I have noticed when arrangers travel to different countries the level of music they give is crap compared to what they will give bands in trinidad. Few arrangers keep up like duvon and Andre also Ardin they put the same effort in to music no matter what band they are in.
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I will tell allyuh a story about DUMBING DOWN THE MUSIC when traveling to different countries. One time back in the NINETIES a BIG NAME Trinidad Calypso Singer came here to perform. Well, I happened to be good friends with the person producing the show so I ended up IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOOP. (I have never been in the MUSIC TING but I have always supported it in what ever way I could -- plus I am a CALYPSO LOVER so I was excited by the visit.)
Well, the LOCAL/EXPAT "musicians" from Trinidad who HUSTLE THE MUSIC for a living were selected to back up THE CALYPSONIAN (Well, a little hint, this performer is more than a CALYPSONIAN -- he is also a musician and much more than that.) Of course, ONE EYE MAN is KING in blind man country. So them LOCAL musicians FEEL that they really ON TOP of things and is like they are doing this performer a favor to back him up. They chest swell REAL BIG!!!
Well, time come for the rehearsal the SINGER (ah nearly slip and call out the man name) hand them some music and they start to play. After a little while the SINGER tell them STOP -- leh we try it this WAY. Well they try the second way and things was going along and then he tell them STOP he have ah better idea. And then he give them ah THIRD approach to the music and the BAND TAKE OFF and the rehearsal went fine and everybody was ready for the show.
If yuh see how the LOCAL BAND beating they chest now because the BIG NAME singer accept them as a LEGITIMATE CALYPSO BAND -- like CRACK SHOTS they learn the songs so fast. But as ah tell allyuh ah was liming with the SINGER throughout ... so at one point he turn and whisper to me: "Ah have ah A arrangement for top musicians and a B arrangement for mediocre musicians and a C arrangements for bottom level players -- so yuh see how easy they get the C ... when yuh travel without your Trinidad Band that is the easiest way to handle things in this business."
The show went off GOOD and everybody was HAPPY!!!
TRUE STORY!!!
So you are saying places like NY dont have players that can compare to Trini players, in the end you may think players dont know music they do and its only hurting you when you dont put your all out. Had an arranger came to the yard and gave music and he stated if you cant play his music then you in the wrong yard cause he not simplifying his music.
New York is an exception -- FOR OBVIOUS REASONS!!!
yes but they come here and do the same thing, so whats the excuse
The problem is not the ability of the foreign players. It is the complexity of our music and rhythm. Most calypso music is syncopated and at times contrapuntal in nature. We perform it naturally , others struggle. Have you ever seen Caucasian americans and Europeans dance to calypso? That should give you a hint. When we play conventional instruments like violin,trumpet ,piano and ting' we sound most times like a copy. But let a Trini play pan and he always sounds authentic. Listen to foreign bands who don't have Caribbean players among them and hear the difference when they try to play calypso.
BEAUTIFUL SHERMAN!!! You are the FIRST TRINIDADIAN that I have ever seen (or heard or read) ENCAPSULATE CULTURAL BARRIERS (MUSICAL) -- BOTH WAYS!!!
Shake my hand!!! And I need to talk to you about something else. So stick around the forum!!!
Let me add to the list seion gomez and amarit they travel to st vincent and st lucia and give the same level of music they do in in trinidad
Some times I wonder who write such crap of our musicians away. A lot of people stop buying steel band music because of the amount of Ramajay that the tune is lost. What are we selling to the world. Music is to listen too and dance too. And some of us over arrange that the music is lost to what we are playing. We have good overseas Trinidadian that studied music and is capable of arranging a good Song. That is all I have to say.
With the exception of Duvonne and Andre, who are those that give us "crap", London?
I heard music bogsie did in london and it is nothing compared to what he does in trinidad, I would even say smooth I think he can do much better music than what he gives dixiland in tobago.
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