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‘Let’s take back our Jouvert’- Antonio Tuckett aka Daddy Pitt

- IPM Band leader wants Rise & Shine returned to the old ways
Leader of the IPM band Mr Antonio Tuckett aka Daddy Pitt. Photo: Provided
Band members, including Mr Antonio Tuckett, want the Rise and Shine for Festival to return to the days when the procession started in groups and converged in one area in Road Town. Photo: Provided
Band members, including Mr Antonio Tuckett, want the Rise and Shine for Festival to return to the days when the procession started in groups and converged in one area in Road Town. Photo: Provided
Rise and Shine/Jouvert in East End on August 3, 2016. Photo: VINO/File
Rise and Shine/Jouvert in East End on August 3, 2016. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Leader of the IPM band Mr Antonio Tuckett aka Daddy Pitt has gone public calling for the return of Rise and Shine (Jouvert) to its former glory as he claims the sugar has lost its sweet in this regard.

“I am calling all the bands to take back our Jouvert, Homegrown studio, Showtime band BVI, Rick Ricky Connor, IPM Band, Dirk Walters, Primetime squad and Donald Flax. We are the last of the dying breed of VI music. We have to work together to get the bands coming from all directions,” Tuckett said in a public appeal.

In an exclusive interview with this news site yesterday August 10, 2016, Tuckett said that in the past most of the communities/districts had a band that would proceed from their area and at some point connect with the others in the heart of Road Town. “Wherever they were based (band) the fans would expect them to come from and the excitement would grow depending on how much hyping your band had before festival and how much band talk they had before festival.”

He recalled that back then there were bands coming from Purcell, Huntums Ghut, Long Bush/Lower Estate area and one from the Fort Burt area.

“What use to happen is that by 6 ‘O’ clock you use to have the revelers jumping up behind the individual band, not knowing what the other band was coming with, in terms of loudness and the amount of people they had behind of them… it was not like everything in a straight line.”

“There was a variety in the selections…it use to be a more one-on-one thing with your fans… that was the beauty of our Jouvert, that was the magic about it,” noted the band leader.

While at the time not being able to recall the year this system actually stopped, Tuckett noted that the “sugar in Jouvert” was lost when the committee decided to make it a one route procession.

Tuckett said that he and several other homegrown bands are in favour of the Rise and shine/ Jouvert returning to what it used to be in the past and have since been strong advocates for such at every year’s Rise and Shine committee meetings.

What caused the change?

Not shying away from the reality, Tuckett noted that based on what was told to them at several meetings, there was a serious concern about matters of security. “It was a security and safety issue because the police had a better control with everybody being in one line and you don’t have to have people spread out but it was a better thing in the old way because we had selected officers in each area.”

“Instead of having a bunch of officers coming down in one line, you had them in small groups with the various bands but for the fans that old way it was more excitement, as by the time all the bands reached up you had a real clash but right now the whole thing just watered down.”

Gangs

Prior to the “watered down” style of Rise and Shine, Tuckett said there was an era of the Sudan posse, and Bronx posse where at least one posse assigned themselves to a band, something Tuckett recollected vividly.

“You had Caribbean ecstasy, Rascal posse, you had what was called the Wild Out Section, that’s the rude boys who liked to do things their wild out way just having their rude boy way of doing things.”

He admitted that there were sometimes fights among the posse. “But it was more controlled because there were different police presence coming from all corners. It was more an era of swat spread out.”

According to Tuckett, with good coordination the system of Rise and Shine can indeed “shine” again and it would bring to the fore a true representation of the diverse culture in VI music.

Jouvert outlook changed with Deejays

Not downplaying the input of deejays, Tuckett said the tramp has been inundated by deejays. He explained that before time Deejays were on smaller platforms between the larger trucks that carried the bands. “Deejays used to be on a smaller sound system but now deejays are on loud systems too.”

For Tuckett, the spread-out style provided for a wider variety of people participation. “It’s something that gives people a chance to hear all types of music because you know they worked on their individual style of music verses a whole Caribbean influence. The Deejays play more of the whole Caribbean flavour while the band sticks to local style.”

He said it is up to the band to please the whole mass of people. “We have to cater for all the people because we have people coming from all over the world and you never know who is behind of you. So bands stuck to VI culture and the Deejays took care of the wider Caribbean and the wider world.”

33 Responses to “‘Let’s take back our Jouvert’- Antonio Tuckett aka Daddy Pitt”

  • VG (11/08/2016, 09:30) Like (28) Dislike (1) Reply
    I agree and we must take back our government
  • vi (11/08/2016, 09:35) Like (36) Dislike (10) Reply
    The flour, paint, water and other messy stuff is what killed the Rise & Shine Tramp. No one wants their hairstyles and clothes ruined by these stupid morons with no behaviour
    • Really (11/08/2016, 11:12) Like (14) Dislike (22) Reply
      Stay home then lol
    • simple (11/08/2016, 16:11) Like (21) Dislike (3) Reply
      This is what Jouvert is about. If you don't want to get messy then STAY HOME.
      • Bring back dah sweetness to our jouvert!!!!! (18/06/2022, 23:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        No that's not what Jouvert ia about. Jouvert is about water. The flour and paint spoiled dah jouvert, i don't know where ayo get that bs from. Back in dah days we were using just water alone and jouvert used to be sweet because nobody would mind if you wet dem up with some water but this flour and paint nonsense that y'all is doing, alot of people don't like it. Most people really don't want no flour or paint on dem. The Government needs to band this kinda foolishness out of our jouvert.
  • BOTTOM LINE (11/08/2016, 09:44) Like (35) Dislike (12) Reply
    The minister killed our culture with his garrut style of doing things
  • Nice Thought. too many bands. (11/08/2016, 10:12) Like (15) Dislike (11) Reply
    Rite now in BVI. Only one Band got enough fans to hold a proper Jouvey.Thats Vibe.. Just imaging. IPM coming from the Pub. Xtreme coming from Horse Path. Vibe coming from Lower Estate, OMG coming from Long Bush. Show time coming from Delta Passage. Another band coming from Port Park . imaging that? Every body meet at the round about, then where do they go from there,... imaging that? I will think the Jouvey will end at the round about. It's a nice idea, too many bands to make it practical..Then again a few bands would be playing with no one behind of them. I don't like the DJ thing period. Jouvey is a battle of band and their recorded road March songs..
  • Listen (11/08/2016, 10:22) Like (4) Dislike (35) Reply
    BVI does not have a Carnival. Jouvert is a Carnival segment indigenous to Caribbean Islands wit their Carnival celebration. Jouvert is also a bad behaviour and criminal venue to which BVI can attest.
    No jouvert. Allyo were given the opportunity and mucked it up.Move on!
    • @Listen. Fook. (11/08/2016, 12:17) Like (11) Dislike (1) Reply
      U sound like a fool. Like a very negative. Person. Make your point clearer. I'm lost.
    • Martin (11/08/2016, 18:01) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
      Dread if ay yo don't like what is happening in this country just stay home or go back where live was better for u. Everybody just want to come from nowhere and want to change this and that. Nothing aint to good for the BVI to get but yet it happening in ur homeland. I aint from here but i grow up here and come to love and accept what use to happen. I grow up in the same era that Mr Tuckett is speaking about. This whole festival just need a little adjustment to bring back the flair. Everybody talking like Tola has the worst August fest, What everybody needs to do is stop talking and go down the Culture Dept and shoot ur ideas as it relates to the August Fest and stop knocking it. It just sickening now.
  • His-Story (11/08/2016, 10:22) Like (21) Dislike (2) Reply
    We need better songs, better music, that should be the focus of the bands. ..Practice..Focus on doing their part good.. Try to give us another Ecstacy. The sound of brass music use to pull me out of my house.. Have me running from lower estate to the Jouvey. Now it's a Heep a thing I don't understand...Then again the young people like it. So, give the people what they want.
    • :/ (11/08/2016, 11:49) Like (20) Dislike (0) Reply
      Not all young people like that ping pong music
    • i from here (11/08/2016, 13:29) Like (15) Dislike (4) Reply
      @ His-Story

      I agree! The bands today are less talented so you get more rhythm boxes than actually songs/lyrics/music.
      • @, I from here..a different twist (11/08/2016, 15:21) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
        Everything we do. We only get better if we practice as a team together. . Practicing is a bad word for musicians around here... Wats up the song. Learn a thing home then go out to play for people money. Lol. Crazy. So it's not that the musicians are less talented, they are more talented, but they r lazier and greedier and want to be in every band...no love no passion no respect for the art.
  • Ecstasy (11/08/2016, 10:31) Like (26) Dislike (1) Reply
    Daddy boy I agree 100%. Festival belonged to the ppl not the govt. Extreme, primetime, Vibe coming de ghut. Showtime, IPM from Purcell, Ecstacy, OMG coming from Baughers Bay n we all clashing by RT Roundabout for jouvert 2017. Daddy Pitt the road is ours again.
    • Lilly (11/08/2016, 11:12) Like (11) Dislike (1) Reply
      I agree Ecstasy. Good idea, so Government need to save that money they spend on festival and let the "ppl" raise funds. That would certainly do the country some good. I
  • Easy (11/08/2016, 10:33) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
    If people knew how to conduct themselves like humans and not wild animals things would be good like back in the day. Unfortunately, having tramps, jams and jouvert like the past will never be again because of the barbaric and senseless behavior, particularly of our young men. Back in the days had fights yes, but that was that, fight today and chilling tomorrow. Now these boys shooting to kill for any little thing instead of looking a girl and chilling out like we did back in the days.
  • Memories (11/08/2016, 11:48) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sudan posse...you reached back far for that one!
  • 2grand (11/08/2016, 13:37) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply
    if these rydim baxx bands and mcs opps singers would play and sing real music back in the day like jam band ;extascy primetime imagi adjikband and the like . festival would be great again nothing talking about festival and why visitors should come and residents participate. good music sets the tone for a successful imancipation,the powers that be or even the wider community should demand better quality music and perfomances from local and quest performers.if I am paying for sevices I will demand the best and what I need to make my venture a successful enjoyable and profitable one.until we get back to the real reason we celebrate it will flop over and over again. those involved must love and be committed to country and culture AMEN
  • Good suggestion (11/08/2016, 15:28) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Pitt you are my boy I feel u.. try fix every musician to band you may end up with just two three bands the most. Every good musician want to be in every band...We have to first bring the love and passion for band and music back... Get ourselves 3 good bands. Then what your suggesting would be possible. Rite now I can count like 8 bands and about six of them using the same musicians. Let's try fix That.
  • New Era (11/08/2016, 16:13) Like (16) Dislike (12) Reply
    Folks like Mr. Tuckett and the rest of you remember the time people has to accept change. You all want everything like 25- 30 years ago. The infrastructure(road ways) have changed somewhat over the years. You cant have all access ways loaded with people and trailer trucks, what would happen in case of an emergency. Back then it was only one or two local bands and Imagi...
    OAN you guys blaming the younger generation for their creativity, Jam Band, Ecstacy, Splash and Prime Time alike destroyed VI music with the same dominant rhtyhm box setting the example for everyone to follow. I remember for years VI bands abandoned live drummers. Kudos to this generation for bringing live music back, with exception to brass sections, we could blame the former BVIHS band director for discouraging kids from playing horns in local bands too. The younger bands seem more zesty and versatile than the former bands if you ask me...I've never heard Prime Time play a proper reggae or anything fascinating, the same boring format for years with 20 men on stage.
    Dont even talk about Ecstacy they tried coming back 5x already can't shake a cup ah water and I was their biggest fan....everyone and everything has their time.
  • Memories (11/08/2016, 19:18) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    How many of us miss Caribbean Ecstasy on the road right about now? The youngins don't know anything about that.
  • Memories2 (11/08/2016, 19:25) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    How many of us miss Jam Band with Daddy Friday in East End jouvert right about now. Some youngins actually asking who is Daddy Friday.
    • Memories 3 (11/08/2016, 22:33) Like (13) Dislike (2) Reply
      Yea we remember...we also remember Nicholas died in 2005 along with Jam Band. Ecstacy abandoned us for cruise ship money along with one or two passing over time. I remember Prime Time ruling until they couldn't evolve and Splash with the hype but never a clean sound. Adjik kept coming until they never came good and Xtreme changed the game remixing songs and adding versatility. They all served their time well to the point they're doing reunions and changing names but nothing's really changed. Like the wider Virgin Islands there's new blood in town...accept it or keep talking about Elvis and Otis Redding, see if they'll come back.
  • Wendy (11/08/2016, 20:33) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    Remember those great clashes at the roundabout in Road Town.
  • Mac (11/08/2016, 21:52) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Brass in the music is still miss but I think we have some real good bands back then. Caribbean Ecstasy, Prime Time, System, Splash Band all had brass but now ah days no body pushing brass.


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