The “Time Has Come” to expel all evil and darkness from T&T.
Michael Mondezie
That’s the message of Trinidad-born reggae act Judah Galt (Keegan Galt) to his countrymen with his new album THC (Time Has Come).
Based in Florida, USA, the artiste said he has become increasingly disenchanted with the corruption he sees globally in political and corporate dealings and felt compelled to urge citizens of his “beloved T&T” to hold their government representatives accountable for their actions.
“I see politicians stealing from the poor without any recompense and it had me question the reality of which I was being presented. I for one never accept things as they are presented, I like to question a little deeper so that my conscience is clear and consciousness is processed correctly in a healthy manner,” Judah started saying during an online exchange with the Kitcharee last week.
The Talparo-born performer said in bygone years “evil acts was not something T&T accepted so easily”.
“Folklore kept the children in check and parties kept the adults at peace. We never used to make excuses for bad deeds and we would always aspire to achieve something greater together as Trinbagonians,” Judah added.
Judah recalled falling in love with reggae music after seeing the Wailers play live for the first time as a five-year-old at a surf exposition in Orlando, Florida. He ended up on stage, that day atop the shoulders of bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett during the set, adding that the experience “changed my life forever”.
“It was also the first time I held onto a real Rastaman dreadlock, far less from one of The Original Wailers. This changed my trajectory of life into the appreciation and love of reggae music at a young age, even more so than soca and calypso, until I grew to respect the fact that calypso, soca and rocksteady was created by Trinidadians.
As a pre-teen he returned to Trinidad and founded the sound system Xixgon International with a group of childhood friends that then included current TTT CEO David Roberts. Now based in Florida the sound system continues to play across North America.
Returning a spirit of love to T&T must start with “unearthing the hidden pain and trauma” that fuels “the manifestations badness and toxic behaviours”, he mused.
“I stand with my people and bun fyah pon all corruption. It is the way Christ told us and the way Emperor Haile Selassie I showed us. The Time Has Come EP spends the majority of time vocalising the problem and bringing a great and easy solution through biblical overstanding of judgment, verdicts and fulfilment of prophecy spoken to the twisted spirits who believe they can come mess up our great land,” he said.
HEARING THE CRIES OF THE PEOPLE
Judah migrated to the US in 2004. In February of 2020, he returned to T&T to film the music video project for his single “Land of T&T”. The singer said the complaints of family, friends and everyday people he met about the lack of proper public services and deep corruption in several state agencies “shook me to the core”.
“I was blinded before to think Trinidad and Tobago could never become so corrupt. I started calling around to my people to see what we could do to get some accountability going and healing centres opened for the mental and emotional trauma. Many cowered in fear and I was left standing with few by my side,” he lamented.
Eight days before this country closed its borders in March 2020, Judah returned to Florida to begin work on the album. The sunshine state was one of the few in the US not to impose restrictions on movements and gatherings.
“I felt as if I was in a movie. Streets were quiet, stores were quiet, there was this underlying silence of uncertainty, but I kept my peace. I lived my life normally as I could, praying every day,” he revealed.
Judah says he plans to return home and “establish a network with the people who are seriously seeking change and growth”.
“It just takes love to bring more love. We all seek love and sometimes people think they need to kill to be loved, but that is an illusion of the ego and trickery of circumstance. I hope to come home sooner than later because there is no place like Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
Judah and his team are already working on a new album they hope brings more healing to an uncertain and, at times, scary world.
“As Trinis, we are leaders in the Caribbean. We carry ourselves differently and have proven to the world that our culture is one of the most extravagant, extraordinary and exciting. We are the spirit of Carnival and we know what it means to truly be at peace, happy and fun all at the same time.
“Success for us in 2022 would be to see our people unite again and rise up against the corruption of tyranny. In my eyes, the devil is the worst enemy and we need protection from that monster every day but it is our responsibility to seek it.
“Let us make sure to never break the golden rule again: ‘Do unto others as you would have done unto yourselves’. The devil is in the details, kick him out and kick out the dragon from my nation. The people have the power and as one of my favourite legendary artistes David Rudder sang back in the day: ‘See how we moving, watch how we grooving. See how we step in style. One lovely nation, under a groove, The Ganges come meet the Nile’,” Judah concluded.
