Only in Trinidad could there be an entity known as a 'mike-man'. And really, only in Trinidad could an occasion be specially ordained to celebrate such a being.

Who or what is a mike-man, the uninitiated might ask?

Mike-men have existed for the last 50 years in Trinidad and on May 31, the mighty mike-men gathered at the Divali Nagar headquarters to celebrate the day of the mike-man, by matching skills in a grand mike-o-rama.

Thirty of the nation's top mike-men arrived at 10 a.m. in vehicles with mikes atop the hood to vie for prizes and the honour of being the top mike-man in the country. Indian songs were the order of the day and preferences were given to Mohammed Rafi selections, especially those from the immortal film Dosti.

Mikes faced each other in a preliminary elimination round to whittle down to the "Big Four". Three songs of choice were played from records on record players, (no cassettes and CDs allowed) with an amplifier to control sound.

Judges were wedged between cars in the contest, listening, one ear on the mike facing south and the other on the mike facing north. Points were awarded for clarity and volume. Mohammed Rafi songs vs. Mohammed Rafi songs. In deep concentration, the judges sometimes placed their fingers to both ears to detect distortions.

A winner and a loser were declared. Celebrations from the winner and his supporters and dissent from the loser and his group. But the mike-men stuck to their task in a ten-hour marathon, braving the hot sun to keep this art form alive and to take it over to the next millennium.

Cultural visionary and chief organizer of the nation's first mike-o-rama, Ajeet Praimsingh, hit upon the idea two years ago. Praimsingh, as head of the Mere Desh Committee, an organization founded to honour citizens who have contributed to Indian culture through song, music, dance and community work, decided to take the bold step and to bring the mike-men from obscurity to the forefront. And pioneer mike-man, Ramroop Dhanasir Singh, with 50 years' service to the nation, was among those receiving recognition from the Mere Desh Committee for his contribution to the mike business.

In the early part of this century, there were no mikes in the country. Singers had to sing loudly and musicians played their instruments as hard as possible to captivate their listeners. Radios and gramophones were the property of the wealthy. Radio programmes were heard only on BBC and another New York radio station. There were no radio stations in Trinidad until 1947. Indian songs were heard only on gramophones played from records. Owners of these sets were of a privileged class. And so the ordinary folks living in a neighbourhood where someone owned a gramophone gathered to hear Indian songs.

In Port of Spain a few music shops operated, notably Sa Gomes Radio Emporium, Brunswick Store, Gilman Thomas and Christopher Brothers. But they played western music, some calypsoes and other popular tunes of the day. That was mainly to popularize and sell their records.

Three small Indian restaurants in the city played Indian songs. They were Fakir Mohammed, Mano Khan and Ramaya restaurants. And for those who came to enjoy a good meal, Indian songs were played on the gramophone, with someone especially assigned to churn the gramophone handle and flip the record when the song finished.

In the 1930s musicians Nasaloo, Samad and Totan who were then teenagers used to gather at Ahamad Khan's tailor shop to listen to Indian songs on the gramophone. Ahamad Khan was also an importer of Indian records and harmoniums from India. A cousin of his who returned after his period of indentureship had become his main business contact.

According to Totan, one morning in the year 1936, he decided that he wanted to hear an Indian record through Christopher's mike system on Nelson Street, Port of Spain. With his two companions Nasaloo and Samad, they asked Mr. Christopher to play an Indian record for them. Walking back to the top of Nelson Street, they stopped to listen to the two songs - Bhai Afzal Hosein's "Allah Hoon" and "Betaab Yeh Dil" - and were stunned to hear an Indian song for the first time with such clarity in music and sound. They were overjoyed.

People from the neighbourhood ran out of their homes to hear this new song, for many of them had never yet heard an Indian song on a mike. It took them by storm. The business has long since closed its doors but anyone passing on Nelson Street can see the old mike on top of the building, which still has the name Christopher Brothers painted on the front in fading red letters.

In 1944, when Nasaloo and his companions formed the Naya Zamana orchestra, they decided to acquire a PA system to give their show that extra touch. Journeying to Robert Street, Woodbrook, they met Mr. McLeod, a radio repairman and electrician. For a fee of $10, Mr. McLeod made a mike system for the Naya Zamana "boys" to "mash down" the town.

It was in the late 1940s, however, that mike-men and mikes began to creep into the electronic system and spread through the landscape. Not only at Indian cultural events and in the rural districts but even in firmly suburban areas you can still hear the mike-man announcing weddings, funerals political and social events relating to health, water, electricity supply and community matters.

The mike-man continues to be relevant even in the face of the technological changes and the advancement of electronic systems worldwide. One of the peculiarities of the mike-man in Trinidad is that he transports his mike atop an old car. Why that choice? According to radio and TV personality Rafi Mohammed, new cars would attract too many beauties.

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