The Gull's Top 25 Trini Christmas Dancing Songs

The following is the Laughing Gull’s top 25 list of simply must have, shake up yuh bum feathers, bus out yuh stereo speakers, Trinbagonian Christmas dancing songs. Regretfully, I had to arbitrarily restrict myself to 25 but I can think of nearly fifty that I had to exclude and that is not including instrumentals which were also excluded. A further restriction was that the choices were made from my very small personal collection. Final selections were based on the liveliness and quality of the music and the degree to which they tempted me to dance. When I looked at the final list, I realized that many of the songs are contained on the CDs shown below. I wish that Baron would produce a compilation of his soca parang songs. I would have liked to see his CD included. However you will find some of his wonderful Christmas songs in the top 25 list.


Lara Brothers - The Best of the Lara Brothers
Scrunter - A decade of Scrunter: De Parang Now Start
Strictly Parang: Vol I
Los Tocadores -Featuring Jennifer McPherson
Los Tocadores -Del Corazón

1. Cristo Adonis (Rebuscar) - Don Alberto
2. Baron – Caminante
3. Baron – Come Go [Who can resist his unmistakable and welcome signature “uhhhhhHueya! Deyng, deyng, deyng...”] Lyrics
4. Baron – It’s Christmas Lyrics
5. Baron – It’s Christmas Again Lyrics
6. Daisy – Hurray, Hurrah! Lyrics
7. Gypsy – Sereno Say Lyrics
8. Lara Brothers - La Gaita
9. Lara Brothers – El Que Toca La Guitarra
10. Machel Montano – Soca Santa Lyrics
11. Singing Francine - Hurray Hurrah
12. Scrunter – Drinking Anything
13. Scrunter – Dat Eh Wukking Here Tonight(Cocotte) [Nearest thing in soca parang to “Shame and Scandal”]
14. Scrunter – De Parang Now Start Lyrics
15. Scrunter – Eat Something
16. Scrunter – Homemade wine
17. Scrunter – Madam Jeffrey Lyrics
18. Scrunter – Anita
19. Scrunter – Ah Want Ah Piece Ah Pork
20. Los Tocadores – Anda Parrandero
21. Los Tocadores - Baila La Parranda
22. Los Tocadores - Gente del Caribe
23. Los Tocadores – Sereno
24. Los Tocadores –Ya Es Navidad
25. Los Tocadores – Vamos De Parranda

Los Tocadores
These days I am really liking the crispness, fluidity and clarity of Los Tocadores’ lyrics and music and their wonderful control of the rhythm. My favorite Tocadores CD is the one featuring Jennifer McPherson. They have successfully produced festive music that encourages joyful expression in dance. The singers have a natural, spontaneous sound and their comfort with the language leaves you free to relax and really enjoy the entire product. I have included some of their songs which for me capture and ignite that special something required to sincerely welcome the spirits.

Special, special mention...
Kelwyn Hutcheon's "Christmas Classics" is like delicious, golden, doodoose mango nectar to the ear and heart. A beautiful addition to your Christmas music collection. But be warned: If you are a Trinbagonian who is not in Trinidad for Christmas and you are alone and deeply homesick without anything or anyone to distract you, you should avoid this CD. It’s going to make you cry, no, actually, it’s going to make you curl up against the stereo and bawl! ...and Uncle Kelwyn will not be interrupting his crooning to give you a hug and a KC dinner mint, so you'll be on your own. Don't say I didn't tell you.

You haven’t spent Christmas til you’ve spent
Christmas here in sweet T and T,
No, haven’t spent Christmas till you
and yours have seen these isles in the sea
Smell the pastelle and ham, hear sweet parang jam…”

Listen to his well loved:

Oh how I wish I were a child again

and his wonderful rendition of the Pat Castagne composition,

Kiss me for Christmas
..............................................................................................................................
"Patria est communis omnium parens" - Our native land is the common parent of us all. Keep it beautiful, make it even more so.

Blessed is all of creation
Blessed be my beautiful people
Blessed be the day of our awakening
Blessed is my country
Blessed are her patient hills.

Mweh ka allay!
Guanaguanare