistic grouses too. Now, whether you like Carnival, calypso or chutney, no one really wishes bad for such cultural activities. But, sometimes one wonders, given their frequency, is it that quickened grievances, pettiness and dysfunctional organizations are part of “our culture” too? A “death wish” culture? However, some life-giving, heartening cultural events breathe optimism.

For example, Ramnarine and Ravi B subsequently hugged up “with love.” Then this headline: “Musical rivals make peace for Machel Monday.” The young people looked “better cultured.” There was this headline from the peaceful junior school steelpan competition: “St Margaret’s, St Francois school panorama champs,” then with pride “Renegades youths make it 4 in a row.” This was youth-driven culture without adult “commess, bacchanal or legal protocol letters”. So maybe, after all, Freud’s “death wish ” for “our culture” seems mere wishful thinking - for now.