Early steelband memories

[Pan Times]

Trinidad & Tobago Guardian

 

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Corbeaux Town, Port-of-Spain, is named after the corbeaux who scavenged the garbage from the La Basse and fish market, about where the fire brigade station is now, in the 19th and early to mid-20th century. Family lore has it that cattle from the Main, as the old-timers like my uncle Mike used to call Venezuela, would come ashore, and be slaughtered on the beach, and the entrails left behind for corbeaux to feast upon.

 

....At one time Dixieland actually stored their few pans under our house, hanging from the wall, until one fell on the younger of my two sisters while I was attempting to beat it, cut her forehead and my mother said, “Out!” and out they went. I have a very clear memory of running into the gallery at Scott Bushe Street one Carnival night to watch a steelband come down Charles Street. In those days, Corbeaux Town children went to bed at 7 pm unless it was a special day, like Christmas or your birthday, when you were allowed up until 8 pm, so it must have been around 9 pm when I first heard the shush shush of shuffling feet and the unmistakable sound of pan playing whatever the road march was.

 

Scott Bushe was an upstairs house with a long gallery, shaped liked a back-to-front L, with the long handle running parallel to Charles Street and overlooking the little park in front of the fire station. My mother tried to shoo me back inside but someone must have intervened because I was allowed to stay and watch the unique spectacle of one of the very earliest of steelbands parade down my street. The gallery was surrounded by a wooden balustrade, just narrow enough to prevent a small child’s head from poking through, (although my head once got stuck) and it offered a clear view of the small band, perhaps 100 strong, ten or 12 men beating pan, as it slowly came into sight, chipping out of the darkness into the light of the lamppost at the corner, the one where the big boys of the neighbourhood used to lime, and led by someone waving a flag.
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[Cindy Cummings]

Invaders and memories. Invaders had an affinity with "fancy sailors" which they played seemingly every year. The silence was always broken Carnival Tuesday with their sweet melodic music when they came down Alfredo Street to collect their main cheracter known to us as Uncle Renwick. . I lived opposite to where he stayed. The band stopped in front of the house, and a red carpet was rolled out - from the top of the stairs and onto the street. Uncle Renwick came striding down on the red carpet dressed to the hilt in his Naval gear, as proud as a peacock, and into the band from there they headed to town. That was their speciality. That was a sight to behold. Unfortunately, there were no cameras around to take pictures of a moment in historical time. There was one female who played with them every year. I do not remember her name, but she was a tall imposing figure. I finally had the opportunity to play with them the year they portrayed "sailors ashore in Oahu. Regrettably, we the fermales in Wood Brook lacked foresight. It never dawned on any us to learn to play the steel pan even after attitudes and behaviours changed. It was "a guy thing."

[Trevor Emanuel Cooper]

I also had some memories of Invaders at a very early age. My cousins The Tang Wings owned the property at 149 tragarete Road which was next to Invaders yard.  In those days family visited each other quite often. my cousin Louis who was my age and me had a friend in Invaders yard by the name of Aldwyn, we played a lot.

I remember on Carnival Sundays there was a fete held in the dancehall which was at the back of the property. Louis and myself used to sprinkle powder on the floor, this enabled smooth movement for dancing. On Jourvert morning my mother and Aunts used to jump up with Invaders Steelband until they reached Green Corner, then we would walk up to go home up Oxford sreet. 

I remember in those days people dressed in old clothes and everybody had a branch in their hands. So they broke all the branches from people's homes coming up Tragarete road and to me the band was real big.

[Trevor Emanuel Cooper]

I lived up Oxford Street above the forty-two steps.This was Casablanca area. The steps were sacred to the band's members,all the steps were lit up on All Saints and All Souls.The band practised between the walls above the steps, and the Pans were left under the house of the mother of lawrie Miller, she had loved everybody who played with Casablanca. Her home was one where lots of preparations for the band took place e.g printing of jerseys,working on all mas uniforms. Lawrie' mother home was also the Sports club for the football and basketball teams. We had real good sportsmen up there at that time.

My greatest memories was waking up early on Carnival Monday and Tuesday to run down by the steps and see the Free French Forces  portrayed by Casablanca or Guadalcanal Diary been portrayed. I prayed for the days when i would be allowed to play by my parents. The membership of the band stretching from Parker Street straight down to Observatory Street, with red pompoms on black berets worn by all whether Submarine crew  (sub crew), black or white. Or watching the U.S. armed forces chipping down the road tanks and all. Watching till the band turned into CXharlotte street and eventually disappeared from site. Hoping one day to be part of that. My dreams came through at the age of fifteen.