A COMMUNITY LEADER REDEFINED....
Not until he was proven to be the gift sent from Siparia to Laventille to bring the lost and wandering band from atop the Hill, back to its spiritual moorings that eyes opened to Carlton Alexander.
Brother of Clive Zanda, Carlton, the lesser known of the two, was on the threshold of three score and ten when he gave the iconic Desperadoes Steel Orchestra a Panorama victory that pulled them out of a 15-year slump.
But it was not just a journey from South to North Trinidad, via Canada and the USA and more lately Soweto through his project with the late Hugh Masekela.
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| Carlton, left with Hugh Masekela and Clive. Photo Trinidad Guardian. |
Clearly, he was divinely prepared to recover the voice that was muted by the hard times (not financially) on which the band had fallen. with the residue of Rudolph Charles’ leadership legacy in the dust, Desperadoes also lost its legendary arrangers Beverley Griffith and Clive Bradley.
When the definition of Islam for the majority of young Muslims in Trinidad is in sync with the goals of ISIS, Carlton, who embraced the religion formally in Toronto in 1975, but was introduced to it in Trinidad might appear to be an oxymoron wearing his Taj drilling a band of musicians who are pleading in his arrangement of Voice’s Year for Love, “What are they fighting for?”
Lifting the 2016 Panorama Champions was a process that began more than 60 years ago when the sound of the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra first resonated within Carlton as a young boy growing up in Siparia, located 81 kilometers away from Laventille.
Not by radio or television or any kind of technology. as you would imagine. The mystical messenger was his cousin Reggie Peters who left Siparia in the 1950’s and headed to “town” where he became a ‘Radoes player.
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JUST SOME PAN TRIVIA: Mr. Carlron "Zanda" Alexander is the only arranger to win for Desperadoes on his first panorama with the band. He is also the only arranger to place in the top-three for 5 consecutive years with Desperadoes.
“Despers had very good orchestrators in the history of the band and here I am coming now, so my challenge is to meet that,” Zanda said putting his work into perspective.
Panoama 2020 had Shadowmania all over de place, de judges get wip-lash and tie Dr. Jit and Neville Jules for second place. Rudolph Charles and Clive Bradley all celebrating with de Bass-man from Hell.
Despers - Pan Is Meh Jumbie HD
Technically, his arrangement was better than Stewart's, but it was Stewart's time that's all.
POWER TO YOU ZANDA...PEACE AND LOVE!!
That was a FANTASTIC ARTICLE!!! I never did CRACK COCAINE in my life, but while reading that article it felt as if I took A HIT on SOMETHING and my mind just scattered out into the UNIVERSE.
Unbelievable!!!
Well, being who I am and having made this point so many times on this forum -- I have to highlight one of my five or six quotes that really spoke to me.
Claude!!! U remind of the CRACK SHOTS Pan Players hopping from band to band, U hopped on board the three Amigos, Then u hopped on board Duvone Stewart and said he will win a few Panoramas in a row, Now u hopped on board Zanda after readng the above post. U must be faithful like your pardner Cecil Hinkson, He respects all arrangers but is dedicated to one.