Taking All Stars to the top

Sharmain Baboolal - Newsday

In five years, Leon “Smooth” Edwards, through legendary arrangements, has turned Trinidad All Stars into the first multi-million dollar steelband in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, with three Panorama victories and two second place positions.

As a second generation All Stars panman, who was urged to take up the mantle shortly after founder Neville Jules left, Edwards is accustomed to dictating history in his quiet unassuming way.

The judges at last Sunday’s International Panorama at which 24 bands competed, gave All Stars a 12-point lead over the second placed Super Novas, led by Amrit Samaroo. The man thought to be Edwards main rival in the competition, Len Boogsie Sharpe, phoned in his congratulations to the morning following the competition.

Ironically, 28 years ago when Edwards first arranged Curry Tabanca for All Stars (which earned him a 4th place in the National Panorama Finals), he did not know that he would leave the band for ten years, after Carnival 1988, by which time he had earned the distinction of “Arranger of the 80’s.

I thought it was more of a story about ONE MAN'S journey through the STEELBAND and PANORAMA maze ending in MASSIVE SUCCESS for his BAND and HIMSELF. I thought it was a fabulous story and interview and MR. EDWARDS got to add REAL LIFE DRAMA from the inner workings of a STEELBAND.

(As a calypso lover, I take issue with him singling out the MIGHTY TRINI as not being able to sing. Because in the calypso world, outside of SPARROW and DAVID RUDDER with a BIG PUSH there is NOBODY who could really S-I-N-G. And I thought that TRINI captured a THEATRICAL ATTITUDE with his delivery of that song.)

I would like to read more of those interviews across the board.

So although I am NOT an ALL STARS fan, I tip my hat to MR. LEON "SMOOTH" EDWARDS after reading this very insightful interview.

Replies

Claude Gonzales August 17, 2015 at 8:52pm

I thought it was more of a story about ONE MAN'S journey through the STEELBAND and PANORAMA maze ending in MASSIVE SUCCESS for his BAND and HIMSELF. I thought it was a fabulous story and interview and MR. EDWARDS got to add REAL LIFE DRAMA from the inner workings of a STEELBAND.

(As a calypso lover, I take issue with him singling out the MIGHTY TRINI as not being able to sing. Because in the calypso world, outside of SPARROW and DAVID RUDDER with a BIG PUSH there is NOBODY who could really S-I-N-G. And I thought that TRINI captured a THEATRICAL ATTITUDE with his delivery of that song.)

I would like to read more of those interviews across the board.

So although I am NOT an ALL STARS fan, I tip my hat to MR. LEON "SMOOTH" EDWARDS after reading this very insightful interview.
- oswald alexander > Claude Gonzales August 20, 2015 at 11:01am
  
  Claude.....Wha yuh drinking?
  
  "(As a calypso lover, I take issue with him singling out the MIGHTY TRINI as not being able to sing. Because in the calypso world, outside of SPARROW and DAVID RUDDER with a BIG PUSH there is NOBODY who could really S-I-N-G."
  
  Ah have to see yuh calypso collection.....It's either very limited or yuh only have Fluke,Chalkie,Cro-Cro,Cypher,Zandolie and the like calypso singers in yuh collection.....Leh mih remind you that Tambu is a better singer than Rudder.
  - Cecil hinkson > oswald alexander August 20, 2015 at 12:01pm
    
    Lyric was the main component of Calypso, ask the Mighty Jackson.
  - Claude Gonzales > oswald alexander August 20, 2015 at 11:29am
    
    Everybody singing NASAL and from the BACK OF THE THROAT. Don't even talk about the FEMALE SINGERS ... NASAL! NASAL! NASAL! Not one exception!
    
    VOCALISTS sing from the DIAPHRAGM.
    
    Doh forget ah had to PUSH RUDDER to get him on the list!
- Martin Maitland > Claude Gonzales August 19, 2015 at 7:08pm
  
  Claude,
  
  I know you are not dissing the quality calypso singers in Trinidad and Tobago. At the time of Curry Tabanca, smooth was right in his reasoning. Remember the golden voice of the Mighty Duke, Baron, Sugar Aloes, Bally, Carl Jacobs, Designer, Errol Ashche, Explainer, Winsford Devine, Leon Coldero, Lord Nelson… I can go on and on with hundreds of Calypso tent singers without mentioning the greater ones you have, not to mention the women singers. There were lots of singers with melodic voices that could have sung the tune, alas it became a hit and now a classic and a DJ wedding tune of note.
- earl richards > Claude Gonzales August 17, 2015 at 9:29pm
  
  Well said Claude we do not know the problems arrangers had before being successful. Remember Pelham Goddard with GOLD very good arrangement and professor with Pan BY Storm another very good arrangement he is due a Panorama victory. Boogsie, Ray, Bradley and Jit and others experience failures before WINNING . There is always two sides to a story.
VALENTINE YOUNG August 17, 2015 at 7:28pm
1. I Will Also Say that Most of Smooth Great Works were Done in the Eighties with Winning Pieces Like - Woman on the Bass - Unknown Band and The Hammer also Pieces of Note Doh Back -Back - Soucouya and Curry Tabanca. I Applaud Him For These Musical Feats.
2. My Problem is How Could the Judges Reward Him With a Twelve [12]] Point Win in the Recently Concluded Panorama Playing a Piece that Ran 4th in 1987. What these Corrupted Judges are Saying is Our Panorama has not Progressed from the Eighties to this Present Time. This is all a Big Joke. I Dont Congratulate or Support Mediocracy. It is Doing Anything for Pan. Its Retarding Pan Progress. Everything is Evolving in Pan But Our Judging System. All it Does is to Proclaim All Stars as a Super Band at the Expense of the Other Hard Working Arrangers and Bands. Its No Way that All Stars Won the IPC Panorama. ''But What Do I Know''
- oswald alexander > VALENTINE YOUNG August 20, 2015 at 11:12am
  
  "What these Corrupted Judges are Saying is Our Panorama has not Progressed from the Eighties to this Present Time."
  
  Val the Big music producers,artistes and recording companies are making huge amounts or monies plagiarizing,sampling,and/or covering 80s music......we just join the International music scene.
  
  Ask Pharell.
- whasi choo quan > VALENTINE YOUNG August 20, 2015 at 7:39am
  
  On mr valentine point 2 ,I would like your take on who in you opinion is the best steelband in the world,and why.nuff said
  - Cecil hinkson > whasi choo quan August 20, 2015 at 9:18am
    
    whasi choo quan, as you can see I'm not Mr Valentine but the "right" answer to your question is All Stars, they just won an international competition so they have bragging rites. We can always argue if that's the "correct" answer. Everyone has their opinion as to who is the best in the world.

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