Music, as it should be read
Caribbean music professionals urged to collaborate
Caribbean Life, December 4-10, 2020 27
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
It’s almost time for lights
out.
Just before that, though,
you have a ritual: you wash
your face, brush your teeth,
put on your jammies, crawl
into bed, and get a bedtime
story. Then it’s lights out until
morning but before your goodnight
kiss tonight, ask for one
last thing. Ask for “Dark Was
the Night” by Gary Golio, illustrated
by E. B. Lewis.
In a tiny Texas town in 1897,
little Willie Johnson was born
on a bright, sunny January
day.W
illie’s family didn’t have
much money, and so when he
was a small boy and his parents
noticed how Willie loved to
sing, his father made a guitar
for him from a cigar box and a
wooden board. The boy would
strum and sing all day long,
and that’s how Willie Johnson
learned to play the guitar.
But then “some light went
out of his life…” His Mama
died, and not long after that,
when Willie was “seven or
eight,” he went blind.
So Willie couldn’t see, but
that didn’t stop his voice, did
it? No, he could still sing in
church and at home, and “on
street corners.” He could still
strum his guitar – a real one
now, one that could sound like
it was “laughing or crying” –
and he played his audiences
“the way a preacher would.”
And that’s what he did: he
traveled by train, into towns
where cotton farmers gathered
on Saturday mornings,
and he’d sing raspy and powerful,
making his guitar laugh
and cry and people would put
a few coins in a cup so that
Willie Johnson had something
for supper and a place to lay
his head for another night. He
played and played until one
day, a man came to hear Willie
sing, and the man offered
to make a new thing called
phonograph records and pretty
soon, everybody knew the
name of Willie Johnson. He
was “a shining star.”
That was true almost a hundred
years ago. And it’s still
true today…
For the older child who hears
this story at bedtime – and
“Dark Was the Night” makes
an excellent bedtime tale, by
the way – there may be some
question. How can a centuryold
story still be relevant?
The answer lies in author
Gary Golio’s afternotes. There,
he explains that when NASA
sent Voyager I into space some
forty years ago, included was a
time capsule of audio clips, and
Johnson’s song with the same
title as this book.
Nice to know, but your child
is likely to care much more
about Johnson’s life story,
which is inspirational and
shows the strength of will and
talent, despite adversity. There’s
also magic in this book, which
comes in E.B. Lewis’ washedwatercolor
illustrations: alone,
they tell a wordless tale that
appears as sad, elated, or determined,
all of which are perfect
for children who are pagers
more than readers.
Older preschoolers may
enjoy this book, but starwatchers
up to age 8 will love it best.
Find it – then sneak “Dark
Was the Night” in before lights
out.
“Dark Was the Night:
Blind Willie Johnson’s
Journey to the Stars” by
Gary Golio, illustrated by
E.B. Lewis
c.2020, Nancy Paulsen
Books
$17.99 / $23.99
Canada 32 pages
Book cover of “Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson’s Journey to the Stars” by Gary
Golio, illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
By Nelson A. King
Caribbean music professionals
are being urged to collaborate,
as scores of artists use the
downtime caused by COVID-
19 to sharpen their musical
skills and enhance their business
knowledge, according to
the Caribbean Export Development
Agency (CEDA).
CEDA said recently that
singers, song writers and music
producers from as far north as
the Dominican Republic and as
far south as Guyana recently
took part in its 60-hour Virtual
Regional Song Writing
and Music Production Training
program.
CEDA said the initiative
was held in conjunction with
the sub-regional Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States
(OECS) Competitive Business
Unit.
According to Allyson Francis,
CEDA’s services specialist,
the training was designed to
enhance the quality and trajectory
of regional music by
focusing on song writing, production
and the business of
music.
“There was also a practical
component which involved a
collaborative approach to writing
and composing content that
would find a place in regional
and global markets,” she said,
noting that trainers also paid
attention to the construction
of melodies, phrasing, hooks
and themes.
Francis said singers, songwriters
and producers were
placed in groups, “a move
which created fertile ground
for skills sharing, as well as
intercultural and cross-genre
collaboration.”
“By the end of the 20-day
period, a strong cadre of new
songs were released,” she said.
“You have done excellent work
here.
“What I really liked was the
collaboration that took place
between the different countries,”
Francis added. “I really
think it means we are going in
the right direction.
“The Caribbean is so rich,
and what you all have done
in a short space of time is
exceptional,” she told participants,
urging them to ensure
that they knew how to “monetize”
their work and that they
understood the rudiments of
the music business.
“Beyond production is distribution,”
Francis said. “We
have to start to talk about the
platforms and begin to utilize
them to distribute the music.