Elephant Man - Contributed

Since the passage of Hurricane Dean, some entertainers have traded in their mics for mops, water boots and pans.

Reggae artiste Coco Tea lives in Hayes, Clarendon, and says a portion of his roof was damaged during the hurricane.

"Bwoy, 'Dean' crush me. It blow off part of my roof and from 4 p.m. Sunday to bout 3 a.m. Monday mi still a sweep out water. It mash me up wicked and wet up all my things," he said.

Coco Tea says though he didn't expect the Category Four hurricane to go smoothly, he didn't see the damage to his roof coming. "Because of how my structure stay, I was never expecting it, but I still give thanks and praise in life. There are people out there worse than me; places like all Rocky Point, Portland Cottage, Lionel Town mash up and me really get a portion of damage," he said.

Since Coco Tea is an artiste, it wouldn't seem strange if life's tragedies lent themselves, to his pen. Coco Tea, however says, "Mi nuh choose fi accumulate songs on the expense of the people. Me nuh see it too pretty. I want to help the people; mi nuh waah sing bout mi satellite dish wha blow off and di roof. A nuff a dem livity gone. What I want to do is more to raise funds fi see who I can help out and appeal to the Government at home and abroad. Right now, it don't warrant an election. What going to happen after the people go vote and then come back to homelessness and hopelessness?"

Singer Da'Ville on the other hand is singing praises for his new-found friend, 'plastic'. "Mi find a new thing name plastic weh work miracles during the storm an keep the water outside. I was home di whole time an mi did jus deh deh a hope sey everybody else safe an ting," Da'Ville said.

Da'Ville was, however, disappointed that a couple of his shows and plans fell through because of the hurricane, as he said, "I was looking forward so much to 'Champions In Action'. That was one show definitely and mi kinda have a bunch of rehearsals that back up now because of the light situation."

Nothing positive

But despite other artistes in the past, like Lovindeer, who had a major hit song about Hurricane Gilbert, Da'Ville says he wasn't really inspired to write any such songs.

"Nuh really, di storm is nothing positive, nuff people lose dem life, house yuh nuh, mi cyan sing "bout something negative even though is a whole nature thing an wi nuh have no control ova dat, but wi jus haffi try buil back yah now," Da'Ville said.

Elephant Man says he too was very prepared for the storm as he went around to check on his family before getting in some last-minute shopping.

"Mi all run guh down a mi modda, chop down couple tree an mek sure sey mi family an everybody all right an lef some mackerel money an den mi guh buy one Delco, cause yuh done know sey wi a artiste an mi haffi have mi A/C an TV an ting, an mi buy one drum fi water an ting yuh nuh. Mi did fully prepared," Ele said.

Now, after weathering the storm in comfort, Ele says he is still in storm mode.

"Mi tek off Elephant Man an put him down an come out wid Oneil, cause a storm ting an mi deh yah a feed mi pit bull dem cause mi jus pull down back mi storm shutta an deh yah inna mi wata boots an mi gloves a clean up an help mi neighbours. Suh wi nuh deh indoors, wi deh in di streets an some dumpling an chicken back deh yah a gwaan curry down pon di fire, yuh nuh, an whole heap a cornmeal.

Unlike Da'Ville, Ele is already preparing a song for Hurricane Dean as he says, "Mi a gwaan hook up a likkle ting bout 'Dean', it a guh name 'Who Sen 'Dean?' suh by now Monday when di whole country recuperate an light come back an ting."

It's hard to believe, but 'Dean' didn't leave everyone mourning. Matthew Gray of Coppershot sound says no real damage was sustained to his home or studio. "Is just the loss of power which still is a problem, but basically everyone in the sound is okay, just one person roof gone, but he is abroad right now. But before the hurricane, we cleared out all the equipment out of the studio and everything was boarded up." He also says the sound's income was not greatly affected because it came on a Sunday.