Mighty Jamma UK'S NO1 Recording Steelpan Artist
Jamma started playing music at a very early age, jamming on pots and pans etc. When I was 9 years old I moved on to playing the bass guitar and at the age of 11 I moved on to playing the steel pan and since then I have never looked back. The pan is such a wonderful sounding instrument, which gave me a burning desire to play it to levels of excellences.
This certainly payed off with the winnings of three (1987 1998, 1999) National Steel Band Soloist
Championship of Great Britain.
After this I took up more of a commercial look at the music. I was producing and performing at many corporate events such as weddings, parties, on cruise ships etc, but still looking for a bigger musical outlet for my talents.
The 1990's saw the birth of the Jamma Caribbean Jazz Band. Using the steelpan as a lead instrument, mixed with the sounds of double bass, piano and saxaphones giving a new flavour to UK's Jazz festivals. I would regularly perform at clubs like Ronnie Scotts, The Jazz Cafe, The Cork jazz festival , performing with some of the greats such as Courtney Pine, Richard Bailey, Wayne Batchelor, to name a few, that brought my performances to another level.
To View Jamma Caribbean jazz band in Concert click on link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg056gHc_xk&feature=&p=49FD60AE119610CD&index=0&playnext=1
Pan In Flight, Jamma and Friends Albums are great demonstrations of some of my compositions played by great international musicians. Performing in many different countries like Trinidad, Japan, many places in Europe and the UK really helped to bring the great wonderful sounds of the pan to wider audience.
Mighty Jamma in Japan Video to view click link below
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=QIt0FeexMNE&playnext=1&list=PLBEC6A201CC48F729&index=6
Bumcy Party Carnival Action DVD
Other songs like Bumcy Party, Dancing, have proved to be real party hits. Bumcy party DVD is currently shown on Sky TV, Actv channel.
Mighty Jamma Bumcy Party Music Video to view click on link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcIqjpdVAQ0
Other albums like Cool Evenings part 1 & 2, Relaxing Nights 1 & 2 also Have proved to be very calm and relaxing. These albums have defiantly proved to be very popular in promoting the Steelpans out of the
Carnival arena
To hear a few samples of some of Mighty Jamma's Recordings click on links below
Romantic Steelpan Music Cool Evenings II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6R5LwSr51E
Mighty Jamma Traditional mellow Caribbean CD'S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMxZry26r3c
Mighty Jamma Relaxing Steelpan Music CD'S https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23EIVZy4GEo
The Birmingham School of pan (BSP) came about due to the demand by youngsters in the community wanting to play the instrurment. Jamani, my son who was 7 at the time, had been learning to play and has been performing on the pan for some time. Jamani is an excellent player, he is loved by everyone who sees him perform, watch this space for more on Jamani the young Pan wizard. When he would be out playing or practicing in the garden at home all his friends would come round and want to play.
Birmingham School of Pan Live link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8iB6D7lQ38&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmsnsGXoxXo&feature=related
Next step was to hire a studio, get instruments and start teaching. This proved to be very successful with the youngsters performing on TV, Radio Stations including the BBC Web site, News papers, the BSP has also performed for Sir Viv Richards, Brian Lara, performed at the Notting Hill Carnival, The Birmingham Carnival, The NEC, Symphony Hall and many more venues.
I am at the moments working on some great new albums. BSP are actively performing and taking on new members turning them in to performers.
Good news on just completing my latest Album Reggae pan Classics II this album is very up beat, and marries the cultures of Trinidad and Jamaica to produce a real fresh summer sound. for more info please visit
Reggae Pan Classic Volume II for sample click on link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsFH8FtVBPg
If you like any of the music you have heard on this site and would like to place an order please click on the following link http://www.jammasteelpan.net/products.htm
Mighty Jamma Carnival Interview to view click link Below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmsnsGXoxXo&feature=related
For all other general inquires, bookings/workshops please visit http://www.jammasteelpan.net/index.htm
Or you may wish to call Jamma on + 44 (0) 077 9944 2277 or +44 (0)121 358 4525
Trinidad, W.I. - For the first time in their storied history, Caribbean Airlines Invaders Steel Orchestra will perform their very own original composition as their tune of choice, for the Trinidad and Tobago national steelband music panorama competition.
The steel orchestra’s 2009 offering, entitled “Caribbean Woman” was penned by famed composer, arranger, and performer Len “Boogsie” Sharpe. Vocalist Anselm Douglas does double-duty as lyricist for Caribbean Woman. Kenny Phillips served as the song’s producer and Caribbean Airlines Invaders Steel Orchestra, in what may be a first - served as executive producer.
click for more
Global - Bright, articulate, immensely talented, intellectual, down-to-earth and forthright are all words that can be aptly applied in the description of this young man. He is a music educator and a much sought-after music lecturer and adjudicator of steelpan and other music-related competitions. He has been involved with the steel pan instrument for over twenty-six years and hails originally from southern Trinidad.
Meet Victor Prescod, project coordinator of the “Pan in the Classroom Project Unit” in the Ministry of Education of Trinidad and Tobago. This unit is part of the curriculum development division. Its main focus is having the steelpan used as the primary instrument to teach music in schools. In an informative and personable exclusive interview, When Steel Talks captures Victor Prescod’s insight on music education, adjudication and adjudicators.
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. - Barbara Mason is the Steel Band Coordinator in the Cultural Development Division in Antigua and Barbuda. She is tremendously committed to the progress of youth talent arts. When Steel Talks conducted an exclusive interview with this cultural officer who is instrumental in the phenomenon of Antigua and Barbuda’s Youth Pan Orchestra as one of the best in the region.
As a cultural officer: “what we try to do is scout for talent in the various disciplines” says Barbara Mason. They are on the lookout to see how they can assist their youthful resources in maximizing the most of their artistic talents.
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. - The ‘Five-A-Side’ competition - a favorite element of the annual Moods of Pan (MOP) steelband festival - did not field in 2008 the plethora of participants as in the past. But the crowd on hand (pictured) undeniably had a very full evening of great music and overall entertainment dished out not only by the eventual two Five-A-Side competitors, Musical Youth and Golden Hands, but also the invited artistes.
Moods of Pan is hosted by one of Antigua & Barbuda’s most noted music organizations, Gemonites Steel Orchestra. The organizers had received a commitment from as many as nine groups, each featuring five steelband musicians eagerly vying for bragging rights in the second of the three nights’ events, within the simultaneously humorous and musical atmosphere that was the Five-A-Side competition.
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. - While When Steel Talks was visiting the panyards on our recent trip to Antigua we caught up with the country’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Baldwin Spencer who was in Halcyon Steel Orchestra’s panyard taking in a practice section for the 2008 Moods of Pan Festival. We posed three questions to the Prime Minister which he very graciously answered.
“...as leaders and so on, we ought to be identifying with the art form and to give it as much encouragement and exposure as possible, so that it can grow and flourish not only in the Caribbean, but throughout the world....We as leaders need to be paying great attention to what this is, and to make sure that we hold it - while we give it to the world, we hold it as ours.”
