Producer, author and noted on-air broadcaster Von Martin shares another important documentary on the pan from his archives. This time we meet Pan Pioneer Hugh Borde.

Head of Caribbeana Communications Inc. Von Martin shares one of his many interviews amassed throughout the years, on the history of the steelpan instrument. The one featured here is from 1980 and showcases Hugh Borde, of whom Martin says “...is indeed one of those rich treasures of Trinidad & Tobago and I believe does not get the kind of recognition he and so many of the [Pan] pioneers deserve.”

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  • THE GREATEST STEELBAND CAPTAIN THAT EVER LIVED(in my opinion) IS MR HUGH BORDE He took the' Esso Tripoli Steel band' from under a breadfruit tree on Dengue Street,..St James Port Of Spain Trinidad where our panyard was located And  took us on tour in the 1960s throughout the Caribbean, EXPO'67 Montreal Canada The United States and into Beverly Hills HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA where we had some wild parties at the home of 'WORLD RENOWN PIANIST LIBERACE' 'THANK YOU MR HUGH FOR GIVING ME THE OPOURNITY OF A LIFETIME' MY CHILDREN CHILDREN WILL HEAR YOUR NAME AND  KNOW ABOUT YOUR WORK AS A STEELBAND CAPTAIN (PAN PIONEER) YOU ALSO MADE ME A STEELPAN PIONEER WE HAVE LIVED IT LARGE MAY GOD STORE YOU AWAY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF HIS SAFEKEEPING Rip Bro

  • Happy to be apart of this steelband experience with Hugh Borde, Liberace and the Esso tripoli Steelband  ...throughout the Caribbean, united States,and Canada in the 1960s70s..... sweet memories.....Love!!

  • Nice interview. Since1980 Mr Borde spoke about the standardization of pan, we are still dragging out feet in making it happen. He also spoke about the Ministry of Culture involvement with the Steelband, what can we say about this after 36 years? It makes you angry when you look at what was said and what was done.

    • He also said that the TRINIDAD STEELBANDS have no clue how to perform for AMERICAN AUDIENCES. Your favorite recommendation should spend some time studying that. On the other hand you have to consider in his time the STEELBAND was still a novelty. It would take MUCH MORE NOW to win over the audiences.

      • Hello Claude. This is what I am saying for a long time, Tripoli have never get recognize in their own country for the work we had done fifty years ago for having a repertoire for their concerts

        We had divide our music in sections: Classical, Vocals, Calypso and also I was featured with my scratcher. I followed this trend when I went to Australia. Calypso Pan-tas-tic. I became the singer of the band when join the Groove Warehouse steelband in Canberra. After the sixties people stop buying steelband records in Trinidad.

        • Courtney is that you?

          • Yes Claude. That was me, fifty years ago.. Today I was practicing with a Keyboard player for a gig of a person is going to Trinidad to work in theAustralian High Commissioner  Office. I will be playing my tenor pan and singing some songs: such as " All of Me, Jamaican Fare well, Come back Lisa" around 8th December 2018

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