Happy New year to all....I hope the composers of songs designated as 'pan songs' are looking closely at the selections by the large steel orchestras in particular. We are in a new era, one that looks familiar to a previous one, where the public can once again relate to the music that bands are playing, since they will know the selections. Looking forward to an entertaining Panorama 2018
You were a great music band leader in the 60s. Both Randi and Clarence Curvan. You had been given your stage and set and were very successful in the era of your present time. There is really no such thing as past time or future time. Time is always in the present. Time is the representative of God here. God is always present isn't it? It is the present that awards human beings and other living beings a living. We cannot curse it any format for fear we curse God directly. Time is God. God is Time here. When our present time is up that's it. You are not stuck in the past. You just don't recognize sufficiently the present. That's all.
We must allow the present crop of musicians their time in the present. If you simply do this you can hear that its a continuation in many ways of the presence of time when you played. It's a continuous play really. That is the way to live in the presence always. Simply because the past time does not exist. Music is simply a reflection of the present time. It counts in the 21st century as well. It's the century of technology and advance science, advanced communications, advanced connectivity. If you notice time is existing in all those advancements. We cannot curse it in any format.
Peter deLight > Steve Taylor (Sidd)January 7, 2018 at 7:28pm
Mr Steve Taylor
Sir:
I agree with you in that I do not believe that Mr. Curvan is stuck in the past. My feeling is that it is purely a matter of choice and not that the music in earlier eras is ‘better or more proper’ than what is being offered today. He simply prefers the music from earlier eras.
Oddly enough, I also can identify with his preference, not that I, by any means ultimately reject what is currently offered as tunes of choice for Panorama. Hello. Hello. Hello.
In terms of embracing the ‘now’, kindly permit me to echo a thought of ET which I think seems to mirror/substantiate your perspective, if only an iota.
"The present moment is the most precious thing there is. People don’t realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind. The past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions. Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.
Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment. Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.
As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple action."
Yes Peter It's a great spiritual science to recognize this. Then one can appreciate every human beings efforts in all walks of life. They are all gifts of God. Not that the people of old only received them
Randi Curvan > Steve Taylor (Sidd)January 7, 2018 at 3:56pm
Sorry Sidd only Clarence had the band not me. I started out pushing pan (Starlift) back in 1964 then went on to guitar pans. but I do love my music. And I certainly do not curse music I simply know what I like and what I don't. Last time I looked this was a forum for those to express their views on past and present offerings of steelpan and their talented arrangers and composers.
God gave us the ability to perform, listen and appreciate. Those of us who choose to expand our minds and creative skills to be innovative and attain perfection are blessed by those who show their appreciation and bear witness to the performances we are privileged to see and hear.
But just because the current offerings are not to my personal liking does not make them any less worthy. I merely express a preference. Some of you may agree some may not.
You can’t tell me that over the years all calypsoes/songs were worthy of note. Similarly not all steelband performances were equally as good as others.
These days I think mediocracy has become the norm because excellence has been so scarce.
And mediocracy has been the curse of modern panoramas.
It has been stated many times on this forum in the past that after panorama very few arrangements can be easily remembered. Unlike years gone by.
Randi, Still you had your time as a Starlift player and musician. You have your choice yes. But still you are voicing something as though the music of long ago was better. No. It was best for that time. It was excellent for that time. It was perfect for that time. Some artistes made it big others didn't but still their efforts are noted. It is better not to judge lease ye will be judged.
You can have your choice but don't mix choosing with being judgmental. Starlift is one of our great steel bands and we want it to return to the big arena. Lets give them the benefit of the doubt. Phase II also did bad in 2017 and tied with Starlift for 8th place with two top pan musicians and icons. Both bands need to improve this year and both chose the young soca artiste songs which seem now to be the trend in Panorama music. It is the taking of the melodies of the songs and playing those melodies in many different expressions that will count. Both songs have fresh and simple melodies. It's like jazz. Jazz melodies were very simple. Jazz musicians took those simple melodies and improvised on them and when you listened to the improvisations, the songs' melodies and spirit were kept but expressed in many ways. This era calls for steel bands to play the simple melodies of the youngsters who compose them and the youngsters who love them. Remember the steel bands are also made up mostly of youngsters. This is their time. That's what I am pointing out. We as older folks and musicians should not unduly judge that. We can retain our choices but without judging and saying our music was better. No. It was not in terms of time. I just got off Youtube listening to 2018 Soca songs. I must say they have improved melodically and most of them are slowed down (Groovy Soca). Pretty soon one of them could spread to the Bill Boards. Miles Davis had seen this day. He told his jazz musicians, that if they did not use electronic instruments such as keyboards etc, that they would have been left out of the mix. Miles set the example by deliberately playing with young electronic musicians who played electric guitars. He loved Santana. He loved Prince. He loved Michael Jackson. Herbbie Hancock also follows that trend. They don't condemn and think that they played better music than the youngsters. It is a continuous gift each find expressions according to their time.
Thanks Miguel and Claude. Miguel, you are correct, please try your hand. What arrangers should be looking for, in general, are cadences in tunes to sprout sounds which are engaging. We need to feel the strengths the arrangement can give to this indigenous culture, strengths which have related value.. Competition is excellent for our Pan, because it breeds motivation and deepens (hopefully) community. However, for me, sometimes choice of some tunes makes arrangements seem elitist, as they result in "silence" among Pan enthusiasts at shows.
With my deep love for Pan, our national instrument-Trinidad and Tobago.
Replies
A PROPER CALYPSO!!!
Playing this song for panorama Starlift will not get to the finals. I'll go so far as to say they'll probably come last in the semis.
Unless you have a distinct, catchy and easily remembered melody yuh kite high-oh!. What is needed is a musical ear-worm.
Oh but I forgot this is the 21st Century and music does not count for much, it's just rhythm and jamming.
ah well I'll stick to my 60s 70s 80s and 90s recordings because I'm old and set in my ways.
Nothing against Robert but he's not a member of the magic circle the last time looked. I do hope he proves me wrong.
As I've been a Starlift man since 1964 I'll still be hopeful and support them. But I'm not a lover of the modern songs. I still love proper calypsoes.
Yours truly
Stuck in the past and loving it.
Randi Curvan
Question...What is a "proper" calypso?....Especially after Voice's "Far from Finished" and Ultimate Rejects' "Full Extreme"?...
Here's a comment from another post "What the bands are playing for Panorama 2018 " I found note worthy.
Reply by DJ on Thursday
Happy New year to all....I hope the composers of songs designated as 'pan songs' are looking closely at the selections by the large steel orchestras in particular. We are in a new era, one that looks familiar to a previous one, where the public can once again relate to the music that bands are playing, since they will know the selections. Looking forward to an entertaining Panorama 2018
Mr Curvan,
You were a great music band leader in the 60s. Both Randi and Clarence Curvan. You had been given your stage and set and were very successful in the era of your present time. There is really no such thing as past time or future time. Time is always in the present. Time is the representative of God here. God is always present isn't it? It is the present that awards human beings and other living beings a living. We cannot curse it any format for fear we curse God directly. Time is God. God is Time here. When our present time is up that's it. You are not stuck in the past. You just don't recognize sufficiently the present. That's all.
We must allow the present crop of musicians their time in the present. If you simply do this you can hear that its a continuation in many ways of the presence of time when you played. It's a continuous play really. That is the way to live in the presence always. Simply because the past time does not exist. Music is simply a reflection of the present time. It counts in the 21st century as well. It's the century of technology and advance science, advanced communications, advanced connectivity. If you notice time is existing in all those advancements. We cannot curse it in any format.
Mr Steve Taylor
Sir:
I agree with you in that I do not believe that Mr. Curvan is stuck in the past. My feeling is that it is purely a matter of choice and not that the music in earlier eras is ‘better or more proper’ than what is being offered today. He simply prefers the music from earlier eras.
Oddly enough, I also can identify with his preference, not that I, by any means ultimately reject what is currently offered as tunes of choice for Panorama. Hello. Hello. Hello.
In terms of embracing the ‘now’, kindly permit me to echo a thought of ET which I think seems to mirror/substantiate your perspective, if only an iota.
"The present moment is the most precious thing there is. People don’t realize that now is all there ever is; there is no past or future except as memory or anticipation in your mind. The past gives you an identity and the future holds the promise of salvation, of fulfillment in whatever form. Both are illusions.
Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.
Don’t let a mad world tell you that success is anything other than a successful present moment. Most humans are never fully present in the now, because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.
As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple action."
Yes Peter It's a great spiritual science to recognize this. Then one can appreciate every human beings efforts in all walks of life. They are all gifts of God. Not that the people of old only received them
Sorry Sidd only Clarence had the band not me. I started out pushing pan (Starlift) back in 1964 then went on to guitar pans. but I do love my music. And I certainly do not curse music I simply know what I like and what I don't. Last time I looked this was a forum for those to express their views on past and present offerings of steelpan and their talented arrangers and composers.
God gave us the ability to perform, listen and appreciate. Those of us who choose to expand our minds and creative skills to be innovative and attain perfection are blessed by those who show their appreciation and bear witness to the performances we are privileged to see and hear.
But just because the current offerings are not to my personal liking does not make them any less worthy. I merely express a preference. Some of you may agree some may not.
You can’t tell me that over the years all calypsoes/songs were worthy of note. Similarly not all steelband performances were equally as good as others.
These days I think mediocracy has become the norm because excellence has been so scarce.
And mediocracy has been the curse of modern panoramas.
It has been stated many times on this forum in the past that after panorama very few arrangements can be easily remembered. Unlike years gone by.
Pan past present and future!
Randi
Randi, Still you had your time as a Starlift player and musician. You have your choice yes. But still you are voicing something as though the music of long ago was better. No. It was best for that time. It was excellent for that time. It was perfect for that time. Some artistes made it big others didn't but still their efforts are noted. It is better not to judge lease ye will be judged.
You can have your choice but don't mix choosing with being judgmental. Starlift is one of our great steel bands and we want it to return to the big arena. Lets give them the benefit of the doubt. Phase II also did bad in 2017 and tied with Starlift for 8th place with two top pan musicians and icons. Both bands need to improve this year and both chose the young soca artiste songs which seem now to be the trend in Panorama music. It is the taking of the melodies of the songs and playing those melodies in many different expressions that will count. Both songs have fresh and simple melodies. It's like jazz. Jazz melodies were very simple. Jazz musicians took those simple melodies and improvised on them and when you listened to the improvisations, the songs' melodies and spirit were kept but expressed in many ways. This era calls for steel bands to play the simple melodies of the youngsters who compose them and the youngsters who love them. Remember the steel bands are also made up mostly of youngsters. This is their time. That's what I am pointing out. We as older folks and musicians should not unduly judge that. We can retain our choices but without judging and saying our music was better. No. It was not in terms of time. I just got off Youtube listening to 2018 Soca songs. I must say they have improved melodically and most of them are slowed down (Groovy Soca). Pretty soon one of them could spread to the Bill Boards. Miles Davis had seen this day. He told his jazz musicians, that if they did not use electronic instruments such as keyboards etc, that they would have been left out of the mix. Miles set the example by deliberately playing with young electronic musicians who played electric guitars. He loved Santana. He loved Prince. He loved Michael Jackson. Herbbie Hancock also follows that trend. They don't condemn and think that they played better music than the youngsters. It is a continuous gift each find expressions according to their time.
Thanks Miguel and Claude. Miguel, you are correct, please try your hand. What arrangers should be looking for, in general, are cadences in tunes to sprout sounds which are engaging. We need to feel the strengths the arrangement can give to this indigenous culture, strengths which have related value.. Competition is excellent for our Pan, because it breeds motivation and deepens (hopefully) community. However, for me, sometimes choice of some tunes makes arrangements seem elitist, as they result in "silence" among Pan enthusiasts at shows.
With my deep love for Pan, our national instrument-Trinidad and Tobago.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next