COME TOGETHER
In anticipation of the annual Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival, I caught up with resident performer – and food vendor Horace “Bounty Hunta” Hunter to discuss the growth of the festival – having moved from its original location in downtown Maple Ridge, to the Fairgrounds in Albion, the Black Lives Matter campaign, along with his own personal growth, and plans for the future.
RECRUITING SOLDIERS Bounty Hunta will be performing for the 18th time this Summer; an ever-present since the festivals’ incarnation in 2000, Hunta’s enjoyment performing in the city continues to grow, and he’s happy that the venue moved to the ‘more open’ fairgrounds. “People tell me they preferred the intimacy of the downtown venue, but it was beginning to be played out,” he claims. “Albion Fairgrounds is a great improvement, there’s more space, a lot of hiding spots for Rasta’s to do their thing,” he jokes. “Also, the downtown venue was too tight, I love this new location as the vendorship has increased, and we’re a lot more inclusive now – there’s a lot more multiculturalism.”
EQUAL RIGHTS
After recent criticism that Caribbean festivals around B.C. are too catered toward Trinidadian people, “Bhunta” shares the sentiment, but points out that if certain nations want to host festivals, then they should be exclusive of their country. “If you’re hosting a Trinidadian festival, call it ‘the Trinidad festival,’ not ‘Caribbean.’ And if you do want it to be Caribbean, then be inclusive of Caribbean culture. I’d love to taste other foods from around the Caribbean.” He points out that the inclusivity of the Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival allows guests to experience flavors from all Caribbean nations, “It’s nice to come here and taste food from South America, Cuba, it’s a real example of a Caribbean cultural festival.” Bounty’s views on the Caribbean culture in Vancouver extends from just his issues with how the festivals are organized, but how the Afro-Caribbean diaspora in general needs to be better portrayed, “The Afro-Caribbean subject is a touchy subject for me; I don’t consider myself Afro-Caribbean – rather caught between two identities; Rasta and Jamaican.”
What is touchier is the subject of carding of black people in Ontario, and the murder of Dafont Miller by an off-duty police officer. Hunta argues that the carding is a just another form of oppression toward black people, and believes that society will be striving for equality for some time to come. “The carding is wrong; I feel that it’s a replacement for racial profiling. I don’t know what the solution is … it’s unfortunate. Ownership is a big thing, people are being arrested for possession of something they didn’t create – they just bought.” Bounty argues that in Amsterdam, the result of possession is rehab or a fine, and that Vancouver needs to think along the same lines. “What will happen once they legalize marijuana it’ll create so many problems with issues of ownership.” Bounty has experienced his own share of police oppression since moving to Vancouver, and details a recent story about being pulled over after a concert, “I was pulled over and interrogated when I was a mere two blocks from my house … it’s so unnecessary.”
KETCHY SHUBY
“Bhunta,” as he’s affectionately known, has plans to grow his restaurant business, and is already working on a line of traditional Jamaican jerk sauces, as well as revisiting his roots back home and seeking inspiration for a ‘spice line.’ “I’m trying to utilize the spices we inherited on our family’s property and outsource them; my pimento, my nutmeg, and mace,” he says. Since we last talked a decade ago, Bounty has been focusing more on his passion for food and regularly caters for weddings and private events, “my friend Jacob, a Polish Rasta, recently got married and had a reception at a winery in Kelowna, so I went up there and supplied some of my famous jerk chicken to the guests. I was in Comox as well, so I’m basically a touring chef.” Bounty is still excited to make new music and has material on the way, “I’ve got quite a few projects that I need to tend to right now, and I’m in the studio now and then. People will hear of Bounty Hunta in the next year or so.”
REGGAE-MYLITIS
“Bhunta” is in-tune with the new wave of Caribbean music, and is particularly fond of Exco Levi, a Jamaican-born Reggae artist who is based out of Brampton, Ontario and who has already won five Juno’s. “I like his style, he reminds me of myself, and is a very clever lyricist. I’m also listening to Jah Vinci, he’s really on that spiritual tip – every song he sings it seems he’s dedicating to Jah.”
LOVE
An avid Peter Tosh fan, “Bhunta” is still discovering new tracks from the “bad man” of roots reggae. Thirty years after the untimely death of Tosh, Hunta reminds the world what was so special about the artist who wrote the war-cry, Get Up, Stand Up. “Last year, at a tribute song I covered his song Love. It’s a beautiful ballad, from a man who was seen as such a hard character. From a self-professed tough guy, it was so cool to hear a love song. My favorite song from Peter Tosh has to be the national anthem of the ganja movement, and that’s Legalize It. It’s not getting the recognition it deserves.”
Bounty Hunta plays the 18th annual Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival at the Albion Fairgrounds, August 4-5. http://www.caribbeanfest.ca/
By Sarshar Hosseinnia
