Brukdown competition inspired by the king
It was originally scheduled as part of the September celebrations but was deemed to fit better as part of the Christmas season. I’m talking about the Brukdown Song Competition in which Belizean musicians are being asked to write and perform an original Brukdown creation and be rewarded with significant prizes. The deadline for submissions is November seventeenth, with the big event taking place a month later. In an effort to get those creative juices flowing, tonight we’ll run a story by Jose Sanchez that was first broadcast in May of 2001: a chat with the Brukdown king himself, Wilfred Peters.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Brukdown Music is one of Belize’s rare and original art forms. It has been passed down through many generations, but the genre’s most visible living practitioners are the members of Mr. Peters Boom and Chime Band. Rub Mi Belly, the third CD to be released by the group, is a compilation of new songs as well as past hits from Peters, who says his musical roots are a part of his childhood memories.
Wilfred Peters, Musician
“I was born on the farm and heard no radio. My father had a little accordion just like that and he played brukdown music for mother, brother, sister, all of us and there were thirty of us. All are gone now; only one sister and me are left. Nobody really showed me and I play the accordion, I just it a play it just like that.”
Jose Sanchez
“So from who did you learn to play Brukdown music?”
Wilfred Peters
“My father; mom too, mom is bad boy. You think it’s a joke, my sisters also; those girls play the accordion and guitar. So when they said my sister played better than me, boy I didn’t feel so good.”
Since those days he has nurtured his talent and played with many musicians.
Jose Sanchez
“What about your other band members, the original members?”
Wilfred Peters
“My other band members, the jawbone man, he died, Mr. Beltran, he died, Ruben the boom man, he died and Mr. Bradley died too. We also had Bowman, but he is still holding on, getting old. Sam Myvett, I haven’t seen him for the longest, he’s sick, very sick. I have to take a run and see him. But out of all of them, God left Mr. Peters here, he left Brother Pete right here. So like a snail, I am left behind and it’s the younger generation who are going to be the one to take my place.”
Jose Sanchez
“Mr. Peters one of your most popular songs is Solomon Gi Ah.
What is the story behind it?”
Wilfred Peters
“The younger ones these days are different than when I was young and the older days because you couldn’t touch that girl until you married her. And then you’re married and go home from church and then rutukutuku rutukutunkutunku, you’ve got to understand that yourself. I can’t tell you anything more about that. But nowadays you rutukutukutuk before you go to church before you go to the girl right (laughter).”
Peters is perhaps the leader of a dying musical legacy because no one is willing to learn. According to him, younger people prefer modern music over traditional forms.
Wilfred Peters
“I want when I go home, I would want the younger ones to learn, but they say it’s hard. It’s because of this disco music that they have here. So they don’t want it. See, they don’t want it that’s why things have to happen to them.”
“When you put on that cassette, you see small ones out on the street going, “aiyaiyaiy.” how can they make it that way. Never make it that way. Never you give up the old for the new, boy. The new broom may sweep clean but the old one knows all the corners. Am I wrong or right?”
Jose Sanchez
“Right.”
Wilfred Peters
“Give me a shake on that. Yeah.”
For more information on the Brukdown competition contact William Neal at the Institute of Creative Arts, telephone 227-2110.
