Love in the Cemetery
My parents are from Trinidad & Tobago and came of age prior to the mass exportation of U.S. Halloween celebrations across the globe. As a result, they didn’t have stories and experiences of Halloween to share with me and my siblings. In an effort to make a connection to the holiday, my mom would usually mention that in Trinidad & Tobago they celebrated All Saints Day and All Souls Day, lighting candles at gravesites to honor the dead. Halloween (“All Hallows Eve”), after all, is another way of saying “All Saints Eve,” that is, the day before All Saints Day. Although the U.S.-styled Halloween celebrations that I grew up with was a foreign experience to my parents, it didn’t mean that they didn’t have stories to share about things that go “bump” in the night. Trinbagonians have lots of tales to tell in that arena. It’s no coincidence that the largest chapter in East of Flatbush, North of Love is titled “Of God, Ghosts, and Obeah.” Growing up, my dad was a pro at scaring the pants off of us with endless tales of supernatural forces that roamed the Earth causing all sorts of trouble—big and small—for humans. Soucouyant, jumbie, la jablesse, BIG DOG, etc. In the U.S. we have a particular season to highlight supernatural terrors, and popular culture has generally reduced their existence to old superstitions. But in Trinidad & Tobago, as well as other parts of the Caribbean and the world, it is still largely understood and accepted that every day is an encounter with supernatural forces—good and evil.
As we approach the Halloween weekend, and in honor of the season, I want to highlight one of my favorite “supernatural” songs by one of my favorite calypsonians, Aldwyn Roberts, better known as Lord Kitchener. “Love in the Cemetery” is a calypso that hilariously tells the story of what happens to a young man when he goes to the cemetery for “a little romance” with his sweetheart. You can find the song—#75— on the East of Flatbush Spotify Playlist. Take a listen and start your weekend off in high spirits!
#mypeopletellstories #eastofflatbush #lordkitchener #calypso #halloween #supernatural #obeah #simidimi #jumbie #soucouyant #lajablesse #allsaints #allsouls #diadelosmuertos