Halfway Point

Gratitude is a must,

Cyaa bawl inna life man
Gwaan wid it, mi gwaan wid it

Written & vocalised by the dancehall artist Koffee, born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, the same place where my mother was born & the place I spent many summers growing up.

Simple, colloquial & raw, the lyrics pack a punch that resonates across the generations. “Gratitude is a must” translates to “giving gratitude is mandatory.” When put in proper English terms, the noun & adjective combo sounds less poetic and armyish, if you ask me. “Cyaa bawl inna life man” in other words dont cry over split milk,  what really stands out for me is the word bawl - such vigour and movement.

“Gwaan wid it, mi gwaan wid it” is, funnily enough, a call to action.  I don't think there is a direct translation for the word “
Gwaan, this really depends on the context. For this i would say the call to action is keep going, I'm going to
Keep going - sending out positive energy into the world. Despite all that goes on, the energy we put out is the energy we get in return.

I have recently discovered something beautiful about gratitude, thanks to Marc Lewis & this is what has gotten me to the halfway point at SCA. Although the ethos of  gratitude is embedded in my way of living via childhood & culture teachings

Gratitude returns as a lesson learnt when you truly embrace why you are grateful, be specific to that week, day & moment. Home in on what made you feel grateful and why! It’s important to write it down, make it sing & play that melody whenever you forget your why.

Just imagine toast by Koffee started off as notes of gratitude that were later recorded in the studio & won her a Grammy.

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