National Water Quality Month is an annual designation observed in August.
CELEBRATE
Make an effort to keep your water sources clean. Using non-toxic house products, not dumping things other than water down storm drains, and not flushing medication down the toilet or sink are just a few things you can do to keep the water in your area clean. Post on social media using #WaterQualityMonth to encourage others to do so as well.
August is National Water Quality Month
National Water Quality Month reminds us to take a long, hard look at what your household and community are doing to protect sources of fresh water.
Water sustains all life. Entire ecosystems depend on it for their survival.
The United Nations has declared 2005-2015 an International Decade for Action "Water for Life"
in order to emphasize the importance of water quality as it relates to sanitation, human rights, geography, urbanization and sustainability.
It
has identified eutrophication, or the incidence of high-nutrient concentrations - phosphorus and nitrogen - as the most widespread water quality problem globally. The way people manage wastewater from cities, farms and industrial sites contributes to this phenomenon, which contributes to water pollution everywhere.
August is National Water Quality Month in the United States.
Emphasizing how interlinked water systems are, the Audobon Society points to the dangers of runoff from agriculture, forestry, construction and people's personal yards:
"Each individual household may not produce enough pollution to force a beach closing or cause a fish kill, but the combined output of all the homes in a community can be severe. And, consider that about half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coastline where runoff flows quickly to the ocean. This is why watershed protection — attention not only to the body of water but the area that drains into it — is important."
The Environmental Protection Agency, which reports that 40 percent of the nations waterways suffer water quality problems, has a detailed watershed database, which allows users to locate which watershed they live in and learn about how polluted it is and what actions they can take to protect their regional water quality.
Clean Water Action offers a succinct but thorough factsheet on what individuals and families can do to prevent water pollution from their homes, including:
not using antibacterial soaps or cleaning products
not flushing unwanted or out-of-date medications down the toilet or drain
not putting anything but water down storm drains
fixing leaks that drop from cars and putting liners in driveways to collect oil and other materials
avoiding using pesticides or chemical fertilizers
choosing nontoxic household products when possible
The songs on Angelique Kidjo's new album "Oyo",embrace rhythm &
blues, soul music, jazz,and Beninese melodies,as well as four of her own original works. Featuring her unique interpretations of songs from artists as diverse as James Brown, Otis Redding, Miriam Makeba, and Santana and including guests John Legend, Bono, Roy Hargrove and Dianne Reeves. Oyo is a truly diverse collection reflecting the music that inspired Angelique growing up. avavailable on iTunes, Amazon and everywhere music is sold today.
"Rum and Coca-Cola" is the title of a popular calypso. Originally composed by Lord Invader and Lionel Belasco, it was copyrighted in the United States by entertainer Morey Amsterdam and became a huge hit in 1945 for the Andrews Sisters, spending ten weeks at the top of Billboard's U.S. Pop Singles chart.
Although the song was published in the United States with Amsterdam listed as the lyricist and Jeri Sullavan and Paul Baron as musical composers, the melody had been previously published as the work of Trinidadian calypso composer Lionel Belasco on a song titled "L'Année Passée," which was in turn based on a folksong from Martinique.
The original lyrics to "Rum and Coca-Cola" were written by Rupert Grant, another calypso musician from Trinidad who went by the stage name of Lord Invader. (The true credits for music and lyrics were restored in a plagiarism lawsuit won by famous attorney Louis Nizer, the account of which can be read in his book, My Life in Court.)
According to Lord Invader, "Calypso is the folklore of Trinidad, a style of poetry, telling about current events in song. Back home in the West Indies, Trinidad, where I'm from, it's a small island, I'm proud of it. I was traveling on a bus, someplace they call Point Cumana, a bathing resort, and I happened to see the G.I.s in the American social invasion in the West Indies, Trinidad. You know the girls used to get the candies and stuff like that, and they go to the canteens with the boys and so on, have fun. So I noticed since the G.I.s came over there, they really generally chase with soda, ordinary soda, but their chaser was Rum and Coke. They drink rum, and they like Coca-Cola as a chaser, so I studied that as an idea of a song, and Morey Amsterdam had the nerve to say that he composed that song back here."
The song became a local hit and was at the peak of its popularity when Amsterdam visited the island in September 1943 as part of a U.S.O. tour. Although he subsequently claimed never to have heard the song during the month he spent on the island, the lyrics to his version are clearly based on the Lord Invader version, with the music and chorus being virtually identical. However, Amsterdam's version strips the song of its social commentary. The Lord Invader version laments that U.S. soldiers are debauching local women, who "saw that the Yankees treat them nice / and they give them a better price." Its final stanza describes a newlywed couple whose marriage is ruined when "the bride run away with a soldier lad / and the stupid husband went staring mad." The Amsterdam version also hints that women are prostituting themselves, preserving the Lord Invader chorus which says, "Both mother and daughter / Working for the Yankee dollar."
The Andrews Sisters
Rum and Coca Cola
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
The Andrews Sisters have recorded the song at least 3 times for different labels: Decca Records in 1945, Capitol Records in 1956, and DOT Records in 1961. During their final TV appearance as a trio, The Andrews Sisters performed the song as part of a medley with Dean Martin on The Dean Martin Show on September 29, 1966 and replaced the lyric "Go down Point Koomahna" with "Too much rum, no cola", poking fun of Martin's drinking.
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
Lord Invader
Rum and Coca Cola(1943)
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
After hearing it in Trinidad in 1943, Morey Amsterdamcopyrighted the song in the U.S. in 1944 and it eventually became a huge hit for The Andrews Sisters. However, because it was copyrightedwithout the permission of Lord Invader, the result was a lawsuit. To further complicate matters, during the lawsuit a music publisher, Maurice Baron, claimed that “Rum and Coca Cola” infringed upon a copyright that he held i.e. the melody of “Rum and Coca Cola” was similar to his copyrighted song “L'Année Passée“. This particular song was an adaptation of a Martiniquan folk song by Trinidadian composer and pianist, Lionel Belasco. In 1943, Baron published the song in the U.S. for Belasco. The final result was two successful lawsuits against Amsterdam; Lord Invader for the lyrics, and Baron for the music. In the end, the absurdity amidst all the settlements was that Morey Amsterdam was allowed to keep the copyright for the song.
Here is a performance by Trinidadian calypsonian, Lord Invader, at the Town Hall in New York in 1946. The concert was hosted by archivist, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and all-round culture preserver, Alan Lomax.
Arielle Dombasle
Rhum and Coca Cola
📽️📽️
Arielle Dombasle
Rhum and Coca Cola
(Clip)
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
Lord Invader
Rum & Coca-Cola
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
The name of the place referred to in the calypso is Point Cumana. Point Cumana, a fishing village and with several sheltered beaches, is located in Trinidad. The calypso was plagiarized, modified and given to the Andrew sisters. The thief was Morey Amsterdam. The song became a huge US hit for the Andrew Sisters denying, initially, Lord Invader royalties. He eventually won his royalties.
Calypso Rose Live at the Africa Festival in Würzburg
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
Rum & Coca-Cola
Performed by the Islanders,
NOT Belafonte!!
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*Words: Morey Amsterdam - Music: Jeri Sullavan / Paul Baron If you ever go down Trinidad They make you feel so very glad Calypso sing and make up rhyme Guarantee you one real good fine time.
Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola Go down Point Koomahnah Both mother and daughter Workin' for the Yankee dollar. It's a fact, man, it's a fact... From Chicachicaree to Mona's Isle Native girls all dance and smile Help soldier celebrate his leave Make every day like New Year's Eve. Oh, you vex me, you vex me... In old Trinidad, I also fear The situation is mighty queer Like the Yankee girl, the native swoon When she hears the Bingo croon. It's a fact, man, it's a fact... Out on Manzanella Beach G.I. romance with native peach All night long, make tropic love Next day, sit in hot sun and cool off. Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola Rum and Coca-Cola Workin' for the Yankee dollar.
Chubby Checker
Rhum & Coca Cola
👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
Gigliola Cinquetti
"Rum & Coca-Cola"1975
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Tim Tim
Rum'n' cocacola (Shake It Up Well) 👇 ♪ 📽️ ♪ 👇
Rum And Coca-Cola
The Barberettes
Andrew sisters Rum & Coca-Cola (jojo effect remix)
If you ever go down Trindad They make you feel so very glad Calypso sing and make up rhyme Guarantee you one real good fine time Drinkin' rhum and Coca-Cola Go down "Point Koo mah nah" Both mother and daughter Workin' for the Yankee dollar Oh, beat it man, beat it Since the Yankee come to Trinidad They got the young girls all goin' mad Young girls say they treat 'em nice Make Trinidad like paradise Oh, you vex me, you vex me From Chicachicaree to Mona's Isle Native girls all dance and smile Help soldier celebrate his leave Make every day like New Year's Eve It's a fact, man, it's a fact In old Trinidad, I also fear The situation is mighty queer Like the Yankee girl, the native swoon When she hear der Bingo croon Out on Manzanella Beach G.I. romance with native peach All night long, make tropic love Next day, sit in hot sun and cool off It's a fact, man, it's a fact Rhum and Coca-Cola Rhum and Coca-Cola Workin' for the Yankee dollar
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