Dr Kim Johnson charts the evolution of steel-pan music in Trinidad. When teenage street gangs began knocking on hub caps, pan lids and steel drums in the 1930 and 40s, their battles became musical rather than physical. It was a rivalry that resulted in a new kind of music, now celebrated around the world.
I am really glad that the general response was to dismiss the good doctor's absolute BS on the origin of pan.
Dem kinda fellars who pose as authorities on pan when they get behind a mike are too many.
But I want to add two thoughts.
!. Clashes predate steelbands. Historical records show that, in the days of Pierrot Grenade, roving pierrot groups would 'clash' with each other and bull pistles and whips would come into play. This dates back to earlier groups of slaves from different estates (who were given some leeway during the masters' Carnival celebrations), These slaves would 'clash' in a kind of display of machismo that was fierce,(but never lethal).
2. Steel drums were not available in any real quantity to the men until after the oil industry developed to a significant level of production (in about 1920) It was not for another ver 20 years that the drums were used for making pans. Hence the use of tamboo bamboo for a long while after the banning of drums.
Fitzy Spencer, YES, you're so right, U see Kim Johnson is one of those upper middle class ppl who look down their nose at pan ppl, calling us rogue's and vagabond's, and would do and say anything to keep that stigma there, he would also twist anything you tell him around to suit himself, he tried that bull with me in 2008 inside North Stars pan yard, where I basically ran him out the yard, there were no steel drums in T&T in the 1930s not untill 1942 as world war II was in progress, the steel drum was not available to pan men untill after the war ended in May of 1945, these boy's/lad's were not in any STREET GANG, they beating on tin can's to keep out of trouble, seeking some kind of enlightenment, so again my friend, Kim Johnson information IS FALSE and he needs to get his FACT CORRECT...
Glenroy, I have to agree with you this person putting a whole new twist to the origin of the pan that is absolutely false, I am not an expert on the origin of pan but I know that pan did not come out of any kind of street gangs.
Truly you exaggerate , Patrick . There were clashes indeed , mostly in the mid to late sixties and some were serious but by the seventies for the most part that behavior had ended.
And if you remember , of the hundreds of bands around at the time how many were involved in clashes?
I cannot remember more than a half a dozen or so in POS that were newsworthy, and only a few bands were involved , representing community rivalries more than anything.
Most clashes , like one between Southern Marines and Gondoliers on the Coffee in Sando, were relatively minor affairs, and resulted in few if any serious injuries .
And that was a big one by south standards
I am not one to whitewash the steelbands' history.
We know there was violence, I experienced a clash myself, but I'm not going to exaggerate it either.
Excuse me 'more musical than physical?' I am not buying that. It was real fight 1970's and before. Is buss head with bottle, serious chop with cutlash etc. Pan celebrated around the world happened because trinis wanted a better future for themselves earning a decent living playing pan. Credit must also be given to the foreign countries that have systems in place that don't put up with 'bulls**t. People around the world would never even know about the endless, senseless, chopping up of men on carnival days among steel-bands. Many lost an eye.
Comments
I am really glad that the general response was to dismiss the good doctor's absolute BS on the origin of pan.
Dem kinda fellars who pose as authorities on pan when they get behind a mike are too many.
But I want to add two thoughts.
!. Clashes predate steelbands. Historical records show that, in the days of Pierrot Grenade, roving pierrot groups would 'clash' with each other and bull pistles and whips would come into play. This dates back to earlier groups of slaves from different estates (who were given some leeway during the masters' Carnival celebrations), These slaves would 'clash' in a kind of display of machismo that was fierce,(but never lethal).
2. Steel drums were not available in any real quantity to the men until after the oil industry developed to a significant level of production (in about 1920) It was not for another ver 20 years that the drums were used for making pans. Hence the use of tamboo bamboo for a long while after the banning of drums.
Fitzy Spencer, YES, you're so right, U see Kim Johnson is one of those upper middle class ppl who look down their nose at pan ppl, calling us rogue's and vagabond's, and would do and say anything to keep that stigma there, he would also twist anything you tell him around to suit himself, he tried that bull with me in 2008 inside North Stars pan yard, where I basically ran him out the yard, there were no steel drums in T&T in the 1930s not untill 1942 as world war II was in progress, the steel drum was not available to pan men untill after the war ended in May of 1945, these boy's/lad's were not in any STREET GANG, they beating on tin can's to keep out of trouble, seeking some kind of enlightenment, so again my friend, Kim Johnson information IS FALSE and he needs to get his FACT CORRECT...
Glenroy, I have to agree with you this person putting a whole new twist to the origin of the pan that is absolutely false, I am not an expert on the origin of pan but I know that pan did not come out of any kind of street gangs.
Wish the Dr. would get his facts straight,
Truly you exaggerate , Patrick . There were clashes indeed , mostly in the mid to late sixties and some were serious but by the seventies for the most part that behavior had ended.
And if you remember , of the hundreds of bands around at the time how many were involved in clashes?
I cannot remember more than a half a dozen or so in POS that were newsworthy, and only a few bands were involved , representing community rivalries more than anything.
Most clashes , like one between Southern Marines and Gondoliers on the Coffee in Sando, were relatively minor affairs, and resulted in few if any serious injuries .
And that was a big one by south standards
I am not one to whitewash the steelbands' history.
We know there was violence, I experienced a clash myself, but I'm not going to exaggerate it either.
Excuse me 'more musical than physical?' I am not buying that. It was real fight 1970's and before. Is buss head with bottle, serious chop with cutlash etc. Pan celebrated around the world happened because trinis wanted a better future for themselves earning a decent living playing pan. Credit must also be given to the foreign countries that have systems in place that don't put up with 'bulls**t. People around the world would never even know about the endless, senseless, chopping up of men on carnival days among steel-bands. Many lost an eye.