Ronald caught by a hook

In one night “Ah Hook” was born. Ronald Forde, composer of the popular tune said he is no singer, not even if his life depended on it but was born with the gift of rhyme that only manifested itself in recent times. “I’m always searching for nice hook lines,” said the Diamond Vale resident. “This night, I was downstairs at home and I started feeling something... Ah started hearing ‘if ah hook say what, I is a mook say what, if ah hook that is not they business.’ I sat down at the table and start to write. Ah say ah have to finish it tonight. I got the first verse and I decide to add a lil humor to it with the washing. But for the third verse, I remember when I used to live in Belmont, there was an old man they used to call Stardust. He was cultural and used to tell stories about stick fighting and t’ing. And he used to say ‘ah give meh woman $10,000 to go cinema and ah extra $6,000 to buy nuts.’ He treated his woman like he treated his mother.” Forde laughed. “So I decided to put that in the song.”

Forde said it was a ploy he devised by giving the song a “small island twang” in order to “give the thing a full West Indian flavour. I wanted to incorporate the island song to it, to make it a Caricom anthem. That was my strategy.” About the song’s popularity Forde said: “It’s a good feeling to know that your work is appreciated. It gives you impetus to press on. Blackie is the flagbearer, and I am behind the scenes. It is important to know your role.” The former masonry teacher at El Dorado Senior Comprehensive and current Regional Officer (North) with the National Housing Authority compared calypso to a deity saying it was by that means that “manifestations” would come to him. Everywhere he goes, he is equipped with his digital tape recorder, and records the ideas as they come. “And I would tell my wife, ‘Cheryl, de man who does bring de calypso jus come.

And most times, she is the first tester of the songs. Sometimes when I’m driving I’ll tell her, ‘write this for meh,’” Forde said. His first composition was written in the year 1980. The words to “Tribute to Catelli All Stars” came after hearing Catelli (All Stars) play their winning tune “Woman and the Base” in 1979. “I challenged myself to write a song so I stayed home for the Panorama finals. I liked Desperadoes, though, but when I heard Catelli’s performance, I changed the tune.” In 1980, Catelli All Stars clinched the title again with “Unknown Band” but managed to include in their repertoire of songs following the competition, Forde’s tributory song. “But I loved the tents. Sometimes I didn’t have money and I would go to the gate man to let me in and I would sit down and listen to Sparrow, Shorty, young Baron, Nelson, Crusoe, see Rose in full flight and Panther as the MC.

Calypso became part of my psyche. But as far as composing goes, probably it was something intrinsic in me and I didn’t really know it.” “Tribute to Catelli All Stars” was arranged by Calvin Duncan and recorded on a ‘disco 45’ at now defunct Semp Studio, Mucurapo Road. His subsequent composition “Have Faith” was born out of “the bowels of frustration,” Forde said, and the words and melody were “spur of the moment.” “I didn’t write anything for a number of years after that but ironically, it was Young Marcel who brought me back in. They say a child will lead you. Marcel (nephew) called me a night and said he needed a calypso to sing in school. He said he wanted something on detention.

I had heard something on the radio about corporal punishment, no licks in school. Marcel won with that song ‘No Licks in School’, which ushered his recording career. “The tune ‘Wave For Education’ came while brushing my teeth and Marcel came and won two competitions with that. That told me the thing still there.” Since then, Forde has been writing tunes for Young Marcel. “Blackie, however, was like a mentor to Marcel. He was part of Marcel’s management team, we met, and I would always run a few ideas by him.” Blackie’s “Represent” and “Low Rider” are among Forde’s composition credits.

AH HOOK

Composed by Ronald Forde

Because me an meh lady living nice
They coming to give me bad advice
Like they want to take she way from me
An mash up me and meh family

Chorus
But if ah hook say what
I is ah mook say what
If ah hook that is not dey business
Ah get butt, say what
They tie meh foot say what
If ah hook that is not dey business

Repeat Chorus

Ah washing some clothes de other day
It ent have what they ain’t go an say
Ah hanging some panties on the line
Dey tell people ah does wash them all de time

Repeat Chorus

She going theatre just de other day
Ah give she sixteen thousand dollars to pay
When ah remember she have to buy nuts
Ah put ah extra six thousand in she purse

Repeat Chorus

She cooking some food de other day
Ah ketch she hiding de seasoning away
Before ah eat ah I investigate
The menu was fry bloomers in meh plate

Repeat Chorus