This message is to all supporters, well wishers, parents and players of Crossfire Steel Orchestra Inc. Thank you for all your support throughout the years. I assure you that all is well with Crossfire.
In 1947 Crossfire Steel opened as an off-spring of Tripoli Steel Orchestra. Through the years, from its inception the band has had numerous arrangers starting with Sterling Betancourt OBE, Eman Thrope deceased, Kennrick George deceased, and Kelvin (Zuzie) St. Rose from the old regime.
In the late 1990's Crossfire Steel lives again under the tutelage oMartin Douglas. Captain Cyril Morgan deceased, of the old regime, bequest that I rejuvenate the name Crossfire Steel. This was seconded by Eric "Action" Drayton.
The new Crossfire Steel also went through similar process in arrangers. Starting with Joe Beatle, Jeffery Pierre, Alvin Belfast, Brian "Bean" Griffith, Anthony "Pra" Tribuse, Sherwin Twaites, Sundiata King, Khuent Rose, and most recently Leon "Foster" Thomas.
We would like to thank "Foster" for the three years he spent working us, Crossfire Steel Orchestra Inc. We wish him well in his future endeavors.
Crossfire Steel Orchestra Inc. is currently preparing for two Christmas shows with a new arranger Kendall Williams
All is well as Crossfire strives for musical excellence .
Martin Douglas, Manager Crossfire Steel Orchestra Inc.
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Aye Doggie . . Tanks fuh dis brief history of Crossfire . . both Old an New . . it sound an look like ah Christian blanket . . ie . .very holey . . buh den dat is wot ah sinopsis is . .1st de Original Crossfire was no average , ,ordinary Steelban . .{ "It was blessed wid sum ah de Bes Pan Cientist . .Inventors . .Arrangers , Players an Supporters of de day " } . Dis sentiment was made by de Greatest Evah in Pan . . Mr.Anthony Williams . . . . Captain Cyril Jackman aka "Morgan de Pirate " or jes Morgan . . was truly happy wen he heard dat U had started ah ban name Crossfire here in N.Y. . He gave his blessins an some advice . . sum jokinly . . [ none of which said dat U should run de Ban as U C fit ] . . like de rivalry btween Crossfire an Invaders . . which I din no bout . .till den . . wen he say dat Invaders had tuh die fuh Crossfire tuh advance . . well dat did happen .. .wen .U . . an sum ah de early members . .like Farmer . Wayne . .Maureen an more . . leave Invaders . .N.Y. wen yuh realise dat 2 man-rat couldn`t live in de same hole . . an Crossfire . .N.Y. was born . . subsequently . .Invaders N.Y. . ."died" . . De ban has been true many . many changes true de years . . progress has been slow an painful . . but it has been made neverdeless . . most of de Arrangers an Players . .who parted company. . did so wid ah sour taste in dey mouth . . . like de las one . .an perhaps . de bes . . by Panorama placins standards . . Leon "Foster" Thomas . . say . . "due tuh problems wid de 'single management' of de ban" . . The ban . .true de years . . has had many good Committe Members . . most leavin in frustrashun . . fuh de same reason . . . My promise to "Capt. Morgan" an de Spirit of meh Fadda Robert Walcott .. an Original Crossfire . . keeps me grounded . . . Pan is ah gift from We Afrikan Ancestors . . True Afrikan Spirituality tuh free an Elevate de Oppressed an Downtrodden Afrikan Masses . . bac tuh de heights an leadin posishuns of Society . . dat We were brutally seperated from . . Truth . .Honesty . .an ah Vivid Imaginashun . .based on Communal Upliftment . . is needed . . in de Steelban Movement an every Indivual ban . . Roman Christianity . . in all its forms . . is an Enemy of Afrikan People . .an We Culture [ way of life ] . We had to use it to regain we balance . . now dat we have de Balance bac . . is time tuh move on tuh we Destiny . . Our Original Afrikan Identity . . tuh move forward . .we MUST no de past . . de hole TRUTH about it . . an Mbrace it wid ah Passion of Noin Weself an lovin Weself . . Steelban is not ah I ting . . is ah We ting . . jes like de notes on ah Pan . . all must B played tuh make Muzic . . One Luv . . an Long Live Crossfire . .
Patrick, When Leon came out and said that he will not be arranging for Crossfire anymore, a lot of people started wondering if he had a beef or some sort with Crossfire thats why I said that,
Yes Cecil, I do remember the George's Trio, and Kenrick was one of them.
They and the March of Dimes were probably the most popular singing groups in T&T in the late fifties- early sixties as I recall, and like the March of Dimes I believe they also bid some backup work with calypsonians of that era.
Long live Cross Fire! This was my first steelband. As a kid I could remember the guys dragging bamboo up the street to enclose the area where they would be practicing for the carnival. Their pan yard used to be called 'Tambran Yard' because of the big Tamarind tree in the yard. There was also one huge latrine near-by because there were a lot of families living in that yard. Back in the day all pan yard had a latrine and a Bread-fruit or Tambran tree close by; all old panmen grew accustom to the smell of latrine.
I remember being around watching Zuzie tune the pans, Eman Thorpe was the captain at that time, those were the Badjohn days and Cross Fire had a few, there was this guy called Sugar Head, he had a small, small mouth but nobody could ah cuss as sweet as him, he was a tenor man with a hard head, I once saw my big brother and him rehearsing and every time my brother made a mistake Sugars would hit him on his head with his stick but when he made a mistake my brother could do nothing because he was the Badjohn.
I remember one carnival they advertise Frico Powered Milk, they gave out mini cans of Frico, it was the first time I saw grown men eat so much powered milk, I'm sure a lot a them poop in their pants that day. Another carnival it was Epitone Tonic Wine, well they had cups with ice drinking Epitone. The scariest was the carnival they played Cane-cutters, part of the costume was a cut-lass made from wood but many had painted over real cut-lass just in case.
One of my fondest memories was sitting on a box by the corner waiting for the band to come home carnival Tuesday evening, when you look up the road and see the black flag with the skull and cross bones you knew it was your time to get a chip back to the yard.
By the way Kennrick George change the way the guitars strum in Cross Fire, to my knowledge he was the first arranger to do that.
That was nice for Crossfire to put this up, it kinda clear the air with Leon Foster, and I do wish Crossfire the very best in the future, they have been trying hard through Mr Martin Douglas, I met him years ago when Jeffers was the arranger. (came to find out that he was from St James down by Westside Symphony)
Replies
Aye Doggie . . Tanks fuh dis brief history of Crossfire . . both Old an New . . it sound an look like ah Christian blanket . . ie . .very holey . . buh den dat is wot ah sinopsis is . .1st de Original Crossfire was no average , ,ordinary Steelban . .{ "It was blessed wid sum ah de Bes Pan Cientist . .Inventors . .Arrangers , Players an Supporters of de day " } . Dis sentiment was made by de Greatest Evah in Pan . . Mr.Anthony Williams . . . . Captain Cyril Jackman aka "Morgan de Pirate " or jes Morgan . . was truly happy wen he heard dat U had started ah ban name Crossfire here in N.Y. . He gave his blessins an some advice . . sum jokinly . . [ none of which said dat U should run de Ban as U C fit ] . . like de rivalry btween Crossfire an Invaders . . which I din no bout . .till den . . wen he say dat Invaders had tuh die fuh Crossfire tuh advance . . well dat did happen .. .wen .U . . an sum ah de early members . .like Farmer . Wayne . .Maureen an more . . leave Invaders . .N.Y. wen yuh realise dat 2 man-rat couldn`t live in de same hole . . an Crossfire . .N.Y. was born . . subsequently . .Invaders N.Y. . ."died" . . De ban has been true many . many changes true de years . . progress has been slow an painful . . but it has been made neverdeless . . most of de Arrangers an Players . .who parted company. . did so wid ah sour taste in dey mouth . . . like de las one . .an perhaps . de bes . . by Panorama placins standards . . Leon "Foster" Thomas . . say . . "due tuh problems wid de 'single management' of de ban" . . The ban . .true de years . . has had many good Committe Members . . most leavin in frustrashun . . fuh de same reason . . . My promise to "Capt. Morgan" an de Spirit of meh Fadda Robert Walcott .. an Original Crossfire . . keeps me grounded . . . Pan is ah gift from We Afrikan Ancestors . . True Afrikan Spirituality tuh free an Elevate de Oppressed an Downtrodden Afrikan Masses . . bac tuh de heights an leadin posishuns of Society . . dat We were brutally seperated from . . Truth . .Honesty . .an ah Vivid Imaginashun . .based on Communal Upliftment . . is needed . . in de Steelban Movement an every Indivual ban . . Roman Christianity . . in all its forms . . is an Enemy of Afrikan People . .an We Culture [ way of life ] . We had to use it to regain we balance . . now dat we have de Balance bac . . is time tuh move on tuh we Destiny . . Our Original Afrikan Identity . . tuh move forward . .we MUST no de past . . de hole TRUTH about it . . an Mbrace it wid ah Passion of Noin Weself an lovin Weself . . Steelban is not ah I ting . . is ah We ting . . jes like de notes on ah Pan . . all must B played tuh make Muzic . . One Luv . . an Long Live Crossfire . .
Crossfire is one of those legendary, historic steelband names, and its great to hear that the band is still going strong.
BTW, Kenrick "Kicker" George was a fine arranger who also arranged for my band Silvertones of San Fernando in the late sixties.
I had lost track of him over the years, and I wasn't aware he had passed.
Glenroy, can you remember the "Georges Trio" on Sunday serenade in T&T? that was Kennrick, Rodrick and I think his sisters name Earla, they were good.
Yes Cecil, I do remember the George's Trio, and Kenrick was one of them.
They and the March of Dimes were probably the most popular singing groups in T&T in the late fifties- early sixties as I recall, and like the March of Dimes I believe they also bid some backup work with calypsonians of that era.
Long live Cross Fire! This was my first steelband. As a kid I could remember the guys dragging bamboo up the street to enclose the area where they would be practicing for the carnival. Their pan yard used to be called 'Tambran Yard' because of the big Tamarind tree in the yard. There was also one huge latrine near-by because there were a lot of families living in that yard. Back in the day all pan yard had a latrine and a Bread-fruit or Tambran tree close by; all old panmen grew accustom to the smell of latrine.
I remember being around watching Zuzie tune the pans, Eman Thorpe was the captain at that time, those were the Badjohn days and Cross Fire had a few, there was this guy called Sugar Head, he had a small, small mouth but nobody could ah cuss as sweet as him, he was a tenor man with a hard head, I once saw my big brother and him rehearsing and every time my brother made a mistake Sugars would hit him on his head with his stick but when he made a mistake my brother could do nothing because he was the Badjohn.
I remember one carnival they advertise Frico Powered Milk, they gave out mini cans of Frico, it was the first time I saw grown men eat so much powered milk, I'm sure a lot a them poop in their pants that day. Another carnival it was Epitone Tonic Wine, well they had cups with ice drinking Epitone. The scariest was the carnival they played Cane-cutters, part of the costume was a cut-lass made from wood but many had painted over real cut-lass just in case.
One of my fondest memories was sitting on a box by the corner waiting for the band to come home carnival Tuesday evening, when you look up the road and see the black flag with the skull and cross bones you knew it was your time to get a chip back to the yard.
By the way Kennrick George change the way the guitars strum in Cross Fire, to my knowledge he was the first arranger to do that.
That was nice for Crossfire to put this up, it kinda clear the air with Leon Foster, and I do wish Crossfire the very best in the future, they have been trying hard through Mr Martin Douglas, I met him years ago when Jeffers was the arranger. (came to find out that he was from St James down by Westside Symphony)