The Kiskadee is a bird native to Guyana and often referred to in Edgar Mittelholzer's brilliant novel, The Life and Death of Sylvia (1953). The bird is so named because its cry seemed by French colonists to be enquiring: "Qu’ est ce qu’il dit?". So what did he say? This blog is about two key topics: EDGAR MITTELHOLZER (his life and his works) and ME (my encounter with Mittelholzer and tales of life in Guyana).

Monday 24 November 2014

You dancin' like a mongoose


Supenaam-Parika Ferry: Neetram, a man in a black hat with decorative ribbons greets us. Tells us he has "walk all ova duh world": Trinidad, Russia, Cuba, India, China and Barbados. That he is an international pilot. Pulls out a business card to prove it. Pulls out many others. By all accounts he is also a professional masseur, herbal doctor, sea boat captain and submarine engineer. Before we know it he pulls out a guitar. A man of many talents, he breaks into song: "You dancing like a mongoose, your wife wind she hips like a snake, na ne, na ne, bad a na, bad a dey"...



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