Trinidad Bill represents the rare polymath whose multidisciplinary mastery serves as a vital anchor for West Indian cultural identity. This tribute honors a legacy that transcends mere entertainment to become a foundational pillar of Caribbean intellectual history.
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Trinidad Bill: Celebrating the Genius of a Caribbean Living Treasure
Added:I know you telling me I I came here for that. I come here to take you away to take you away from here. You have no right to >> Hey, I'm Ming and you're about to watch Caribbean Insight TV.
>> Well, hello there.
>> You are watching [music] Caribbean Insight TV, the engine room of culture.
For more than six decades, Bill Truckman distinguished himself as a poet, visual artist, sculptor, composer, comedian, master of ceremonies, and cultural ambassador whose work celebrated Trinidad and Tobago's heritage.
Born in Port of Spain, [music] he spent part of his childhood in Woodbrook before moving to Mova at age 10. [music] He began performing as Lord Flying Fish before later adopting the stage name Trinidad Bill reflecting his role as an ambassador for the nation's culture. Bill, what was the name of the first Calypso you sat? So my first collection was wa wal the hungry man from clapp is a song to you I am going to sing is a con and it will bring is when I start to sing this thing don't you ask me to stop him and he's going make you laugh or frown about a new man in this town he said his name was it well brown the hungry man from clappam Then I would say hold up, hold up. Mash your brakes and they'll stop on us. He went to a finish the other night. He never stopped eating till broad daylight. He drank a beer and he swallowed the glass and eat up the waiter. Although it was brass, the hostess asked him to take a chair.
Pleasing himself, he swallowed a pear.
They asked him to leave and he left quite gay, eating everything that he met upon his way.
[laughter] >> From then on they realized I was into singing calypso. So um I was still doing plays but I would come in with something and um I had run.
Run was a song. My first Calypso record.
Actually, I did a record before with Dot Evans.
>> Mhm.
>> Scratch, scratch my back.
>> Scratch, scratch my back. It really is a fact. I itches. I scratch. Yes, sir. You know, that was the first recording I did. Run. I came down and I didjo you know candy store selling whiskey behind the door got more and then ran out brother then began to run Joe run as fast as you can run in the van I did it in Bermuda and one of the the guys in the band in Bermuda um helped me to put the chords together, you know, cuz I was trying to write music on their own and a organist over there, he helped me put the chords together and then when I came back here, I recorded it and that was my first and Tom had a little selling ganja below the counter. When the police come and up, then the business had to stop. I had the ganja below the fence so you won't find no evidence. And if you catch me with all this grass, man, sure to look up me.
If you see me, run away.
Run away with the police behind me. Run away.
Look, look, look.
[music] [music] Since smaller powder mixed with flour drink from we always get our way [music] because I enjoy what I do. I enjoy what I do.
Rolling on the ground. Get a ball back down. Rolling on the ground all over.
Stumbling alone all the way. I like I [music] [music] >> [music] >> Since getting down all over town, but the last time make me look like a I couldn't even [music] see While joy and joy on the grounding on the ground [music] like a tight >> [music] >> Hey [music] my [music] black I always give me talk because what I do [music] rolling on the ground rolling on the ground.
All over town, stumbling alone.
[music] I like I'm close.
The fire [music] [music] always want to be politician talking always want to be politician.
food country.
But that was the rightest thing that was made for me.
Because how them couldn't enjoy what they doing when enjoyed what they do.
[music] Welling on the ground [music] high like a [music] [music] >> [music] >> police.
Oh yeah.
[music] Glory [music] powderation.
Oh, hallelujah. [music] >> [music] [music] >> went shot [laughter] you know I were doing a lot of things and at that time I was MCing for Sparrow outside and that's how I happened to become the MC in the tent because after he realized that I was doing such a good job of it outside when Panther left the tent he said um you need a MC I say I am here I will do it and that's how I started MCing the tent by by this time I was MCing and singing calypso at the same time this is a fellow who is a big fellow he's a big fellow and he like skinny woman no I mean fat woman he like big nice plump woman because he big and plump and it so happen we pick up with this nice little beautiful skinny woman and he don't know how to deal with it. So he find himself in trouble how to act and how what to say to she but she nice and she like him and he like she too. So he he say um come come go go go home by me now. So hey girl come go go go by me now. She [snorts] she said, "All right."
And she reach home and he turn on some music and he put out some drinks and some food and he get a bright idea. He said, "Ah, turn down the lights low and put on some sexy music." And as he put on the sexy music and he turned down the lights slow, he start to dance with she and he said, "Aha, now I know what to do cuz he know how to beg she for where he want."
So he start to dance. And while he dancing in the dimness of the evening, he pull down his zipper, push the hand inside, take it out and slip it in her hand. And she says, "Sorry, I don't smoke.
[screaming] [cheering] No, I I how I'm embarrassing.
How embarrassing. Somebody pick up that for me, please. Her I I know there's a phone number.
Has to be a phone number. Yeah. No, them woman and them would never stop giving me phone numbers.
Good. Yeah. Well, this man, well, he like that. He like that so much. You know, some women [laughter] they hate to know that men really like that. You know that. And and and most people know that they most people realize that um you [clears throat] could tell the size of a woman by the size of a mouth.
So from then on most time you hear women laugh, they just laugh. Oh, they never laugh anymore because mankind me I don't care about that. Laugh how you want to laugh me. I care about it. You think I like You think I like small mouth or what?
[cheering] That does only bruise you up.
Me I bruise up. Bruise up. Look. However, what I talking about is Ton now so we get away from the excuses of what I've been trying to make it. Ton Ton run second in road march one year.
Ladies and gentlemen, you all remember Tun.
>> Since then we had Pum Boom and after that you had Boom Boom. Well, Tun Boom Boom and all pum boom all getting close to one another. Don't worry about it. Eventually, I will tell you about it.
I was in the audience there a while ago and and and and this woman is telling me how I getting fat. Bill Chutman, you're getting fat. I say, "Man, darling, if me fly open, tell me."
[cheering] You know, I mean, I didn't expect Look at me. Do I look fat?
I know I know women like skinny men like me, you know. I I I Yeah. So I I I maintain my skinniness. I I I I can understand getting a little more length because people like length. I mean height sometimes, you know. I know women just like men, you know, women too women. I mean men men like skinny women.
I hear men say that skinny women good in bed. Fat women is the bed. I don't know.
I mean, whatever. However, this this Father's Day, I I decided, you know, everybody buys gifts for father on Father's Day. I decided to buy mother's gift. A father's gift. Father gave she a gift. Get the Get the lady now. The the madam buy she a gift.
Yes. for Father's Day.
So I went in town and I start to shop shop around and I look I look I see all kind of thing. Then I see stockings. I see some long stockings and short stockings. But you know don't care how long a stocking is.
The the top is always nearest the bottom. So I decided I going to buy this pair stockings that I saw. It mark merry Christmas on this leg and happy new year on the next leg. I say I must buy that for she for Father's Day so I could come and visit her between the holidays.
However, I am not here to give old talk and old talk. Dan, we're not here to give old talk and old talk.
Yeah, man. I come in I come in power. That's the power of coming.
Yes. No, you can't talk about coming because you come by yourself.
You too. But what you should do is get together with she and B. All you could come together.
I would like to come with she myself, you know. But uh but I know what is the problem with power. Power. power have too much power above and nothing below.
So it's hard for him to stand up for his rights.
[laughter] There's one fell they can't charge for rape cuz his evidence would never stand up.
[screaming] Oh boy.
Every every every every every day power does be always saying to himself one more time once upon a time you used to get I used to get up in the morning and you would say good morning to me now I wake up and I say I have to wake you up wake up now wake up now you're down looking at me shoes shining my shoes on me you have to prepare yourself for such eventualities I have a joke and all somebody here gimic give all you you know it reached to a point where after a while you just get to that stage where they think you must be dead out and then give joke to the people.
One fella give me a joke in the audience there he said this one good tell them they must like it.
A fellow have a dog and it could talk.
He say, "Your lie can't talk." And the man said, "I bet you $100 my dog could talk." He said, "No way." So he hand him $100. And the man walk into the backyard, take up a ladder, pick up a dog, and walk to the house, put the ladder against the house, went up the ladder, leave the dog on top the house, and come back down and stand up by the man. He said, "I bet you my dog could talk." You say, "Give me $100. Your dog can't talk." You say, "Wait, dog, [screaming] where you is?" And the dog ball roof.
But this is another one. He mark it down. It It's a father cross.
A a priest watching this girl.
This priest watching this girl and and the fellow everybody watching the priest and saying, "Father, after all, how you could be looking at that girl like that?" You say, Mm- [clears throat] Oh. Oh, you have to excuse me. But um she looks and the girl after a while notice how father looking at you and she looking kind of bosami boozami you know and father say she say father you're looking at me cross you know the girl had a little on a pendant a cross hanging there he say yes I'm looking at the cross but not that really you know is the two thieves on each side really looking at that is the next one of them fellas giving. No, you have to know when people give you a joke if it good or it ain't good. I find out and this one is how a man want a woman so bad. He want you bad. He want you bad. He said, "Woman, I want you." She said, "Well, you can't get me just so you know." She said, "What could I do to get you?" She said, I want a MercedesBenz.
He said, "No problem." He buy she the Mercedes Benz. So he gone home by she expecting to get a little do. She said, "Uh-uh. It so." He said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Well, I ain't just want a MercedesBenz. I want a house, too."
He said, "Oh, no problem. It buys you a house."
And he come back. Well, you got the house and you got the Mercedes Ben. The house must have a bed. I ready to do say that ain't enough for me. I want a bank account.
Money in the bank. So he put money in the bank. She said, he say, "Well, when you're ready, you're ready." He say, "Listen, honey." Mhm.
You got all the requirements but I would like 9 in.
He said, "Oh God, I give you car, I give you house and money in the bank.
You mean to say you want double what I have?"
I didn't know if that one is a good one anyway.
Somewhere along the line you will tell me 9 in the man have 18. I was in Montreal with my wife and my children and I I told them I said look I going back home and I going to make a hit.
Parro came to visit me in Montreal and I told him I am going to make a hit in Trinidad.
He said what make you think so? I said well if all the children in Trinidad singing mommy mommy I want to go back to school. these areas didn't make a hit.
So I went all the way back to school in my mind how what happened and I remember going to school here in Moa and it was not a school it was a church and the bell used to be ringing when we coming in and I put that as my my chorus you know the church bell ding bong bing bong bong ding ding dong that is the that's my chorus ding dong ding dong ding [music] dong ding that's how >> [music] >> Mommy, mommy, I want to go back to school.
[music] Mommy, mommy, stay home to school.
I want you to understand. I need an education. [music] I want to learn to be P to be a gallon.
But what I really really [music] love to be [singing] in school in time for recess [music] [music] and running in this International year of the child.
[music] [music] Yeah.
Heat. [music] [music] Heat.
[music] [music] [music] Heat.
[music] Heat.
[music] Heat.
[music] [music] >> [cheering] >> Heat. Heat.
[music] Heat >> [music] [music] [music] >> up here.
>> [screaming] [music] >> here. Now let me tell you something. I know a lot of you here walk to come here because most of you from foreign.
But if I want to tell you park come with car and park outside. Well, just now before I come in, a man tell policeman said to tell the driver of car P A S 6572 to come and remove your car.
It's parked over a manhole and the man want to get out.
[laughter] >> Yeah. You don't know police are finding all kind of thing when they see these car park right down the road there. So, but he could see two two foot.
All he seen is two foot.
So, he ping the glass on two foot.
All right. All right.
All right.
Eh, no. But the nicest thing is to happen is a fellow um this morning. I guess he was kind of late for parking car and he put a note on the windshield.
Put a note. I have made the block for the past 20 minutes and I can't find a place to park and I am late for my job.
And if I don't get there in time, I will lose my job.
Um, and he put a little caption below.
Forgive us our trespasses.
And he gone. The policeman come and see the note.
Write up a ticket and put a note for him on it.
I have could patrol this block for 20 years and if I don't give you a ticket, I will lose my job.
>> Lead us not into temptation.
No, but I figure I have a lot of people in the audience. You just I just wait sometime, you know. I say it on it. You hear them in the ready to tell you the joke. They hear it before. He stood on the corner, dark shades and a cup and his dog. See dog now. And he stand up there and a man pass and drop some money in the color cup. Drop a quarter in the cup and feel your hand in the cup and take out 75 cents. And the man say, "Wait a man. Oh, you could do that. You put in a quarter and take out 75." The fellow say, "I thought you were blind."
Said, "Me?" Blind is the dog way blind.
[laughter] If you know Almanac, Calypsonian Almanac, give him a round of applause.
He's sitting here in the audience.
>> [applause] >> Almanac don't need no dog but some stupid somebody gave him a dog say this will help you know almanac no way around he know anybody know people better than you and I I telling you he does see he does see better than all of you almanac walking down the dog he stop by the corner to cross the street and the dog do so and lift up and pee on almanac foot next thing I see almanac doing so I'm patting the dog I said I know the dog just pee on Put all your patt in the head. You see patting the head. I looking for the head so I could go kick his ass.
[laughter] [laughter] I tell you what, really and truly, you see, it's kind of hard for me to come and give your people a bunch of new jokes. The kind of money I working for here, I can't remember anything.
[laughter] And I you think you joke my ball so cheap. My boss cheap real cheap Christmas gone.
He went outside in the backyard behind the house, pull out the gun, fire off two shot pow pow and then come back inside and tell the children Santa Claus just commit suicide. That is cheap.
>> [laughter] >> Yeah. No. But seriously, you know, it's like that. So, you can't blame me if if they pay me bigger money and thing. I sure could remember. I would remember everything. I would remember the day I was born perfectly. I I I of course I do remember the day I was born. I could remember before I was born. Yeah, I remember before I was born. I remember going with my father on a picnic [laughter] and coming back with my mother.
They think I I I know I could remember.
I remember what I want to remember, you know. Yeah.
I remember a fellow walking to a place there and you know carnival carnival coming and everybody want to have their little fun and get on and things. So he saying I intend to protect myself.
I intend to make sure. So he go on in this place. He said, "I want to buy a See, you have plenty condoms here. I want to buy one. I want to buy a pack."
The man say, "Well, what size you what size?" He said, he said, "Have a size."
Say, "Yeah, you see look that door there. You see that door have a lot of holes in the door?" Check the holes.
Check it out and see which hole which hole is your size.
Say you went to the door and check out too big, too small, too big, too. Just me.
Then he find one hole. He say that's the right size. That's the right size.
You're looking good. The man call. He say you find your size yet? He say yes.
So how much condom you want? He say forget the condom. I go buy the door.
[cheering] Um.
All right guys. Okay. So guys, so guys, we could talk some [ __ ] I mean stupidness later.
We have a lot of people. We must realize that we have a lot of people here who came from abroad. There's a lot of people that came from away and some come from foreign. You understand? So people people that hear all the time if you don't hear the joke hush don't bother to tell them them want to hear the same old joke that you you hearing all the time them want you have this lady here come and tell me see this gentleman here he's a MC up there and I tell him you say you want to hear the joke about the I say I can't give them joke and people don't say old joke but it is happen all the time people come here to hear because you don't hear it I I tell it sorry afterwards but you know how to pay for it especially.
No it's like that. No they have a lot of different people from foreign from away.
The people from foreign well you know where they come from them from away is people who born here and they went away.
So when they come back they come back from away. [laughter] Then they have those who come from abroad. Well the broad must done with them. So she's [laughter] and no seriously the people from foreign is like to co and the grand nar you are watching Caribbean Inside TV the engine room of Katya. So don't touch that dial. We'll be right back with much more. I am sexy Susie the number one and the only. And listen, I watch Caribbean Inside. That's my channel. I will subscribe to them anytime. You better make it your channel just right >> now. I'm doing my part. This is the time you do your part and subscribe so we can keep Calypso alive.
>> Come and say mommy children saying you famous. I said mommy popular money, not famous [singing] dynamite. [music] Caribbean in sight is super spite. [music] Caribbean [singing] in sight.
Enjoy day or night. [music] Caribbean [singing] is dynamite. And we are taking you through the journey of Calypso.
[music] [music] [music] I wonder [music] where I [music] [music] [applause] now clap now.
Don't be afraid. Don't worry about if you you could show off if you have plenty clap. Show off. We always have a doctor here. [applause] Dr. Dixit is here. If your dick sit, we'll fix it. Don't worry about that.
I don't worry about them things. I I I make sure like my friend who went by the door, I make sure too. I always make sure I make sure I I put a cap on both my heads. [laughter] Yeah. As a matter of fact, I walk into the drugstore the other day and I tell the woman in the drug store, I say, "Miss, miss, I would like to buy six contraceptives, please." And she looked at me very indignantly.
I say, "Miss, miss, I would like to buy six contraceptives, please." And she start to huff and puff.
I said, "Miss." She said, "Don't you miss me." I said, "Okay, give me seven."
[cheering] [applause] She said, "Mr. What did you really want?" I said, "Condoms?
Condoms?" She had no condoms.
I want a package of condoms. She size. I say, "Size, darling. Me come in size." I say, "All the stretch to fit." She said, "Well, mister, let me tell you the way men welling down nowadays, you have to have a size." Where is your size?
No size. She said, "Let me see it."
I said, "See it." She said, "You want the condoms or you want the condoms?" I said, "I want the condom." She said, "Well, let me see it."
All right.
>> Let me see.
>> [cheering] >> So I just take it out and I put it into a little while later you see the show finish you you will see the end and it have no dead end around here.
I take it and she looked and she said, "Katherine, bring a package of smalls size condoms there for me."
No, wait, wait, wait. Bring a package of medium.
Gosh.
Catherine, bring a package of large.
Oh go.
Well, um, I'll tell you what going to happen here.
Now, this is what this is the highlight. This is the highlight of this show here in this. And I hope you're ready for this because >> this is the time when no holes bad. We we turn you on and make sure you stay turned on because you see what we do here now is we are going to call one of the biggest entertainers in the business.
If you're ready for this, put your hands together. Let me hear you with a hearty round of applause. And we bring on stage intermission.
[music] >> Good. Thank you. Performance where I wore I was a sailor. I was a jam malasi.
I was a police and thief and a politician. I was the robot. I was the obam man.
>> Mhm. And I was doing back to school.
>> I'm a robot with precision swimming. I'm a robot dancing in slow motion. However, the man designed the plan. It working fine because I'm the only robot man today.
I'm a robot for 79. [music] >> I stole the whole show that year.
Total and complete. And after that another year I came back and I stole the show again with um monkey see monkey do and mass dreams [music] you don't stand for your children to follow [music] your children tomorrow we must live our lives today in an honest and prospering way and our children [music] will grow up and prosper not stop and We will be proud [music] of them all.
[music] Monkey watching you monkey. [music] All them babies doing monkey.
[music] You know they doing it better than you.
>> [music] >> I was doing a lot of traveling with Sparrow.
>> Mhm.
>> That's what was happening. We worked all through the islands.
Every island in the Caribbean we went to.
When all you sist [music] [music] And you keep [music] coming and coming and coming. And I'll keep moving and pinging and pinging. And you keep coming and put some energy in your body. Energy in your soul. Energy in your soul. Energy on [music] the road. Energy in your body. Energy in your soul. And I do on the road. [music] >> [music] >> When your piston [music] overheat and when I'm moving to the lead.
on the engine. [music] It the engine up the engine and you keeping and I'll keeping.
>> So I asked my woman, "What could I do to make her loving and keep her true? [music] She said to me, "Honey, all I want [singing] from you is just a little little piece [music and singing] of the big bamboo."
The big bamboo is so big and long. Big bamboo [music] grows so [singing] strong and tall.
[music] Big man.
[music] >> As soon as I start to sing this song, >> I notice nobody want to sit down.
>> It's obvious when those folks heard what I said.
>> [music] >> The men bamboo is dead.
The big bamboo so big and long [music] [singing] and strong.
[music] >> [music] >> Ladies and gents, I hope you enjoyed this show.
And if you did, I would really like to know.
Put your hands together for a worthy cause.
Give all the Galypsonians come in and the wheelers. Me too. Chorus and malas [music] round of applause.
You make my move so big and you [music] make my big [music] [music] look like a woman leave you on the shelf.
That is why you sleeping on yourself.
Well, if she leave you, I think what she did was right. So, you ain't getting to use your bamboo tonight.
[singing] [music] >> [music] >> Darling, I see you sitting there all alone. [music] The folks whip you gave it like they gone home. [music] [screaming] [music] Tonight you are going to feel very happy [music] cuz you sure I'm going to give you plenty bamboo from me.
Make my [music] so big and long.
[music] [music] Right now, folks, I think I got to go.
It's time for me to end this little bamboo show. [music] I really can't stay on this stage too long cuz you might see my bamboo dragging on the ground.
[music] >> [music] >> I have to say thanks to you one and all ladies and gents. That is all.
>> But please don't forget be here because it will be out of sight.
Plenty more Ko for you tomorrow night.
The big man is so big and long. The big man is so good [music] and strong.
The big man.
[music] It really pleases one [singing] man.
>> Some people seem to think that if you give a joke about a woman, you're degrading. Now, it's a joke. It's not a I'm not being serious. I'm not degrading anybody. If you give a joke about the politician, you're degrading them. If you give a joke about your country, you're pulling down the country. It isn't. It's a joke. And um if we have any sense of humor, I think we would understand what a joke is. Uh or what humor is all about. And I could lie in my bed and sleep comfortably without having a worry in the world.
I treasure that. I treasure that very dearly that I sleep comfortably. I don't have to worry about who want to get me or what's going to happen tomorrow because the almighty is always looking over me.
So I don't worry about much of anything.
>> And calypso lovers out there if you have not subscribed this is the time to do it. Remember, I'm doing my part and you got to do yours to keep our culture alive. Thank you for watching and I'll see you next week. Same time, same place. God bless.
>> I am Aon and I watch Caribbean Inside TV.
>> I am Destiny P and I watch Caribbean Inside TV.
>> I am Larry Joseph, Caribbean King of Comedy and I watch Caribbean Inside TV.
You should do it too because it's so fantastic.
>> Yo, I'm Kosha Richards panis. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to keep the culture alive. Boom.
>> Thank you for having me, man.
It's it's a pleasure to have you here, man. Anytime.
Hello, I am Kylie and I am saying thank you for having me on CIC.
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