THE SAGA OF JIT SAMAROO - FROM NOBODY TO SOMEBODY TO IRON MAN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The humble, reserved, unassuming musical genius Jit Sukha Samaroo was born in the village of Surrey in Lopinot, a tranquil valley of Trinidad’s Northern Range, on February 24th 1950. A blend of French, Spanish, African and Amerindian ancestry and a watershed of cross-cultural fertilization lay in waiting.
From birth, Jit’s musical skills were inculcated and influenced by his mother and the old Parranderos with traditional rhythms of Parang and Castilian. Over time, he honed his craft under the tutorship of Dr. Patricia Bishop, Dr. Gordon Maliphant, Landeg White, Winifred Sitahal and Fr. John Sewell.
Steelpan Master Craftsman Bertram ‘Birch’ Kellman introduced the 17-year old fledgling to the Renegades Steel Orchestra of La Cou Harp, one of the most feared areas of Port-of-Spain, in 1967. With a wry sense of humour, Jit tranquilised these Bad Johns on the opening night of his legendary association with an arrangement of The Osmond Brothers’ One Bad Apple ; they played until round about midnight. Within two decades, he was king of counter melody, orchestration, dynamics and rhythm for the elephantine ensemble that was Renegades at the annual Panorama competition.
“Somebody will win this Panorama” quipped Keith Matthews of Trinidad All Stars as no fewer than nine bands played Winsford ‘Joker’ Des Vignes’ title song of 1989. In 1990 Jit whipped the field again with Lord Kitchener’s immortal classic. At last, my ‘King Arthur’ of the round table of Panorama arrangers had ‘earned his spurs’ through painstaking but seamless transition from nobody to somebody to iron man.
Enjoy and share Jit’s palpable arrangement and my real-time technical analysis of ‘Somebody’.
Alas, Jit has embarked upon his timeless journey on ‘A Ship Called Love’ to cross The River Styx from Thursday January 07th 2016. ‘Steadfast’ is the call, my Liege.
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