Trinis do show respect

THE EDITOR: Apparently ASJA has not been to Hoosay for many years. In fact, the behaviour of the onlookers is one of the things that make me proud of my fellow-countrymen. Several years ago, people did treat Hoosay as Carnival, and you would see some women wining to the tassa beat. Then, for two or three years in succession, a group came out in black, with placards proclaiming that Hoosay is a funeral, not a carnival. We go nearly every year, and it is really amazing to see the crowd’s behaviour. The drinkers at the bars go ahead with their serious business of drinking, but they don’t get in the way.

Last year, because of the proximity to Carnival, there were many left-over tourists at Hoosay. There were five “English-Trinidadians” among them, and two of the women, with beers in hand, were wining up to the tassa. I went up to them and whispered: “Madam, do you notice that you are the only ones in all this crowd dancing up to the tassa?” Looks around. “Oh!” “Hoosay is a funeral procession.” “Oh.” Trinis, their politicians notwithstanding, still treat each other’s customs with respect. We still gain from drawing upon the great variety in this little space. Last year I listened to the wonderful slow beat as the tassas came out of the yard, and I felt proud of the people of this country.

P A MORRIS
Trincity