Members in 1974 the Panorama champs of the year before failed to reached the finals, Can you name the Steel Orchestra involved, and do you remember if it happened to any other Steel orchestra.

Clarence Curvan was one of the top Trinidadian musicians / bandleaders to emerge from the Caribbean in the nineteen sixties.

As the post war generation came of age, a fresh new sound of music emerged in Trinidad, and the Clarence Curvan Orchestra, featuring Clarence on drums was at the forefront of that musical revolution.

Clarence Curvan was born in Port of Spain, and grew up on St Vincent street a stone's throw from the Old Brigade calypso tent, separated from the tent  by a galvanized iron fence. 

According to Clarence, he grew up with calypso in his bones, since from the age of six he would peek through a hole in the fence at the activities in the nearby calypso tent.

Through the hole he managed to experience performances by many legendary calypsonians, including icons like Lord and Lady Iere,Sir Galba, Spoiler, Spitfire,Growler, Lion, Attila the Hun, and many others.

When he grew older, he got his parent's permission to visit the calypso tent, and was mesmerized by the singers and musicians. This  sparked his interest in music, and as a result, he started playing the piano, but soon became interested in percussion.

In the late fifties, the Cyril Diaz orchestra was the main backup band for calypsonians, and Clarence gladly accepted  a request by Cyril Diaz( and the Mighty Sparrow) to join the band's rhythm section.

In 1960, Clarence started his own band, and by the time he released his first record which was a guitar driven version of Chet Atkin's "Teensville", the band had established itself as one of the top bands in the land.

His band introduced several young musicians who were to become legends of the Trinidad music scene, including Beverly Griffith, Roy Cape, Ron Berridge, Conrad Little and others. 

However, of all the musicians that he played with, he had the most praise for the talents of guitarist Freddie Harris, who according to Clarence, seemed to be born with a special gift.

He remembers some of Freddie's guitar solos to this day.

His first dozen releases all topped the local music charts, and his "610 Saga" set the record for  topping the NBS radio chart for the longest time .He also backed up calypso performances and  recordings, and worked with singers such as Power, Shadow, Nap Hepburn,Brynner, Pancho and many others.

Not surprisingly, Clarence was also involved with the steelbands.

 He played bass with Starland Steel Orchestra, and, ever the leader, he soon became the band's captain.

Unfortunately he had to give up the steelband, when leading two bands became too much of a chore.

In the mid sixties, the music changed, and so did the band's membership. Clarence changed direction, and his band became the first sponsored dance band in T&T, when Fernandes (Vat 19) sponsored his band, and he received a contract to play at the Choy Aming Penthouse in Port of Spain.

One of his new members was the late legendary pan arranger Clive Bradley. Bradley replaced Beverly Griffith as keyboardist and arranger, and his arrangements took the band to a new, more soulful direction, since one of the duties of the newly reconstituted band was backing up visiting American soul and pop artists, like Percy Sledge. and others.

In 1969, Clarence accepted an offer to take his band to the Bahamas, where because of his expertise in the soul music genre, his band  supported visiting soul singers like Clarence Carter,Johnny Taylor, Tyrone Davis, Betty Wright, and many others.

As a testament to Clarence's musical versatility,he was pleasantly surprised to find that one of his recordings was currently getting airplay in Germany, where it was recently re-released  as part of a compilation album celebrating American Funk music of the late sixties and early seventies.
The tune, "Feeling Nice" is the featured tune on the CD "Feeling Nice Vol.1" which was released in June of this year on the Tramp Germany label.

For all his musical accomplishments, Clarence remains humble and accessible, and is effusive in his praises to former band mates like Ron Berridge, Beverly Griffith and Roy Cape, with whom he has personal relationships to this day.

Clarence Curvan moved to New York in 1970, and he continues to be involved with music and culture.

He has traveled the world as an unofficial Trinidad cultural ambassador, judging calypso and steelband competitions from Europe to the US to the Caribbean.

Thank you, Clarence Curvan for your music and for your contributions to our Caribbean culture..

Kim Johnson tells us in his book, The Illustrated Story of Pan: Second Edition that,

"Anthony 'Muffman' Williams is arguably the most important panman in history, because of his brilliance as an inventor, tuner, arranger and captain. He introduced the use of oil drums for the background pans, the cellos and bass, and then he put them on wheels so the heavy oil drums could be played on the road. He discovered harmonic tuning, in which more than one tone could be hammered into a note; and from that insight he created the now-standard 'fourths and fifths' arrangement of notes on the tenor pan. He was the first to experiment with oversized pans. As an arranger, Williams set a standard for how a band should sound, how the sections should be voiced in an ensemble, that is unsurpassed. His arrangements for the first two Panorama competitions created a template still followed. As a captain, his band was one of the most well-organised welfare-oriented, progressive ensembles."

High accolades never to be surpassed as a pioneer.

His passing this morning leaves a major gap in the ongoing conversation on and contestation around the idea of steelpan as more than accompaniment for revelry. Pan is more than the cliché sound of the Caribbean, it is more than an iconic image of tropical fun so popular in island tourism adverts from the middle of the 20th century coming forward. It is the soul of a people, of a nation. The pan's symbolism as national instrument, born not by official fiat, but by a transcription of an excerpt of a former Prime Minister's 1992 Independence Day speech, is not to be taken for granted here in T&T. Anthony Williams, and his pioneer posse — you know the names. Buy Kim's book if you don't! — began all this conversation of what is our gift to the world, our opportunity to be a trailblazer in a world leaving behind "small places with simple people" (yuh done know who write that Nobel phrase). His passing today still leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those who know that the "traditional knowledge for making a steelpan and its role in the music and festivals of T&T" should be on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an action still remarkably left wanting all these years after our country's ratification of the Treaty governing these matters, in 2010, I believe. (Wake up, Mr. Minister!) His innovation of the circle of fifths on a pan was unwisely patented in the US by a fresh water Yankee in 2004 and successfully challenged by the T&T government and revoked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Anthony Williams, unfortunately, lived in a time when the "audacity of creole imagination" was looked down on. His genius was not the conversation of industry. His genius never made him a millionaire. His genius was not the asset that our country would try to tap into for inspiration and profit. Today, as we reflect on his life and contribution, let us remember his significance in shaping a modern T&T by the unintended consequence of his innovation with an oil drum and the idea of music, and how we have made it part of our intangible cultural heritage. Rest in Peace Anthony 'Muffman' Williams.

©2021, Nigel A. Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

Condolences to family and friends of kenneth Palmer (KP) bar man at TASO panyard .

Its about time that Steel bands have a vote of No Confidence in its President. Keith Diaz. This a man is a Parasite sucking the blood of The Pan men. He and his Cronies must Go. Steel bands are still waiting to be Paid for the Last Festival. This was the 1st Festival that neither an Audio or Video was made for Public enjoyment,, He uses Pantrinbago as His personal Piggy bank, but No Money for Pan. This Man should be in Jail. Keith Diaz must go before he destroys or Pan Culture.

The UWI Community mourns the passing of Dr Anthony Achong who passed away on June 29, 2020. DR Achong was an academic who devoted much of his research to steelpan technology.

He began his academic career in UWI Mona in 1970 where he started as a Part-Time Tutor in 1970 and then worked his way up to become a Lecturer in Physics in 1975 where he remained in that post until 1977. He came to The UWI St. Augustine as a Physics Lecturer in 1977 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005. In 2002, he was appointed as
Head of the Department of Physics and served in that position until 2007.

Dr Achong's research interests were widely varied including: Screening methods for the detection of scoliosis, using Moire; Topography (medical physics); moisture adsorption/desorption properties of Tropical Woods (solar energy); astronomy and cosmology among other topics.

He is best known for his major research interest, focused on the Physics of Steelpan. In 2013, he wrote “Secrets of the Steelpan: Unlocking the Secrets of the Science, Technology, Tuning of the Steelpan.” This work that is widely cited and made him acknowledged by many as the “world’s top authority” in the specialised field of scientific analysis of steelpan instruments.  

May he rest in peace. 

The organizers of Pan on D Avenue honoured 12 arrangers of the National Instrument of Trinidad and Tobago on August 23rd 2014. This Pan Parade was first held in 2012.                                                              

Because of the late start, the hostess could not mention some of the accomplishments of these 12 arrangers, and some of the awards were not presented on the air. These are some of the language I was looking forward on hearing about three of the arrangers who led a Steel Orchestra to Panorama victory in the 1960's..

(A) Mr. Lennox "Bobby" Mohamed at 22 years of age in 1965 was and still is the youngest person to become a winning Panorama arranger. (B) He is the first from the Southern region to lead his Steel Orchestra, Cavaliars to 2 victories and the first arranger to be in the top-three positions for 4 consecutive years, 1965 through 1969. (Bobby and band were not in Trinidad for the 1968 Panorama) (C) In 1967, Mr. Mohamed became the first arranger to qualify his band at a Classical Music Festival with his own composition, "Revelations From Beyond"

(A) Mr. Earl Rodney is the first arranger to lead his band, Hamonites to 3 Panorama victories in the years 1968, 1971 and 1972 (B) Mr. Rodney is also the first to lead his band to the top-three positions, 5 times from 1968 through 1973.

(A) Mr. Ray Holman led Starlift to 2 Panorama wins in 1969 and 1971 ((B) Although Ray did not arrange in 1965, he led Starlift to 6 top-threes from 1964 to 1972. (C) Starlift is the only Steel Orchestra to qualify for the first 11 Panorama finals, 1963 through 1973, and Ray was part of 10 of them. (D) Ray Holman won the 1964 Soloists Category at the Music Festival (E) In 1972, Mr. Holman became the first arranger to compose a tune that also placed in the top-three (F) In 2013, Mr. Holman became the only arranger to qualify 8 different Steel Orchestras in all 6 decades of Panorama.     

The other 9 honourees were Mr. Steve Achaiba, Dr. Jit Samaroo, Mr. Pellham Goddard, The late Mr. Edwin Pouchet, Mr. Ken "Professor" Philmore, Mr. Earl Brooks, Mr. Terrence "BJ" Marcelle, Mr. Duvone Stewart and Mrs. Michelle Huggings-Watts.
r.

Steel Orchestras have to get together and brainstorm how to get into the Transportation and the Chroming of Pans Business.

I may not have the dollar, you may not have the dollar, he/she may not have the dollar. However, if WE get into COLLECTIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WE WILL HAVE THE DOLLARS.

From 2007 through 2017, The Large Bands Panorama Finalists have grossed $60,750,000.00 in prize monies.

It is time the Steel Orchestras work so they can benefit.
The Truckers, The Chromers, The Pan Makers, The Arrangers, The Decorators, The Managers, The Captains and now we have The "Drill Masters." This is the breakdown from the top top high to the low low, to the crackshots and then to the steel orchestras/robot players.

Congratulations to the Highlanders Steel Orchestra Foundation for spearheading and accomplishing their goal of renaming a popular Road in honour of Pan Icon, Pannist, Arranger, Tuner and Innovator   the late MR. BERTIE MARSHALL.

Old St. Joseph Road, named over 200 years ago which runs East in Success Village, Laventille was renamed on October 17th 2013,       BERTIE MARSHALL BOULEVARD.                                                      

I am aware that a Boulevard is used for a large roadway, so I asked a member of the foundation why they used Boulevard instead of Road. "The street may be small but Bertie Marshall was large" (lol)  

This was quite an accomplishment by the Highlanders Steel Orchestra Foundation since Mr. Marshall passed on one year ago to date.         .

Mr. Keith Diaz gave a passionate speech which included information that John Public may or may not have known about ownership of pan patents and income in billions which is generated from carnival over the last 3 years. 

I was told by another member of the foundation that this scheduled street name unveiling ceremony was sent out to Pan Trinbago, who in turn informed the various Steel Orchestras.                                     However, I saw only one representative of a major Steel Orchestra which was Mr. Errol Serrette from Phase II. This was very disappointing to me, so I called a member of Desperadoes' committee asking if he knew about the unveiling, but his answer was NO.

Thanks were extended to the Government of Trinidad & Tobago by H.S.O.F. and various councilor, minister and parliament members for aiding in bringing this to fruition.

Mr. Hamlet "Yatsie" Joseph, an original member of Highlanders was asked to give the vote of thanks speech. However, he used his time to to convey a 21st century approach for the uplifting of highlanders and pan at large, but did not reach receptive ears.

I felt sorry that the audience were not in the mood for progressive ideas. I later told him if we in the pan world do not change from tradition to innovation we will be stuck in the quagmire.

Some of the audience said his speech was not appropriate at this occasion.  Mr. Joseph said "we are in serious trouble in this country."

My personal kudos to Mr. Robert Hernandez, secretary of H.S.O.F. for not taking NO for an answer and not accepting William Street.

Pan Alive ‘dead’ band leader says

Pan Alive may well be alive this year but it could be wounded due to a dispute between the leaders of the two largest steel bands and Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA) over funding.

The annual presentation by OSA slated for July 31 at Lamport Stadium is a significant and popular event during Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival

“Dead!” said an adamant Wendy Jones, leader of Pan Fantasy, an 80-member core mobile steel band, when asked if the event will happen as scheduled.

However, Ken Bhagan, OSA board chair, and Dwight Belgrove, board band rep for St. Jamestown Youth Centre Steel Orchestra, both adamantly stated Pan Alive will happen as planned, whether any bands pull out or not.

Jones told The Camera as we went to press late Tuesday that “OSA failed to help the bands financially. As for the Festival Management Committee (FMC) – they have no money.”

She said the payments offered by OSA are lower this year and they are still waiting to be paid for last year. As for the prize money from last year, “We are still waiting.”

Jones and Earl St. Pierre of Afropan Steel Band are unhappy with the contractual offer from OSA this year to each band which provides a $1,200 appearance fee, $500 for transportation and a further 20% of each Pan Alive ticket they sell to a maximum $2,000 and then 5% for each ticket sold after that.

Those two leaders have easily the largest steel bands that traditionally perform at Pan Alive and suggest that if they refuse to appear this year, it will significantly reduce the appeal of the show. They say that Sillohettes, Metrotones and New Dimensions steel bands are also unhappy with the payment offered by OSA.

La Pierre said if a larger payment is not offered, his steel band will not perform at Pan Alive. Neither Jones nor La Pierre have signed the contracts currently offered, they said.

Jones said steel bands with up to 100 players each have annual expenses including transportation, trucks, paying arrangers and tuners.

Bhagan said, “Pan Alive is the only gated event for OSA. So the steel bands are paid based on the receipts from Pan Alive.” He noted that the Pan Alive payment structure was passed by the OSA board. Jones is vice-chair of that board.

She also expressed dissatisfaction, as did La Pierre, with the $6,000 per band offered by OSA for participating in the Aug. 1 Grand Parade during Carnival. La Pierre took issue as well with OSA’s plan to make those payments after the parade, arguing that bands need the funds beforehand to cover costs.

OSA has about $89,000 this year from FMC to pay bands that march in the parade.

“We spend over $25,000 over the summer here at Pan Fantasy and they are giving us $6,000. That’s the reason why we do several events, because we need to pay our bills,” Jones said.

Jones, a recipient of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) Harry Jerome Award for Entertainment 2015, said, “The OSA handed out contracts at a meeting last Saturday – the first meeting since 2014 Pan Alive – and we have no intention to sign them.”

Bhagan said Jones and La Pierre were not at that meeting.

La Pierre said, “We are about uplifting pan and the culture. So that’s the reason why we need the funding.”

I just Heard that Norman Darway Steelband Historian Has Passed on Wednesday. May He R.I.P

Robert Gittens died on Thursday 13th June, 2013. Robert was a Casablanca from young. he and his brothers Valmond and Michael. Although in his youthful days he left the hill and went and took a knock with BWIA Sunjets, (which was unheard of in those days), It was back up the hill to try and assist Casablanca in whatever way possible. He also played football in the MERVINA's league.

May God bless his soul.

The Codrington Pan Family would like to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to the executive of Pan Trinbago for their professional handling of the Tobago pan jazz event―Pazzaz.

 From the beginning to end, all of our arrangements were spot on; travel, accommodation, meals, etc. The effort was also made for constant communication to ensure that all of our needs were taken care of. We would also like to offer thanks to the Sound technician staff for their cooperation. It was evident of their efforts to make sure that all of the artists were comfortable with their sound.

We think that all of the arrangements were consistent with the prerequisites of hosting an international event. Had the weather been favourable it would have been a memorable show.

Thank you Pan Trinbago, we are proud of your efforts.

Yours in pan,

Codrington Pan Family.

Afropan Wins 2011 Pan Alive Title!!

As the end of the competition drew near, Pan Alive night, the members of Afropan setup their pans and got ready for their time to shine. After their hard work and late nights, the band was hoping to take back that first place title again, as opposed to the tie for third received years prior to this.

The announcer introduced the band, acknowledged their tribute flags for their 8 "Afro Angels", that had passed earlier this year, and conductor Terrell La Pierre got in his zone. Arranger, Earl La Pierre Sr. began the count in and with those final three taps, BANG! the first note dropped and the "Raging Storm" began. The next 8 minutes were filled with high energy, raw talent and sweet musical mayhem as the sounds of steel and rhythm poured into the hearts of all lucky enough to hear! As that final note was played both the crowd and players erupted in cheers of celebration and accomplishment; they knew their performance was near flawless and if nothing else, they executed a "Raging Storm" to match no other.

It was time to hear the results and with first and second place left to be announced the tensions grew thick and time seemed to stand still. After much anticipation, first runner up is announced....SALAH, which meant AFROPAN STEELBAND had done it! They successfully reclaimed first place and their 28th competition win since 1973! Players & supporters began to run from wherever they were back to Lamport Stadium! "AFROPAN! AFROPAN! AFROPAN!" echoed through the air with utter excitement and a sense of community surrounded the band as other steelbands extended their hands in congratulations for a win well deserved! As part of their celebration, the band members sang out their rendition of "Raging storm" inside Lamport stadium before moving the party back to the panyard for their J'ouvert celebrations.

Afropan Steelband "The People's Band" would like to acknowledge arranger Earl La Pierre Sr., conductor Terrell La Pierre, their 8 "Afro Angels" whom continue to bless the band daily and all of the players and supporters; for without the dedication and contribution of everyone this win would not have been possible or half as sweet!

Find more photos like this on When Steel Talks

At last!

Congratulations to Pioneer Tuner Anthony Williams who will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters -DLitt) by the UWI at its Graduation Ceremonies in October 2016!

A partial citation is given on the UWI Today page at UWI Today:

Mr Anthony Williams – DLitt

Mr Anthony Williams is, perhaps, the most significant contributor to the development of the technology of the steelpan musical instrument and the associated art in performance, because of his triple role as an inventor, arranger, and steel orchestra captain.

In the 1950s, Mr Williams invented the 4ths-and-5ths note layout pattern, now standard on the tenor steelpan and the basis of the note layouts on three of the four G-pans invented at The UWI in 2007. The pattern was first used on his spiderweb pan, which he tuned so that the anti-clockwise sequence of notes around any given ring, assumes a progression of musical 5ths while the note sequence along a sector defined by two adjacent radii produces a progression of musical octaves.

His inventions were all music-driven and came during his tenure as captain, musical director and tuner of the Pan Am North Stars Steel Orchestra. This steelband was the first to appear on US nationwide television (the Ed Sullivan show in 1964); the first to transpose music for symphonic orchestras into steelband scores (Johann Strauss’s Voices of Spring in the 1962 Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival) which set the template for steelband arrangements for years to come.  

In 1968 Pan Am North Stars joined with Trinidad and Tobago’s internationally celebrated pianist, Winifred Atwell, in a series of performances locally, in the Bahamas and at Madison Square Garden in New York. By placing bass pans on wheels, he made it possible for the road band to remain mobile and perform full orchestral arrangements.

Six decades ago he was emphasizing the importance of music literacy for all pannists and, though self-taught, established classes in his North Stars panyard. In recognition of his experience and competence, Mr Williams was made a member of the first steelpan technology research team at the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute. He has been recognised by the National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (NIHERST) as a Caribbean Icon and was awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest award in 2008. 

Didn't realise that Ministry of Culture posted these ... this is my favourite NSSO performance - Waltz for Iris composed by Ray Holman. I think this was recorded at Naparima Bowl in 2008. Waltz for Iris

A member of the PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars family passed away on Friday November 29, 2013.  John Lopez ( ‘Naddie’) was, only hours before his death, playing up a storm in the panyard at 56 Tragarete Road, Newtown, Port of Spain.   The band was having its last practice session for the first evening of the annual Parang & Steel which kicked off on November 30.

John has been part of PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars for many years and has gone on several tours, including a very successful one to Japan in 1983.  Revered by the members as “a smooth” player, he was also respected for his reliability.  He was always the first band member to arrive for any function, as well as for practice.  He was never late for a playout.  ‘Uncle John’ would set out chairs, spread tablecloths, load pans, carry out tasks with great efficiency and without having to be asked.

His was a quiet disposition, yet he was firm.  We have never heard him raise his voice.  The only ‘sound’ he made, emanated from his 7 bass pans – and what a wonderful sound that has been!  ‘Papa John’ was selfless.  He never hesitated to assist new players when they had difficulty of any kind.

On the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of Silver Stars in 2008, John was awarded the trophy and prize for the “Most Outstanding Player”.  It was well-deserved. 

John Lopez was like a father to many of our players; to other members of the steelband fraternity, he was a great friend.  Our Captain, Edwin Pouchet and his family and all of us at PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, send sincere condolences to his wife Cynthia and family.  Most of us cannot remember the band without him.  None of us can imagine the band without him!

RIP Dear Friend.

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