BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE dying art of fife making is being brought out of its comatose state and given a new lease on life through the efforts of the ‘Doctor of Culture’, Winston Zack Nisbett.
With sponsorship from Delisle Walwyn, Nisbett is conducting a month-long workshop for children drawn from primary schools around the island, which began on Monday, July 26, 2010.
Nisbett, a cultural preservationist, is concerned that, as a result of neglect, a number of the Federation’s cultural art forms and highly cherished traditions are becoming extinct and, in the process, stripping away at the nation’s unique identity.
He bemoans the scarcity of traditional folklore bands and the rich blend of music from instruments like the banjo, quarto, triangle, etc., which in the distant past gave real meaning to the Christmas festivities.
Many reasons could be used to justify the current state of traditional art forms in St. Kitts, but many will readily agree that documentation and record-keeping are not the country’s greatest strengths and that its people, consistent with the rich lore of their ancestry, are steeped in the tradition of transferring beliefs, customs and superstitions by word of mouth.
It is the communication divide between the people of different generations which is largely responsible for the continuing erosion of their indigenous culture. There is still a dwindling number of persons, repositories of the nation’s rich history and cherished traditions, customs, beliefs and superstitions.
There is urgent need to bridge the communication divide if Kittitians and Nevisians are to ‘keep de culture alive’. However, one of those persons to do that is Joseph Pollock of Saddlers Village, a fife maker and player for more than half a century who still finds it painful to be separated from his fife, with which he has been conjoined twins for the last 59 years and although now an amputee, he is not allowing his physical limitations to divorce him from his passion and love for folk music.
Pollock is also ensuring that this important art form is transferred to children during their most impressionable years and is hoping that in the process, the wicked fifer of King Ellie’s creation will have some longevity.
During the absence of Pollock from last Friday’s workshop session at the International House Museum, eight-year-old Tyjon Cogger, a grade three student of the St. Pauls Primary, demonstrated his mastery of the instrument when he, with little effort, ‘fifed’ out a number of tunes. At times, he appeared to have melted himself into the instrument; so oblivious was he of everything else in the environment.
Not only did little Tyjon showed he is on the way to musical stardom, but he also displayed exceptional leadership skills commanding the respect of the entire class, some a couple years his senior, by calling them to attention and putting them through the preliminary drills. Each student responded with passive obedience.
SKNvibes was thrilled to hear Tyjon speak with pride of his love for playing the national anthem. He is well on his way to establish himself as a consummate student/teacher fifer, patriot.
Tyjon is indeed a youngster with much promise, and St. Pauls Primary, indeed the entire community which gave him to the world, should shower this youngster with high acclaim. The wicked fifer has returned.
Nisbett, the workshop organiser, is also the curator of the International House Museum located at the junction of Central and College Streets. The workshop, which also exposes students to playing the banjo and guitar, has attracted some 35 students and runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily and will end on Saturday, August 21.
