Coby Foundation

09 Acknowledgement.mp3

Looking Back Tuesday! 07/28/2015

Plues St, George St, West St, Tigris St, Dean St, South St, Berkley St, Rocky Rd, East & West Canal; today these neighborhoods are considered gang infested area of Southside Belize City. The mention of these neighborhoods today brings trepidation. Many people who are not living in or familiar with these areas are reluctant to venture unless mandated to be there for whatever reason. I can assure you the stay is very short.
This is the neighborhood where I spent my formative years. This is the neighborhood where I grew up. This was my hood. It wasn’t always this way in the fifties, sixties and seventies. We survived hurricane Hattie in the house where I was born and grew up. The hood in which I grew up was considered a village. Here is a little sample of my neighborhood.
My hood produced some prominent academics, professionals, educators, and athletes from the Jewel. My hood produced Governor General, Chief Engineer, Doctors, Supreme Court Judge, Solicitor General, Crown Counsel, Chief Magistrate, Lawyers, Postmaster General, Cabinet Ministers, Classical/Opera Singer, School Principals, Cross Country Champions, Football Champions, Softball Champions, Basketball Champions, Entertainers, Musicians, and many other noble professions and trades. All these people whom I described lived a few short blocks away from each other. The richness of the community was displayed by the comradery and respect the elders had for each other and the community. There was pride, dignity, integrity, values and morals. You mentioned a name and everyone knew who your parents were by first names. I can recall being scolded by many of them and hoping they did not tell either of my parents. It was a guaranteed ass whipping. Many of these people are deceased, some are living in the US and other parts of the world. The few who are still living in Belize are trying to maintain their health in a safe environment.
There are multiple reasons why our neighborhoods have become what they are today. It will take the hard work of our future leaders and generations to reverse the trend. The Southside is down right now to use a boxing terminology, but don’t count them out yet. Your temporary condition is not an indictment of your future.
The question that many might ask is; why do we like to look back? My answer is simple, “Knowing your history and culture build a sense of pride” which seems to be lacking in some of our young people today. Hopefully some members of these gangs will read this and get a picture of what it was like during the golden years and trigger some sense of pride and start making some positive changes. Make no mistake there are many gang bangers out there who are intelligent but choose to be destructive. I know, gang banging and intelligence sound contradictory but it is what it is. Maybe one day it can return to its golden years. Life is about CHOICE.

Looking Back Tuesday! 10/06/2015

Pictures posted are from The Belize Billboard dated Sunday April 10th, 1960.
When I’m in Belize I reserve a day to visit the Archives in Belmopan and research stories and events that was significant in memory during my boyhood days whether it was educational, business, politics or sports or other. Although I was only eight years old at the time I remember this sporting event because it coincided with the opening of the MCC grounds (which was originally established for cricket) and the drive to popularize cricket in then British Honduras. For the younger generation cricket was big time in B.H. during the sixties. The England cricket team used the MCC to conduct some of their test matches. All of the men in the photograph were household names and the best cricket players of their time.
Perhaps Mr. Elston Wade and Mr. Peter Young who are cricket historians and continue to document and support the progress of the game can elaborate on the significance of these players and the game at the time it was played.
I know that cricket is still big in some of the villages but unfortunately have lost its popularity in the city long before the other sporting events.

02 On Broadway (Live).mp3

Looking Back Tuesday! 09/01/2015

Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand; Stevie Wonder, Sir Duke.
Music is life, music is sweet, music is good for the soul, music is wicked, music is all of that but music is also influential. A brief flashback of a few early memories of my intro to the love of music. I have the utmost respect for musicians because they run the gamut of emotions through beautiful sounds when we hear our favorite pieces. Although I believe the mold was destroyed when he entered the pearly gates; in my next life I would like to return as John Coltrane.
The US influence on Belize is nothing new; it was always present during my formative years as far back as I can remember especially in music. We had one radio station BHBS (British Honduras Broadcasting Service) Radio Belize and everything was compacted into different programs trying daily to accommodate the listening public. Looking back the program coordinators and engineers did an excellent job in putting it together. I recall Mr. Guy Sandiford as one of those engineers. Although we would sometimes listen to other international stations from as far away as radio Netherlands in Holland which played some of the best soul music at the time, Radio Belize was always there without interference or static. Everal Waight, Eustace Usher, George McKeesey, Gladys Stuart, Sefe, and Norris Hall were my favorites. The music was a variety of genres mixed in with our local brukdown, ska and calypso from the Caribbean. I would look forward to listening to the weekend top twenty hits on Saturday nights.
I fell in love with jazz at an early age when I first heard an album by Jonah Jones that one of my older brothers brought home and I’ve been hooked since. Jonah Jones was a jazz trumpeter from Louisville, Kentucky who played with several of the early jazz pioneers and icons in and around New Orleans. He later established his own quartet and was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1999.
Nat King Cole was a favorite on the radio station and with the Belizean listening audience. Everybody loved Nat King Cole. Those who had a pickup (record player) had records (45, 33, and 78) by Nat King Cole. What was even amazing was that people who did not speak Spanish fluently had records of Nat in Spanish because he sang in English and Spanish languages. He has so many hits and records it was hard to keep up with them. By the way he started out having his own Jazz Trio. My favorite Nat King Cole side was and still is Looking Back. Although his music is considered jazz, swing/big band, it don’t get more soulful than looking back. You can now make the connection that the song influence the phrase Looking Back Tuesday!
During the sixties through the mid-seventies soul was much more popular with the younger generation. Influenced by the new DJ’s on the scene like Big Tucks, Glenn Brooks, The Professionals, The Bennett Brothers, Deep Mantone and others playing at places like Day Nursery, Hittsville, Soulville, Barrows Hall, FYA and Lodge Hall. They brought the soulful sounds of Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, O.V. Wright, Eddie Floyd, Arthur Conley, Irma Thomas, Gene Chandler, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Betty Wright, Etta James, Billy Stewart, Linda Jones, Roy C, The Dells, etc…and the flood gates were open. Today those artists and music still ring supreme for many of us.
https://youtu.be/biCSzGxZpFE

Looking Back Tuesday! 10/27/2015

I am pleasantly surprised and amused by some of our people who believe that the government is the answer to all their problems and blames government for everything that goes wrong. It is true that in a democracy one of the biggest responsibilities of the government is the security and human rights of all it citizens, however, citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their powers, and to express their own opinions and interests. In order to vote wisely, each citizen should listen to the views of the different parties and candidates, and then make his/her own decision on whom to support. I am somewhat embarrass by those who beg and expect handouts from their representatives especially during election times as a means to cast a vote in their favor.
From my memory and experience growing up I believe our parents and grandparents were mostly conservative in their thinking, principles and actions. Ah, that word “conservative” conjures up affiliation with the GOP. Are you a Republican? I am at a loss for words as to what the current Republican Party practices but I know it’s not conservatism. Mr. Edmund Burke is rolling in his grave.
Think about it, although our parents and grandparents were loyal to and supportive of their respective parties they did not blame the government for their shortcomings or expected some form of handouts. As a matter of fact they kept government in check along the lines of practicing their conservative values and principles. They were profound in their belief, prayers and faith. Morality, emphasis on education, culture and respect for elders, less dependent on government for their answer to everything, patriotism and love of country, work hard and take care of your family, traditional family values, looking out for each other, less government and spending on what you need and not what you want (being frugal). Many of us baby boomers that migrated to the United States practice these principles and became successful. I know I did. I am in no way endorsing any political party or ideology only making an observation from past memory and experience. Was it just my imagination or was it real?