Location

Stouffville, Ontario

Birthday:

March 28

What interests you about the steelband art form? If you like, go ahead and tell your fellow WST Ning members about yourself here

Original Arranger for Silver Stars Steel Band in 1951 until 1956. I became the leader of Silver Stars in 1953/54. I made an original arrangement for Happy Wanderer, ("Valeree"), for Silver Stars that became the first road march of a non calypso tune in 1955.. Was a member and arranger of the Esso Tropitones Steel Band that toured Toronto in 1955. I was given an award "In recognition of your sterling contribution to the development of the The Silver Stars Steel Orchestra And The entire Steelband Movement of Trinidad and Tobago". I was given this award at the Hilton Hotel in Trinidad, 7th November, 2008 on the celebration of Silver Stars 60th anniversary. There is a photo on my website, WWW.SelwynGomes.com, of my receivng this award from the then existing president of Pan Trinbago, Mr. Patrick Arnold. I Introduced Steel Pan High Schools in Ontario between 1970 and 1987. I was the owner of all pans for those schools. I was a qualified Ontario secondary School teacher from 1969 to 1989. I graduated from the University of Toronto in 1967 in Economics. My first High School Steel Band, the Laurier Devils, performed for Pierre Trudeau and Bill Davis in the early '70's. I was the leader and arranger of the only resident steelband in the advent of the original Toronto Caribana in 1967. I have made two CD's in which I play Steel Pans, Marimba and Keyboard. I have been a member of the board of Ontario SteelPan Association, (OSA). I received the original award from OSA at its inception in 1997 as a Pioneer in Steel Pan.. I have been playing Steel Pans since 1951.