Clive Bradley reminisced about the early days of women in pan:

Memories and Current Thoughts Related to Women
in the Steelpan World
by the late Clive Bradley, Arranger

Bradley reminisced about the early days of women in pan:

“The first time that I remember seeing women play Steelpan was around 1968, somewhere around there - when three women joined Desperadoes; one of them was Ursula, on the tenor pan, and she still plays with the band today. The other, Carol, played tenor pan too, and the third, whose name I can’t recall right now, played the Bass. It was a sort of status symbol for those guys because there were not too many bands with women playing. They were good players. As a matter of fact, I believe that Scrunter (Owen Reyes Johnson) wrote Woman On the Bass for particularly that girl.

In 2005, legendary producer, artist and master steelband music arranger Clive Bradley, shared with WST his personal thoughts and memories on Women In Pan in a special interview for Women’s Month.

Replies

Glenroy R Joseph March 17, 2011 at 9:58am

In the late fifties -early 60's, there was still a certain amount of rebelliousness associated with what we called "beatin pan" back then.

Middle class parents frowned on their kids participating in the steelbands and it was definitely taboo for girls.

One of the first girls I recall seeing beating pan was in a Texaco sponsored San Fernando band called Texaco West Stars, and I believe her father was the manager.

In those days, the developing steelband culture was primarily an urban phenomenon. and the Indian population at the time was mostly rural..

Though there were fewer Indians in the urban areas, Indian boys who grew up in those areas hung out with the other boys in the neighbourhood , and did what they did, and that included the joining the local steelband.

I also believe that Lennox "Bobby" Mohammed's success and popularity with the great Guiness Cavaliers steel Orchestra.made the steelband more popular with young Indians, and more acceptable to their conservative parents.
- Noah > Glenroy R Joseph March 18, 2011 at 12:41am
  
  correct me if i am wrong but i think that when scherzando began, at its original home in tunapuna, it was widely regarded as an 'indian' band ... that is where jit began his career in pan, i do believe...
Peter Gray March 17, 2011 at 8:15am

Nowadays, nearly every single panside has Indians playing pan, but in the early 60s, that wasn't necessarily so. Can anyone say when Indians became mainstream pan players? Just curious. Don't mean to raise any hairs on people's neck.

Peter
Patrick Louison March 16, 2011 at 10:20pm

That's not accurate. Women (SJConvent) started playing pan in GRENADA with my band BANDITS in 1964, and they took the lead from TRINIDAD (as we always did in GDA.) I know this for a fact because I left GDA in 1965.
- Pan Times > Patrick Louison March 16, 2011 at 10:37pm
  
  Mr. Louison, Mr. Bradley is sharing his experience. The date he gives relates to when he first saw a woman playing pan. It has nothing to do with when women began playing pan.
  - Patrick Louison > Pan Times March 17, 2011 at 3:17pm
    
    My humble apologies, Sir, to you and to THE LEGEND.
    
    This demonstrates the need for a medium like this where people can talk and express their opinions and ideas for the benefit of all members. God Bless. One Love. Patrick.