Carion Baird-Job: The cultural queen of ‘Leckitoe’

SPOOKY tales about roaming spirits and jumbies were an intrinsic part of Carion Baird-Job’s youth in Les Coteaux, Tobago’s folklore capital.

She also vividly recalls having to enter her home, back first, when she got in late at night, as way to ward off the evil spirits that might have followed her.

And if a man or woman desired a particular individual as a lover, she said, Les Coteaux was the place to go.

“People regard Les Coteaux as the village that is full of necromancy, folk tales, superstitious stories and any time you want to do somebody something go ‘Leckitoe’ (as Les Coteaux is sometimes pronounced),” Baird-Job, 57, told WMN, bursting into laughter.

“Even our politicians fan the flames with that narrative when they mention Leckitoe on their platforms in their quest for power.”

Baird-Job, who describes herself as a “child of the living God,” wears many hats and is a livewire in the community. Outspoken, expressive and engaging, she is a dramatist, storyteller, director, producer, event host and cultural activist.

For the past seven years, Baird-Job has also been the president of the Les Coteaux Close Connection Cultural Club, which hosts the village’s annual Tobago Heritage Festival presentation, Folktales and Superstitions, one of the most eagerly-anticipated of the season.

In the past, Les Coteaux’ presentations have explored universal, relatable themes: love; jealousy; hurt, infidelity; deceit, trust, unity, greed, among others.

She told WMN this year’s presentation, which is being held at the Tablepiece Recreation Ground, will again “give life” to the village’s vibrant traditions.

“People tend to believe that stories and rituals we perform are real because we make the superstition come alive on stage. So this year’s presentation will be something to look forward too as all the others.”

Not wanting to divulge too many details, Baird-Job said the play is titled The Duke of Lekitoe.

It tells the story of brothers Alick and Mandingo Duke, who own two separate slave plantations.

Alick is cocky, greedy, advantageous and a womaniser while Mandingo is good-natured, compassionate and level-headed.

“Alick is running the plantation willy-nilly. He is looking at all of the young slaves girls and he is looking for relations although he has a wife with two kids, whereas the other plantation is being run fairly with the slaves are treated properly. Dingo does not beat his slaves but empowers them.”

Baird-Job said at the end of the play, Alick loses everything.

“It is a case of crave all, lose all.”

As usual, Baird-Job, who has either played a wife, mother, sister, or best friend in presentations over the years, has a leading role in this year’s production.

She plays the head slave on Alick’s plantation, in charge of the household and all of the female slaves.

“I enjoy whatever role I play because I am always myself. I tell people I don’t act, I talk.”

Baird-Job said she came up with the concept for this year’s show.

“We don’t really write our plays. If I have an idea or someone else has one, we will just put our heads together and come up with a whole production. But this one was my idea. I mostly come up with them. I also direct and produce the presentations.”

She said unlike previous presentations, this year’s play will feature dance.

“Our productions do not really have a lot of dancing but this year, because we are doing homage, we have decided to a little dance in our production.”

The mother of three, who has been performing for more than more than 20 years, assured the audience will be thoroughly entertained.

She said rehearsals began in May via Zoom “to mark lines get a feel for the production.” The actors met physically in earlier this month.

Baird-Job attended the Les Coteaux Methodist Primary School before moving to Trinidad with her mother at the age of eight.

But in her earlier years, she was exposed to many stories about necromancy and other superstitious beliefs in the village.

She recalls playing in the school and church, which, she said, were one and the same.

“As children, we played in the graveyard next door but if we pointed at one, we had to bite our ten fingers.”

She had also heard that her late grandfather, George Woods and his brothers were often called upon to help people who came into contact with any kind of necromancy. She said occasionally they would also “put down the wuk” themselves.

“Hearing those stories, I was scared and intrigued all at the same time.”

But she recalled a particularly frightening experience as a little girl in which some of the villagers portrayed Abersenia, a tall, intimidating Carnival character from the nearby village of Culloden who once instilled fear among many people in Les Coteaux.

Late calypso icon, Shadow (Winston Bailey), who was also from Les Coteaux, sang about Abersenia in his tune, Pay De Devil.

Baird-Job jokingly recalled, “I remember one Carnival seeing the person in black from some kind of oil with a red tongue and horn. I almost fainted. I ran for my life. It was the scariest thing I ever saw. I think I am still afraid up to this day.”

She also recalled being told about an incident many years later when she had gone to a practice session at the Les Coteaux Community Centre, days before a heritage presentation.

“One of the members asked me if I wasn’t scared because when I walked in a man was behind me dressed in brown with a hat.

“I told her I never saw anyone. But she said 'I did and when he saw me he ran.' Who have eyes to see let them see. Well, I guess, I didn’t have eyes so I never saw.”

An employee of the THA Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development, Baird-Job became involved in drama while living in Trinidad.

She initially participated in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy competition but on a small scale. That changed when she returned to Tobago.

“I became more involved and passionate about acting and being myself on stage.”

Her talent quickly caught the attention of the veterans in the local drama fraternity and she landed several roles.

She played a nun in an orphanage in the movie, Dream Hotel Tobago, which was filmed in Pigeon Point, more than a decade ago.

Baird-Job also acted in the first phase of Turn of the Tide: The New Generation, which was staged at Movie Towne, Tobago, some years ago.

“That was the most exciting thing, being alongside icons like Dr Eastlyn Mc Kenzie, the late Joshua Walker and others.”

In 2017, promoter Randy Glasgow approached the members of the Les Coteaux Close Connection Cultural Club to participate in the laugh show, Tobago versus Trinidad at the Shaw park Cultural Complex. The show also featured Errol Fabien, Learie Joseph and some of the other giants in the industry.

Glasgow, she said, had seen one of the group’s performances at a heritage festival at one of the group’s productions and felt they would have been worthy opponents for Trinidad’s cast.

Baird-Job said they performed two 20-minute skits, which were a resounding success.

“We nailed it. I don’t think they (Trinidad) cudda deal with we at all. Everyone said that Tobago mash up Trinidad. It was awesome.”

The former Mucurapo Senior Comprehensive School student also hosts cultural events on the island. In 2018, she hosted the popular Blue Food Festival alongside school teacher and fellow dramatist Giselle Donaldson-Yeates.

Baird-Job is also a member of the Corner House Production founded by the late musician, playwright and songwriter, Sherwin Cunningham.

“We do short films mostly on Facebook and we are currently embarking on a movie, The Beast Within, written by Cunningham, which we are trying to complete as a tribute to him.”

Baird-Job believes culture in Tobago is alive and well.

“We have a lot of young people who are interested in culture and even in our group, a lot of young people have joined.”

She said several high school drama students have interviewed her about the performing arts.

Under her stewardship as president of the Close Connection Cultural Club, Baird-Job said the organisation continues to uplift the lives of villagers, particularly its senior citizens. The group also distributes hampers to needy people in and around their community.

In terms of fundraising, the club often utilises the village’s dirt oven to make pone, bread and other delicacies on a monthly basis to host its charity events.

Baird-Job said members are also looking forward to the refurbishment of the community centre, one of the oldest on the island.

“My mother told me that Dr Eric Williams (late Prime Minister) cut the ribbon around 1966 and they now trying to get it refurbished. It hasn’t gone anywhere yet. But it is one of the centres that is earmarked.

“It has served our group and the community well for many years. So imagine, even more good things can from it, once it is refurbished.”