|
Who Am I? | Site Map | Music | FAQ | Contact Me |
American Idol – in Belize? Our group got a lot done at the San Antonio school on Wednesday and we returned to Chiclero Camp late in the afternoon "tired by happy," as they say. After grabbing a quick shower, I went up to the veranda and met a fellow there in dreadlocks who was setting up an impressive array of video equipment. He introduced himself, saying his name was Kent Pandy. Kent told me that he lived in San Ignacio and for many years has run the one-person “Pandy Show,” a call-in karaoke television show broadcast live from Chiclero Camp every Wednesday night. I learned later that The Pandy Show, which is something like "American Idol," is one of the most popular television shows in Belize.
Since Kent does everything himself – lighting, sound, cameras – I greatly admired him, perhaps because many years ago I ran my own small video production company. That was between my careers of playing blackjack in Reno (see News: January 9, 2006) and working as a ranger in Colorado (see News: July 4, 2002). We talked for several minutes and I told Kent that I was heading into San Ignacio for a while. “Be back by 6:30, Del, because that’s when I start my show,” he told me in his Caribbean Creole accent.
I walked around bustling San Ignacio for an hour and shot a hundred pictures, then headed back to Chiclero, arriving there after dark and just as Kent was starting The Pandy Show. As I approached the veranda, Kent saw me and said to his TV audience, “Here’s my friend from North America. Let’s see if he'll come over.” Although I love taking pictures, I'm pretty camera shy so I beat a hasty retreat into the restaurant because there was no way I was ever going on television. I said to our group, who was eating dinner there, “Boy, that guy out on the veranda tried to get me on live TV.”
Upon hearing this, Cecelia, who is not at all camera shy, jumped up, grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me out to the veranda, excitedly saying “C’mon, Del, we’ve gotta do this! We’ve gotta do this!” Laughing and with a big grin, she dragged me over to the camera and, upon seeing us, Kent also broke into a smile. In his Creole accent, he said, “Here are my friends from North America. Come over and tell me about yourselves!” So Cecelia and I spent the next five minutes being interviewed on one of the most popular television shows in Belize, telling most everyone in Belize about ourselves and our work there. I later teased Cecelia that I would never forgive her for doing that to me – but I have to admit that it was pretty fun (and pretty funny).
A half-hour later, Cecelia, Coleen, Michele, Laurie, and Forrest decided to sing a karaoke song, so they walked out onto the veranda. At Kent's invitation, they donned sunglasses and then, on live Belizean TV, they belted out the Aretha Franklin hit, “Feel Like a Natural Woman.” I wisely declined their invitation to sing but I did make an audio recording of it. And so to commemorate our five minutes of fame, I’ve posted here a recording of our unforgettable Belizean Idol debut.
Now I have to admit, being on the Pandy Show was one of the highlights of our trip to Belize and our group talked and laughed about it for days afterwards. So thanks, Kent. But next time, please ask Cecelia and not me!
Above left: Later, the Blues Sisters (and Forrest) belted out "Feel Like a Natural Woman." Above right: Coleen, Laurie and Michele having a laugh after their Pandy Show singing debut. Next stop: American Idol?
|
