In January 2014, I had the great pleasure of being awarded an Emerging Pioneer at National Heroes Day, along with many others. As I sat in the reserved seating on the side of the stage at Hero’s Square, I looked around me at the faces of all the other wonderful people being donned a ‘Pioneer’ of Caymanian Culture and Heritage. From the old to the young they sat, selfless heroes and advocates of our cultural heritage. At the very front sat the most important of us all, the Early Pioneers. The men and women who are the reason we have such a rich cultural history to be proud of. I admired them in their suits and best dresses, looking so elegant and beautiful. Among them, in the front row Miss Julia Hydes took her seat. She had turned 105 years old the day before and at her birthday concert she sang and played the drums as she had done all her life. She was the main reason I sat among my fellow pioneers that day.
Before I discovered Miss Julia Hydes and other great musicians like Radley Gourzong and the Happy Boys, I was completely unaware of the amazingly diverse folk music tradition of our country. I began my research and study of Caymanian folk music and in particular the life and music of Julia Hydes, for my ethnomusicology thesis at Cardiff University. It was a year spent digging through archives, old recordings and videos, and what little information was written on folk music and Miss Julia. Before conducting my own interviews and recordings, I read several transcripts of interviews with “old time” Caymanians including Miss Julia and my great grandmother, Emma Claire Hislop.
The more I learned about her and her music the more I learned about myself and the rich culture we come from. She was born in 1909 in West Bay and began playing the drum at 15 years old when her cousin Leighton “Duxie” Ebanks, a master fiddler on the Island, introduced her to music. She became the only female drummer in the history of Caymanian folk music and created and developed many songs that are staples of our folk music repertoire. Her life and her music are an inspiration. She taught me about the strength of the human spirit, the healing power of music during times of strife and the goodness of simplicity. She embodies female independence and strength and the importance of being one’s true self. Through her music, Miss Julia not only tells her story but the story of the Caymanian people.
We were all reminded of this when Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, a fellow artist and pioneer, read her poem and said, “Lick dem drums Julia, Lick dem drums”. The crowd cheered at those final words and tears came to my eyes as I got swept away in the triumph of it all.
As a final tribute, the Cayman Folk Choir sang Miss Julia’s original song “Cardile Gone to Cuba”. A song about heart-break, hope and courage. I looked over at Mr. Henry Muttoo and we both smiled at the choice of song. It was a glorious moment as I watched her privately sing and clap along. In her own words, she lived ‘a hard life’ and 105 years is a long life to live. I wonder if she ever imagined that her music would have changed history? She is a living treasure of our Islands.
On that 27th day of January in the year 2014 I was among my fellow Caymanians while our countries flag waved in the hands of school children, men and women marched in uniform and our leaders gave thanks to all the great pioneers of our culture, old and young, who walked across the stage. You are the “music-makers and the dreamers of dreams” and I am proud and completely humbled to be among you.