If in fact a ‘Caribbean culture’ does exist, its portrayal is quite often warped and misconstrued. More likely than not, professionals originating outside the region lack the perspective needed to conceptualize a single, concise definition of a social Caribbean context. As a Trinidadian native, Paul Keens-Douglas was able to use a typical social setting in the 1970’s to accurately represent several aspects of modern day Caribbean life in the piece entitled: ‘Tanti at de Oval’. Set in a Trinidadian background, the story is told in the Trinidadian French-Creole and exemplifies the excitement and conviviality that is associated with inter-regional cricket ; it also highlights the comfortable use of dialect in social settings and the individualistic identity of a Caribbean person in a group of Caribbean people.
Possibly the most significant aspect of the poem is the importance of cricket to Caribbean people on a whole. According to James (1963) “Cricket is an art” and indeed it was. Cricket was the beautiful masterpiece resulting from a once forbidden ‘gentleman’s game’ flavoured with the spice and personality only the Caribbean could add. It was transformed into a real sport, with excited spectators and friendly competitions that drew everyone together. The West Indies Cricket team could have been likened to the justice league of that time and there was no prouder moment than that when the team won a match against the old colonial masters. The pride emanating from such a match would momentarily unite the entire Caribbean. If there ever was a time where the term ‘Caribbean people’ was completely appropriate, it would have been at that moment. Even inter- regional cricket matches similar to the one described in the poem would bring people together in a way not even a natural disaster could. As shown in the poem, even those with a sour attitude at the beginning could not help but get caught up in the infectious merriment. Win or lose, it was almost always a guarantee...
