Re-Percussions: Our African Odyssey

Re-Percussions: Our African Odyssey is the story of the steelpan, which evolved from the drum, which African slaves brought, and is today a completely different orchestral instrument. It was taken by Trinidadians to the Festival of Black Arts in 1977, held in Lagos, Nigeria, when it enthralled a young boy, Bowie Sonie Bowei. He never forgot and 25 years later Bowie has dedicated his lift to propagating the steelpan in Nigeria. But it’s not so easy: first he has to learn the difficult craft of making the instrument, and then penetrate the indifference of the society. The solution he opts for is to target the children, but can he succeed?

Re-Percussions (trailer) from Kim Johnson on Vimeo.

Thanks for sharing Soldier Bowie, This sure takes me back to my first arrival in Nigeria way beck in 1978. It was just after "Festac". Lagos was at that time the capital city. Back then my job was that of a Teacher/House Master at Children's House School in Ibara, Abeokouta, Ogun State. Mind you I had to resign my teaching assignment at Southfield Middle School with the London Borough of Ealing in order to return to Mother Africa ... it was

I did not take my steelpan with me which, on hindsight, I could have done as in London, where I was a Teacher at Southfield Middle School, I played my country's "National Instrument" with one of four of the existing steelbands of that era, the Ebony Steel Orchestra of Acton, West London. Infact I was the band's PRO which gave me the opportunity to introduce "Pan on Wheels" with canopy together with the concept of sponsorship to bands in the UK. We were St Clair's Ebony Stelband". the first Black Hair Stylists (St Lucian's) in the UK ... Marble Arch.

As fate would have it, the Boarding school where I worked had entertainment every Saturday evening followed by Sunday school. The popular instrument at that time was the African drums. Fortunately for me the Trinidad & Tobago government had a High Commissioner in the person of Lyle Williams based in the capital. He, however, lived in Ekoye. On one of my visits I discovered that he had a Tenor Pan on display in his office. That discovery became an historic moment. I borrowed the instrument which incidently, I never returned. From then on the steelpan became part and parcel of the entertainment of the school ... as it did when I picked up another teaching assignment with the Government of Botswana from 1999 to 2007.

By then my vision had changed as at the end of each contract I was able to return with additional instruments to increase the Pan Ensemble. There I was able to merge the steelpan with the marimbas which was infact the National Instrument of the Federal Republic of Botswana.

Today almost every school on the continent of Africa has a steelband thanks to the foresight of Bowie S Bowei ... Congrats Soldier "Nuff Respect".

Hollis John Clifton

Steelpan Visionary

Replies

hollis clifton September 15, 2015 at 3:35am

Thanks for sharing Soldier Bowie, This sure takes me back to my first arrival in Nigeria way beck in 1978. It was just after "Festac". Lagos was at that time the capital city. Back then my job was that of a Teacher/House Master at Children's House School in Ibara, Abeokouta, Ogun State. Mind you I had to resign my teaching assignment at Southfield Middle School with the London Borough of Ealing in order to return to Mother Africa ... it was

I did not take my steelpan with me which, on hindsight, I could have done as in London, where I was a Teacher at Southfield Middle School, I played my country's "National Instrument" with one of four of the existing steelbands of that era, the Ebony Steel Orchestra of Acton, West London. Infact I was the band's PRO which gave me the opportunity to introduce "Pan on Wheels" with canopy together with the concept of sponsorship to bands in the UK. We were St Clair's Ebony Stelband". the first Black Hair Stylists (St Lucian's) in the UK ... Marble Arch.

As fate would have it, the Boarding school where I worked had entertainment every Saturday evening followed by Sunday school. The popular instrument at that time was the African drums. Fortunately for me the Trinidad & Tobago government had a High Commissioner in the person of Lyle Williams based in the capital. He, however, lived in Ekoye. On one of my visits I discovered that he had a Tenor Pan on display in his office. That discovery became an historic moment. I borrowed the instrument which incidently, I never returned. From then on the steelpan became part and parcel of the entertainment of the school ... as it did when I picked up another teaching assignment with the Government of Botswana from 1999 to 2007.

By then my vision had changed as at the end of each contract I was able to return with additional instruments to increase the Pan Ensemble. There I was able to merge the steelpan with the marimbas which was infact the National Instrument of the Federal Republic of Botswana.

Today almost every school on the continent of Africa has a steelband thanks to the foresight of Bowie S Bowei ... Congrats Soldier "Nuff Respect".

Hollis John Clifton

Steelpan Visionary
- wayne walcott > hollis clifton September 15, 2015 at 11:04pm
  
  Hollis , it look like U played ah great assistin role in spreadin we pan through d schools an byond , in Modda Afrika . . . Big - ups tuh U 2 man . . . an much Luv 2 Bro Bowie S Bowei . . .

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