By JOAN RAMPERSAD Monday, March 2 2009

click on pic to zoom in

The Lara Brothers...

CHRISTMAS this year will certainly not be the same with the loss of Tito Lara, one of the two surviving Lara Brothers in one of the most enduring and popular parang bands in Trinidad and Tobago.

Tito, who passed away Friday, had been looking ahead to the future of parang and felt that Latin America should be targeted for the promotion of the art form.

Originally, a family of four brothers — Antonio, Tito, Willie, Victor — and two sisters, the Laras were proud to be related to cricket superstar, Brian Lara. They started singing in Caura with their father, lgnacio Monastero, in the 1940’s.

Ignacio was Venezuelan and only spoke Spanish. As he got old and left the band they took the maiden name of their mother, Lena Lara, and became the “Lara Brothers”. The youngest brother, Victor, left the band because of pressures of work but still gives guest appearances with them. The oldest, Antonio, stayed with the band nearly up to the time of his death some years ago.

The brothers welcomed newcomers open-heartedly. Andrew La Fortune, who was originally from Moruga, is one of the best parang guitarists and also plays the mandolin. Irvine Antoine also from Santa Cruz, joined the band in the very early days when he was just 16 years old. And so, others had been recruited by the band, including many of Tito’s sons, two of whom, Carlos and Daniel, are still with them.

In the early days, though, seven was the magic number for the band. When they reached a house they would sing Serenal or Pasen Pasen, songs for the ‘opening of doors’. Then the friendly host would invite them in to sing three or four songs. Often the host would give them drink and put food to cook.

Now and again the sessions lasted quite long — in some cases they spent as many as two or three days at a hospitable house! Sometimes they were not so fortunate.

In a recent interview, Tito and Willie remembered with laughter one dark night when very heavy rain caught them in a cocoa field. But rain could not quench their spirits. They kept on going and eventually found a home, some good strong coffee, and off they went again.

Many people would join in using makeshift instruments, such as bottle and spoon, singing for the joy of performing and sharing. Some of the singing was pure picong, lively rivalry between two or more singers in a quick up-tempo beat. The laughter, the food, the merry singing filling the warm country air — that was the perfect way to heighten anticipation and make the Christmas season memorable.

Tito and Willie remembered the names of some early pioneers of parang, including Papa Gun and Ramos Fuentes. They also recalled the first competitions which were held at Piarco Junction and later at the Arima Grandstand. The Lara Brothers were founding members of the National Parang Association in 1958. Parang, like everything else, has succumbed to modern technology, in this case electronic instruments. These have introduced experimentation with Latin beats and other changes. Calypso has also had a powerful influence on parang.

The Laras felt poignantly the loss of Daisy Voisin, whose singing had a real Venezuelan flavour. They feel that what now exists is largely “socaparang”. The traditional song is being forgotten as it is so often ignored or “modernised” in favour not only of the new beat but also the new kinds of lyrics that are loosely called “parang”.

The house to house singing is quietly dying out. How can the old joy, sharing, spontaneity and openness of the old times be re-kindled? The Lara Brothers were determined to stay with traditional instruments and the lovely singing that celebrates the birth of Christ and the festive hospitality of rural Trinidad.

Included in one of the last Lara Brothers’ collections was the traditional range of true parang, from religious themes anticipating and celebrating the birth of Christ, to songs about everyday life. There was the Coronaron, Vamos, and En Santa Helena, written for their mother who used to enjoy singing parang and other songs.