Location

Mississauga

Birthday:

February 20

Age:

92

If you like, go ahead and tell your fellow WST Ning members about yourself here

I was born behind the Bridge, John John, several years later moved to Belmont where life was beautiful and exciting especially living five minutes from Casablanca Steel Band,on Argyle Street.,Belmont At Fourteen(1944) without my Mother's knowledge used to beat Kittle Pan(two notes first Pan) on the hill while attending Queens Royal College. When caught it was licks like fire,cuffs,slaps and calpetoes and she giving the steelband boys ,back belly and sides.They all respectd her and promised not to encourage me.They couldn't keep me away I liked the action like any young person those days. My Idol was James Anderson alias "Batman" who lived a few doors from us, also Ozzie ( Robin). Casablanca had a hit side called "Dembros' all dressed in black and sporting Baseball bats.When there was an expectant "War" they would warn the neighbourhood to be in at Six O'Clock as darkness falls and while peeping through our half closed Jealousies would see men running, screaming, bottles bursting against the walls and as fast as it began,the next half hour there would be silence.The Policewere never around an the next day the City Council cleaners would have a hell of a time picking up broken bottles and stones. After College I joined the P.O.S Gazettte as a reporter and together with Hugh Ewingof the T'dad Guardian, Nello Mitchell and Irwin Clement opened T"dad "First decent Steelband Dem Boys " from Lockhart Lane in Belmont in l95l. Our first day on the road, we all covered our faces with handkerchiefs, pulled our hats over our faces and hid behind one another while beating cause we were scared of people recognisi ng us. I remember the days while playing at birthdays and sub parties,how we carried our Pans on Bicycles and cause it wastoo expensive to pay taxi fare which would cover our entire band payment. We took over from Invaders and played at Beryl Mc Burnies',Little Carib in Woodbrook.the second night one of our Bases mysteriously disappeared. Nello Mitchell went on to Politice where he served with Prime Minister Manning in the PNM before his death. I emigrated to Canada in 1966 and joined Steltones,Canada's first Trinidad Steelband made up of students of the University of Toronto where I was the drummer and notablyPatrick Arnold,President of Trinidad's Steel Band Association,who emigrated in 1970,was also a member and Captain before he left Canada. This I also have to tell- The Roaring Lion was my neighbour, had a Parlour and also a Monkey, the monkey ran away and the police shot it. " Remember his calypso," I had a little Monkey" hah hah hah