January 6, 2022
Kaisojazz pioneer, Clive “Zanda” Alexander, has died.
TTT News understands that Zanda died on Thursday morning at the Port of Spain General Hospital where he had been for some time being treated for diabetic complications.
He was 82.
Zanda was originally from Siparia and started playing classical music and drums he made for himself, from the age of 15.
Zanda coined the term Kaisojazz to describe his fusion of calypso, folk music and jazz.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts joins the national community in mourning the loss of extempo/kaiso/jazz music pioneer, Clive “Zanda” Alexander.
He was born in Siparia into a musical family and is the brother of Carlton Alexander, arranger for Desperados Steel Orchestra.
Clive ‘Zanda’ Alexander was a self-taught musician who started making music at the age of 10 and is widely regarded as the creator of the fusion of folk, jazz and calypso music. It was while studying architecture in England, he had his first experience with live Jazz music and later established his band which fused kaiso (calypso) and jazz music in their renditions.
Replies
Unforgettable! Too much loss. Clive did his part eminently. Let us see how we treat it and that of others who made contributions to the grandeur of Trinidad and Tobago music.
May he Rest in Peace
Clive Zanda is considered by all to be the father of Kaiso Jazz. His compositions always speak to nuances rooted in the soul of calypso and the traditions of Trinidad and Tobago, while leaving ample room and harmonic and rhythmic space for improvisation. Here is my arrangement of Clive Zand'a Fancy Sailor