By Tanya Batson, Staff Reporter
Seretse Small on guitar and Alex Martin-Blanken engage the audience with their musical tale of 'The Lover Within'. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
THE SQUARE that is 'The Round' at the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts (PSCCA) was filled to capacity when persons gathered to see and hear Seretse Small present The Lover Within.
Two guitars and a keyboard were placed in the inner square and seating was arranged around this, to provide a rather intimate setting. Chairs were lined up on the lower levels of the room while cushions lined the steps which make up The Round's normal seating area.
Those who were late often did not bother to seek seating but instead simply stood or claimed a piece of the floor until seating was arranged for them. Prints and artwork which lined the wall all helped to complete the ambiance of quiet intimacy, with a hint of truth. Incense was the final touch.
The show was separated into three segments with two 10 minute intermissions. The performances were in more than just music. The Lover Within is a production of Griot Music. As such, storytelling is a very integral part of the event. Thus, between several of the pieces, especially his originals, Seretse told something of either why the song was written or simply what he was going through at the time it was created.
Seretse's first original piece of the night was She Can Dance, which he composed to express his feelings for his mother. Before beginning the song, he pointed out that he found it difficult to write about his mother because of all the details at his disposal as he was "always under she frocktail". Nonetheless, he distinctly remembers her ability to dance. To further get the audience to understand the song, he asked them to picture the Ring Road at carnival time and "a little boy and a sweet lookin woman goin' down di road".
She Can Dance, while still feeling like a jazz tune, easily evoked a feeling of the wild abandon of soca and drew applause from the audience before it was over.
As the second portion of the evening was set to begin, instead of the strumming of a guitar which was being expected, the shrill of a cell phone was heard instead. The audience therefore laughed as its owner skipped from the room to quickly answer the offending instrument.
This second portion of the night, 'Spirit, Flesh and Blood' dealt with Seretse's search for selfhood. As such it contained four original pieces, He Lives, Ocean of Love, My Love and She Loves Me as well as Mona Lisa and Jesus Loves Me. As he explained his search for identity he pointed out "Smokin an me couldn't get along, whisky is a horrible thing and beer I just can't understand, unless it's hot. But it's not Cool-Aid'.
Thus unable to find himself in any of these he turned to God, and was also greatly influenced by his daugther. In fact, She Loves Me is inspired by her love for him, even though he knows that she loves him in part because she has to.
Another lovely treat was the improvisational dance that accompanied the piece Message From the Forest. While Seretse played on the guitar, Neila Ebanks danced, creating an image of courtship among the music, the dancer and the musician.
Like the rest of the performances, this one went over very well with the audience. Several of the songs were accompanied by sounds of 'Wonderful' or 'Beautiful' as the audience voiced their appreciation. Alex Martin Blanken also provided accompaniment on the keyboards and when he wasn't thrilling the audience with his fingerwork he simply blended into the audience.
