Lessons from our icons

Culture Matters

Dara E Healy

“Whenever I went to see him, he was always in front his laptop in his office, with his books all around him. He’s there, everyday sitting at his desk...It showed the discipline, no matter what. He was a writer, so he would write every day.”

– Michael Mooleedhar, director, Green Days by the River

WHAT ARE the characteristics of a cultural icon? Undeniably, Michael Anthony and Denyse Plummer had an impact on our lives through their words and music. As we celebrate their legacy, what do their experiences teach us about how to navigate the world and, ultimately, build a better nation?

My mother reminded me that Anthony spent some time showing our family around Tobago. It might have been when he was researching his book Towns and Villages of Trinidad and Tobago. Sadly, I only have faint memories of that time, but I do remember his gentle and kind nature, as well as his passion for writing.

His writings, such as The Games Were Coming, The Year in San Fernando, Cricket in the Road and Green Days by the River have been described as love letters to TT. I believe this is the first powerful lesson we learn from Anthony – that passion fuels creativity.

He came from humble beginnings, so he did not have big ambitions for himself. Fortunately for us, when he was invited by a friend who had settled in England to come and explore his dream of writing, he accepted. One of his first acts on arriving was to purchase a typewriter. This is another important lesson – you must commit to manifesting your dreams.

In the UK, it is said he received some support from another writer who was then making a name for himself – VS Naipaul. Interestingly, both authors inspired the making of one of their books into a film. For Naipaul it was Mystic Masseur and for Anthony, Green Days by the River.

Green Days was already well known locally and across the Caribbean as one of the texts for secondary school literature. Michael Mooleedhar, who directed the film, was aware of the mammoth undertaking. Still, he and business partner Christian James were determined to create a film that honoured the book and marked the space of another local story being told on the big screen. As Mooleedhar says, “I hope Green Days by the River will become a Caribbean film classic, something that lives on and helps Michael Anthony to live on as well.”

The ability to stand your ground is another common characteristic of the icon. In 1986, I watched the television coverage of Denyse Plummer’s move towards calypso with a mixture of amusement, embarrassment and admiration. The Skinner Park crowd is not easy – audiences across our nation never are – but there is something uniquely brutal about that crowd.

Despite the animosity from the Park, Plummer did not let the toilet paper define her as an artist.

In 2000, a relaxed and confident Plummer again stood before the crowd in Skinner Park to perform Tabanca. Members of the audience raised signs of approval like “Big Lyrics Song” and “Teach Dem Kaiso.” In 2001, she claimed the Calypso Monarch title with the sincerity and power of her performance of Nah Leaving.

“Where else in de world you know sweet pan and calypso/People just overflow two days in the street/Nah leaving (nah leaving)/Is here wey conceive me, is here ah go dead.”

The Savannah roared as she danced off stage surrounded by moko jumbies in ancestral white, masqueraders, fire-breathers and the combined sounds of East Indian and African rhythms. Skinner Park, conquered.

I’m glad I made the time to visit Anthony before he became too ill to receive visitors. He remembered me from those early days and said he was pleased with my portrayal of Ma Lammy in the film. Though he was frail, his mind was still active. As always, he was surrounded by the books, maps and memorabilia from his life. Disciplined, focused and committed until the end, these are the qualities that helped define him.

As we reflect on this independence anniversary, we note that Michael Anthony and Denyse Plummer shared another important trait, that is, their deep appreciation for TT. Love infused every word and performance; it grounded their creativity.

Our increasingly weary nation urgently needs more people like them. We must not let their legacies fade. Rest in peace. Rest in power.

Dara E Healy is a performance artist and founder of the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN