Mr. Peters recalls old time music
Always a big attraction, no matter what the time of year, is Wilfred Peters and the Boom and Chime Band. Jackie spoke to the musical legend during a break in action.
Jacqueline Woods
“Mr. Peters Boom and Chime Band is just one of the groups performing in this year’s Coca-cola Christmas concert out here at the Battlefield Park. With me I have the man himself, Mr. Peters; a pleasant good evening to you.”
Wilfred Peters, Musician
“Thank you, thank you very much.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So tell me, just how popular is this band around this time of the year?”
Wilfred Peters
“Not too popular you know, lee bit better than none at all. Sometimes job is scarce because yuh have too many bands now.”
Jacqueline Woods
“But in the past this was the band around Christmas time?”
Wilfred Peters
“Oh yes, the band for Christmas.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So what kind of music we should expect tonight from the band.”
Wilfred Peters
“You wah get the real country music them. All like my songs them and little bit more.”
Jacqueline Woods
“So how many members you have in the band? Are they new, or have they been with the band for quite some time?”
Wilfred Peters
“For sometime, a little bit of the older ones they died out. They dead and lef me yah.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And of course you have the ever popular accordion with you.”
Wilfred Peters
“Oh yes, noh lef he out, this dah mi life this.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Tell me something Mr. Peters, how do you remember the way Christmas used to be celebrated in Belize?”
Wilfred Peters
“Anytime it come to around this time, I remember the young boys would serenade round, hail a friend and so. But now it’s not like those times. Right now if you goh serenade, them gyal put on a big old box under the house and they noh hear you, so yuh bettah go.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And of course you have the accordion with you.”
Wilfred Peters
“Yes. In them days you have small accordions, not big ones like this. But I love this one; it could give me what I want.”
Jacqueline Woods
“This band is like one of the oldest Belizean bands.”
Wilfred Peters
“That’s right, Boom and Chime. See that boom there, the drum, he older than everybody in the band.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How you like the atmosphere out here tonight, and you’re playing outdoors in the centre of downtown at the Battlefield Park.”
Wilfred Peters
“Very good, very cool.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Okay then, we want to put some of our viewers in the mood, so we’ll give you time to walk on that stage and strike up some good old bruk down music fu we.
We’re out here at the Battlefield Park; it is Coca-Cola’s second annual Christmas concert. You still have time to make it out here, you can do your shopping and at the same time listen to some good music. It’s not only Mr. Peters Boom and Chime who will be entertaining you, but as well the Pantempers will be out here. So here is inviting you to come out here to the battlefield Park, enjoy yourself as you get as much shopping as you possibly can, you have one more day to go. We get ready now to hear from Mr. Peters Boom and Chime.”
(Mr. Peters plays “Good Mawning Miss Lady)
