Jit Sukha Samaroo - King of the round table
Trinidad and Tobago is probably the cruellest society in the world. Not only do we pay lip service to the Arts but, even more dramatically, we does play de arts with lip service. The ongoing list of discarded and unsung cultural icons is a veritable who’s who, growing exponentially in real time - Beryl Mc Burnie, Leroy Clarke, The Mighty Terror, Felix Roach, Bertie Marshall, Pat Bishop, John Agitation, Lennox ‘Bobby’ Mohammed, Winsford Devine et al. So what does this have to do with Jit Samaroo?
This humble, reserved, unassuming musical genius was born and bred in the quiet village of Surrey in Lopinot, one of the five parallel valleys of the Northern Range, Trinidad. A natural watershed of cultural cross-fertilization is derived mainly from the tactile blending of French, Spanish, African and Amerindian ancestry. From birth, Jit’s musical skills were inculcated and influenced by his mother and the old Parranderos with traditional rhythms of Parang and Castilian. Over time, he honed his craft under the tutorship of Dr Patricia Bishop, Dr Gordon Maliphant, Landeg White, Winifred Sitahal and Fr. John Sewell.
Steelpan Master Craftsman Bertram ‘Birch’ Kellman introduced the 17-year old fledgling to the Renegades steel orchestra located in La Cou Harp, one of the most feared areas of Port-of-Spain, in 1967. With a wry sense of humour, Jit tranquilised these Bad Johns on the opening night of his legendary association with an arrangement of The Ormond Brothers’ One Bad Apple ; they played until round about midnight…
I daresay that what permeated Jit’s subconscious apart from music, was discipline. Over the years I have had several professional engagements with him, either recording The Samaroo Jets, Cordettes, Renegades, Arima Angel Harps steel orchestras or private sessions for individuals including Myrtle Sammy and Mark Loquan. Jit always beat the clock by five to ten minutes, well-rehearsed and ready to play.
In 1997 Francesca Campi, Managing Director of the Italian Label CAM, invited me to record the album CAM’S Movie Soundtracks Caribbean Style. Jit selected fourteen songs from a list of twenty-five. He skilfully and tastefully adapted these compositions originally scored for conventional symphonic instruments to every known rhythm of our fun, sea and sun archipelago - a production pars excellence
Despite being crucified upside down, scorned and rebuked by his peers, business associates and society at large, Jit has undertaken, in a magnanimous gesture of kindness and generosity, to turn the other cheek as he celebrates his 64th birthday on February 24th. Unknown to all but few, Jit Samaroo has been custodian of The Holy Grail for the past twenty years and will afford his detractors a sip of the elixir of forgiveness, a special brew contained in the exhalted silver chalice. A finer example of tolerance I have not encountered.
Tune in to Power 102 FM or log in to www.power102fm.com from 7.00 p.m. on the evening of Monday 24th February for a special one-hour tribute to Jit.
Simeon L. Sandiford
Managing Director
Copyright © 2014 Sanch Electronix, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this newsletter because you at one time signed up to receive news and updates from Sanch Electronix. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Replies
Jit b'day blessing - you will always be a pan genius and your accomplishments will be forever remembered when others are long forgotten. what awesome joy you gave to us pan lovers which we can re-live again and again. thank you! I will always remember the words my deceased Father used to express how he felt while we listened to Renegades practice in 1995 "this is pan talking to pan" he said. Jit thank you again.
Happy Birthday Mr. Jit Samaroo on behalf of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra.
"Looking forward to this. He is an example to all of us in how we should conduct ourselves and treat our fellow man. Thanks". Although I did not know Dr. Jit personally I would like to endorse this statement based on all that I have heard of him as a person. This tribute is a fine gesture by Sanch, whose Managing Director evidently has a deep respect and appreciation of this talented arranger, musician and composer.
Living in Suriname in 1980 and listening to the Steelpan /Steelband /Steel Orchestra namely the Samaroo Jets performing and playing Indian Music at the Hilton Hotel , which I do also arrange and play, it was a total surprise for me as a Blackman,,for there are very few of us of the said ethnicity that can arrange and play Indian Music on the God Given Instrument of T&T,, the Steelpan ,,from that moment on I have had respect for the Samaroo Jets ,,as such I do wish Dr Jit Samaroo health and Gods Blessing,, Ram Ram Dr Jit.
Jimmy Chambers
happy birthdad Jit hope you live to see many more
Looking forward to this. He is an example to all of us in how we should conduct ourselves and treat our fellow man. Thanks.