One of the least known and appreciated of all the pan pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago is Belgrave Bonaparte, the leader of the La Brea steelband Southern Symphony.Southern Symphony, a pioneering steelband, was the first to introduce arranged and written music to the steelband , according to sources like Junior Pouchet and Ray Holman.This band also introduced pan legends like tuners and musicians Alan Gervais , Lincoln Noel and arranger Earl Rodney.Bonaparte was also an original member of the legendary TASPO Steel orchestra that introduced Britain and Europe to the steelband in the early 1950s.Belgrave Bonaparte was also one of the few panmen to successfully transition to conventional music when, after being away from Trinidad for a number of years , he and his brothers returned to Trinidad as the Bonaparte Brothers dance band , which quickly gained popularity and a following in the Trinidad music scene of the early 1960s.For the longest while . I've been trying to get an example of the sound of that band , and I've finally found one.From the late 1960s,here is the Bonaparte Brothers Dance Band and "Watermelon Man"
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For 3 years, I've been trying to find some trace of my uncles music. Thank you so much! Someone asked if the Brothers are still alive. Yes, most are. Jesse (I'm his daughter), Mike, Theo and Joel are still alive. They are not a group anymore but each one still plays music. This is bringing tears to my eyes. Hearing the stories is great but hearing the music is even better!
This most certainly brings back memories for me also .I was just a very young man and I remember going to listen to them practice on the Old St Joseph road in Laventille and later on playing with some of the younger Bonapartes in Savoys steel orchrestra and doing a short gig on the Cruise Liner Song of Norway with one of their relatives
Of course they were the least known and appreciated of all the pioneers of the Steel Pan because they were from South, to be exact, La Brea. We are one nation until it comes to Pan, then all Southerners are foreigners. Ellie Manette said they blew him away when he saw them playing with three sticks, thereby playing full chords. As a boy I remember that sound coming from the area known as Three Hands.
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@ Ms. Brenda, two of them are in the states. Thanks for your response!
For 3 years, I've been trying to find some trace of my uncles music. Thank you so much! Someone asked if the Brothers are still alive. Yes, most are. Jesse (I'm his daughter), Mike, Theo and Joel are still alive. They are not a group anymore but each one still plays music. This is bringing tears to my eyes. Hearing the stories is great but hearing the music is even better!
This most certainly brings back memories for me also .I was just a very young man and I remember going to listen to them practice on the Old St Joseph road in Laventille and later on playing with some of the younger Bonapartes in Savoys steel orchrestra and doing a short gig on the Cruise Liner Song of Norway with one of their relatives
Of course they were the least known and appreciated of all the pioneers of the Steel Pan because they were from South, to be exact, La Brea. We are one nation until it comes to Pan, then all Southerners are foreigners. Ellie Manette said they blew him away when he saw them playing with three sticks, thereby playing full chords. As a boy I remember that sound coming from the area known as Three Hands.
Thanks Glen it brings back memories of the time when we had musicians in Trinidad who played music.
Randi
keep up the great surprises from archives
thanks for sharing as usual
Wow. Thanks Glenn. Brings back great memories.
Yep! I remember this and dancing to it. Thanks. Good memories of youth.