Paramin hills fall silent with no parang

Covid19 has decimated the parang culture this year, but some individuals in Paramin hope to carry on some aspects of the traditions in a way that would comply with covid19 restrictions.

In addition, news that there will be no Paramin Parang Festival has upset some even as they understand the necessity of cancelling the event.

Shauntel Marcano-Skeete of Fatima Trace, Paramin, said she has played parang since primary school and has been in an adult parang band since the age of 13. She has performed at the Paramin Parang Festival for the past 13 years and only missed one because she was giving birth.

“Parang is basically my life so not having the festival this year is a bit of a downer. That in addition to not being able to get together, and not having a parang season was horrible.”

The lead singer and a maracas player with the Valsayn-based band, La Mansion, told Sunday Newsday she misses it a lot and so frequently watches live parang recordings on TV so she could feel as if she is at an event. She pointed out that some bands were getting work but hers was cautions because of covid19 and so it only had two appearances on radio stations.

Still, she said sometimes it feels good to get a break. She recalled last year La Mansion was very busy. So much so that one day the band had seven appearances which took the members from 7 am to 1 am the next day.

Separate from the band, she and her friends in the area, anyone who could play an instrument, would usually get together and parang house to house.

She said a parang side would not show up at a house every night, and the same people would not go out every night, but, in general, residents of Paramin could expect a parang side at their door between Christmas Eve night through to January 6.

“Usually we would scrape up about five or six people, anybody who feels to parang that night, and go parang the neighbours. Along the way, the group will grow as people join in and continue.”

This will not be the case in 2020.

However, while there is no set plan, she expects her family members, who can all play instruments, will get together in groups of ten or less, and play parang among themselves.

Another parrandero said, “My band, we usually play together at gigs and maybe a competition or two but that didn’t happen. We were hoping the season would have opened up a little bit so we could have come together a few times but that did not happen either.”

He said he usually got together with eight to ten friends on the night of Boxing Day to parang at the homes of his official band members as well as a few members of the community. He hopes to do so still with less people and, of course, wearing masks, but he said those plans were “very sketchy.”

Instead, he may visit “two or three” of his bandmates and carry along his cuatro, stay for a while and go back home. But that too is undecided if the people in their homes are anything like his mother who told him if a parang side passes by her home, they would be welcomed but they would have to stay outside as she has no intention of inviting anyone into her home.

Brandon Bruce, bandleader of BB Serenaders from Paramin, said he was glad the Paramin Development Committee cancelled the festival because he did not want Paramin to be a centre for spreading covid19.

However, he would appreciate it if the organisers found an alternative method to showcase the talent of Paramin people, possibly having the festival open to a limited audience and livestreamed on the internet.

“All now we would be busy with gigs. And coming closer to Christmas people would be calling with last minute requests to attend events. We would have to turn down gigs or pass them on to other bands we know because we already booked. For obvious reasons, that is not the case this season at all.

“I’m sure people in the country would appreciate being able to hear live parang because it’s a different energy compared to a recording. Hear it on their radio, watch it on their phone, through Facebook or YouTube or whatever it might be – if they were to look into that, I would be grateful so we don’t lose parang entirely this season.”

He said members of BB Serenaders also parangs house to house on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day in various parts of the country.

They are trying to find an alternative because people look forward to it, prepare food and drinks for the parranderos, and otherwise accommodate them but they have not yet worked out the logistics of doing so. He is thinking of possibly paranging by people’s gate rather than going into their homes, calling first to ensure people are comfortable with them visiting, having a limited number of members present, and, of course, wearing masks.

“It would be hard for us not to do it because we love it. Aside from gigs, we put aside time to do house to house. We look forward to it because it’s a nice way to end off the Christmas season. Whether it was good or bad for you it doesn’t matter because you’re filling people’s heart with love. It will hurt not to do it.”