Kriol Projek releases Christmas translations
If you’re looking for a unique gift that signifies the blessedness of the season but also celebrates Belizean culture, the Bileez Kriol Projek has just what you need. The organization has released a cassette and booklet entitled, “Di Birt a Jeezas” which features Bible passages translated into standardized Bileez Kriol. Pastor Rodney Gordon says, “Di Birt a Jeezas” was made possible through the dedication of many people and is part of a larger Bible translation effort.
Rodney Gordon, Bileez Kriol Projek
“The tape, my dear, take a few months to make. We finish this thing, it involved a lot of people, well several people: myself, Ida Collins, Yvette Herrera, Mathew Lainfiesta just to name a few of the people. We also had the experts who were working with us, Ken and Sandy Decker who were from the Sumner Institute of Linguistics, their sister organization Whitcliffe Bible Translators might be better known.
All of us work hard, put in a few months on this thing, but we feel good about what we do already. This is just one part of the whole effort because what we intend to do is translate the whole Bible. So far we done do the Gospel of Mark, the Book of Philippians, draft the Gospel of Matthew too, and other sections that we do already.
When you buy this cassette for eight dollars, you get the booklet along, so people say, “Oh I can’t read Creole,” and those kinds of things. They never learn how to read it, never even get the opportunity to even try. But you could hear the thing on the radio, on the tape, then you could, at the same time, listen, read long with it. We find that that kind of tool makes the whole thing a lot, lot easier to make people get into it.”
Reverend Gordon says with Christmas so commercialized these days this is one small way the Belize Kriol Projek is trying to put the Christ back in Christmas. “Di Birt a Jeezas” cassette features the voice talents of Brad Pattico, Terry Gordon, Joan Burrel, Elaine and Lyndon Sutherland, Charles McSweeny, Pastor LLoyd Wright, Ida Collins and Reverend Rodney Gordon. The cassette was digitally recorded by Ludwig Studios and the booklet printed by National Printers.
